Jan Preece – författare

Newport Through Time highlights the journey of a city that began over 700 years ago when the first mayor took office in AD 1314. Often struggling with an identity that is confused by its close proximity to the Welsh borders it has been claimed alternatively by England, Wales and Monmouthshire. Now it sits as a gateway city, an entrance portal to the principality via the Gwent levels that border the Bristol Channel and the River Severn.This book explores Newport from the start of the Industrial Revolution, when the Welsh coalfields spilt their rich black harvest into the ever-expanding port, with its adjoining canal and myriad of railway lines that punctuated the streets, criss-crossing the busy thoroughfares as they gravitated towards the sea and the Alexandra Docks. The author examines the family firms that became both household and international names, and as the city begins a new era we examine in pictures how it was and how it is now.

The Newport Transporter Bridge was built to meet the needs of industry which had grown to include the east bank of the Usk. Here, Jan Preece illustrates the history of this iconic local landmark from conception to the present day, looking at its unusual design, with only twelve others like it in the world that are still in use, and the impact it had on industry in the area.The stretch of the River Usk close to the bridge has its own rich industrial heritage, from cottage industries of tin makers to shipping and the railways. With a wealth of rare and previously unpublished images, Jan Preece tells these two interconnected stories that form crucial parts of Newport’s history.

The city of Newport, lying on the River Usk in South Wales, has been an important port serving Wales since medieval times. The Industrial Revolution brought enormous wealth to Newport, when it became the centre of coal exports from the Welsh Valleys, and although the docks have declined in recent years, large areas of Newport are being regenerated and the city still retains significant industries.Newport at Work explores the history of the city through the work and industries that have characterised it. The docks have played a vital role in the history of Newport, with its many ancillary industries that grew up with the docks, including the railways from the valleys. During the US Civil War many blockade runners came to Newport. The city was also the home of the Mole Wrench, Pell’s Mint Humbugs and Lovell Confectionary’s Milky Lunch, and the author includes the story of other businesses and shops since the late Victorian period. Recent industries include microbreweries and specialised crafts. This book will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of Newport.

The sixties, seventies and eighties were decades of great change. Many towns and cities were redeveloped with projects that dramatically affected the character of the place. People’s shopping habits were altered as supermarkets took over from traditional stores and corner shops. Leisure habits were changing too, as cheap air travel led to the arrival of the foreign package holiday and a new range of leisure facilities were developed at home. Fashions, as ever, were changing in this period, reflecting radical changes in society and the ways in which we viewed ourselves. Transport also evolved, with a move away from the railway and buses creating a strain on the roads, leading to new road schemes.These changes in people’s habits and lifestyles were keenly felt in Newport as the city’s traditional industries based around its docks declined. Much of the old dock area, including homes, has been swept away in recent regeneration, but local author Jan Preece recaptures it all in this fascinating portrayal of the city and its people over the course of these most nostalgic decades.