William Troughton - Böcker

Variously called the ‘Biarritz of Wales’, the ‘Cambrian Brighton’ and, by Wynford Vaughan Thomas, ‘A town for the unambitious man’, Aberystwyth has been mid-Wales’s premier holiday resort for over 200 years. It is also the home of a vibrant university. Both these functions have contributed to a rich visual culture documenting the town.In Aberystwyth Reflections, local author William Troughton has brought together a fascinating collection of historic and modern photographs that are individually merged to reveal how the town has changed across the decades. As an established resort the promenade area, with its pier, bandstand, pierrots, paddling pool and seafront hotels, features in many of the images. Pictures of streets, shops, notable events, military camps, funicular and narrow-gauge railways, the harbour and vanished buildings are also included. A section looks at the development of the university campus during the 1960s and 1970s.This evocative visual chronicle, which features many previously unpublished photographs, reflects Aberystwyth past and present. It will appeal to residents, visitors and anyone with connections to the town.

Aberystwyth is the unofficial capital of Mid Wales. Situated on Cardigan Bay, it attracts many as a seaside resort and university town, as well as being a gateway to the Cambrian Mountains inland. The ruins of the castle, destroyed in the Civil War, attest to the town’s importance in the Middle Ages, and with the coming of the railways in the nineteenth century, which brought an influx of visitors, many hotels and grand houses were built. Many buildings and the pier were damaged or destroyed in a great storm in 1938, and post-war to recent decades Aberystwyth has witnessed many more changes.Lost Aberystwyth presents a portrait of this corner of Wales over the last century to recent decades that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not only industries and buildings that have gone but also people and street scenes, many popular places of entertainment and much more. This fascinating photographic history of lost Aberystwyth will appeal to all those who live in the area or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.

Basking in the summer sunshine of July 1914, the west coast of Wales seemed far away from a war on mainland Europe. However, its effects were soon felt, as within days the Territorial Army camped nearby were marched off to go to – well, no one knew quite where.As the years dragged on, nearly every family was affected by the war. Raw recruits were billeted in the town and marched up and down the promenade, signallers practised sending messages by semaphore from the castle to Constitution Hill and the dreaded telegrams dropped onto doormats with ever increasing regularity. The town held a somewhat muted National Eisteddfod, the Theological College became a hospital, Belgian refugees appeared in the town and the professor of German left. Parcels were sent to the soldiers and sailors and letters of thanks published in the local paper. Later, a tank appeared on the promenade.Over a hundred men from Aberystwyth lost their lives in the Great War. This is the story of their town during those years.

Aberystwyth History Tour is a unique guide to the illustrious history of this picturesque market town on the West coast of Wales. With roots traceable back to the Normans, for centuries fishing, sea faring, lead mining and agriculture were the mainstays of the local economy; with the arrival of the railways during the Victorian period, tourism also began to boom. The town is one of great character and charm, it boasts a mile of promenade, beaches, a harbour, ruined castle, university, medieval street plans, the National Library of Wales, a narrow gauge and funicular railways. Local author Will Troughton guides the reader through its charismatic streets, showing how its famous landmarks and hidden-away gems have transformed over time. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited on this tour to discover for themselves the changing face of Aberystwyth.