Swansea residents have been taking a keen interest in their in their local culture and heritage through the emergence of online forums on social media pages, which look back the city’s achievements- which include having the world’s first passenger railway system and being the birthplace of poet and playwright Dylan Thomas.
A Facebook page called ‘So You Think you Know Swansea’ has sprung up and asks users to post both old and new photos, and to discuss and share memories of the city.
The site which has gained thousands of members in next to no time, has often proven itself to be a source of local news and gossip, with members going slightly off topic and indulging in speculation about incidents and news stories, which at times, have yet to even reach the news desk of the press.
Sitting pretty: One of the old trams used on the Mumbles Railway in its new home in The Tram Shed, which is part of Swansea Museum. Photo by Alicia Nugent
Louise John, 49, a member of the group, joined in order to find out more about the heritage of the city where she lives.
She said: “For me, the site has been a real eye-opener about what a rich history we have here in Swansea.
“I find it fascinating to look at old photos that get posted on the page because normally so many people comment and share their personal memories that are related to the image.”
History forum pages are not exclusive to Swansea, with copycat groups popping up across the country. An increase in the number of local history books that have been recently published also reflects the interests of those who use the forums, as in addition to theses and academic journals, there are a large number of pictorial books full of images and ‘reminisces’.
Literature: An example of some of the books available about Swansea. Photo by Alicia Nugent
Whilst these factors make it look like there is an increase in people immersing themselves in their local history, a representative of The British Association for Local History (BALH) said that the interest “is far from new”.
She added that local history “has long been fostered by local societies, the Workers Education Association and schools of continuing education or lifelong learning, formerly known as University Extra-Mural Departments’”.
History societies have been existed in Swansea since the nineteenth century with the membership of most still going strong today. These groups often produce a professionally-published journal or a newsletter, enabling the results of their research to reach a wider audience.
In recent years, The Heritage Lottery fund has also allowed an increase in the number of local projects such as digital archives, heritage centres and exhibitions. In turn, more and more resources have become available for those wanting to find out more about the place where they come from.
Although there are the resources mentioned above and so many more such as photo galleries and museums, not all members of the public have the time to dedicate to research. Until then, Facebook groups are proving to be the perfect way for many to dip in and out of history within the comfort of their own homes and will hopefully encourage the younger generation to become more involved in local history.
Many thanks to the West Glamorgan Archives and the British Association for Local History.
Our City of Swansea 