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Hello everyone!
This is the first time I've really done any Lego related things since the 25 pdr so I hope you like the scene. :)
One of my relatives called Harold was a Doctor in the RAMC in Egypt, attached to an Australian unit. Our family have letters he sent home when he was on leave to his sister when he would go sight seeing and meet local people. He was overseas until 1919 when he came home. It was this that gave me the idea of a Hospital kind of theme.
Thanks for taking a look! :)
This is the reverse of my pocket watch, the obverse side can be seen here; www.flickr.com/photos/119509436@N06/54560147643/in/datepo...
It is a slimline one and is just under 2.5 inches from base to the handle at the top.
I bought this pocket watch when I was promoted to the Sargeants Mess while serving. You may detect slight red hues to the gilding, this is because the RAMC Mess Dress was dark blue Surge, with Cherry Red edging and waistcoat / vest. Over the years the red surge wore away some of the surface and stained the front and back red.
Until I changed my 3 piece civilian suit recently, I used the watch regularly. I now have a 2 piece suit and therefore do not use it.
Sadly it does not work any longer as the battery has died and I haven't yet found watchmaker / jewelry store willing to try and open up the casing to replace it.
Macro Mondays, theme # Watch
This image is approx 1 inch square. It shows a service pin comprising a British Crown, the flag of the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Union Flag of the UK. The dates of serviced are shown on the banner under the crown.
The background is a photo of a red satin sheet and the pin of the badge holds it to the photograph and sheet of card.
Macro Mondays, theme #
Woven cap badge of the Royal Army Medical Corps (British Army). This is used by ranks (Other than Officers) in tactical dress. The red of the backing is one of the 3 corps colours (cherry red, royal blue and old gold). This woven badge was introduced in the 1980's.
The size of this image is 2 inches wide by 2.5 inches high,
it is best enlarged to see the stitches of the woven emblem.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Army_Medical_Corps
Macro Monday theme; Stitch
Happy Macro Monday folks !!
We have some clues to help us today, the catalogue tells us "Dr. Dawson, in military uniform with medical corps insignia, three-quarter length portrait, military uniform" I am sure this will be enough information for us to learn all there is to know about Doctor Dawson.
Photographers: Various
Collection: Irish Personalities Photographic Collection
Date: circa 1920
NLI Ref: NPA POLI17
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Relationships and connections can sure be fickle sometimes. Before I was born my Father completed his 2 years National Service, during which he met my Mother.
When he completed his National Serrvice he joined the T.A.V.R. and completed over 15 years service.
Sadly when he died I was reminded of a connection between us that we never seemed to talk about in an otherwise close relationship. This was brought home to me by the discovery of his Veterans pin, a pin that was made available to veterans of the UK Forces just before he passed away.
Therefore it is great pride that I give to you, on the left, my Father's Veteran's pin for 17 years service, and on the right, my veteran's pin for 24 years service. Each pin is 1 inch tall and 0.75 inch wide.
Macro Mondays, theme # Father
One of many remarkable memorials to be found at the National Memorial Arboretum - this one is dedicated to the Royal Army Medical Corps. © All rights reserved.
A real photographic postcard of Private Harold Dudley Mining (Regimental Number: 69399) serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) during World War One. Inscribed on the reverse is "Best Wishes 69399 R.A.M.C. Yours Sincerely Harold Mining".
Harold Dudley Mining was born on 2nd December 1886. Attended Harper St School on 15th January 1891. His father was Daniel Mining of 8 Rodney Place. In 1911 he was living at 16 Osborne Terrace, Clapham S.W. and was a Clerk at Stores. He married Bertha Downes on 25 December 1920. Died Ealing 1968.
Wright Archive collection
Commerorative statue to the men and women of the Royal Army Medical Corps, National Commerative Arboretum, Lichfield
Grade 2 listed World War One war memorial by the church in Woughton-on-the-Green, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
info from HistoricEngland and Buckinghamshire remembers websites -
Name: Woughton on the Green War Memorial Cross
Designation Type: Listing
Grade: II
List UID: 1458153
Reasons for Designation
Woughton on the Green War Memorial Cross, which stands on Newport Road, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* a simple yet poignant granite memorial cross, in the Celtic style; * unusually, the war memorial has not been adapted for Second World War commemoration, and thus retains its original design intent.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed), numerous Grade II-listed buildings surrounding The Green, and the scheduled area of Woughton on the Green shrunken medieval village.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Woughton on the Green as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by four members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The local newspaper reported on 23 July 1921 that the memorial had been unveiled by Colonel Bowles, a local resident, and dedicated by Reverend Canon Whittaker. The names of those 18 men who served and returned are recorded on the lychgate (unlisted), c12m to the south.
The memorial was cleaned and re-lettered in 2014 to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War.
Details
The granite memorial cross stands on the verge on the east side of Newport Road and aligned to the west tower of the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed). It comprises a simple wheel-head cross with decorative roundels incised into the cross-head. The cross-shaft stands on a tapering pedestal and single granite step. The dedicatory inscription to the front face of the pedestal reads FOR RIGHT AND LIBERTY/ 1914 + 1918 (4 NAMES).
Frank Leonard Beckett.
Name Frank Leonard BECKETT
Rank/Number Private 266253
Regiment Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry 2/1st Bucks Battalion
Enlisted Aylesbury
Age/Date of death 32 22 Aug 1917
How died/Theatre of war Killed in action France & Flanders
Last known address Fenny Stratford
Cemetery New Irish Farm Cemetery, Ieper, Belgium
Grave or Memorial ReferenceXIX.B.11
Location of memorial Woughton on the Green St Mary
Date/Place of birth c1885 Waddesdon
Date/Place of baptism
Pre-war occupation of Casualty cowman
Parents Thomas & Jane Isabella Beckett nee Beckett
Parent's occupation manager on farm
Parents' Address (last known) 1901: The Green, Woughton
Wife Eleanor Beckett nee Warner
Wife's Address (last known)
Notes also Service Number OBLI 8500
Alfred Knopp.
Name Alfred KNOPP
Rank/Number Driver T/28255
Regiment Army Service Corps RAMC attd 23rd Field Amb
Enlisted London
Age/Date of death 27 20 Oct 1918
How died/Theatre of war Died France & Flanders
Last known address Kensington W
Cemetery Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles, France
Grave or Memorial ReferenceIV.B.27
Location of memorial Woughton on the Green St Mary
Date/Place of birth 29 Aug 1891 Hackney, London
Date/Place of baptism 16 Sep 1891 Mile End, London
Pre-war occupation of Casualty
Parents Alfred & Fanny Knopp nee Bacon
Parent's occupation drayman
Parents' Address (last known) Walthamstow
Wife Harriett Knopp nee Crannis
Wife's Address (last known) 59 Peel St, Kensington, London
William Charles Mansfield.
Name William Charles MANSFIELD
Rank/Number Private 146722
Regiment Machine Gun Corps 18th Battalion
Enlisted Maidstone
Age/Date of death 19 22 Aug 1918
How died/Theatre of war Killed in action France & Flanders
Last known address Sundridge
Cemetery Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
Grave or Memorial Reference Panel 10
Location of memorial Woughton on the Green St Mary
Date/Place of birth c1899 Girton, Cambridge
Date/Place of baptism
Pre-war occupation of Casualty
Parents W Charles & Mary Ann Esther Mansfield
Parent's occupation stockman on farm
Parents' Address (last known) Holly Tree Farm, Woughton Green, Bletchley
Wife
Wife's Address (last known)
Notes initially served with the London Regiment
Ernest Purcell.
NameErnest PURCELL
Rank/Number Private 23806
Regiment Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry 7th Battalion
Enlisted Bletchley
Age/Date of death 36 13 May 1917
How died/Theatre of war Died of wounds Salonika
Last known address Woughton
Cemetery Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Greece
Grave or Memorial ReferenceB.277
Location of memorial Woughton on the Green St Mary
Date/Place of birth c1881 Woughton
Date/Place of baptism 15 May 1881 Woughton on the Green
Pre-war occupation of Casualty
ParentsJob & Naomi Purcell
Parent's occupation waggoner on farm
Parents' Address (last known) 1901: Chapel Lane, Woughton
Wife Rose Purcell
Wife's Address (last known) Woughton
A soldier of the RAMC at the front among the ruins. Dated in ink on the reverse 21 Oct 1916. There is a message written in pencil but it has faded and is illegible. The postcard has been crudely cropped on all sides for some unknown reason
Outside of a Christmas Card from the Royal Army Medical Corps at No. 11 General Hospital - a part of the British Expeditionary Force in Italy, 1918. We really love this card here at Library Towers, and would welcome any information about it!
Date: December 1918
NLI Ref.: EPH B44
Died 11/08/1917
Aged 40
Royal Army Medical Corps
attd. 6th Bn.
Royal Berkshire Regiment
V C, M C
Son of Edward Ackroyd, of Southport; husband of Mabel R. Ackroyd, of Link Lodge, Malvern Link.
CITATION
An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 4th Sept., 1917, reads as follows
"For most conspicuous bravery. During recent operations Capt. Ackroyd displayed the greatest gallantry and devotion to duty. Utterly regardless of danger, he worked continuously for many hours up and down and in front of the line tending the wounded and saving the lives of officers and men. In so doing he had to move across the open under heavy machine-gun, rifle and shell fire. He carried a wounded officer to a place of safety under very heavy fire. On another occasion he went some way in front of our advanced line and brought in a wounded man under continuous sniping and machine-gun fire. His heroism was the means of saving many lives, and provided a magnificent example of courage, cheerfulness, and determination to the fighting men in whose midst he was carrying out his splendid work. This gallant officer has since been killed in action."
A photograph showing members of the Royal Army Medical Corps and Royal Army Service Corps described as 'The First Mission to Vienna & Breslau'.
GENOA / GENOA BAY - In 1848, at the age of 10, Giovanni Baptiste Ordano left Italy aboard his uncle’s sailing ship. By 1858 he was a 20-year-old pioneering merchant-trader en route to Cowichan Bay when he notices a small bay to starboard of the entrance to Cowichan Bay and names it Genoa Bay after his birthplace in Italy. Genoa Bay is a quiet and picturesque bay on the north side of Cowichan Bay, at the south end of Sansum Narrows on Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Located in the North Cowichan Valley near Duncan and Maple Bay. GENOA was about 40 miles by rail from Victoria and about 35 miles by steamer.
The GENOA BAY Post Office was established - 2 July 1914 and closed - 30 November 1926.
LINK to a list of the Postmasters who served at the GENOA BAY Post Office - recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record...
When this letter was posted at the GENOA BAY Post Office the Postmaster was Hilliard Percival Strain - he served from - 13 May 1921 to - 15 March 1923 and from - 26 April 1924 to - August 1925.
Hilliard Percival Strain
(b. 16 March 1887 in Artemesia, Grey, Ontario, Canada - d. 15 December 1968 at age 81 in Victoria / Saanich, British Columbia, Canada) - occupations - Postmaster / office manager for MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. in Port Alberni, B.C. - LINK to his newspaper obituary - www.newspapers.com/clip/118447039/obituary-for-hilliard-p... LINK to his death certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/e5...
His wife - Louella May Winnifred (nee Fairbairn) Strain
(b. 19 November 1881 in Wakefield, La Pêche, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais, Quebec - d. 9 September 1971 at age 89 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) - they were married - 10 January 1912 in Vancouver, British Columbia - LINK to their marriage certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/52... - LINK to her death certificate - search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/87...
- sent from - / GENOA BAY / NO 14 / 22 / B.C. / - split ring cancel - this split ring hammer (A1-1) was proofed - 19 June 1914 - (RF D).
Addressed to: The Secretary / Joint Women's V. A. D. Dept / 19 Berkeley Street / London, W. 1. / England
V.A.D. (Voluntary Aid Detachments)
Clipped from - Western Mail newspaper - Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales - 3 February 1922 - LINK to a newspaper article - BRITISH RED CROSS / WELSH CENTRAL COUNCIL'S NEW OFFICERS. - www.newspapers.com/clip/118472393/british-red-cross/
Main article: Voluntary Aid Detachment
Five years earlier in 1909, a scheme had been devised to organise volunteers into Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD). The idea was to provide supplementary aid for the Territorial Medical Services. Members of the British Red Cross and the Order of St John were organised into VAD's. Each VAD had either male or female VAD's. By 1914 there were 2,000 VAD's with 70,000 volunteers, and within four years the number had grown to 4,000 VAD's and 125,000 volunteers. Volunteers were trained in a number of skills, with classes and examinations arranged by a local VAD. VAD nurses were introduced into RAMC hospitals in England and France. VAD's also replaced males in hospitals so they could be sent to the field. VAD's worked overseas in transport and hospitals. Auxiliary hospitals were established in suitable buildings where VAD's and part-time VAD's could look after recuperating patients. By the end of the war there were 1,786 such hospitals. Many were called V.A.D. Hospitals. Katharine Furse was head of the VAD from 1915 to 1917, and was appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1917 for her services. The Red Cross war medal was awarded to members of the Red Cross or its VAD volunteers who served in the UK between 4 August 1914 and 31 December 1919 and had served over 1,000 hours. 41,000 members received the medal. Over 1,400 received military commendations or awards for bravery and over 250 died during the war such as Edith Munro a nurse who died in East London in 1916.
A real photographic postcard of Private Harold Dudley Mining (Regimental Number: 69399) serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) during World War One. Inscribed on the reverse is "Best Wishes 69399 R.A.M.C. Yours Sincerely Harold Mining".
Harold Dudley Mining was born on 2nd December 1886. Attended Harper St School on 15th January 1891. His father was Daniel Mining of 8 Rodney Place. In 1911 he was living at 16 Osborne Terrace, Clapham S.W. and was a Clerk at Stores. He married Bertha Downes on 25 December 1920. Died Ealing 1968.
Wright Archive collection
WW2 British Military hospital May/June 1940. The place of my grandfather's capture. L/Cpl cook. He was sitting on the steps to the left waiting for the Nazis to arrive. RAMC. See www.flickr.com/photos/philipwoodphotography/14201753827/i...
The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Ambulances of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and an advanced dressing station on the Montauban-Guillemont road. Guillemont in the background, September 1916. The two lorries on the left bear the Shamrock of the 16th Irish Division.
'Salute The '40's at Chatham Dockyard Sept 11th -- Colour on MINOLTA DYNAX 4, B&W on MINOLTA DYNAX 5
SELF PORTRAIT of ME in my RAMC Veteran's gear 2005 Dated TUDOR 100 ( FUJI) Film rated 80 ASA 50mm f1.7 MD ROKKOR lens
Full video is available on YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFdVO9Hy4EQ&ab_channel=AidanD...
Northern Irish Astronomer Annie Scott Dill Maunder (née Russell), became a renowned observer and photographer of solar eclipses, and an expert in sunspots was born at the
Manse (no longer there) in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland on 14 April 1868 to parents William Andrew Russell (b.1824 d.1899) and Wiliam's second wife Hessy Nesbitt Dill (b.est.1811 & 1847 d.?). William was the minister of the 2nd Presbyterian Church in Strabane from 1846 until 1882. he married Hessy in 1860.
Hessy was the daughter of the Reverend John Dill (b.1802 d.1841) Presbyterian Minister of Carnmoney, County Antrim who married his cousin, Elizabeth Dill (b.1806 d.1862) in 1828. Elizabeth was the eldest of the four daughters of Rev. Samuel Dill (b.1772 d.1845) born in the barony of Kilmacrennan, Co. Donegal, Minister of Donaghmore, Co. Donegal and Hester (nee Foster) Dill (b.1775 d.1863).
William retired in 1882, though he is listed as Senior Trustee and Secretary of the Board of Strabane Academy School in 1883, around the time Annie was ready for her secondary education.
Annie was a member of a large family since her father had two sons from his first marriage on 31 Oct 1850 to Mary Dill Campbell (b.? d.15 Feb 1856). Mary was the 2nd daughter of Samuel Campbell, Glenleary. William also had two sons and two daughters with his second wife Hessy.
Siblings of William & Mary Dill (nee Campbell) Russell
1. Samuel Marcus Russell (b.1856 d.1917)
2. another son?
Siblings of William & Hessy Nesbitt (nee Dill) Russell
1. James Alexander Russell (b.c.1853 d.?)
2. Elizabeth Russell (b.c.1864 d.?)
3. Hester Dill Russell (b.1866 d.1938)
4. Annie Scott Dill Russell (b.1868 d.1947)
5. John Dill Russell, M.D. (b.1873 d.1955)
Samuel Marcus Russell (b.1856 d.1917), older half-brother of Annie Maunder nee Russell, was born 10 February 1856 in Strabane, Co. Tyrone, was educated at Queen's University Belfast (BSc 1877, MSc 1878). His career was spent in China, where he served as professor of mathamatics and astronomy at Imperial College in Beijing, and later worked for the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs. Remembered for his adaptation of W. H. Murray's system of teaching Mandarin Chinese to the blind, and a study of a lunar eclipse of the Zhou dynasty. He married Clara Elizabeth Goode (b.1859 d.26 August 1949) on 28 January 1899 after she travelled as a missionary to Peking. Both were erroneously reported as having been killed in the Boxer Rebellion, Beijing in July 1900. Samuel wrote "The Story of the Siege in Peking" (1901). They later lived at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada.
John Dill Russell (b.1873 d.1955) was a general surgeon, he received his early education in Ireland and then went to the City of London School. He studied medicine at University College Hospital, won class medals, and was awarded the Filliter exhibition in pathological anatomy and pathology. In 1896 he obtained the London MB with first-class honours and the gold medal in medicine and honours in forensic medicine.
After graduation, Dill Russell was demonstrator of anatomy and obstetric assistant at University College Hospital, and in 1898-99 was senior surgical officer at the South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital, Plymouth. In 1900 he entered general practice at Finchley and soon built up a large practice; he did a good deal of operative work, satisfying his surgical skill and inclination. He became surgeon to the Metropolitan Police and to the Finchley and Hornsey Cottage Hospital, and an examiner and lecturer under the LCC. From 1902 Dill Russell was honorary secretary of the North London branch of the BMA and of the Hampstead division in 1904. During the first world war he served in the RAMC, and in 1920 accepted the post of divisional medical officer under the Ministry of Health, which involved travelling all over the country.
Later he became a senior medical officer in Whitehall until his retirement in 1939. His home was 41 Gayton Road, Harrow. During the second world war he did valuable work on medical boards. In 1902 Dill Russell married Charlotte Evangeline, daughter of Dr Frederick Wimberley; they celebrated their golden wedding in 1952. They had one daughter and five sons, two of whom were killed in the 1939-45 war. Two surviving sons followed their father into medicine, Scott Dill-Russell and Patrick Dill-Russell. John Dill Russell, was a modest man of great integrity, who died on 21 February 1955 aged 81. His wife died aged 81 on 5 March 1957 at their home in Wigtoft, Horsell Rise, Woking.
Hester Dill Russell (later Smith), studied medicine under Dr. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (b.1836 d.1917) at the London School of Medicine for Women. Hester qualified as the first exhibitioner in the final MB examination in 1891, she became a medical missionary in India and later married in 1898, another medical missionary, Colonel Henry “Jullundur” Smith (b.1859 d.1948) who was born Tullyvernan, Clogher, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Rev. George Peter Maunder
Walter was born on 12 April 1851 in 5, Chesterfield (now Chesterton) Street, St Pancras, London, the youngest son, and 5th of seven siblings. His father was Rev. George Peter Maunder (b.1813 d.1878) and his mother Mary Anne Frid (b.1817 d.1878). Following his father's retirement from the army they settling in Bedminister, Bristol.
George was origionally an apprentive to a printer in Bristol, however he showed a marked preference for the church and became an ordained Wesleyan Methodist minister. While serving in Southwark he struck up a friendship with Thomas Frid (b.? d.?) who's eldest daughter Mary Anne he married on 2 July 1840.
Despite his known tendency to exhaust himself, having raised a considerable sum from supporters in London, in the early summer of 1878, George set about a punishing schedule to raise funds to build a new city centre church, visiting Liverpool, Southport and Manchester. Not stinting on his duties when he returned, his health broke down and despite hopes that he would recover with rest and medical care, he died on 21st June 1878 at the manse, then on Blackhall Road.
A beautiful memorial stained glass window, dedicated to George, was installed above the balcony in the Wesley Memorial Church, Oxford, with funds raised by his ‘Temperance friends throughout England’. Sadly George died before the opening of the church in late 1878.
Rev. George & Mary Anne's Siblings:
1. Thomas Frid (b.1841 d.1935) Leamington
2. Anne Eliza (b.1843 d.1912) born Manchester
3. George William (b.1845 d.1928) born Manchester
4. Henery Arthur (b.1848 d.1850) born Sheffield?
5. Edward Walter (b.1851 d.1928) born Middlesex
6. Mary Ann (b.1854 d.1933) born Middlesex
7. Ellen Beatrice (b.1856 d.1946) born Leeds
Edward Walter Maunder
Walter held some deep egalitarian convictions, he starting in 1871, and supporting himself financially through a job as a bank clerk, he studied at King's College in London, but never graduated. In November 1873, after an earlier unsuccesful attempt, Maunder secured a position at Greenwich Royal Observatory, then led by the strong-minded and micro-managerial Astronomer Royal, George Biddell Airy (b.1801 d.1892). Maunder was hired as photographic and spectroscopic assistant, primarily in the solar observing program, then recently transferred from Kew Observatory to Greenwich. Elected to the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) in 1875, he soon began lobbying the Society for acceptance of
women, but in vain. Finally giving up on the RAS, in 1890 he founded the British Astronomical Association (BAA), a non-elitist organization open to women, as well as interested amateurs of any social class. As a deeply religious man he wrote numerous scholarly essais on the Bible, sometimes with an astronomical flavor.
In 1875 he married Edith Hannah Bustin (b.1852) Edith died of tuberculosis in 1888, leaving Maunder with six children: four sons (one, Walter Anthony who died in infancy) and
two daughters.
Walter & Edith's Siblings:
1. George Harvard (b.1877 d.1945)
2. Edith Augustus (b.1878 d.1966)
3. Irine Matilda (b.1880 d.1977)
4. Walter Anthony (b.1884 d.1885)
5. Edward Arthur (b.1886 d.1966)
6. Henry Ernest (b.1888 d.1977)
On 28 December 1895, aged 45 walter re-married, Annie Scott Dill Russell, aged 27, his assistant at Greenwich. They married in a Presbyterian church in Greenwich. Walter and
Annie had no children together, however Walter had five children from a previous marriage. Annie was 17 years younger than Walter and only nine years older than his oldest
son. The oldest of the children was 21 and the youngest was 7.
Walter's interest in astronomy, and solar astronomy in particular, was fired already at a young age by a naked-eye observation of a large sunspot group in February 1866.
By 1881 Walter was in charge of the solar program at Greenwich, and could lead his own research program. He focused primarily on the studies of sunspots and solar activity,
its relationship to geomagnetic activity and earth's environment, often in the face of stubborn skepticism from the scientific establishment, and most notably Lord Kelvin,
William Thomson (b.1824 d.1907).
Together with his second wife Annie, he publicised and extended some historical research work of earlier solar astronomers, most notably Gustav Spöer (b.1822 d.1895), on the anomalous state of low solar activity in the second half of the seventeenth century, an episode now known as the Maunder Minimum. Annie remained his primary scientific
partner up to his death on 21 March 1928.
Annie Maunder
Annie’s early education would have been at the 1st Strabane Girls’ Presbyterian School, Meetinghouse Street. The school was built in 1896 to predomanently catered for the
presbyterian community however, it was attended by many other denominations. Primarily a girls school but boys up to 7 and 8 were also taught there. Annie would have been
taught by Miss Mary and Jane Henderson, the 1st principal was Miss Martha S. Black (the school was locally known as the Black’s School after the principal) followed by Miss Young then Mrs Fleming who became the headmistress in 1957 and was there until school closed in 1964. Thereafter pupils went to the Strabane Controlled (County) Primary School on the Derry Road.
Annie and her sister Hester received their secondary education at the Ladies Collegiate School in Belfast, which later became Victoria College. The school was founded in 1859 by Mrs Margaret Byers (b.1832 d.1912) who ironically took a leading role in campaigns to secure equality for women within the Irish education system.
Annie excelled at school and won a prize in the 1886 Irish Intermediate examinations, she was described as having an active mind and a "lively imagination combined with a
tireless zeal in seeking evidence and working out details before presenting any conclusions.” In the same year she was offered and accepted a three-year open scholarship costing £35 annually to enrol at Girton College, Cambridge to study the Mathematical Tripos, the world's most competitive mathematical course. She and Alice Everett (b.1865 d.1949) were two out of the 29 women at Girton College who passed in that year.
Trinity College, Dublin only admitted men, however the Royal University of Ireland did allow women to sit its examinations. Annie might have been expected to take a degree there, but was dissuaded by the experience of Alice Everett, who sat the first year scholarship examination in science in 1884 and was ranked first. However, high-scoring students would usually be offered a scholarship, but the university's administration decided that women were not eligible for awards, so Everett decided to continue her studies at Girton College, Cambridge.
For a year, Annie worked as a mathematics mistress at Jersey Ladies' College in Saint Helier on the island of Jersey.
On 14 April 1890, Everett took up a job at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich (ROG). The Astronomer Royal, William Christie (b.1845 d.1922), had overseen an expansion in the observatory's facilities, but had struggled to persuade the government to hire more assistants. Instead, he was given funding for additional “computers”, an entry-level position. Christie made this money stretch further by creating a new role of “lady computer”. This allowed him to circumvent civil service regulations making it difficult to hire women, and to employ overqualified female candidates on wages normally offered to schoolboys. Although the salary (£4 per month, roughly £600 today), it was only half what she earned teaching. In January 1890, Annie was told about a position at Greenwich that was available by her good friend Alice Everett, Annie was immediately interested in the job. She persuaded Robert Stawell Ball (b.1840 d.1913), the Royal Astronomer of Ireland, to write a letter supporting her application, she was offered a position at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich by the Chief Assistant, Herbert Hall Turner (b.1861 d.1930), however being successful, Annie attempt to renegotiate her salary, which was less than a quarter of the equivalent male wage. Yet the lure of putting her mathematical training to a practical scientific purpose was too strong, so she threw herself into her work, qualifying to use observing telescopes and noting the changing size and position of sunspots. Through work and shared religious commitment, Annie bonded with Edward Walter Maunder, the head of photography at Greenwich who was an enthusiastic supporter of female astronomers. In 1886, Elizabeth Isis Pogson (b.1852 d.1945) had been nominated as a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), but withdrew when a barrister advised that the use of "he" and "him" in the society's constitution was intended to exclude women.
In 1892, Walter nominated the names of Annie Russell and fellow Greenwich astronomer Alice Everett and Elizabeth Brown (b.1830 d.1899) to become fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), with the "him" on their application forms crossed out and replaced with "her". One member quipped that the nominations would make the RAS meetings more social," and all we shall require is a piano and a fiddle", while another challenged the legality of any election. However, they failed to gain enough of the popular vote in a secret ballot and were rejected. The RAS had long argued that since the pronoun "he" was used in the charter it excluded women. Walter, a council member, decided in 1890 to establish the British Astronomical Association (BAA), a more egalitarian body that admitted women, so Annie, Alice Everett and Elizabeth Brown all joined the amateur BAA.
In 1897, Annie received a grant from Girton College to acquire a short-focus camera with a 1.5-inch lens which she took on expeditions. The lens used was made by T.R. Dallmeyer, a famous London optician. She used this camera to photograph the outer solar corona from India in 1898. With this camera she captured the longest ray, coronal streamer, seen at the time with her own equipment that she operated and designed herself. Her camera was designed with a large field-of-view for photographing the Milky Way, which made it possible to look for faint and distant corona. To take photos of the eclipse, Annie took a series of photographs with her camera and ranging exposures during the couple minutes of the totality of the eclipse. Her photographs recorded a stream from the sun that extended over 10 million kilometres.
When Annie married Walter Maunder in 1895, she was obliged to resign from Greenwich, due to restrictions on married women working in public service so she turned her efforts to
the BAA, editing its journal and taking part in several eclipse observations. She also continued working closely with Walter, authoring several papers on sunspots. In 1908, they published an astronomy book aimed at a popular audience, "The Heavens and their Story". In the introduction, Walter explained that, despite being co-authored, it was “almost wholly the work of my wife”. Finally, in 1916 the RAS ended its ban on woman fellows and Walter successfully nominated his wife as its first female fellow.
The two continued to collaborate, and Annie accompanied Walter on solar eclipse expeditions. Walter was in charge of financing and organizing expeditions through the National
Eclipse Committee of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Annie took part in five eclipse expeditions with the BAA, her first in 9 August 1896 Vadsøya, Norway. For the
expedition to Talini Village, India in 22 January 1898, Walter was not a designated member of the expedition, so he and Annie went on their own.
Annie, along with other members of the BAA, travelled to Algiers to observe the total eclipse of the sun on 28 May 1900. The Maunders went on a solar expedition to Mauritius
for the eclipse of 18 May 1901 in which Annie was not included as an official observer (though her husband Walter was) so she had to pay her own way. Since Annie was not an official observer, she decided to go to a separate location to photograph the eclipse. Of the two Mauritius corona photographs that were published, one was Walter's and the
other was Annie's. The only expedition in which Annie's expenses were paid, was the the eclipse on 30 August 1905 to Labrador and Newfoundland, Canada, where the Maunders were invited and sponsored by the Canadian Government.
In November 1894, Annie was made editor of the Journal of the BAA by her husband who was president at the time. She kept this position for 35 years.
Annie's description of the direction and motion of the particles in the corona which she observed in India in 1898, describes the now accepted Parker Spiral structure of the solar wind. Annie, along with other members of the BAA, travelled to Algiers to observe the total eclipse of the sun on 28 May 1900. The members of the association that accompanied her were Mary Acworth Evershed (pen name M.A. Orr, b.1867 d.1949), Lilian Martin-Leake (b.1867 d.1962), and Catherine Octavia Stevens (b.1865 d.1959). Annie photographed the corona and observed "plume" like rays, coining the term which is still used today.
The book, "The Heavens and their Story" which was co-written by the Maunder's was published in 1908, and contains eight coloured plates and 38 astronomical photographs, first
considers the movements of the sun, moon, stars and planets before looking in more details at the facets of the sun, including the sun’s surface and sun spots although Walter
acknowledged that it was 'almost wholly the work of his wife'.
Thomas Thorp (1850–1914) was an English manufacturer of scientific instruments. In pursuit of his childhood interest in astronomy, he developed considerable skills in the
manufacture of optical glass and both reflector and refractor telescopes. He also created celluloid diffraction grating replicas, polarising solar eyepieces and prominence
spectroscopes that were widely used, as well as objective prisms. He began his working life as an apprentice to a firm of architects and ended it as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, having had a keen interest in astronomy since childhood.
Being 17 years Annie's senior, Walter died in 1928 at the age of 76 almost 20 years before she did, leaving her to continue her astronomical work alone. She continued to devote
herself to the work of the British Astronomical Association, maintaining the role of editor of its journal for the year following her husband's death. In her later years, she became interested in ancient astronomies, specifically the origin of the 48 ancient constellations, becoming an authoritative figure on the subject. Annie herself passed away on 15 September 1947 in Wandsworth, London, at the age of 79 following a short illness.
Legacy
(a) The lunar crater "Maunder" located in the region of Noachis Terra on Mars has been named after Annie & Walter Maunder.
(b) The "Maunder Minimum", the name used for the period of time around 1645 to 1715 during which sunspots became exceedingly rare.
(c) 2018 seen a blue plaque unveiled by the Ulster History Circle in Annie's home town of Stabane, at Patrick Street near "Oysters" restraunt, beside the old Strabane 2nd Presbyterian Church, County Tyrone,
where her father William served as minister.
(d) In 2016 the RAS established the Annie Maunder medal for an outstanding contribution to outreach and public engagement in astronomy or geophysics.
(e) In June 2018 it was announced that the Royal Observatory, Greenwich had installed a new telescope in its Altazimuth Pavilion, the Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope (AMAT), as part of a revival of telescopy in London enabled by cleaner air and advanced technology.
(f) In March 2022 English Heritage unveiled a blue plaque to Annie and Walter Maunder at their former home at 69, Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley in Lewisham, London. The Maunders wrote "The Heavens and their Story" in 1908 while they were living there. They had previously lived at number 86.
(g) On 1 April 2022, a satellite named after Annie (ÑuSat 23 - Aleph-1 23) or "Annie", COSPAR 2022-033M) was launched into space as part of the Satellogic Aleph-1 constellation
using a Falcon 9 Block 5 which is a partially reusable two-stage-to-orbit medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX.
(h) Greenwich’s decision to designate 14 April (her birthday) as Annie Maunder Day means that her astronomical star will continue to shine brightly for many years.
Let's end with a quote from Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie.
Forbidden professionalism by her gender, Annie Maunder was compelled to be an obligatory amateur. But rather than resenting this niche, she took advantage of the situation to
become an advocate of the amateur. Possessing all the requisites for professionalism except the correct gender, she was not just an adjunct to Walter but an important contributor to astronomy in her own right.... Annie Maunder's basic mathematical training, thoughtful publications, editing of journals and membership of professional organisations make it clear that she was a full participant in the astronomical community.
Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, VC & Bar, MC - November 1884 – 4 August 1917) was a British medical doctor, Olympic athlete, and British Army officer from the Chavasse family.
He is one of only three people to be awarded a Victoria Cross twice
The Battle of Guillemont saw acts of heroism by Chavasse, the only man to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice during the First World War. In 1916, he was hit by shell splinters while rescuing men in no-man's land. It is said he got as close as 25 yards to the German line, where he found three men and continued throughout the night under a constant rain of sniper bullets and bombing. He performed similar heroics in the early stages of the offensive at Passchendaele in August 1917 to gain a second VC and become the most highly decorated British officer of the First World War. Although operated upon, he was to die of his wounds two days later in 1917.
Chavasse's second award was made during the period 31 July to 2 August 1917, at Wieltje, Belgium; the full citation was published on 14 September 1917 and read:
War Office, September, 1917.
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of a Bar to the Victoria Cross to Capt. Noel Godfrey Chavasse, V.C., M.C., late R.A.M.C., attd. L'pool R.
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when in action.
Though severely wounded early in the action whilst carrying a wounded soldier to the Dressing Station, Capt. Chavasse refused to leave his post, and for two days not only continued to perform his duties, but in addition went out repeatedly under heavy fire to search for and attend to the wounded who were lying out.
During these searches, although practically without food during this period, worn with fatigue and faint with his wound, he assisted to carry in a number of badly wounded men, over heavy and difficult ground.
By his extraordinary energy and inspiring example, he was instrumental in rescuing many wounded who would have otherwise undoubtedly succumbed under the bad weather conditions.
This devoted and gallant officer subsequently died of his wounds.
The writing on the reverse indicates a location near Ypres, France 1917, but have found no record of the place.
Carreg yr Imbill is the remains of a large dolerite with pegmatite pods and quarry at Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Wales.
The dolerite was mined by the Liverpool and Pwllheli Granite Company (sometimes known as the Pwllheli Granite Company), which used the diorite for stone setts to pave the streets.
The worked out quarry forms the basis for a large holiday village which is run by the Haulfryn Group, the same company which runs The Warren in Abersoch.
Pwllheli is a market town and community on the Llŷn Peninsula (Welsh: Penrhyn Llŷn), north-west Wales. It lies in the traditional county of Caernarfonshire but is currently administered as part of the unitary authority of Gwynedd. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011, the population declining slightly to 3,947 in 2021. of whom a large proportion, 81%, were Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of the Welsh poet Sir Albert Evans-Jones (bardic name Cynan).
Pwllheli has a range of shops and other services. As a local railhead with a market every Wednesday, the town is a gathering point for the population of the whole peninsula.
The town's name means salt-water basin.
The town was given its charter as a borough by Edward, the Black Prince, in 1355, and a market is still held each Wednesday in the centre of the town on 'Y Maes' (‘the field’ or ‘the town square’ in English).
The town grew around the shipbuilding and fishing industries and the granite quarry at Gimlet Rock (Welsh: Carreg yr Imbill).
The population in 1841 was 2,367.
During the 1890s the town was developed by Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff businessman. This work included the promenade, roads and houses at West End. A tramway was built linking the town to Llanbedrog. The trams ran until 1927, when the section of track between Carreg-y-Defaid and Tyddyn-Caled was seriously damaged by a storm. Andrews ran the Cardiff Road section in 1928 and offered to sell the tramway to Pwllheli Corporation at the end of the season, but they did not take up his offer. He then sold the assets and the Corporation removed the tracks during the winter of 1928/29.
Poet Albert Evans-Jones, who was an archdruid for the National Eisteddfod of Wales and was known by his bardic name 'Cynan', was born in Pwllheli; before becoming an archdruid he joined the First World War effort through the Welsh Student Company of the RAMC, serving in Salonika and France, initially as an ambulance driver and medic, later as the company's chaplain. He was the son of the proprietor of the Central Restaurant in Penlan Street, Pwllheli.
Pwllheli Town Council consists of fifteen members elected from the North and South wards.
Pwllheli North and Pwllheli South are the county wards covering the town; they each elect one county councillor to Gwynedd Council.
Ysgol Glan y Môr was formed by the merger in 1969 of the former Pwllheli Grammar School at Penrallt and the Frondeg Secondary Modern School in Upper Ala Road to form a comprehensive school based on two sites in the town. The junior pupils (year 1 and year 2) were located at the Penrallt site and the senior pupils (year 3 and upwards) at a new complex in Cardiff Road. This new school was subsequently expanded to accommodate all pupils under the Ysgol Glan y Môr name.
The Penrallt site was later redeveloped as the Pwllheli campus of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor. The façade of the main building of the old grammar school was retained and incorporated into the design of the current college buildings. Thus the 'old school' is readily seen from the town square (Y Maes), as it has been since the former Pwllheli County School moved to Penrallt in the early 20th century.
Pwllheli railway station is the terminus of the Cambrian Coast Railway, running to Machynlleth with services continuing to Shrewsbury and Birmingham. The station is operated and served by Transport for Wales. The rail link to Caernarfon via the Carnarvonshire Railway was axed under the Beeching cuts and as a result it closed in December 1964.
Pwllheli is connected to the wider road network by the A497 to Porthmadog and the A499 to Caernarfon. From there major roads lead away from Gwynedd to the rest of Wales.
Buses serve most of the town as well as the rest of the wider Llŷn Peninsula. Services to Caernarfon give connections to Bangor.[citation needed] Pwllheli bus station is in the town centre.
Attractions
Plas Bodegroes, which until 2009 was a Michelin starred restaurant
Penarth Fawr, a 15th-century house
Hafan y Môr, a former Butlins holiday camp now operated by Haven
Pwllheli Market
Neuadd Dwyfor, a theatre and cinema in Penlan Street
Pwllheli has a section of the Wales Coast Path along its shoreline.
Pwllheli has a small harbour at the confluence of the Afon Erch and Afon Rhyd-Hir.
Hafan Pwllheli is a marina built in Pwllheli Harbour during the 1990s.
Notable people
Eleazar Roberts (1825–1912), musician, translator, writer and amateur astronomer
Owen Davies (1840–1929), Baptist minister and writer
Sir (Albert) Cynan Evans-Jones CBE (1895–1970), bardic name Cynan, was a war poet and dramatist.
William Richard Williams (1896–1962), Principal of the United Theological College, Aberystwyth
John Robert Jones (1911–1970), philosopher
Hywel Williams (born 1953), Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Arfon, previously Caernarfon, since 2001
David Dawson (born 1960), artist
Gareth Pierce (born 1981), actor and musician
Pwllheli hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1925, 1955 and 2023 as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1875.
According to the United Kingdom Census 2011 80% of the population spoke Welsh.
Pwllheli is home to association football team Pwllheli F.C., rugby union team Pwllheli RFC and running club Llŷn Striders. There is a hockey club, Clwb Hoci Pwllheli, which is part of the rugby, cricket and hockey club.
Pwllheli is a hub for water sports, owing in part to a marina, Pwllheli Sailing Club and Plas Heli - the Welsh National Sailing Academy.
The town has two beaches, South Beach and Glan-y-don. South Beach stretches from Gimlet Rock, across the Promenade and West End, towards Penrhos and Llanbedrog. Glan-y-don Beach is on the eastern side of the river mouth and runs for 3 miles (5 km) from behind the marina workshops and out towards Penychain (holiday camp).
The town has a golf club on the Llŷn coastline.
Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.
Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.
The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).
The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.
In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.
Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.
The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.
The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.
The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.
A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.
The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.
There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.
The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.
Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.
The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.
Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.
The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.
Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.
It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.
The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.
The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.
Notable people
Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth
Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon
Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle
Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University
Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.
Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog
Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia
T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog
David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy
Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas
Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion
Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.
Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI
Pwllheli is a market town and community on the Llŷn Peninsula (Welsh: Penrhyn Llŷn), in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011, which declined slightly to 3,947 in 2021; a large proportion (81%) were Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of the Welsh poet Sir Albert Evans-Jones (bardic name Cynan).
Pwllheli has a range of shops and other services. As a local railhead with a market every Wednesday, the town is a gathering point for the peninsula's population.
The town was given its charter as a borough by Edward, the Black Prince in 1355; a market is still held each Wednesday in the centre of the town on Y Maes (‘the field’ or ‘the town square’ in English).
The town grew around the shipbuilding and fishing industries and the granite quarry at Gimlet Rock (Welsh: Carreg yr Imbill).
The population in 1841 was 2,367.
During the 1890s, the town was developed by Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff businessman. This work included the promenade, roads and houses at West End. The Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway was built, linking the town to Llanbedrog. The trams ran until 1927, when the section of track between Carreg-y-Defaid and Tyddyn-Caled was seriously damaged by a storm. Andrews ran the Cardiff Road section in 1928 and offered to sell the tramway to Pwllheli Corporation at the end of the season, but they did not take up his offer. He then sold the assets and the Corporation removed the tracks during the winter of 1928/29.
Poet Albert Evans-Jones, who was an archdruid for the National Eisteddfod of Wales and was known by his bardic name 'Cynan', was born in Pwllheli. Before becoming an archdruid, he joined the First World War effort through the Welsh Student Company of the RAMC, serving in Salonika and France, initially as an ambulance driver and medic, later as the company's chaplain. He was the son of the proprietor of the Central Restaurant in Penlan Street, Pwllheli.
Carreg yr Imbill is the remains of a large dolerite with pegmatite pods and quarry at Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Wales.
The dolerite was mined by the Liverpool and Pwllheli Granite Company (sometimes known as the Pwllheli Granite Company), which used the diorite for stone setts to pave the streets.
The worked out quarry forms the basis for a large holiday village which is run by the Haulfryn Group, the same company which runs The Warren in Abersoch.
Pwllheli is a market town and community on the Llŷn Peninsula (Welsh: Penrhyn Llŷn), north-west Wales. It lies in the traditional county of Caernarfonshire but is currently administered as part of the unitary authority of Gwynedd. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011, the population declining slightly to 3,947 in 2021. of whom a large proportion, 81%, were Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of the Welsh poet Sir Albert Evans-Jones (bardic name Cynan).
Pwllheli has a range of shops and other services. As a local railhead with a market every Wednesday, the town is a gathering point for the population of the whole peninsula.
The town's name means salt-water basin.
The town was given its charter as a borough by Edward, the Black Prince, in 1355, and a market is still held each Wednesday in the centre of the town on 'Y Maes' (‘the field’ or ‘the town square’ in English).
The town grew around the shipbuilding and fishing industries and the granite quarry at Gimlet Rock (Welsh: Carreg yr Imbill).
The population in 1841 was 2,367.
During the 1890s the town was developed by Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff businessman. This work included the promenade, roads and houses at West End. A tramway was built linking the town to Llanbedrog. The trams ran until 1927, when the section of track between Carreg-y-Defaid and Tyddyn-Caled was seriously damaged by a storm. Andrews ran the Cardiff Road section in 1928 and offered to sell the tramway to Pwllheli Corporation at the end of the season, but they did not take up his offer. He then sold the assets and the Corporation removed the tracks during the winter of 1928/29.
Poet Albert Evans-Jones, who was an archdruid for the National Eisteddfod of Wales and was known by his bardic name 'Cynan', was born in Pwllheli; before becoming an archdruid he joined the First World War effort through the Welsh Student Company of the RAMC, serving in Salonika and France, initially as an ambulance driver and medic, later as the company's chaplain. He was the son of the proprietor of the Central Restaurant in Penlan Street, Pwllheli.
Pwllheli Town Council consists of fifteen members elected from the North and South wards.
Pwllheli North and Pwllheli South are the county wards covering the town; they each elect one county councillor to Gwynedd Council.
Ysgol Glan y Môr was formed by the merger in 1969 of the former Pwllheli Grammar School at Penrallt and the Frondeg Secondary Modern School in Upper Ala Road to form a comprehensive school based on two sites in the town. The junior pupils (year 1 and year 2) were located at the Penrallt site and the senior pupils (year 3 and upwards) at a new complex in Cardiff Road. This new school was subsequently expanded to accommodate all pupils under the Ysgol Glan y Môr name.
The Penrallt site was later redeveloped as the Pwllheli campus of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor. The façade of the main building of the old grammar school was retained and incorporated into the design of the current college buildings. Thus the 'old school' is readily seen from the town square (Y Maes), as it has been since the former Pwllheli County School moved to Penrallt in the early 20th century.
Pwllheli railway station is the terminus of the Cambrian Coast Railway, running to Machynlleth with services continuing to Shrewsbury and Birmingham. The station is operated and served by Transport for Wales. The rail link to Caernarfon via the Carnarvonshire Railway was axed under the Beeching cuts and as a result it closed in December 1964.
Pwllheli is connected to the wider road network by the A497 to Porthmadog and the A499 to Caernarfon. From there major roads lead away from Gwynedd to the rest of Wales.
Buses serve most of the town as well as the rest of the wider Llŷn Peninsula. Services to Caernarfon give connections to Bangor.[citation needed] Pwllheli bus station is in the town centre.
Attractions
Plas Bodegroes, which until 2009 was a Michelin starred restaurant
Penarth Fawr, a 15th-century house
Hafan y Môr, a former Butlins holiday camp now operated by Haven
Pwllheli Market
Neuadd Dwyfor, a theatre and cinema in Penlan Street
Pwllheli has a section of the Wales Coast Path along its shoreline.
Pwllheli has a small harbour at the confluence of the Afon Erch and Afon Rhyd-Hir.
Hafan Pwllheli is a marina built in Pwllheli Harbour during the 1990s.
Notable people
Eleazar Roberts (1825–1912), musician, translator, writer and amateur astronomer
Owen Davies (1840–1929), Baptist minister and writer
Sir (Albert) Cynan Evans-Jones CBE (1895–1970), bardic name Cynan, was a war poet and dramatist.
William Richard Williams (1896–1962), Principal of the United Theological College, Aberystwyth
John Robert Jones (1911–1970), philosopher
Hywel Williams (born 1953), Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Arfon, previously Caernarfon, since 2001
David Dawson (born 1960), artist
Gareth Pierce (born 1981), actor and musician
Pwllheli hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1925, 1955 and 2023 as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1875.
According to the United Kingdom Census 2011 80% of the population spoke Welsh.
Pwllheli is home to association football team Pwllheli F.C., rugby union team Pwllheli RFC and running club Llŷn Striders. There is a hockey club, Clwb Hoci Pwllheli, which is part of the rugby, cricket and hockey club.
Pwllheli is a hub for water sports, owing in part to a marina, Pwllheli Sailing Club and Plas Heli - the Welsh National Sailing Academy.
The town has two beaches, South Beach and Glan-y-don. South Beach stretches from Gimlet Rock, across the Promenade and West End, towards Penrhos and Llanbedrog. Glan-y-don Beach is on the eastern side of the river mouth and runs for 3 miles (5 km) from behind the marina workshops and out towards Penychain (holiday camp).
The town has a golf club on the Llŷn coastline.
Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.
Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.
The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).
The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.
In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.
Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.
The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.
The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.
The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.
A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.
The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.
There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.
The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.
Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.
The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.
Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.
The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.
Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.
It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.
The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.
The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.
Notable people
Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth
Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon
Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle
Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University
Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.
Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog
Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia
T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog
David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy
Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas
Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion
Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.
Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI
My daughter bought me four of these "Georgie Porgie" puddings, they're very good 😀
I've nearly finished Stretcher Bearer by Charles Horton – his experiences as an RAMC stretcher-bearer in the First World War.
Unfortunately there is no information on the reverse of this photograph. It is probably taken somewhere in the Balkans.
Detail of a window by Sir Ninian Comper, 1927, part of a sequence in the north aisle depicting various medieval monarchs paired with their contemporary Abbots of Westminster.
www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorat...
Westminster Abbey is perhaps the most significant church in English History, site of the coronation of monarchs since it was founded by Edward the Confessor, and burial place of the majority of them, along with many other historical figures of note. It is first and foremost a superlative work of medieval architecture, from its soaring 13th-14th century nave, transepts and choir (all in a curiously French inspired version of Decorated Gothic) to the masterpiece of English Perpendicular, the incredibly lacy fan-vaulted Henry VII's chapel at the east end.
The Abbey is also a treasure house of ecclesiastical art, most of it monumental sculpture on the numerous tombs and effigies of almost every date ranging from the entire medieval period through to the 20th century; a somewhat cluttered interior, crammed full of interest, there is simply nothing else quite like it, no other church contains so many monuments.
The Abbey's monastic ranges partially survive, most notably the cloisters and superb chapter house; a short summary of the Abbey's riches is simply impossible. The monastery itself was shut down during the Dissolution, after which the Abbey briefly became a cathedral until its diocesan rank was revoked merely a decade later. Today it is designated a 'Royal Peculiar' owing to its unique status.
The Abbey is a textbook in stone of British history, and thus a hugely popular tourist attraction. It currently has more limited opening hours in the post-Covid recovery period and entry is not cheap, but happily after decades of a strict prohibition against photographers the rules have now been relaxed at last and visitors are now welcome to fully enjoy this marvellous building with their cameras!
For further details (and restrictions) see below:-
This was a sanatorium for tuberculosis, used by the military during the First World War. The site is now Broadgreen Hospital.
University of the Arts - London, when I was learning and testing my (then) new phone. Post-processed to different degrees of abuse (see adjacent versions in the stream).
This is a moderate intervention with Topaz Detail: bringing out some detail lost in in-camera noise reduction and using 'Tone' adjustment to darken the blue sky. No exposure, saturation or contrast manipulations.
Probably taken in Indian. On the reverse it is dated in ink - 20/5/6.
From the collar badge he's most likely to be RAMC officer.
These are two of my great-uncles. Arthur on the left was a sergeant in the RAMC and served throughout the Great War including at Gallipoli. On the right is Jim who had his own clothing business. Arthur was a pharmacist / optician in civilian life.
Carreg yr Imbill is the remains of a large dolerite with pegmatite pods and quarry at Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Wales.
The dolerite was mined by the Liverpool and Pwllheli Granite Company (sometimes known as the Pwllheli Granite Company), which used the diorite for stone setts to pave the streets.
The worked out quarry forms the basis for a large holiday village which is run by the Haulfryn Group, the same company which runs The Warren in Abersoch.
Pwllheli is a market town and community on the Llŷn Peninsula (Welsh: Penrhyn Llŷn), north-west Wales. It lies in the traditional county of Caernarfonshire but is currently administered as part of the unitary authority of Gwynedd. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011, the population declining slightly to 3,947 in 2021. of whom a large proportion, 81%, were Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of the Welsh poet Sir Albert Evans-Jones (bardic name Cynan).
Pwllheli has a range of shops and other services. As a local railhead with a market every Wednesday, the town is a gathering point for the population of the whole peninsula.
The town's name means salt-water basin.
The town was given its charter as a borough by Edward, the Black Prince, in 1355, and a market is still held each Wednesday in the centre of the town on 'Y Maes' (‘the field’ or ‘the town square’ in English).
The town grew around the shipbuilding and fishing industries and the granite quarry at Gimlet Rock (Welsh: Carreg yr Imbill).
The population in 1841 was 2,367.
During the 1890s the town was developed by Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff businessman. This work included the promenade, roads and houses at West End. A tramway was built linking the town to Llanbedrog. The trams ran until 1927, when the section of track between Carreg-y-Defaid and Tyddyn-Caled was seriously damaged by a storm. Andrews ran the Cardiff Road section in 1928 and offered to sell the tramway to Pwllheli Corporation at the end of the season, but they did not take up his offer. He then sold the assets and the Corporation removed the tracks during the winter of 1928/29.
Poet Albert Evans-Jones, who was an archdruid for the National Eisteddfod of Wales and was known by his bardic name 'Cynan', was born in Pwllheli; before becoming an archdruid he joined the First World War effort through the Welsh Student Company of the RAMC, serving in Salonika and France, initially as an ambulance driver and medic, later as the company's chaplain. He was the son of the proprietor of the Central Restaurant in Penlan Street, Pwllheli.
Pwllheli Town Council consists of fifteen members elected from the North and South wards.
Pwllheli North and Pwllheli South are the county wards covering the town; they each elect one county councillor to Gwynedd Council.
Ysgol Glan y Môr was formed by the merger in 1969 of the former Pwllheli Grammar School at Penrallt and the Frondeg Secondary Modern School in Upper Ala Road to form a comprehensive school based on two sites in the town. The junior pupils (year 1 and year 2) were located at the Penrallt site and the senior pupils (year 3 and upwards) at a new complex in Cardiff Road. This new school was subsequently expanded to accommodate all pupils under the Ysgol Glan y Môr name.
The Penrallt site was later redeveloped as the Pwllheli campus of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor. The façade of the main building of the old grammar school was retained and incorporated into the design of the current college buildings. Thus the 'old school' is readily seen from the town square (Y Maes), as it has been since the former Pwllheli County School moved to Penrallt in the early 20th century.
Pwllheli railway station is the terminus of the Cambrian Coast Railway, running to Machynlleth with services continuing to Shrewsbury and Birmingham. The station is operated and served by Transport for Wales. The rail link to Caernarfon via the Carnarvonshire Railway was axed under the Beeching cuts and as a result it closed in December 1964.
Pwllheli is connected to the wider road network by the A497 to Porthmadog and the A499 to Caernarfon. From there major roads lead away from Gwynedd to the rest of Wales.
Buses serve most of the town as well as the rest of the wider Llŷn Peninsula. Services to Caernarfon give connections to Bangor.[citation needed] Pwllheli bus station is in the town centre.
Attractions
Plas Bodegroes, which until 2009 was a Michelin starred restaurant
Penarth Fawr, a 15th-century house
Hafan y Môr, a former Butlins holiday camp now operated by Haven
Pwllheli Market
Neuadd Dwyfor, a theatre and cinema in Penlan Street
Pwllheli has a section of the Wales Coast Path along its shoreline.
Pwllheli has a small harbour at the confluence of the Afon Erch and Afon Rhyd-Hir.
Hafan Pwllheli is a marina built in Pwllheli Harbour during the 1990s.
Notable people
Eleazar Roberts (1825–1912), musician, translator, writer and amateur astronomer
Owen Davies (1840–1929), Baptist minister and writer
Sir (Albert) Cynan Evans-Jones CBE (1895–1970), bardic name Cynan, was a war poet and dramatist.
William Richard Williams (1896–1962), Principal of the United Theological College, Aberystwyth
John Robert Jones (1911–1970), philosopher
Hywel Williams (born 1953), Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Arfon, previously Caernarfon, since 2001
David Dawson (born 1960), artist
Gareth Pierce (born 1981), actor and musician
Pwllheli hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1925, 1955 and 2023 as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1875.
According to the United Kingdom Census 2011 80% of the population spoke Welsh.
Pwllheli is home to association football team Pwllheli F.C., rugby union team Pwllheli RFC and running club Llŷn Striders. There is a hockey club, Clwb Hoci Pwllheli, which is part of the rugby, cricket and hockey club.
Pwllheli is a hub for water sports, owing in part to a marina, Pwllheli Sailing Club and Plas Heli - the Welsh National Sailing Academy.
The town has two beaches, South Beach and Glan-y-don. South Beach stretches from Gimlet Rock, across the Promenade and West End, towards Penrhos and Llanbedrog. Glan-y-don Beach is on the eastern side of the river mouth and runs for 3 miles (5 km) from behind the marina workshops and out towards Penychain (holiday camp).
The town has a golf club on the Llŷn coastline.
Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.
Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.
The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).
The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.
In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.
Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.
The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.
The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.
The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.
A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.
The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.
There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.
The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.
Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.
The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.
Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.
The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.
Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.
It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.
The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.
The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.
Notable people
Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth
Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon
Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle
Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University
Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.
Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog
Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia
T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog
David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy
Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas
Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion
Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.
Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI
To The Glory of God
Following the end of World War One, communities erected war memorials all over Britain – in virtually every city, town and village – to commemorate those who had served and fallen in the conflict.
And since, on every Armistice Day - 11th November - these statues and sculptures are the scene of poignant memorials.
Newcastle United’s own War Memorial was first discussed at a meeting in 1917 when it was noted that "a list of those killed in the war should be placed in the offices of the club".
Following the Armistice, a memorial was on the agenda at Board meetings and by 1920, it was confirmed that a design for a 'Roll of Honour' was to proceed, erected at the club’s Strawberry Place office soon afterwards.
It took the form of a large decorated plaque, entitled 'To The Glory of God'.
When the stadium was later redeveloped, it was put into storage for many years until it was restored when the club opened a museum in 1991.
It now has a place in a covered walkway beneath the Milburn Stand at St. James’ Park for thousands to see as supporters enter the ground every matchday.
The plaque notes the names of 52 players and officials on the club’s staff during the period 1914 to 1919 and who served in the armed forces. Included are five footballers to lose their lives.
Due to difficulties in precise army service of some of the club’s players at the time, the memorial shows reserve winger Owen McManus having survived. He had sadly died in November 1918, just before war ended.
Colleague Thomas Suart, on the club’s books as a young reserve, was overlooked. He lost his life in June 1917.
More than 100 ex-players or future players and officials of Newcastle United also served in World War One.
Roll of Honour - Newcastle United players who died in the Great War
Pvt SJ Allan (NU 1908-11): RAMC, 4 May 1919, Home
Sec-Lt DS Bell VC (NU 1911-12): Yorkshire Reg, 10 July 1916, France
Corp T Cairns (NU 1914-17): RFA, 13 Oct 1917, France
Corp D Dunglinson (NU 1912-16): Northumberland Fusiliers, 1 July 1916, France
Pvt J Findlay (NU 1905-06): Scots Guards, 18 Sept 1916, France
L-Corp JBM Fleming (NU 1911-13): Cameron Highlanders, 21 March 1916, Home
Pvt J Forster (NU 1897-98): Yorkshire Reg, 7 Oct 1916, France
Pvt J Froud (NU 1901): Royal West Kent Reg, 28 July 1917, Belgium
Pvt T Goodwill (NU 1913-16): Northumberland Fusiliers, 1 July 1916, France
L-Corp R Harker (NU 1904-05): Northumberland Fusiliers, 9 April 1917, France
Pvt T Hughes (NU 1912-14): Northumberland Fusiliers, 1 July 1916, France
L-Corp JM Maxwell (NU 1904): Seaforth Highlanders, 21 April 1917, Mesopotamia
Bomb R McGough (NU 1914-17): RGA, 18 April 1917, France
Corp O McManus (NU 1914-18): RFA, 6 Nov 1918, France
Pvt CE Randall (NU 1908-11): Coldstream Guards, 27 Sept 1916, France
Pvt GS Rivers (NU 1914-16): Durham Light Infantry, 13 Aug 1916, France
Capt TS Rowlandson MC (NU 1905-06): Yorkshire Reg, 15 Sept 1916, France
Pvt J Stevenson (NU 1898-1900): Highland Light Infantry, 3 July 1916, France
Pvt T Suart (NU 1914-17): Border Reg, 16 June 1917, Belgium
Corp C Winter (NU 1904-05): Cam Scot Rifles, 27 Oct 1918, France
Sgt WA Witherington DCM (NU 1901-02): British Colombia Reg, 15 Aug 1917, France
RW Benson (NU 1902-04): Munitions, 19 Feb 1916, Home
A Douglas (NU 1913-18): Munitions, 14 Dec 1918, Home
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the first level of the English football league system, as of the 2023–24 season. Since the formation of the club in 1892, when Newcastle East End absorbed the assets of Newcastle West End to become Newcastle United, the club has played its home matches at St James' Park. Located in the centre of Newcastle, it currently has a capacity of 52,305.
The club has been a member of the Premier League for all but three years of the competition's history, spending 91 seasons in the top flight as of May 2023, and has never dropped below English football's second tier since joining the Football League in 1893. Newcastle have won four League titles, six FA Cups and an FA Charity Shield, as well as the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the ninth-highest total of trophies won by an English club. The club's most successful period was between 1904 and 1910, when they won an FA Cup and three of their League titles. Their last major domestic trophy was in 1955. More recently the club have been League or FA Cup runners-up on four occasions in the 1990s. Newcastle were relegated in 2009, and again in 2016. The club won promotion at the first time of asking each time, returning to the Premier League, as Championship winners, in 2010 and 2017. In October 2021, a consortium led by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, became majority owners of Newcastle United.
The team's traditional kit colours are black-and-white striped shirts, black shorts and black or white socks. Their crest has elements of the city coat of arms, which features two grey hippocamps. Before each home game, the team enters the field to "Going Home", with "Blaydon Races" also being sung during games. The 2005 film Goal! featured Newcastle United, and many signings mentioned the influence the film had on them.
The history of Newcastle United Football Club, an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England, covers the club's entire history from its formation to the present day. Formed by a merger between Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End to become 'United' in 1892, the club was elected to the Football League, which they entered in 1893.
Newcastle are England's 9th most successful club of all time. They have been English champions four times (in 1905, 1907, 1909, 1927) and FA Cup winners six times (in 1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952, 1955). The club have also won the 1909 Charity Shield, the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and the 2006 Intertoto Cup. Newcastle have reached the League Cup final twice, finishing runners-up in both years ( 1976 and 2023). They have played in England's top league from 1898–1934, 1948–61, 1965–78, 1984–89, 1993–2009, 2010–2016, and 2017–present, playing in the second tier at all other times.
The first record of football being played on Tyneside dates from 3 March 1877 at Elswick Rugby Club. Later that year, Newcastle's first association football club, Tyne Association, was formed. The origins of Newcastle United Football Club itself can be traced back to the formation of a football club by the Stanley Cricket Club of Byker in November 1881. They won their first match 5–0 against Elswick Leather Works 2nd XI. The team was renamed Newcastle East End F.C. in October 1882, to avoid confusion with the cricket club in Stanley, County Durham.
Shortly after this, another Byker side, Rosewood FC, merged with East End to form an even stronger side. Meanwhile, across the city, West End Cricket Club began to take an interest in football and in August 1882, they formed Newcastle West End F.C. West End played their early football on their cricket pitch, but in May 1886, the club moved into St James' Park. The two clubs became rivals in the Northern League. In 1889, Newcastle East End became a professional team, before becoming a limited company the following March.
West End soon became the city's premier club. East End were anxious not to be left behind and lured Tom Watson into becoming the club secretary/manager in the close season of 1888 and from that point, never looked back; Watson made several good signings, especially from Scotland, and the Heaton club went from strength to strength, while West End's fortunes slipped dramatically.
The region's first league competition was formed in 1889 and the FA Cup began to cause interest. Ambitious East End turned professional in 1889, a huge step for a local club, and in March 1890, they made an even more adventurous move by becoming a limited company with capital of 1,000 pounds in ten shilling notes. During the spring of 1892, in a season during which their results were at an all-time low, and in which they had lost to their bitter rivals, East End, five times, West End found themselves in serious trouble. They approached East End with a view to a take over, the directors having decided that the club could no longer continue.
What actually happened was that West End wound up, while some of its players and most of its backroom staff joined East End. East End also took over the lease on St. James' Park in May 1892.
With only one senior club in the city for fans to support, development of the club was much more rapid. Despite being refused entry to the Football League's First Division at the start of the 1892–93 season, they were invited to play in their new Second Division. However, with no big names playing in the Second Division, they turned down the offer and remained in the Northern League, stating "gates would not meet the heavy expenses incurred for travelling". In a bid to start drawing larger crowds, Newcastle East End decided to adopt a new name in recognition of the merger. Suggested names included Newcastle F.C., Newcastle Rangers, Newcastle City and City of Newcastle, but Newcastle United was decided upon on 9 December 1892, to signify the unification of the two teams. The name change was accepted by the Football Association on 22 December, but the club was not legally constituted as Newcastle United Football Club Co. Ltd. until 6 September 1895. At the start of the 1893–94 season, Newcastle United were once again refused entry to the First Division and so joined the Second Division, along with Liverpool and Woolwich Arsenal. They played their first competitive match in the division that September against Woolwich Arsenal, with a score of 2–2.
Turnstile numbers were still low, and the incensed club published a statement claiming "The Newcastle public do not deserve to be catered for as far as professional football is concerned". However, eventually figures picked up by 1895–96, when 14,000 fans watched the team play Bury. That season Frank Watt became secretary of the club, and he was instrumental in promotion to the First Division for the 1898–99 season. However, they lost their first game 4–2 at home to Wolves and finished their first season in thirteenth place.
In 1903–04, the club built up a promising squad of players, and went on to dominate English football for almost a decade, the team known for their "artistic play, combining team-work and quick, short passing". Newcastle started to purchase talented players, especially from Scotland, and soon had a squad to rival all of England. With players like Colin Veitch, Jackie Rutherford, Jimmy Lawrence and Albert Shepherd, Newcastle had a team of international talent. Bill McCracken, Jimmy Howie, Peter McWilliam and Andy Aitken were also household names in their day. Long after his retirement, defender Peter McWilliam said "The Newcastle team of the 1900s would give any modern side a two goal start and beat them, and further more, beat them at a trot".
Newcastle United went on to win the League on three occasions during the 1900s: in 1904–05, 1906–07 and 1908–09. Newcastle reached five FA Cup finals in the years leading up to World War I. In 1904–05, they nearly did the double, losing to Aston Villa in the 1905 FA Cup Final. They were beaten again the following year by Everton in the 1906 FA Cup Final. They reached the final again in 1908 where they lost to Wolves. In 1908 the team suffered a record 9–1 home defeat to local rivals Sunderland in the league but still won that season's league title. They finally won the FA Cup in 1910 when they beat Barnsley in the final. They lost again the following year in the final against Bradford City.
The team returned to the FA Cup final in 1924, in the second final held at the then new Wembley Stadium. They defeated Aston Villa, winning the club's second FA Cup.Three years later they won the First Division championship a fourth time in 1926–27. Record signing & Scottish international centre-forward Hughie Gallacher, one of the most prolific goal scorers in the club's history, captained the championship-winning team. Other key players in this period were Neil Harris, Stan Seymour and Frank Hudspeth. Seymour was to become an influential figure for the next 40 years as player, manager and director.
In 1930, Newcastle United came close to relegation, and at the end of the season Gallacher left the club for Chelsea, and at the same time Andy Cunningham became the club's first team manager. In 1931–32, the club won the FA Cup a third time in the infamous 'Over the Line' final. United won the game 2–1 after scoring a goal following a cross from Jimmy Richardson which appeared to be hit from out of play - over the line. There were no action replays then and the referee allowed the goal, a controversial talking point in FA Cup history.
Newcastle boasted master players like Sam Weaver and Jack Allen, as well as the first player-manager in the top division in Scottish international Andy Cunningham. But at the end of the 1933–34 season, the team were relegated to the Second Division after 32 seasons in the First. Cunningham left as manager and Tom Mather took over. Amazingly in the same season as they fell into the Second Division, United defeated Liverpool 9–2 and Everton 7–3 within the space of a week.
The club found it difficult to adjust to the Second Division and were nearly further relegated in the 1937–38 season, when they were spared on goal averages.
When World War II broke in 1939, Newcastle had a chance to regroup, and in the War period, they brought in Jackie Milburn, Tommy Walker and Bobby Cowell.
Newcastle United won no Wartime League trophies, but Jackie Milburn made his debut in 1943 in a "Stripes vs Blues" match. Milburn's side was losing at half-time 3–0, but following a switch from midfielder to centre forward, he scored 6 goals to help them win the match 9–3. Jackie went on to score 38 goals in the next 3 years of the league's life.
By the time peace was restored in 1945, Seymour was at the forefront of Newcastle's affairs, manager in all but name. He ensured that the Magpies possessed an entertaining eleven full of stars, a mix of home-grown talent like Jackie Milburn, Bobby Cowell and Ernie Taylor, as well as big signings in the shape of George Robledo, Bobby Mitchell, Joe Harvey, Len Shackleton and Frank Brennan.
Newcastle spent the first couple of years post-war in the Second Division. Crowds were extremely high after the return to football, and in 1946 Newcastle recorded the joint-highest victory in English League Football history, defeating Newport County 13–0. Len Shackleton, playing his debut in that match, scored 6 goals in the match, another record for Newcastle United.
Newcastle returned to the First Division in double of the time. Promotion was achieved in 1948 in front of vast crowds. An average of almost 57,000 at every home game saw United's fixtures that year, a national record for years to come. That was just the start of another period of success.
During the Fifties decade United lifted the FA Cup trophy on three occasions within a five-year period. In 1951 they defeated Blackpool 2–0, a year later Arsenal were beaten 1–0 and in 1955 United crushed Manchester City 3–1. The Magpies were known in every corner of the country, and so were their players; 'Wor Jackie' Milburn and Bobby 'Dazzler' Mitchell the pick of a side that was renowned the nation over. Other players of this time were Frank Brennan (like Mitchell a Scot), Ivor Broadis, Len White and Welshman Ivor Allchurch.
Despite having quality players throughout the era, stars like Allchurch, White and George Eastham during the latter years of the decade, United slipped from the First Division in 1961 under the controversial management of ex-Manchester United star, Charlie Mitten. It was a huge blow to the club.
An old war-horse returned to revitalise the Magpies in the shape of Joe Harvey, who had skippered the club to much of their post-war success. He teamed up with Stan Seymour to rebuild United and the Black'n'Whites returned to the elite as Second Division Champions in 1965. United then became very much an unpredictable side, always capable of defeating the best, but never quite realising their huge potential until very recently.
Joe Harvey's side qualified for Europe for the first time in 1968 and stunned everyone the following year by lifting the Inter Cities Fairs Cup; the forerunner of the UEFA Cup. United possessed a solid eleven and Newcastle's tradition of fielding a famous Number 9 at centre-forward since earliest years continued as big Welshman Wyn Davies was prominent along with the likes of Pop Robson, Bobby Moncur and Frank Clark.
In the years that followed European success, manager Harvey brought in a string of talented entertainers who thrilled the Gallowgate crowd. Pleasers like Jimmy Smith, Tony Green and Terry Hibbitt. And especially a new centre-forward by the name of Malcolm Macdonald.
Nicknamed 'Supermac', Macdonald was one of United's greatest hero figures. Brash, arrogant and devastating in front of goal, he led United's attack to Wembley in 1974, against Liverpool in the FA Cup. But the Magpies failed to bring the trophy back to Tyneside, and a complete lack of success in any of the competitions the next season resulted in Joe Harvey being sacked in mid-1975.
Blackburn manager Gordon Lee was appointed to replace Harvey, and despite a mediocre league campaign in 1975–76, led the club to its first League Cup final, which ended in defeat by Manchester City. Despite Macdonald controversially being sold to Arsenal for a cut price deal, the following season saw United's best League campaign for years, and by Christmas the club looked to have an outside chance of winning the title. However, Lee walked out on the club to take over at Everton at the start of 1977, and inexperienced coach Richard Dinnis was put in charge of the team after the players demanded that he be given the job. United's form initially remained quite consistent under Dinnis, and they secured 5th place and a UEFA Cup spot at the end of the season. However, the team totally fell apart the following season, and Dinnis was sacked after a run of ten straight League defeats and a thumping UEFA Cup exit at the hands of French team SC Bastia. Bill McGarry took over as manager, but was powerless to prevent United from being relegated in statistically their worst season ever. The only mercy they had was Leicester City's terrible goal difference preventing United from finishing bottom of the table.
McGarry remained in charge of the club, but only managed two midtable finishes before being sacked in the wake of an uninspiring start to the 1980–81 season, and it was his successor Arthur Cox who steered United back again to the First Division with ex England captain Kevin Keegan leading the attack, having joined the Magpies in a sensational deal in 1982.
The football inspired by Keegan captivated Tyneside and United stormed into the top division in a style only bettered by Kevin's own brand of football when he returned to the club as manager a decade later. Cox had also signed young winger Chris Waddle out of non-league football, as well as young striker Peter Beardsley, Liverpool midfielder Terry McDermott and former Manchester United midfielder David McCreery. The club was rocked however when Cox resigned after the board refused to offer him an improved contract in the aftermath of promotion, and, surprisingly, accepted an offer to take charge of Derby County - who had been relegated from the Second Division.
One of English footballs greatest talents, Paul Gascoigne or 'Gazza', emerged as an exciting 18-year-old midfielder in 1985-86, under Newcastle's next manager Jack Charlton, who left after only one season despite Newcastle achieving a secure mid-table finish on their return to the First Division. His successor was former player Willie McFaul. Newcastle consolidated their place in Division One but then a period of selling their best players (Beardsley to Liverpool, and Waddle and eventually Gascoigne both to Tottenham), rocked the club and led to supporter unrest, as did a share-war for control of the boardroom. The effect of this on the pitch soon proved evident, as McFaul was sacked after a dismal start to the 1988–89 season, and new boss Jim Smith was unable to turn Newcastle around, resulting in them finishing at the foot of the First Division in 1989 and dropping back into the Second Division.
Smith then signed Portsmouth striker Mick Quinn and Newcastle began the 1989–90 season on a high note, beating promotion favourites Leeds United 5–2 on the opening day with Quinn scoring four goals, and Newcastle appeared to be on the path to a revival. However, they missed out on automatic promotion by one place, before enduring a humiliating play-off exit at the hands of local rivals Sunderland. The intensifying boardroom battle soon took its toll on the club, and Smith resigned early in the following season with the side stuck in mid-table. Ossie Ardiles became the club's new manager, and despite being initially being the club's most popular manager since Joe Harvey, Newcastle dropped to the bottom of the Second Division in October 1991. Results failed to improve, despite the acquisition of a new striker in David Kelly and the efforts of promising young players including Steve Howey, Steve Watson and Gavin Peacock, and in February 1992 Ardiles was sacked. Despite being the best-supported side in the division and frequently still managing to pull in crowds of more than 20,000, Newcastle were also millions of pounds in debt and faced with the real prospect of third-tier football for the first time ever. A saviour was needed, and in came new chairman John Hall, who offered the manager's job to Kevin Keegan. Despite having vowed never to enter management following his retirement as a player, Keegan accepted the offer to manage Newcastle. His first task was to deliver Second Division survival.
Kevin Keegan returned as manager in the 1991–92 season, and survived relegation from the Second Division. The club's finances were transformed, with Hall aiming to put Newcastle among Europe's biggest clubs, and signings like Rob Lee and Andy Cole helped Newcastle to promotion the following season, 1992–93, as champions of the new First Division. The finish also secured qualification for the 1993–94 UEFA Cup upon return to the top flight in the 1993–94 Premier League season.
St James' Park was redeveloped during this time into an all-seated stadium with a capacity of 36,000. This increased to 52,000 in the late 1990s, after the rejection of Hall's proposal to build a larger stadium at Castle Leazes.
Keegan stunned fans and critics alike in 1995 when prolific striker Andy Cole was sold to Manchester United in exchange for £6 million and midfielder Keith Gillespie, leaving many to blame the sale to have affected Newcastle's title chances for the 1994–95 season, in which they finished sixth. The club, however, continued to build up a reputation for playing attacking football under Keegan. In the 1995–96 season, high-profile foreign stars David Ginola and Faustino Asprilla, in addition to British players Peter Beardsley and striker Les Ferdinand, guided the team to a second-place finish. During the 1996–97 season, Keegan made one signing, securing the services of England striker Alan Shearer for a then-world record transfer fee of £15 million to produce a shrewd partnership with Les Ferdinand, and claim a 5–0 victory over title rivals Manchester United. whilst remaining in contention to win the league.
With the team having failed to win any trophies under his reign, Keegan resigned as manager on 8 January 1997, saying, "I feel that I have taken the club as far as I can."
Kenny Dalglish replaced Keegan as manager, and maintained the club's good form through to the end of the season, finishing second. In the 1997–98 season, Les Ferdinand and David Ginola both left the club, whilst Alan Shearer broke his ankle in a pre-season friendly, keeping him out for the first half of the season. Dalglish signed Ian Rush, John Barnes, Duncan Ferguson and Stuart Pearce to bolster the squad, and achieved a 3–2 victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League through a Faustino Asprilla hat-trick, but Dalglish's cautious brand of football, as opposed to the attacking style played under Keegan, did not prove successful—the club failed to progress beyond the Champions League group stage, finished 13th in the Premier League, and lost the FA Cup final to Arsenal. Dalglish began the 1998–99 season signing Nolberto Solano and Dietmar Hamann, but was soon dismissed following the club's declining form.
Ruud Gullit replaced him, however the club again finished the league in 13th place and again lost in the FA Cup final, this time to Manchester United F.C. Gullit resigned early in the 1999–2000 season, having fallen out with several senior players, including Alan Shearer and captain Rob Lee. Keith Gillespie later blamed Gullit's arrogance for his failure as manager of the club.
Ex-England manager Bobby Robson was brought in to replace Gullit in September 1999. He ensured Newcastle's survival in the Premiership, but the club remained in the bottom half of the table, finishing 11th in 1999–2000 and 2000–01. Robson, however, built up an exciting young squad, and an unlikely top four challenge emerged in 2001–02 season—Newcastle finished in fourth place.
Playing in the Champions League in 2002–03, Newcastle progressed to the second group stage in unlikely circumstances, beating Italian squad Juventus 1–0 along the way. United finished the 2002–03 season third in the Premier League, but lost their Champions League qualifier and played in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup instead, reaching the semi-final. In 2003–04, Newcastle finished fifth in the Premiership, lower than in previous seasons, and outside of Champions League contention.
Robson was then sacked following a poor start to the 2004–05 season and alleged discontent in the dressing room. In his autobiography, Robson was critical of Shepherd, claiming that while manager he was denied information regarding the players' contracts and transfer negotiations. He had previously publicly criticised the club's highly financed offer for Wayne Rooney, which the club later claimed they could not afford, stating young players were making excessive demands without first proving themselves on the pitch. He also criticised Shepherd and the club's deputy chairman Douglas Hall for their focus on the first team and St James' Park, causing them to neglect less glamorous issues, such as the training ground, youth development and talent scouts.
Graeme Souness replaced Robson and finished the season 14th in the league. Souness' arrival, however, was met with mixed reactions, with many expecting Robson being a hard task to improve upon, despite insisting he was aware of Sir Bobby's admiration and was ready for the role. In the January transfer window, Souness caused controversy in securing an £8 million bid for France international Jean-Alain Boumsong, who had joined Rangers for free just months before, prior to which Sir Bobby had travelled to France to review Boumsong but declined to sign him. The Stevens inquiry in 2007 documented that in this purchase Souness was accused of lack of consistency and was reviewed over the large media speculation the transfer received, but was eventually exonerated from any illegal participations. Going into 2005–06 season, despite signing several new players, including the return of Nolberto Solano from Aston Villa as well as Albert Luque from Deportivo de La Coruña for £10 million, Souness struggled with the opening games. He later blamed the state of the club's training ground for injuries suffered to players. The signing of Michael Owen (for a club record £17 million from Real Madrid) and his strike partnership with Alan Shearer produced goals at the end of 2005, but an injury caused Owen to miss the rest of the season and following a poor start to the new year, Souness was sacked in February 2006. Robbie Elliiot and Shay Given announced regret over his exit in the club's Season Review DVD but acknowledged his seeming favouritism of players and the amounting pressure on him damaged morale, whilst Alan Shearer blamed the injury crisis to first-team players.
Caretaker manager Glenn Roeder was issued the role of temporary first-team manager, seeing his first game against Portsmouth secure Alan Shearer's 201st goal for Newcastle United, becoming the club's all-time highest-scoring player. Roeder guided Newcastle from 15th to seventh place securing 32 league points from a possible 45 by the end of 2005–06, as well as securing a place in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and was given a two-year contract by chairman Freddy Shepherd. His appointment caused controversy, as at the time he did not hold the necessary UEFA Pro Licence to manage in the UEFA leagues and cup tournaments His role, however, was approved by UEFA who acknowledged that Roeder's diagnosis with a brain tumour in 2003 prevented him from developing his career, whilst Chairman Freddy Shepherd also fulfilled UEFA's request that he gain backing from all 19 other Premier League clubs to appoint him as manager. Alan Shearer retired at the end of the 2005–06 season scoring a record 206 goals.
Roeder encountered a difficult 2006–07 season, losing many players to injury, in particular Michael Owen, who had severely damaged his ligaments during the 2006 FIFA World Cup seeing him only play the final two games of the season. Newcastle won the 2006 Intertoto Cup, but a 5–1 exit to Birmingham City in the FA Cup, a round of 16 exit in the UEFA Cup and poor league results seeing a 13th-place finish led Roeder to resign in May 2007.
As the 2007 season drew to a close, St James Holdings Limited, the bid vehicle of billionaire businessman Mike Ashley, was reported to be in the process of buying the club. Ashley successfully acquired Sir John Hall's majority stake in the club in May 2007, leaving many to believe chairman Freddie Shepherd was set to depart after stepping down as chairman, should Ashley acquire more than 50 percent, which would see Shepherd no longer in control of the club and Ashley able to replace the board. Shepherd dismissed all speculation and proceeded to appoint ex-Bolton Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce as Newcastle manager, but eventually met with Mike Ashley and the board on 29 May. On 7 June 2007, Shepherd ended his 11 years with the club after Mike Ashley accepted his bid to buy his shares and in his role as chairman of the board, also having Shepherd advise the remaining shareholders to sell to Ashley. Ashley then announced he would be delisting the club from the London Stock Exchange upon completion of the takeover. The club officially ceased trading on the Stock Exchange as of 8 am on 18 July 2007 at 5p a share. Ashley brought in lawyer Chris Mort as the new club "deputy chairman".
Despite signing and building a seemingly strong squad, Sam Allardyce soon became widely unpopular with fans and players alike, and was surprisingly sacked by Ashley halfway through his first season after underwhelming results and pressure from the fans. Ashley, however, defended his decision to sack Allardyce, stating he made a mistake in not appointing his own choice of manager before the season started.
Kevin Keegan then made a sensational surprise return as manager. His return had an instant impact on club ticket sales as he sat with the fans, Mike Ashley and Chris Mort for the FA Cup replay 4–1 win against Stoke City. Following his return, Keegan had a disappointing first ten games back, with the club not winning a single game until his decision to include strikers Obafemi Martins, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka into a 4–3–3 formation, which saw the club back on goal-scoring and winning form and eventually finishing 12th in 2007–08. In May Keegan met with Mike Ashley and Director of Football Dennis Wise after he had suggested Champions League qualification was out of Newcastle United's reach and expressed dissatisfaction with the board's financial backing. Ashley was battling reports that he had lost hundreds of millions of pounds in a disastrous attempt to rescue bank HBOS. The morning following, after the club's 3–0 defeat to Arsenal, rumours were circulating that Keegan had either been sacked or resigned as Newcastle boss, citing board interference and his lack of control over transfers. Keegan confirmed the reports the same week, and reportedly held unsuccessful resolution talks with Mike Ashley the following week, leading to fan fury and protests around St James' Park, and marring the club's home defeat to Hull City, with fans accusing Ashley and club executives Dennis Wise, Tony Jimenez and Derek Llambias of forcing Keegan out.
Following mass media coverage of Keegan's departure, the club struggled to find a replacement, with the majority of managers showing no interest in the role. Ashley released a statement to the club's fans that in fear of his and his families reputation and safety, he was placing the club for sale. It was then announced that former Nottingham Forest manager Joe Kinnear was appointed temporary manager His appointment, however, saw a backlash from fans, prompting a verbal tirade from Kinnear at the media, who questioned his decision to take the job at such a time. By the end of the year, Ashley took the club off the market claiming he was unable to find a suitable buyer.
In the remainder of 2008–09, Kinnear won four out of 18 matches before stepping down due to reported heart problems. Chris Hughton then took temporary charge before Alan Shearer returned to Newcastle United as manager in April with Iain Dowie as his assistant. After winning only one out of eight games, the club was relegated to the Championship for the first time since 1992. Mike Ashley then re-issued his desire to sell the club once again and issued a £100 million sale price tag.
Prior to the start of the 2009–10 season, Keegan's dispute with the club was resolved after a Premier League Arbitration Panel ruled that he had been misled to believe he had the final word on the club's transfer policy when in fact Director of Football Dennis Wise had been handed such control. The signings of Xisco and Nacho González were ruled to have been made without the manager's approval; with González, Dennis Wise signed him only after viewing him off of YouTube. Wise and Derek Llambias were ruled to have deliberately misled the media to believe Keegan had the final say, which amounted to constructive dismissal. Keegan was awarded £2 million in compensation and re-offered his job as Newcastle United manager under fresh new terms, though in response to the offer, he stated the fans had "had enough" for the time being and declined. He stated in 2013 he would consider a return should Mike Ashley leave the club.
Chris Hughton was appointed full-time manager early in the 2009–10 season. The club dominated the Championship, winning 30 games, drawing 12 and losing only four, scoring a total of 90 goals and finishing top of the league with 102 points, thus re-gaining Premier League status at the first attempt.
Beginning 2010–11, Hughton remained on course to secure survival from relegation with the club's first win at the Emirates over Arsenal, and a memorable 5–1 defeat over Sunderland. However, fury once again was caused by the board, as the club controversially sacked Chris Hughton after a 3–1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion on 6 December 2010. Critics players and fans alike were shocked by Hughton's dismissal, leading to protests prior to the club's game against Liverpool in a bid to thank him for his work and support. Alan Pardew was then announced as being appointed manager on a five-and-a-half-year contract, with the club announcing they wanted a manager with more experience. Pardew stated he had nothing but respect for Chris Hughton and acknowledged the fact that other managers questioned his appointment. He secured his first win on his debut as manager with a 3–1 win over Liverpool On 31 January 2011, Newcastle sold striker Andy Carroll to Liverpool for a club record of £35 million. The sale of a young player at a high value proved controversial for Liverpool, with Alan Shearer ridiculing the price Liverpool paid as well as expressing sorrow at Newcastle for losing Carroll. Carroll himself stated that he did not want to leave the club but was forced out by the club's directors after Liverpool's final offer of £35 million; the board responded that Carroll had previously handed in a transfer request. Pardew said he was disappointed to lose Carroll, but pledged to invest in the club's summer transfer window. The remainder of the season saw Leon Best score a hat-trick on his debut in a 5–0 defeat of West Ham United, a memorable 4–4 comeback against Arsenal, and a 4–1 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers, eventually finishing 12th in the league.
Entering 2011–12, Pardew was reportedly denied the £35 million from the sale of Andy Carroll for transfers and told to sell players to raise funds, having claimed he had been assured the finances upon Carroll's departure. Kevin Keegan had previously stated Alan Pardew should not have expected the money following his issues with the board in 2008. The club signed many French-speaking players in the transfer window, including Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy, Sylvain Marveaux and Demba Ba. and with impressive results throughout the season, Newcastle finished fifth.
In the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Newcastle reached the quarter-finals, and in the January transfer window, the French revolution continued into the new year, with Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran joining the squad. The team, however, had a poor 2012–13 Premier League and finished 16th in the Premier League.
Beginning the 2013–14 season, in a surprise move Joe Kinnear returned to the club as Director of Football, instantly causing fan fury following his outburst that he was "more intelligent" than the fans and critics, as well as mispronouncing various players names during a radio interview. However, he resigned after just eight months on the job following further critique for managing to sign only two players on loan—Loïc Rémy and Luuk de Jong—throughout the season's summer and January transfer windows, as well selling Yohan Cabaye to Paris Saint-Germain for £20 million, considered to be one of the most influential players at the time. Following the lack of transfer activity, Mike Ashley once again faced a fan revolt, with protests being launched at him to sell the club, and entered a dispute with several media titles whom the club banned from Newcastle United media facilities, press conferences and player interviews, declaring stories reported were intensely exaggerated and aimed only to damage Ashley's image further. Throughout the season, the club remained on course to ensure a top half finish, notably defeating Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time since 1972. Nonetheless, the team struggled for goals following the sale of Cabaye. Further dismay upon the season was caused when Pardew was banned for seven matches and fined £100,000 for an assault on Hull City midfielder David Meyler. The club then encountered a poor run of form, losing eight out of ten games and finishing the season tenth in the league, though the club confirmed Alan Pardew would stay on.
The opening eight games of the 2014–15 season proved disappointing, with the club failing to secure a win. After the dip in form, however, the club had an emphatic resurgence, seeing a five-game unbeaten run whilst also surprising League Cup holders Manchester City with a 2–0 win and progressing to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Pardew, however, resigned from the club on 30 December 2014 following immense pressure from fans calling for his departure, with many posters at games designed with the Sports Direct logo advertising a website demanding his resignation. Pardew admitted in the months leading up to his departure that protests from the fans were affecting his family and was subsequently feeling unhappy at the club. He was replaced by his assistant manager John Carver, though the team subsequently earned just 13 points out of a possible 50, surviving relegation on the final day of the season with a victory over West Ham, Carver was dismissed before the club's pre-season for 2016 began. The club paid tribute to player Jonás Gutiérrez following his successful recovery from testicular cancer to resume his playing career.
Beginning the 2015–16 season, former England F.C. Manager Steve McClaren was appointed manager, signing Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba, Florian Thauvin, Henri Saivet, Jonjo Shelvey, Andros Townsend and Ivan Toney. McClaren however struggled to produce results winning 6 and drawing 6 out of 28 games, whilst exiting both the FA Cup and League Cup in the Third Round. McClaren was subsequently sacked on 11 March 2016 with critics and former players voicing their favour of the decision. Rafael Benítez was announced as McClaren's successor the same day, signing a three-year deal. Benítez recorded his first victory in 3–0 defeat of Swansea City in the Premier League on 17 April 2016 after 5 games in charge, and maintained an emphatic 5-game unbeaten streak to the end of the season. Newcastle were however relegated from the Premier League along with Aston Villa and Norwich finishing 18th place, 2 points below safety. Betting websites confirmed after the final game that the club's 5–1 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur matched the initial odds of Leicester City's 5000/1 win of the 2015–16 Premier League season.
Starting the 2016-17 season, Rafa Benítez signed 12 new players full-time and also acquired 5 players on loan, whilst 8 players left the club and another 12 on loan. New signings Dwight Gayle and Matt Ritchie proved popular scoring a combined total of 39 goals, finishing among the top goalscorers that season. Despite failing to improve on their dominant success in the 2009/10 championship season, the club remained in contention for the trophy throughout; threatened only by Brighton & Hove Albion Newcastle enjoyed a 3-game winning streak to the final day of the season and lifted the Football League Championship trophy on 8 May 2017 following a 3–0 win over Barnsley. Rafa Benítez denied speculation that he would leave the club following promotion to the Premier League and confirmed his commitment to the club for the foreseeable future. Shortly prior to the season's finish, the club was subject to raids by HMRC following suspicions of tax evasion. Managing Director Lee Charnley was arrested during the raid, but was later released without charge.
Ending the 2017-18 season, the club finished 10th in the Premier League defeating the current champions Chelsea on the final day of the season, the highest finish achieved within 4 years. Beginning the 2018–19 season, Mike Ashley again came under scrutiny following lack of major signings in the summer transfer window, with many fans accusing him of lacking interest in the club following his purchase of troubled retail chain House of Fraser for £90m. Despite the January signing of Miguel Almirón from Atlanta United FC for £21 million surpassing the club's transfer record fee of £16.8 million for Michael Owen in 2005, the club struggled throughout the season with 12 wins, 9 draws and 17 losses seeing a 13th place league table finish, whilst exiting the League Cup at the 2nd round in a 3–1 defeat of Nottingham Forest F.C and a 4th round exit of the FA Cup in a 2–0 defeat to Watford F.C. The season also saw heavy speculation regarding Rafa Benítez remaining at the club following reports he was still in negotiations following the end of the season.
Following fresh reports of Ashley's intention to sell the club, Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Founder and Chairman of The Bin Zayed Group of Companies, a member of the Al Nahyan royal family of Abu Dhabi, confirmed he had agreed terms to purchase the club for £350 million. On 5 June 2019 a company named Monochrome Acquisitions Limited was registered in Nahyan's name, whilst managing director Lee Charnley applied to have four companies linked to Ashley's company St James Holdings Ltd struck off, leaving many to believe the club was on course to be sold. Talks of a takeover however stalled throughout the summer transfer window, whilst Ashley confirmed he had not received an official bid from any prospective buyer.
Benítez rejected a new contract offer and departed the club on 30 June 2019, accepting a move to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang in a £12 million deal. Ashley criticised Benítez stating unfair demands were made making it impossible for him to remain as manager. Notable player departures saw Salomón Rondón join Benitez at Dalian Yifang after returning to West Bromwich Albion F.C. from loan, whilst Ayoze Perez joined Leicester City for £30 million and Mohamed Diamé was released by Newcastle upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2018–19 season.
BBC Sport reported in July 2019 that Steve Bruce had resigned from his managerial position at Sheffield Wednesday after he earlier admitted that he had held talks with Newcastle United over their managerial vacancy. His appointment was confirmed on 17 July. Sheffield Wednesday however stated there were still outstanding legal issues with Bruce having resigned just 48 hours before, leading a report being filed to the Premier League alleging misconduct in his appointment. Newcastle United denied any wrongdoing and stated they were confident no case could be escalated. Reaction from the fans was mixed, with some feeling Bruce would not achieve the standard set by Benítez, whilst his recent lack of Premier League football and management of rival club Sunderland proved controversial. Bruce later acknowledged Benítez's popularity and stated he hoped the fans would not rush to judgement and give him time to prove himself and manager of Newcastle. Due to visa problems in China, Bruce watched his first match as manager from the stands which saw Newcastle achieve a third-place finish in the pre-season 2019 Premier League Asia Trophy following a 1–0 victory over West Ham United F.C. Bruce quickly made his first transfer, signing Joelinton from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for £40 million, breaking the club's transfer fee record previously held by Miguel Almirón at £21 million just 6 months before, before signing French international winger Allan Saint-Maximin from OGC Nice on a permanent deal for £16.5 million, Sweden international defender Emil Krafth for £5 million, central midfielder Kyle Scott on a free signing following his departure from Chelsea, and Netherlands international defender Jetro Willems on loan from Frankfurt F.C until the end of the 2019–20 season. Bruce made his final transfer of the pre-season on deadline day by re-signing striker Andy Carroll, who had left the club over 7 years earlier. On 4 February 2020, Steve Bruce's side ended a 14-year drought by reaching the 5th round of the FA Cup they beat League One side Oxford United 2–3 in a replay thanks to a late winner from Allan Saint-Maximin in extra time.
From March 2020, the season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On 13 March, following an emergency meeting between the Premier League, The Football Association (FA), the English Football League and the FA Women's Super League, it was unanimously decided to suspend professional football in England. On 19 March, the suspension was extended indefinitely, with a restart date of 17 June announced in late May with all remaining games to be played without crowd attendance.
Newcastle finished the season in 13th place. Defender Danny Rose was an outspoken critic of the decision to continue the season, citing the virus was still in major circulation and accused the FA of having no concern for footballers' health. Karl Darlow has since urged players at the club to get vaccinated following his hospitalisation from complications of Covid, whilst manager Steve Bruce admitted some players had voluntarily declined the vaccination.
The 2020-21 season saw all matches played without crowd attendance until May 2021, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Newcastle failed to improve on the previous season, finishing 12th in the premier league and were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round added time to Arsenal and exited the EFL Cup in the quarter-finals losing 1–0 to Brentford.
In April 2020, it was widely reported that a consortium consisting of Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben Brothers, was finalising an offer to acquire Newcastle United. The proposed sale prompted concerns and criticism, such as arguments considering it sportwashing of the country's human rights record, as well as ongoing large-scale piracy of sports broadcasts in the region. However the consortium announced its withdrawal from the Newcastle deal on July 30, 2020, after multiple media reports highlighted realm as the staunch violator of human rights, and the WTO ruled that it was behind the piracy campaign using pirate-pay-service beoutQ. "With a deep appreciation for the Newcastle community and the significance of its football club, we have come to the decision to withdraw our interest in acquiring Newcastle United Football Club," the group said in its statement upon withdrawal. The group also stated that the "prolonged process" was a major factor in them pulling out. The collapse of the takeover was met with widespread criticism from Newcastle fans, with Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah accusing the Premier League of treating fans of the club with "contempt" and subsequently wrote to Masters for an explanation. Despite the consortium's withdrawal, disputes over the takeover continued. On 9 September 2020, Newcastle United released a statement claiming that the Premier League had officially rejected the takeover by the consortium and accused Masters and the Premier League board of " acting appropriately in relation to [the takeover]", while stating that the club would be considering any relevant legal action. The Premier League strongly denied this in a statement released the next day, expressing "surprise" and "disappointment" at Newcastle's statement.
On October 7, 2021, the Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media confirmed that they had officially completed the acquisition of Newcastle United. Governor of the investment fund Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan was appointed non-executive chairman, whilst Amanda Staveley and Jamie Reuben were both appointed as directors and each held a 10% shareholding in the club.
The takeover led to widespread speculation that manager Steve Bruce was expected to leave the club. Although not denying the speculation that the club was keen to appoint a new manager, Staveley stated Bruce was to remain for the new owners first game against Tottenham Hotspur; his 1000th match as a football manager. However following Newcastle losing the game 3-2 and alleged discontent among the players, Bruce left the club by mutual consent. Bruce stated his sadness at leaving the club and felt Newcastle fans launched unnecessary verbal abuse at him during his time there. Interim manager Graeme Jones as well as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta supported Bruce's claims stating the abuse he received was off putting for other managers to take the role.
Eddie Howe was appointed as manager on 8 November 2021. The announcement was made following reports that the club had discussed the role with him the previous week and confirmed following his attendance at the away draw to Brighton & Hove Albion. On 19 November 2021, Newcastle announced that Howe had tested positive for COVID-19 and would miss his first game in charge, which instead forced him to watch his first game as manager from a hotel room as Newcastle drew 3–3 with Brentford on 20 November.
Lee Charnley, who acted as Managing Director under Ashley's ownership, left the club on 19 November 2021 following a six-week handover period. His departure was the final of Mike Ashley's hierarchy, with Staveley stating the club was undergoing a "formal process" to appoint a new figure to replace the role.
Eddie Howe had to wait until 4 December 2021 for his first win as Newcastle manager in a 1–0 win against Burnley, which was also the first win since the takeover happened. Howe then made five signings in the first January transfer window under the new ownership which included a marquee singing in Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães from Olympique Lyonnais. The transfer window and the players that were already there that Howe improved helped Newcastle to go on a 9-game unbeaten run in the Premier League to get them 10 points clear from the relegation zone and increasing the chance of guaranteeing survival. After Newcastle's 1–0 win against Crystal Palace, this was the first time the club had managed to win 6 home games in a row since 2004 when Sir Bobby Robson was in charge. Newcastle finished in 11th place after a run of 12 wins in their final 18 games, and became the first team in Premier League history to avoid relegation after not winning any of the first 14 games they played.
On 30 May 2022, the club announced they had reached an agreement of a compensation fee with Brighton & Hove Albion to appoint Dan Ashworth as the new Sporting Director, the appointment was confirmed on 6 June 2022. On 15 July 2022, the club brought in Darren Eales, from MLS side Atlanta United, as the club's new Chief Executive Officer - acting as a "key member of the club's leadership structure".
Newcastle United was set up as a private company limited by shares on 6 September 1895. However, by the 1930s, ownership of the company was dominated by a small number of individuals: Alderman William McKeag, George and Robert Rutherford, and William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood. George Stanley Seymour was allocated some shares when he joined the board in 1938.
By the second half of the 20th century, these shareholdings had passed to the next generation: Gordon McKeag, Robert James Rutherford, Stan Seymour Jr. and William Westwood, 2nd Baron Westwood. The Magpie Group led by Sir John Hall built up a large shareholding in the club and then took control in 1992. In 2007, St James Holdings Limited, the bid vehicle of billionaire businessman Mike Ashley, secured control of the club and in 2021, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media confirmed that they had acquired ownership of the club.