Synopsis The churches of Wales are one of Britain's great
unheralded treasures, yet for many years there has been no book devoted
to them and they await the kind of complete coverage given to churches
elsewhere in Britain. Astonishingly, this is the first opportunity for
a book on the subject to show them at their best in colour as well as
words.
The archetypal Welsh church is not in town or village, enhanced
by generations of patronage: it is the isolated, simple, evocative
walls-with-roof, in a landscape often spiritually charged. The Welsh
churches tell us about medieval times, and the Age of Saints that came
before and, amazingly of the pagan Celtic times before that, which they
were meant to erase.
Illustrated in colour, "One Hundred Welsh
Churches" encompasses a millennium of churches around Wales, from tiny
St Govan's tucked in its cliff-face, through ruined Llanthony to the
magnificence of the cathedrals at Llandaff and St David's. It is an
invaluable repository of history, art and architecture, spirituality
and people's lives which will appeal to the historian and the tourist,
communicants and those without a god.
It is now the Year of the Rat. The first in the sequence of 12.
Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiacs, rats are leaders, pioneers
and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical
and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills
and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the
twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly
ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic
promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power.
They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around
obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. A rat's natural
charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone,
but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing
friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust.
Gordon and Angela Fong - living in Southbourne, working hard, enjoying life, travelling the world, eating great food and drinking some nice tipple along the way.