This touring exhibition focuses on the memories of older people who have lived in a small rural community in the United Kingdom for most of their lives. The community selected is my home village of Llanymynech which sits on the Welsh/English border fifty miles south of Liverpool. The village has a long history that pre-dates Roman mining and a site that has had a church on it since 1250 A.D. Current developments that relate to the past include the renovation of the Montgomeryshire Canal that was built in 1795, and the descovery of the battle site of Caractacus's last stand against the Romans in 50 A.D. The exhibition is a record of recent history as seen through the eyes of a passing generation. These people have experienced unprecedented change over the last seventy years. They are:
 Charlie Ingram verger, grave digger, soccer player |
 David Jones builder |
 Dick Roberts quarry man, soccer player |
 Gwen Sampson housewife |
 Gweneth Williams farm wife |
 Jack Beeston auto mechanic, bus driver |
 John Humphreys railway man |
 Jack Lewis labourer |
 Nan Jones housewife |
 Nesta Jones schoolteacher |
 Tal Humphreys school master |
 Rev. Preb. Tony Villiers rector |
The exhibition will tour similar small communities in Illinois and provide people an opportunity to compare life experiences from both cultural and historical perspectives. I wish to express my thanks to all individuals who have helped make this project possible. This list includes the individuals who were interviewed. I wish also to thank the Bailey Williams Family for permission to use Mrs. Bailey Williams' The History of Llanymynech. My thanks also go to John Hobbs of the W.I.U. Research Office, Jerry Klein for his introductory essay, Dr. Richard Law of the University Art Gallery and Helen Thompson of the Two Rivers' Art Council. A special thanks goes to John Humpheys who has given significant help in the preparation of the materials. I finally wish to thank the Illinois Humanities Council, the Illinois General Assembly, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the W.I.U. Foundation, who supplied funding.
Fred Jones, summer, 1992
This project was made possible with funding from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly