Michael Griffiths
Coordonnées
Adresse : 6 Mountain Road Caerphilly CF83 1HJ
Téléphone : 07710710044
Mobile : 07710 710044
Email: mike@southwalesheritagetours.co.uk
Site web : https://southwalesheritagetours.co.uk/
Biographie
Having almost retired after 35 years as a GP, I decided to take my longstanding interest in the Welsh language and Welsh history a stage further to become a Tourist Guide. I took evening classes in Welsh as a medical student in London and finally “crossed the bridge” to fluency after moving back to Wales. I have also studied the histories of France and Wales at Cardiff University, then gained my Green Badges as a Tourist Guide in South East Wales in April 20024 and South West Wales in April 2026. Since then I have been learning about sales and marketing and have set up South Wales Heritage Tours in order to recover my investment while sharing my passion for Wales and its culture with visitors to the Cardiff area. I volunteer with Cadw and am particularly expert at guiding around their properties. Cyfarthfa Castle, Museum & Park with its links to the Iron Masters of the 19th century is another area of interest. I am happy to design tours around customers interests and expectations anywhere in South Wales.
Intérêts
Best of Wales - circuits d'intérêt général
Mon objectif est de créer des visites guidées basées sur le développement du Pays de Galles en tant que nation (malheureusement, pas encore en tant qu'État-nation), y compris l'essor et le déclin du fer et du charbon pendant et depuis la révolution industrielle. Cela comprendra la politique galloise, de Llewellyn au Llywodraeth (gouvernement gallois).
Châteaux
I live near Caerphilly Castle, but can offer tours of any of the castles in South Wales. Castell Coch is my current favourite.
Églises, chapelles et cathédrales
Includes Abbeys such as Tintern and Margam and priories such as Llanthony. My favourite old church is Partrishow (Sr Patricio's) in the Black Mountains (not accessible by coach).
Cuivre Charbon et fer
See above. I come from a mining valley and live on the fringes of the South Wales Coal Field (near the site of the Senghenydd Disasters) and the sites of the old Ironworks in Merthyr and Blaenau Gwent. I can also offer tours based on the copper industry in Swansea.
Jardins et demeures seigneuriales
In South East Wales, these were largely the homes of the Mine Owners and Iron Masters. Cyfarthfa Castle near Merthyr is a little known gem.
Histoire et préhistoire
C'est ma passion. Trop de détails pour un court biopic.
Politique et gouvernement
From scattered Princedoms, the loss of autonomy following the Norman invasion (which took around 450 years longer than in England), the surrender of identity to the Tudors, the rise of the Industrial magnates and the development of Nonconformity, to the slow development of an independence movement and the establishment of a Welsh Parliament; the politics of Wales has always been murky and complex. South Wales Heritage Tours will try to act as a guide through the maze, albeit through the eyes of a Welsh speaking Welshman who lived for 7 years in London and has dual French nationality
Langue galloise
Je parle couramment le gallois comme deuxième langue. Après avoir obtenu le baccalauréat en gallois à l'école, j'ai suivi des cours du soir à Londres, des cours du soir à Llanelli, puis à l'université de Cardiff jusqu'au niveau "Nyddu'r Cynghanedd". Cela m'a permis de comprendre ce que cela signifie d'être à la fois un Gallois qui ne parle pas le gallois et un Gallois qui parle le gallois. Je parle également un français passable et un peu d'italien, ce qui me permet d'adopter une approche internationale de l'apprentissage des langues, de la comparaison des dialectes et du développement linguistique. Il n'y a jamais eu autant de gallois qu'aujourd'hui, mais nous représentons une proportion de plus en plus faible de la population.
