Michael Griffiths
Contact Details
Address: 6 Mountain Road Caerphilly CF83 1HJ
Telephone: 07710710044
Mobile: 07710 710044
Email: dickyskin@aol.com
Biography
I am a retired GP with a longstanding interest in the Welsh language and Welsh history. 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 and took the latter a stage further to gain my Green Badge as a Tourist Guide in South East Wales in April 20024. 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 are another area of interest. I am happy to design tours around customers interests and expectations anywhere between Chepstow and Neath and as far north as Brecon.
Interests
Best of Wales - general interest tours
My aim is to create tours based on the development of Wales as a nation (sadly, not yet a nation state) including the rise and fall of iron and coal during and since the Industrial Revolution. This will include Welsh politics from Llewellyn to the Llywodraeth (Welsh Government).
Castles
I live near Caerphilly Castle, but can offer tours of any of the castles in South East Wales. Castell Coch is my current favourite.
Churches Chapels and Cathedrals
Includes Abbeys such as Tintern & Margam and priories such as Llanthony.
Copper Coal and Iron
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.
Gardens and Stately Homes
In South East Wales, these were largely the homes of the Mine Owners and Iron Masters.
History and Prehistory
This is my passion. To much detail for a short biopic.
Politics and Government
From scattered Princedoms, the loss of autonomy following the Norman invasion (which took around 400 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
Welsh Language
I speak fluent Welsh as my second language. After O-level Welsh at school, I attended night school in London, evening classes in Llanelli and then at Cardiff University up to the level of "Nyddu'r Cynghanedd". This has given me insight into what it means to be both a non-Welsh speaking and a Welsh speaking Welshman. I also speak passable French and a little Italian and so take an international approach to language learning, comparing dialects and language development. There are now more Welsh speakers that ever before, but we form an ever smaller proportion of the population.
