Colwyn Bay Watch
When we arrived in Llandudno we initially ignored the thrills of the excellent tramway; we did that in the afternoon. In the morning we went up the Great Orme by car because we were looking for a grave. It is what we do. We went to the graveyard of St Tudno’s Church in its spectacular but rather exposed location, high above the sea, looking out towards the Lancashire coast. It took a while but we found where Walter Beaumont is remembered, up in the top corner next to the boundary wall. It is small and unassuming, a neat panel mounted on a piece of rough stone.
Professor Walter Beaumont. Died August 1924. Aged 69 years. Natus es Natandum Mortem ex undis rapuisti.
It means ‘Born to swim – Death snatched from the waves.’
A fine epitaph for a life-saver.
This is one of the stories in my next book, Grave Tales of Wales, which was published by Cambria in July 2021. The book explores the stories represented by thirty gravestones from across the whole of Wales, from Anglesey to Cardiff, from Llangrannog to Newport.
The stories are about the surprising lives of the people who still lie beneath those stones, who still lie beneath your feet, and who still have something to say.
There are stories of anguish and sorrow, stories of courage and achievement and these tales from the past that can still speak to us today. There are great events here – the Titanic, the sinking of The Royal Charter, the execution of a King, the exploration of the Antarctic – but there are also terrible murders and tragic deaths.
You can find out more by looking for Grave Tales From Wales in the menu or by clicking here.
Of course, you can go straight to the How To Buy page in the menu or by following this link.
Through these graves you can explore fascinating and sometimes unexpected stories from Welsh History
The book is 190 pages long and is illustrated throughout with full colour photographs
If you subscribe to the mailing list in the box below, then I will contact you as soon as the book is available. you will also be offered a subscribers discount before its general release.