Friday 22 June 2007

Diamonds, Yachts and Caviar? The Lucrative Future of Big Tourism in 'Tiny Wales'


Pictured above: David Main's Tallizmand Guest House.

Tallizmand Guest House, Llanmadoc, Gower, just minutes from the centre of Swansea, Wales and 30 minutes from Cardiff International Airport.

My multitudinous Welsh-descended North American relatives are relieved to visit me in scenic and historic, modern/old 'tiny Wales'.

That is, once they do a little online research and compare the hotel prices in 'pick-pocket' over-priced London to the family-friendly bargains of pastoral Bread-and-Breakfast Wales.

My septuagenarian Mom and her athletically active band of world-roaming retirees and semi-retirees, ('Grandmas in Nike trainers with cameras and credit cards', as I call them) have only a few questions about tourist destinations like Wales:

1) Are there plenty of clean, well-identified restrooms?
2) Is it safe to carry a purse?
3) Is the breakfast included and is it 'All you can eat?' (even though these ladies eat like birds, they like value)
4) How many steps are there?
5) Can I 'Google' it?

And tourism is Big Business now in Wales according to the Western Mail:

'We’re growing up as a tourism destination'
Jun 20 2007 by Paul Rowland, Western Mail

"TOURISM brought nearly £3.3bn into the Welsh economy last year, new figures reveal today."

"Nearly 10 million tourists came to Wales from other parts of the UK last year, with a further 1.1 million coming from overseas, according to the UK Tourism Survey."

"The report – the first of its kind – found that £1.6bn was spent by domestic visitors in 2006, with a further £358m contributed by overseas visitors."

"Another £1.3bn was added to the total by people visiting Wales for the day, according to Visit Wales, the Assembly Government’s tourism wing."

"Experts last night attributed the upturn in the fortunes of the Welsh tourism industry to a more sophisticated marketing approach."

Comparing Wales to other destinations:

In the mid 1980s I was appointed Director of Marketing for a then burgeoning, million dollar computer 'Dot.com' company in Fort Lauderdale, also home to the famous teenage six-week fiasco called 'Spring Break'.

My partner and I, tired of cold winters, happily moved our designer Boston furnishings into a cheap, beachside bungalow right behind the bikini boutique strip.

Being sober workaholics who preferred a good night's sleep, I have to now ask, "What were we thinking?"

'Spring Break' started in the 1950s with iconic films 'Gidget' (1959, 1965), and Elvis Presley-style beach blanket romance movies like 'Where the Boys Are' (1969).

By 1980 the Spring Break had declined into a local merchant / local police nightmare of cheap 'wet T-shirt contests', record public intoxication arrests, tawdry nightclubs and drug overdose-related deaths.

Our tourism board in Ft. Lauderdale decided to 're-brand' with a 'more sophisticated marketing approach' called "Diamonds, Yachts and Caviar".

The idea was, if we got rid of the six-week teenage mob, we would attract the monied 'Baby Boomer' retirees year-round.

And if we made it affordable and romantic the tourism gurus told us, we would attract rich weirdos, followed by the country club and golf set, cash-flush retirees, and honeymooners /second honeymooners, too.

It was a gamble, but it worked. Making Fort Lauderdale's beach wheel-chair accessible was not only mandated by law, it was good business: the college budget motels have been replaced with glittering condo-hotels and golf/marina resorts.

David Main, who owns the beautiful Tallizmand Guest House, located on the breath-takingly beautiful Gower peninsula in South Wales, pictured above, says that he prefers the mature customer:

He said,

“We’ve just revamped the place and added another storey, and the feedback we’ve had from customers has been exceptional, which is very pleasing."

“It’s mainly middle-aged people we have here – walkers, birdwatchers, a few young people who want to go mountain biking, and quite a lot of overseas people."

“Just last week we had a very nice couple from New Zealand staying here, so it’s quite a variety of people. It’s because there is a huge variety of things to do here. It’s very easy to get here and to get away, and there are a lot of alternative activities to do when the weather is not so good."

“I’d say the average length of stay is around three to four days. Most people come for a weekend break, and it tends to be the more mature people who come for a week."

“That suits us because we’re trying to get away from the one-night stopovers – it’s a lot of work for not much return.”


So is the future of tourism in Wales not in backpacks and rough guides, but in "Diamonds, Yachts and Caviar?"

Either way, Wales is still a tremendous value to dollar-carrying Welsh relatives of mine, who prefer 'friendly hometown' Wales to rushed and dirty Heathrow and London.

If you're planing a visit to Wales this summer or autumn, we recommend the DVD

'Magic Islands And Harbours - Wales At It's Magnificent Best'



At Welsh American Family Genealogy, we believe there’s no better ‘Empty Nest’ activity than researching your Welsh family history and creating a legacy for future generations. You don’t have to be rich to leave behind an enduring heritage for your children and heirs.

What’s important is that you use the time wisely. If you would like to simulate your mind each day and stay young through constructive activities, than genealogy might be right for you!

Write to us and tell us your questions. We might not know the exact answer, but think of this as a daily adventure – thousands of other online readers will ‘pick their brains’ to help you!

Be sure to visit the Welsh American Family Genealogy Online Bookstore! Just Click here.

Gyda bob hwyl i bawb, Mark

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Visit the UK Film Studies and World Cinema and Music Import Showcase

© 2007 Mark Leslie Woods

Thursday 21 June 2007

What's the best place to begin my Welsh-American Family Genealogy Research?




Pictured above: Cardiff City Hall, about ten minutes aways from Cathays Park, home to the Glamorgan Record office.

I've never done this before: What's the best place to begin my Welsh Family Genealogy Research?

If you're an Australian, American or Canadian visiting Wales this summer and you want to do a little genealogy research on your family tree, then you might want to begin by visiting the Glamorgan Record Office.

Glamorgan Record Office

It has over five miles of records in its strongrooms, dating from the twelfth century to the present day.

The Glamorgan Record Office website says:

"We can help you to..... trace the history of your family... discover the history of your town, village or house... carry out research for a school college or evening course... and much more"

"To allow all visitors to make best use of the facilities we would strongly advise you to reserve your place in advance. Please contact the office for an appointment and discuss your research needs."

Planning Your Visit to Wales:

The Glamorgan Record Office has two searchrooms open to members of the public.

In the Document Searchroom you may consult original records free of charge, including those relating to local authorities, schools, families and landed estates, industry, parishes, police, chapels and churches, as well as maps, plans and photographs.

"To help us, please contact us before your visit – some records need to be ordered in advance."

"In the Copy Searchroom sources can be consulted on microfilm and microfiche and in facsimile form. Sources include the General Register Office index to Births, Marriages and Deaths, census returns for Glamorgan and parish registers for almost all Glamorgan parishes."

"A small charge is made for the use of microfilm and microfiche. It is strongly advised that you book a film or fiche reader before you visit the Record Office."

ADDRESS

Glamorgan Record Office
The Glamorgan Building
King Edward VII Avenue
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NE

Telephone: (029) 2078 0282
Fax: (029) 2078 0284
Email: GlamRO@cardiff.ac.uk

At Welsh American Family Genealogy, we believe there’s no better ‘Empty Nest’ activity than researching your Welsh family history and creating a legacy for future generations. You don’t have to be rich to leave behind an enduring heritage for your children and heirs.

What’s important is that you use the time wisely. If you would like to simulate your mind each day and stay young through constructive activities, than genealogy might be right for you!

Write to us and tell us your questions. We might not know the exact answer, but think of this as a daily adventure – thousands of other online readers will ‘pick their brains’ to help you!

Be sure to visit the Welsh American Family Genealogy Online Bookstore! Just Click here.

Gyda bob hwyl i bawb, Mark

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Visit the UK Film Studies and World Cinema and Music Import Showcase

© 2007 Mark Leslie Woods

Saturday 16 June 2007

What's your motivation to write your Welsh Family History?


What's your motivation to write your Welsh Family History?

[Pictured right: the Elm Street Welsh Congregational Chapel, the oldest standing religious structure in Youngstown, Ohio, once at the heart of Welsh American Settlements in America.]

Do any of these words sound familiar? Empty Nest, Baby Boomer Blues, Retirement, AARP, Obituaries, Eulogies, Caregiver, Alzheimer’s, Pensions, Social Security, Grandchildren?

Are you experiencing the lonely ‘culture shock’ of aging, retirement, sickness, chronic illness, unemployment, children growing up and leaving home ‘Empty Nest Syndrome’, Divorce, becoming a Widow/Widower, recently single, or relocating to another city?

Perhaps you have a mind filled with memories, and you realize that when you go, all the memories will go with you? What can you do now to pass this knowledge along to your heirs and posterity?

At Welsh American Family Genealogy, we believe there’s no better ‘Empty Nest’ activity than researching your Welsh family history and creating a legacy for future generations. You don’t have to be rich to leave behind an enduring heritage for your children and heirs.

What’s important is that you use the time wisely. If you would like to simulate your mind each day and stay young through constructive activities, than genealogy might be right for you!

Write to us and tell us your questions. We might not know the exact answer, but think of this as a daily adventure – thousands of other online readers will ‘pick their brains’ to help you!

Be sure to visit the Welsh American Family Genealogy Online Bookstore! Just Click here.


Some of the Topics discussed here include: Creativity, Empty Nest Activities, Baby Boomer Blues, Retirement, AARP, Memoirs, Biography, Legacy, Heritage, Ancestry, Ancestor Worship, Burial, Graves, Family Bibles, Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Chapel and Parish Records, British Library, and the Welsh National Library.

We've already received emails about the Llandaf Cathedral, Discovering the Past, Souvenirs, Collecting Heirlooms, Inheritance, Memorial, Remembrance, yn Cofio, Tombstones, Obituaries, Eulogies, Mining Communities, Slate Quarry Communities, Immigrants, Emigrants, Settlers, Pioneers, and Canadian Welsh Colonies.

Folks want to know more about the Welsh Eisteddfod, Gymanfa Ganu, Hymns, Sermons, Chapels, Nonconformist, Quakers, Baptists, Welsh Mormon, Welsh Unitarians, Welsh Presbyterians, The Salvation Army, Welsh Methodists, Calvinist-Presbyterian, Hiraeth, Hwyl, Cadw, Welsh Tourism, Cymru, Cymraeg, Cymreig, Cymro, Cambria, Welsh Valleys, Coal Mining, Welsh Towns, Cartref Cymreig, Welsh Sunday School, Welsh Poetry, Welsh Actors, Welsh writers, Welsh Harpists, Welsh Rubgy, Welsh Football, Welsh Cricket, Daffodils, Leeks, Taffy, Red Dragon, and the Ddragon Goch.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Sunday 10 June 2007

Donny Osmond Traces His Welsh Roots


"The Seventies teen idol visited Merthyr in 2004 to search for his roots with the help of BBC Wales."

"When international superstar Donny Osmond told BBC Radio Wales' Nicola Heywood-Thomas live on air that he thought he had Welsh ancestry, the ears of archivists in Wales started buzzing with excitement."

"It didn't take long for tongues to start wagging too, as the experts set about the search to find out if it could be true."

"It turns out Donny was right - the Osmond family can be traced back to Merthyr Tydfil as far back as 1585."

Read more coverage of Donny Osmond in Wales by the BBC, here:

Gyda bob hwyl i bawb, Mark

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Mordechai Razing Ziggurats, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Mordechai's Post-Evangelical-Granola on the World Wide Web.

© 2007 Mark Leslie Woods

Highly Recommended for Welsh Family Research!

My mother is coming to Wales in July, and she hopes to do some 'on the ground' research into our Welsh ancestors, the Williams Family of Dowlais, and the Watkins Family from Neath.

In preparation I gave her this highly recommended book for Christmas:



Gyda bob hwyl i bawb, Mark

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Mordechai Razing Ziggurats, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Mordechai's Post-Evangelical-Granola on the World Wide Web.

© 2007 Mark Leslie Woods