Arrival at the Bay Part 2

[linda_joyce]

Next door to the Coal Exchange is the Welsh Assembly Building



The building is made of all things Welsh, wood, slate, stone and steel not to mention blood sweat and tears.



For a minor mricle you are allowed to take photographs inside so I did. The two silver pieces in the windows look like this from the inside. I'm fairly certain this is Aneurin Bevan


But this could be the Queen or just as easily Mrs Thatcher. I Plump for the Queen as I cannot see a Labour dominated Assembly allowing Maggie up there, not after she put down the miners.

And the following are pictures taken of the Members Chamber and the Speakers Rod




And finally the end of the beginning, outside the Assembly is the War memorial to the Merchant Marine that were lost. They have been the forgotten 'army' for far too long. You may be able to read the dedication on the second picture if you click it bigger.

Comments

[javahound.livejournal.com]

What a neat building!

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

And very eco friendly, they have heating from deep wells or boreholes that they send water down and it is warmed up on its journey and a thing on the roof that air conditions by turning an opening into the wind. and all the grey water (toilet flushes, cleaning windows floors ect) is collected rain water.

[javahound.livejournal.com]

I'm impressed! I wish more places would do that.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

Fine memorial.

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

Yes the bit I would have been happy not to have was the who paid for it and who made it on the plaque.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

The plaque uses up 3/4's of its space NOT talking about the people it's dedicated to. It's like movies- the credits are so long you forget who was really important.

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

That struck me at the time, but at least it got the 'stars' in first. IIRC the mosaic, which is on the ground around the other side, just mentions the Merchant Marine Memorial. That plaque wasn't there the last time I walked the Bay and to my mind the last bit about the money and the makers shouldn't be there now. I don't mind the man who nagged to get it being remembered.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

It does take away from the impact when you've got all that crammed on there. I think memorials should say ONLY what they're memorializing. And in an unobtrusive place on the artwork itself, if it's more than a plaque, the artist's name.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Awesome. I admire your reverence for Welsh history... I wish our people could feel like that about Czech history too...

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

I'm probably one of the last generation to have sat and listened to my parent and Grandparents telling me about their personal history because mine was about the last generation to have neem taught to respect our elders. They were proud of their country, they raised me to be proud of it too. In your country you suffered for years under a regime who didn't want you to remember the days before they came and there are still some people who have learned and do revere, they are just fewer.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Then our lives are really very similar - only our regime was different.But then - it was quite complex in our family - I feel you might be interested AND understand if I write about my childhood.

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

I would be very interested and as for complex, I have cousins with whom I share no blood tie at all but who are closer than blood cousins, and the same for aunts and uncles. It's only my nuclear family, parent and grandparents that any one out side of my generation would call normal. If you don't want to write about it in lj I would love to hear by e. mail, I think I've sent you my mail address haven't I. if not let me know and I will.

[hafren.livejournal.com]

See here (http://www.assemblywales.org/newhome/new-news-third-assembly.htm?act=dis&id=85159&ds=5/2008) for the windows

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that's cleared , it does look more like Maggie than the queen but I couldn't quite work out why she should be there.

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting war memorial.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I had a look on line and that's one very impressive building. I couldn't find anything about the two silver wire portraits though. It looks more like Thatcher than the Queen, but you're right: it can't be.

[Edit] But I see it is, thanks to hafren's link.

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

Yes and it's understandable why she is there now because it is because of her government and our miners union stupidity that Wales is the country it is today, black to Ni's white.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I feel the same way about what Britain did to us so that now we have starving kids and daily violent crime when once there was hardly any poverty or crime (or obscene wealth either for that matter).

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

My Grandad was in the Merchant Marine. He survived the war by being superstitious.

He refused to sail on a boat that had been renamed - it sank.

There were two other basic seamen superstitions that also saved his life but I forget which!