HISTORY buffs in the Vale of Clwyd were delighted to get back to some sort of normality.

Members of the Llandyrnog and Llangwyfan Local History Society and visitors were delighted to attend their first history society meeting in person since the start of the Covid restrictions.

This was held in Llandyrnog Village Hall in mid-November.

The society had continued its programme of talks through on-line meetings, but this was the first opportunity for people to come together in one place.

Following the AGM with updates about the online meetings, finances, progress with projects, election of the officials for 2021-2022 and programme for 2022, the society’s chairman the Venerable E Bernard Thomas introduced the speaker for the evening.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, who was born in Denbigh, is a former partner in the solicitor’s office of William Jones and Talog Davies, Member of Parliament, Member of the Senedd representing Ynys Môn, Deputy First Minister and executive director of M-Sparc, the first science park in Wales, in Gaerwen, until his retirement in 2018.

He has published two books. The first, Y Llinyn Arian (The Silver Thread - a biography of Thomas Gee) was published in 1998 and his autobiography, O’r Cyrion i’r Canol (From the sidelines to the centre) was published in 2021 by Y Lolfa.

The subject of his talk with the society was the life of Thomas Gee (1815-1898), one of Denbigh’s famous sons.

The young Thomas was the son of Thomas Gee and his wife Mary Foulkes, the daughter of Llawog, in the parish of Llangynhafal.

Following his education at Grove Park School, Wrexham and Denbigh High School, the young Thomas joined his father in his firm of printers and established Gwasg Gee in the town. He was a Welsh non-conformist preacher, politician, journalist, campaigner and publisher, as well as a shrewd businessman.

  • Llandyrnog and Llangwyfan Local History Society welcomes everyone to society meetings, with members paying £5 for the yearly programme of three meetings and visitors £3 per meeting.

Light refreshments are served for all at the end of every meeting.

For additional details or queries, or to join the society, e-mail the secretary at llangwyfanhistory@hotmail.com