CITY AND COUNTY OF

NOTICE OF MEETING

You are invited to attend a Meeting of the

WEST ARCHIVES COMMITTEE

At: Committee Rooms 1 & 2, Civic Centre, .

On: Friday, 13th September, 2013

Time: 11.00 am

AGENDA

Page No.

1. To receive any Apologies for Absence.

2. To receive Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests from Members.

3. To approve and sign the Minutes of the Archives 1 - 4 Committee held on 14 June 2013 as a correct record.

4. To consider the Report of the County Archivist. 5 - 16

5. Date of Meetings for 2013/14. 17 13th December (Swansea) & 14th March () – All Fridays at 11.00am.

Patrick Arran Head of Legal, Democratic Services & Procurement Friday, 6 September 2013 Contact: Gareth Borsden - 01792 636824

Agenda Item 3

CITY AND COUNTY OF SWANSEA COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE WEST GLAMORGAN ARCHIVES COMMITTEE

HELD AT THE CIVIC CENTRE, SWANSEA ON FRIDAY, 14 JUNE 2013 AT 11.00 A.M.

PRESENT: Mr D B Lewis (H.M. Lord Lieutenant) Chair presided

Representatives of the City and County of Swansea:

Councillor(s): Councillor(s): Councillor(s):

K E Marsh J A Raynor C Thomas P M Meara R V Smith

Representatives of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council:

Councillor(s): Councillor(s):

D W Davies P A Rees

Representatives of the Associated Organisations:

Dr. L Miskell - University College, Swansea Canon S J Ryan -

Officers:

I Davies, K Collis, A Dulley, D Michael, W John and G Borsden

1. ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR

AGREED that Councillors D W Davies and R V Smith be elected Vice- Chairmen of the Committee for the Municipal Year 2013/2014

2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J Dudley, A Wingrave, Mrs J Watkins and Venerable R Williams.

3. DISCLOSURES OF INTERESTS

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by both Authorities, the following interest was declared.

Mr. D Michael – Committee member of the Neath Antiquarian Society

Page 1 Minutes of the Meeting of the West Glamorgan Archives Committee (14.06.13) Cont’d

4. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 15 March 2013 were agreed and signed as a correct record by the Chair.

5. MATTERS ARISING

Kim Collis, County Archivist reported further to Minute 37 and indicated that the advice he had received from Swansea Council Finance Section was that funds could be transferred between reserves.

He also referred to the on-going discussions regarding the potential purchase of one of the Archive Service’s collections and referred to grant aid available to assist with the purchase.

Iwan Davies, Head of Culture and Tourism Swansea, indicated that further to Minute 39 he had instructed officers to progress the issue of improved and additional signage as a matter of priority.

6. REPORT OF THE COUNTY ARCHIVIST

Mr Kim Collis, County Archivist reported on the following matters.

7. SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

The County Archivist reported on the Service’s Business Improvement Action Plan (BIAP) for 2013/2014.

He detailed the progress on the development of archive education sessions for Key Stage 3 for pupils on the subjects of the Industrial Revolution and World War I. These sessions would be trialled at Cefn Hengoed School, Swansea.

He outlined the proposals for an exhibition to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. The Civic Centre foyers at both Swansea and Neath Civic Centres were proposed as suitable venues, as well as local schools.

8. SERVICE PERFORMANCE

The County Archivist reported on the statistics for the latest quarter relating to visitor numbers and people using the various facilities, which showed a small decline.

Page 2 Minutes of the Meeting of the West Glamorgan Archives Committee (14.06.13) Cont’d

The impact of the digitisation of Welsh parish records and the availability of easier access to this and other online information was discussed. Different options for addressing the issues raised were put forward, including closer working with other departments in both authorities.

9. SERVICE OUTREACH

The County Archivist referred to the recent publication of the Annual Report of the County Archivist for 2012-13.

He outlined that the production of a hard copy publication dated back to Glamorgan County Council days, but indicated that only 3 other Archive Services in produce an annual report, all of them now only electronically.

AGREED that the continued production of a hard copy version would depend on the Committee’s views and future budgetary pressures.

He detailed the work carried out by the service relating to education, exhibitions and events attended by staff.

Images of potential Christmas cards for the service were circulated for comment.

AGREED that the two Christmas Cards for 2013 be the views showing Swansea Market and .

He outlined the on-going preparation for the launch in October of a commemorative volume of the work of Bernard Morris which was to be published in collaboration with the Gower Society and the Royal Institution of South Wales.

10. PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS AND PARTNERSHIP WORKING

The County Archivist reported on the progress of the project ‘Cynefin: Mapping Wales Sense of Place’ relating to the digitisation of the tithe maps of Wales which is the subject of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund Bid. He detailed the positive feedback from his pre-application meeting with the HLF on the matter and indicated that the HLF panel would be making its decision on 20 June.

He also reported and detailed the various meeting and events altered by staff during the quarter.

Page 3 Minutes of the Meeting of the West Glamorgan Archives Committee (14.06.13) Cont’d

11. ACCESSIONS OF ARCHIVES

The County Archivist detailed the various accessions received by the Service during the last quarter. He referred to negotiations to secure the picture archive of the South Wales Evening Post for the Archive Service.

12. DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS

The dates for the meetings of the Committee for the remainder of the Municipal Year were noted.

The meeting ended at 12.15 p.m.

CHAIRMAN

S: West Glamorgan Archives Committee - 14 June 2013 (GB/GDL) 14 June 2012

Page 4 Agenda Item 4

CITY AND COUNTY OF SWANSEA DINAS A SIR ABERTAWE

AND

NEATH PORT TALBOT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL CASTELL-NEDD PORT TALBOT

Report of the County Archivist West Glamorgan Archives Committee 13 September 2013

The purpose of this report is to outline the work of the Archive Service during the period June to September 2013

1. Overview

The report as usual contains a mixture of information, discussion points and requests for a decision. Please note that issues relating to signage and advertising raised at the last meeting will be discussed under matters arising. Issues around the Neath Mechanics Institute raised in paragraph 8 need to be discussed. Attention is drawn to the need for decisions in paragraphs 2 and 7.

2. Service issues

The following paragraphs have been linked to the 2013-14 business improvement action plan (BIAP) circulated with last meeting’s papers:

The Archives Accreditation standard is to be rolled out across the UK in the next three years. The County Archivist attended a Welsh Government training session in August on how this will be implemented in Wales. There will be three aspects to the standard which will be assessed by Welsh Government and by peer review: governance arrangements, quality of care for the collections, customer service and outreach). After consultation with the Neath Antiquarian Society, it has been decided that the service points in Swansea and Neath should be treated separately for the purposes of application for accreditation (BIAP 3).

On 29 July the Service was assessed for the renewal of its accreditation for the Investors in People standard. Although it passed the standard in most respects, two elements of the principle were not satisfied sufficiently. These

Page 5 were element 6.3: People can describe how their contribution to the organisation is recognised and valued and element 5.3: people can explain how their managers are effective in leading managing and developing them). The Service has been asked to provide an action plan to remedy this by 29 October.

The Service has carried out a second non-user consultation in Swansea, replicated for the first time in Neath Port Talbot. It is hoped to share the results at the December meeting (BIAP 6).

The following paragraphs do not relate to the 2013-14 business improvement action plan, since they are issues that have arisen in the last quarter:

Along with five other Welsh archives, the Archive Service has volunteered as a pilot for a joint initiative between Archives Wales and the Archives Hub to create a single online portal offering access to the full multilevel archive catalogues of Welsh repositories. This would be achieved in the first instance by uploading each institution’s existing online catalogues to the Archives Hub, with three options for the location and nature of the portal:

• Wales could create and host its own portal (perhaps as part of the current Archives Wales site), where the search functionality queries and draws data down from the Hub. • The Hub could create and host a ‘Welsh’ Hub – basically a mirror of the Hub, but only providing access to data from Welsh repositories. • The Hub could create and host a ‘micro-site’ interface for Wales; again a search would query and present data from the Hub.

Further developments include training for project partners on uploading information to the Hub, and a trial period to examine the practicalities of combining catalogues from different repositories.

In order to improve the quality of the Education Service, it is proposed to purchase a portable whiteboard for use in the archive searchroom in Swansea. This piece of equipment is eligible as an application for Welsh government grant funding, but should a grant be refused members are requested to approve the purchase of a portable whiteboard for use with school groups. The cost of this will be provided at the meeting.

Members are requested to approve the oral history collection and management policy attached at Appendix 1.

3. Service performance

Statistics for June to August 2013

The number of members of public using the Service on-site, June to August 2013, was 2,144 and the total number reached by the Service on and off-site was 2,403.

Page 6 Number of on-site visits at Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot 2,144 (2,497) (figures in brackets represent the same quarter last year), comprising:

Swansea 1,366 (1,664) Neath 649 (598) Port Talbot 67 (94) Group visits 62 (141)

Number in audiences for off-site visits 259 (48) Total numbers for on and off-site visits 2,403 (2,545) Number of pupils reached by the Education Service 198 (123) Numbers reached at events 280 (not recorded) Number of documents issued in Swansea and Neath 2,386 (2,716) Number of post and email enquiries dealt with 293 (327) Number of web-hits (March/April/May) 9,552 (11,522)

4. Service outreach

Publications

Members of the Archives Committee previously agreed to support the publication of a memorial volume for Swansea local historian Bernard Morris (minute 30 of 15 March 2013). This book will be published in October in 500 copies and as agreed previously the Service is providing a guarantee against loss of £2,000. Based on advance interest, it is expected that half of this sum will be recouped within the first weeks after the launch, with the remainder being recouped more slowly.

Exhibitions

Neath Civic Centre has been booked for the World War One centenary exhibition in August 2014. We will be making this a joint exhibition and sharing the exhibition space with the Library Service.

The exhibition ‘Jewish Refugees in South Wales’ was displayed at Glamorgan Archives in Cardiff during August and West Glamorgan Archives staff helped run a day school there which was attended by numerous members of the Cardiff Jewish .

Education Service

Before the end of the school year, the Service held sessions for the following schools during the last quarter (statistics of numbers reached as above):

Cymer Afan, Port Talbot Grange School, Swansea Llwynderw, Swansea St Joseph’s School, Tonnau School, Neath

Page 7

Talks

Members of staff have given talks to the following groups during the last quarter:

Glamorgan Archives public lecture as part of their programme of summer events Swansea Print Workshop (Dylan Thomas Centenary project artists) Swansea Probus Club Swansea Rotary Club Swansea Vale Probus Club

Additionally, there have been several of the regular introductory talks to the Archives given by Senior Archivist Rosemary Davies.

External events

The Service was represented at the following external events:

Neath Abbey Open Day Swansea Copper Day Wales Air Show

5. Professional meetings and partnership working

Members of staff have attended the following local history meetings during the last quarter:

South Wales Record Society

Members of staff have attended the following professional meetings during the last quarter:

Archives and Records Association conference, Cardiff Archives and Records Council Wales (ARCW)

6. Staff

The 2013/14 Archive Trainee is Catherine Stewart, from Llanelli. Catherine has a BA degree in History from Cardiff University.

7. Accessions of archives

A comprehensive list of archives received during the period June to August 2013 is attached at Appendix 2.

Arrangements are in place for the transfer of the South Wales Evening Post archive to the Archives during September.

Page 8 Members are requested to approve the purchase of the Ironworks collection using the Document Purchase Fund in the reserves. This matter was discussed at the last meeting and approved in principle. Off-setting income derived from grants, the net contribution required is £20,000.

8. Neath Mechanics Institute

In a report by the Head of Property and Regeneration to Neath Port Talbot Cabinet dated 28 June entitled Community Buildings Review, Neath Mechanics Institute was listed as one of the Council’s properties where Cabinet was requested to approve the disposal of the Council’s interest. Suggested options for the building were that the Neath Antiquarian Society should take on a Full Repair and Insurance lease or that the authority should seek an alternative tenant. I subsequently wrote to the author of the report to point out that the building was incorrectly described as a museum and that no mention had been made of the Archive Service’s use of the building.

Although external repairs have been carried out to the Mechanics Institute during the summer, no work has been carried out to improve the capacity of the heating system.

Contact Officer: Kim Collis, County Archivist Tel: 01792 636760 Email: [email protected]

Page 9 APPENDIX 1

ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT POLICY

Collecting oral history recordings forms an important part of the West Glamorgan Archive Service’s stated aim to preserve the archival heritage of the former West Glamorgan area. The Archive Service holds on deposit a number of oral history recordings made by private individuals and institutions, and seeks to acquire additional recordings, either by deposit or by gift. The recordings are received in a variety of formats, including reel-to-reel tape, cassette tape, CD and digital audio files. The purpose of this policy is to set out the way in which these recordings will be collected, preserved and managed.

Collecting oral history recordings

• Aware that some grant-funded oral history recording projects have as a stipulation that the recordings should be deposited at the local record office, the Archive Service is willing to meet with the project organisers in the planning stage to provide advice about issues connected with technical matters, documentation and copyright. • Upon receipt of oral history recordings, the Archive Service will accurately document the names of the rights holders. This will include the individual and/or institution that made the recording, and the interviewee whose words are recorded. The documentation will be kept confidentially, subject to the Data Protection Act, 1998. • Where possible, the Archive Service will seek to acquire ownership of the copyright, through the Oral History Recording Agreement (see Appendix 1). This is to facilitate the management of the recording, and to save private individuals and societies from the need to deal with copyright issues in the future. • The Archive Service will respect any restrictions or special conditions as to access that are agreed with the rights holders at the time of deposit.

Preserving oral history recordings

• Copies will be made of each oral history recording for preservation purposes, to ensure that the original medium is not damaged by use. The preservation copy will be digital, typically in the WAV format, and a further copy will be made in a compressed format for consultation by researchers. • The original media will be kept in the Archive Service strongrooms, as set out in the Security Policy. • The Archive Service will compile a subject index of each oral history recording for inclusion in its online catalogue. The index will identify the principal topics discussed and any other subjects that are deemed likely to be of interest, along with the times in the recording that they are first discussed. The

Page 10 purpose of this is to facilitate the use of oral history recordings by members of the public.

Managing oral history recordings

• The Archive Service will permit members of the public to listen to each oral history recording and to make notes and transcriptions of the contents of the recording. • Members of the public will not be permitted to make, save or convert to other formats copies of the oral history recordings without the expressed permission of the rights holders. • Where requests for copies are made, the Archive Service will liaise with the rights holders on behalf of the individual making the request, and permission will be sought in writing. If permission is withheld, or no response is received from the rights holders, copies will not be provided. • Once permission has been given by the rights holders, copies will be made in the form of digital audio files, and subject to the condition that they are used for personal research only, and that no further copies are made from them. • The Archive Service will, where permitted to do so by the rights holders, make use of oral history recordings in publicity and education, either as short extracts or as entire recordings. Typical uses include in exhibitions, in lectures and seminars, in the delivery of the Service to Schools, and on the West Glamorgan Archive Service website.

Page 11 APPENDIX 2

ACCESSIONS OF ARCHIVES June-August 2013

Creator/originator Description Dates Extent Reference number Private deposit Swansea Market, postcard 1905 1 item Private deposit Letter from Pte Tom Henwood of 1915 6 items D/D Z 910/1 , the depositor's great-uncle, to his parents shortly after joining the army in 1915, transcript, copy photograph of the writer and biographical information Brynhyfryd Baptist Minutes, accounts, membership records, 19th-20th 1 carload D/D W/Bap 36

Page 12 Church photographs and other records century Brynhyfryd School Admission register (girls) 1884-1900 1 vol. E/S 2/2/1 Private deposit Black and white scanned photographs 12/06/2013 1 folder D/D Z 912 taken by Archibald Goldie of Alfred Chidzoy and family, Alfred and Kate Chidzoy and a portrait of Alfred Chidzoy . Written information about the Chidzoy and Jenkins family written by Peter W. Thomas. Scanned portrait photograph of steeplejack contractor James Jenkins of Hafod, an advertising pamphlet for his pioneering work patenting copper lightening conductors and a newspaper article about his life, business and legacy. Private deposit Port Talbot and District Hospital 1947 1 item D/D Z 914/1 Souvenir and 33rd Annual Report Creator/originator Description Dates Extent Reference number Swansea Library First First World war ephemera, posters and c1914-1918 1 box SL WL 1-9 World War Museum Photographs Collection Photographic material Photographs of the re-building of St c. 1952 17 photographs P/PR/96/5/6-8 Mary's Church, Swansea. Christ Church Swansea Photographs, plans, bibles, hymn books, 19th and 20th 2 boxes P/317/CW centenary brochures, newspaper cent. cuttings relating to Christ Church, Swansea. Also includes photographs of staff and pupils at Christ Church School. Private deposit Deeds of the former telephone 1949-1990 1 bundle D/D Z 913/1 exchange adjacent to Glen View, 1 Neath Road, Swansea Festival Minutes, correspondence and 1973-2005 7 files D/D SFPA 1/1-4/2 Page 13 Patrons' Association photographs Llanrhidian Higher Minutes 1971-1998 4 vols P/111/28-31 Community Council St. Joseph's School 2 copy photographs of school children at 1950s 2 photographs, 1 E/W 45/1/1-3 Clydach St. Joseph's and 1 list of pupils in paper photographs Private deposit Swansea Grammar School magazines, 1885-1954 24 booklets, 1 E/BG Sec 13/12a, 1946-1954; various receipts and letters bundle 13/13a, 13/14a; D/D Z relating to activities of William Aaron 918/1 James, builder of Stafford House, Westgate, Cowbridge (receipts relate to Swansea companies), 1885-1914 Private deposit Written memories of Chidzoy family and 2013 2 pages D/D Z 912/1/1-4 shops Swansea Library Swansea Library First World War c1914-1918 2 bankers SL WL 1-8 Collection Museum collection ephemera, boxes, loose pamphlets, posters posters Creator/originator Description Dates Extent Reference number Private deposit Trust deed of Ebeneser Chapel, 1920s-1990s 1 carload Gorseinon; musical scores from Libanus Chapel, Gorseinon; political and personal papers of W. J. Roberts of Gorseinon; minutes, correspondence and other papers of the Gower Constituency Labour Party Private deposit Pont-y-brenin Labour Party Ward 1935-1997 8 vols Minute, 1951-1997; Pont-y-brenin Labour Party Ward Accounts, 1935- 1956; Llwchwr District Labour Party Minutes, 1948-1957; Management Committee Minutes, 1957-1964

Page 14 Llanrhidian Higher Minutes 2002-2007 3 binders Community Council Merched Y Wawr : Minutes, correspondence, programmes 1969-2008 3 files and 1 Cofnodion Rhanbarth and ephemera relating to Merched y exercise book Gorllewin Morgannwg Wawr, West Glamorgan Branch Private deposit Ymlaen: newsletter of the Parish of 1985-1995 1 bundle P/242/12/16 Dyffryn Clydach, c.1985-1995; Neath Borough Council News, 1990 Private deposit Architects' plans detailing a proposed 1937 1 plan D/D Z 917 new cinema at Bohun Street, Manselton, Swansea. Brynhyfryd Baptist Account books, Jubilee brochure, 20th cent. 1 bundle D/D W/Bap 36/4/7-8, Church Annual reports. 8/8-9 Private deposit 3 diaries; newspapers 1941-1942 3 vols; 1 bundle D/D Z 907/7/1-3 Neath Port Talbot DVD of the re-affirmation of Freedom of 2013 1 DVD CB/NPT CE 8/1 County Borough Council the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot to the Royal Welsh Regiment on Saturday 1 June 2013 Creator/originator Description Dates Extent Reference number Chief Executive's Policy, performance and strategic 1996-2009 1 bundle CC/S CE 4/1-14 Directorate, City and projects files County of Swansea Private deposit Chidzoy Family research notes 2013 1 bundle D/D Z 912/2-3 Swansea City Football Deeds, contracts, financial papers and 1912-2005 1 bundle D/D Z 919/1-48 Club other records Soroptimist Business meetings minute books, 1947- 1947-1993 1 box D/D SIN 1-3 International, Neath 1993; Executive meetings minute books, 1956-1989; Register of Attendance, 1970-1991 Mynyddbach Deacons' minutes, annual reports, 1903-2011 1 box D/D Ind 24/55-78 Independent Chapel, membership transfer records, graveyard Swansea records, financial records, records relating to church property, records Page 15 relating to ministers and commemorative items Private deposit Aerial photograph of Mumbles Head. 1940s 1 photograph D/D Z 920/1 South Wales Evening Press cuttings files and photographs 1960s-1980s 48 bankers' Post boxes Glan Afan Admission registers; staff registers; 1897-2003 19 boxes Comprehensive School school histories; photographs; ephemera; log books; school magazines Pentrepoeth School Records of Pentrepoeth and Morriston 19th-20th cent. 1 box E/S 36; E/S 13 Schools Private deposit Scaled drawings for the reconstruction 1984-1986 1 bundle D/D Z 921/1 of and Ancient Greek trireme made by J. F. Coates Gowerton Parish Register of Services 1998-2007 1 Vol. P/306/CW/75 Private deposit Family photographs and postcards 1930s-1950s 1 bundle D/D Z 922/1-11 relating to Swansea and Cwmavon collected by John John of Swansea. Creator/originator Description Dates Extent Reference number Women’s Archive of Daily diaries of Edna Mair Thompson 1908-1994 23 vols WAW 38 Wales: Edna Mair nee Jenkins of Sketty Thompson papers

Page 16 Agenda Item 5

WEST GLAMORGAN ARCHIVES COMMITTEE (5)

Byron Lewis (Chair) H M Lord Lieutenant

Councillors

Labour Councillors: 4 Jennifer A Raynor Ceinwen Thomas Robert V Smith

Independent Councillor: 1 Keith E Marsh

Liberal Democrat: 1 P M Meara

NEATH PORT TALBOT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL Des W Davies Peter A Rees Janice Dudley Annette Wingrave Mike L James

NON VOTING ADDITIONAL MEMBERS Canon S J Ryan Diocese of Llandaff Venerable R Williams Diocese of Swansea & Brecon Dr L Miskell University College, Swansea Vacancy Magistrates Court Committee Mrs Janet L. Watkins Neath Antiquarian Society

Officers:

City & County of Swansea Council: Phil Roberts Director of Place Iwan Davies Head of Culture and Tourism Kim Collis County Archivist Legal Gareth Borsden Democratic Services Archives 1 Copy Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Mr S Phillips Chief Executive Mr D Davies Director of Finance & Corporate Services Mr D Michael Head of Legal Mr W John County Librarian

Total copies – 32

Page 17