Newport at Work: People and Industries Through the Years - Softcover

The city of Newport, lying on the River Usk in South Wales, has been an important port serving Wales since medieval times. The Industrial Revolution brought enormous wealth to Newport, when it became the centre of coal exports from the Welsh Valleys, and although the docks have declined in recent years, large areas of Newport are being regenerated and the city still retains significant industries. Newport at Work explores the history of the city through the work and industries that have characterised it. The docks have played a vital role in the history of Newport, with its many ancillary industries that grew up with the docks, including the railways from the valleys. During the US Civil War many blockade runners came to Newport. The city was also the home of the Mole Wrench, Pell's Mint Humbugs and Lovell Confectionary's Milky Lunch, and the author includes the story of other businesses and shops since the late Victorian period. Recent industries include microbreweries and specialised crafts. This book will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of Newport.

Jan Preece was born in Pillgwenlly, Newport, in the late 1940s. This backdrop of terraced streets and the sights and sounds of the dockland area led him to develop an unshakeable passion for heritage and the past. In the mid-1980s, he started the Pill Heritage Project, a community archive telling the story of Newport's docklands. Following closure several years ago, Jan moved the archive online (www.quietwomansrow.com), with great success. Today, Jan Preece works as a photographer and architectural model maker.