Access to the RWF Museum Archives Kingsmill Wrexham

[BennytheBall]

A member of our branch was asking wether the public can get access and research the RWF museum archives as they have been moved to a property in Kingsmill at Wrexham?

He has been told that the Museum Curator (Brian Owen) has now retired and the archives are being passed onto Wrexham Council. Can anyone "throw any light" on this subject Please.

BennytheBall

[Baconwallah]

Unfortunately this is quite true, Benny. Brian retired on 1st October. So far there is no successor, and lacking a curator the archives are inaccessible until a solution has been found. That's all I know. Hywyn or Clive may have more recent information.

John

[ap1]

I've also been told that the Archive will be managed by Wrexham Council in the future.

[Keith Jones 989]

This is probably why I can't get near the library of Y Ddraig Goch journals, to get it put up on the Forum!!!!

[Keith Jones 989]

I've also been told that the Archive will be managed by Wrexham Council in the future.

Kiss it goodbye at the next change of political hue, then?

[Baconwallah]

It would not surprise me, Keith. And do not forget the usual megalomaniac council projects such as new and bigger town halls every few years. Next time they need money, the archives will probably be the first to go.

John

[BennytheBall]

I think I recall when I was doing Volunteer Custodian work in the Museum, it was bouncing around then that the archives would be moved to a property in Kingsmill Wrexham where it would be set up (all singing and dancing project) for members of the public could go and ask to research any matters RWF. Obviously this "dream" has never materialized, probably due to funding again.

[jungle1810]

Hello Keith 989,
I may well be able to help you and the forum out a little. Regarding the Red Dragon. I bought a Red Dragon some time ago and it is a hard back edition. It covers news from the 1st 2nd 4th 5th 6th and 7th battalions R W F. It is numbered Series 3 Volume 1 number 1 for March 1933. It also contains all the sports news and obituaries plus letters to the editor.This Red Dragon has 219 pages. We can make arrangements for me to scan the pages and send to you direct. We have spoken about this previously. When I mentioned the Queens Visit to Jamaica and I have a copy of this book as well. You are well aware of other items I am in possession of. These include 5 more Red Dragon issues published from our time in Malaya 4 are A 4 and one is A 3 the latter may pose some problems in scanning I also have journals from the Siegfried Sassoon society. Plus some info on Robert Graves, that may well be good to put on the forum. send me a P M and we can make progress. i also have a copy of the "Daily Gleaner" from Jamaica the day after the hurricane struck the island.
Regards Brian D aka jungle1810

[Keith Jones 989]

Sounds good Don. However, with a hard back bound book (which you say it is) it is VERY difficult to get the whole of the pages flat on the scanner screen so without exception you will lose a portion of the text on the bound side of the page. The beauty of having the Y Ddraig Goch regimental journals in their original form is that they are magazines stapled down the middle so they can be laid flat on the scanner screen. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try though, heh!

[jungle1810]

Hello Keith,
Thanks for your observations re scanning. You are absolutely correct re scanning a hard back book. But I am going to give it a try some how or other. The semi official journals turned out by the 2nd battalion whilst in Malaya should be fairly easy. I did at one time have a scanning system that allowed you to not only crop pages but square them up by millimetre increments. So a whole new world of IT presents itself to me. If you hear screaming and hair pulling in Porthcawl it will be coming from the Cefn Glas area. so I will give it my best shot.I can always get my son to help with even P D F or see what he can help on. We have a programme in which he can control my P C. So in theory the world is my oyster.Wish me luck.
Regards R B D

[dewi bebb]

Sorry about this but i need help my son is in the re and i asked him if he knew the engineer song he does not anyone from the dragon know the song all i can remember is a engineer told me before he died a um titty bum titty bum titty bum a um titty bum there was a girl never satisfied a um titty bum tity bum so he build a p...k of steel a um titty bum tom 15 can you remember this song please help dewi bebb

[Baconwallah]

An Engineer told me before he died
And I've no reason to think he lied
That no matter how hard he tried
His wife was never satisfied

So he built himself a ***** of steel
connected to a bloody big wheel
Two balls of brass were filled with cream
And the whole bloody issue was driven by steam

Round and round went the bloody big wheel
In and out went the ***** of steel
Until at last the lady cried
Enough, enough, I'm satisfied

But now we come to the nasty bit
There was no way of stopping it
She was split in two from **** to ***
And the whole bloody issue was covered in ****

I'm sure you can fill in the blanks for yourself.

John