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Jenny James (swimmer)
Jenny Eileen James (1927 - 24 October 2014) was the first Welsh person to swim the English Channel. Born in Pontypridd in 1927, she learned to swim aged 7 in the Pontypridd Swimming Baths. (The Baths reopened in 2015 as the Pontypridd Outdoor Lido, now the National Lido of Wales). On 19 September 1949 she swam from Penarth to Weston-super-Mare, and then made the swim in the reverse direction on 9 July 1950, so becoming the first woman to swim the Bristol Channel both ways. On 16 August 1951 she competed in the Second Daily Mail Cross Channel Race, and became the first Welsh person to swim the English Channel, crossing from France to England in 13 hours 55 minutes. She received an official homecoming on her return to Pontypridd. She was granted the freedom of Pontypridd in recognition of her achievement, and free entrance for life to any swimming pool in Wales. She became the women's record holder for her swim of Windermere in 1958. She worked as a swimming coach and lifeguard at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pontypridd
Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre. Geography Pontypridd comprises the electoral wards of Cilfynydd, Glyncoch, Graig Pontypridd, Graig, Hawthorn, Glamorgan, Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan, Trallwng (Trallwn Pontypridd, Trallwn) and Treforest. The town mainly falls within the Pontypridd (Senedd constituency), Senedd and Pontypridd (UK Parliament constituency), UK parliamentary constituency by the same name, although the Cilfynydd and Glyncoch wards fall within the Cynon Valley (Senedd constituency), Cynon Valley Senedd constituency and the Cynon Valley (UK Parliament constituency), Cynon Valley UK parliamentary constituency. This change was effective for the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election, 2007 Welsh Assembly election, and for the 2010 United Kingdom general election, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porth
Porth () is a town and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. Lying in the Rhondda Valley, it is regarded as the gateway connecting the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys due to both valleys meeting at Porth. The Welsh word "porth" means "gate". Porth is a predominantly English-speaking community. Neighbouring villages include Trealaw, Trebanog, Trehafod and Ynyshir. History Early history During prehistoric times the area now known as Porth was an uninhabited wooded area. Although there is evidence of settlements in the upper reaches of the valley, only cairns used as way-markers have been discovered on the higher points in the Porth area. During the medieval period the area came under the commote of Glynrhondda within the cantref of Penychen, though the area remained uninhabited. Although there were no permanent buildings of note at this time, it is known that the area would have experienced trav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley (, 'large') and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley (, 'small') – so that the singular "Rhondda Valley" and the plural are both commonly used. The area forms part of the South Wales Valleys. From 1897 until 1996 there was a local government district of Rhondda. The former district at its abolition comprised 16 communities. Since 1996 these 16 communities of the Rhondda have been part of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough. The area of the former district is still used as the Rhondda Senedd constituency and Westminster constituency, having an estimated population in 2020 of 69,506. It is most noted for its historical coalmining industry, which peaked between 1840 and 1925. The valleys produced a strong Nonconformist movement manifest in the Baptist chapels ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busiest Sea lane, shipping area in the world. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to at its narrowest in the Strait of Dover."English Channel". ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 2004. It is the smallest of the shallow seas around the continental shelf of Europe, covering an area of some . The Channel aided the United Kingdom in becoming a naval superpower, serving as a natural defence against invasions, such as in the Napoleonic Wars and in the World War II, Second World War. The northern, English coast of the Channel is more populous than the southern, French coast. The major languages spoken in this region are English language, English and French language, French. Names Roman historiography, Roman sources as (or , ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ynysangharad War Memorial Park
Ynysangharad War Memorial Park is located in the town of Pontypridd, Wales. The area that now makes up the park was bought by the people of Pontypridd in 1919 after workers raised the money to establish the park. It was originally designed for those who lived in the surrounding area to have somewhere to relax from their work lives. The park is designated Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. As the River Rhondda meets the River Taff at one corner of the park, it is prone to flooding; a 1929 flood left the park severely flooded and led to the original layout of the park being changed to what it is today with the memorials being placed way from the River Taff. The memorials in the park include the War Memorial and the Evan and James James statues, as well as some smaller ones. A cricket ground, Ynysangharad Park, is located within the park. There is also a lido that was reopened on 31 August 2015 after it received funding, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Penarth
Penarth ( , ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a Seaside resort#British seaside resorts, seaside resort in the Cardiff Urban Area, and the second largest town in the Vale of Glamorgan, next only to the administrative centre of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry. During the Victorian era Penarth was a highly popular holiday destination, promoted nationally as "The Garden by the Sea" and was packed by visitors from the English Midlands, Midlands and the West Country as well as day trippers from the South Wales valleys, mostly arriving by train. Today, the town, with its traditional seafront, continues to be a regular summer holiday destination (predominantly for older visitors), but their numbers are much lower than was common from Victorian times until the 1960s, when cheap overseas package holidays were intro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population at the 2021 census was 82,418. The area around the town has been occupied since the Iron Age. It was still a small village until the 19th century when it developed as a seaside resort. A Weston-super-Mare railway station, railway station and two piers were built. In the second half of the 20th century it was connected to the M5 motorway but the number of people holidaying in the town declined and some local industries closed, although the number of day visitors has risen. Attractions include the Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare, Grand Pier, Weston Museum and The Helicopter Museum. Cultural venues include The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare, The Playhouse, the Winter Gardens Pavilion, Weston-super-Mare, Winter Gardens and the The Blakehay Theat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel (, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan) and South West England (from Devon to North Somerset). It extends from the smaller Severn Estuary of the River Severn () to the North Atlantic Ocean. It takes its name from the English city and port of Bristol. Long stretches of both sides of the coastline are designated as Heritage Coast. These include Exmoor, Bideford Bay, the Hartland Point peninsula, Lundy Island, Glamorgan, Gower Peninsula, Carmarthenshire, South Pembrokeshire and Caldey Island. Until Tudor times the Bristol Channel was known as the Severn Sea, and it is still known as this in both and . Geography The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defines the offshore western limit of the Bristol Channel as "a line joining Hartland Point in Devon () to St. Govan's Head in Pembrokeshire ()". Western and northern Pembrok ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Successful English Channel Swimmers
This is a list of notable successful swims across the English Channel, a straight-line distance of at least . First attempts First unaided attempt, by J. B. Johnson The first attempt to cross the channel with no artificial aid was made by the 23 year old J. B. Johnson on 30 August 1872. Johnson hired a brass band in Dover to promote his attempt and entertained the crowd for three hours at Dover before diving in and starting his swim. Johnson swam for 45 minutes before having a quick break to down some brandy. He then continued until he had swum for 1 hour before having another break to drink more brandy. After 1 hour and 20 minutes, Johnson boarded the boat because the cold water was too much for him to manage. Despite this, the boat continued on to Calais, where Johnson jumped off the boat and swam to shore. The crowd waiting for him believed Johnson had swum the channel, and Johnson briefly entertained this idea. However, later he said that he never intended to swim the w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Windermere
Windermere (historically Winder Mere) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the List of lakes and lochs of the United Kingdom, largest Scottish lochs and Northern Irish loughs. The lake is about in length and at its widest, has a maximum depth of , and has an elevation of above sea level. Its outflow is the River Leven, Cumbria, River Leven, which drains into Morecambe Bay. The lake is in the administrative council area of Westmorland and Furness and the historic county of Westmorland, with the lake forming part of the boundary between the historic counties of Westmorland and Lancashire. It has been one of the country's most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway's branch line in 1847. The Freshwater Biological Association was established on the shore of Windermere in 1929 and much of the early ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1927 Births
Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ** The first transatlantic telephone call is made ''via radio'' from New York City, United States, to London, United Kingdom. ** The Harlem Globetrotters exhibition basketball team play their first ever road game in Hinckley, Illinois. * January 9 – The Laurier Palace Theatre fire at a movie theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, kills 78 children. * January 10 – Fritz Lang's futuristic film ''Metropolis (1927 film), Metropolis'' is released in Germany. * January 11 – Louis B. Mayer, head of film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), announces the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at a banquet in Los Angeles, California. * January 24 – U.S. Marines United States occ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2014 Deaths
This is a list of lists of deaths of notable people, organized by year. New deaths articles are added to their respective month (e.g., Deaths in ) and then linked below. 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Earlier years ''Deaths in years earlier than this can usually be found in the main articles of the years.'' See also * Lists of deaths by day * Deaths by year (category) {{DEFAULTSORT:deaths by year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
