St David's Day Event

Celebrate St David’s Day with a tour of Tredegar House and a chance to sample Welsh food and drink within the Servants Hall.

The tour will look at the Morgan family’s connections with Welsh culture and language and their place in local history.

There will be a bar open until 9.30pm, selling Welsh drink.

Times

English Tour 6pm

Welsh Tour 7.15pm

Booking is essential.

All tickets must be booked in advance.

Adults £9.95, concessions (senior citizens, children aged 15 and under and students) £8.95

For further information and to book tickets please contact:

Tredegar House & Park

Newport
South Wales
NP10 8YW
Telephone: (01633) 815 880
Fax: (01633) 815 895

Email: tredegar.house@newport.gov.uk

History of the Morgans (11): Miles Morgan d.1578

Mention 'pirates' to people today and almost immediately the name of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films hovers into their mind's eye; a different generation might offer up an image of a swashbuckling Errol Flynn (all sensible opinion must surely acknowledge that the finest 'pirate movie' of them all is Flynn's 'The Sea Hawk' (1940)?). Those with a passion for history might prefer to mention the deeds of the real life flesh-and-blood (with a hint of rum) seafaring hero, Sir Henry Morgan.

Very few would conjure up the name of Miles Morgan of Tredegar. With good reason. Miles, if he was indeed involved in piracy at all, was not very successful at it. Had Errol Flynn made a film about his seafaring career, it would have been a very short one, and the box office receipts would have been highly disappointing.

Part of Miles Morgan's Tredegar House still exists today in the form of the much altered Servant's Hall. It was here he moved in 1569 when he succeeded to the Tredegar estates as the illegitimate grandson of William Morgan, formerly Member of Parliament and Sheriff of the county. Miles' inheritance was a rich one and included: 40 farm houses, 200 cottages, 200 gardens, 100 orchards, 3000 acres of pasture, 3000 acres of furze and heath, 500 acres of wood, 60 acres of marshland and much more besides.

Marriage to his cousin Catherine Morgan of Machen and his participation in the traditional Morgan activities in the surrounding counties (Miles served as High Sheriff for Glamorgan in 1571) helped to solidify, and perhaps lend legitimacy to, his tenure as head of the Tredegar Estate. He also continued the Morgan tradition of bardic patronage.

For all of this surface normality, the Tredegar Estate seems to have been going through some financial difficulties during this period (Miles ultimately died in debt to the tune of £800.13.4d). Perhaps it was this parlous financial state that drove Miles to the dramatic, but ultimately tragic, step of heading to sea in a bid to recoup the family fortune. An exciting opportunity arose in 1578. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, the explorer, and half-brother to Sir Walter Raleigh, was to lead an expedition for "the inhabiting and planting of our people in America." Miles, who got on extremely well with Sir Humphrey, joined the expedition, bringing several Welsh gentlemen with him to serve under his command.

Back at Tredegar, Miles' bard had a bad feeling about all this.....

The fleet (of seven ships) was assembled in Plymouth. Gilbert took command of the flagship Ann Ager, which bore as her motto "Quid Non!" ("Why not?"), Walter Raleigh was to captain the Queen's own contribution to the scheme, the 100 ton vessel Falcon; while Miles Morgan had fitted out a 110 ton tall ship (the third largest of the fleet) named The Red Lion of Newport (which sounds rather like Miles went to sea aboard a floating pub!); a red lion was the heraldic device used by Miles, and his ship carried the motto "Now or Never."

Miles' bard composed a song urging his employer to come "back to Tredegar" and warning him to "go no more to the sea." Whether the bard actually had a presentiment of the disaster that was to follow, or whether he merely feared not getting paid, is unclear. Either way, Miles probably should have listened to him.

Second in command of the whole thing was the strutting peacock that was Sir Henry Knollys. Knollys was a relative of the Queen on her mother's side (those Boleyns again!) and made absolutely sure everybody was aware of that fact. He even publically declared that he thought himself worth at least twenty knights of the calibre of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. He thought even less of Miles Morgan. At some stage a row broke out between them, which ended with Knollys ordering Morgan's arrest and execution. A gallows was to be erected onboard one of the ships in Plymouth and, it is said, it was only the timely arrival of Gilbert that prevented the execution taking place.

Back at Tredegar, Miles' bard probably wondered why nobody was listening to him....

At last the great expedition set sail. Bad weather and worse luck plagued the fleet. A contemporary account records the sad outcome:

"Sir Humphrey adventured to sea, when having tasted of no less misfortune he was shortly after driven to retire home with the loss of a tall ship, and more to his grief a valiant gentleman, Miles Morgan." - Edward Haies -

The Red Lion was the only ship not to make it home. Some have speculated that they encountered a Spanish ship which sunk them. This is unlikely. The contemporary sources are remarkably quiet about the whole affair, but they surely would have mentioned such a battle. Although many facets of the voyage remain shrouded in mist, it seems more likely that Miles and his men encountered some terrible weather, which sent the unfortunate Red Lion, and all her crew, to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Queen, perhaps wary of angering a suspicious Spain, had Miles Morgan of Tredegar declared an 'outlaw' and his Tredegar estate to be sequestrated.

The Morgan family braced itself for more legal battles, and a certain Welsh bard, must have picked up his belongings from Tredegar House, and trudged off with a weary sigh to find an employer who would greater value his advice.

Click to view previous chapters in this series:
10. William Morgan d. 1569
9. John Morgan d. 1513
8. Sir Morgan ap John d. c1504
7. Sir John Morgan d. c1492
6. Ieuan ap Llywelyn ap Morgan
5. Llywelyn ap Morgan (lost Tredegar in 1402)
4. Morgan ap Llywelyn d. c1384
3. Ifor Hael of Gwern y Cleppa
2. Llywelyn ap Ifor and Angharad
1. Sir Morgan ap Maredudd d. c1331

Halloween 2009

Well, it is almost upon us. Another few nights of spooky goings-on await at Tredegar House. Over 3000 people are expected to attend the event over the three nights. It is a complete sell-out. Last night was the final rehearsal for those involved in sketches. Everything seems to be coming together quite nicely. New ideas are coupled with the return of some old favourites.

Are you attending this ghoulish extravaganza? Feel free to leave any reviews, feedback and comments here.

Here's to a successful (if slightly jumpy) Halloween!

Servant's Evening Is Upon Us!

All is set for the first Servant's Evening tomorrow night. The ticket sales have been quite healthy (with a few tickets already being snapped up for the September event) and we should have people there with family connections to a Tredegar House footman, a seamstress, Park Keeper, Game Keeper, Home Farm worker, and gardener, among others. Hopefully the weather will stay reasonably nice enabling us to wander around the formal gardens and take a look at the Stables and Riding School as well as the House itself.

Last minute tickets are still available for tomorrow evening (6pm start) and any information can be found by giving Tredegar House a ring on (01633) 815880

For those of you who have visited Tredegar House before but have never had chance to delve into the unrestored parts of the House (including the Nursery Wing, Attics, and cavernous cellars) Unexplored Tredegar tours return on Saturday, at 1pm, and 3pm; again, give the House a ring to book tickets.

Servant's Event Date Confirmed

Two dates have been confirmed for the Servants Family History event. The new Tredegar House events booklet has this to say:

Thursday 4th June (6pm) Thursday 17th September (6pm)

Follow in the footsteps of your relatives with this tour of Tredegar House. There will be tales of the Morgan family and some of the servants. The tour will visit a variety of rooms in the House and some of its spectacular outbuildings. The tour will finish with a glass of wine in the Servant's Hall, where we will answer any questions that you may have, chat about your own families' connection with the House and listen to any of your family stories.
Adults £8.50 Concessions £7.50 (price includes a glass of wine)

Tickets can be booked via Tredegar House (01633 815880)

Other events that are popping up soon include:

Butler and Housekeeper Tours: Sunday 12th, 19th and 26th April (2.45pm) Step back in time to 1895 and allow the butler Mr Smith and the Housekeeper Mrs Williams, to take you on a tour 'Below Stairs' on the eve of a visit from the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury.
Adults £8.50 Concessions £7.50 (price includes afternoon tea in the Brewhouse)

Easter Monday - A Traditional Easter at Tredegar House: Monday 13th April. Stroll around Tredegar House at your own pace. Children's activities throughout the day including: an Easter Bonnet Parade hourly from noon; making traditional Easter cards; a quiz throughout the house including an Easter egg hunt. An egg for every child.
Doors open at 11am. Last entry at 4pm
Adults £4.00 Concessions £3.00 Children FREE

Plus, the House itself re-opens again for guided tours on Wednesday April 8th!
Tours run Wednesday-Sunday, starting at 11am, then hourly until 4pm.

Murder Mystery (Feb 13th)

There may still be a chance to pick up last minute tickets for the latest Tredegar House Murder Mystery. Give the House a ring (01633 815880) for more details.

Who wouldn't want to see in the Valentine's Day weekend with a grisly murder, in the presence of such vivid characters (and potential murderers) as the poet Evan Morgan, his sister Gwyneth, that star of stage and screen, the Hon. Lois Sturt, the occultist-for-hire Meredith Starr, and, topping it all off, the quite remarkable Marchesa Casati?

Tredegar House murder mystery evening, Friday 13 February.

'Cupid's Poisoned Arrow'

Are they the perfect couple, or is their marriage a perfect sham? Are they, as some believe, the reincarnation of Romeo and Juliet or is the truth far more sinister? And just who was it that shot the late Lord Tredegar through the heart with a golden arrow?

A perfect way to spend Friday 13, and see in the Valentines weekend. Interrogate the characters in the sumptuous state rooms at Tredegar House then retire to the Morgan Room to deliberate over a three course meal for only £30

The Morgan Homes Shiver

Tredegar House and Ruperra Castle in this week's snow. (courtesy of the ever-intrepid Monty Dart)

Pub Signs At Risk?

One article from today's newspapers jumped out at me. Louise Gray in The Telegraph writes an interesting piece about traditional swinging signs that hang outside pubs. Since a Royal Act in 1393 made such signs compulsory they have dotted the British landscape and some of them are extraordinary works of public art in their own right. Now they are endangered.

That famous anglophile Bill Bryson explains:

"Only around 30 independent pub chains and breweries in Britain are still ordering individually painted signs, amazingly a few of these fine artists are still working and there are some notable examples such as The St Austell Brewery in Cornwall that still employ sign writers," he said.

"But it is a shrinking market and the dominance of a few chains has contributed to the disappearance of traditional British pub names, and led to a profusion of bland corporate makeovers."

There are quite a few pubs with Tredegar links. From those quite close to Tredegar House, such as the plethora of Tredegar Arms (although it always used to disturb and slightly amuse me that a print of Godfrey, Viscount Tredegar, and his skye terrier 'Peeps' used to hang near the toilets at the Bassaleg Tredegar Arms. No doubt Godfrey himself would have come up with a dry comment about that!), Ruperra Arms, and now of course even the Godfrey Morgan run by the Wetherspoons chain.

Further afield there is the Morgan Arms in the aptly named Morgan Street in Bow, and, also in that area is the Lord Tredegar in Lichfield Road, which has the image of Godfrey as its traditional swinging pub sign. (see above)

Family Members Worked for Lord Tredegar?

Over the years I have met so many people who have approached me after a talk or a tour to say: "My grandfather worked as a gardener at Tredegar House before the war" or "My great-aunt was 3rd Housemaid to Lord Tredegar in the 1930s." It is wonderful whenever this happens. I am always trying to add one more fact, or one more story, to help flesh out the history of this remarkable building and the family and staff who lived and worked there for centuries.

Quite often though, the grandson of the said gardener, and the great-niece of the 3rd Housemaid, although obviously having heard of Tredegar House, sometimes have never actually been there themselves. This got me thinking (usually a dangerous thing!). What if we had an evening event at Tredegar House for precisely those people? Would there be a demand for it?

Perhaps a quick tour so they could walk in the footsteps of their relatives, a glass of wine, and then a sit down in the New Hall, and a question-and-answer session, where we could hear THEIR side of the Tredegar story.

It would be a sort of Tredegar servants family reunion.

So, did any of your relatives work at Tredegar House when the Morgans themselves were in residence? Do you have any tales of the place that you would be keen to share?

If anybody has any ideas for this, or would like to attend the event, do drop me a line. Either by commenting on this post, or by emailing me at busbylist@gmail.com

Evan, Viscount Tredegar Book Update

Many apologies for all those waiting for the biography of Evan Morgan. We should get some firm news soon about a publication date. Much new material (especially about Evan's activities during the Second World War) has been uncovered recently and I hope the wait will prove to be worthwhile.

Book On Tredegar House Servants In Pipeline

A book is currently being written by Samantha Lilygreen on 'Service at Tredegar House'. Building on research conducted by May Adcock (who brought so much material together), David Beevers, David Freeman, Laura Beresford and sundry others over the years, Samantha hopes to be able to publish, what should be, a fascinating look at 'Below Stairs' life at Tredegar in the early 20th century.

If anybody has any memories, letters, photographs, or simply wishes to learn more about this project, you can contact the author through this blog.

My talk at Treadwells was sadly cancelled due to the dreadful flooding that gripped parts of the nation. We hope to reschedule shortly.

New Findings Unveiled

For all who might be interested. I will be at Treadwell's Bookshop, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London pretty soon, giving the following lecture. Hope to see some of you there.

26 July 2007 (Thursday)

Crowley’s “Adept of Adepts”
The Eccentric Occultist Evan Morgan
Paul Busby
£5
7.15 for 7.30pm start

Tonight Paul Busby, biographer, introduces us to an almost-unknown occultist and eccentric, Evan Frederic Morgan, 2nd Viscount Tredegar (1893–1949). A friend of Aleister Crowley, Morgan was (as Busby has discovered) actually a practitioner of the art magical. Crowley himself called him “Adept of Adepts”. Morgan was known in his own day not so much for his occultism but, in aristocratic society, for his extravagant lifestyle, and wild week-end house parties, which attracted the likes of Aldous Huxley, H.G. Wells and Augustus John as well as The Great Beast. This eccentric also kept at the house a menagerie of animals including a boxing kangaroo, honey bear, baboon and macaw. Tonight’s speaker has recently written a biography of Morgan, and has discovered a great deal about the man’s magical practice. Tonight he reveals his findings and in so doing provides a greater insight into the life in the 1930s of the work of Aleister Crowley, as well as allowing a fuller appreciation of the nexus of ideas and personal links that made up the the 1930s British occult community.

New Housekeeper at Tredegar

There is a new Housekeeper at Tredegar House. Such news would have sent shock waves through the establishment in Victorian times. What would the new Housekeeper be like? Would she rule with a rod of iron, or did she own a particularly nice pair of velvet gloves? Would the Still Room maids feel her wrath, or would the new regime be slightly more lenient on burnt toast than the old? All these questions would have swept through the Servant's Hall like a brush fire.

Today, the new Housekeeper is Caitlin Eales. Cait is not only the present day Housekeeper (I'm not sure how strict she is about burnt toast, as yet), but also occasionally plays the role of her late Victorian predecessor Mrs Williams for the school tours, which must present something of an identity crisis for her at times. Welcome Cait!

Now, I'm sure Cait already has the following qualities in abundance, but, I thought this advice to Housekeepers by Mrs Beeton, would be worth pointing out:

" 61. IN CONCLUDING THESE REMARKS on the duties of the housekeeper, we will briefly refer to the very great responsibility which attaches to her position. Like “Caesar’s wife,” she should be “above suspicion,” and her honesty and sobriety unquestionable; for there are many temptations to which she is exposed. In a physical point of view, a housekeeper should be healthy and strong, and be particularly clean in her person, and her hands, although they may show a degree of roughness, from the nature of some of her employments, yet should have a nice inviting appearance. In her dealings with the various tradesmen, and in her behaviour to the domestics under her, the demeanour and conduct of the housekeeper should be such as, in neither case, to diminish, by an undue familiarity, her authority or influence."

Keep Up To Date!

For the very latest news on my book: "Only Evan: The Eccentric Life of Lord Tredegar" and other Tredegar and Morgan-related projects I am undertaking you can now join my mailing list.

Just send an email to: busbylist@googlemail.com and you will never be out of the loop again!

All the best people are on it!

News Update

Last Friday night saw the first Spooky Tales Tour of 2007. As usual, it was an excellent turnout, and a good time was had by all. These tours run every Friday evening (7pm start) throughout March. Ring Tredegar House (01633 815880) to book tickets or for more details.

Those on the tour witnessed a rather hectic looking house, with the Kitchen Corridor pretty much stripped to the bare bones. It is currently receiving a much-needed redecoration.

Very good news on the Morgan graves at St. Basil's: the restoration work has made such a massive difference and they are now looking splendid. The memorial to Gwyneth Morgan has grown an arm back and looks brilliantly white and gleaming. I'm particularly pleased about the restoration of the graves, and have to thank (among others) Mike Buckingham for his original column in the South Wales Argus last year that publicised their then sad state, and Cyril Highman, who began to explore a possible solution to the problem.

I am scheduled to give a talk for the Friends of Tredegar House (and anybody else that fanices popping along) at the Civic Centre on March 28 at 7.00pm. I will be discussing the unrestored parts of Tredegar House. Tickets are readily available, and will only set you back a single shining pound coin. Oh, the value! Please contact Dawn Elliott at dawnelliott18@hotmail.com for more details.

William Morgan (d.1569) (10)

Perhaps the 'Jolly Roger' is not the ideal image for William Morgan of Tredegar, and, yes, I probably should have saved it for when I got to Sir Henry Morgan, but, it's there now, and it isn't totally inappropriate.

William succeeded to Tredegar in 1518. The Tudors were by this time reorganising the political structure in Wales and the Morgans of Tredegar (who had proved themselves staunch Tudor supporters - give or take a little bit of embezzelment) gained greatly as a result. William owned Tredegar during the time of the Act of Union between England and Wales and the Reformation. The Reformation allowed the Llantarnum branch of the family to purchase the Cistercian Abbey and although William himself did not obviously benefit from the dissolution of the monasteries, the seeds had been sewn for future advancement.

The local power of the Morgan family had reached new heights. As the historian Kyrle Fletcher states: "The Squire of Tredegar was like a king in a country." In the Great Hall (probably the present day 'Servant's Hall') lay the Justice Chair, where William would sit and pass judgement on vagabonds brought up before him. If the authorities were concerned about a local matter they would often first approach Tredegar about it. A good example of this is the plight of the Bristol merchants. They were getting heartily sick of their ships being attacked by pirates as soon as they left Bristol. The finger of suspicion pointed directly at Newport, where they suspected the pirates were being harboured. The Privy Council began an investigation. When their men turned up at Tredegar House to ask the Squire questions they found William to be uncooperative. This isn't too surprising. William had a hand in the piracy.

With William getting a fat share of the pirate's Bristolian haul, with the respectability of being an executive officer of the Tudor crown (he served as MP for the County of Monmouth between 1555-1558 and Sheriff in 1565), and with hawks being kept in Tredegar Park for sport, life was good for the Morgans of Tredegar. Perhaps the one fly in this rich ointment came in William's family life. He had married Catherine Bodenham, the daughter and heiress of the wealthy Thomas Bodenham from Hereford, but the marriage produced no children, and William became unfaithful to his wife. William had fathered an illegitimate son from one of his dalliances who went by the name of John Morgan. He was set up at the Cross House in Newport, and William appears to have looked out for his son's interests above all things.

With no legitimate children of his own, the legal heir to the Tredegar Estate on the death of William was to be his cousin Rowland. Rowland was a Roman Catholic, and using this pretext, William arranged for the estate to bypass his cousin, and go instead to William's (illegitimate) grandson, Miles Morgan, the son of John of the Cross House. William died in 1569 and the scene was set for a legal battle and much uncertainty in the years to come.

William Morgan (d.1569)
Son of John Morgan of Tredegar and Lettice Herbert
On Throne when at Tredegar: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I
Married: Catherine Bodenham of Co. Hereford
No Legitimate Issue (but had a son, John Morgan of the Cross House, Newport)

Click to view previous chapters in this series:

9. John Morgan d. 1513
8. Sir Morgan ap John d. c1504
7. Sir John Morgan d. c1492
6. Ieuan ap Llywelyn ap Morgan
5. Llywelyn ap Morgan (lost Tredegar in 1402)
4. Morgan ap Llywelyn d. c1384
3. Ifor Hael of Gwern y Cleppa
2. Llywelyn ap Ifor and Angharad
1. Sir Morgan ap Maredudd d. c1331

Christmas!

With the decorations up and the carols a-blaring, Tredegar House opened its doors last night for the first time this festive season: the butler was prompt in answering the front door; Lord Tredegar welcomed guests in the Dining Room with his usual matchless grace; there was singing and dancing aplenty in the New Hall and Gilt Room; a storyteller weaved tales in the Best Chamber; a feather boa draped Olga, Lady Tredegar chatted with visitors in the King's Room; Tiny Tim limped about looking for sympathy; Mr Bumble was on the hunt for orphans for the workhouse; the cook seemed suspiciously jolly in the Kitchen; Father Christmas worked very hard in the grotto, and Scrooge showing no sign of getting into the spirit of things, attempted to sleep through it all in his bed chamber.

And that was just the first evening.

This year I am playing the part of Scrooge. It is quite refreshing to be the one person in the House who is not jolly; even Mr Bumble obviously enjoys his work.

Friends AGM: Fishing On The Lake?

Last week was the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Tredegar House. The Newport Council Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation (the department responsible for Tredegar House) Councillor Ron Jones was present for a question and answer session after the meeting. I went along to hear what he had to say about the future direction of Tredegar House.

Councillor Jones has a long history of dealing with Tredegar House. Many years ago he was responsible for the appointment of David Freeman as curator. He indicated that this was among the best decisions he had made in the role. Certainly the spark and influence of David Freeman is still very much felt around the place today. The curator has a unique opportunity to leave their mark on Tredegar House.

There were some lively questions posed to Councillor Jones and he did not shirk from giving straight answers. Among the items of interest were (my not-so-humble opinion appearing beneath each item):

In his opinion, the National Trust should NEVER own Tredegar House.
He was quite vehement about this. Tredegar could well have ended up in National Trust hands on a few occasions in the 20th century. Evan, Viscount Tredegar was approached by them in the late 1940s, and his cousin, John, 6th and last Baron Tredegar, contemplated the idea of Trust ownership in the 1950s (but, a Roman Catholic convert, he preferred to sell it to the Sisters of St Joseph.). Recently the idea of a 'partnership' between Newport Council and the National Trust has been suggested, but it would seem that outright Trust ownership is not currently an option.

More events should be held in the grounds.
Events, even small ones, give people an excuse to come to the House. Councillor Jones suggested the idea of a Farmer's Market. I thought this a good idea. Anything (within reason) that brings people to Tredegar House is a good thing; any event that is sympathetic to the history of the House and Park is even better.

More needs to be done at Tredegar House in the winter.
Tredegar, like many historic attractions throughout the country does tend to hibernate for the winter (Christmas excluded). This break gives the curator and house staff an important opportunity to conduct restoration and cleaning projects. Nothing should be done to disrupt the essential works that need to be done. However, with a bit of planning and imagination, perhaps more (small) events could and should be put on in the winter. It is certainly possible.

Fishing on the lake?
Councillor Jones mentioned that this was still being discussed. There seems to me to be a powerful argument on both sides of this divide. Those in favour of a return to fishing on the lake argue that fishermen could, in essence, 'police' the lake, which would improve the security of the area. The awful treatment of the swans earlier this year is still fresh in the memory. Others would argue that fishing was banned from the lake in the 1980s mainly because of the danger to the wildlife: swans caught up in fishing lines, etc.

Newport Museum will not be moving to Tredegar House
This was my question to Councillor Jones. I had been dismayed to learn that an old rotting chestnut of an idea had been given new life earlier this year. In the 1970s it was first suggested that Newport Museum should move to Tredegar House. The idea, thankfully, was rejected, and the imaginative restoration of Tredegar House as an historic home began. The idea though did not die completely and it appeared that the council was giving it consideration (albeit at an exploratory stage) earlier this year. This would have been an awful plan for both Newport Museum and Tredegar House. If there is one surefire way to reduce visitor figures at Newport Museum it would be to move the museum out of the city centre. Also, people would be less keen to visit Tredegar House if it contained glass cases and was, apart from the surroundings, like any other municipal museum.

I was delighted to hear Councillor Jones confirm that the idea is now off the table. Perhaps it never was being seriously considered. Trial balloons are sometimes flown. I'm glad this one has been shot down.

All in all, it was an interesting evening. Thanks must also go to the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi, who attended and gave a very good speech. His pride in Newport shone through very clearly and was good to hear.

I am convinced that the future of Tredegar House will be a very bright one. It has always been a very special place. As one ex-servant said to me: "It gets in your blood, Tredegar does." Lets hope more members of the public will visit and also catch the 'Tredegar bug'.

Look Up Your Genes

The episode of 'Look Up Your Genes' featuring Tredegar House (and in particular the stories of Evan and Gwyneth Morgan) is to air on Wednesday 8 November at 8.30pm on BBC 2W (digital)

Hope you can all catch it!

Halloween at Tredegar

Halloween. How quickly it comes round.

We are preparing for the final, and, inevitably, busiest night of the Halloween festivities. For those of you who haven't been to this event: Tredegar House, essentially, is transformed into something of a 'ghost train'. You wander through the House and prepare to be frightened.

Some are good at frightening people. I am not. Being slight of stature, short on height, and rather mild mannered by nature, I am not the most intimidating of figures. I would not elicit much of a response jumping out at people, no matter how terrifying my costume might be. Consequently, you will never find me at Tredegar House at Halloween lurking in cupboards, or charging at guests shrieking profusely. Laughter not screams would fill the air.

I am usually to be found in the 'sketches' that are set up (it is very kind of those in charge to put me in these). This is far more my scene. It also gives me a chance to ham it up dreadfully. And I do mean dreadfully. My accents are a wonder to behold. I am thinking of setting up a competition whereby members of the public try to guess what accent I am supposed to be doing at any given time. I doubt many would get the continent right, never mind the nation. Still, it is all in good fun, and nothing is taken seriously.

My Halloween participation over the years has included:

The Witchfinder General, A Vicar at a Vampire Wedding, Dr Van Helsing in a 'How To Stake A Vampire' routine (I think this was my favourite. It was written by Goff Morgan, whose brand of silliness suits me perfectly), Dennis Samosa a fake Scouse psychic medium, and Dr Jekyll (twice).

This year I am back in the Receiving Cellar playing the role of Dr Boris, an archetypal Central European 'mad scientist'. The idea is a very simple one. I rant for a bit and then my 'pets' are introduced to the audience, with predictable results. All good fun. There is a little bit of audience interaction. My accent is supposed to be German, but, despite my best efforts, it goes on the Grand Tour at regular intervals (it takes in Dutch, Italian, Russian, a bit of Welsh, and even has traits of Indian and Chinese, for a truly exotic flavour). At one point I ask the audience if they have any pets. Last night I asked a lady this question in my usual over-the-top Germanish accent, only to find her replying, to my great chagrin, in German!

Halloween at Tredegar House is nothing if not unpredictable.

I would be very interested in any feedback from people who have attended the event. Stuck as I am in the cellar, I never actually see the whole thing myself. I can always pass on your messages and suggestions to the powers-that-be.

Tonight should be extremely busy. I hope there are no easily offended Germans in the House. Not that they could guess my accent in any case......