Bridgend (Welsh: Pen-y-bont) is a town in the traditional county of Glamorgan and the main town in the county borough of Bridgend. Bridgend is in South Wales, roughly midway between the principal cities Cardiff and Swansea. The river crossed by the original bridge which gave the town its name is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes through the south of the town. Bridgend has greatly expanded in size since the early 1980s and now has a population of around 40,000. Bridgend - Castles and foundati ...

Including:

• Bridgend - Castles and foundation
• Bridgend - Coal and industry
• Bridgend - The Second World War and Bridgend
• Bridgend - Post-war Bridgend
• Bridgend - Modern Bridgend and the future
• Bridgend - Culture
• Bridgend - Famous people from Bridgend
• Bridgend - Links

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The town has three castles nearby: Coity Castle, in the village of Coity approximately two miles from the centre; Ogmore Castle on the outskirts of the village of Ogmore approximately seven miles from Bridgend; and Newcastle which is at the top of Newcastle Hill overlooking Bridgend. Together these three castles formed a defensive triangle from the coast to Coity. Bridgend itself developed at a ford on the River Ogmore, which was on the main route between East and West Wales. Just north of the town, there is the confluence of three ri ...

See also:

Bridgend, Bridgend - Castles and foundation, Bridgend - Coal and industry, Bridgend - The Second World War and Bridgend, Bridgend - Post-war Bridgend, Bridgend - Modern Bridgend and the future, Bridgend - Culture, Bridgend - Famous people from Bridgend, Bridgend - Links

Read more here: » Bridgend: Encyclopedia II - Bridgend - Castles and foundation

Caerphilly [county borough] is a local government principal area in southern Wales, straddling the boundary between the traditional counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. Its main town is Caerphilly. Other towns in the county borough are Bedwas, Risca, Ystrad Mynach, Newbridge, Blackwood, Bargoed, New Tredegar and Rhymney. The county borough was formed on April 1, 1996 by the merger of the Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorg ...

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Bridgend is a county borough in Glamorgan, southern Wales. The county borough has a total population of 130,000 people, and contains the settlements of Bridgend, after which it is named, Maesteg, and the seaside town of Porthcawl. Its member of the National Assembly for Wales is Carwyn Jones, and its Member of Parliament is Madeleine Moon. It was formed on April 1, 1996 from most of the former district of Ogwr. Bridgend county borough - See Also. List of places in Bridgend county boroug ...

Including:

• Bridgend county borough - See Also

Read more here: » Bridgend county borough: Encyclopedia - Bridgend county borough

Bullet For My Valentine (sometimes shortened to "Bullet" or "BFMV") are a metalcore band from Bridgend, Wales in the United Kingdom. Formed in 1998 under the name "Jeff Killed John", they originally played Metallica and Nirvana covers. They initially struggled to find success, and tensions arose when other Welsh bands such as Lostprophets and Funeral For A Friend were getting noticed and became more popular. When it came to the band recording a demo, things didn't go as well as planned and the original bass player, Nik Cradle, quit th ...

Including:

• Bullet For My Valentine - Discography
• Bullet For My Valentine - Albums
• Bullet For My Valentine - Singles

Read more here: » Bullet For My Valentine: Encyclopedia - Bullet For My Valentine

Bog Snorkelling is a sporting event that consists of competitors completing two consecutive lengths of a 60-yard water filled trench cut through a peat bog, in the shortest time possible. Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers, and complete the course without using conventional swimming strokes. Wet suits are not compulsory, but are usually worn. The World Bog Snorkelling Championship takes place annually every August Bank Holiday at the dense Waen Rhydd peat bog, near Lla ...

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Altoids are a popular brand of breath mints that have existed since the turn of the 19th century. Altoids are produced in Britain by Callard & Bowser-Suchard at Bridgend, Wales, although Wrigley announced in mid 2005 they planned to move Altoids production to an existing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee in order to manufacture its products closer to where they are sold. The move is expected to be complete by mid-2006. The history of Altoids actually dates back to the reign of King George III. The brand was created by a London-based ...

Including:

• Altoids - Flavors and Varieties
• Altoids - Ingredients and Nutritional Information
• Altoids - Ownership
• Altoids - External link

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The Beeching Axe was an informal name for the British government's attempt in the 1960s to control the spiralling cost of running the British railway system by closing what it considered to be "little-used" and unprofitable railway lines. Beeching Axe - Background. The Beeching Axe was a reaction to the failed railway modernisation plan of the 1950s, which spent huge amounts of money on buying new equipment such as new diesel and electric locomotives without first examining the railways' role, what was actu ...

Including:

• Beeching Axe - Background
• Beeching Axe - Rail closures by year
• Beeching Axe - Beeching II
• Beeching Axe - Changing attitudes and policies
• Beeching Axe - Overview
• Beeching Axe - Re-openings

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Blaenau Gwent is a county borough and parliamentary constituency in South Wales. It borders the administrative areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar. The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district. It was a merger of the Monmouthshire urban districts of Abertillery, Ebbw Vale, Nantyglo and Blaina and Tredegar ...

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County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland), to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished them in England and Wales, but they are still used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 re-introduced the term for certain unitary authorities in Wales. County borough - History. When county councils were first created in 1889, it was ...

Including:

• County borough - History
• County borough - Current county boroughs
• County borough - Republic of Ireland
• County borough - Northern Ireland
• County borough - Wales
• County borough - Historical county boroughs

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Wales (Welsh: Cymru; pronounced IPA: /ˈkəmɹi/, approximately "CUM-ree") is one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. Wales is located in the south-west of Great Britain and is bordered by Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel ...

Including:

• Wales - Origin of Name
• Wales - History
• Wales - Politics
• Wales - Law
• Wales - Geography
• Wales - Subdivisions
• Wales - Economy
• Wales - Demographics
• Wales - Language
• Wales - Religion
• Wales - Culture
• Wales - Food
• Wales - Music
• Wales - Sport
• Wales - Media
• Wales - National symbols
• Wales - Photos of Wales
• Wales - Notable Welsh people

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The Vale of Glamorgan (Welsh: Dyffryn (or Bro) Morgannwg) is an exceptionally rich agricultural area in the southern part of Glamorgan, Wales. It has a rugged coastline, but its rolling countryside is quite untypical of Wales as a whole. It has been a county borough since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan. It is also a parliamentary constituency, with John Smith as its Member of Parliament. The main town and largest centre of population is Barry. Other small towns are Cowbridg ...

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Conwy [county borough] is a local government principal area in north Wales. It contains the major settlements of Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Conwy,Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan and has a total population of about 110,000. The River Conwy (after which the county borough is named) lies wholly within the area: rising in Snowdonia and flowing through Llanrwst en route to the Irish Sea by Conwy. The borough straddles the traditional counties of Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire ...

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Wrexham is a county borough in northern Wales. It covers parts of the traditional county of Denbighshire around Wrexham itself, and the detached parts of Flintshire - English Maelor and Marford. It is named after Wrexham, its main town, has a population of 130,000 inhabitants. Other places in the borough include Gwersyllt, Ruabon, and Chirk. The county borough was formed on April 1, 1996. Most of the area was previously part of the Welsh district of Wrexham Maelor - with a few areas coming from Glyndwr.< ...

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Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin) is a county in Wales. Its main towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthenshire - Traditional Carmarthenshire. The county is bounded to the north by Cardiganshire, to the east by Brecknockshire and Glamorganshire, to the south by the Bristol Channel and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Carmarthenshire is the largest county in Wales, with a population of approximately 170,000, 55% of whom are Welsh speakers. The surface generally is upland and ...

Including:

• Carmarthenshire - Traditional Carmarthenshire
• Carmarthenshire - Places of interest

Read more here: » Carmarthenshire: Encyclopedia - Carmarthenshire

Ceredigion is a principal area in mid Wales. It is a coastal county, bordered by Cardigan Bay to the west, Gwynedd to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire to the south, and Pembrokeshire to the south-west. The name Ceredigion means 'Land of Ceredig', who was a son of Cunedda, a chieftain who reconquered much of Wales from the Irish around the fifth century AD. Its area is 440,630 acres (1783 km²). The population of the county is 64,000. For a county of such a small population, it may be considere ...

Including:

• Ceredigion - Places in Ceredigion
• Ceredigion - Administration

Read more here: » Ceredigion: Encyclopedia - Ceredigion

The Eisteddfod (from Welsh eistedd, to sit; plural is eisteddfodau) is a Welsh festival of literature, music, and song. The tradition of such a meeting of Welsh artists dates back to at least the 12th century when a festival of poetry and music was held by Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth at his court in Cardigan in 1176, but with the decline of the bardic tradition fell into abeyance. The present-day format owes much to an eighteenth century revival arising out of a number of informal eisteddfodau. Eisteddfo ...

Including:

• Eisteddfod - The National Eisteddfod
• Eisteddfod - The Urdd Eisteddfod
• Eisteddfod - The International Eisteddfod
• Eisteddfod - Other eisteddfodau
• Eisteddfod - Australia
• Eisteddfod - National Eisteddfod venues

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Before 1948, when the NHS was created, patients were generally required to pay for their own healthcare. Systems of health insurance were relatively undeveloped, with the exception of National Insurance. However due to cuts during the economic troubles of the '30s so many of the poor were simply unable to obtain treatment when they were ill. Many charities were established to operate local hospitals, such as the Royal Free Hospital, and some local authorities operated local hospitals for local ratepayers, but provi ...

See also:

National Health Service, National Health Service - History, National Health Service - Structure, National Health Service - England, National Health Service - Wales, National Health Service - Scotland, National Health Service - Northern Ireland, National Health Service - Other, National Health Service - Funding, National Health Service - Political Issues in England, National Health Service - Overseas Doctors and the NHS:

Read more here: » National Health Service: Encyclopedia II - National Health Service - History

List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Glasgow. Royal Infirmary Lightburn Hospital Western Infirmary Gartnavel Southern General Victoria Infirmary Yorkhill List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Edinburgh. Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Western General Hospital Royal Victoria Hospital, Edinburgh Liberton Hospital ...

See also:

List of hospitals in the United Kingdom, List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - England, List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Wales, List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Scotland, List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Glasgow, List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Edinburgh, List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Other, List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Northern Ireland

Read more here: » List of hospitals in the United Kingdom: Encyclopedia II - List of hospitals in the United Kingdom - Scotland

Ceredigion, sometimes known by the anglicized version of its name as Cardiganshire was first enfranchised in 1536 when King Henry VIII incorporated Wales within England. The county was given one member, who was to be elected by each person who owned property of a sufficient value. In addition the inhabitants of Cardigan, Aberystwyth, Adpar and Lampeter were given the right to elect one MP between them, with the vote restricted to the Freemen. The 1715 general election saw the return of Lewis Pryse, who sided with the Jacobites and refused to attend the House of Commons to take an ...

See also:

Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Boundaries, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - History, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Reformed elections, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Single constituency, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Liberal infighting, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Labour challenge, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Liberal resurgence, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Surprise gain, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Reversion to type?, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Members of Parliament, Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - Election results

Read more here: » Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency: Encyclopedia II - Ceredigion UK Parliament constituency - History