Historian to celebrate Swansea’s lengthy city status campaign

Former Swansea city archivist Dr John Alban is to give a public lecture on the area’s long quest for city status.

His illustrated talk will explain how the granting of the honour 50 years ago was preceded by almost six decades of campaigning for the status. 

It will take place at 1pm on Saturday, December 14, at the Civic Centre, in Swansea Central Library’s Discovery Room. Doors open at 12.30 pm.

There will also be a chance to view a special exhibition celebrating the development of Swansea over the past half century.

Distinguished historian Dr Alban is honorary senior lecturer in the University of East Anglia’s School of History. He was formerly city archivist of Swansea and then county archivist of Norfolk.

He has taught local history for Swansea University and Cardiff University. He has published extensively on aspects of local and late medieval history, heraldry and archives.

His Swansea lecture will tell how the area’s campaign for city status involved top political figures such as David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill and James Callaghan.

December 14’s talk, due to be introduced by Swansea Lord Mayor Cllr Peter Black, concludes a Swansea Libraries programme of 50th anniversary celebrations.

A wider series of events has marked Swansea 50 this year. They have included ceremonies that saw film star Catherine Zeta Jones and rugby hero Alun Wyn Jones granted honorary freedom of the city.

The activity has been driven by Swansea Council.