A LEGENDARY cup, a bronze angel, silver coins and the iconic Welsh lady’s hat – what could possibly connect this seemingly random collection of objects?

All of them are included in a new book.

Wales in 100 Objects - and its Welsh counterpart Cymru Mewn 100 Gwrthrych - was written by Andrew Green, the former librarian of the National Library of Wales.

And all can be seen in Aberystwyth – at the National Library, Ceredigion Museum and even in the street at Tabernacl Chapel in Powell Street.

Andrew retired as the librarian for the National Library but much of the writing and research for the book took place in Aberystwyth and Andrew was delighted to return to the town which has played such a large part in his life.

“I had a wonderful 15 years in Aber when I worked in the National Library – as well as the two years I lived there as a postgraduate student and trainee in the mid 1970s,” said Andrew. 

“Aber is a unique blend of the local and the highly cosmopolitan, and I liked that mix very much – the fact that you could live your life mainly through the medium of Welsh, for example, but meet students daily from all over the world with many different languages. 

“The National Library is unique too. I’ve visited many national libraries across the world, but not one of them has quite the same range of collections and activities as NLW. 

“I don’t miss the worst of the stresses of being the librarian there, though I do miss the people: the library staff – a highly diverse and talented group – and the hundreds of interesting people, in Wales and across the globe, I got to know through the job.”

Wales in 100 Objects is being launched at three venues across Wales and it was Aberystwyth’s turn on Thursday.

“It’s very fitting that the two books, Wales in 100 Objects and its counterpart Cymru Mewn 100 Gwrthrych are being launched in Aber,” said Andrew.

“Many of the objects in the books are kept in the National Library (and Ceredigion Museum). Much of the research for them was carried out in the library’s reading rooms. And the launch gives me the perfect excuse to come back to Aber, at the end of what’s been an absorbing journey of discovery.”

The book follows years of research and travel by Andrew to libraries, museums and archives all over Wales in a mission to find 100 objects which represent many aspects of the history of our nation.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the power of objects in an historical context,” explained Andrew. “Objects – even ones that look insignificant – can be used to tell a remarkable story.”

Read the full feature in this week’s Cambrian News, on sale now