Richard Williams Photographer - Richphotowales

29/05/2024

📚✨ What an incredible experience speaking at the Hay literature festival! My wife and co-author Amanda Powell Media , Professor Robert Gildea, and I had the privilege of sharing the stories of people from before, during and after the 1984-85 Miners' Strike, with the amazing former Swansea East MP Siân James moderating.

Our books — Coal and Community in Wales and Robert's Backbone of the Nation — capture the powerful and heartrending experiences of the people who were there.

And if you'd like to buy any photos from our book, there's a 10% discount on print sales until June 2nd with code HAYFEST10 📸. (Go to my website Richard Williams Photography and follow the link).

26/05/2024

Today will mainly be... prepping for our talk about our book Coal and Community in Wales at Hay Festival. 📖🎪
We're looking forward to sharing the stage with Robert Gildea with former Swansea East MP Siân James asking the questions.
Come along and say hello if you're there on Tuesday. 👋
https://www.hayfestival.com/p-21877-robert-gildea-amanda-powell-and-richard-williams-talk-to-sin-james.aspx

Forty years on from one of the largest strikes in British history, our panel reflects on the miners’ strikes and their lasting impacts

07/05/2024

Obviously, we can't compete with Teach Your Dog/Cat Welsh 🐕🐱 but are delighted to be on this Top 10 list. Well done to all the authors and Y Lolfa for their support.

📚Here are the titles that flew out of our warehouse last month.

📚Available now from your local bookshop.



Y Lolfa | Graffeg | University of Wales Press |

01/05/2024

📷✨ Still buzzing from an incredible weekend at alongside my amazing wife and co-author Amanda Powell Media.

We took a journey through our book "Coal and Community in Wales: Images of the Miners' Strike" alongside acclaimed author, poet, and broadcaster Owen Sheers who guided us through stories behind my press photographs from 40 years ago.

From behind the lens, I'd witnessed the resilience and solidarity of Welsh mining communities during such a pivotal period in history. ⛏️

Llandeilo is such a beautiful place and the audience's warmth and enthusiasm made the experience unforgettable, reaffirming the importance of preserving and sharing the stories of our past.

A heartfelt thank you to festival organizer, Kate Glanville, and everyone who joined us for this journey into history.
🌟📖 Y Lolfa
Next stop - on Tuesday, 28 May at 5pm where we'll be appearing with Robert Gildea, Professor Emeritus of Modern History at the University of Oxford.

19/04/2024

📸✨I took a trip to beautiful today, to put up some of my favourite photos from our book Coal and 'Community in Wales: Images of the Miners' Strike, before, during and after' at .🏴

Co-author and I will be there again for on Sunday, April 28th at 1pm chatting about these very photos and the stories behind them with .📚

⛏️Together, we'll be revisiting south Wales' coal mining history and the memories of those who toiled for King Coal, sharing compelling recollections from the 1984-85 Miners' Strike.⛏️

Big thanks to Hen Gwrt for hosting my photos, and to the Llandeilo Lit Fest team for the invitation.🙏

Do come along if you can - it'll be an amazing weekend in a stunning part of .🌳🌻🏞️

01/04/2024

Jon Gower has done everyone proud in this review of our book for Nation.Cymru🙏

Jon Gower The terrible convulsion that was the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike in Britain changed many communities for ever, blighting them with unemployment and nowhere more than in the coalfields of Wales. Coal had long been king in so many parts of the country, from the seams of the north-east, through ...

26/03/2024

We're very much looking forward to being in for an amazing theatre production set in the ⛏️ era on Thursday. It's a town where my wife spent much of her childhood.
More info about the theatre show in the comments - come along if you can!🎭

Cefn Fforest Primary School is where my love of writing began (encouraged by the wonderful headteacher Mr Williams)😊
⏰Fast forward many years, and I'll be at Blackwood Miners Welfare Institute Miners' Institute on Thursday, March 30th with my new book about the mining industry, in collaboration with a fantastic theatre production (more on this below) 🎭
My husband and co-author Richard Williams Photographer - Richphotowales and I will be showcasing our book "Coal and Community in Wales: Images of the Miners' Strike, before, during, and after"
there.📚
My own father worked at Britannia Colliery and the book is very close to my heart., It delves into the rich history and spirit of south Wales during the coal mining era.🏴❤️
The theatre production "Justice is Served" tells the captivating story of Vernon Morgan, a Jamaican immigrant arriving in 1950s Wales with hopes of carving out a new life. 💼💫
Vernon Morgan's tale resonates with all the struggles and triumphs of the coal mining community in Wales. 🌟 The book and theatre show are a tribute to the resilience and determination of every individual facing adversity now and then.
If you're in the area, come join us for an evening filled with history, drama, and maybe even a few tears and laughs! 😄 Let's celebrate the spirit of Wales together! 🏴💕 🌟
(More info about the theatre show in the comments, I do hope you can come along)...

18/03/2024

🎉📸 What an incredible evening at Blaengarw Workmen's Hall! 📸🎉
It was such a joy to meet some of the people who recognised themselves in my photos from the , featured in our book Coal and Community in Wales, co-authored by Amanda Powell Media and published by Y Lolfa.📚✍️
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for this event showcasing images which illustrate some of the final years of the coal industry in South Wales. And to Awen for arranging it. 🙏🏽
People came together, shared stories, and made the evening so special - a true testament to the strength of former coalmining communities. 🙌 🙌 🙌

12/03/2024

⛏️ Capturing defiance and solidarity against the odds, Coal and Community in Wales tells the story of the final years of coal-mining in the south Wales Valleys.⛏️
✨Join us to hear the stories behind my photographs and find out how events of 40 years ago led to this book and exhibitions.
It's a free event in on 20 March at 6pm - it would be lovely to see you there! 📚✨
(🏴Places are limited, booking link in comments).

09/03/2024

06/03/2024

📸One way to let people know about our book!
In all seriousness, the 40th anniversary of the 1984-85 is a chance to reflect, and our Coal and Community in Wales project has set out to capture the hardships so many people suffered and the impact it's had on Wales through fascinating stories and photos of those who were there.⛏️
My wife and co-author Amanda Powell Media and I are so grateful to the many, many people who've been so generous with their time and expertise, including former First Minister Carwyn Jones for writing the preface and actor Steffan Rhodri for the foreword.
From the sense of solidarity in the room during the launch, to the stories behind each frame, it was a commemoration of unity and strength and we're indebted to people from the mining communities who shared their experiences.💪
And a huge thanks to Matthew Horwood - Press, PR & Marketing Photography for the event images 🙏
Rhondda Heritage Park

05/03/2024

Today's the day! Our book has been a labour of love, published to mark the important 40th anniversary of the . ⛏️
So many people helped make this happen, most of all those we tracked down from my original photographs and who suffered so much during the year-long protest against pit closures.💔
It's available in local bookshops and online - search for Coal and Community in Wales from publishers Y Lolfa.
📚⛏️

01/03/2024

Happy St. David's Day to all! 🎉 🏴

Whether you're in Wales or elsewhere in the world, I hope you enjoy celebrating the patron saint of Wales and, of course, manage to eat plenty of Welsh cakes! 😍

📷

29/02/2024

📸 The photographs for my Coal and Community in Wales exhibition are in place! It was lovely to see one of the guides at Rhondda Heritage Park taking a look before it opens to the public next week, marking 40 years since the start of the .
There are so many people to thank - among them the incredible Rhondda Heritage Park staff who've been absolutely amazing and, ex-Western Mail colleagues 📸Rob Norman (for taking these photos) plus Lisa Walsh, who's also displaying images there.
There'll be another exhibition, also opening on 6 March at Blaengarw Workmen's Hall and I'll pop a link to the events information in the comments.
📸

23/02/2024

⛏️The 40th anniversary of the 1984-85 is almost with us, and this is one of my most poignant images and stories in the book I'm about to publish to mark this tumultuous event.⏰
This woman is one of the Miners' Support Group stalwarts we caught up with to hear her memories from the day I photographed her in in 1984.
We met up again and found out what she thinks now as we looked back on one of the most turbulent periods in the history of Wales and Britain.
As you can see from her quote, the photograph brought strong emotions to the surface when she saw it again.💖

12/02/2024

⛏️ The 40th anniversary of the 1984-85 is almost with us - a time to look back on remarkable solidarity and resistance in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Were you there?
📸 My wife Amanda Powell Media and I have tracked down many of the people in the photos I took at the time for a book and exhibitions to mark this important anniversary.📅
🙏 We're indebted to those who opened their doors and hearts to share their thoughts and memories.
Look out for the free exhibitions of my photographs - the first ones are at Rhondda Heritage Park and Workmen's Hall from 6 March.
📖And our book - Coal and Community in Wales : Images of the Miners' Strike, before, during and after is available for pre-order from publishers Y Lolfa and in shops from 5 March.

(Pictures strict copyright Richard Williams Photography, all rights reserved). Awen Libraries

04/02/2024

💔 I'm deeply saddened to hear of the passing of rugby union legend Barry John. My encounter with him when I was 15 and took this photograph remains a cherished memory. 🏉
We were at the South Wales Police ground at Waterton, Bridgend. Barry was at the ground to report on the Welsh team training session for the Daily Express. I shot the picture with very basic equipment, but I knew as soon as I pressed the trigger it was my best picture to date.📸
A few weeks later, I was back at the ground with a print of the picture and I asked Barry to sign it. He did so and dated it December 1975.
40 years later, Barry was writing his rugby column for Wales On Sunday and I was on the picture desk. Knowing he’d be calling into the office I had brought with me the print and I asked him to sign it again. He’d forgotten about the photo and asked if he could have several copies, which I was more than happy to give him.
I will never forget how gracious he was.
Ccming so soon after the death of JPR Williams, his passing is even sadder.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

31/01/2024

How's January been for you? I took a break from photography assignments after a very busy end of 2023 - but I'm ready and looking forward to more freelance work again now 📷✨
Here's a quick roundup of just a few of the jobs I did in in December with a huge thanks to all the brilliant clients I've enjoyed collaborating with. 🙌 📷✨
From top left, clockwise - actor Bhasker Patel recording a radio drama in ; a Rolex watches event for Laings Jeweller's , Gyros Hut food photography, the factory earmarked for TVR sports cars in Ebbw Vale, Guide Dogs Cymru photoshoot at the lights trail in Bute Park and the Cardiff Bay Santa run for Calon Hearts .
(It hasn't been a complete break from work by the way, I've been preparing for a book launch and exhibition - more news on that soon)...

08/01/2024

Wales and British and Irish Lions legend 😔
Here's one of the many photographs I took of him playing for his beloved at the town's Brewery Field.
One of the most memorable events was when Bridgend took on the mighty New Zealand in December 1978. JPR was forced to leave the pitch for a serious injury to his face and even though he was badly injured, he returned to finish the match.
When I was growing up, his parents Margaret and Peter Williams were our family doctors, and John would often be around the surgery.
A very sad loss for fans and of course his family.

02/01/2024

🎉 ! 🎉 Here’s a little New Year question – any idea what the heavy piece of equipment in the background of this photo is? 🤔 (Read on to find out)...
With my coal mining photography book now in the hands of the designer, I’ve been working on images for the 40th anniversary of the .
📆The first exhibition opens to the public at Rhondda Heritage Park on March 6.
The strike was the biggest industrial dispute in Britain after the Second World War, changing coalfield communities forever.
Here’s the quiz answer – I've acquired this 100kg beauty, a dry-mounting heat press to create the exhibition displays in a style in keeping with photos from 40 years ago.💪
It’ll be here for a while as I can't lift it! I haven’t tried this yet, but I reckon it’s good for ironing shirts too. 🤣
Anyway, how was your Twixtmas? 🌟

17/12/2023

As well as the book, I'm very much looking forward to launching a photographic exhibition at the Rhondda Heritage Park in March, marking the 40th anniversary of the start of the .

It won't be long before the book I've co-authored with my photographer husband Richard Williams Photographer - Richphotowales is in the shops.
We're excited and very aware of the privilege it's been to capture the stories of people who were involved in the of 1984-85.
'Coal and Community in Wales - Images of the Miners' Strike, before and after' is already available for pre-orders from publisher Y Lolfa's website.

13/12/2023

📸✨ 45 years ago - December 13, 1978 🏉
It was one week after my 18th birthday, and I was at Bridgend RFC as the iconic New Zealand All Blacks faced off against our town's team.
(Click the photo below to open up a gallery of more pics)...
As a young freelance photographer, my journey with the Glamorgan Gazette had already begun and this assignment is still one of my most memorable. 📰📷
Staff photographer Howard Balston and I were faced with the challenge of capturing an intense match on a rain-soaked pitch, battling the Welsh December darkness. 🌧️🏉
With stands packed and schoolchildren given the day off, the atmosphere was electric. However, the weather and tight Gazette deadline added a layer of complexity to our mission. ⏰🌨️
No digital shortcuts back then! It was film development and a drive to the printing press in Merthyr Tydfil. 🚗🎞️
Amidst the pressure, my love for rugby and photography collided. I wasn't just there for the action shots; I aimed to freeze the historic crowd moments that made this day unforgettable for our town. 📸👥
🕰️🔙
And the result? 17-6 to the All Blacks.

On Wednesday 13 December 1978, Bridgend RFC took on the New Zealand All Blacks in a match which went down in Welsh rugby history. Cardiff photographer Richard Williams captured the day, which included an ugly incident when New Zealand prop John Ashworth stamped on the face of legendary Wales and Bri...

20/09/2023

What can we do to breathe life back into our rundown town centres? 📸
I was shocked and saddened to see my hometown, when I visited this week and took the photographs for this video.📽️😢

It used to be a lively and bustling place where you could buy just about everything you wanted. I worked there for many years when there were several great places to eat & drink within walking distance of the office.

I must admit, these days I shop online quite a bit, and it got me thinking about the impact on our bricks-and-mortar shops.

Is there anything we can do to revive the heart of our towns?🏘️