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Lacaille 8760

2010-05-08T23:07:23Z

CrackDragon: One of the largest and brightest red dwarfs known, not THE largest and brightest!

{{Starbox begin |
name=Lacaille 8760 }}
{{Starbox observe |
epoch=J2000 |
ra=21h 17m 15.3s |
dec=-38° 52' 02" |
appmag_v=6.67 |
constell=[[Microscopium]] }}
{{Starbox character |
class=M2 Ve |
b-v=1.41 |
u-b=1.19 |
variable=[[Flare star]] }}
{{Starbox astrometry |
radial_v=+24.1 |
prop_mo_ra=-3259.00 |
prop_mo_dec=-1146.99 |
parallax=253.43 |
p_error=1.12 |
absmag_v=8.69 }}
{{Starbox detail|
mass=0.60 |
radius=0.66 |
luminosity=0.028 |
temperature=3,340 |
metal=>50% [[Sun]] |
rotation=? |
age=>4.6 × 109 }}
{{Starbox catalog |
names=AX Microscopii, [[Gliese-Jahreiss catalogue|GJ]] 825, [[Henry Draper catalogue|HD]] 202560, [[Luyten Half-Second catalogue|LHS]] 66, [[Cordoba Durchmusterung|CD]]-39°14192, [[General Catalogue of Trigonometric Parallaxes|GCTP]] 5117, [[Hipparcos catalogue|HIP]] 105090.}}
{{Starbox end}}

'''Lacaille 8760''' is a [[red dwarf]] [[star]] in the [[constellation]] [[Microscopium]], the [[microscope]]. Although it is slightly too faint to be seen without a [[telescope]], this star is one of the nearest to our Sun at about 12.9 [[light year]]s distance. This star was originally listed in a [[1763]] catalog that was published posthumously by the [[France|French]] Abbé [[Nicolas Louis de Lacaille]]. He observed this star in the southern sky while working from an observatory at the [[Cape of Good Hope]].

In the past this star has been classified anywhere from spectral class K7 down to M2. In [[1979]] the [[Ireland|Irish]] astronomer Patrick Byrne discovered that this is a [[flare star]], and it was given the variable star designation AX Microscopii. As a flare star it is relatively quiet, only erupting on average less than once per day.

This star orbits around the galaxy in an elliptical orbit with a relatively high [[ellipticity]] of 0.23. Its closest approach to the Sun occurred about 20,000 years ago.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Due to its low mass (60 % of our Sun), this star has an expected lifespan of about 7×1010 years, it's 7 times more than for our own Sun.

Despite efforts by astronomers, thus far no planets have been detected in orbit around this star.

Although Lacaille 8760 is the brightest red dwarf star visible in the night sky, it's still too dim to be seen with the naked eye. It is also one of the largest and brightest red dwarf stars known with about 60% the mass and 66% the radius of the Sun.

==See also==
*[[List of nearest stars]]

==External links==
*[http://www.solstation.com/stars/lac8760.htm SolStation article]
*[http://www.kencroswell.com/thebrightestreddwarf.html The Brightest Red Dwarf] by Ken Croswell, [[Sky & Telescope]], July 2002.

[[Category:Microscopium constellation]]
[[Category:M-type main sequence stars]]
[[Category:Flare stars]]
[[Category:Henry Draper Catalogue objects|202560]]
[[Category:HIP objects|105090]]
[[Category:Gliese and GJ objects|0825]]
[[Category:Durchmusterung objects|BD-39 14192]]
[[Category:Objects named with variable star designations|Microscopii, AX]]

[[br:Lacaille 8760]]
[[ca:Lacaille 8760]]
[[es:Lacaille 8760]]
[[fr:Lacaille 8760]]
[[ko:라카유 8760]]
[[it:AX Microscopii]]
[[ja:ラカーユ8760]]
[[pl:Lacaille 8760]]
[[ru:AX Микроскопа]]
[[sk:Lacaille 8760]]
[[fi:Lacaille 8760]]

Lacaille 8760

2010-04-28T06:43:51Z

CrackDragon: Is Lacaille 8760 actually the largest and brightest Red Dwarf known?

{{Starbox begin |
name=Lacaille 8760 }}
{{Starbox observe |
epoch=J2000 |
ra=21h 17m 15.3s |
dec=-38° 52' 02" |
appmag_v=6.67 |
constell=[[Microscopium]] }}
{{Starbox character |
class=M2 Ve |
b-v=1.41 |
u-b=1.19 |
variable=[[Flare star]] }}
{{Starbox astrometry |
radial_v=+24.1 |
prop_mo_ra=-3259.00 |
prop_mo_dec=-1146.99 |
parallax=253.43 |
p_error=1.12 |
absmag_v=8.69 }}
{{Starbox detail|
mass=0.60 |
radius=0.66 |
luminosity=0.028 |
temperature=3,340 |
metal=>50% [[Sun]] |
rotation=? |
age=>4.6 × 109 }}
{{Starbox catalog |
names=AX Microscopii, [[Gliese-Jahreiss catalogue|GJ]] 825, [[Henry Draper catalogue|HD]] 202560, [[Luyten Half-Second catalogue|LHS]] 66, [[Cordoba Durchmusterung|CD]]-39°14192, [[General Catalogue of Trigonometric Parallaxes|GCTP]] 5117, [[Hipparcos catalogue|HIP]] 105090.}}
{{Starbox end}}

'''Lacaille 8760''' is a [[red dwarf]] [[star]] in the [[constellation]] [[Microscopium]], the [[microscope]]. Although it is slightly too faint to be seen without a [[telescope]], this star is one of the nearest to our Sun at about 12.9 [[light year]]s distance. This star was originally listed in a [[1763]] catalog that was published posthumously by the [[France|French]] Abbé [[Nicolas Louis de Lacaille]]. He observed this star in the southern sky while working from an observatory at the [[Cape of Good Hope]].

In the past this star has been classified anywhere from spectral class K7 down to M2. In [[1979]] the [[Ireland|Irish]] astronomer Patrick Byrne discovered that this is a [[flare star]], and it was given the variable star designation AX Microscopii. As a flare star it is relatively quiet, only erupting on average less than once per day.

This star orbits around the galaxy in an elliptical orbit with a relatively high [[ellipticity]] of 0.23. Its closest approach to the Sun occurred about 20,000 years ago. Due to its low mass, this star has an expected lifespan of about 7 × 1010 years, far more than our own Sun.

Despite efforts by astronomers, thus far no planets have been detected in orbit around this star.

Although Lacaille 8760 is the brightest Red Dwarf star visible in the night sky, it's still too dim to be seen with the naked eye. It is also the largest and brightest red dwarf star known with 60% the mass and 66% the radius of the Sun. {{Dubious|date=April 2010}}

==See also==
*[[List of nearest stars]]

==External links==
*[http://www.solstation.com/stars/lac8760.htm SolStation article]
*[http://www.kencroswell.com/thebrightestreddwarf.html The Brightest Red Dwarf] by Ken Croswell, [[Sky & Telescope]], July 2002.

[[Category:Microscopium constellation]]
[[Category:M-type main sequence stars]]
[[Category:Flare stars]]
[[Category:Henry Draper Catalogue objects|202560]]
[[Category:HIP objects|105090]]
[[Category:Gliese and GJ objects|0825]]
[[Category:Durchmusterung objects|BD-39 14192]]
[[Category:Objects named with variable star designations|Microscopii, AX]]

[[br:Lacaille 8760]]
[[ca:Lacaille 8760]]
[[es:Lacaille 8760]]
[[fr:Lacaille 8760]]
[[ko:라카유 8760]]
[[it:AX Microscopii]]
[[ja:ラカーユ8760]]
[[pl:Lacaille 8760]]
[[ru:AX Микроскопа]]
[[sk:Lacaille 8760]]
[[fi:Lacaille 8760]]

Kray-Zwillinge

2010-03-22T20:28:29Z

CrackDragon: /* In video games */ Added obvious reference from Privateer 2

{{Infobox Criminal
| subject_name = Kray Twins: Ronald & Reginald Kray
| image_name = krays.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| image_caption = The Kray twins, Reginald (left) and Ronald, photographed by [[David Bailey (photographer)|David Bailey]]
| date_of_birth = 24 October 1933
| place_of_birth = [[Hoxton]], [[East London, England]]
| date_of_death = '''Ronnie:''' {{death date and age|df=yes|1995|3|17|1933|10|23}} Wexham park Hospital England
| place_of_death = '''Reggie:''' {{death date and age|df=yes|2000|10|1|1933|10|23}} [[Norwich]], England
| alias = Ronnie & Reggie
| charge = Murders of [[George Cornell]] and [[Jack McVite|Jack "The Hat" McVitie]]
| penalty = In 1968 both were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of thirty years.
| status = Both deceased
| occupation = Club owners
| spouse = Reggie married Frances Shea in 1965
| parents = Charles Kray and Violet Lee
| children =
}}
'''Reginald "Reggie" Kray''' (24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000) and his [[twin]] brother '''Ronald "Ronnie" Kray''' (died 17 March 1995) were the foremost perpetrators of [[organised crime]] in [[London]]'s [[East End]] during the 1950s and 1960s. Ronald, commonly referred to as Ron or Ronnie, suffered from [[paranoid schizophrenia]].<ref name="thebiographychannel.co.uk">{{cite web
| title = Ronald and Reginald Kray
| publisher = The Biography Channel
| url = http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1385:1460/2/Ronald_and_Reginald_Kray.htm
| accessdate = 2007-08-08
}}</ref>
The Krays were involved in [[armed robbery|armed robberies]], [[arson]], [[protection racket]]s, violent assaults including [[torture]] and the [[murder]]s of [[Jack McVitie|Jack "The Hat" McVitie]] and [[George Cornell]]. As West End [[nightclub]] owners they mixed with prominent entertainers including [[Diana Dors]], [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Judy Garland]] and [[politician]]s, The Krays were highly respected. In the 1960s they became celebrities in their own right, being photographed by [[David Bailey (photographer)|David Bailey]] and interviewed on television.

They were arrested on 9 May 1968 and [[convict]]ed in 1969 by the efforts of a squad of detectives led by [[Detective Superintendent]] Leonard "Nipper" Read, and were both sentenced to [[life imprisonment]].

Ronnie remained in prison until his death on 17 March 1995, but Reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, a few weeks before his death from cancer.

==Early life==
Ronnie and Reggie Kray were born on 24 October 1933 in Hoxton, [[East London, England|East London]], to Charles David "Charlie" Kray, Sr, (1906 - March 1983), a scrap gold dealer, and Violet Lee (5 August 1909 - 4 August 1982).<ref>[http://www.wargs.com/other/kray.html Ancestry of the Kray twins]</ref> Reggie was born 10 minutes before Ronnie. Charlie and Violet already had a six-year old son, also called Charlie, who was born 9 July 1927.<ref>Charlie Kray's grave</ref> A sister, Violet, born 1929, died in infancy. When the twins were three years old they were struck down with [[diphtheria]] and recovered. Ron almost died from a head injury suffered in a fight with his brother in 1942.

In 1939, having previously lived in Stene Street, [[Hoxton]], the Kray family moved to 178 Vallance Road, [[Bethnal Green]]. At the start of the [[World War II|Second World War]], Charlie Kray Senior was called up into the army, but went into hiding travelling the country as a trader and avoiding the law.

The twins first attended Wood Close School in [[Brick Lane]] and then Daniel Street School.<ref>
{{cite book
| last = Kray
| first = Reg
| title = [[Born Fighter]]
| pages = 8
}}</ref> There they were said to have shown none of their future criminal tendencies. A teacher said of them: "Salt of the earth, the twins; never the slightest trouble to anyone who knew how to handle them." "If there was anything to be done in school, they'd be utterly co-operative… they'd always be the first to help. Nothing was too much trouble."<ref>
{{cite web
| title = Prisons on the Isle of Wight
| publisher = isleofwighttouristguide.com
| url = http://www.isleofwighttouristguide.com/Articles/Article_16.asphttp://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1385:1460/2/Ronald_and_Reginald_Kray.htm
| accessdate = 2007-08-08
}}</ref>

The influence of their grandfather, Jimmy "Cannonball" Lee, led both boys into amateur [[boxing]], which was at that time a popular pursuit for [[working-class]] boys in the East End. An element of rivalry between them spurred them on, and they achieved some success. They are said never to have lost a bout before turning professional at the age 19.

===National Service===
The Kray twins became famous locally for their gang and the mayhem they caused. They narrowly avoided prison several times and in early 1952 they were called up for [[National Service]] with the [[Royal Fusiliers]]. They deserted several times, each time being recaptured.

While [[absent without leave]], the twins assaulted a [[police officer]] who had spotted them and was trying to arrest them. They were initially held at the [[Tower of London]] (they were among the very last prisoners ever kept there) before being sent to [[Shepton Mallet (HM Prison)|Shepton Mallet military prison]] in [[Somerset]] and jailed for a month awaiting [[courts-martial]]. They ended up being jailed in the [[Home Counties]] Brigade Depot "nick" in [[Canterbury]], [[Kent]]. Their behaviour there was so bad that in the end they were given a [[military discharge|dishonourable discharge]] from the service; for the last few weeks of their imprisonment, when their fate was a certainty anyway, they tried to dominate the exercise area immediately outside their one man cells. They threw tantrums, upended their latrine bucket over a [[sergeant]], similarly dumped a dixie (a large camp kettle<ref>http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=dixie</ref>) full of hot tea on a guard, handcuffed another guard to the prison bars with a pair of stolen cuffs, and burned their bedding. Eventually they were discharged, but not before escaping from the [[guardhouse]] and being recaptured by the army one last time. The escape was executed when they were moved from a one man cell to a communal cell and assaulted the guardman with a china vase. Still, once recaptured and while awaiting transfer to civilian authority for crimes committed during their most recent period at large, they spent their last night in Canterbury drinking cider, eating crisps, and smoking cigarillos courtesy of the young national servicemen who were acting as their guards (and who were quite ready to tangle with them again if the farewell "do" should result in another escape attempt).
The twins did not take kindly to the military and after an altercation with one of their training sergeants, they beat him up and absconded back to Vallance Road. The police arrested them the next day and they were returned to their regiment (Royal Fusiliers) for punishment.

It was during this period that Ron started to show the first signs of [[mental illness]]. He would refuse to eat, shave only one side of his face and suffer wild [[mood swing]]s, sitting still for hours before erupting into a violent frenzy. On one occasion, Ron climbed into the prison [[rafters]] and, according to one guard, refused to come down for some six hours in spite of brother Reggie's pleas. It is not clear whether at this stage it was another prank to annoy their guards, or if Ron had become unbalanced. Guards at the Canterbury military holding prison were convinced he was dangerously psychotic.

==Criminal careers==
===Nightclub owners===
Their criminal record and dishonourable discharge ended their boxing careers. As a result, the twins turned to crime. They bought a run down local [[snooker]] club in Bethnal Green, where they started several [[protection racket]]s. By the end of the 1950s, the Krays were involved in [[wiktionary:Hijack|hijacking]], [[armed robbery]] and [[arson]], through which they acquired a few clubs and other properties. In 1960 Reggie Kray was incarcerated for 18 months on charges of running a protection racket and related threats, and while he was in prison, [[Peter Rachman]], the head of a violent landlord operation, gave Ronnie the Esmeralda's Barn, a nightclub in [[Knightsbridge]]. This increased the Krays' influence in the West End of London, with celebrities and famous people rather than East End criminals. They were assisted by banker Alan Cooper who wanted protection from the Krays' rivals, the [[The Richardson Gang|Richardsons]], who were based in [[South London]].<ref>[http://www.met.police.uk/history/krays.htm Metropolitan Police, The Krays], accessed 28/10/07</ref>

===Celebrity status===
In the 1960s, they were widely seen as prosperous and charming celebrity [[nightclub]] owners and were part of the [[Swinging London]] scene. A large part of their fame was due to their non-criminal activities as popular figures on the celebrity circuit, being photographed by [[David Bailey (photographer)|David Bailey]] on more than one occasion; and socialised with [[lord]]s, [[Members of Parliament|MPs]], [[socialites]] and [[show business]] characters such as the actors [[George Raft]], [[Judy Garland]], [[Diana Dors]], [[Barbara Windsor]] and singer [[Frank Sinatra]]. <blockquote>Ronnie Kray: "They were the best years of our lives. They called them the swinging sixties. [[The Beatles]] and the [[Rolling Stones]] were rulers of [[pop music]], [[Carnaby Street]] ruled the fashion world...and me and my brother ruled London. We were fucking untouchable". From Ronnie Kray's autobiographical book ''My Story''<ref>[http://gangland.net/krays.htm The Krays], accessed 28/10/07</ref> </blockquote>

===Lord Boothby and Tom Driberg===
The Krays also came into the public eye when an exposé in the [[tabloid newspaper]] ''[[Sunday Mirror]]'' alleged that Ron had had a [[homosexuality|sexual relationship]] with [[Robert Boothby, Baron Boothby|Lord Boothby]], a UK [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] [[politician]].<ref>David Barrett [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5907125/Letters-shed-new-light-on-Kray-twins-scandal.html "Letters shed new light on Kray twins scandal",] ''Sunday Telegraph'', 26 July 2009</ref> Although no names were printed, Boothby threatened to sue, the newspaper backed down, sacked its editor, apologised, and paid Boothby £40,000 in an out of court settlement.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/937275.stm BBC News Obituary of Reggie Kray]</ref> As a result, other newspapers were less willing to uncover the Krays' connections and criminal activities.

The police investigated the Krays on several occasions, but the twins' reputation for violence meant witnesses were afraid to come forward to testify. There was also a political problem for both main parties. It was neither in the interests of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] to press the police to end the Krays' power lest the Boothby connection was again publicised and demonstrated, or those of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] because their [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[Tom Driberg]] was also rumoured to have had a relationship with Ronnie.<ref>"Lords of The Underground", Channel 4 TV, 23 June 1997 + The Spectator, 28 June 1997</ref>

===Frank Mitchell===
[[Image:The blind beggar 1.jpg|right|thumb|The once notorious Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel Road in quieter times. (November 2005)]]
On 12 December 1966 the Krays assisted Frank Mitchell (nicknamed "The Mad Axeman")<ref name="met.police.uk">[http://www.met.police.uk/history/krays.htm ''The Krays jailed in 1969'' Metropolitan Police, accessed 28 October 2007]</ref> in escaping from [[Dartmoor Prison]]. Ronnie Kray had befriended Mitchell while they served time together in Wandsworth prison. Mitchell felt the authorities should review his case for [[parole]], so Ronnie felt he would be doing him a favour by getting him out of Dartmoor, highlighting his case in the media and forcing the authorities to act. Once Mitchell was out of Dartmoor, the Krays held him at a friend's flat in Barking Road. However, as a large man with a mental disorder, he was difficult to deal with and the only course of action was to get rid of him. His body has never been found and the Krays were acquitted of his murder.<ref name="met.police.uk"/> [[Freddie Foreman]], a former member of The Firm, in his autobiography ''Respect'' claimed that Mitchell was shot and the body disposed of in the sea.

===George Cornell===
Ronnie Kray shot and killed [[George Cornell]] in the [[Blind Beggar]] in [[Whitechapel]] on 9 March 1966. There had been a confrontation at Christmas 1965 between the Krays and [[The Richardson Gang|the Richardsons]] at the Astor Club, when Cornell, an associate of the Richardsons, referred to Ronnie Kray as a "fat [[homosexual|poof]]". However, Ronnie Kray denies this and says that the reason for the killing was because he gave him and Reggie threats. The result was a gang war between the two, and Kray associate Richard Hart was murdered at Mr. Smith's Club in [[Catford]] on 8 March 1966. Ronnie Kray avenged Hart's death by shooting George Cornell in the Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel Road. Mad [[Frankie Fraser]] was taken to court for Hart's murder but was proven not guilty. A member of the Richardsons claimed that he saw him kicking Hart. George Cornell was the only one to escape from the brawl in top condition so it is likely that Ronnie thought that he was involved in the murder. Due to intimidation, witnesses would not co-operate with the police.<ref>[http://www.met.police.uk/history/krays.htm Metropolitan Police, The Krays, accessed 28/10/07]</ref>

===Jack "the Hat" McVitie===
The Krays' criminal activities continued hidden behind their celebrity status and "legitimate" businesses. In October 1967, four months after the suicide of his wife Frances, Reggie was alleged to have been encouraged by his brother to kill [[Jack McVitie|Jack "the Hat" McVitie]], a minor member of the Kray gang who had failed to fulfil a £1,500 contract paid to him in advance by the Krays to kill Leslie Payne. McVitie was lured to a basement flat in Evering Road, Stoke Newington on the pretence of a party. As he entered, Reggie Kray pointed a handgun at his head and pulled the trigger twice, but the gun failed to discharge. Ronnie Kray then held McVitie in a bearhug and Reggie Kray was handed a carving knife. He stabbed McVitie in the face and stomach, driving it deep into his neck, twisting the blade, continuing as McVitie lay on the floor dying.<ref name="Read"> Read, Leonard. ''Nipper Read, The Man Who Nicked The Krays''. Time Warner Paperbacks 2001. p.291-292. ISBN 0-7515-3175-8</ref> Several other members of The Firm including the [[Lambrianou]] brothers (Tony and Chris) were convicted of this. In Tony's biography he claims that when Reggie was stabbing Jack his liver came out and he had to flush it down the toilet. McVitie's body has never been recovered.

===Arrest and trial===
When [[Inspector]] Leonard "Nipper" Read of [[Scotland Yard]] was promoted to the [[Murder Investigation Team|Murder Squad]], his first assignment was to bring down the Kray twins. It was not his first involvement with Reg and Ron; during the first half of 1964 Read had been investigating their activities, but publicity and official denials surrounding allegations of Ron's relationship with Boothby had made the evidence he collected useless. Read tackled the problem of convicting the twins with renewed activity in 1967, but frequently came up against the East End "wall of silence", which discouraged anyone from providing information to the police.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}

Nevertheless, by the end of 1967 Read had built up evidence against the Krays. There were witness statements incriminating them, as well as other evidence, but none added up to a convincing case on any one charge. Fifty percent of ticket profits from [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] shows at the time were given to a charity supporting the Krays in their ambition to be released and feature in their own show, "A Banana is better than a gun".{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}

Early in 1968 the twins had sent a man named Elvey to [[Glasgow]] to buy explosives for rigging a car bomb. Police detained him in Scotland and he confessed he had been involved in three botched murder attempts. However, this evidence was weakened by the involvement of a man named Cooper, who claimed to be an agent for the [[United States Treasury Department]] investigating links between the American [[mafia]] and the Kray gang. The botched murders were his work, in an attempt to pin something on the Krays. Read tried using Cooper as a trap for Ron and Reg, but they stayed away from him.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}

===Conviction and imprisonment===
Eventually, a [[Scotland Yard]] conference decided to arrest the Krays on the evidence already collected, in the hope that other witnesses would be forthcoming once the Krays were in custody. On 8 May 1968,<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/8/newsid_2518000/2518695.stm</ref> the Krays and 15 yet other members of their "firm" were arrested. Many witnesses came forward now that the Krays' reign of intimidation was over, and it was relatively easy to gain a conviction. The Krays and 14 other were convicted with one member of the firm being acquitted. One of the firm members that provided a lot of the information of the police was arrested yet only for a short period. Out of the 17 official firm members, 16 were arrested and convicted. The twins' defence, under their counsel [[John Platts-Mills]], [[Queen's Counsel|QC]], consisted of flat denials of all charges and the discrediting of witnesses by pointing out their criminal past. The judge, Mr Justice [[Aubrey Melford Steed Stevenson|Melford Stevenson]] said: "In my view, society has earned a rest from your activities."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/88883.stm BBC News | UK | Kray decision attacked]</ref> Both were sentenced to [[life imprisonment]], with a non-parole period of 30 years for the murders of Cornell and McVitie, the longest sentences ever passed at the [[Old Bailey]] (Central Criminal Court, London) for murder.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/system/topicRoot/The_Krays/]</ref> Their brother Charlie was jailed for 10 years for his part in the murders.

===Imprisonment===
On 11 August 1982, under tight security, Ronnie and Reggie Kray were allowed to attend the funeral of their mother Violet, who had died of cancer the week before, but they were not allowed to attend the graveside service at [[Chingford]] Mount cemetery in East London where their mother was interred in the Kray family plot. The service was attended by celebrities including [[Diana Dors]] and underworld figures known to the Krays.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/11/newsid_2528000/2528969.stm 1982: Krays let out for mother's funeral] accessed 28/10/07</ref> The twins did not ask to attend their father's funeral when he died seven months later in March 1983: this was to avoid the publicity that had surrounded their mother's funeral.

Ronnie was eventually once more certified insane and lived the remainder of his life in [[Broadmoor Hospital]], [[Crowthorne]], dying on 17 March 1995 of a massive [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]], aged 61. His funeral on 29 March 1995 was a huge event with people lining the streets.

Reggie Kray was a Category A prisoner, denied almost all liberties and not allowed to mix with other prisoners. However, in his later years, he was downgraded to Category C and transferred to [[Norfolk]]'s [[Wayland (HM prison)|Wayland Prison]].

During incarceration, he became a [[born again Christian]]. After serving more than the recommended 30 years he was sentenced to in March 1969, he was finally freed from Wayland on 26 August 2000, at the age of almost 67. He was released on compassionate grounds as a result of having inoperable [[cancer]]. The final weeks of his life were spent with his wife Roberta, whom he had married while in [[Maidstone (HM Prison)|Maidstone prison]] in July 1997, in a suite at the Townhouse Hotel at [[Norwich]], having left Norwich hospital on 22 September 2000. On 1 October 2000, Reggie Kray died in his sleep. Ten days later, he was buried alongside his brother Ronnie, in [[Chingford]] cemetery.

Elder brother Charlie Kray was released in 1975 after serving seven years, but returned to prison in 1997 for conspiracy to smuggle [[cocaine]] worth £69m in an undercover drugs sting. He died of natural causes on 4 April 2000, six months before Reggie's death.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/701959.stm Gangster Charlie Kray dies] BBC; accessed 28 October 2007</ref>.

==Personal lives==

Ronnie was [[Bisexuality|bisexual]]<ref>
{{cite book
| last = Kray
| first = Ron
| title = [[My Story]]
| page = 94
}}</ref>. Despite cultural attitudes towards homosexuality at the time, he was open about his bisexuality within the Firm, where it was accepted. Reggie reportedly affirmed and denied Ronnie's claim that he was bisexual on different occasions. He once had a [[one night stand]] with [[Barbara Windsor]]<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/mar/25/ameliahill.theobserver</ref><ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/england/1756592.stm</ref>, whose [[Eastenders]] character [[Peggy Mitchell]] was reputed to be based on Violet Kray (e.g. her matriarchy over two thuggish twins).

==Controversies==

Some believe the Krays' sentences were harsher than deserved and that they were being made an example.<ref name="Page 437"> Read. p437</ref> The Kray twins were tried as separate, responsible adults, although it was argued that Ronnie dominated his brother. He was also a [[Paranoia|paranoid]] [[Schizophrenia|schizophrenic]].<ref name="thebiographychannel.co.uk"/>

There was a long-running campaign, with some minor celebrity support, to have the twins released from prison, but successive [[Secretary of State for the Home Department|Home Secretaries]] vetoed the idea, largely on the grounds that the Krays' prison records were both marred by violence towards other inmates. The campaign gathered momentum after the release of a film based on their lives called ''[[The Krays (film)|The Krays]]'' in 1990. Produced by [[Ray Burdis]] , it starred ex members of [[Spandau Ballet]] brothers [[Martin Kemp (entertainer)|Martin Kemp]], who played the role of Reggie, and [[Gary Kemp]], who played Ronnie.

Some argue that Reggie's several attempted murders, and the murder of [[Jack McVitie]], were carried out as a result of Ronnie's prompting, and to show that he was equal to Ronnie's earlier murders. Reggie wrote: "I seem to have walked a double path most of my life. Perhaps an extra step in one of those directions might have seen me celebrated rather than notorious."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/864752.stm Reggie Kray: Notorious gangster] BBC, accessed 05/11/07</ref> Others, however, point to Reggie's violent prison record when he was being detained separately from Ronnie and argue that in reality, the twins' temperaments were little different.

Reggie's marriage to Frances Shea in 1965 lasted eight weeks, although the marriage was never formally ended. An inquest came to the conclusion that she committed suicide in 1967,<ref>
{{cite web
| title = Frances Kray (née Shea) (died 1967), Wife of Reginald ('Reggie') Kray
| publisher = National Portrait Gallery
| url = http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp68610
| accessdate = 2007-08-09
}}</ref> but in 2002 an ex lover of Reggie Kray came forward to allege that Frances was actually murdered by a jealous Ronnie. Bradley Allardyce spent three years in Maidstone prison with Reggie and explained, "I was sitting in my cell with Reg and it was one of those nights where we turned the lights down low and put some nice music on and sometimes he would reminisce. He would get really deep and open up to me. He suddenly broke down and said 'I'm going to tell you something I've only ever told two people and something I've carried around with me' - something that had been a black hole since the day he found out. He put his head on my shoulder and told me Ronnie killed Frances. He told Reggie what he had done two days after."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1756592.stm BBC News | ENGLAND | Kray 'murdered brother's wife']</ref>

When Ronnie spent three years in prison, Reggie is said to have turned the "firm" around, putting it on a sound financial footing, and removing many of the more violent and less appealing aspects, if not actually turning it legal. Some speculate that without his brother, Reggie could have turned the "firm" into one of the largest and most successful criminal organisations in Europe; however, the Kray business was always built on their reputation for savage violence, and it was Ronnie who was principally responsible. The twins were never able to cope well apart.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

==In popular culture==
===In film===
*''[[Performance (film)|Performance]]'' (1970), directed by [[Nicolas Roeg]], featured a London gangster named Harry Flowers (played by Johnny Shannon) who surrounded himself with muscle magazines and rent boys; the character and his milieu were inspired by Ronnie Kray.

*''[[Villain (1971 film)|Villain]]'' (1971) starred [[Richard Burton]] as sadistic, homosexual London gang leader Vic Dakin, a character modeled on Ronnie Kray.

*''[[The Long Good Friday]]'' (1980) used the Kray Twins as inspiration for the protagonist [[Harold Shand]]. [[Bob Hoskins]], who played Shand, reportedly received a letter from the [[Krays]] in prison congratulating him on his presentation of a London Gangster in the film.

*''[[The Krays (film)|The Krays]]'' (1990), written by the [[Bethnal Green]] born artist and dramatist [[Philip Ridley]], starred brothers [[Gary Kemp|Gary]] and [[Martin Kemp (actor)|Martin Kemp]] of the band [[Spandau Ballet]] as the Krays.

*''[[Hell to Pay (film)|Hell to Pay]] (directed by [[Roberto Gomez Martin]] and based on gangster life in London) uses an oil-on-canvas work done by Ronnie Kray in prison depicting the crucifixion, after he gave the painting as a present to former gangster and now actor in the movie [[Dave Courtney]].

*''[[Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri]]'' (2007), a [[Malayalam film]] starring [[Suresh Gopi]] directed by [[K. Madhu]]. The person who attempts a killing in the film draws inspiration from the story of the Kray brothers.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1028558/</ref>

===In video games===
*In ''[[The Getaway (video game)#The Getaway|The Getaway]]'', a gangster named Charlie Jolson says that he used to run [[London]] "with real men like Ronnie and Reggie".

*In the ''[[The Getaway (video game)#The Getaway|The Getaway: Black Monday]]'' Danny introduces Arthur, the cleaner of the operation, saying "He used to work for the Krays ya know."

*''[[GTA_London#London.2C_1969|Grand Theft Auto Mission Pack #1: London, 1969]]'' features a pair of twin gangsters named Albert and Archie Crisp who are a reference to the Kray twins.

* ''[[Wing_Commander_(franchise)|Privateer 2: The Darkening]]'' features a mission in which the player has to deal with a pair of gangsters named the Bray Twins.

===In television===
*The time-travelling hero of ''[[Goodnight Sweetheart]]'' has several passing encounters with the Kray twins as children in East-End London of the 1940s.
*Association with (or former association with) the Krays is also seen as a sign of prestige in many social circles, or an indication of [[Cockney]] authenticity. This attitude was spoofed in the British television series ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'' with [[Robbie Coltrane]] as a bouncer claiming "...and I was at Violet's funeral", a reference to the twins' mother.
*The long-running TV drama ''[[EastEnders]]'' has featured a gangland organisation called [[The Firm (EastEnders)|The Firm]].
* ''[[EastEnders]]'' characters, [[Ronnie Mitchell|Ronnie]] and [[Roxy Mitchell]] are modelled on The Krays, hence their names. As Reggie is a male name, it was changed to Roxy for the EastEnders role of one of the Mitchell sisters.
*They were also the inspiration behind the ''[[Monty Python]]'' "[[Piranha Brothers]]" sketch. This sketch was rooted in fact; even the tale of nailing someone to the floor is based on the murder of [[Jack McVite|Jack "the Hat" McVitie]], who was pinned to the floor with a long knife. Inspector Leonard "Nipper" Read became "Superintendent Harry 'Snapper' Organs".
*The British TV series ''[[Waking the Dead (TV series)|Waking the Dead]]'' featured a two-parter called "Deathwatch" in which the cold-case detectives investigated a murder related to a pair of East-End gangster brothers from the early 60s called the Suttons who were clearly based on the Krays: one was described as psychotic and the photos used to depict them were similar to those of the Krays.
*In 1991, a children's TV puppet show called ''[[The Winjin Pom]]'' featured two crow siblings called Ronnie and Reggie (the "Crows") who were always after the goodies to steal their magical camper van named after the show title, but always failed.
*Kate Kray — the widow of Ronnie Kray — showed the glamorous yet restricted lives of women who married gangsters in the documentary ''Gangsters' Wives''.
*The ''[[Comic Strip]]'' team did their take on the Krays with [[Alexei Sayle]] in the role of both twins as the Moss Brothers, Carl and Sterling, in ''[[Didn't You Kill My Brother?]]''
*The comedy duo [[Hale and Pace]] portrayed two characters like the Krays. They wore smart suits and walked on stage with the line "We are da management." Both of their characters were named Ron.
*In episode 3 of the second series of the [[BBC]] programme ''[[Monkey Dust]]'', a minor character who frequently marries criminals has her surnames read out in a marriage ceremony to Ivan Dobsky. Two of these surnames are "Kray" (among surnames of other infamous criminals).
* In the TV series ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'', during a challenge to decide the best van, each presenter was timed to see how long they would take to be caught by a police car driven by the [[The Stig]]. Here [[James May]] was called James Kray in light of the comical criminal challenge.

===In literature===
*There are many books about their reign including several by themselves: among the most critically acclaimed :
*''[[A Way of Life: Over Thirty Years of Blood, Sweat and Tears]]'' by Reggie Kray - published 2001 ISBN 0330485-11-3
*''[[My Story (Ronnie Kray)|My Story]]'' by Ron Kray - published 1994 ISBN 0330335-07-3
*''[[Born Fighter]]'' by Reg Kray - published 1991 ISBN 0099878-10-0
*''[[Our Story (book)|Our Story]]'' by Reg & Ron Kray - published 1989 ISBN 0330308-18-1
*''The Profession of Violence: Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins'' by [[John Pearson (author)|John Pearson]] - First published 1972, Weidenfeld and Nicolson
*''The Cult of Violence: The Untold Story of the Krays'' by John Pearson - published 2002 ISBN 0752847-94-5
*In [[J.K. Rowling]]'s ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series, the main villain, [[Lord Voldemort]] is so feared that most wizards and witches refer to him as 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. According to Rowling, this was inspired by the Kray twins' very names being taboo.<ref>Anelli, Melissa and Emerson Spartz. ''[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-2.htm The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Two]''. The Leaky Cauldron, 16 July 2005.</ref>
*The Kray twins are mentioned frequently in the first novel by [[Jake Arnott]], ''The Long Firm'' (1999), where the main character Harry Starks is a fictional homosexual East End gangster in the 1960s who has a criminal career similar to the Krays.
*The Kray twins are mentioned in the second part of ''Tu rostro mañana'', a novel by [[Javier Marías]]. One of the characters refers to them in order to explain why he carries a sword in his overcoat.
*[[Carol Ann Duffy]] has written a poem entitled "The Kray Sisters", in which she changes the story of the Kray twins into a women's format. There are clear links to the original story, with characters in the poem such as "Cannonball Vi", a clear mix of the twins' grandfather and mother.
*Peter Straughan's play 'Bones' has a character who claims to be Reggie Kray and begins to heavily influence the actions of the other characters.
*The Balvak Twins, who, like the Krays, run organized crime in the West End, are recurring antagonists for [[Detective]] [[Sergeant]] Suzie Mountford in a series of [[police procedural]] novels by [[John Gardner (thriller writer)|John Gardner]]. However, the Balvaks' activities take place during [[World War II]] rather than the 1960s.

===In music===
A number of artists mention the Kray twins in songs:
* [[The Libertines]] mention they "saw two shadow men on the Vallance Road" in their song "[[Up the Bracket]]".
* The first single by the electronic band [[Renegade Soundwave]] in 1986 was "Kray Twins" and featured Ronnie and Reggie Kray on the record sleeve.
* [[Morrissey]] sings about the twins in "[[The Last of the Famous International Playboys]]" (1989).
* [[Blur (band)|Blur]] mention Ronnie in their single "[[Charmless Man]]" from the album ''[[The Great Escape (album)|The Great Escape]]'', 1995.
* Ronnie and Reggie feature on the cover of the unofficial [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] interview CD, ''[[Wibbling Rivalry]]'' released by [[Fierce Panda]].
* James Kensit, the brother of singer and actress [[Patsy Kensit]], is the god-son of Reggie Kray.<ref>''Kray, Reggie. Born Fighter''. London: Arrow, 1991. ISBN 0099878100</ref>
* [[Ray Davies]] has the line "and don't forget the Kray Twins" in his song "London Town" on the album ''The Storyteller'' and EP ''Thanksgiving Day''.
*[[UFO (band)]] - ''[[The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent]]'' (1981) - one song on this album, "Profession of Violence", was inspired by a book about the life of the Kray twins, portrayed in a movie, a decade later, by Kemp brothers (of UFO's labelmates, Spandau Ballet).
* [[Netherlands|Dutch]] band [[The Nits|Nits]] released a song called "The Twins" on their 2008 album ''[[Doing the Dishes]]''. The song tells the story of the Kray Twins' gun fight in a bar, where they hit the jukebox with a bullet, stopping the song ("[[The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore]]").

==References==
'''Notes''':
{{reflist|2}}
'''References''':
{{Refbegin}}
* Reg Kray (1990) ''[[Born Fighter]]'' [[Random House]] ISBN 0-099878-10-0
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.thekrays.co.uk/ The Krays.co.uk official website]
*[http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters/krays/index.htm ''The Kray Twins: Brothers In Arms''] at the [[Crime Library]]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/7/newsid_3325000/3325399.stm Krays BBC TV interview (1965)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/4/newsid_2515000/2515103.stm BBC: On this day...1969: Kray twins guilty of McVitie murder, Richard Whitmore's BBC report on the Kray murder trial]
* {{boxrec|id=76838}}
* {{boxrec|id=76841}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kray Twins}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:Identical twins]]
[[Category:Crime in London]]
[[Category:Organised crime gangs of London]]
[[Category:20th century in London]]
[[Category:People from Bethnal Green]]
[[Category:People from Hoxton]]
[[Category:English mobsters]]
[[Category:English people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:Prisoners in the Tower of London]]
[[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales]]
[[Category:People convicted of murder by England and Wales]]
[[Category:English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment]]
[[Category:British murderers]]
[[Category:British criminals]]


[[no:Kraybrødrene]]

South Wales Valleys

2008-08-10T13:43:09Z

CrackDragon: /* Culture */

{{Refimprove|date=June 2008}} 
[[Image:Lossity.jpg|500px|right|Lossity of Perthcelyn]]

The '''South Wales Valleys''' ({{lang-cy|Cymoedd De Cymru}}) are a number of industrialised valleys in [[South Wales]]. Many of them running roughly parallel to each other, they stretch from eastern [[Carmarthenshire]] in the [[west]] to western [[Monmouthshire]] in the [[east]]. Located in roughly the centre is the [[Rhondda]] valley.

== History ==
Until the mid-nineteenth century, the south Wales valleys were lightly inhabited (as was most of [[Wales]]) and known for their natural beauty. The [[Industrial Revolution]] changed this as the valleys became important centres for both the [[coal mining]] and [[iron]] industries. [[Merthyr Tydfil]], at the northern end of the [[River Taff|Taff valley]] became Wales's largest [[town]] thanks to its growing [[iron]] works at [[Dowlais]] and [[Cyfarthfa Ironworks]].

Although iron was the first industry to develop, the valleys would become most famous for their [[coal mines]]. The [[South Wales coalfield]] attracted huge numbers of people from [[rural]] areas to the valleys. This meant that many rows of [[terraced housing]] were built along the valley sides to accommodate the influx. The [[coal]] mined in the valleys was transported south along [[railway]]s and [[canal]]s to [[port]]s on the [[Bristol Channel]], notably [[Cardiff]], [[Newport]] and [[Swansea]]. [[Cardiff]] was soon among the most important [[coal]] ports in the [[world]] and [[Swansea]] among the most important [[steel]] ports.

The heavy industries boomed here, as they did in the industrial heartlands all over [[Great Britain|Britain]], but after [[World War I]] the [[1926 United Kingdom general strike]] hit the coal industry hard, a legacy felt until well after [[World War II]] and indeed echoed in the [[UK miners' strike (1984-1985)]] by families who were often affected by all these events through several generations.

== Decline ==
The [[World War II|Second World War]] marked the beginning of the end of these [[heavy industry|heavy industries]] in the Valleys. [[Steel]] works and [[coal mines]] began to close, despite [[nationalisation]] by the [[United Kingdom|UK]] [[government]]. In 1966, the village of [[Aberfan]] in the [[River Taff|Taff]] valley suffered one of the worst [[disaster]]s in [[History of Wales|Welsh history]]. A mine waste tip on the top of the mountain slid down the valley side and destroyed the village [[primary school]], killing 144 people, 116 of them children.

In 1979, [[Margaret Thatcher]] became [[Prime Minister]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. [[Thatcherism|Her policies]] of [[free market]] economics soon clashed with the loss-making, government-owned [[National Coal Board]]. In 1984 and 1985, after the government announced plans to close many mines across the UK, [[UK miners' strike (1984-1985)|mineworkers went on strike]]. The ultimate failure of this strike led to the virtual destruction of the UK's coal industry. No deep coal mines are left in the valleys since the closure in 2008 of [[Tower Colliery]] in the [[Cynon Valley]]. This was bought by the [[workers]] in 1994, despite government attempts to close it. In the new millennium, the last of valleys the [[steel]] industry closed, as [[Corus Group]] (formerly [[British Steel]]) closed its plant in [[Ebbw Vale]].

== The valleys today ==
The closure of the [[heavy industry|heavy industries]] led to very high [[unemployment]] in the valleys and whilst measured unemployment has fallen considerably since the early 1990s, high levels of economic inactivity remain, particularly in the upper sections of the Valleys. In the 1990s, the [[government]] attracted [[light industry|light industries]] to try and reduce the level of unemployment. Many of these companies were from the [[Far East]] although these are increasingly being replaced by European and American owned operations. However, the [[economy]] remains weak and virtually the entire area is poor enough to qualify for [[European Union]] [[Objective 1]] funding. Official statistics are somewhat misleading however in suggesting a rather uniform level of underperformance.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} The lower Valleys have typically performed more strongly economically, with the lower Taff and Ely Valleys in particular attracting inward investment and migration from firms and families priced out of Cardiff.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}

== Culture ==
The South Wales valleys became a symbol of the whole of [[Wales]] for many foreign people and people in the other countries of the [[United Kingdom]] alike. Some visitors to other parts of Wales are surprised when they do not find [[coal mines]] and [[terraced housing]]. The valleys do, however, contain a [[List of Welsh principal areas by population|large proportion of the Welsh population]] and remain an important centre of [[Culture of Wales|Welsh culture]], despite the growing dominance of [[Cardiff]]. The UK parliament's first [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] ([[Socialist]]) [[Member of Parliament|MP]], [[Keir Hardie]] was elected from the area and the Valleys remain a stronghold of [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] power. [[Rugby union]] is very [[Popularity|popular]] and [[rugby union]] pitches can be seen along the valley floors. [[Football (soccer)|Football]] is also popular in the valleys, as in the rest of the British Isles. The area was overwhelmingly [[Welsh language|Welsh]] speaking at the end of the nineteenth century, but today, [[English language|English]] is the everyday language, except for the western valleys around [[Ammanford]] and the Upper [[Swansea Valley]], where Welsh is still widely spoken.

The geographical shape of the valleys have their effect on culture. Many roads stretch along valleys connecting the different settlements in the valley. Consequently the different towns in a valley are more closely associated with each other than they are with towns in the neighbouring valley, even when the towns in the neighbouring valley are closer on the map. The Heads of the Valleys road, the [[A465 road]], is significant due to its connection of valleys with each other, and there are hopes that the upgrading of this road to dual carriageway will improve the economic performance of the region as the road becomes the main thoroughfare to [[Swansea]] and [[West Wales]] from the [[Midlands]] and [[North of England]].

== Transport ==

In terms of rail transport, many settlements in the Valleys are served by an extensive [[commuter]] railway network known as the [[Valley Lines]], which link them to [[Cardiff Queen Street railway station|Cardiff Queen Street]] and [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff Central]] with connections onto the [[South Wales Main Line]].

[[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach Wales]] link many towns and villages directly to [[Cardiff central bus station]].

== List of important valleys in South Wales ==
From west to east:
* [[River Loughor|Loughor Valley]] (forms border between [[Carmarthenshire]] in [[West Wales]] and [[Glamorgan]] in [[South Wales]])
* [[River Tawe|Tawe Valley]]
* [[Swansea Valley]]
* [[Vale of Neath]]
* [[River Afan|Afan Valley]]
* [[River Llynfi|Llynfi Valley]]
* [[River Garw|Garw Valley]]
* [[Ogmore Vale]]
* [[River Ely|Ely Valley]]
* [[Rhondda|Rhondda Valleys]]
* [[River Cynon|Cynon Valley]]
* [[River Taff|Taff Valley]]
* [[Rhymney Valley]] (forms border between [[Glamorgan]] and [[Monmouthshire]])
* [[Sirhowy Valley]]
* [[Ebbw River|Ebbw Valley]]
* Ebbw Fach Valley
* [[Afon Llwyd|Llwyd Valley]]
* [[River Usk|Vale of Usk]]
* [[Wye Valley]] (forms border between [[Monmouthshire]] in South Wales and [[Gloucestershire]] in [[South West England]]

== See also ==
* [[A465 road]] The Heads of the Valleys Road

== External links ==
* [http://www.data-wales.co.uk/valley1.htm The industrialisation of the South Wales Valleys]
* [http://www.southernwales.com/en/valleys.php South Wales Valleys tourist site]
* [http://www.aberdareblog.co.uk/ Aberdare Blog - Strong Views from the Valleys]
* [http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/ Welsh mining history]
* [http://www.thevalleys.eu/index.php Old and New Library Images from the Valleys]

[[Category:Valleys of Wales]]
[[Category:Geography of Wales]]

South Wales Valleys

2008-05-17T21:47:19Z

CrackDragon: /* Culture */ Most valleys residents would name their town or village first and then the nearest notable town IN THAT VALLEY for clarification. The only exception would be Rhondda residents.

[[Image:Lossity.jpg|500px|right|Lossity of Perthcelyn]]

The '''South Wales Valleys''' are a number of industrialised valleys in [[South Wales]]. Many of them running roughly parallel to each other, they stretch from eastern [[Carmarthenshire]] in the [[west]] to western [[Monmouthshire]] in the [[east]]. Located in roughly the centre is the famous [[Rhondda Valley|Rhondda]] valley.

== History ==
Until the mid-[[nineteenth century]], the south Wales valleys were lightly inhabited (as was most of [[Wales]]) and known for their natural beauty. The [[Industrial Revolution]] changed this as the valleys became important centres for both the [[coal mining]] and [[iron]] industries. [[Merthyr Tydfil]], at the northern end of the [[River Taff|Taff valley]] became Wales's largest [[town]] thanks to its growing [[iron]] works at [[Dowlais]] and [[Cyfarthfa Ironworks]].

Although iron was the first industry to develop, the valleys would become most famous for their [[coal mines]]. The [[South Wales coalfield]] attracted huge numbers of people from [[rural]] areas to the valleys. This meant that many rows of [[terraced housing]] were built along the valley sides to accommodate the influx. The [[coal]] mined in the valleys was transported south along [[railway]]s and [[canal]]s to [[port]]s on the [[Bristol Channel]], notably [[Cardiff]], [[Newport]] and [[Swansea]]. [[Cardiff]] was soon among the most important [[coal]] ports in the [[world]] and [[Swansea]] among the most important [[steel]] ports.

The heavy industries boomed here, as they did in the industrial heartlands all over [[Great Britain|Britain]], but after [[World War I]] the [[1926 United Kingdom general strike]] hit the coal industry hard, a legacy felt until well after [[World War II]] and indeed echoed in the [[UK miners' strike (1984-1985)]] by families who were often affected by all these events through several generations.

== Decline ==
The [[World War II|Second World War]] marked the beginning of the end of these [[heavy industry|heavy industries]] in the Valleys. [[Steel]] works and [[coal mines]] began to close, despite [[nationalisation]] by the [[United Kingdom|UK]] [[government]]. In [[1966]], the village of [[Aberfan]] in the [[River Taff|Taff]] valley suffered one of the worst [[disaster]]s in [[History of Wales|Welsh history]]. A mine waste tip on the top of the mountain slid down the valley side and destroyed the village [[primary school]], killing 144 people, 116 of them children.

In [[1979]], [[Margaret Thatcher]] became [[Prime Minister]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. [[Thatcherism|Her policies]] of [[free market]] economics soon clashed with the loss-making, government-owned [[National Coal Board]]. In [[1984]] and [[1985]], after the government announced plans to close many mines across the UK, [[UK miners' strike (1984-1985)|mineworkers went on strike]]. The ultimate failure of this strike led to the virtual destruction of the UK's coal industry. No deep coal mines are left in the valleys since the closure in 2008 of [[Tower Colliery]] in the [[Cynon Valley]]. This was bought by the [[workers]] in [[1994]], despite government attempts to close it. In the new millennium, the last of the [[steel]] industry closed, as [[Corus Group]] (formerly [[British Steel]]) closed its plant in [[Ebbw Vale]].

== The valleys today ==
The closure of the [[heavy industry|heavy industries]] led to very high [[unemployment]] in the valleys and whilst measured unemployment has fallen considerably since the early 1990s, high levels of economic inactivity remain, particularly in the upper sections of the Valleys. In the [[1990s]], the [[government]] attracted [[light industry|light industries]] to try and reduce the level of [[unemployment]]. Many of these companies were from the [[Far East]] although these are increasingly being replaced by European and American owned operations. However, the [[economy]] remains weak and virtually the entire area is poor enough to qualify for [[European Union]] [[Objective 1]] funding. Official statistics are somewhat misleading however in suggesting a rather uniform level of underperformance. The lower Valleys have typically performed more strongly economically, with the lower Taff and Ely Valleys in particular attracting inward investment and migration from firms and families priced out of Cardiff.

== Culture ==
The South Wales valleys became a symbol of the whole of [[Wales]] for many foreign people (including those in the other parts of the [[United Kingdom]]). Some visitors to other parts of Wales are surprised when they do not find [[coal mines]] and [[terraced housing]]. The valleys do, however, contain a [[List of Welsh principal areas by population|large percentage of the Welsh population]] and remain an important centre of [[Culture of Wales|Welsh culture]], despite the growing domination of [[Cardiff]]. The UK parliament's first [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] ([[Socialist]]) [[Member of Parliament|MP]], [[Keir Hardie]] was elected from the area and the Valleys remain a stronghold of [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] power. [[Rugby union]] is very [[Popularity|popular]] and [[rugby union]] pitches can be seen along the valley floors. [[Football (soccer)|Football]] is also popular in the valleys, as in the rest of the British Isles. The area was overwhelmingly [[Welsh language|Welsh]] speaking at the end of the nineteenth century, but today, [[English language|English]] is the everyday language, except for the western valleys around [[Ammanford]] and the Upper Swansea valley, where Welsh is still widely spoken.

The geographical shape of the valleys have their effect on culture. Many roads stretch along valleys connecting the different settlements in the valley. Consequently the different towns in a valley are more closely associated with each other than they are with towns in the neighbouring valley, even when the towns in the neighbouring valley are closer on the map. The Heads of the Valleys road, the [[A465 road]], is significant due to its connection of valleys with each other, and there are hopes that the dualling of this road will improve the economic performance of the region as the road becomes the main thoroughfare to Swansea and West Wales from the Midlands and North of England.

== Transport ==

In terms of rail transport, many settlements in the Valleys are served by an extensive commuter metro network known as the [[Valley Lines]], which link them to [[Cardiff Queen Street railway station|Cardiff Queen Street]] and [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff Central]] with connections onto the [[South Wales Main Line]].

[[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach Wales]] link many towns and villages directly to [[Cardiff central bus station]].

== List of important valleys in South Wales ==
From west to east:
* [[River Loughor|Loughor Valley]] (forms border between [[Carmarthenshire]] in [[West Wales]] and [[Glamorgan]] in [[South Wales]])
* [[River Tawe|Tawe Valley]]
* [[Swansea Valley]]
* [[River Neath|Vale of Neath]]
* [[River Afan|Afan Valley]]
* [[River Llynfi|Llynfi Valley]]
* [[River Garw|Garw Valley]]
* [[Ogmore River|Ogmore Vale]]
* [[River Ely|Ely Valley]]
* [[Rhondda Valleys]]
* [[River Cynon|Cynon Valley]]
* [[River Taff|Taff Valley]]
* [[Rhymney Valley]] (forms border between [[Glamorgan]] and [[Monmouthshire]])
* [[Sirhowy Valley]]
* [[Ebbw River|Ebbw Valley]]
* Ebbw Fach Valley
* [[Afon Llwyd|Llwyd Valley]]
* [[River Usk|Vale of Usk]]
* [[Wye Valley]] (forms border between [[Monmouthshire]] in South Wales and [[Gloucestershire]] in [[South West England]]

== See also ==
* [[A465 road]] The Heads of the Valleys Road

== External links ==
* [http://www.data-wales.co.uk/valley1.htm The industrialisation of the South Wales Valleys]
* [http://www.southernwales.com/en/valleys.php South Wales Valleys tourist site]
* [http://www.aberdareblog.co.uk/ Aberdare Blog - Strong Views from the Valleys]
* [http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/ Welsh mining history]
* [http://www.thevalleys.eu/index.php Old and New Library Images from the Valleys]

[[Category:Valleys of Wales]]
[[Category:Geography of Wales]]