Just over a week ago, on Sunday September 21st, my wife Jan and I attended "Alfred Russel Wallace Day" which took place in the rather grand Sessions House in Wallace's birthplace, Usk in Wales. The event was designed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Wallace's independent discovery of natural selection this year, and it was also the official launch of Batu-Angas, Anne Cluysenaar's book of wonderful poetry about Wallace (CLICK HERE for a leaflet). Around 50 people attended - one (Rambli Ahmad) coming from as far away as Sarawak in Borneo. Artist Fred Langford Edwards exhibited a selection of his excellent Wallace-related photographs (some of which are shown HERE) and interesting talks were given by the Earl of Cranbrook (on Wallace in Borneo), Rambli Ahmad (on the Wallace trail in Sarawak), Fred (on the art project he and I are collaborating on) and David Collard (on Wallace as an economic and social reformer) [I had the easy job of introducing the speakers]. Anne Cluysenaar concluded the event by reading a selection of her Wallace poetry.
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| The event venue - the Sessions House, Usk. Copyright Janet Beccaloni. | Poet Anne Cluysenaar signs her book for the Earl of Cranbrook. Copyright Janet Beccaloni. |
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| Artist Fred Langford Edwards and his wife Diane. Copyright Janet Beccaloni. | David Collard and his wife Stella. Copyright Janet Beccaloni. |
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| Rambli Ahmad & the Earl of Cranbrook beside the Wallace Memorial. Copyright Janet Beccaloni. |
After the event some of the people who had attended visited the Wallace Memorial near the house were Wallace was born, on the other side of the River Usk to the town. For information about this unique monument CLICK HERE.
The day before Wallace Day Jan and I visited Usk Castle for the first time. Wallace used to play in the castle during his early childhood and in his autobiography My Life he recalls: "Some friends of our family lived in the house to which the ruins of the castle were attached, and we children were occasionally invited to tea, when a chief part of our entertainment was to ascend the old keep by the spiral stair, and walk round the top, which had a low parapet on the outer side, while on the inner we looked down to the bottom of the tower, which descended below the ground level into an excavation said to be the dungeon. The top of the walls was about three feet thick, and it was thus quite safe to walk round close to the parapet, though there was no protection on the inner edge but the few herbs and bushes that grew upon it. For many years this small fragment of a mediaeval castle served to illustrate for me the stories of knights and giants and prisoners immured in dark and dismal dungeons."
The castle is a truely magical place - and although it is situated in a huge private garden, anyone can visit it. There are some amazing views of Usk town and the Usk Valley to be had from it - see photo below.
Since the official launch, Anne's book has been reviewed in The Guardian newspaper - congratulations Anne! To see the review CLICK HERE.
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| Part of Usk Castle. Copyright George Beccaloni. | Part of Usk Castle. Copyright George Beccaloni. |
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| View over Usk from Usk Castle. Copyright George Beccaloni. |
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