Abergavenny Gay Witch Hunt of 1942: "Forgotten Abergavenny" publishes An Old Photograph of The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny

15 SEPTEMBER 2014 : FORGOTTEN ABERGAVENNY WEB SITE PUBLISHED THIS ARTICLE TODAY: THANKS TO SASSY HICKS. The Dark Past of Abergavenny (and how it is helping the community now) William Cross, the Author of the controversial book “The Abergavenny Witch Hunt” has kindly submitted this old photo of The Angel Hotel in Cross Street back in the late... 1930s. By the 1940s (after a string of tenants from the early 18th Century onwards), ownership of The Angel Hotel had passed to Trust House Forte. A centre of excellent hospitality and relaxation for locals and visitors alike, it was where Abergavenny’s great and good assembled nightly “to settle the events of the world”. In 1942, it was an almighty shock to find that one of the favourite chefs at the hotel and a café assistant from nearby were caught up with other men and youths in the seedy homosexual scandal that engulfed the town. At the time such conduct was against the law. Over twenty years later, in 1967, Pontypool’s reforming MP, Leo Abse, was influenced by the aftermath of chaos from the Abergavenny case to successfully promote a Private Members Bill to change the law on homosexuality which is now enshrined in the our basic human rights. “The Abergavenny Witch Hunt” is a truly remarkable book that delves into the dark past of the town and its role in changing the homosexuality laws for the better. It’s well worth a read if you are intrigued by local history. You can meet the Author, William Cross, and buy a signed copy of his book at the Abergavenny Bookshop in High Street on Saturday 20th September during the Abergavenny Food Festival. *William has also kindly agreed to donate all profits from the sale of this book to the ‘Abergavenny Community Café’, in memory of Lewis Matthews, the 19th-year-old Abergavenny lad, who took his own life during the 1942 case. The Abergavenny Community Café is based at the leisure centre and is run and managed entirely by volunteers. It is also a training base for people wishing to learn skills to work in the hospitality industry. Please support them as they are all incredible people!

Welsh Gay Witch Hunt : Abergavenny Community Cafe : A Fitting Way to Remember Lewis Matthews (1922-1942)

15 September 2014 : THE ABERGAVENNY COMMUNITY CAFE Thanks to the ( always inspiring ) Sassy Hicks ( who runs the Forgotten Abergavenny website)an ideal place has emerged to donate the profits from sales of the book THE ABERGAVENNY WITCH HUNT. Sassy advises..... " The Abergavenny Community Cafe is a community café that’s run 100% by volunteers which operates from the Abergavenny Leisure Centre a few mornings a week. They are 100% reliant on funding/donations/good will. It is more than just a café as it’s used as a training venue for single parents, people with learning disabilities and other hard to reach groups. They would positively welcome any support! " The Cafe organiser is Alison Armiger. Sassy kindly put me in touch with Alison. Sassy is helping the Cafe further via press releases and looking at grants to revamp their meagre facilities. By donating whatever profits arise this is a very fine way to remember Lewis Matthews, ( 1922-1942), the nineteen-year-old who killed himself in 1942.