ABERGAVENNY BOOK SIGNING 20 SEPTEMBER 2014 : FIRST CALLERS INCLUDING MARTIN and ALISON HICKMAN THE MAYOR AND MAYORESS OF ABERGAVENNY

ABERGAVENNY BOOK SIGNING 20 SEPTEMBER 2014 : FIRST CALLERS INCLUDING MARTIN and ALISON HICKMAN THE MAYOR AND MAYORESS OF ABERGAVENNY 26 September 2014 Blog Part 2 : First Callers: Including the Mayor and Mayoress. William Cross writes about the book signing at The Abergavenny Book Shop on 20 September 2014. Our early callers were a mix of visitors to the town and a few local folk. The chat was lively and intense. Sales began and were consistent throughout the day. A good will call was received from several friends including one of the volunteers at Abergavenny Castle who some time ago did not hesitate in taking some of the leaflets on the war time saga for display at the Castle. Hostility was almost non-existent. However one man offered a leaflet snarled “ I don’t want to read about a bunch of homosexuals in 1942”. Somewhat angered at such blatant homophobia, I replied “ Fair, enough, you are entitled to your view..” A small dramatic moment arose when Martin J Hickman JP, the Mayor of Abergavenny and his lady wife, Alison, the Lady Mayoress appeared close to our selling table, wearing their official chains. To our delight they came over and chatted about the Gay Witch Hunt case and agreed to have a photograph taken with me. Bless them. A very fine couple. But like Royalty it emerged they don’t carry any money, so didn’t buy a book. However it was a great act of courage on their part to be seen with us given that the issue of the war time case still rattles many homes and families in Abergavenny. No other current Abergavenny Town Councillor ( who were ALL e-mailed about the book )made themselves known to us. TO BE CONTINUED.

ABERGAVENNY GAY WITCH HUNT : ABERGAVENNY BOOK SIGNING 20 SEPTEMBER 2014 : SETTING UP

26 September 2014 Book Signing Blog Part 1 : Setting Up : William Cross writes about the book signing at The Abergavenny Book Shop on 20 September 2014. On the weekend Saturday of the popular Abergavenny Food Festival we set up base camp outside The Abergavenny Book Shop in the town’s High Street. Monty Dart, author of “ Who Killed Dripping Lewis?” ( the Pontypool murder case from 1939- see below) shared the limelight - or firing line. We were there for several purposes : to greet people, to ask them to take a leaflet or two, buy a book and chat . He stayed there immoveable from 9.30am to 5.00pm. But it felt strange. Both of us have been long standing supporters of the Abergavenny Food Festival and have worked for many years there as Venue Managers. In 2013 we decided to hang up our aprons and leave it to younger folk to take over our batons and napkins. The Aber Fez event seemed a good place to attract people coming into the town, and offer them a chance to learn about an important chapter of Abergavenny’s history. Brian Hughes at the Abergavenny Bookshop has been supportive from the start on offering the book on the war time scandal to those who want to read it. Our unmissable table spread was adorned with the quaint display in clerical purple declaring “ HOMOSEXUAL WITCH HUNT: BOOK SIGNING TODAY “ . This banner was last seen at Cardiff Pride. What was equally noticeable were our black tea shirts brandishing the front cover to the book in all it’s glory, which is a colourful drawing by Newport artist and cartoonist, Gerard Whyman, of the Abergavenny Coliseum Cinema in it’s heyday . In 1942 the Cinema was the lair of George Rowe, the evil paedophile who preyed on his young page boys. However as well as the book on THE ABERGAVENNY WITCH HUNT we had on offer a variety of other books including our series of titles about wayward members of the Morgan family of Tredegar House, Newport, the notorious Carnarvons of Highclere Castle ( read Downton Abbey, of course), a book about an unsolved murder in Pontypool in 1939, and a Memoir of a Ward Maid at St Cadocs Hospital, Caerleon. TO BE CONTINUED…….

ABERGAVENNY CHRONICLE : BOOK SIGNING : THE ABERGAVENNY GAY WITCH HUNT OF 1942

19th September 2014. The Abergavenny Chronicle newspaper have been supportive from the word go on highlighting the existence of my book “The Abergavenny Witch Hunt.”. They featured a piece in the edition of the Abergavenny Chronicle on 18th September 2014 about a book signing in Abergavenny, at the Abergavenny Book Shop on Saturday 20th September 2014. Bless them. The Abergavenny Witch Hunt An Account of the prosecution of over twenty homosexuals in a small Welsh town in 1942 A New Book from Newport Author, William Cross From The Abergavenny Chronicle 18th September 2014 Booksigning at Abergavenny The author of the controversial “ Abergavenny Witch Hunt” will be signing copies of his book at the Abergavenny Bookshop on Saturday [ 20th September 2014]. William Cross published the book earlier this year on the largely forgotten Abergavenny sex scandal of 1942. At the time, the notorious sex case made national news and ‘rattled the town like an earthquake’. It involved over 20 men from Abergavenny and further afield being put on trial for homosexual behaviour, when it was still an imprisonable offence. One of the men involved took his own life by throwing himself in front of a train, while most of the other men involved received sentences ranging from one to ten years. Cross told the Chronicle, “ Understandably the book’s appearance has brought a mixed reaction especially as it provokes people into either distancing themselves completely or confronting a disturbing part of the town’s past which has cast its shadow of fear over the last seventy-two years.” Although keen to stress that the book is an objective study of the 1942 case and its wider implications, Cross does not whitewash the fact that certain characters involved in the 1942 case were predatory paedophiles. Cross explained “ Several of the men in the case who were found guilty were rightly punished for their offences against boys. While others, who were only ever involved with other consenting adults, were arguably treated harshly in the sentences given compared with today’s more enlightened times. “Whatever feelings are held, from the indifferent to the sympathetic I sincerely hope most Abergavenny people will accept that in the main the events recalled reflect what we consider as the cruelty and prejudice of our society in 1942. A time when the law and tolerances were very, very different from the modern era.” “ I believe a book was needed to retell this compellingly dark and tragic tale to a new audience. It will always be a difficult chapter of Abergavenny’s history, but cases like it led to fairer laws to protect our basic human rights and more importantly laws that still protect children. Final profits from sales of the book will be donated to the Abergavenny Community Café in memory of Lewis Matthews, the 19-year-old who took his own life as a consequence of the 1942 case. ABERGAVENNY CHRONICLE 18th September 2014 Page 2.

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.

LGBT Magazines and Welsh Libraries take copies of The Abergavenny Witch Hunt

Week commencing 8th September 2014 LGBT Magazine and Libraries: Monmouthshire Libraries Fail to order The Abergavenny Witch Hunt. Book sales have continued slowly. Copies of the book have been accepted by a number of LGBT magazines, some academics ( with LGBT credentials ) as well as by several review, literary and newspaper contacts in South Wales, Kent and London. It is pleasing to report that several Welsh Libraries, including Newport, Gwent and Powys have ordered multiple copies of the book. All credit to the book requisition librarians in these two Counties. The National Library of Wales have also ordered an additional copy for their shelves. It is a very bad reflection on Monmouthshire Libraries that despite sending e-mails to ALL the libraries in the County offering discounted priced copies of The Abergavenny Witch Hunt no orders have been received to date. A very poor show. This reflects the general veil of disinterest about the sex scandal of 1942 by official organisations in Abergavenny .Whether the town and county authorities like it or not the case is a very important but disturbing aspect of the County's past history.

Reader's Comments About the book The Abergavenny Witch Hunt of 1942

1 September 2014 : Author's Blog : These comments have been received by the Author William Cross about his book "The Abergavenny Witch Hunt"

"I would like to thank you for writing the book about the Abergavenny event as it reflects the cruelty and prejudice of society at the time and brings knowledge of it to a new audience.”

HL, South Wales, UK, August 2014.

“ The trials in Abergavenny are particularly awful. You certainly feel for the wretched individuals who were up in court. Thank God we live in more enlightened times.”

JS, London, August 2014.

" This [ book] is a History about the town [ of Abergavenny] and should be appreciated regardless of an individuals personal views,and should in my view form part of local history for schools (if they teach that anymore) It certainly has given me a comprehensive insight into the bits and pieces I gleaned about all those years ago. "

GG, Eastbourne, East Sussex, September 2014