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Simon Haslett
Simon Haslett lives in Usk and will soon be taking up the directorship of the new Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at Newport University. Here he talks about what he loves about the county
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm husband to Sam and father to three lovely daughters. I'm head of the geography department at Bath Spa University but from the end of May I'll take up the directorship of the new Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the University of Wales, Newport. I'm really very excited.
I undertake research, as well as lecturing, in coastal geography. This includes a study of the catastrophic flood which devastated the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary in 1607. With Professor Ted Bryant, from Australia, we suggested that the flood, which killed around 2,000 people, might have been caused by a tsunami rather than by a storm. The BBC made a Timewatch programme about our work in 2004. The tragic Indian Ocean tsunami later that year made our work highly topical and so attracted a lot of media interest. Ted and I have since made another programme for the BBC about British tsunami which should be out later this year. I've also been in the news questioning whether a tidal barrage should be built across the Severn Estuary. According to Canadian colleagues, to whom I lectured at the Atlantic Geoscience Society Conference in Nova Scotia earlier this year, the UK should not be considering a barrage, as they have had such bad experiences from barrages they have built.
Tell us a bit about how you feel about coming home?
Coming home has been a bit of a piecemeal affair as we moved from Somerset back to Usk about six years ago, but I've had to commute to Bath, so to be able to both live and work here will be a relief. My wife was born in Usk, but my family moved to Usk from Caerleon when I was 14. We both went to Caerleon Comprehensive School. My family were originally all dockers or sailors from Newport, which may be where I get my interest in the coast and sea from.
What do you like most about Monmouthshire?
The countryside with its red soils, lush vegetation, hills, valleys, rivers, brooks and estuary coast. It used to be called the Red Land of Gwent because of the iron-rich Old Red Sandstone rocks that outcrop throughout the area. I also like the old villages and towns with their medieval churches and castles which, because of their local stone construction, blend in seamlessly with the natural beauty of the county. The local people are very friendly too!
Where would you recommend for an unforgettable dining experience?
We're a bit spoilt living in Usk as there are so many pubs serving good food and real ale all within walking distance. But the one we go back to time and again is the King's Head for its consistently good quality food and beer, its range of prices, and good company. The Royal would be a close second.
What is your favourite book and why?
This is a difficult question, but I'd probably have to say My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. Durrell was such a great all round naturalist and public educator, but his time growing up on Corfu was in some ways similar to five years that me and my family spent in Australia when I was young.
What do you tell friends about Monmouthshire who have never been?
That it's a beautiful, diverse, yet relatively quiet and undiscovered part of Britain. Originally the Kingdom of Gwent and part of Wales, it was exiled by Henry VIII to be neither part of Wales or England (look at an old school atlas and it'll say England, Wales and Monmouthshire') until the county of Gwent was (re)established in the 1970s. Gwent is the original name for the area, so I was disappointed when the county was divided up in the 1990s and the eastern half became Monmouthshire once again - well, at least it is still Welsh!
Who would be your ideal companion on a trip round Monmouthshire?
My wife, children and our springer spaniel, but if Gerald Durrell was still alive I'd invite him for a ramble too.
Favourite town in the county and why?
Usk. It's where we grew up, it's where most of our families still live, we know most people, its history and lovely old buildings, the beautiful countryside that encircles the town, the brass band, great pubs - it's home!
Favourite Monmouthshire landmark which you think is a must see'?
Gray Hill in Wentwood. You just have to look and touch the many standing stones littering the bracken-clad hillside fashioned by the hand of our ancestors. And there are incredible views across the county and beyond, including the Severn Sea, Flat Holm, Steep Holm, Denny Island, and south west England in the distance.
If there is one thing missing from the county, what would it be?
A big weekend folk festival all on one site. Sam and I have always played folk music (we play at the Boat Inn, Penallt, regularly under the name Stormus) and it would be great to have a summer festival in the county. Chepstow and Newport have decent festivals, but we'd prefer to sit in the sun in a field in front of a stage!
What annual event is a must?
I'd be in trouble if I didn't say Usk Brass Band's Christmas Concert. We've played in the Band since we were kids, and now our children play too! It's a great thing to do together as a family and we've made some wonderful friends. This year we're also playing at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff (May 11) and making a CD, so we're going to be pretty busy.
11:50am Tuesday 6th May 2008
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