Thursday Thirteen #8

After having a break from Thursday Thirteen for a couple of weeks, I thought I'd return with a list of famous people from my home city of Swansea, in Wales, UK. Some of these people may not be well-known outside the UK/Europe, so I'll explain who they are and why they're famous.

Thirteen Famous people connected to Swansea

1…. Dylan Thomas, the famous Welsh poet and playwright.

2.... Russell T. Davies, an award-winning TV writer and producer. He wrote the original UK series of Queer as Folk. He is currently in the spotlight as the creative force behind the revision of cult sci-fi series, Doctor Who. He has also created a spin-off show from Doctor Who, called Torchwood.

3.... Catherine Zeta Jones, Oscar-winning actress, and wife of Michael Douglas.

4.... Martin Amis, author of both fiction and non-fiction, spent his childhood in Swansea. His father, Kingsley Amis, held a teaching post in the English department at University College Swansea, at the time.

5.... Paul Durden, a well-known local character, co-wrote the cult black comedy film, Twin Twin.

6.... Sir Harry Secombe (deceased), comedian and singer. He co-wrote and starred in the popular radio comedy, The Goon Show, in the 1950's and early 1960's, and went on to enjoy a successful singing and TV career.

7.... Peter Ham, rock musician and founder member of 60's and 70's Swansea band, Badfinger. He was also the co-writer of Without You, which was a massive hit for both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey. Peter Ham sadly committed suicide in 1975, aged just 27.

8.... Cerys Matthews, former lead vocalist of indie band, Catatonia. She has been back in the public eye recently, when she appeared on a reality TV show, in which she and one of her co-stars fell in love, despite him having a long term partner, who dumped him as a result.

9.... Terry Williams, who was the drummer of rock band, Dire Straits, for a number of years. I used to serve him with drinks at a bar where I worked, when his band were top of the charts. Embarassingly, I had no idea who he was, until someone told me.

10... There is a local rumour that Hillary Clinton's father had some kind of family ties in Swansea. I've no idea if this is true or not.

11... Mary Quant, the pioneering fashion designer, famous for hot-pants and mini-skirts, was born to parents who hailed from the Swansea area.

12... The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams is from the Mumbles area of Swansea. His role means he is the spiritual head of the Church of England (Anglican Church) in the UK.

13... The Scottish aviator, Sir Arthur Whitten Brown, the first man to fly across the Atlantic, was a resident of Langland, a coastal village on the western edge of Swansea. He lived in Swansea until his death in 1948.

That's my Thursday Thirteen for this week. Happy Thursday!

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