First Minister of Wales Visit

Today, we had the pleasure of introducing First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford to Gladstone's Library, where he spoke with staff and viewed special collection items.

Our Archivist Alexandra presented some of William E Gladstone's correspondence to Mr Drakeford, and one letter in particular struck a chord with the First Minister.




He said (slightly paraphrased): "He (William Gladstone) is often written about as though his being in Wales was an accident, that he could have been from anywhere, when truly Wales played a great role in his development, politically and as a person. Just now, I held a letter written to him from the Rhondda, urging him to appoint a Welsh minister, and of course he did: T. E. Ellis."




Warden Andrea Russell said she was delighted to welcome Mr Drakeford to the Library. She said: "It was a pleasure to meet Mr Drakeford and talk to him about the archives and the special collections here, about the Library as it is today and about its future."