The Strata Florida project

I was Senior Project Officer for the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David long-term project to explore the site and landscape of the Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida.  My role included working with the local community and businesses to raise awareness of the site and to encourage its use in economic development through heritage tourism.  The project created heritage trails with interpretation panels and leaflet, a DVD, and a dedicated website.

About me

This webpage brings together links to all my activities and publications on the web.  It never has new posts- I just edit this one to ensure links are current.

Words to thoughts

I have developed a series of workshops aimed at managers looking at critical reflection and creative writing, publishing the short book The Flow of Thought: A manager's guide to using poetry for reflection.

Digitisation

From 2003 until 2011, I worked as a project manager at the National Library of Wales in Abertytwyth, Ceredigion, Wales.  The Library is a copyright library, holding the world's largest collection of printed books relating to Wales, but is also the largest archive in Wales.  My first project was Archives Network Wales, now re-branded as Archives Wales, a website containing searchable summaries of all archive collections held in Wales.   I also project-managed the Welsh Journals Online project, funded by JISC, digitising 400,000 pages of 20th-century journals.  I  worked as Project Support Manager on an even more ambitious project to digitise the Library's entire pre-1900 newspaper and journal collection.  Anything relating to my work at the Library is published on its website, and nowhere else.

Archaeology

I had previously worked as a archaeological project manager, mainly for the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, of which I am now a trustee.  I undertook commercial evaluations and excavations across south Wales and published numerous reports.  I continue to do some  work as an archaeological specialist on brick, mortar and animal bone. 

I have combined my interests in management practice and archaeology at my blog 10 simple steps to better archaeological management. which was initially developed for an IfA conference paper and is occasionally updated with commentary on current professional issues.  This blog is completely independent of any organisation. 

Writing and poetry

I have been running my main blog, A Few Words, since 2004.  This has a  mixture of reviews, jokes, essays and short stories, not all of it tasteful, well-written, or error-free.  I don't use it much anymore.  There are also separate blogs for the unproduced radio plays Dooced and  Written in the Heart and an early draft of the novella Change and Decay. 

I publish general poetry on Carefully Chosen Words and haiku about management on Capturing the Changing Moment.  

I am currently writing a novel.

I am a member of Lampeter Writers' Workshop and Red Heron.

Publishing

I run the small press Carreg Ffylfan Press, which has published six books so far, Carefully Chosen Words, Travels with a Notebook, 10 simple steps to better archaeological management, and The Flow of Thought, Poetry from Strata Florida and Removals.

Art projects

I am currently devoting some time to the Skyline Project (photos of unusual and interesting skylines and exploring negative space) and the Found Words Project (leaving short poems in public places).

Social networking

I am on Linked In, Facebook  and Twitter @mlocock (not used much).   .

I can be contacted at mlocockATgmail.com