Sir,

Being a Monmouthshire (but not Monmouth)

resident, I am continually amused by the many indignant

letters and articles printed in the Beacon that concern the

status of Monmouth and Monmouthshire, many of which

contain some wild and inaccurate assumptions.

Where should I start? How about 1889, when the old

county of Monmouthshire was established, with its

headquarters in Newport (not Monmouth!)?

Despite Newport leaving the county a couple of

years later on being granted County Borough status, "old"

Monmouthshire continued to be administered from

Newport until the county was abolished in 1974, when it

became part of the new county of Gwent, whose HQ was

at Cwmbran.

Gwent was in turn abolished in 1996, when a new,

much smaller Monmouthshire was set up, which remains

to this day - and is still headquartered in Cwmbran.So,

Monmouth has not been the "county town" within living

memory but the myth persists!

I am also amused at the hostile reaction of some

readers and, it would appear, the Beacon's editorial staff,

to the County Council's recent decision to at last move

their headquarters back inside the county's borders.

Far from applauding this decision, the view seems to

be, "If it ain't Monmouth town, we're agin it!".On

reflection, perhaps it might have been better for all

concerned if, back in 1996, the powers-that-be had

named the new authority "The County Borough of Eastern

Gwent" or maybe even "Uskwyemonnowshire"?

As a further tongue-in-cheek afterthought, perhaps

the Beacon – clearly being predominantly Monmouth-

centric, although sold all over the county – might wish to

retitle itself "The Monmouth Beacon". There must be quite

a few residents of the other towns and villages in the

county who buy the Beacon weekly and might appreciate

some clarity in this matter!

George Weston

(Llanishen)