I arrived in Aberystwyth in 1982 in a yellow Triumph Spitfire, heavily pregnant, over-educated and entirely ignorant of Wales.  To my adoptive country we contributed three children, a widowed mother, a garden and a succession of cherished family pets.  I have been busy, not only domestically.

From the people who live here, from local archives and collections, and in the great granite copyright library on the hill I have learnt much about the Welsh county of Ceredigion.   We have more books than people here.  I too have always hoarded local newspapers, brochures, postcards, photographs and other ephemera.

When I began this blog in 2012 I said I planned to post at least three times a week: about things I’d learnt, people I’d met and the rich variety of stories and characters tucked away in this beautiful county five hours distant by train from London. I soon realized this was over-ambitious. Many of these short  pieces require quite a bit of documentary research and picture sourcing, and I try very hard not to publish until I have thoroughly checked my facts.  So on average I have written about 20 pieces per year, but I am pleased that many of them have stimulated the interest of discriminating and knowledgeable readers.

In the early years there was some doubt as to whom The Curious Scribbler might be, ( I had chose that cognomen after attending a course on factual blog-writing by the Spitalfields writer known as The Gentle Author), and I was flattered by some of the mis-identifications.  Ten years later, I think most readers know that I am in fact Caroline Palmer.

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