Aubrey Hames was one of the most iconic figures in the Welsh town of Newport in the decades following the second world war. He was a man of his time – someone who had experienced first-hand the difficulties of poverty and the horrors of conflict – and someone who had a true passion for improving the lives of his fellow human beings. The opposite of a career politician, Aubrey Hames was someone who served his entire political career in his local constituency – continuing to fight for improvement even when suffering police corruption, false accusations, and the subsequent loss of income. In the post-war decades, he developed a reputation as a forthright, honest and hardworking politician, respected by his political allies as well as his opponents and known throughout Newport for his famous moustache.

In this moving account of his life, his son, Dominic Hames provides not only an account of a childhood in Wales and a young man’s experience of war, but also a glimpse of the state of local politics in the United Kingdom at the time – and the personal efforts made by countless local councillors all over the country to bring local towns into the twentieth century. This book is not only for those interested in local history or in the history of the labour party, but is for anyone interested in people and their dreams, motivations, disappointments and successes. 

“Aubrey Hames” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q62V4yebvOY

ITV News Article: https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-08-01/son-of-aubrey-hames-says-his-father-never-got-over-wrongful-corruption-claims

Author: Dominic Hames
Release date: 15th November 2023
Format: Paperback, 280 pages, 6x9in
Availability: Available from all good bookshops. For wholesalers via Gardners or direct from the publisher.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-914390-19-7
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-914390-24-1
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-914390-20-3
Price Paperback: £26.99