Brian Lee - Cardiff
Cardiff born and bred Brian Lee is the author of around 26 books and many of them have been reprinted on several occasions over the years. A former athlete, he worked as a stereo typer at the Western Mail and South Wales Echo for 28 years and has had his own columns on Local Athletics, Horse Racing and Local History. A former co-ordinator of the now defunct Cardiff City Hall based Historic Records Project, his weekly Cardiff Remembered column in the South Wales Echo has a big following.
Of Brian's Memory Lane Cardiff, Meic Stephens, Professor of Welsh writing in English wrote: "There have been several books about Cardiff in recent years but I can recommend this one as among the most pleasing of them all.''
And of his Cardiff Then and Now, compiled with the help of his photographer son-in-law Russell Harvey, Professor Stephens wrote "It is one of the most handsome books ever published on our capital city.'' Brian's Cardiff Then and Now made it to number three in the Western Mail's top ten best sellers and was the first book to appear in both the top ten General and Welsh book charts.
Dubbed the indefatigable Brian Lee by the late Stewart Williams, editor of the Cardiff Yesterday series, Brian has appeared on a number of radio and television programs and has reported on the Welsh hunt- racing scene for the national and local press for more than half-a-century. In 2016 he was awarded the John Ayres Special Recognition Award for his services to Welsh point-to-pointing and of his The Welsh Grand National-from Deerstalker to Emperor's Choice, (The History Press) former champion National Hunt jockey Peter Scudamore said it is "an engrossing study that not only documents the history of the great race, but also charts the development of National Hunt racing.''
Brian's Racing Rogues -The Scams, Scandals and Gambles of Horse Racing in Wales (St David's Press) published in 2016 quickly sold out and was reprinted the following year. He is fast approaching his 85th year and with two books in the hands of two different publishers, both delayed by the dreaded virus, he is hoping that he will live long enough to see them published!