In the 1970s I was a photographer on the evening newspaper in Newport - the South Wales Argus. Chasing around Newport and the valleys of south-east Wales on news stories meant that I got to know the region extremely well. I always carried my small Leica camera so that I could capture my own views of life in South Wales between the press jobs.
I was always conscious that the unique character of South Wales cried out to be documented before its personality changed. Many of these pictures were published in my book A Different Country* (2015).
That book's very title reflects how I felt about the images in it; not only was I looking back in time, I was also looking at what indeed was a very different country.
So, I've gone back to some of the places in that book, nearly half a century later in some cases, to see what they are like now. There have obviously been massive changes with the demise of the major industry - coal mining. Some places are barely recognisable, whilst others look and feel much the same.
What struck me on every one of these return visits though was that the warm, friendly, open Welsh welcome that's always been there hasn't changed a bit!