Obituary: Alexander Cordell

An inn named after Alexander Cordell may become as much a Mecca for his devotees as Brown's Hotel in Laugharne is for Dylan Thomas enthusiasts, writes Tony Heath [further to the obituary by Meic Stephens, 11 July].

The Cordell Country Inn stands halfway up the winding B4246 road linking the village of Govilon with Blaenavon. Overlooking the Usk valley, it was named after the writer following a chance meeting with Graham Jones and his wife Margaret, when they were converting the building from a house 13 years ago.

They became friends and today a picture of Cordell hangs over the fireplace and prints from Rape of the Fair Country decorate the walls. Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West, remembers visiting the inn with a parliamentary colleague, Huw Edwards, MP for Monmouth and a Cordell devotee. When they walked in, Cordell was sitting down having a meal. "Huw couldn't believe it - he said afterwards it was like meeting Shakespeare," Flynn recalls.