Month: July 2020

New Fire Station

The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 95 years ago today….

MERTHYR’S FIRE STATION

Opening of New Building and Medical Comforts Depot

On Thursday afternoon the Mayor of Merthyr (Coun. F. A. Phillips), in the presence of a large number of local ladies and gentlemen, opened the new Fire Station for the borough, which is erected on a site adjoining the Central Police Station, the cost of which was about £1,800.  Accommodation is provided on the ground floor for the fire engine and the police ambulance car.  The first floor will be used as a recreation room, and this has been equipped and furnished out of the Police Athletic Club’s funds.  The third floor has been fitted up as a medical comforts’ department, under the Merthyr Centre of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

A number of the nurses were present wearing their uniform, under the supervision of Mr D. M. Davies, the Chief Constable, who is also the Commissioner of the Merthyr Centre of the St. John Ambulance Brigade; Miss Williams, the supt.; and Mr Harry Jones, the corps. supt.  The Mayor, who was accompanied by Mrs. Phillips, the Mayoress, was supported by members and officials of the Corporation; Lady Herbert Lewis, O.B.E., of Cardiff, who later opened the medical comforts’ department and Miss Herman, of the Priory of Wales.

A large and interested crowd of spectators assembled outside the fire station, and before the opening ceremony the Brigade gave a demonstration of how promptly they can act in case of a call being received.  The fire bell sounded, the large doors swung open, and the motor fire engine, fully manned, darted out of the station and stopped just outside the entrance of the market.  At the same moment another door was opened, and the ambulance car, fully manned, left the other department, and made its way to High-street.  Inspector J. C. Lamb was in charge of the Brigade.

The Chief Constable was Master of Ceremonies, and after this interesting demonstration he asked Mr. Edmund Rees (the architect) to present the Mayor with a miniature fireman’s axe, and the key with which to formally open the building.

The Mayor unlocked the large doors amid applause, and Ald. W. Burr, the Deputy-Mayor, unlocked the doors of the ambulance entrance amid a similar demonstration.

The Mayor said: I congratulate the Architect (Mr. T Edmund Rees) and all others concerned for this beautiful structure just opened.  For many years this part of the building has not been used owing to its unsuitability for any purpose.  The ground upon which it stands is freehold, and is the property of the Corporation.  This beautiful fire station will greatly add to the efficiency of the Fire Brigade, being attached to the Police Station itself, and only a few yards from the firemen’s bedrooms.  Heating apparatus will be fixed later, and a certain temperature can be maintained throughout the winter, whereas now in the fire station just vacated it is almost a matter of impossibility to start a 69 horse-power engine during the winter months owing to the low temperature, with a consequent loss of valuable time; and the most valuable time at a fire is the first few minutes after the discovery of an outbreak.  (Applause.)

The Chief Constable’s two pretty little daughters then presented beautiful bouquets to lady Lewis and the Mayoress.

Inside the building the Mayoress (Mrs. Phillips) was presented by P.S. Edward Jones, Chairman of the Police Athletic Club, with a pair of silver scissors with which to cut a ribbon at the foot of the staircase leading to the recreation room, where she subsequently unveiled a framed memorial to six Merthyr policemen who were killed in the Great War.

The Memorial was dedicated by the Rector of Merthyr, the Rev. J. Richards-Pugh, R.D., and the “Last Post” was sounded by P.C. F. Standard, one of four brothers who are members of the Merthyr Force, and who went through the war.

The Mayor said: As Chairman of the Watch Committee, I am very pleased that at long last the members of our Police Force have a club room for their own use.  Hitherto the only room at their disposal was the messroom downstairs, which will only hold about a dozen.  This messroom was used for breakfast room, dining room, supper room, etc.; and all games and meetings of necessity had to be held there.  In appreciation of the provision of this club room the Police themselves purchased this billiard table, the beautiful and appropriate pictures which you see on that wall; the War Memorial in memory of their comrades who fell in the Great War; and the clock – costing altogether £103 0s. 6d.  This beautiful memorial was executed throughout by Mr. E.A. Gilbert, of Rhymney, a postman; and I must congratulate him on his work.  Mr. Gilbert is well known throughout the land, and especially at the Royal Academy, where he was awarded prizes for similar work; also at National Eisteddfodau.  The names you see on it are those of highly respected officers of our Police Force.  Four of them belonged to the “Old Contemptibles, viz.: Tom Evans, Stubbs, Leonard and Clarke.  Lovis and Morgan were volunteers, and they joined the army in 1915.  It may interest you to know that 47 members of our Police Force served during the Great War, leaving 40 behind to “keep the home fires burning.”  The Police, out of their own funds, gave the dependents of the six men who did not come back £50 each.  (Applause.)

Lady Lewis then formally opened the medical comforts’ department, and was presented with a silver key by Miss Williams, the lady supt. of the Nursing Division.

Among others who took part in the proceedings were Ald. F. Pedler, Councillors Isaac Edwards, F. T. James, H. M. Lloyd, David Parry, B. J. Williams, Miss C. Jones (Matron of Mardy Hospital) and Miss Templeman (Supt. Nurse of the Merthyr Infirmary).

Coun. Parry proposed, and Coun, B. J. Williams seconded, a vote of thanks to the Mayor for opening the building; Coun. F. T. James moved a similar compliment to the Mayoress, which Coun. H. M. Lloyd seconded; and Miss C Jones, Matron of Mardy Hospital, moved a vote of thanks to Lady Lewis, which was seconded by Miss Templeman, of the Merthyr Infirmary.

Many thanks to Tracy Barnard for transcribing this article.

A photograph taken in the early 1970s, showing (left to right) Merthyr Central Police Station, Merthyr Fire Station and Market Square Chapel. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Taff Merthyr Colliery

Opened in 1926, the Taff Merthyr Colliery was one of the last collieries to be sunk in Wales by a private company – the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company. It was also one of the most controversial.

Taff Merthyr Colliery in the 1920s. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

The two shafts of the Taff Merthyr Colliery were sunk between 1922 and 1924 to approximately 1900 feet and were 21 feet in diameter, but the development of the colliery took place during the 1926 General Strike. The pit officially opened just after the end of the strike, but the owners of the company insisted that no members of the South Wales Miners’ Federation could be employed at this new pit and they set up a company union, the South Wales Miners Industrial Union, which the miners were expected to join in order to work.

Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s the pit, together with others in the South Wales valleys became major trouble spots in the struggle for democratic representation with torchlight processions, stay down strikes and mass meetings, culminating in the strike of 1934/5.  Taff Merthyr ‘strike breakers’ went into the mine under police protection and fought with the stay-down strikers resulting in 40 men being injured in the battle.

The anger felt by miners and their wives towards the ‘scab’ workforce often spilled into the streets with physical violence and other forms of intimidation. Crowds would assemble on the streets and as this labour-force passed silence was observed with doffing of caps and caps until they passed out of sight (taken from the Western Mail 1935). This resentment was to remain in the village for many years.

Police Sergeant Gooding after being hit by a stone during the Taff Merthyr Riots in Trelewis. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

During the peak years of the early 1930’s however, the pit employed more than 1,600 men and produced an annual tonnage of over 600,000. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Bevin Boys were employed at the colliery, and in 1945 it was reported that 1,119 men were employed at the colliery.

The colliery was nationalised in 1947, and at that time it employed 153 men on the surface and 874 underground.

During the early seventies, 735 men were employed and they produced 340,000 tons of coal annually from the seven feet coal seam. £ 8 million was invested in the colliery in the mid-seventies and the work was completed in August 1978 and it involved deepening shafts to 640 meters and building a new coal preparation plant and MGR dispatch system.

Taff Merthyr Colliery in the 1970s. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

In 1992 Taff Merthyr was amongst 31 pits scheduled for closure, despite protests and the widely held opinion that there were at least 10 years reserves of coal. Safety and maintenance work continued during a review, but it seemed inevitable that 368 coal workers would lose their livelihood when tons of rubble and other material for filling the shafts were delivered before the review was even concluded. The final shift was worked on 11 June 1993. There was talk of a miners buy out but it never materialised and the winding gear was demolished by explosion on 22 July 1994.