Merthyr Express – Page 23 – The Melting Pot – Merthyr Tydfil's History and Culture

Memories of Old Merthyr

Whilst looking through back issues of the Merthyr Express, local historian Michael Donovan came across a remarkable feature which ran across several editions of the newspaper in 1901. The article concerns reminiscences of Merthyr dating back to the 1830’s. Unfortunately, there is no indication who the person who wrote these memories is. Michael has passed copies of these articles on to me to feature on this blog. I will post extracts periodically, starting with the transcription below.

Merthyr Tydfil, erstwhile the metropolis of the iron manufacture, although that proud distinction no longer applies, is yet progressing and prosperous. Being able to recall it as was so many years ago, it is my intention to describe things that can be remembered, and to say in a gossiping garrulous manner what may instruct and amuse the present generation.

I think it was in 1834 I first saw Merthyr, coming by coach from Cardiff. The impression upon me was strange, for until then all ideas of existence had been gathered in a city, and the transition from such to a long, straggling village was very great. From Cardiff one set of horses ran to the Bridgewater Arms, and another on to Merthyr. The starting place in Cardiff was the Angel Hotel, which stood about the position of the Bute Estate Offices at the present, and the finish was at the Castle Hotel, or the booking office which was adjoining it on the Pontmorlais side. The coach stopped at the Bush Hotel to set down some passengers, and unless memory plays me false, the coachman’s name was Howells.

The Castle Hotel in Merthyr in the mid 1800’s

There was a great dearth of houses. Anything except workmen’s cottages were very few, and, as a rule, occupied by their owners. Just call to mind what Merthyr would be without Thomastown and Twynyrodyn, the site of the present Market-house and its surrounding streets a field, a field where the present station is (Cae Gwyn), a market garden where the lower part of the station yard is, no water except what could be had from a well here and there, no drainage, no police, and I almost think no gas works.

Further afield, Troedyrhiw had few houses, Pontyrhun was not, except a pumping engine and residence for the attendant. His name was Gibbons, and the engine supplied the Glamorganshire Canal from the river. Not above a dozen houses in Abercanaid; and as for Cefn, if you could find a cottage to spare, provided any means were used to come to Merthyr, no less than three turnpike gates would have to be passed through, to two of which a toll would be paid; and if, instead of turning round to enter the ‘village’, anyone went a short distance up the road to Penydarren, another toll would be demanded.

The old Penydarren Toll House (front) at the bottom of The Avenue. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

And yet with these conditions and surroundings –

“Content could spread a charm,
Redress the place, and all its faults disarm.”

To be continued at a later date…..

St David’s Day

Here is how St David’s Day was celebrated in Merthyr 110 years ago….

Keir Hardie: Leader of the Labour Party – part 4

by Carolyn Jacob

‘The life of one Welsh miner is of greater commercial and moral value to the British nation than the whole Royal crowd put together.’

Keir Hardie June 1894

‘One day in June, 1894, in the Commons, an address of congratulations was moved on the birth of a son to the Duchess of York. Hardie moved an amendment to this address, crying out that over two hundred and fifty men and boys had been killed on the same day in a mining disaster, and claiming that this great tragedy needed the attention of the House of Commons far more than the birth of any baby. He had been a miner himself; he knew. The House rose at him like a pack of wild dogs. His voice was drowned in a din of insults and the drumming of feet on the floor. But he stood there, white-faced, blazing-eyed, his lips moving, though the words were swept away and he was dismissed for spoiling the joy of a Royal occasion’.

R. Clynes, Memoirs, 1937

Attacking the Royal Family was hugely unpopular but Hardie was grief-stricken for colliers’ families and bitter that others did not seem to even care. He later criticised the visit by the Russian Czar because Russia had recently treated trade unionists savagely, shooting demonstrators. In reply Keir Hardie and two others were removed from the list of Members invited to Court functions. In the Merthyr Express Keir Hardie seemed amused not to be invited to the Royal Garden Party, an invitation he would not have accepted, as he could not return the compliment by inviting the Court to tea in his small terraced house in Lanarkshire.

‘I thought the days of my pioneering were over but of late I have felt, with increasing intensity, the injustice inflicted on women by our present laws’.

Keir Hardie, speech at the Labour Party Conference, 1907

‘That there is difference of opinion concerning the tactics of the militant Suffragettes goes without saying, but surely there call be no two opinions concerning the horrible brutality of these proceedings? Women, worn and weak by hunger, are seized upon, held down by brute force, gagged, a tube inserted down their throats and food poured or pumped into the stomach’.

Keir Hardie, letter to Votes for Women, 1 October, 1909

The Pankhursts converted Hardie to the cause of women’s suffrage, although not all of his fellow socialists shared this commitment. In 1907 when Miss Arscott of Merthyr Tydfil, daughter of the Brecon Road grocer, was imprisoned in London for taking part in a demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament Keir Hardie visited her in prison to offer his support and encouragement. He had many female supporters in Merthyr Tydfil, including the daughter of the Liberal MP, D.A. Thomas.

‘Keir Hardie has been the greatest human being of our time. Asked to write a motto, he would choose Votes for Women and Socialism for All.’

The Women’s Dreadnought, 2 October, 1915

‘His extraordinary sympathy with the women’s movement, his complete understanding of what it stands for, were what first made me understand the finest side of his character. In the days when Labour men neglected and slighted the women’s cause or ridiculed it, Hardie never once failed us, never once faltered in his work for us. We women can never forget what we owe him’.

Isabella Ford, a member of the NUWSS

‘Politics is but a kind of football game between the rich Tories and the rich Liberals, and you working men are the ball which they kick vigorously and with grim delight between their goalposts’.

Keir Hardie, The Labour Leader

Keir Hardie devoted his life to the working class and, contrary to the lies of the Conservative Party, he accepted no money for himself. Hard work wore him out, in some photographs he looked like Old Father Time but he was only 59 when he died.

‘The moving impulse of Keir Hardie’s work was a profound belief in the common people. His socialism was a great human conception of the equal right of all men and women to the wealth of the world and to the enjoyment of the fullness of life. He had a touching sympathy for the helpless. I have seen his eyes fill with tears at the news of the death of a devoted dog. He carried to his end an old silver watch he had worn in the mine, which bore the marks of the teeth of a favourite pit pony, made by the futile attempt on its part to eat it’.

Philip Snowden

Keir Hardie could not understand how working-class men could fight each other for a ‘Capitalist Cause’. He was a firm opponent of all wars.

‘I knew that Keir Hardie had been failing in health since the early days of the war. The great slaughter, the rending of the bonds of international fraternity, on which he had built his hopes, had broken him’.

Sylvia Pankhurst

‘The long-threatened European war is now upon us. You have never been consulted about this war. The workers of all countries must strain every nerve to prevent their Governments from committing them to war. Hold vast demonstrations against war, in London and in every industrial centre. Down with the rule of brute force! Down with war! Up with the peaceful rule of the people’.

Keir Hardie at the Merthyr Olympia Skating Rink, 30 October 1914

Keir Hardie disagreed with the Labour Party over the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, as a pacifist, he tried to organize a national strike against Britain’s participation in the war and was saddened that the recruiting in Merthyr showed patriotic zeal. He was concerned about the threat to civil liberties and to the living standards of the working class. Although seriously ill, Hardie took part in several anti-war demonstrations and some of his former supporters denounced him as a traitor.

In December, 1914, Hardie had a stroke and he returned to the House of Commons in 1915 before he had made a full-recovery. Numerous meetings in various parts of the country and staying in people’s homes took their toll. His London home, was an attic in Nevill Court and he does not appear to have taken much care of himself. Politics concerned him more than personal comfort. Once when his doctor told him to rest, he went to Belgium to meet other social democratic leaders but was arrested as he was mistaken for an anarchist!

‘Hardie died of a broken heart. He had always been a pacifist; when British Labour refused to inaugurate a great strike on behalf of peace, Hardie became a broken man’.

R. Clynes, Memoirs

‘What could Hardie do but die?’

George Bernard Shaw

Keir Hardie: Leader of the Labour Party – part 3

by Carolyn Jacob

In January 1971 John Williams remembered James Keir Hardie in a Merthyr Express article called ‘The cloth-capped charismat’. There were only a few local people left who had seen James Keir Hardie in person. John recalled him as being of medium stature with white hair and beard. What made him stand out was that he walked firmly and always held his head. He looked dignified and serene. He was usually dressed in a tweed suit and soft collar. When he was but a small boy, John Williams remembered seeing him walking down Wind Street, Dowlais.

Famous people came to Merthyr Tydfil to support Keir Hardie’s election campaigns in 1906 and 1910. George Bernard Shaw was the principal speaker at Keir Hardie’s meeting in the Drill Hall. He was reported to have said: ‘If he met a working man who was not going to vote for Keir Hardie he would not talk to him, but he would put him in a museum as a curiosity.’

Merthyr Express, 8 January, 1910.

In 1912 the Independent Labour Party had their annual conference in Merthyr Tydfil, and the Suffragettes also had their important meeting here.

‘It is greed, cruelty, selfishness and the exploitation of man by man which a world-wide Socialist movement must unite to end’.
Keir Hardie in the Merthyr Miners’ Hall, 1908, following a recent trip to India.

He was committed to international socialism and toured the world arguing for equality. Speeches he made in favour of self-rule in India and equal rights for non-whites in South Africa resulted in riots and he was attacked in newspapers as a troublemaker. After his visit to India he spoke about the exploitation of women and child labour and the huge profits which are made on the back of their labour. He pleaded for the workers to rally against injustice and oppression the world over.

He later found injustice closer at home, the Dowlais Works strike of 1911, and he used it to emphasise the need for class unity in face of the industrial unrest sweeping Britain. Dowlais was notorious for its anti-unionism and shocking work conditions. Keir Hardie saw to it that Dowlais got no government contracts until the strikers were reinstated but the moulders were not taken back. He seized the opportunity provided by the Royal Visit to Dowlais in 1912 to write an Open Letter to the King and ensure that the moulders were reinstated in their employment. Nothing could be allowed to upset a Royal Visit.

‘The barber’s shop in which I worked was down by the Fountain, where Keir Hardie made some of his best speeches …… When I was thirteen or fourteen I joined the Independent Labour Party and Hardie became the first Socialist candidate, and I remember that he used to share the constituency of Aberdare and Merthyr with D.A. Thomas, who later became Lord Rhondda’.

Arthur L. Horner, Merthyr as I Knew it

21 years ago:- ‘It was tenaciously upheld by the public authorities, here and elsewhere, that it was an offence against laws of nature and ruinous to the State for public authorities to provide food for starving children, or independent aid for the aged poor. Even safety regulations in mines and factories were taboo. They interfered with the ‘freedom of the individual’. As for such proposals as an eight-hour day, a minimum wage, the right to work, and municipal houses, any serious mention of such classed a man as a fool’.

Keir Hardie’s , ‘Sunshine of Socialism Speech’ , 11 April 1914

He campaigned for such extreme and radical issues as home rule for Wales, old age pensions, votes for women, the nationalism of basic industries and the abolition of the House of Lords. The Merthyr Express of August 1907 reported that Keir Hardie had gone to America for his health. During a lecture he delivered on Socialism in Winnipeg, not only did someone run off with his hat but his vest and tobacco pouch also disappeared!

Although he shone on the public platform, it has been said that he was no politician as compromise was not in his nature. He preached that poverty was not inevitable but sprang from man-made conditions. Hardie declared that what was bad in the social system was not to be endured but abolished. However, he did enjoy some entertaining moments in Merthyr Tydfil. His 1910 election success was celebrated by a dance and reception at Cyfarthfa Castle at which he sang.

‘The man and his gospel were indivisible”. His simple heroism made our party and our world’.

Bruce Glasier

To be continued….

Keir Hardie: Leader of the Labour Party – part 1

by Carolyn Jacob

A rhyming note sent by Keir Hardie to Tom Mackley in reply to some birthday congratulations, 15 August 1912:

Dear Comrade, if you flatter so,
You’ll make an old man vaunty:
I’m six and fifty years, ‘tis true
And much have had to daunt me.
But what of that? My life’s been blest,
With health and faith abiding;
I’ve never sought the rich man’s smile,
I’ve never shirked a hiding.
I’ve tried to do my duty to
My conscience and my neighbour,
Regardless of the gain or loss
Involved in the endeavour.
A happy home, a loving wife,
An I.L.P. fu’ healthy;
I wadna’ swap my lot in life
Wi’ any o’ the wealthy

At this time when we are still remembering the centenary of the end of a dreadful and pointless war we should note that the MP for Merthyr Tydfil, Keir Hardie was totally opposed to this conflict. He died in 1915 broken hearted because World War I had destroyed his great dream of brotherhood. His life is proof that faith, courage and belief can ‘move mountains’. Keir Hardie did not select Merthyr Tydfil, he said that ‘A Welsh speaking Welshman’ should fight Merthyr for the ILP. He believed all Celts were socialists by instinct. Merthyr Tydfil chose Keir Hardie. While Hardie fought an unsuccessful campaign to be elected in Preston, local supporters battled for him in Aberdare and Merthyr. It was possible then to stand in more than one constituency. The election results came out on different days, the newspapers announced that Keir Hardie had been defeated yet again and the next day his victory and election in Merthyr Tydfil was reported. He quickly adapted to Wales, learnt to sing the National Anthem in Welsh and campaigned for Welsh Disestablishment.

James Keir Hardie summarised Merthyr’s contribution to political life: ‘In the golden days to come, when poverty has been destroyed and freedom instituted, the Merthyr Boroughs will hold a warm place in the affections of the happy people as having been the pioneer constituency in heading the Revolution which led to setting up a new social order’.In the words of the Aberdare Leader, 30 October 1915, following the death of Keir Hardie.

‘Earth’s truest heroes are the men who stand Alone, undaunted in a righteous cause, Seeking no honours high or station grand, Heedless alike of blaming or applause; Careless of acclamation or reward’.

We should be proud that our MP, virtually alone in the Commons, spoke against World War 1. He stuck to his beliefs although he met a violent reaction. He would never have criticised those who gave their lives for their country but only those you sent them to their deaths. In the words of George Bernard Shaw after his death, his indomitable truth goes marching on

When he first became an M.P. they had no salary and he supported himself through lectures and writings. He believed it his duty to attend every sitting of the Commons and, if he was prevented by illness, he would send an apology to be put in the Merthyr Express for the electors.

‘It is reputed that a roofer shouted at Keir Hardie assuming he had come to work on the roof of the Commons. His reply was that he had only come to work on the Floor’.

James Keir Hardie was the first advocate of Socialism in the House of Commons and the first leader of an independent Labour group in that assembly. He wanted to eradicate poverty from the lives of the people and to make it possible for all men, women and children to have lives of worth and dignity. He campaigned for all to have good houses, good education and a better economic status. He was a lover of peace. and was elected for Merthyr Tydfil at the time of the Boer War, in the “Khaki” Election of 1900. He was as resolute in denouncing the war as he was in advocating Socialism. He was accused of being a Boer spy and of rejoicing at British defeats and other equally stupid things were said against him, but unpopularity did not silence him, nor modify the tone of his writing in the Labour Leader.

‘Keir Hardie is Labour’s greatest pioneer and its greatest hero. He became the first Labour MP, the founder of the ILP, first leader of the Labour party, pioneer editor of the Labour Leader, and a giant in the socialist movement worldwide. Miraculously, he created a new party, as ‘an uprising of the working class’.

Kenneth O Morgan, Keir Hardie, 2008

To be continued……..

Christmas 1883

The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 135 years ago today (29 December 1883), and gives details of how Christmas was celebrated in Merthyr all those years ago. It’s remarkable how so much has changed, yet the drunken revelling has not!!!!

CHRISTMASTIDE AT MERTHYR

There was nothing novel in the manner of spending Christmas at Merthyr. For years it has been the practice of a number of young men and women to usher in Christmas by perambulating the streets the livelong night, shouting and screaming and indulging in various kinds of horseplay to their own amusement and the disgust of steady-going citizens trying to get their measure of rest after a hard day’s work. This year was no exception to the disagreeable instinct which seems to have forced the custom upon us. One or two singing parties were out and did their best to relieve the monotony of the other voices by singing some appropriate pieces, but it was a rollicking time for the youngsters who verily did not go home till morning when daylight was about to appear.

The morning was foggy, but it cleared rapidly after sunrise, and such a beautiful, bright, mild spring day has not been experienced on the 25th December for many years. It was most unseasonably fine, and people went abroad in thousands. The Taff Vale Company ran their ordinary service, and the Great Western ran special trains between Merthyr and Hirwain (sic) and vice versa. These trains were crowded with passengers. The interchange of outward and inward traffic was enormous and appeared to be pretty evenly balanced. At a very early hour the High-street was in a state of congestion. The puddle of the roads had no perceptible influence upon the incessant motion of the living stream, and as Christmas day does not rank as a Sunday in the Closing Bill, it was an ordinary day for public houses, which had a tremendous run of business. There was a good deal of drunkenness apparent in the evening, but no rowdyism. The charges at the police station for drunken and disorderly conduct were not numerous.

The usual Christmas dinner to the poor was distributed at St. David’s schoolrooms to over two thousand persons, the expenses of which were defrayed by the subscriptions of the townspeople. The Rector, the High Constable, and a numerous staff of volunteer carvers and distributors were engaged upon this duty for over two hours, well earning their own Christmas dinners, and, as heretofore, they had Mr. T. B. Meredith as their right hand man. Mr. J. Howfield, confectioner, undertook the cooking, which was all that could be desired.

The deaf and dumb people of the Merthyr branch of the Glamorganshire Mission to the Deaf and Dumb were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Rhys Davies at their residence at Courtland Terrace. A large number of mutes came from Merthyr, Dowlais, Aberdare, Tredegar, Rhymney, Cardiff, and Swansea. After dinner, the mutes went up the hill to see one of their number suffering from an injured foot at his house, and one of them took a hat and made a collection for the poor man. After that an adjournment was made to Mr. Davies’s house to tea, which finished, their pastor, the Rev. E. Rowlands, addressed them on the “Love of God”, and after a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Davies for their hospitality, the mutes left, having spent a most enjoyable Christmas.

At the Workhouse and Aberdare School too, the usual sumptuous fare of roast beef and plum pudding was served to the inmates and greatly enjoyed, whilst the additional luxuries of tobacco to the old men and snuff to the old women, as well as tea and coffee, were highly acceptable and appreciated.

Four performances of “The Haymakers” were given by the Bethesda Choir at the Temperance Hall on Christmas and Boxing Days. The powerful attraction of Uncle Tom’s Cabin influenced the attendance here prejudicially, nevertheless, the receipts for the whole series of performances amounted to a considerable sum, and the choir will more than clear all expenses. The performances were highly creditable, and received well-merited applause, the stage scenery being particularly effective. A competitive meeting was held at Bethel Chapel on Christmas Day, and at Hope Chapel on the evening following, while entertainments, dancing parties, and other forms of amusements took place all over the neighbourhood. The Volunteer Band paraded the town on Christmas Day, while the Town Band played several selections on the Market Square on Boxing Day. Altogether, the Christmastide just past has been as busy as any like period for many years.

Merthyr’s Boxers: Thomas Beynon

by Peter Rogers

Earlier this year, we featured an article about a fatal boxing match in Merthyr (http://www.merthyr-history.com/?p=1874). Local boxing historian Peter Rogers has kindly provided me with more information about Thomas Beynon.

The first part is based on a report that appeared in the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian dated 4 April 1868.

Thomas Beynon, a middle-aged man, was charged with the manslaughter of Rowland Thomas, a young man of 23. They fought bare-knuckle for two and a half hours, and 70 rounds were fought. The purse was a pound a side and a sovereign.

They fought with utmost determination at a well known resort of pugilists called the Giant’s Grave, midway between Merthyr and Aberdare. At the end of the 70th round, Rowland Thomas could not come up to time, in fact he was in such a state that the most apprehensions were felt, and Beynon made off but was soon captured and taken to the police station. Aid was immediately obtained for Rowland Thomas, but after lingering for a few hours, he died. The principal or immediate cause of death being a ruptured blood vessel, by some attributed to a backward fall which the deceased had at one portion of the fight.

Beynon, the victor, had very little cause for rejoicing. He was so punished that he had to be carried to the police station. Both parties were colliers, and strong of make, and is said were related to one another. A gentleman resident of the locality says no science was displayed by either. It was simply a pounding match, and no other result could well have been anticipated. Beynon was liberated on bail.

Eight days later, Thomas Beynon entered into a prize-fight with Jonathan Muzzy for a certain sum. They accordingly met and for a space of two hours were engaged in combat, during which time they fought 75 rounds.

The Merthyr Express reported the incident on 11 April 1868, as did the Brecon County Times (as shown in the blog entry quoted above and reproduced here).

Thomas Beynon was brought before Swansea Assizes and charged with the manslaughter of Jonathan Muzzy on 30 March 1868 and remanded. On 20 July 1868, Thomas Beynon was imprisoned at Cardiff Gaol for 36 months.

The details of his imprisonment were taken from ‘Cardiff Gaol, Glamorganshire: Calendar of Trials at Assizes and Quarter Sessions for the County of Glamorgan. England 1770-1935’.

Many thanks to Anthony Rhys for allowing me to use his excellent painting of Thomas Beynon. To see more of Anthony Rhys’ work, visit his website: http://www.anthonyrhys.com/

Demolishing Cefn Railway Bridge

submitted by Carl Llewellyn

While perusing the old Merthyr Expresses I came across an article written on 16 July 1970 entitled:-

Down Comes Link With Railways Pioneers

On 6 July, 1970, Cefn Railway Bridge, which spanned the Cefn Coed High Street was demolished after 104 years due to its unsafe condition. Demolition began at 08:00 a.m. and was completed with about four hours.

The bridge was a continuation of the Cefn Pontycapel Viaduct which completed in 1866 at a cost of £25,000 (equivalent to £2.1 million). The routing of the railway it served, may have been affected by the strong pressure from the powerful Crawshay iron masters.

Cefn Coed High Street showing the Railway Bridge in the early 20th Century

The viaduct was built by Thomas Savin and John Ward, his brother-in-law, to designs prepared by Alexander Sutherland. It had been described as a graceful and majestic structure, one of the finest viaducts in South Wales, being built on a graceful curve which added much to its beauty. With fifteen arches 40 feet each, it has a total length of 725 feet and a height of 115 feet.

Saviour

The Viaduct came into being after many trials and tribulations. At the beginning of 1866 a crisis occurred – Thomas Savin who with John had been managing the railway, and had been paying the shareholders their guaranteed five percent, was overwhelmed by his commitments and failed disastrously, nearly bringing down the finances of the Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway with him. Other legal frays remained a prominent feature of their lives for the following four years. But despite all this the railway was completed.

The saviour of the venture was Alexander Sutherland who produced an alternative route into Merthyr, which avoided Cyfarthfa Castle by going down the West side of the valley and so won the support instead of the emnity of the Crawshay Family. This was achieved at great engineering expense.

It has been said that a bribe was accepted to divert the railway line around the Crawshay property instead of through it.

The six and three-quarter miles between Pontsticill and Merthyr involved a descent at 1 in 45-50 feet and between Morlais Junction and Merthyr and two complete reversals of direction.

At one stage in the construction of the Pontycapel Viaduct, the stone masons went on strike which meant that the bricklayers had to be called in. This is why one sees bricks lining the underneath of the arches while the remainder of the structure is stone.

The last brick was ceremonially laid by Mrs Sutherland in 1866, but there were further interruptions due to contracting difficulties and it was not until 1 August 1867 that the line was opened from Pontsticill to Cefn, which then replaced Pant as the terminus for the Merthyr horse bus.

The word Pontycapel means bridge to the chapel – it did in fact lead over to a chapel although it is believed that there was a Roman Catholic church at Tai-mawr.

Mr Elwyn Bowen, headmaster of Ysgol-y-Graig Junior School and local historian, said he was told by his Uncle, who would have reached the age of some 90 years, that when the footings were being dug for the viaduct a number skeletons were unearthed.

Merthyr’s Lost Landmarks: Treharris Public Hall

Merthyr has last so many of its important buildings and landmarks in the name of ‘progress’. In a new regular feature, I hope to highlight some of the marvellous places that have disappeared into the ether.

We start with Treharris Public Hall. The following article is taken from the marvellous website http://www.treharrisdistrict.co.uk, and is transcribed here with the kind permission of the webmaster, Paul Corkrey.

Treharris Public Hall

During 1891, the growing population of Treharris and its districts, meant there was a growing need for a large public hall to be built, to benefit the people. The cost of the project was the main concern and it was decided to hold concerts to raise funds and shares were to be sold to enable it to be a reality.

One such concert took place in August 1891. A huge marquee capable of seating an immense number of persons was obtained and erected near Bargoed House. Through the kindness of Deep Navigation Colliery manager, Mr Stewart, the marquee was illuminated most effectively with electric light. Mr Alan Wyn conducted the Treharris Choral Union, in an excellent performance of Haydn’s “Creation”, a large crowd attended and good funds were secured to get the project moving.

On 3 October 1891, The Merthyr Express reported that practical steps had been made towards having a public hall built in Treharris. A meeting had been held In Perrott Street, at the Tabernacle Vestry, the colliery manager (Mr Stewart) presided, with all classes of people represented. The meeting decided to canvas for shares and a large number have been taken. Mr W Cuthbert Thomas was appointed secretary. It was proposed to erect the new public hall on the square, at a cost of about £2,000.

A further meeting took place three weeks later and a committee was appointed to deal with the site and further matters.

The Merthyr Express, November 21 1891 further reported that to show interest, the Colliery Company, wanted to take an interest in the welfare of their workmen, and promised to give £50 a year for 5 years, towards the hall, about to be built. This is in addition to subscribing towards 250 shares in the hall company and letting the ground, which is in the very centre of the village and is most valuable, at the nominal rent of 5 shillings per annum.

Two concerts were held in October 1892, to raise further monies for the public hall, the first was presided over by Mr Stewart the colliery manager, whilst the second was under the presidency of the Rev D Phillips. They were both held at the Tabernacle Chapel and both raised goodly sums.

May 1893, was an exciting time for the District and the huge building constructed on the square was now completed and ready to be opened…the Merthyr Express reported “that the directors of the Public Hall Company should be congratulated on having secured a handsome and commodious building, in return for their outlay. The formal opening is planned for Whit Monday and tickets for admission are keenly sought.”

A public procession was arranged with Brass bands, it started at 1pm prompt and many hundreds lined the streets and joined the procession.

Other reports suggest the final cost of the Public Hall was around £3,300, but it included a Library, committee rooms and reading rooms. The library had over 1400 books, some in Welsh, it was financially supported by contributions from miners wages.

The Miners Workmens Hall served the community for almost 100 years. It was a community building and was used for great events, with huge crowds attending. It was a Theatre and became known as the “Palace”, a popular cinema for many years. It later fell into disrepair and was used as a bingo hall, snooker club and even as an indoor market (for one week).

The building was a typical Workmen’s’ Hall design with two shops at its base, either side of the entrance and facing the square. In 1920 one shop unit was a grocery store and the other housed a branch of Barclays Bank.

The Public Hall is now the Palace Theatre. Barclays Bank can be seen at the right. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

By 1937 it was the Palace Theatre, and had a 28 feet wide proscenium and a 20 feet deep stage. There were three dressing rooms. At that time the Palace Theatre was equipped with a Klang-Tobis sound sytem. By 1954, an RCA sound system had been fitted. By 1963, Cinema scope had been installed, with a screen within the original 28 feet wide proscenium. There were now four dressing rooms. The Palace Cinema was still open in 1966, but had closed by 1980.

The demolition of the Palace Cinema commenced on the 25th of January 2000. The site has been acquired by the Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association who are proposing to construct flats on the site. That was later discounted a green area was put there before further redevelopment in 2013.

During 1996, there were plans to try to save the building, now under private ownership, many of the villagers did not want to lose the historic building. Unfortunately, it was not to be and by 2000 the building was totally demolished, a sad end to the Hall, a landmark building, which could have been preserved for future generations.

There is snow and then there is SNOW!!!

A few weeks ago most of us were house bound due to the snow. However, the snow that fell then is nothing compared to the snow we had in 1947.

In 1947, snow began to fall on 22 January, and with very few breaks, blizzards continued until the middle of March. At the height of the bad weather, snow drifts of up to 15 foot were recorded in some parts of Merthyr.

Below is a small piece that appeared in the Merthyr Express 71 years ago today.

The weather deteriorated so severely and so quickly that between 30 and 40 people were trapped overnight when a train got stuck in a 10 foot snowdrift between Fochriw and Dowlais. Over a hundred soldiers from Brecon Barracks travelled to Merthyr to try and release the train.

The situation on the railways around Merthyr got so bad that the Great Western Railway drafted in the RAF who brought two jet engines to clear the snow. Unfortunately, even though they were successful at clearing the snow, they were also successful at dislodging the sleepers that the rails were resting on!

Jet engines clearing the snow at Dowlais

Even though the snow was pretty bad a few weeks ago…..it could have been a heck of a lot worse!!!!

Do you remember the snow in 1947? If anyone has any recollections, or any stories regarding the snow in 1947, please get in touch.