From the Monmouthshire Merlin 160 years ago today…..
Alarming Fire in Merthyr
My Dad Makes Sweets
by Tiffèny Davies (née Bray)
When I first started school, my teacher told my mother that I was the only one in my class who knew what their father did for a living! “My Dad makes sweets!”, I’d said. My mother told her, it was because I saw him at work, as the factory was in an old water mill, just off Merthyr Tydfil High Street, across the garden from our house and we would often pop in to see him on our way back from town.
Frederick William Bray, my Great Grandfather, who established F W Bray and Sons, started his business in Glyn Terrace, Merthyr Tydfil.
Frederick had a sweet factory at the back of the house and he would load his horse drawn cart full of jars of sweets and deliver to market traders as well as running his own stall in Aberdare market. In 1904, Frederick married, Mary Ann Vining, the daughter of a china merchant based on Pontmorlais who also had large china stalls in Merthyr and Dowlais Markets as well as a shop on Pontmorlais.
In 1934, Frederick and Mary Ann moved into Pontmorlais and established a sweet shop, continuing to make sweets in a building at the bottom of Old Mill Lane and eventually taking over the Old Mill that had, until then, been used by the Vining family in which to store China. The Vinings had bought the Old Mill in 1922 after the Millers failed to return from the First World War.
Frederick and Mary Ann had three children, Thomas, Sydney and Phyllis. Both sons joined the family business, becoming Master Sugar Boilers and also helped to deliver to all the small retail shops in the surrounding valleys.
During the Second World War my Grandfather, Thomas, served as a cook with the Royal Engineers while Sydney and Phyllis worked in the local munitions factory, which meant that there was little time for sweet making. I am told, that in order to keep up the supply of sweets, Mary Ann contacted the local Member of Parliament, S O Davies, on two occasions, to request Thomas’ return from the frontline. It is said that S O Davies would take a bag of sweets up to Parliament, to Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet.
In 1937, Thomas married Anne Berry Powell who had been working as a Night Sister in the General Hospital. After the war, they lived above their own sweet shop at Park Place, Merthyr Tydfil. While Thomas travelled the valleys, visiting the small shops, delivering and taking orders, Sydney made sweets.
When I was born in March 1963, my Father, Fred Bray, was already working in the well-established sweet making business which employed around 25 people; in the factory, the shop on Pontmorlais, market stalls in Merthyr and Aberdare as well as a newsagents on Glebeland Street, Merthyr.
They manufactured a range of hard boiled sweets, as well as whole sale and retail of ranges from across the confectionary spectrum. Sales representatives from brands such as Cadbury’s, Taveners, Rountrees, Walkers, Milady and even the man from Mars, were frequent visitors. To a young child, it was really exciting to be around when a travelling sales representative was visiting, they always had a case full of colourful delights out of which I might be handed a sample to try. Sometimes there would even be promotional toys – I acquired a clockwork dalek, cuddly chipmunk (that advertised chipmunk crisps) and even a digital watch that came with Bazooka bubblegum! I remember being closely watched as I sampled a packet of popping and fizzing, space dust which I thought was great fun and, on another occasion, Uncle Sid handed me a packet of Wotsits, that he’d been sampling, before dashing to the sink to wash out the gooey mess from his false teeth! Needless to say, the Wotsits were a hit with the kid, and the sales representative got an order!
It would be all hands on deck to unload deliveries from the lorries of large companies and stock our warehouse ready for distribution to shops across the valleys. Our adverts read “Home Made Sweets with Glucose – Good For You!” We had a burgundy coloured Commer van, emblazoned with the family name – F W Bray and Sons – kitted out with shelves to hold the glass sweet jars and boxes, that my Grandfather, Thomas, used for deliveries to all the small shops, all over the valleys. As a child, it was always a novelty to sit, up front, with him in the “big van”.
The advent of the supermarket eventually meant that confectionary was being sold cheaper by them than we could buy directly from the manufacturer and, as a result the wholesale of other brands dwindled. Focus shifted to the Bray’s lines and links with the National Museum of Wales, doing sweet making demonstrations at events and fairs.
As I grew older, I have memories of helping in the factory, washing jars, pasting labels, mixing the Braymix and adding colour and flavour to the sherbet. During one school summer holiday, I even operated the cut and twist wrapping machine. I sat for hours, putting sweets into holes and watching them go round, the machine picking up our branded cellophane, chopping it and spinning pincers twisting the ends before dropping them down a shute into a tray. I must say, the novelty quickly wore off!
Although, my Father told us to break away from the business, we could not help but be drawn in and we did get involved, especially when it was all hands on deck! I nagged my Father to allow me to work as Saturday staff and my sister, Fiona and I worked in the Merthyr Market Stall, my brother, Jason, who had a morning paper round, occasionally helped out in the shop on Pontmorlais.
Until 1994, when my Parents retired, they ran the business together, changing the structure to sweet making and travelling to events in order to do demonstrations, at mostly Welsh Heritage Sites. The wholesale business, shops and stalls were now gone. The watermill that used to store china, and then became a sweet factory, is now a garage.
My father always said that the sweet making business would end with him and advice was to break away. On the 8 of September 2024 at my brother, Jason’s installation as Dean of Llandaff Cathedral, I remember those words, and how things have worked out. The business did end when my father retired in 1994 and he handed machinery to St Fagans Welsh National Museum of History and his recipes, glass jars and labels handed to relatives in Bray’s of Cardiff. I sometimes see some of our lines of hard boiled sweets in the supermarket and Bray’s sweets were sold at St Fagans from the original glass jars with our labels.
Merthyr’s Lost Landmarks: High Street Railway Station
by Carolyn Jacob
At one time most immigrants to Merthyr Tydfil simply walked unless they got a lift on a farm cart, but the few roads were poor. The early Iron-master, Anthony Bacon, built the first direct road between Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff. The transportation of bulky iron products to the sea ports led to the building of the Glamorganshire Canal. The locomotives and trains of no less than six railway companies ran into the Merthyr station which had the title of ‘High Street’ rather than the more common ‘Central’.
The Taff Vale Railway had been first to arrive in Merthyr with a line from Cardiff and Pontypridd to their Plymouth Street station in 1841, followed by the Vale of Neath in 1853, soon to be taken over by the Great Western. These were followed by the Brecon & Merthyr whose operations stretched down to Newport and the London & North Western with their line from Abergavenny. The final arrivals were the Rhymney Railway with access provided from Quakers Yard by their joint line with the GWR, while the Cambrian Railway had running powers through to Merthyr. In 1922 all were absorbed by the GWR.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was involved in railway projects here. ‘The railway sets you down in Merthyr at precisely the quaintest centre of the old town. There is an ancient atmosphere pervading‘, wrote Wirt Sikes, an American, in 1880. In 1856 Prince Louis Bonaparte arrived at the High Street station. On 1 April 1944, the King and Queen and Princess Elizabeth took the Royal train from the High Street station. Thousands of rails were manufactured here and the Dowlais Works sold rails to Russia, America and India. However, a hundred years ago the local Sunday trip or holiday was only to Pontsarn or the Brecon Beacons. During the Second World War many evacuees arrived by train. One evacuee wrote in a letter home; ‘we watch the trains arriving into Merthyr Tydfil railway station from the top of the slag heaps’.
In its heyday, the striking timbered roof, five operational platforms and more than 80 members of staff, ensured Merthyr High Street Station was in a class of its own. It had excellent facilities. There were refreshment rooms where first-class passengers could buy breakfast for 1s 6d. In 1945 the ticket boxes were open continuously except for 1.45pm to 2.45pm on Sundays and 12.30am to 4am on Mondays. There were toilets and brightly coloured advertisements for products such as Bovril and Venos’ Cough Cure. The waiting rooms were a pleasure to sit in, with large coal fires and plenty of seats. The station was kept litter-free and clean. High Street station cleaner Margaret Pritchard was so conscientious keeping the Merthyr Station spick and span that she accidentally polished over important finger prints after a robbery.
In the 1960s young fighters trained by former boxer Eddie Thomas would weigh on the scales in the goods depot at the station, the most accurate scales in town. The station a centre for local sporting life, filled with the sound of cooing racing pigeons and the raucous barking of whippet dogs. In 1953, after 98 years, the roof designed by Brunel was removed and in 1987 the fire-ravaged goods shed at the station was demolished.
In the 1960s Merthyr lost nearly all its passenger services except the Taff Vale route to Cardiff. In 1971 and new station building was erected but it was a shadow of its former self. The official opening of the present new Merthyr Railway Station was February 1996 by Councillor Ray Thomas. The new station which cost £500,000 to build was funded by the sale of the old station just 120 metres away.
My Street – part 4
by Barrie Jones
Chapter Three
British Iron and Steel Federation (B. I. S. F) Steel Framed Houses
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Britain’s extensive post-war reconstruction programme faced a shortage of materials and skilled tradesmen, particularly carpenters and bricklayers. To overcome this, use was made of prefabricated materials, utilising factory production methods previously geared for the war effort. Construction techniques, in part, could be undertaken by an un-skilled workforce, and at its height the estate engaged over two-hundred and eighty workmen, mostly un-skilled, on the site’s construction.
The housing estate’s prefabricated houses, known by the locals as the `pre-fabs’ were mistakenly thought by many people to be for temporary use only. In addition to Ysgubornewydd, the Council embarked on a programme of construction of prefabricated properties on a large scale at Galon Uchaf (150 houses). Other smaller groups were constructed on such sites as; Canonbie (24), Brickfield Crescent (16), Cae Mari Dwn (26), Jones Terrace (16), Taff Glen View (22) and Queens Road (4). Prior to the construction of B.I.S.F. units the Council had constructed numerous Arcon prefabricated bungalows at Ynysfach, Rhydfach and Merthyr Vale.
In 1944 various non-traditional house construction systems were assessed by the Interdepartmental Committee on Housing (Burt Committee) to identify the most promising for immediate development. The B.I.S.F. steel framed house was one of those selected and two prototype houses ‘A’ and ‘B’ were erected at Northolt, Middlesex. Only type ‘A’ appears to have gone into production and a programme was planned for the construction of over 30,000 three-bedroom semi-detached houses in England and Wales, while over 4,000 were planned for Scotland. The programme was later extended to include 1,048 terraced properties, these merely being extensions of a pair of dwellings.
The type ‘A’ frame was fabricated from rolled steel sections with roof trusses of rolled steel or tubular sections. Of the claddings available, render on mesh for the ground floor and profiled steel sheet on the upper storey appears to have been adopted almost universally. The vertical ribs of the original cladding to the upper storey are a prominent feature that identifies B.I.S.F. houses. The roof was clad with profiled asbestos cement sheeting.
B.I.S.F. dwellings were usually built as two-storey semi-detached houses and the internal lining is of 3/8-inch plasterboard fixed to 2 x 1 inch timber framing secured to the steel framework. A glass fibre quilt 1 inch thick is sandwiched between the steel framework and timber framing.
A typical ‘prefab’; number thirty-seven, Wheatley Place, had the following layout and facilities:
Front door leading into the hallway with doors leading to the front room and kitchen, under the stairs near to the kitchen door was a wide cupboard housing the gas and electricity meters. Under the stairs there was space large enough for my mother to keep her Singer sewing machine with its metal treadle.
The kitchen was supplied with a gas cooker and fitted units; alongside the wall separated by the hall door were two pairs of full-length metal storage cupboards. Between the cooker space in the corner of the kitchen and the washbasin was a narrow cupboard in front of the boxed in soil pipe from the upstairs bathroom. This cupboard was used by my mother to store dusters, shoe polishes etc. Above the washbasin was the kitchen window that looked out onto the back garden. Under the washbasin was a gas tap that could be connected to a gas heated water boiler; the boiler was a galvanised cylindrical tub that was wheeled out on washdays from its place under the kitchen washbasin.
Leading from the kitchen was the dining room with a large window looking out onto the rear garden. From the dining room double doors lead into the front room that was dominated by a large almost full-length window looking out onto the front garden, all the windows in the house were metal framed with metal fittings. The front room was heated by a coal fire that backed on to the wall separating the dining room from the front room. The fireplace was dominated by a large mantelpiece that extended around the chimney flue and was made of pre-cast concrete. The fire could be lit with a gas jet fitted into the front grate instead of the traditional gas poker. This assisted the work of lighting the fire but to save gas, most people still relied on wood and paper and the trusty blower. Lighting the fire had its dangers, on one occasion when lighting the gas, blowback left me minus eyebrows and eyelashes. The fire served as the only direct room heating but with the aid of a small back boiler it heated the household hot water tank and three small radiators. These were narrow versions of the traditional heavy cast-iron radiators, one in the dining room and one each in the two larger bedrooms.
Upstairs on the landing was a window on the side of the house looking over the single storey side extension. Leading from the landing were three bedrooms and a bathroom. The bathroom situated at the rear and over the kitchen had a W.C., washbasin, and traditional white cast-iron bath. The large front bedroom housed the airing cupboard with hot water tank, situated alongside the chimney flue. It would not take much hot water use before this went cold and re-heating the water would take ages, most people eventually had electric immersion heaters fitted to boost the hot water. The front and back bedrooms were separated from each other by fitted wardrobes, a double in the front and a single in the back. These filled the space between the airing cupboard and the party wall. The smallest bedroom, the box room, was in the front over the hallway, to maximise space a fitted dressing table with two small drawers was built over the slope created by the rise of the stairs.
The side entrance into the house, known as the “back door”, leads into the kitchen through a porch. The porch was formed by the space made in a single-story side extension of the house between an external WC. and the storage shed. Part of this shed was a sectioned-off coalbunker; coal could be gathered from the porch by means of a small hatch at floor level. Unless the bunker was full, which would be very rare, collecting coal from the hatch was difficult and this hatch was rarely used and therefore the coal bucket was filled by trips into the dark shed. Over the years this large bunker would fill up with small coal and hunting for suitable coal lumps could take some time.
B.I.S.F. houses were innovative also in the provision of electricity; the Housing Manager reported to the Housing Committee in January 1948 that new patent electric wall sockets were fitted to the houses. These required plugs that had an additional third leg, a safety device in the form of a fuse, which was screwed into the plug. New tenants were not prepared for this innovation and the Housing Manager obtained permission to purchase one gross of the fuses and 500 plugs for sale to incoming tenants.
By the mid-1960s the external cladding of the ‘prefabs’ were becoming shabby and showing signs of rust. To counter this the Council embarked on a programme of ‘pebble dashing’ the cladding. This involved applying an adhesive to the metal and throwing small grain multi-coloured ‘pebbles’ over the adhesive. Later in the 1980s a renovation programme was conducted, this included replacing the asbestos roofing and improving the houses energy efficiency through window replacement and central heating installation.
From the 1980s council tenants could purchase their house under the Right to Buy (RTB) legislation, a favourable option as they would receive a significant reduction on the property’s value based on the length of their council tenancies. It was wise to delay purchase until the property was renovated. Several council tenants accepted this offer, and tenants continue to do so over the following decades. In total eight properties in Wheatley Place have been purchased under RTB, the three concrete houses and five ‘prefabs.’ The downside to RTB is that BISF properties are classed as of non-traditional construction and consequently mortgages are more difficult to secure for their purchase. Which may explain why fourteen properties in the street remain social housing after seventy-five years.
To be continued…..
Calling all historians
Hello everyone.
Yet again, it is time for my bi-annual appeal to all budding historians out there – please send in your articles.
As you know I am always looking for fresh ideas for this blog, so if anyone feels they would like to contribute a piece – no matter how short, any submissions will be gratefully received.
There have been some articles on the blog this year written by ‘new’ authors (to this blog), and have been about fascinating and vastly different subjects – subjects that I would probably have never written about – that’s what keeps this blog fresh, so why don’t you have a go at writing something? Also, it is getting more difficult to come up with interesting articles to keep the blog going, so anything you could contribute will make a difference.
Also, I have received a few of complaints that the blog doesn’t cover certain subjects or areas, or that some subjects are over-emphasised – well, if there are things that you would like to see covered, please write something.
Everyone is welcome to contribute – whether you are an established historian or someone with a passion for local history who has never written something before.
Please send me your articles – HELP KEEP THIS BLOG GOING. Without your input the blog could run out of steam.
Thank you
Cyfarthfa Band Presentation
From the Evening Express 120 years ago today….
A New Fire Station
The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 100 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 the Merthyr Centre of the St. Johns 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 to 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. 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 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 alter the discovery the 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 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 are very pleased that at long lost 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 lend, 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 feeds, 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.
Refreshments were afterwards partaken of, and the interesting ceremony will be a memorable day in the history of the local police force.
– Merthyr Express 4 July 1925
Cyfarthfa’s 200th Birthday
The Growth of Football in Merthyr Tydfil – part 3
Transcribed by Phil Sweet
These articles which appeared in three consecutive editions of the Merthyr Express in March 1921 are Harvey Boots’ own reminiscences of the development of three football codes in the town up to that date.
ARTICLE 2 MERTHYR EXPRESS 12TH MARCH 1921
THE GROWTH OF FOOTBALL IN MERTHYR
(By Harvey Boots)
My feeble efforts to trace the history of the game of football in Merthyr has been the occasion of a good deal of friendly criticism from my intimate friends. I have endured a goodly portion of leg-pulling with hints on how to write for the Press, De facto how kindly strictures have proved very beneficial to this article, as several persons of renown in the history of the game locally ought to have come under greater review, and I am constrained to mention a few here and apologise for their omission the previous week. Through the courtesy of Mr. W. R. Lewis, decorator, etc., Pontmorlais, I am able to give the name of the very first team who played for Merthyr. As it was formed previous to the year of my nativity. I obviously can make no comment on their achievements, but a few of them I remember in later years. The Merthyr Football Team in 1877 consisted of T. Bryant (captain), J. Forrester (secretary), Bob James, Geo Gunson (brother of Mr. Robert Gunson), A. P. James, David and John Thomas (older brothers of Mr. Gomer Thomas), Lewis Brothers, three of whom were in the team and a fourth a member, Johnson, Jenkins, Ross Beynon (Abercanaid), Chris Bedlington, G. F. Matthews, W. Morgan (Dowlais), Ben Rogers, Tom Flooks (hairdresser, High Street), T. Williams, Tyrrell, Sam Thomas, Jack Richards, Tom Gameson Harris (Lloyds Bank), Albert Harris (solicitor) and Ireland (Cyfarthfa). Who in later days doesn’t remember Gus Jenkins (Dowlais), D. W. Evans (brother of J. B.), Harry Davies (an excellent half-back), Alf Hansard (he of the mighty punts to touch), D. J. Gould, (coal merchant, who played for both Cefn and Merthyr, and, who I believe, captained Merthyr for two or three seasons), Willie Harris (Aberdare), and W. L. Harris (Abercanaid), the latter of whom is now the agent for the Marquis of Bute). During the friendly discussion referred to above, the merits of various players were discussed and after various pros and cons the consensus of opinion seems to point to John Ben and W. L. Harris (Abercanaid) as being the best pair of half-backs that have ever represented Merthyr.
I concluded my article last week at the point where the Merthyr Athletic Club had just come into being. At that time the Football Club was very healthy financially. As a matter of fact, we had a fairly substantial balance at the bank. We had fixtures at home with Newport, Swansea and Cardiff (each of whom appeared on Penydarren Park), Llanelly, Penarth – home and away. We had the satisfaction of defeating Llanelly at Llanelly by three points to nil – a difficult feat at any time, but especially at that period, when they were one of the strongest teams in Wales. I attribute a good deal of the success now attending the team to my brother George, who, at this time was Captain of the Newport XV, and at the height of his career as a Welsh forward. (He represented Wales on 19 occasions.) He very kindly came up from Newport one evening in each week of the football season and gave the members of the team some training in “packing” and other phases of the game. For this purpose, we hired the Drill Hall, and I have no doubt we received many valuable hints from this source.
In this case, as in so many others, our success was really our undoing. The Northern Union game, which had been established in England for a number of years, was beginning to find adherents in South Wales. Mutterings and rumours of what it might accomplish in Merthyr were in the air, and then the blow fell, swiftly but none the less surely, for it was proposed at our next annual meeting of members that we go over to the Northern Union game and so become a professional club. This, happily, after a very stormy meeting, was defeated on a vote, but so small was the majority that it made us, who had been fighting for the old Rugby Club, sit up and gasp. Had we been defeated on the poll it meant the assets of the club, the ground (which had now been improved to practically what it is to-day) and the balance at the bankers going over to the new formation. Thus, it came about that two camps were found in the town: one for the Northern Union, and the one to keep the old guard going.
Here, Mr. Editor, I am going to transgress for a moment and trust that if any of my friends, in reading this, should think I am indulging in recriminations, please banish the thought. In giving this short history, it is necessary to refer briefly to those times of strenuous combat between the rival factions and the bitter enmity it engendered. Happily, this feeling has quite passed away, and now is all harmony and peace.
With commendable energy, the Northern Union section, headed by Messrs. J. B. Evans, the late Bill Harris (schoolmaster), Sam Adams, J. R. Jones (baker) and others got to work to secure a ground, and succeeded in obtaining from the Bolgoed Estate through the Agent (Mr. J. T. Vaughan) the portion then known as the College Field (within a stone’s throw of Penydarren Park). It has ceased to have any attraction for winter sport, but in the summer is a veritable hive of “industry.” It is now the home of that very successful bowling club – the Merthyr West End.
Well, the playing pitch was improved; fixtures were arranged with the leading Northern Clubs, and those were names to conjure with in those days – Halifax, Oldham, Leeds, Huddersfield, Wigan etc., and the few South Wales clubs which went over at the same time. I don’t think they were many, and if my memory is not at fault, I can find them in Aberdare, Barry, Ebbw Vale and Mid Rhondda. These, I believe, comprised the whole. The game took on in Merthyr to a surprising degree, and was, no doubt, a very open and fast game which appealed to all spectators.
To be continued…..
Ffynnon Llysiog
by Richard Parfitt
It was back in 2005 when I was freelancing as a Mountain Leader, I was researching different walks for the ‘Discovering in the South Wales Countryside Course’ for the Summer School at the University of Glamorgan, is when the manager, Director, Clive Roberts of Outeractive (R), who I was working for, asked me if I wanted to borrow a book on the history of Vaynor. (One of the areas I decided to walk that year). Clive had a vast wealth of knowledge and experience of the outdoors and many contacts, after being the manager of Dolygaer (Mid Glamorgan) Outdoor Centre. When I received the book from Clive. It was falling apart. With many loose pages. However, inside there were many interesting stories about Morlais Castle and the Battle of Maesvaynor with the two disputing Marcher Lords who were at war, due to boundary disputes and where King Edward the First had to intervene.
As I pondered over this little book, ‘Vaynor, its history and guide’, written by the Reverend J.E. Jenkins, Rector 1887, I came across the story of ‘Llysiog Well’.
Llysiog Well
This is a noted well. For the healing of Scrofula wounds, sores, ulcers and all skin diseases. It is situated in the upper part of the parish, on the side of the hill above Ynys Fawr Farm. The distance by the pathway over the hill from Pontsarn station. Is about four miles, and about 5 miles along the high Road from Coed Cymmer or Cefn station. Years ago, this well was better known than it is today. For ages it was the ‘Llanwrtyd’ of South Wales and Monmouthshire and will be so again, when the light railway. From Coedcymmer, via Cwm Taf Fawr, Devynog and Llandovery, will be constructed. Many and wonderful are the narratives told of cures effected by using this water. At present, the annual average number of people visiting well is about 300 (in 1897). A large quantity of the water is carried away to people who are unable to attend. The water is free like the mountain air. There are several love stories connected with it which I hope to give in a future page. A party starting from Pontsarn on after the arrival of the morning, trains on a fine day may be back in good time for luncheon and at one of the hotels or at any of the houses where visitors are received. It is now suggested that some arrangements should be made to have this noted* water for sale. Near Pontsarn during the summer months.
This is extracted from ‘Vaynor: Its History and Guide’ by Rev J.E. Jenkins Rector 1897
Even though I did not include a walk to the famous well of 1887 that year. I had talked about visiting it many times later, with Clive, but we just never seemed do the walk. Everything is for a reason! I often wondered if the water really did have healing powers or was it just a placebo of belief by our ancestors. Nevertheless, I had this nagging feeling that something might be in the water that really did do what the Rev Jenkins said it would, cure many locals in this way; and why would this man of the cloth, have had reason to include it in his book.
When researching I first looked at the geology of the location and realised that it was in the area between the ‘Old Red Sandstone’ that is found near Pen-y-Fan and the Carboniferous Limestone running down into Merthyr Tydfil in the south. In the area of Ffynnon Llysiog is a thin band of Grey Millstone Grit, it is also near to the Neath fault. I wondered if there were any traces of sulphur? When I was growing in my early teens, I remembered my mother giving me regular spoonfuls’ of flower of sulphur and honey to prevent me getting any spots or rashes that many teenagers have at that age. I must admit I went through my teenage years without acne or even a spot.
While trawling for any information I could find on Ffynnon Llysiog or the Rev J E Jenkins. I found information that the Rector of Vaynor was also a Welsh Bard whose bardic name was ‘Ceridiol’ and he had written a Welsh poem with the word ‘Llysi’ in one of the verses. The word Llysi or Llysiog means Herb/vegetable in English.
While tracing the area I found a page on the internet relating to a naturalist Mary Gillham MBE who authored many books on the areas of South Wales. She had been a lecturer in the University of Cardiff and was famous for a research career working on the vegetation of Sea birds and Islands around the world.
Mary’s page and photograph with the heading Nant Llysiog Water and Geologies, it further stated: above Llwyn On of the two branches of Nant Wern Ddu – November 1971 – and there in Black and white – “Iron Hydroxide” deposited when stream Ffynnon Llysiog enters, healing properties. This was only the second time there seemed evidence, that Mary recognised the water had healing properties, probably, due to the Iron Hydroxide. (I shouted “Bingo”). I was relieved that this place was special and come the spring to summer of 2024 I would be visiting it.
Further research around Mary Gillham highlighted a book co-written by her – The Historic Taf Valleys, Volume Two in the Brecon Beacons National Park by John Perkins, Jack Evans and Mary Gillham. This is what Jack Evans wrote about the Ffynnon Llysiog “The mention of Nant Llysiuog (Old spelling) introduces another custom which is now succumbed to modern medical treatment. Still marked on the Ordnance Survey Maps near the source of the Llysiuog are the words ‘Ffynnon Llysiuog (Ffynnon = Well). This denotes the present of a mineral spring, where many people from afar afield collected the water in jugs and urns and any suitable containers in the firm conviction that it cured most ailments, including constipation.
Particularly was good for removing impurities from the blood and liberal doses were taken during the spring season. Anyone walking to this site in an endeavour to discover the old well will quickly realise that to even get there, people must be extraordinarily fit.”
In October 2024 I did visit Ffynnon Llysiog I was able to follow the route as described by Mary and sure enough there was the confluence between the two waterfalls, where the reddish (Iron hydroxide).
On arrival at the pools, I could smell a strong smell. I turned to my son and asked him “can you smell that?” He said “Yes,” I replied, “I think its Sulphur.” Due to there being two pools above the confluence I was not sure which one was the Well. Therefore, I took it for granted the larger of the two would be the Well!
It was shortly after my visit to the location I contacted Alison Davies and asked if she knew of the Ffynnon Llysiog or if she had ever visited it? She said she had not visited it, but knew of it, from the Reverend J E Jenkins book. She also has sent me some cuttings from the Merthyr Express Saturday 02 November 1935, where a Youth Hostel Party had visited the river Llysiog as far as the Sulphur Wells (Plural). This answered two questions one was there were two pools and secondly confirming there was Sulphur.
I have since discovered another small reference to the Ffynnon Llysiog in Elwyn Bowen’s Book ‘Vaynor – A Study of the Welsh Countryside’ He states – “The constipated sought relief in the mineral spring of Ffynnon Lysiuog in Cwm Taf. The water was carried away in jugs and urns and so efficacious was it considered by the medical profession that the possibility of commercially exploiting it was seriously contemplated a century ago.”
There is no doubt this water has healing properties, Whether it be from the bacteria forming iron hydroxide or the peat bogs producing the sulphur, both which helps the body heal. I also have some modern theories that the area is linked to Negative Ions and even ‘Grounding a.k.a. Earthing’.
Considering the Ffynnon Llysiog not being related to a Saint, like many healing springs and wells throughout the principality and further afield, could indicate that this spring/well predates the medieval period combine this with Bronze age sites in the vicinity of Cilsanws mountain and Cwm Cadlan the Ffynnon Llysiog could very well have been visited by our ancient ancestors.
If you have any information about Ffynnon Llysiog I would be grateful to hear from you.