Tag: Canolfan Soar

Adult Learning Wales

Do you like history?

Is there anything that you want to learn more about?

Why not join the Merthyr Tydfil Branch of Adult Learning Wales for their weekly history class?

This friendly and informal class meets every Tuesday morning at 10.30 during term time at Canolfan Soar, and several regular lecturers offer informative talks on a variety of different subjects – local, British and world history, stretching from ancient times to modern. There is something to cater to everyone’s tastes.

Classes cost £5 per lecture to cover expenses.

Why not go along and join the class – you will be guaranteed a very warm welcome. No need to book….just turn up.

History Class

Do you like history?

Is there anything that you want to learn more about?

Why not join the Merthyr Tydfil Branch of Adult Learning Wales for their weekly history class?

This friendly class meets every Tuesday morning at 10.30 during term time at Canolfan Soar, and several regular lecturers offer informative talks on a variety of different subjects – local, British and world history, stretching from ancient times to modern. There is something to cater to everyone’s tastes.

Classes cost £5 per lecture to cover expenses.

Why not go along and join the class – you will be guaranteed a very warm welcome.

Merthyr Historian Volume 34

The Merthyr Tydfil & District Historical Society is pleased to announce the publication of Volume 34 of the Merthyr Historian.

The cost is £12, and volumes will initially be for sale at the Society’s next lecture at Canolfan Soar on Monday 4 November. They can also be ordered (for £12 plus p&p) via this blog at merthyr.history@gmail.com.

CONTENTS

VOLUME 33 (2024) ISBN 978-1-7391627-1-9

1. Remembering Brian Davies

2. The Welsh Heritage School’s Initiative. The winner of the 2024 prize  from our Historical Society

3. ‘Carlton Working Men’s Hotel. “A great boon to Merthyr”’ (1911). Transcription by Carl Llewellyn

4. DENIED! Welshman Cuthbert Taylor and the abolition of boxing’s colour bar by Bill Williams

5. A Railway walk from Pantysgallog (High Level) Halt to Torpantau station (1961) by Alistair V. Phillips

6. The History of Merthyr Newspapers (and some of their Printers and Publishers) by D. Rhys Davies and Carl Llewellyn

7. Harris Schwartz: family, furniture and Merthyr’s Jewish community recalled by Rita (Schwartz) Silverman

8. Apprenticing a chemist in Dowlais, 1880, and all those concerned by Christine Trevett

9. The Almanack and Year Book 1897 Merthyr Tydfil. A Victorian Townsman’s Pride in the Press and in his home-town, the Best Shopping Centre in North Glamorgan by Mary Owen

10. A history of the education movement in the parish of Merthyr Tydfil (to 1896) by H. W. Southey from The Almanack and Year Book transcribed by Caroline Owen

11. The Quakers’ Yard Truant School: some glimpses of its history by Stephen Brewer, Carolyn Jacob and Christine Trevett

12. A school from the ashes. The British Tip and some reflections on the final years of Abermorlais School by Clive Thomas

13. A Little Gay History of Merthyr by Daryl Leeworthy

14. From Troedyrhiw to California. Welsh Immigrants in the Mount Diabolo Coalfield by David Collier

15. A History of Nonconformity in Dowlais by Stephen Brewer

16. ‘The Mighty Morlais’: A study in the history of Morlais Castle and its significant figures by Benedict Bray

17. Out and About with Cerddwyson by T. Fred Holley and John D. Holley

18. Our Excursion to Swansea transcription by Stephen Brewer

BIOGRAPHIES OF CONTRIBUTORS

Remembering Merthyr’s Cinemas

Do you have memories of going to the cinema when you were younger?

Picture Palace, Troedyrhiw. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Merthyr and the surrounding area had almost a dozen cinemas in years gone by, and Dr Steven Gerrard of the Northern Film School at Leeds Beckett University (and a Pentrebach boy) is working on a project to collect people’s memories of them.

To achieve this, Steve will be holding a drop in session at Canolfan Soar between 10.00 and 12.00 on Monday 20 November for people to come along and share their memories.

If you would like to take part, please come along and have a chat about your memories – you will be guaranteed a very warm welcome.

To recap – Canolfan Soar – 20 November – 10.00 to 12.00. Please come along and share your memories.

Gene Lynn at the Castle Cinema organ. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive