Sun, 19 Oct 2014 11:30 Dal Ati

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-Hello! I'm Nia Parry

-and today, I'm in Merthyr Tydfil.

-Join me, as I meet

-some colourful local characters.

-Welcome to Milltir2.

-North of Merthyr Tydfil

-are the Brecon Beacons...

-..where two rivers rise -

-Taf Fawr and Taf Fechan.

-They join to form the River Taff

-here, in Merthyr.

-The Taff flows down the valley

-to Pontypridd...

-..then on to Cardiff

-and out into the Severn estuary.

-Today, Merthyr Tydfil has

-a population of around 30,000...

-..but back in 1851,

-it was the biggest town in Wales...

-..with a population

-of around 46,000.

-Why?

-It boils down to two things -

-coal and iron.

-On the programme, Richard Harrington

-talks about his birthplace.

-Aled Sam and Greg Stevenson

-visit Cyfarthfa Castle...

-..and other interesting buildings.

-I talk to Lis Mclean

-from the local Welsh centre.

-Singer, Kizzy Crawford

-talks about her style...

-..and we meet local Welsh learner,

-Coral Putman.

-A host of famous people were

-born and bred in Merthyr Tydfil.

-Julien Macdonald and Laura Ashley,

-from the fashion world...

-..the musician Joseph Parry...

-..and famous boxers Howard Winstone

-and the amazing Johnny Owen.

-Another famous local boy

-is the actor, Richard Harrington.

-He played DCI Tom Mathias

-in the series, Hinterland.

-Here he is talking about his family

-and his childhood...

-..on the Gurnos estate

-and in Dowlais.

-For help to follow the programme,

-take a look at our website...

-..or download the Dal Ati app.

-Well, I was born here.

-Whitebeam Close.

-In 1975, my parents worked as nurses

-in St Tydfil's Hospital in the town.

-A new hospital was being built

-here, on the Gurnos.

-It's a remarkable place.

-Although I have no memories

-of this place...

-..I feel I belong here.

-They speak about it with fondness.

-Gurnos is fantastic.

-The people of Merthyr Tydfil

-know the meaning of austerity.

-There's not much here but

-there's a spirit and I can feel it.

-As I said, I feel I belong here,

-in a sense.

-And here's where it all began.

-It's quite emotional, really.

-In 1977, we moved from the Gurnos

-to this spot in Dowlais.

-It's located halfway

-between Dowlais and Pant.

-The street is called Pant Road

-and I lived at number 7.

-The other street is called

-Cross Ivor Terrace.

-This is where I played

-and where all my friends lived.

-I remember there being

-a real sense of community.

-Everyone knew

-everyone else's business.

-It was great. It was so vibrant.

-I can remember the neighbours

-being real characters and very kind.

-I have really happy memories

-of being here.

-Mam and Dad were really happy.

-At the time, it was just me,

-Mam, Dad and my sister, Lynwen.

-She's three years younger than me.

-A lot of people would visit.

-This gate was in constant use

-during the day.

-Mam and Dad were nurses, so all

-the hypochondriacs would call.

-I remember one story

-about my father.

-He liked to sunbathe and there

-used to be a coal shed over there.

-He'd sunbathe on top of the roof.

-I remember playing football here

-one day.

-People were passing by and saying,

-"Alright, Paul?"

-And Dad, in his Speedos,

-would say "alright" back.

-But I remember hearing

-this awful noise.

-It was Dad

-falling through the roof.

-He's never sunbathed since!

-I remember the miners' strike.

-I remember

-men crying on the street...

-..in 1984...

-..when the Guest Keen, the last

-of the ironworks, closed down.

-It was right there,

-so it was very dusty.

-One day, the dust stopped.

-I remember

-Johnny Owen's funeral too.

-The procession came past the house

-in 1980.

-I remember men crying

-and Dad was crying too.

-The place is steeped in history

-and people have gone through hell.

-But there's no room for misery

-in Merthyr.

-You've got to get on with it.

-When I think about this place...

-..I think

-of how my life might have been.

-I don't know

-where I would have ended up...

-..or what I would have been doing...

-..if Mam and Dad hadn't sent me

-to a Welsh-medium school.

-Maybe they regarded Welsh education

-as a ticket out of this valley.

-In the end,

-they might have been right.

-Rhydfelen had a fantastic

-Drama department.

-Drama came to my rescue.

-My mother's father, my grandfather,

-Jack Jones...

-..who they used to call

-John The Cottage...

-..came from Aberdare

-and Welsh was his first language.

-When I came into the world,

-he spoke very little Welsh to me.

-If he wanted to tell me something

-in secret...

-..he'd say it in Welsh.

-He used to say,

-"Go and buy me some cigarettes."

-Isn't that strange?

-As a child,

-I went to a Welsh-medium school...

-..but I'd come home

-and speak English...

-..though my grandfather

-lived with us and spoke Welsh.

-He'd speak Welsh to his friends

-but not to us.

-I often had stones thrown at me.

-Boys called me Welsh Cake

-for going to a Welsh-medium school.

-The irony of it all

-is that they were the same boys...

-..who'd be knocking on my door

-half an hour later...

-..asking me

-to play football with them.

-It's a lesson for us all, really.

-They didn't feel

-the Welsh language was inclusive.

-That's the mentality of this place.

-But nowadays, the Welsh language

-is no longer considered exclusive.

-It's for everyone.

-It's only a language!

-One of the most important families

-in this area in the 19th century...

-..was the Crawshay family.

-They owned Cyfarthfa ironworks

-and built Cyfarthfa Castle.

-Aled Sam and Greg Stevenson

-visited the castle.

-We're outside

-the famous Cyfarthfa Castle.

-It looks like a folly.

-Yes, it's over the top!

-It must be the most ostentatious

-building in the Valleys!

-It cost 30,000 to build this place

-in 1825.

-It was very, very expensive!

-They intentionally built 52 rooms,

-one for every week of the year.

-It boasts 365 windows

-and a blind window for leap years!

-That's where our journey begins.

-From the shape of this room,

-it's obvious we're in the tower.

-Yes, this is the Round Drawing Room.

-We have the original floor plan,

-so we know how this house was used.

-I think they had too many rooms and

-they didn't know how to use them!

-At the end of this wing,

-there's a drawing room.

-You use drawing rooms after a meal.

-This is another drawing room.

-Why not?

-Next door was a morning room.

-You sat there in the morning,

-to enjoy the sunshine.

-It's been decorated beautifully.

-It's been decorated beautifully.

-

-Yes, the wallpaper is fantastic.

-The drapes are the work of

-the Welsh designer, Cefyn Burgess.

-The window glazing bars

-are very thin.

-This was the height of fashion

-in the early 19th century.

-The plasterwork and the gilding

-on the ceiling is perfect.

-Yes, and that's an original,

-French chandelier.

-The Crawshay family

-spent a fortune on the castle...

-..but the ironworks

-had made them very wealthy.

-The same wasn't true of the workers,

-who had a terribly hard life.

-In the next clip, Aled and Greg

-visit the old ironworks.

-On the opposite bank

-of the River Taff...

-..is one of Merthyr's most arresting

-and least familiar sights.

-I can't believe

-you can drive through Merthyr...

-..and not know about

-a huge construction, like this.

-Who'd think you could hide

-these massive blast furnaces?

-Cyfarthfa was one of

-the world's largest ironworks...

-..in the early 19th century.

-The industries in these new sheds

-mask the old industry.

-Yes, and some industrial gems

-still remain in this area.

-The Ynysfach Engine House

-is still standing.

-It's masked by modern buildings.

-The old railway bridge is apparently

-the world's oldest iron bridge.

-We're all familiar with the viaduct

-you can see from the A470.

-The historical gems are here,

-if you know where to look!

-Stay tuned to meet

-the singer, Kizzy Crawford...

-..and the Welsh learner,

-Coral Putman.

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-Today, we're in

-the Merthyr Tydfil area.

-Merthyr Tydfil

-means the shrine of St Tydfil.

-Tydfil's father was Brychan, the

-fifth century king of Brycheiniog.

-Saint Dwynwen, the patron saint

-of lovers, was Tydfil's sister.

-Legend has it that Tydfil was killed

-by pagans in the year 480.

-A picture of Saint Tydfil

-is the town's symbol.

-Most of the 400 Ysgol Gymraeg

-Santes Tudful pupils...

-..come from

-non-Welsh speaking homes.

-This is the Soar centre

-in the middle of Merthyr.

-It's the home of the theatre

-and a Welsh initiative.

-I asked Lis Mclean about the centre

-and about Welsh life in the town.

-Hello, Lis. How are you?

-Hello, Lis. How are you?

-

-Fine, thank you.

-Thank you for inviting me

-to see this lovely centre.

-Yes, it's home to Welsh language

-organizations in the Merthyr area.

-They include Welsh For Adults,

-the Urdd and Cylch Meithrin.

-Menter Iaith is also based here.

-We also now have a theatre

-and a dance studio.

-What's your role here?

-I'm the principal officer

-at Menter Iaith...

-..and I run the centre.

-Some 8.9% of the population

-speaks Welsh.

-That's shockingly low.

-We try to attract former

-Welsh-medium schools pupils here.

-When people leave Welsh education,

-where do they go?

-Menter Merthyr and the Soar centre

-try to focus on creating work...

-..for former pupils

-of Welsh-medium schools.

-Is a lack of confidence

-to speak Welsh a factor here...

-..as it is in so many places

-across Wales?

-Yes. It's a huge problem.

-If someone doesn't speak Welsh for

-a few years after leaving school...

-..their confidence is shattered.

-That's what happened to me.

-I didn't speak Welsh for 17 years

-after I left school...

-..but I decided

-to come back to the language.

-I know how people feel.

-How many Welsh-medium schools

-are there in the area?

-Two junior schools

-but no secondary schools.

-People travel to Rhydywaun, Hirwaun.

-It's a huge stumbling block.

-People don't see the results

-of Rhydywaun in Merthyr.

-Would it help to have a Welsh-medium

-secondary school in Merthyr?

-Yes, but getting children at

-nursery age is our first priority.

-We need a strategy to develop

-Welsh-medium education in Merthyr.

-There has to be an economic

-advantage to speaking Welsh.

-It's no longer enough just to have

-places where we can speak Welsh...

-..although, of course, that helps.

-We need a purpose.

-We must be able to put the Welsh

-language to work in our communities.

-What does the future hold

-for the Welsh language in Merthyr?

-I think we'll formulate

-a strong strategy in Merthyr...

-..which brings together

-all the partners.

-Thank you, Lis.

-Let's talk in the theatre later.

-We filmed Kizzy Crawford in the

-theatre talking about her style.

-Kizzy has a Welsh, English

-and Bajan, or Barbadian, background.

-She sings acoustic jazz/soul music

-in Welsh and English.

-She's performed on television and

-radio and played many festivals.

-This year, she recorded the

-song Golden Brown (Brown Euraidd).

-Hello. I'm Kizzy Crawford

-and here's what I'm wearing today.

-I'm a singer and I live in Merthyr.

-Today, we're in Theatr Soar,

-Merthyr.

-My mother keeps everything she buys.

-We go around charity shops

-and vintage shops together...

-..looking for vintage

-and old-fashioned clothes.

-We then try to combine them

-with new clothes.

-My clothes reflect

-the mood I'm in at that time.

-They reflect who I am.

-I always make a real effort

-with my clothes when I perform...

-..to make sure my clothes

-and my music combine perfectly.

-I want my clothes

-to reflect who I am.

-This is a wool coat.

-I like the way it moves

-and covers me when I move.

-It also has bell sleeves...

-..so it creates

-quite an enchanting effect.

-My mother bought it

-in a vintage shop in Oxford...

-..when she was a student.

-What I like about this coat

-is it's really warm.

-This jacket comes from Peacocks,

-so it's quite new.

-I like the way

-it goes with this skirt...

-..which reflects

-my Welsh cultural heritage.

-This material

-was always appreciated...

-..because it was seen

-as a thing of beauty in Wales.

-I like the way I'm wearing it,

-as a skirt...

-..rather than a blanket or a jacket.

-It then goes with this fabric

-which is perhaps a bit newer.

-I'm wearing a corset which came

-from a charity shop in Llandudno.

-People rarely

-wear a corset outside...

-..but I can wear it

-because this coat keeps me warm.

-This scarf doesn't look like

-it would go with this outfit.

-It looks quite traditional.

-I like the way

-it brings the outfit together.

-I think accessories are a great way

-to change the look of an outfit.

-Accessories

-makes an outfit complete.

-That's why I always wear earrings.

-I wear a nose ring because it brings

-out my different characteristics.

-It helps create

-my own unique look too.

-My mother always tells me if I have

-money to spend on an outfit...

-..to spend it on shoes or boots.

-Good footwear

-will keep you comfortable.

-That's why I bought these boots.

-I'll spend quite a lot of money

-on boots and shoes.

-I think my outfit is quite

-enchanting and it stands out.

-I want to stick to my own style.

-I don't want to look

-like everyone else.

-I don't really follow fashion.

-I'm Kizzy Crawford

-and this is what I'm wearing today.

-Kizzy, a young Merthyr woman

-who has learned Welsh...

-..and uses the language

-in her everyday life.

-Coral Putman has also learned Welsh.

-She comes from Reading originally...

-..but she now lives in Trelewis,

-ten miles from Merthyr.

-I'm Coral Putman

-and I live in Trelewis.

-I moved to Wales from Reading

-around two years ago.

-I decided to learn Welsh...

-..because I'm following

-a degree course in Mathematics...

-..with the Open University.

-I hope to become a teacher.

-I'd like to teach maths

-at a Welsh-medium school.

-When I moved to Wales...

-..I had problems with pronunciation,

-especially with the letter Ll.

-I have two dogs, three cats...

-..and five rabbits.

-And a duck!

-I spend a lot of my time

-tidying the house!

-In my spare time,

-I enjoy working in the garden.

-I grow vegetables.

-I love to knit

-items of clothing for my family.

-I also volunteer

-at Taff Bargoed Park.

-There are a lot of Welsh books

-at the Bedlinog Centre.

-I enjoyed

-reading Bethan Gwanas novels...

-..especially Blodwen Jones.

-Blodwen Jones works in a library

-in North Wales.

-She's learning Welsh and

-she's in love with her Welsh tutor.

-It's really, really funny.

-I'd like to keep learning Welsh

-until I'm perfect.

-Maybe, in ten years' time,

-I could be a Welsh tutor.

-It's great that so many local people

-are learning Welsh...

-..and using the language

-in their daily lives.

-Stay tuned for more from Merthyr.

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-Hello again!

-John Josiah Guest's family

-owned the Dowlais ironworks.

-He and Charlotte, his wife,

-lived in Dowlais House.

-She learned Welsh...

-..and translated ancient,

-Welsh stories into English...

-..and published them

-under the title The Mabinogion.

-Nothing remains of the old house...

-..but two Guest buildings

-are still standing...

-..the old library and the stables.

-For help to follow the programme,

-take a look at our website...

-..or download the Dal Ati app.

-This is the Sir Josiah John Guest

-Memorial Library in Dowlais.

-It's more of a temple

-than a library!

-Yes, it looks like a temple

-and that's the whole idea.

-Sir Charles Barry was the architect

-and it was built in 1863.

-Barry was by then famous

-for his work in Westminster.

-He did a lot of the work

-on the Palace of Westminster.

-This building

-still serves the local community...

-..as it's a social club, or a pub.

-Far more useful than a library!

-Close to the old library

-is a building...

-..linked to the Guests' reign

-in Dowlais.

-Dowlais ironworks and steelworks

-have gone but some buildings remain.

-This beautiful

-converted stable block from 1820...

-..shows how people like Josiah Guest

-spent money on the ironworks.

-He tried to create a respectable

-centre for the ironworks.

-I'm back in the Soar centre

-with Lis Mclean.

-This theatre is wonderful.

-When was it converted

-from a chapel into a theatre?

-It's been a theatre for three years.

-It's very successful.

-We hold performances, workshops,

-courses and conferences here.

-We also hold public meetings here.

-Tell me about yourself.

-Were you born and bred in Merthyr?

-Were you born and bred in Merthyr?

-

-No, I was born in Cardiff.

-My mother was unwell, so she had to

-go to Cardiff to give birth to me.

-But I am a Merthyr girl.

-I was raised

-through the medium of English.

-My mother spoke Welsh

-but she didn't speak it with me.

-You didn't speak Welsh at home,

-so how did you start to learn Welsh?

-I went to a Welsh-medium

-junior school in Aberdare.

-Thanks to the efforts of people

-like my parents and many others...

-..Ysgol Santes Tudful

-opened in Merthyr.

-After you'd left school, was there a

-period where you didn't speak Welsh?

-Yes. I was ill, so I left school

-when I was only 14 years of age.

-I didn't use my Welsh for years.

-I had children 17 years later...

-..and that's when

-I started to speak Welsh again.

-Did you make the change

-and speak Welsh overnight?

-I went back to using my Welsh

-thanks to a group of volunteers...

-..who met up in a Merthyr pub.

-I then did an A-level

-in Welsh as a second language.

-I then decided to get a job

-where I had to speak Welsh.

-I felt that if I worked

-through the medium of Welsh...

-..and was immersed in the language

-in the workplace all the time...

-..I'd use the language constantly.

-What are the characteristics

-of local dialect?

-It's quite a soft dialect.

-We use many different Welsh words.

-We say wylia'r Gymraeg

-rather than siarad Cymraeg.

-I've never heard that before.

-I've never heard that before.

-

-We say a lot of unusual words.

-We say ce not cae.

-Merthyr Welsh is a bit different.

-You're a Merthyr girl.

-Will you stay here forever?

-Definitely.

-Thank you for the chat, Lis.

-It's time to meet another

-Merthyr girl - Donna Edwards.

-Donna plays Britt on Pobol Y Cwm.

-Earlier this year,

-she chatted about her life...

-..with me and Matt Johnson

-on the Hwb sofa.

-Hello!

-Drum roll, please!

-Drum roll, please!

-

-Hello, gorgeous!

-It's nice to see you.

-It's nice to meet you.

-It's nice to meet you.

-

-Nice to meet you too.

-Donna, you're an actress.

-You've worked in the theatre

-and you've acted in films.

-Which do you prefer?

-Film.

-Film.

-

-Why?

-You have so much more time

-for each shot when you make a film.

-I'll check Matt's following.

-Shwt gymaint mwy. It's lovely.

-Shwt gymaint mwy - so much more.

-So much - shwt gymaint.

-Yes, you have much more time

-when you're working on a film.

-You can spend hours

-shooting one scene.

-You rehearse and rehearse before

-you go on stage at the theatre.

-You spend weeks in rehearsals...

-..but you've got to get it right

-on the night.

-If not, you're in trouble!

-In the theatre, the feeling

-of butterflies before you go on...

-..and the buzz you get from the

-ovation at the end must be great.

-Yes, that's very special.

-You respond

-to the audience's response to you.

-You're currently

-acting in Pobol Y Cwm.

-How long have you played Britt

-in Pobol Y Cwm?

-I think I've played Britt

-since 2001.

-That's 11 years ago.

-Do you enjoy it?

-Yes. Britt is a lovely character

-to play.

-She's a troubled character.

-Do you like your characters?

-Do you like your characters?

-

-That's what acting's about.

-You discover people's character.

-The really nice thing

-about being in a soap opera...

-..is the fact you really can go

-through the whole gamut of emotions.

-One storyline can be a happy comedy.

-Another storyline

-can be totally tragic.

-If you're lucky,

-you play a character for years...

-..and you have time to do that.

-How long have you been acting?

-How long have you been acting?

-

-I was 14 when I took up acting.

-You played Myfanwy, didn't you?

-You played Myfanwy, didn't you?

-

-Yes.

-The BBC, back in the 1970s...

-..filmed a series

-about Joseph Parry, the composer.

-Which is your favourite TV role?

-Sharon, in Tair Chwaer

-is definitely my favourite role.

-I had a chance to sing, to act and

-to have fun with the other women.

-It was fantastic fun.

-Menywod - women.

-Donna had fun with the other women.

-You won a BAFTA for Tair Chwaer

-and for your work on Belonging.

-I've been very lucky.

-I've been very lucky.

-

-It's not luck!

-Well, as some people say,

-I work hard for my luck.

-I felt truly bilingual

-when I won my second BAFTA.

-I'd already won a BAFTA

-for my work in Welsh...

-..then, I won a BAFTA for my work

-through the medium of English.

-Interesting!

-That's when Donna

-felt truly bilingual.

-She won a BAFTA

-for her work in both languages.

-And there's something else!

-My husband doesn't speak Welsh.

-I went through a phase when, every

-night when I was about to nod off...

-..I'd say,

-"Nos da, cariad. Caru ti."

-He doesn't speak Welsh!

-It sounded a bit strange, didn't it!

-He'd say,

-"Don, you're speaking Welsh again!"

-Are you talking to me?

-I was obviously thinking in Welsh.

-We had fun with Donna.

-She's a real character.

-Join me after the break

-to meet more Merthyr characters.

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-Welcome back

-to the coal and iron area.

-This mural depicts Merthyr

-past and present.

-On this side is the old iron bridge

-and Cyfarthfa band.

-On the new side,

-a train and the flats.

-For help to follow the programme,

-take a look at our website...

-..or download the Dal Ati app.

-We leave Merthyr

-and follow River Taff to Pontypridd.

-Here, River Taff

-meets River Rhondda.

-It's another area

-where coal and iron were important.

-Iolo Williams came to Pontypridd

-to talk to historian, Dean Powell.

-What a great view of Pontypridd.

-What a great view of Pontypridd.

-

-It's beautiful.

-Are you a local boy?

-Are you a local boy?

-

-I'm from Llantrisant.

-My family's from Pontypridd

-so I feel very close to it.

-I'd guess,

-in a big Valleys town like this...

-..that there's a great deal

-of industrial and cultural history.

-Yes, the coal and iron industries

-were the making of Pontypridd.

-Of course, it's important

-in the history of Wales...

-..from the national anthem

-to Tom Jones.

-Tom Jones is all-important.

-Everyone mentions him.

-Are there less well-known people

-who are just as important?

-Dr William Price is a prime example.

-He was an important figure

-in Pontypridd and Wales's history.

-He's remembered for cremating

-his baby, Iesu Grist Price.

-After that, the Cremation Act

-was passed in 1902.

-Price had lived in Pontypridd

-for over 60 years before that.

-He fought long and hard

-for the language and old traditions.

-He was a doctor - his surgery

-was near here, at Coedpenmaen.

-He also wanted to build

-the first Welsh folk museum here.

-The white round houses

-stand in the next street.

-They were his mansion gatehouses.

-Unfortunately, he didn't have

-enough money to finish the project.

-He was the Archdruid of Wales.

-He held ceremonies here,

-at the Rocking Stone.

-He founded Wales's first

-co-operative society.

-He never married,

-and didn't support marriage.

-Yet, he fathered

-quite a few children.

-I'm sure it's nice for you

-to be able to come back here.

-Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it?

-Dr William Price would have had

-the same view when he was up here.

-I like the fact that he was

-five-foot-five. Just like me!

-There's hope for me yet.

-Next, we leave Pontypridd

-and head to the hills with Iolo.

-Look at these magnificent views.

-As you all know, I enjoy walking...

-..but I'm about to do

-a really different sort of walking.

-Gorge walking.

-Matt, I'll tell you what,

-I'm sweating already.

-Are you a local boy?

-Are you a local boy?

-

-Yes, I am.

-I went to Ysgol Rhydfelen.

-During my A-levels, I was climbing

-more than I was in school.

-I then went to Pencoed College.

-From there,

-I was climbing all the time.

-I was paddling as well.

-I then got a job

-as an outdoor pursuits instructor.

-So here I am.

-You teach climbing

-and other things too.

-Climbing, gorge walking, kayaking.

-I also go out to Malta to work.

-So, yes, I travel a bit.

-What's ahead of us today?

-We're doing the balance beam next.

-We clip you to a rope,

-and you go across.

-You have to walk to the other side

-without using your hands.

-That was some climb, I must say.

-That was quite difficult, fair play.

-One thing that's astounded me

-is the beauty of this area.

-It's wonderful, isn't it?

-This is just part of the farm,

-which is really vast.

-Is it a busy place?

-Is it a busy place?

-

-Yes, it is.

-With the quads, archery

-and clay pigeons, we're flat out.

-People come from all around.

-I've truly enjoyed myself.

-How much further is there to go?

-How much further is there to go?

-

-About five miles.

-Five more miles?

-Five more miles?

-

-Yes, come on.

-You lead the way. Five miles!

-I'm determined to finish, Matt.

-Come on, let's go.

-Good luck, Iolo!

-Next, we visit the Tonypandy area

-of the Rhondda Valley.

-David Roberts's father

-was a coal miner.

-David and Pat, his wife,

-bought an old coal miner's house.

-Aled Sam and Greg Stevenson

-met them there for a chat.

-There were thousands

-of coal miners' houses in Wales.

-David and Pat Roberts's house...

-..is one of the few

-original examples still standing.

-I saw a picture of it

-in a shop in Tonypandy.

-It was for sale

-and we were drawn to it, somehow.

-Even before

-we set foot inside the house...

-..David said, "We've got to have it!

-We've got to have it!"

-There was no heating in the house.

-It felt very sad.

-Plants had come through the windows

-and down the curtains.

-It was very spooky.

-I lived in a house like this

-when I was a boy.

-We had a similar fireplace.

-We had no electricity or gas

-in the house.

-All we had were candles.

-I remember my mother

-cooking on the fireplace.

-I probably wanted to regain

-a part of my childhood.

-I like to be

-surrounded by interesting objects.

-We're very fond of the windows

-and the doors.

-We wanted to preserve

-the essence of the original house.

-This area was known as a laboratory.

-It's a kitchen today, but this is

-where they would test the coal.

-I've never seen

-such a building before.

-The landscape has changed.

-The mountain was black.

-The tips were cleared

-and it's green today.

-The laboratory is over there...

-..and we're now stepping into

-the main body of the house.

-This room is surprisingly big.

-This room is surprisingly big.

-

-The parlour is a big room too.

-We assume miners were poor

-but that wasn't always the case.

-A house like this

-was a lovely place in which to live.

-They moved here from other areas,

-where they lived in tiny cottages.

-Whole families shared a single room

-in those days.

-They were happy

-to move to terraces like this one.

-I remember the working mines.

-People, like my father,

-walked to the pit in the morning.

-I remember the sound of the boots

-thudding on the ground.

-I remember Dad coming home

-from the pit, in his work clothes.

-He was filthy!

-Dad would have a bath

-in front of the fire.

-That goes for me

-and the rest of the family too.

-There was no bathroom.

-We end by meeting a local girl who

-moved down the valley to Cardiff.

-Catrin Southall created a business

-around some very special clothes.

-I went to meet her a few years ago.

-This is one of the most

-colourful wardrobes I've ever seen.

-I can't deny it - I love colour!

-I saw this in a small boutique

-in Cardiff called Pussy Galore.

-I had to have it.

-It's all about the detail.

-Look at the frills!

-It's short at the front

-and long at the back.

-I love the name - Frilly Lilly.

-I love the name - Frilly Lilly.

-

-How cute is that?

-Look at the back of the corset.

-There's a lace-up effect

-at the back.

-It's quite sexy.

-It's quite sexy.

-

-Yes.

-I like corsets.

-They give you a nice shape,

-even if you feel bloated.

-A lot of my clothes look girlie,

-at first glance...

-..but they're girlie/raunchy.

-Both sides of my character come out.

-The angel and the devil?

-The angel and the devil?

-

-Yes, that's it!

-I've spent so much money on dresses

-and I only wear some of them once.

-Me and Alex, my friend,

-want to set up a dress hire company.

-We'd call it Cwpwrdd Cudd,

-or My Secret Wardrobe in English.

-It would be perfect

-during the credit crunch.

-I know where to come before a party.

-I know where to come before a party.

-

-It'll cost you. This is a business!

-This is the stuff I wear on stage.

-I like to team rock T-shirts,

-like this AC/DC one...

-..with some lace or some netting.

-I'd wear this to go shopping.

-I'd wear it on the street and people

-would say, "What is she wearing?"

-I don't care.

-If you're in the mood, just do it.

-You don't dress appropriately

-for the occasion?

-No, the clothes I wear

-are about the mood I'm in.

-It's theatric.

-That's the performer in you.

-I just enjoy wearing them.

-I like to have fun in them.

-Our journey around Merthyr

-has ended.

-I hope you enjoyed it.

-Join me next time,

-when I'll be on Anglesey.

-Until then, goodbye.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones