Pennod 4 Cymoedd Roy Noble

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-The Valleys

-have always been my home.

-Each valley with its industrial

-scars and colourful characters...

-..have left

-a lasting impression on me.

-Over the coming weeks,

-I'll revisit the Valleys...

-..and meet characters

-who are truly welcoming.

-Why not jump on board my ride?

-I'm shifting gear

-and heading for the horizon!

-All rivers flow to the sea.

-This stream

-will develop on its journey.

-What's its name?

-The word Mawr is part of it.

-What's the other word?

-I'll give you a clue.

-We're in the Gwendraeth Valley.

-This valley

-is named after two rivers...

-..Gwendraeth Fawr

-and Gwendraeth Fach.

-Gwendraeth Fawr

-is smaller than Gwendraeth Fach.

-I'll be following Gwendraeth Fawr

-on this programme...

-..starting at its source

-near Gorslas...

-..then Cross Hands, Cefneithin,

-Tumble, Pontyates...

-..then down the valley

-to Kidwelly...

-..and the confluence of

-Gwendraeth Fawr and Gwendraeth Fach.

-I start with a secret

-which lies near Gorslas...

-..Llyn Llech Owain.

-According to legend...

-..Owain Lawgoch was looking after

-a well on Mynydd Mawr.

-One day, he forgot to replace

-a slate on top of the well.

-As a result, water poured down

-the mountain, creating the lake.

-Thus, the lake is named

-'lake of Owain's slab'.

-Terry, this is lovely,

-and it's a natural lake.

-It's amazing how many people

-come to this country park...

-..and how many in Gorslas

-who've never been here.

-It's natural.

-Lots of people come here

-to walk around the lake.

-I'm doing a programme

-on the Gwendraeth Valley.

-Gwendraeth Fawr and Gwendraeth Fach.

-It's apt that we're here

-as this is where both start.

-Yes, this is their source.

-Gwendraeth Fach is larger than

-Gwendraeth Fawr, which is quite odd!

-Gwendraeth Fawr flows through

-Gorslas, Cross Hands, Pontyberem...

-..to Kidwelly.

-They're all coal mining areas.

-Gwendraeth Fach flows through

-Porthyrhyd, an agricultural area.

-The confluence is at Kidwelly.

-Both rivers come together.

-One of the valley's busiest villages

-is Cross Hands...

-..an important link

-between the M4 and West Wales.

-This busyness

-is reflected in this cafe.

-A traditional cafe, Caffi Rhiannon

-opens early every day.

-It feeds the workers, locals

-and visitors to the area.

-Thank you.

-Thank you for the welcome too.

-There's a quirk in me - do you know

-what I do first when I'm in a cafe?

-I count the seats.

-Are there 78 in here?

-Are there 78 in here?

-

-Yes.

-I don't know why I do it!

-When did you start?

-Did any of your family run cafes?

-No.

-I went to college in Carmarthen

-and decided to open a cafe.

-Were you sitting in a cafe

-at the time?

-No, we were sitting at the kitchen

-table and we decided to open a cafe.

-As a family or just you?

-Just me, really, and some friends.

-We went for it.

-Was it a small cafe to start with?

-Was it a small cafe to start with?

-

-Supposed to be.

-But this is how the plans came back.

-How many years have you been here?

-How many years have you been here?

-

-Twelve years in September.

-Really?

-Your mother and your mother-in-law

-help out now and again.

-Yes, and we have good staff,

-so we're lucky.

-It's lunchtime

-and it's like a conveyor belt!

-Everyone has their own job.

-Like a factory!

-The potatoes go in one place,

-the meat in another.

-Rhiannon's calendar also fills up

-supporting this man...

-..Endaf Owens, her husband.

-He's made a name for himself

-as a racing driver.

-He also restores specialist cars.

-Endaf, this is incredible.

-You're in rural Wales

-and you see loads of Minis!

-Some are being prepared

-for racing...

-..and others

-are being fixed for their owners.

-Where did this interest begin?

-I started racing go-karts

-when I was younger.

-Dad used to take part in rallying.

-He started in Minis.

-I used to go out with him.

-That's when the interest began.

-I started go-karting when I was ten.

-I was old enough to have a Mini

-when I was 14.

-I worked on jalopies for many years

-- building my own cars and so on.

-My interest built from that.

-Some of these have come from abroad.

-Were they ordered abroad?

-They've seen the cars I race

-and build myself.

-The cars come from all over

-as a shell or anything.

-You have a good reputation and your

-name is seen when you're racing.

-There are two parts

-to your professional life...

-..racing and this business.

-Because I get some luck sometimes

-achieving a few results...

-..it shows

-the cars are running well.

-You've been successful.

-You've been successful.

-

-I've had some luck over the years.

-I'm getting old now.

-The conveyor belt is different here

-as each car is different.

-A lot of the cars we race these days

-are historics.

-They have to be built from Minis

-that were made before 1966.

-We have a lot of those on the go

-and they're almost identical.

-What's their top speed?

-I'm racing at Silverstone

-this weekend, and they'll do 120mph.

-Do you get a few bumps?

-Do you get a few bumps?

-

-Yes, a few.

-After his success in racing, he has

-a waiting list of customers...

-..with that list

-stretching far beyond Wales.

-I'm doing a lot of shells

-at the moment.

-They're going to places like Sweden

-and Portugal.

-Do you only work on Minis?

-I'm working on Minis at the moment

-but I do up a lot of cars.

-I work on car spaceframes and build

-cars from metal, from tubes.

-A bit of everything. Anything.

-If anyone wants anything,

-they come to you.

-I hope so.

-That sign says

-"Happy wife, happy life".

-I look at you, Endaf,

-and it's obviously true.

-Of course! Amazing!

-It's great to see partners,

-a husband and wife...

-..with successful

-but different businesses.

-I may be wrong here...

-..but it may be better that

-you're not in the same business.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-

-Definite.

-I could never work with Rhiannon

-and she could never work with me!

-We get on so well

-as we don't see much of each other!

-The Gwendraeth Valley

-has produced many rugby heroes.

-It makes me think

-there's something in the water.

-There are lots,

-but the biggest of them all...

-..is the legendary Barry John.

-The king of the valley

-and the king of the rugby pitch.

-If rugby is the religion of Wales,

-the outside half is its high priest.

-Barry John

-is in the great tradition.

-The memories must be flooding back.

-This is where you started playing.

-Yes.

-As a youngster, everyone dreams

-of playing for Wales.

-You have these images in your head.

-This is where we all started,

-playing for the club.

-The Green and Golds.

-You started

-by playing for your village side.

-Your heroes were in those sides.

-Carwyn lived in the village too,

-near the pitch.

-I'd see him when he used

-to come back from Llandovery.

-He'd train.

-We'd all jump over the hedge

-and kick the ball back to him...

-..and things like that.

-There's something in the water

-in this area! So much talent.

-Do you know the Max Boyce song

-about the outside half factory?

-Number 10s.

-Number 10s.

-

-That's the one.

-"I'll tell you all a story

-"'tis a strange and a weird tale

-"Of a factory in my valley,

-not fed by road or rail

-"It's built beneath the mountain,

-beneath the coal and clay

-"It's where we make

-the outside halves

-"That'll play for Wales one day."

-No-one's put their finger

-on the map...

-..but I think it was in this area.

-Yes, in the Gwendraeth Valley.

-Max sings in the song

-about a conveyor belt.

-Number tens

-coming out one after another.

-It was like that

-in the Gwendraeth Valley.

-You had Carwyn, me

-and Gareth Davies...

-..who's in charge of the WRU.

-He's the Godfather!

-"Whatever you say, Gareth!"

-And then, Jonathan from Trimsaran.

-We all went

-to Gwendraeth Grammar School.

-If there's something in the water,

-it's in Gwendraeth Fawr.

-As a youngster in Cefneithin,

-this was Barry's hallowed ground.

-As one of Gwendraeth Valley's

-biggest stars...

-..this patch of ground

-was where he first witnessed...

-..the talents

-of the king of the oval ball.

-You almost had a private field.

-Did you just jump over the hedge?

-Did you just jump over the hedge?

-

-It was great.

-It was like Becher's!

-There were steps on the other side.

-They were used by more

-than just my brother and me.

-Other people in the street

-knew about the shortcut.

-If there was a big game...

-..we were like wildebeest

-coming over!

-There were a lot of characters here.

-I remember over there, coming into

-Cefneithin on that side...

-..there were cottages.

-Mam-gu lived in one of them.

-I cut coal for her.

-Bucket after bucket of coal

-every Friday night for half a crown.

-Anthracite - only the best.

-Hard coal.

-Hard coal.

-

-Only the best.

-One time, I did it on a Thursday.

-She didn't understand so I told her.

-I was playing rugby in London

-on the Saturday, leaving on Friday.

-"Oh, yes. Right," she said.

-"Uncle Lloyd

-has said that you're pretty good."

-Coming from Uncle Lloyd,

-that was big time!

-"What I don't understand is why

-must you go to London to play rugby?

-"There are plenty of fields

-around here."

-I've thought about that sentence

-several times.

-There's something in it.

-There's something in it.

-

-There is.

-Why go to London?

-"But now the belts are empty

-"Came a sadness with the dawn

-"And the body-press is idle,

-and the valley's blinds are drawn.

-"Disaster struck this morning

-when a fitter's mate named Ron

-"Cracked the mould of solid gold

-"That once made Barry John."

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-My journey continues in Tumble,

-a village that's split into two...

-..Upper Tumble and Lower Tumble.

-Some years ago, the village hall

-was a familiar place to me.

-Tumble Hall.

-I was here

-at the turn of this century...

-..when my beard was dark, my

-blood warm and my sinews stretchy.

-What was I doing here? Two clues.

-One.

-Clue number two is this clip.

-Ann Eleri, looking at that,

-I wasn't bad, fair play.

-You were special, Roy.

-Marvellous.

-I think the best dance you did

-was the tango.

-There was a lot of work involved.

-It was very technical.

-You haven't changed much since.

-I've invested a bit of money

-in my belly.

-It's your turn

-to say something about me!

-We reached a good standard.

-I found these in the house.

-The certificates I received

-after doing exams.

-It says I was tidy and correct.

-I was too rushed occasionally,

-but that's how I am.

-My elbow was raised too much.

-However, my rhythm was fine.

-92 out of 100!

-Really?! I didn't know that.

-You got more than me!

-That's not fair.

-That was the best time of my life

-in terms of dancing.

-I'd been ill for years.

-I'd been ill for years.

-

-It was fun.

-Yes.

-I'd started going back to classes.

-Then the call came from Roy Noble.

-When I left here, I knew everything.

-By the time I reached Cross Hands,

-I'd forgotten it all!

-Do you fancy reliving old times?

-A few steps?

-A few steps?

-

-We'll have a go.

-A bit of salsa, unless you want me

-to teach you hip hop.

-No, something else. We'll start

-where my Zimmer is parked.

-I have a stick under the chair too.

-I have a stick under the chair too.

-

-OK. Lead me over there.

-You're meant to lead!

-Five, six, seven, eight.

-One, two, three four...

-..five, six, seven, eight.

-One, two...

-You have to bear in mind

-that 16 years have passed.

-The blood

-flowed faster and further then.

-Press into the floor.

-You have a cockroach on the floor,

-a cucaracha.

-The cucaracha

-has nothing to worry about.

-But Ann Eleri wants me

-to feel the rhythm once more.

-Ann said, "Put your hand there."

-Keep that in place.

-Count to see how much it is.

-So, one, two, three.

-After doing the cucaracha,

-we go straight into that?

-At last, the legs have started

-to kick in. Off we go.

-Hey! There's life in the old dog

-yet.

-You think of a grapevine.

-That's why it's...

-Grapevine. Right. OK.

-Grapevine. Right. OK.

-

-Sorry!

-Waist. Hand off.

-Waist.

-There you are, Ann Eleri.

-Once you've got it...

-..you've got it!

-Oh, God!

-At the bottom of the valley,

-close to Pontyates...

-..is a small company

-called Charcuterie.

-They make specialist meats

-and sausages.

-The secret

-is drying, curing and smoking.

-Illtud, the word charcuterie...

-..brings to mind

-Italy, Germany or France.

-You don't expect one

-in Carmarthenshire!

-No.

-I was trying to find a word...

-..which encompasses the different

-methods of producing meat.

-I couldn't find a Welsh

-or English one which did the job.

-So I chose a French one.

-I moved to the farm in 2004

-with my girlfriend, Liesel.

-We were both looking

-for something different.

-We wanted a shot

-at running our own business.

-We looked

-for a diversification project...

-..to provide added value

-to our farm produce.

-Where did the idea of a charcuterie

-come from?

-It's very different,

-something quite European.

-It is, but there is

-a British tradition.

-We forget there are hams

-in every region.

-The ham we did as a family

-for ourselves...

-..is the traditional method

-in Carmarthenshire.

-Every farm has its own recipe.

-We think of a charcuterie

-as something that's been air-dried.

-But, for the French,

-it also means things like...

-..pate en croute - pork pies,

-and pates - faggots for us.

-It's the same idea

-behind the products.

-All the meat is pork and bacon.

-It's produced on the farm and

-processed using traditional methods.

-These are natural skins.

-Pig intestines.

-We try to use traditional methods

-when we can.

-I see.

-Are these special ones?

-Yes, we produce these with a Cardiff

-company called Dusty Knuckle Pizza.

-They were a street-food company.

-They still make street food

-but they also have a new restaurant.

-This recipe is especially for them.

-It's an American-type sausage

-but with Italian roots.

-These will be dried for five days.

-After that, they can be

-finely sliced onto a pizza.

-Like pepperoni.

-Like pepperoni.

-

-Exactly.

-But this is more rustic...

-..than the commercial version

-you get in a supermarket.

-Illtud, what is this?

-These are our snack salamis,

-small salamis.

-The recent we make these...

-..is they take less time

-than traditional ones to dry...

-..around two to three weeks.

-There are different varieties -

-fennel pollen, truffle...

-..and saucisson sec,

-a French variety.

-On the bottom is cacciatore,

-an Italian variety.

-We have seven or eight varieties

-regularly.

-If someone asks for something

-especially, we can work on a recipe.

-Drying them is a process. We don't

-just let them hang as they are.

-We control the temperature

-and the amount of air in the room.

-When we close the door

-on our way out...

-..the fans will start and will

-control the atmosphere in this room.

-To expand the business,

-marketing is very important.

-They've travelled the world

-to research into every detail.

-They prepare the products carefully.

-South Wales is our biggest market

-at the moment.

-We sell to quality establishments.

-When we find a customer, we try to

-increase how much we sell to them.

-To have better stock in the shop...

-..so they see

-we have a variety of products...

-..rather than have lots of customers

-all over the place.

-You're delving

-into the European market now.

-The French, for example.

-We have a customer in Paris.

-We're international now!

-That's the door, isn't it?

-Yes!

-If we're selling to the French,

-we're doing something right.

-The Gwendraeth Fawr and

-Gwendraeth Fach join in Kidwelly...

-..in the shadow

-of this magnificent castle.

-A charter was given to the town

-around 1115 by Henry I.

-The castle is still one of

-the best examples of its type.

-Twenty-one years later...

-..Princess Gwenllian led a rebellion

-in Kidwelly against the Normans.

-The battlefield is still known as

-Maes Gwenllian, Gwenllian's Field.

-Some of the Nobles

-lived in Kidwelly. Not there.

-He was a different kind of noble -

-Maurice de Londres.

-He got rid

-of poor Princess Gwenllian.

-What's the meaning of Kidwelly?

-A monk centuries ago

-wrote about Cetgueli.

-It could be the kingdom of Cadwal.

-Another theory is

-it's two rivers coming together.

-Two riverbeds -

-'Cyd' (joint) and 'Gwely' (bed).

-Having company down to the sea.

-The Valleys are all like that.

-Fingers going up from the sea

-to the mountains.

-Which valley will it be next week?

-We'll see. I'll save you a seat.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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