Pennod 4 Pobol y Rhondda

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-Shwmae!

-I'm Sion Tomos Owen, a Rhondda boy.

-I love it here. It's full of

-possibilities for artists like me.

-I always look for different ways

-of portraying the valley in my work.

-During the series, I'll speak

-to lots of interesting people.

-I'll paint pictures reflecting

-what the valley is really like.

-I'll put them together

-to create a big new map...

-..of the lives

-of the Rhondda people.

-Today, I've come to

-Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llwyncelyn...

-..at the bottom of Rhondda Fawr

-to paint the fourth part of the map.

-Music is the theme of the drawing.

-This is the home of Cor y Cwm...

-..one of the Rhondda's

-most successful current choirs.

-I enjoy working with children.

-I'm looking forward to getting an

-original and honest response today.

-Alright?

-There's no room for all of Rhondda's

-famous people in my pictures.

-But there are plaques

-all over the valley...

-..which pay tribute

-to all kinds of people.

-Today, a good crowd has gathered

-at Dumfries Street, Treorchy...

-..to see the latest plaque

-being unveiled.

-Historian John Davies

-was born in this house.

-His family's here

-to see a plaque being installed...

-..to remember the author of the

-definitive book on Welsh history.

-Cennard Davies

-was a good friend of his.

-I was at school at the same time

-as John in Treorchy.

-Unfortunately, because

-of his father's ill health...

-..the family moved to Cardiganshire

-when he was around nine.

-But he maintained a link

-with Treorchy.

-I saw him often.

-In recent years, he'd even come up

-to Dai Jones the barber...

-..for a haircut

-so he could get all the gossip!

-This is Treorchy's biggest street.

-John wrote a very interesting

-chapter on Dumfries Street.

-He looked at the 1891 census...

-..and showed that the percentage of

-Welsh speakers in Dumfries Street...

-..was as high as it was

-in Caernarfonshire at that time.

-About 90%.

-Gosh.

-In the '40s and '50s...

-..it was a very Welsh street.

-Plaques are a great way of honouring

-the valley's famous people...

-..and a way to commemorate people...

-..who've not been talked about

-enough in history books...

-..like this next woman.

-Elizabeth Andrews

-was born in Hirwaun...

-..but was brought up

-in Ton Pentre...

-..where she became known

-as a campaigner, politician...

-..and a prominent member

-of the Labour Party.

-She was one of eleven children and

-left school when she was twelve...

-..to help at home.

-She believed strongly

-in women's rights.

-In 1918, she was appointed

-organizer of the Labour Party.

-This began

-a lifetime of campaigning...

-..especially in the fields

-of health and education.

-Her autobiography is aptly titled

-A Woman's Work Is Never Done.

-I know almost nothing

-about football...

-..but I have heard

-about the Munich disaster in 1958...

-..when members of the Man Utd team

-were killed or injured.

-I had no idea that a Rhondda lad

-managed Man U after the accident.

-Jimmy Murphy

-was born here in Pentre.

-He played over 200 games

-for West Bromwich Albion...

-..and won 15 caps for Wales.

-In 1946, he went to Man Utd

-to coach under Matt Busby...

-..and was assistant manager...

-..during one of the club's

-most successful periods.

-Murphy also managed Wales, and on

-the night of the Munich disaster...

-..he was managing his country

-in a game against Israel.

-He led Wales to the World Cup

-in 1958...

-..losing in the quarter-final

-to Brazil.

-A quiet man

-who didn't like the limelight...

-..but one of the best Welsh managers

-of all time.

-From stars of the past

-to stars of the future.

-Who knows in which field

-this next girl will succeed?

-Seren, your timetable is bonkers!

-You do so much.

-How do you fit everything in?

-I've just learnt to juggle things

-over the years.

-I play the piano and harp.

-I'm a member of Cor y Cwm,

-the school choir...

-..and I play football

-for different teams.

-Sometimes, at weekends...

-..I'm double booked!

-I go to choir rehearsals

-in my football kit.

-I go from football to Cor y Cwm

-or from Cor y Cwm to football.

-# Christmas Day has come again #

-My friends and I

-go to the school choir rehearsals...

-..which finish at 5.00pm.

-Cor y Cwm starts at 5.30pm,

-so we walk from Cymer to Llwyncelyn.

-# Hallelujah! #

-The juggling usually works fine...

-..but at the Llangollen Eisteddfod

-once, things went a bit awry.

-The school choir and Cor y Cwm

-were singing against each other.

-I don't know how it happened.

-I wore my school uniform...

-..as we'd been told

-the school choir were singing first.

-Then when we arrived, we were told

-Cor y Cwm were singing first.

-So we had to change

-into the Cor y Cwm uniform.

-We sang with Cor y Cwm.

-There were one or two choirs

-between us.

-We got changed...

-Doing some sort of

-Wonder Woman spin!

-It was really stressful.

-Do you ever turn up

-to the wrong rehearsal?

-Or do you have a social secretary?!

-Mam's quite good at telling me

-where I need to go and when.

-"You have this tomorrow,

-this in the week."

-Lots of people

-are in the same situation.

-A lot of my friends and people

-in school are in Cor y Cwm too.

-So you can keep track.

-Everyone works it out together.

-I started playing

-when I was five or six.

-Quite young then.

-I played for Porth first,

-the boys' team.

-But the boys

-wouldn't pass to me sometimes.

-It was hard.

-Some were more supportive

-than others.

-But I think

-there's a lot more support now.

-The women's game has improved a lot.

-In winter, we train on AstroTurf...

-..because it gets dark early.

-We focus on fitness.

-That's how we're so successful.

-Here's the cupboard, sorry, wall,

-with all the trophies Seren's won...

-..and the cap for playing for

-the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Wales.

-You've got one cap

-for playing in which game?

-Against England in Durham.

-Away.

-I'm really proud of that.

-It was the best day ever!

-When we sang the anthem,

-it was really good.

-My dad's from England

-and we beat them!

-Even better!

-What was the score?

-5-0.

-5-0!

-A hiding!

-A hiding!

-

-That was good.

-We were having food

-the evening before the game...

-..and put the Welsh flag up

-and stuff.

-People made speeches

-and everyone was really excited.

-I was asked to make a speech...

-..because I'm usually the one

-who gets everyone worked up.

-I forgot that we were in England.

-I shouted,

-"We need to beat the English!"

-Everyone cheered

-and we got some massive stinkers!

-Oh, my God!

-It was, like...

-I don't know why I did that.

-I was in the moment.

-I like football...

-..but it's eisteddfodau...

-..that I look forward to

-every year...

-..and trips away

-with the school choir and Cor y Cwm.

-We go on the bus and we stay

-in Birmingham, Manchester and stuff.

-I've been thinking what I'd do

-if I had to choose between the two.

-I don't think I'd be able to.

-It's lunchtime

-for the Llwyncelyn pupils. Hurrah!

-But I'm still working on the picture

-on the valley's musicians.

-After finishing their food, some

-of the kids come over for a chat.

-Alright?

-Alright?

-

-What you doin'?

-What am I doing?

-I'm drawing a picture

-that will turn into a map.

-Sion, do you need to finish it

-today?

-I hope I finish it

-by the end of lunchtime.

-Woah, that's a long time!

-How did you get the idea

-to do this?

-I had to think about it a lot.

-Lots of different things.

-Do you sing in the choir?

-Great.

-Good luck. We're going now.

-Bye.

-Ta-ra!

-In part two, I'll do a shift

-with the South Wales Fire service...

-..I'll be horsing around...

-..and I'll try to finish the drawing

-before the kids all go home.

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-This is the bottom of Rhondda Fawr.

-This is the bottom of Rhondda Fach.

-In Porth,

-both rivers and both valleys meet.

-I've come to the farm above the town

-to meet Amy Jenkins...

-..who loves being among

-all these animals.

-Her main interest, without a doubt,

-is horses.

-Have you always ridden horses?

-Yes. It's the family's farm

-so I've been raised on the farm.

-I've had horses

-since before I can remember.

-I started on a small Shetland.

-His name was Charlie.

-He was quite naughty.

-How many horses have you owned

-up to now?

-To ride,

-I've had about seven horses.

-I usually have two at the same time.

-If one goes lame, I have another...

-..as backup.

-But, at the moment, I've got 75.

-75 horses!

-How?!

-I keep them in different places.

-I've only got two in the stable

-at the moment.

-I have 30 on Llantrisant Common...

-..40 on the mountain,

-and a few in Cowbridge.

-What do you mean by on the mountain

-- are they wild?

-Yes, they're wild.

-So I store them

-and sometimes I sell them.

-What do you need to do

-to look after the horses?

-You have to muck them out every day.

-I come here early before work.

-I then come home

-about 4.30pm-5.00pm.

-I usually feed them twice a day -

-in the morning and afternoon.

-They're given hay too.

-You must have to devote

-a lot of time to the horses.

-A lot of time

-to get enjoyment from them.

-There are a lot of clasps to tie.

-Yes. It all has to be done.

-Breathe in!

-It's the same when I put on my belt!

-Is that what enables you to steer?

-Is that what enables you to steer?

-

-Yes.

-It totally smashes the idea...

-..of when a cowboy jumps on a horse

-and off he goes.

-Yes!

-You'd have to

-prepare everything first.

-She's eating now.

-She's eating now.

-

-Hey!

-Sort out the fringe!

-Sort out the fringe!

-

-Sort out the fringe.

-It's odd how it looks

-more like a horse now.

-After seeing you doing this, it's

-easy to see how you can like horses.

-They're so...

-I'm not sure.

-It's calming.

-From a quiet stable

-to something completely different.

-Amy's everyday job is

-with the South Wales Fire service.

-I started at the headquarters

-on reception.

-Then I saw a job

-for an apprenticeship.

-I went for it because I saw it

-as an opportunity...

-..to do something more exciting.

-It was an opportunity to develop

-myself and develop my skills.

-So you're lucky

-that you got that opportunity.

-Yes.

-It was quite a detailed process,

-with the interview and so on.

-It was essential

-that I could speak Welsh.

-I have the ability to speak Welsh

-confidently with people.

-The main thing we do...

-..is to look out for

-fires lit deliberately.

-So we look in hotspot areas.

-We work with the police, PCSOs...

-..to try and reduce the number

-of deliberate fires.

-An important part of the work

-is talking to schoolchildren.

-Today, Amy and Katie,

-the Education Officer...

-..are at Ysgol Bodringallt, Ystrad,

-to discuss the dangers.

-Good morning. My name is Amy.

-This is Katie.

-We're from the fire service.

-We're here to discuss something

-that's relevant to this area...

-..grass fires.

-Rhondda Cynon Taf is the worst place

-in the whole of Europe...

-..for grass fires.

-Are the fires started on purpose

-or by accident?

-What do you think?

-What do you think?

-

-On purpose.

-Yes. Who are the people who do it?

-What do you think?

-What do you think?

-

-Young people?

-Yes. How old are they?

-13.

-18.

-Teenagers.

-Teenagers.

-

-Yes.

-The police have caught people of all

-ages, from nine-year-old boys...

-..to a 75-year-old man,

-starting grass fires.

-75!

-Alarming facts

-and a huge problem.

-It's crucial that the fire service

-warns children of the dangers.

-The Rhondda has a long tradition

-of producing all sorts of choirs.

-Over recent years, Cor y Cwm

-has had incredible success.

-Gavin,

-you're Cor y Cwm's accompanist.

-When was the choir started?

-In 2009.

-It began

-as part of a bridging exercise.

-We'd done a concert with the

-five Welsh-medium primary schools.

-Elin and I then got the idea

-of forming a choir...

-..of ten from each school

-to compete in Llangollen.

-We came second

-to a Singaporean choir by one mark.

-Gosh! And it was

-your first competition.

-Yes. We saw potential in the choir.

-We returned to Llangollen

-the next year and won.

-That's motivated the choir

-to keep going.

-The members

-came from primary schools.

-Yes, just primary schools.

-Yes, just primary schools.

-

-But it's been expanded now, has it?

-The members are the same now

-as when the choir started.

-The oldest ones

-have just gone to university...

-..and some are doing

-A levels and GCSEs.

-New members have come up

-from the primary schools.

-So the choir's grown

-with the members.

-# We are the blood

-that warms hearts

-# We are one #

-How long have you been in the choir?

-Eight or nine years?

-So when you were at primary school.

-So when you were at primary school.

-

-Yes. Year 4.

-Were you at the same school?

-No.

-Evie and I were at Llwyncelyn.

-I went to Ynyswen, up the valley.

-So you've made friends

-through the choir too.

-Is it like a big family?

-A big family.

-That family vibe we have

-inspires us to succeed.

-# We are one in history

-# We are one during oppression #

-It is a community choir.

-Parents and families have been part

-of the choir from the start.

-We know them well now. We're friends

-with the parents and children.

-# We are one #

-We try to offer the choir

-a wide repertoire.

-Different languages, styles

-and from different periods.

-We think it's important

-to offer those experiences.

-We used to sing in the same style...

-..especially as

-the children's voices developed.

-But it's nice now to experiment...

-..with different styles, composers

-and languages.

-# All things bright and beautiful

-# All creatures great and small #

-To commemorate 50 years

-since the Aberfan disaster...

-..Karl Jenkins composed a piece

-called Cantata Memoria.

-A large part of that work

-was for a children's choir.

-Three children's choirs were part of

-a concert at the Millennium Centre.

-Such opportunities

-are great for the choir.

-# That brightens up the sky #

-Do you just do concerts in Wales

-or do you travel?

-The last competition

-was in Birmingham.

-We've been to Manchester, Bristol.

-Many places outside Wales.

-You go to a variety of places.

-It's nice that choirs in England see

-that there's talent in the Valleys.

-It's great that a choir from

-the Rhondda is tasting success...

-..in Britain-wide competitions.

-# We sing a song of joy

-# One choir, in unison #

-Can you think of any highlights?

-I like going on trips!

-The weekends away is what I like!

-Do you go away often?

-No, not really.

-A big trip about once a year.

-Well, we try!

-We have the most loyal children

-in the world in this choir.

-They enjoy attending.

-They speak Welsh when they're here.

-They respect the language

-when they're with us.

-To give them opportunities

-makes it worthwhile.

-I've almost finished.

-With the piano added, the kids

-see it as more of a musical piece...

-..rather than pirates shouting!

-A choir of little kids have just

-come in to start singing...

-..so I'll have theme music

-to finish off my mural!

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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