Pic a Shovel, Rhydaman ‹ Cyfres 2011

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-Welcome to Straeon Tafarn -with me, Dewi Pws Morris...	0:00:26	0:00:30
-..the leading Welsh pub historian.	0:00:30	0:00:32
-I'm travelling the country -in my little green van!	0:00:33	0:00:36
-I love touring and performing gigs -with the band Radwm.	0:00:40	0:00:43
-I like to arrive early to chat -to locals and hear a story or two.	0:00:44	0:00:50
-Where am I going today?	0:00:52	0:00:54
-It was originally called Cross Inn.	0:00:55	0:00:57
-However, chapelgoers disliked living -in a town named after a pub...	0:00:58	0:01:03
-..so the name was changed.	0:01:03	0:01:05
-Jim Griffiths, the first Secretary -of State for Wales, was from here.	0:01:07	0:01:12
-In the Mabinogion, Culhwch chases -the Twrch Trwyth through the town...	0:01:15	0:01:19
-..trying to steal a comb -from its head.	0:01:20	0:01:22
-That wouldn't happen to me!	0:01:22	0:01:24
-Where am I? Ammanford, of course!	0:01:25	0:01:29
-This week's pub isn't really a pub -it's a social club.	0:01:34	0:01:39
-I've been allowed in for nothing...	0:01:40	0:01:42
-..but the annual membership -is 3 for men and 1 for women.	0:01:43	0:01:47
-That's a fortune!	0:01:47	0:01:49
-It's almost impossible -to become a member.	0:01:49	0:01:52
-The waiting list is as long -as a speech by Dafydd Iwan!	0:01:52	0:01:56
-The origins of this club -is a story in itself.	0:01:56	0:02:00
-Russell Davies joined me to explain.	0:02:00	0:02:03
-The story started unexpectedly.	0:02:03	0:02:07
-The strike started -on 2nd August 1935.	0:02:07	0:02:12
-The workers at James and Sons, -an Ammanford company...	0:02:12	0:02:18
-..believed their wages -were insufficient.	0:02:18	0:02:22
-They only received a shilling -and four pence per shift.	0:02:22	0:02:25
-The strike spread -across the whole town.	0:02:26	0:02:30
-By 15th August...	0:02:30	0:02:32
-..some 200 local bus workers -were on strike.	0:02:32	0:02:38
-James decided to enlist -15 blacklegs from Llwynhendy.	0:02:38	0:02:42
-There were a lot of blacklegs -in Llwynhendy.	0:02:42	0:02:45
-That stirred up the strikers...	0:02:45	0:02:49
-..and a riot broke out in Ammanford.	0:02:49	0:02:53
-Various reports state that a crowd -of 400 to 1,000 people...	0:02:53	0:02:57
-..gathered outside -the James garage.	0:02:57	0:03:00
-They destroyed three buses...	0:03:00	0:03:03
-..leaving only a few panes -of glass intact.	0:03:03	0:03:07
-They also damaged the garage -and other properties.	0:03:07	0:03:10
-The strike also spread -to the surrounding area...	0:03:10	0:03:14
-..as far east as Neath -and as far west as Tenby.	0:03:14	0:03:19
-Half of the local coal miners -couldn't get to work...	0:03:19	0:03:24
-..because they depended on buses.	0:03:24	0:03:26
-Local eisteddfodau were postponed.	0:03:27	0:03:29
-Rugby matches, training sessions -and cricket games were affected.	0:03:29	0:03:35
-The cultural life of the area -came to a standstill.	0:03:35	0:03:39
-How long did the strike last?	0:03:39	0:03:41
-How long did the strike last? - -Just over five weeks.	0:03:41	0:03:43
-The area's strong support -for Labour was evident.	0:03:43	0:03:48
-The police targeted certain -individuals during the strike.	0:03:48	0:03:53
-The police arrested 18 men -following their investigations.	0:03:54	0:03:59
-Of those 18 men...	0:03:59	0:04:02
-..eleven were known -to be communists.	0:04:02	0:04:05
-Six of them had been arrested...	0:04:05	0:04:08
-..during earlier riots -in Ammanford...	0:04:08	0:04:12
-..when workers in the anthracite -industry went on strike in 1925.	0:04:12	0:04:17
-Old wounds were reopened.	0:04:18	0:04:21
-..and long-standing feuds -were reignited.	0:04:23	0:04:26
-Of the eleven that appeared -at Carmarthen Magistrates' Court...	0:04:27	0:04:33
-..during January 1936, -six were communists.	0:04:33	0:04:37
-It was this unrest -that was the catalyst...	0:04:39	0:04:42
-..for the creation of this club.	0:04:42	0:04:45
-It was the result of the rift -that occurred locally...	0:04:46	0:04:49
-..within the TGWU, the Transport -and General Workers' Union.	0:04:50	0:04:54
-The workers established this club...	0:04:54	0:04:58
-..but it was more -than somewhere to have a drink.	0:04:58	0:05:03
-The Pick and Shovel was established -by striking workers.	0:05:05	0:05:09
-Many of them were communists.	0:05:09	0:05:11
-It wasn't just a bar.	0:05:12	0:05:14
-It was a place to learn -about communism and socialism.	0:05:14	0:05:17
-You wouldn't mess with the men -who established this place!	0:05:17	0:05:21
-I noticed photographs of two men -in one of the upstairs rooms.	0:05:22	0:05:28
-Russell explained their link -with the Spanish Civil War.	0:05:28	0:05:33
-If I've understood this correctly...	0:05:33	0:05:35
-..the socialist Spanish government -battled against Franco's fascists.	0:05:36	0:05:40
-Many felt that it wasn't a war -in a distant country...	0:05:40	0:05:45
-..but something -that hit close to home.	0:05:46	0:05:48
-By this stage, people were aware -of the atrocities...	0:05:48	0:05:53
-..that were occurring -on the Continent...	0:05:53	0:05:55
-..in Spain, Germany and Italy -as a result of fascism.	0:05:56	0:06:00
-But why are the photographs -hanging in the Pick?	0:06:01	0:06:05
-Former miner Dai Morris -was related to one of them...	0:06:05	0:06:10
-..and he explained all.	0:06:10	0:06:12
-My uncle went out there -in late 1937...	0:06:13	0:06:16
-..with his friend, Wil John Davies.	0:06:17	0:06:20
-Both of them were staunch communists -and members of this club.	0:06:20	0:06:24
-How many men went from Ammanford?	0:06:24	0:06:26
-How many men went from Ammanford? - -Four.	0:06:26	0:06:28
-One man returned -after he was shot in the hand...	0:06:28	0:06:31
-..and another man replaced him.	0:06:32	0:06:34
-They supported -the elected government...	0:06:37	0:06:39
-..against Franco's fascists.	0:06:40	0:06:42
-How did your Uncle Sam get involved?	0:06:42	0:06:44
-Sam's friend, Wil from Neath, -had written him a letter...	0:06:44	0:06:49
-..about his opinions of fighting -in the Spanish Civil War.	0:06:49	0:06:55
-He came down on the train...	0:06:56	0:06:58
-..and the pair travelled to London.	0:06:58	0:07:02
-They travelled from London to Paris, -from Paris to Barcelona...	0:07:02	0:07:07
-..and on to Albacete, home of -the International Brigade barracks.	0:07:07	0:07:13
-The British government -discouraged any taking of sides...	0:07:13	0:07:17
-..because the Non-Intervention -Treaty was in place.	0:07:17	0:07:21
-They found it relatively easy -to cross from France to Spain.	0:07:21	0:07:26
-Did the family know he was going?	0:07:27	0:07:28
-Did the family know he was going? - -Not until the first letter arrived.	0:07:28	0:07:32
-His first letter was from Dover -and mentioned a journey to Paris.	0:07:32	0:07:37
-What was it like for him?	0:07:38	0:07:39
-He was shot in his leg -and spent a period in hospital.	0:07:39	0:07:44
-He didn't want to return home...	0:07:44	0:07:47
-..and be a burden to his family -and widowed mother...	0:07:47	0:07:52
-..so he stayed out there.	0:07:53	0:07:55
-He joined Jack Williams in the -Battle of Brunete near Madrid.	0:07:55	0:07:59
-They were killed within a day -of each other in July 1937.	0:08:00	0:08:05
-What did Sam's family -think about the war?	0:08:05	0:08:08
-His father died before the war...	0:08:08	0:08:11
-..and his mother disapproved...	0:08:12	0:08:14
-..because at the time, -Sam was the only breadwinner.	0:08:15	0:08:18
-My father lost his job -while the Civil War was going on...	0:08:18	0:08:22
-..and Sam was involved in the war.	0:08:22	0:08:24
-The chapel opposed communism.	0:08:24	0:08:27
-The chapel -was also opposed to the Pick.	0:08:30	0:08:32
-All eyes -were on the Spanish Civil War...	0:08:33	0:08:35
-..but there was a civil war -brewing in Ammanford too!	0:08:35	0:08:39
-Bethany Calvinistic Methodist chapel -is opposite the Pick.	0:08:40	0:08:45
-The deacons weren't happy to see -the Pick opening across the road.	0:08:48	0:08:53
-Ammanford had two warring parties.	0:08:56	0:08:59
-It was the communists -against the Christians!	0:08:59	0:09:04
-The Methodists complained about -the rowdy singing from the Pick.	0:09:08	0:09:13
-But the Pick members struck back...	0:09:15	0:09:18
-..criticizing the hymn singing -that hampered the club's activities.	0:09:18	0:09:23
-The disagreement continued -for quite a while...	0:09:27	0:09:30
-..but over time, -things settled down.	0:09:30	0:09:33
-There's no record of early members -of the Pick attending the chapel...	0:09:36	0:09:40
-..but some chapel members -did visit the Pick...	0:09:41	0:09:46
-..through the back door, of course!	0:09:47	0:09:49
-It's better to sit in the pub -thinking of the chapel...	0:09:51	0:09:56
-..than to sit in the chapel -thinking of the pub!	0:09:56	0:10:00
-.	0:10:01	0:10:01
-888	0:10:04	0:10:04
-888 - -888	0:10:04	0:10:05
-It's great touring Wales, -playing a few gigs...	0:10:08	0:10:11
-..and meeting some local characters -with their stories.	0:10:11	0:10:15
-I crossed the Black Mountain -with my father as a child.	0:10:16	0:10:20
-If the car stalled -or stopped unexpectedly...	0:10:20	0:10:23
-..he would say that the laser -of Death Ray Matthews had stung us!	0:10:24	0:10:28
-Death Ray has puzzled me for years.	0:10:28	0:10:31
-Thankfully, Randal Isaac -could tell me about him.	0:10:31	0:10:36
-His nickname was Death Ray Matthews.	0:10:37	0:10:40
-He was born -in Winterbourne in 1880...	0:10:40	0:10:45
-..but later moved to Mynydd y Gwair, -near Betws Mountain.	0:10:45	0:10:50
-Why did he move to Ammanford?	0:10:50	0:10:52
-The residents of Mynydd y Gwair -and Betws Mountain...	0:10:52	0:10:56
-..had seen a plane flying overhead -searching for a remote site.	0:10:56	0:11:02
-It was Grindell Matthews.	0:11:02	0:11:05
-He purchased a local property...	0:11:05	0:11:08
-..and erected -a huge electric fence around it.	0:11:08	0:11:14
-There was no hope of getting in.	0:11:14	0:11:16
-Very few local people -visited the property.	0:11:17	0:11:21
-That was his laboratory.	0:11:21	0:11:24
-He was an inventor.	0:11:24	0:11:26
-Following the outbreak -of World War One...	0:11:26	0:11:28
-..the government advertised -for a device to stop the Zeppelins.	0:11:29	0:11:34
-He won the contract, -which was worth 25,000.	0:11:35	0:11:38
-It was a lot of money then, -but he wasted it!	0:11:38	0:11:41
-He became internationally renowned.	0:11:41	0:11:44
-He worked for Warner Brothers...	0:11:45	0:11:47
-..and developed -the sound recordings for film.	0:11:47	0:11:51
-His death ray -could kill a mouse at 400 yards...	0:11:51	0:11:56
-..and stop car -and motorbike engines.	0:11:56	0:11:59
-He was ahead of his time.	0:11:59	0:12:01
-It's said that he invented -a forerunner of the mobile phone.	0:12:02	0:12:06
-There are also claims...	0:12:06	0:12:08
-..that he invented -automatic street lighting...	0:12:08	0:12:13
-..as well as a device -for detecting submarines.	0:12:13	0:12:17
-He was ahead of his time -and a real eccentric.	0:12:17	0:12:21
-Did he invent these things -or is it a pack of lies?	0:12:21	0:12:25
-He managed to convince the press -and his sponsors...	0:12:25	0:12:29
-..but we'll never know the truth.	0:12:29	0:12:31
-I was speaking about the site -last week.	0:12:31	0:12:35
-Two sisters were reminiscing -about their childhood.	0:12:35	0:12:39
-They couldn't recall birds flying -overhead, only an eerie silence.	0:12:39	0:12:44
-Grindell, the poor dab, -sadly passed away in 1941.	0:12:47	0:12:51
-He wanted his ashes to be scattered -over Mynydd y Gwair.	0:12:52	0:12:57
-It's particularly disappointing -that after his death...	0:12:59	0:13:03
-..the government took everything -from his laboratory.	0:13:03	0:13:09
-I'm sure it would have been -a fascinating museum...	0:13:09	0:13:12
-..and a popular tourist attraction.	0:13:13	0:13:15
-I would have liked to have met -Death Ray Matthews.	0:13:16	0:13:20
-I wonder if he could have found -a cure for baldness.	0:13:20	0:13:23
-That's enough of that.	0:13:24	0:13:26
-I definitely wish I'd met -another famous local man.	0:13:27	0:13:32
-His name was Jim Griffiths.	0:13:32	0:13:34
-He was a trade union leader -in the local area.	0:13:35	0:13:40
-He enjoyed a successful career -as MP for Llanelli...	0:13:41	0:13:45
-..and as a cabinet minister -in London.	0:13:46	0:13:49
-Successful? I'd say.	0:13:49	0:13:52
-He became the first -Secretary of State for Wales...	0:13:52	0:13:56
-..when the role was created in 1964.	0:13:56	0:13:59
-Not bad for a boy who left school -at 14 to work in the mines!	0:13:59	0:14:04
-I remember it -as though it was yesterday.	0:14:04	0:14:07
-I went with my brother -to the Gwaith Isa colliery.	0:14:07	0:14:11
-I took a lamp and went down -to the coalface for the first time.	0:14:12	0:14:18
-I remember it well.	0:14:18	0:14:21
-Did you feel like a hero?	0:14:21	0:14:23
-Did you feel like a hero? - -Yes, and I had a romantic outlook.	0:14:23	0:14:26
-My friends were working in the mine -and I followed them.	0:14:26	0:14:30
-They were men in long trousers -and I was joining them.	0:14:30	0:14:35
-The oppression of the capitalist -owners didn't bother you.	0:14:36	0:14:41
-No, not on that morning, -but it did later on.	0:14:41	0:14:45
-This valley was close to his heart -throughout his life.	0:14:46	0:14:49
-His grave is near the Pick.	0:14:50	0:14:52
-He was passionate about coal mining -and miners' rights.	0:14:52	0:14:56
-As I stand beside his grave...	0:14:56	0:14:58
-..I wonder what he would have made -of Maggie Thatcher's government...	0:14:58	0:15:03
-..and the Miners' Strike -of the 1980s.	0:15:03	0:15:06
-Mike Reynolds was one of the miners -who fought against her government.	0:15:06	0:15:11
-It will be difficult -for the entire area.	0:15:14	0:15:17
-The miners earn a good wage -and have done so for many years.	0:15:18	0:15:22
-Taking it away from the economy -of Ammanford and the Amman Valley...	0:15:22	0:15:28
-..will have a knock-on effect -on local shops and the community.	0:15:28	0:15:34
-Why did you strike?	0:15:35	0:15:38
-In one word - Thatcher!	0:15:38	0:15:40
-It started at Cortonwood colliery -in Yorkshire.	0:15:40	0:15:43
-The pit closed -and the boys went on strike in 1984.	0:15:43	0:15:47
-Wages wasn't the issue - -they were closing mines.	0:15:47	0:15:52
-We weren't fighting -over poor wages...	0:15:52	0:15:55
-..but fighting to save our jobs -and the local community.	0:15:55	0:15:58
-It had nothing to do with money.	0:15:58	0:16:00
-We had collieries at Cynheidre, -Abernant and Betws.	0:16:01	0:16:05
-Betws was one of the most -successful mines in the country.	0:16:05	0:16:10
-It was turning over a huge profit.	0:16:10	0:16:14
-But Cynheidre was losing money, -despite having the best coal.	0:16:14	0:16:19
-We took a vote.	0:16:19	0:16:21
-Betws was told that Cynheidre -and Abernant were on the hit list.	0:16:21	0:16:26
-The staff at Betws -voted to go on strike.	0:16:26	0:16:29
-However, Cynheidre and Abernant -voted not to strike.	0:16:29	0:16:33
-We picketed them -and eventually got everybody out.	0:16:33	0:16:37
-We aimed to strike for a month.	0:16:38	0:16:40
-Nobody expected it -to last as long as it did.	0:16:40	0:16:43
-Times were hard, -with no money coming in.	0:16:43	0:16:47
-As a result, -the women became involved.	0:16:48	0:16:51
-They attended marches -and held sit-down strikes.	0:16:52	0:16:54
-They prepared food at the Welfare -Hall and cared for the children.	0:16:55	0:16:59
-It changed their lives.	0:16:59	0:17:01
-At Cynheidre, -they had a sit-in strike.	0:17:02	0:17:04
-There were picket lines, -but people were still working.	0:17:05	0:17:08
-They broke into Cynheidre to stop -those who were still working.	0:17:08	0:17:13
-Food was supplied for free.	0:17:13	0:17:15
-The soup kitchen at the Welfare Hall -supplied one hot meal every day.	0:17:15	0:17:21
-You also received food parcels...	0:17:21	0:17:23
-..that provided you with the basics -to take home.	0:17:24	0:17:28
-It wasn't a lot...	0:17:28	0:17:30
-..but you have to learn to cope -when you're in that situation.	0:17:30	0:17:36
-People did the odd hobble.	0:17:36	0:17:38
-They found coal in random places -in order to heat their homes.	0:17:38	0:17:42
-You had to survive.	0:17:42	0:17:43
-I was sent to Brixton -and Lambeth in London.	0:17:44	0:17:48
-I was there for six months raising -money for the soup kitchens...	0:17:49	0:17:53
-..and the food parcels -that were given to every family.	0:17:53	0:17:57
-How long did the strike last?	0:17:57	0:17:58
-How long did the strike last? - -A year.	0:17:58	0:18:01
-It ended because too many miners -were returning to work.	0:18:01	0:18:04
-Most of the Welsh miners -stuck to their principles.	0:18:04	0:18:08
-However, it was a losing battle -and we had to return to work.	0:18:08	0:18:13
-We had some dignity, -but we lost the battle.	0:18:15	0:18:18
-Back at work, -we still fought our cause.	0:18:18	0:18:21
-We returned to work -on the Tuesday...	0:18:26	0:18:29
-..but one miner -had started on the Monday.	0:18:29	0:18:32
-We all arrived on the Tuesday.	0:18:32	0:18:35
-The boys who worked -at the Betws colliery...	0:18:36	0:18:39
-..came from places like Swansea, -Pontarddulais and Trebanos.	0:18:39	0:18:43
-We arrived at the gates, -got off the buses...	0:18:43	0:18:47
-..and marched up to the mine.	0:18:47	0:18:49
-The miner who returned on the Monday -after being on strike for a year...	0:18:49	0:18:54
-..was sent up to the mine -on the bus.	0:18:54	0:18:57
-No...	0:18:58	0:18:58
-No... - -He'd broken the strike by one day.	0:18:58	0:19:02
-My visit to the Pick -has revealed a radical tradition...	0:19:04	0:19:08
-..of the South Wales valleys -that could soon be lost.	0:19:08	0:19:11
-But I can't dawdle - -I've got a gig to play!	0:19:11	0:19:15
-This song recalls Thatcher's -government and Death Ray Matthews.	0:19:16	0:19:21
-It's Aliens!	0:19:21	0:19:22
-# I live happily -in my cottage beside the sea	0:19:23	0:19:27
-# My wife and Mot the dog -listen to the waves with me	0:19:27	0:19:33
-# One mile away from the valley, -there's a mountainous site	0:19:33	0:19:38
-# The village is uninhabited -it's in a sorry plight	0:19:38	0:19:42
-# The school has closed -and the residents left in disarray	0:19:43	0:19:47
-# But now aliens visit -for a holiday every May	0:19:48	0:19:53
-# Oh, it's amusing, -oh, it's funny	0:19:53	0:19:58
-# Aliens bought our village -with their money	0:19:58	0:20:02
-# Some are from the moon -and others are from Mars	0:20:03	0:20:07
-# Those that make me laugh -are the old hoo-has	0:20:07	0:20:12
-# Their vehicles resemble cars -but they're spaceships	0:20:15	0:20:19
-# They sound like chickens -and speak in weird quips	0:20:20	0:20:25
-# They sit in Ianto's seat -in the corner of the pub	0:20:25	0:20:29
-# They're on the committee -in the old golf club	0:20:29	0:20:35
-# Oh, it's amusing, -oh, it's funny	0:20:35	0:20:40
-# Aliens bought our village -with their money	0:20:40	0:20:45
-# Some are from the moon -and others are from Mars	0:20:45	0:20:49
-# Those that make me laugh -are the old hoo-has	0:20:50	0:20:55
-# The chapel and the post office -have been bought	0:20:57	0:21:02
-# They own the surgery, so your -health won't be given a thought	0:21:02	0:21:07
-# The shops and the bakery -were closed despite the pleas	0:21:07	0:21:11
-# The aliens have brought the items -that fulfil their needs	0:21:12	0:21:16
-# Oh, it's amusing, -oh, it's funny	0:21:17	0:21:21
-# Aliens bought our village -with their money	0:21:22	0:21:26
-# Some are from the moon -and others are from Mars	0:21:27	0:21:31
-# Those that make me laugh -are the old hoo-has	0:21:32	0:21:36
-# They lay on the beach -even in the rain	0:21:38	0:21:44
-# They visit the pub at seven -as they can't abstain	0:21:44	0:21:48
-# They'll eat a bellyful -and gorge on an enormous amount	0:21:48	0:21:53
-# If they knew what the chef used, -they'd want a discount!	0:21:53	0:21:58
-# Oh, it's amusing, -oh, it's funny	0:21:58	0:22:02
-# Aliens bought our village -with their money	0:22:02	0:22:07
-# Some are from the moon -and others are from Mars	0:22:07	0:22:12
-# Those that make me laugh -are the old hoo-has #	0:22:12	0:22:17
-Oh, I enjoyed that!	0:22:25	0:22:27
-"A band and banjo entertained all -at the Pick and Shovel as I recall	0:22:28	0:22:33
-"The locals at first -Didn't have a big thirst	0:22:33	0:22:36
-"But by nine, -they had drunk a large haul!"	0:22:36	0:22:39
-Goodnight.	0:22:39	0:22:41
-# Lleucu Llwyd, you are beautiful	0:22:42	0:22:47
-# Lleucu Llwyd, -you're worth the world to me	0:22:47	0:22:52
-# Lleucu Llwyd, you're an angel	0:22:52	0:22:57
-# Lleucu Llwyd, -I love you, you, you #	0:22:58	0:23:04
-S4C subtitles by Tinopolis	0:23:11	0:23:13
-.	0:23:13	0:23:13

Pic a Shovel, Rhydaman Straeon Tafarn

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Cyfres 2011

Straeon Tafarn

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