Lyr: Farewell to Rhondha / Farewell to the Rhondda

Subject: RE: Lyr: Farewell to Rhondha / Farewell to the Rhondda
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 02:27 PM

Well, the singing's still there, if only at funerals and in Swansea. But at least it's old age, not down the mine.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Farewell to Rhondha / Farewell to the Rhondda
From: Snuffy
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 09:54 AM

Thanks for the compliment, Joe.

Here's the GPS co-ordinates for the various places, working your way up the valley of the Rhondda Fawr.

Tonypandy       51.624, -3.458
Ystrad Rhondda 51.645, -3.466
Ton Pentre      51.647, -3.488
Treorchy       51.660, -3.506
Treherbert      51.675, -3.537
Tynewydd       51.679, -3.546

Google maps tell me that the 7.1 miles of the journey should take about 22 minutes (or 35 on a bus - the 120 and 130 run every 10 minutes between 06:30 and 20:30). You could even walk it all in 2 hours 22 minutes.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Farewell to Rhondha / Farewell to the Rhondda
From: Newport Boy
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 11:18 AM

Good to see this thread again. Reading it through, there's one (non-music) comment that shouldn't be allowed to become folklore. In Oct 2004, Reiver2 posted:

Mufflers and especially flat or "Dai" caps were and still are the most common dress for working men in S Wales, but yes it is cold!" (I'd asked if it was so cold in the mines that miners typically wore mufflers and caps while working.)

Scarves (usually white!) and flat caps were worn for walking to the pit, and may have been worn working on the surface, but you couldn't possibly wear them below.

I took a group of (mostly English) engineers down North Celynen pit after the 1974 strike. It wasn't a warm day, but I stripped to my underpants before I put on a light boiler suit. After 2 hours below, touring not working, I was a little warm (and very dirty). Those who had left shirts and trousers on were sweating hard. Most pits are pretty warm at the coalface.

Phil