91热爆

Bridging the past and the present

"Nestling contentedly between Cefn Drim and Craig y Bedw is the scarred valley of Cwm Dulais. My home is only a short Sunday walk away in the Bont, known to outsiders as Pontarddulais.

Here I came across a row of cottages... they sat in a hollow, they were part of the landscape... peace and quiet surrounded me. I loved this place.

Through University work, I struck up a friendship with Miss Annie Davies, the surviving habitant of Cwm Dulais cottages. Annie did not see the necessity for today's mod-cons - she was happy in the world around her.

One ordinary, but now memorable day, Annie gladly gave the sepia photo to me.

It was taken in 1918... World War 1 had just ended... it could though have been taken some 50 years earlier.

Here we have starched white-aproned Sarah Michael, Annie's grandmother - the proud occupant of number three - a chapel-going patriarch, mother of six children.

Her daughter Hannah Sofia married John Davies and they lived in number two with their four children.

Clutching his grandmother's hand is coy-eyed Gwyn aged six... his childhood was brief like so many others of his time... an accident at the mine screen soon found him in Swansea hospital. When he did return to Graig Merthyr, it was to the pay office.

Hard working Ann and her husband Billy occupied their ivy laden cottage with Thomas and Morfudd.

The future for bachelor Thomas was working the land and, like so many, mining.

Sitting in my living room I often gaze at this photo in the light of the early evening. It stirs within me a sense of belonging.

Today, Annie resides within Pontarddulais. Her cottages are owned by Dina Leyshon and her husband.

When I last visited Cwm Dulais cottages, a pair of wooden-soled boots had been found. Glancing at these boots I can imagine the tales of hardship and happiness they could tell."

The 91热爆 is grateful to the Ordnance Survey for their permission to use a map of Swansea and Gower in this story.

Please tell us about yourself.
I was born and brought up in the small town of Pontarddulais - known to locals as 'The Bont'. Upon completing my education I became a secondary school geography teacher. In January 2002 I began working as a researcher/community officer and I now live in Bryncoch, Neath.

Being interested in geography and the local community, did you use these within your own story?
Yes, my story is about Cwmdulais Cottages - a row of terraced cottages found on the outskirts of Pontarddulais. I used a photograph of the cottages taken in the early Twentieth Century, to talk about the Michael family who used to occupy all three cottages. I also talk about the valley that the cottages are found within - the Cwmdulais Valley - and the Graig Merthyr colliery which was found at its head. I bring the story up to date by showing how the cottages have been renovated and how they are now owned by a new family.

Why did you choose to tell this particular story?
I chose to tell this story for a number of different reasons. My first reason is that I wanted to record the stories that Miss Annie Davies had told me about the Cwmdulais Cottages - she was the last occupant of the cottages who was a member of the Michael family. Annie has many wonderful stories to tell of a life which is very different to today's world - these stories fascinate me and I wanted to share them with others.
Secondly I am very interested in the local history attached to 'The Bont'. Thirdly, but by no means least, I think that the cottages and the valley occupy an idyllic spot.

What was the experience of making the digital story like?
How did you all get along in the Port Talbot workshop?
I can only describe the making of the digital story as being a very positive experience. It introduced me to IT packages which I hadn't used before and it gave me constructive ideas about how to improve my storytelling skills. It was hard work but it was well worth the effort when you saw your video at the end of the workshop.
Most importantly it created a very tight knit community of people who were all working together on the workshop - strong links were made with people who you had no contact with before. In today's fast moving world this sense of community is often missing and it was great to be part of something which created it. I hope we can take forward our ideas and utilise them again in the future.

Your comments

"Hi would love you to come alomg to the cottages now as we have fully restored them as one dweling would be nice to know a little bit more about the histoy of them. Hope you get this message we thought your story was brill." Alan & Petra, Swansea, Jan 2008.

"My parents now own Cwmdulais cottage and are renovating it, however they are not changing the look of the cottages from the outside too much its still beautiful. " Aimee Brayley, Sept 2007.