A tourist destination - Pontyclun?

A Tourist Destination

When I explain to local people that it is an aim of our Community Council to promote Pontyclun as a tourist destination, eyebrows are often raised with the unsaid question – “are you serious?”. I am! I was therefore delighted when a resident provided me with a cutting from the Huddersfield Daily Examiner with the heading “Travel Report Pontyclun”.

The article begins “Pontyclun is a vibrant village in south Wales, 13 miles north-west of Cardiff. With impressive castles and beaches galore within a short drive, it provides the perfect base for our family getaway”. The article, which has been syndicated to a range of local newspapers around the UK, goes on to list the range of restaurants and hotels in and around Pontyclun.

When the Community Council invests in the Christmas Lights, the Summer Flowers, Pontyclun Park, Ivor Woods, local walking routes, we aim not only to serve local people but also help to attract visitors.

Miskin Village Green

An impressive group of Miskin residents has submitted an application to RCT Council for the area of land to the north of Newmill Gardens, Dol-y-Llan and Maes y Wennol to be declared a ‘Village Green’. This would be in recognition of its uncontested public use over many years and would protect the area from further development. The application will be considered by an inquiry to be held on 12 – 15 March at Tyla Garw Community Centre. 

  

Miskin Flowers

The Community Council has an established policy of providing 12 hanging flower baskets in the centre of Pontyclun, 6 in Groes Faen and 6 in Miskin. The aim is to concentrate provision in areas of greatest impact. We recently reviewed provision for future years and we concluded that the baskets in the centre of Miskin were not having the desired impact. The Council is considering the proposal that we should locate a flower bed with hanging baskets at the intersection of Heol Miskin with New Mill Corner – opposite the entrance to Manor Hill. If you have views on this proposal please let me know.

Ann Cale

With sadness Margaret and I share the information that Ann Cale died at the beginning of January.

Ann was a member of Pontyclun Community Council for many years until she retired in 2012. Margaret and I were both privileged to have served the Council alongside Ann for several years before her retirement and we recall the depth of her local knowledge and her commitment to the community. Even after her retirement she would keep us on our toes with her regular reports of tasks that needed to be performed by either RCT Council or the Community Council.

Willie Llewelyn

On 23 January Pontyclun Rugby Club hosted an event to celebrate the life of Willie Llewellyn and the publication of his biography by Phil Grant. Willie was born in the Rhondda in 1878 and had an astonishing rugby career. He was capped by Wales on 20 occasions, winning three Triple Crowns and beating the All Blacks in 1905, and played for the British Lions on 15 occasions.  In 1900 Willie moved from the Rhondda to London to study Pharmacy and to captain London Welsh. When he retired from international rugby he opened a pharmacy in Tonypandy. Such was the public esteem of Llewellyn that his pharmacy shop was spared the wrath of the Rhondda miners in their ‘riot’ of 1910 as they responded to being locked out of the mines and attacked by the murderous militia dispatched by Home Secretary, Winston Churchill.

Willie Llewellyn later retired to Pontyclun and was made a life member of Pontyclun Rugby Club in 1967. His grandson, Dr Mike Jones, was President of the Club until last year.

Paul Griffiths

Chair
Pontyclun Community Council