Down Memory Lane with Mike Davies
Like all of us, our RDN photographer Mike Davies is in lockdown. He can’t get out and about with his camera, but here are a few images from his vast collection to cheer us up
My twin brother Pat rang to tell me the Pontneathvaughan Falls were frozen over. I‘d only just recovered from a heart operation, so I was a bit worried about going up there, but my grandson Richard came with me and off we went. After a slippery walk, I finally got this picture.
I sent it to the surgeon who’d done my op. and he replied ” glad to see you are still ticking”
I have enjoyed photographing for RDN over the years, and I always look forward to the Resolven Carnival. It’s a real fun day as I meet up with old friends I went to school with, and now they have children themselves
I trust we can soon have those days again, including the Christmas Fayre.
Some of my pictures have stories attached. Like the day I turned up to cover the sad picture of the Gwyn Hall in Neath ablaze. I was in such a rush to get there, I arrived still wearing my bedroom slippers!
Then there was the day there were rumours about a whale on Aberavon beach. I thought someone was having a joke, but I had to get there to see for myself, and yes it was true.
This is taken on sad day– the last horse race at Pentreclwydau.
I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures of wildlife, quite often birds in my own garden like frequent visitor Woody the woodpecker
The day the Queen opened the new Swansea Leisure Centre there was another memorable picture-taking moment for me.
I’m on the far right of picture in navy jacket with white stripes (and camera at the ready) I started snapping away but when she got close into the lens, out ot of courtesy, I stopped filming and put the camera down only to my astonishment to be greeted by Her Majesty! She walked past the woman with the outstretched hand and held her hand out to me and shook it and asked me where was I from etc.— she was quite interested. We seemed to be chatting for a while. She told me it was lovely to be back in Swansea and that they were having lunch in the Brangwyn Hall. I wished them well and she replied, “You too. It was lovely to meet you”–a moment in my life I shall never forget, so it was worth waiting in that biting wind all those hours.”
By Mike Davies