Leisure Centres to close among latest Covid-19 changes

19 March 2020

Neath Port Talbot Council is now rapidly implementing service changes to respond to the Government’s Covid-19 strategy in phases and in this release we outline the latest developments relating to our residents.

All leisure centres (and swimming pools) are closing.

The decision has been taken by Celtic Leisure in conjunction with Neath Port Talbot Council in line with Government advice on “social distancing”.

All of our facilities will therefore be closed from this evening, Thursday 19th March, 2020, until further notice.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this closure and thank you for bearing with us during this difficult and unprecedented time, however the health and wellbeing of our customers, staff and community has to remain uppermost in our thoughts.

Also, due to the fast changing situation and the need to react quickly to Government announcements about the coronavirus, Neath Port Talbot Council staff are being redeployed to priority duties. As a result of this, all civic centres (Neath Civic Centre, Port Talbot Civic Centre and the Quays) will be closed to the public from Monday, 23rd March, 2020.

If you require access to a Council service, visit our website www.npt.gov.uk or telephone 01639 686868.

Specific arrangements will be made for a small number of residents who will still need a face-to-face service.  Further service arrangements and updates will be published tomorrow Friday, March 20th, 2020.

The Council has also announced today Neath Port Talbot Schools will re-open next Monday to provide care and recreation for the children of designated essential workers and vulnerable pupils only. See release here: https://www.npt.gov.uk/1410?pr_id=6428

The Council’s Registration Service is continuing to conduct ceremonies at the Register Office and at approved venues across Neath Port Talbot until such time that the advice from Government changes.

In line with Government guidance on social distancing, ceremonies will be restricted to six people – the couple, two registrars and two witnesses. Couples can postpone their ceremony free of charge by contacting the Register Office on 01639 760021 or email: registrars@npt.gov.uk .

This is in line with General Register Office (GRO) UK guidance and a similar approach being taken in other Register Offices.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Social Services Department has put plans in place to protect its most vulnerable residents. In order to safeguard both those who receive care services and staff, necessary changes have been made to the services we deliver.

In accordance with government guidelines on social distancing, all day services will be temporarily closed from Friday 20th March.  Those who receive care services have been asked to call on additional support from friends, family and carers.

To ensure the department’s most critical services are supported, staff have been asked to be flexible in the roles they undertake and will be temporarily redeployed where necessary.

 

Resolven and District Community Library has been informed that all libraries in Neath Port Talbot will be closed from 4pm on March 17th until further notice.

No fines will be issued for books that cannot be returned during this period.

We thank you for your continued support and will update you when we have more information.

 

Non Humphreys

Owing to the ever changing situation regarding the coronavirus, I have had to take the decision to cancel our activities until the outlook becomes a little clearer. Most of our members are over 70 and would be unable to attend in all probability.

 

With great regret,

 

Trefor Jones

 

 

March 5^th was the 60^th wedding anniversary of Duncan and June Davies of Ardwyn Terrace.

 

On March 8^th their son Neil and daughter in law Gillian arranged a surprise afternoon to celebrate their diamond anniversary at the Welfare Hall with family and friends.

 

It was a day of joy and family came from far and wide but those who travelled furthest caused the biggest surprise by travelling from Ireland to wish the happy couple all the very best and reminisce over the many years of friendship they have shared.

There was food and drinks, conversations of old and new memories and there were smiles and songs to make another memorable day for them  in their 60 years together..

Many congratulations to them both on their 21,900 days together and counting

REPORT BY DIANE SIMS

It was leap year day and the 2^nd annual Chinese Auction was held in the Welfare Hall in aid of the Restoration Fund that’s ongoing to save Resolven Miners Welfare Hall.

 

Thanks to the generosity of those who donated new and nearly new items to be auctioned, and the equally generous people who turned up on the day to bid for them, £503.38 was donated to the fund.

Volunteers Beverley Healey, Glenda Keane, Jessica Day, Amelia Lane, Amelia Llewellyn, Kyla Collard and Aleri Herring worked tirelessly setting up , carrying tea and cakes to those who attended , selling tickets , distributing winning prizes and generally ensuring everyone had a good time along with the staff and committee. It needs to be said that although the Welfare is looking tired, the people who frequent the old place are vibrant and enthusiastic and generous with their time as well as donations.

Resolven at its best x

REPORT by DIANE SIMS

 

 

 

 

A Report on the March Meeting of Resolven History Society

A brief history of Dowlais

This month’s speaker needed no introduction since it was the ebullient Huw Williams of Dowlais, who this year chose to speak on the history of his own community. He began by stating that everyone had heard of Dowlais, mainly because of the roundabout on the A465 at Dowlais Top. However, as in all communities the settlement includes areas and districts which have all contributed to the huge history of such a small place.

Huw then proceeded to describe the geography of Dowlais and how it was separated from its larger neighbour, Merthyr Tydfil. The hill at Pen-y-darren , was crucial in this respect, as was the limestone plateau at “Twyni Gwynion”, which supplied much of the limestone to the iron industry and was now better known for its restored steam railway. The Morlais brook, now covered ,was remembered as being highly polluted from the prevalence of industry , yet was still a popular play area for the children of the area. The area known as the “Bont”, which featured a long forgotten bridge was now the site of the Martyr’s football ground, Penydarren Park. Much of the old settlement of Dowlais was now subsumed by modern developments such as the OP chocolate factory, the Stevens and George printers and the Pant industrial estate which hid the far older site of “Ffair y Waun”, the old hiring and horse fair. This was also the site of a market “Ffair y pêr a’r fala”, which supplied Merthyr Tydfil should the harvest be good.

In 1757, the Merthyr Furnace was sited at Dowlais, as a result of investment by a group of Bristol investors, a purely capitalist and speculative venture. This was taken over by John Guest and his son Joseph John Guest , who was born in Gellifaelog House in Dowlais, and became sole owners in 1830. The Guests spoke Welsh and communicated well with the workforce of the ironworks. Indeed, Charlotte Guest the wife of the second John Guest is famous for her translation of the Mabinogion after she also mastered the language. The connection with the pioneering work of the Cornishman Richard Trevithick and his development of the steam engine in 1804 at Dowlais was also noted as was the development of the huge static steam engine at Dowlais which powered the site. By 1840, the Dowlais Iron Works was the largest works in the world and employed some 15,000 workers. This was serviced by the Brunel built Taff Vale Railway which took the iron to be exported from Cardiff Docks. To put it mildly there was no love lost between the Guests and the Bute Family (see last month’s report) and indeed the titanic battles over leaseholds led to the early death of both the first Marquis and Guest himself in 1852. Former MP for Merthyr, and now Lord, Ted Rowlands has recently published a book based on the journals of Charlotte Guest, which recount this period. They finish abruptly on the death of her first husband as the younger Charlotte quickly eloped with a new beau.

Agents then took control of the works which now became part of a greater industrial concern, Guest Keen and Nettlefolds (GKN) which still exists today, (though has recently severed its last ties with steel. Ed). This enabled the works to diversify to become a steelworks as against an ironworks. The point was made that the Crawshays of Merthyr had abandoned the Cyfarthfa works and never became a steelworks. The crucible of the industrial revolution was now beginning to decline and the point was made that the possible results of the emissions from this industrialization had returned with a vengeance in recent months owing to the recent floods at Pontypridd ( of course, few of the settlements would have existed without industry , Ed.).

The twentieth century, heralded a great change. The Guests largely abandoned the area and became part of London society. Even the Dowlais Steelworks largely decanted itself to Cardiff East Moors , in order to avail itself of a more economically favourable location. By 1930, the Dowlais works closed its doors for the last time putting some 8,000 workers on the dole and increasing the unemployment rate of the area to 80%. This led to mass deprivation and a visit by a monarch Edward V111, who stated bleakly that “Something must be done”, shortly before abdicating and retiring with an American divorcee (that would not happen today, would it? Ed.)

Following the second world war,Hoover came to Merthyr and provided another mass employer for a few decades. Dowlais, is now to all intents and purposes, part of Merthyr, though the last remnant of the steel industry in the specialised steel unit at Dowlais prevailed until 1987.

The Chairman ,thanked Huw Williams for a very interesting and stimulating talk.

Trefor Jones.