A Trip To Treorchy

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Regular may remember that earlier this year I had mentioned that should my wife die before me I'd decided to move to Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley. A remark met with amusement,derision and snobbery by some (note the word some in that sentence) people in the Cardiff/Vale area.

Well today (Thursday) with exactly nothing to do (well there's paperwork but that can wait for Friday) for most of the day and by myself I decided to wander round the town given that such opportunities are rare nowadays.

Why do I want to move there. Well quite simply I'd use it as a base to wallow in sights that make the South Wales Valleys the Welsh Tuscany.

Imagine waking up to that

The town itself is rather interesting. For although it has a Boots an Iceland and a Superdrug for example the majority of shops are independent. Also many of them fly the Welsh flag, a gesture I took to show pride of their roots and have no political connotation at all.

Flying the Flag

And Again

The interesting shop in the above photo is one on the right. For though it's a Butcher's it's signage is completely in Welsh. Which is impressive.

People in the South Wales Valleys take this sort of view...



...or this...



...in their stride...including the lady in the local chippie where I had lunch which is called....

....A Fish Called Rhondda!!!

And time for another Treorchy view



Now of course nothing is perfect. Along the walk I found myself in the nearby village of Ynyswen. I saw this.

Note the sign for Courage beer

What makes this particularly sad (and it reminds me of a similar building I remember in Newport where I might have said the same thing) is that you realise it had a happy past.

And I'm not going to gloss over the economic problems the region faces. But what the Valleys has is community. Real community. Not the community of a newly built estate but that of people who appreciate everyone in their area .

I enjoyed my brief time in the Valleys today. Next time I visit it'll be for longer and will take in a wider area. What it taught me today though was that my intention to move up there to Treorchy remains strong.

Until the next time.