Unfortunately, because of ill health, Tim Ryan has had to cancel his September 18th talk about the Beachley Aust Ferry.  We apologise for this but we’re glad to say that at very short notice, Liz Pitman has rearranged her weekend to be able to give us an illustrated talk based on her book  Pigsties and Paradise: Lady Diarists and the Tour of Wales 1795 -1860.

“They were mostly well-to-do ladies.  They came, they saw, and they wrote… about landscapes, naked bathing, drunk coach drivers and terrible weather….”

More information on:  http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/authors-notes-liz-pitman-pigsties-2083252

Our trip on May 9th packed a lot into a day.  It started with a tour around Ynysangharad Park led by Brian Davies, one time curator of Pontypridd Museum.  He gave us a short history of the town, the canal, the Brown Lennox Chain Works and the composing of the words and music of the Welsh National Anthem by father and son, Evan and James James.

We split up for lunch in the town – a pub or an Italian café – and then made our way to the Museum for a tour led by Brian and Dave Gwyer, the Assistant Curator.

Then to the Rhondda Heritage Park with a trip underground, followed by a visit to Capel Rhondda in Hopkinstown where the hymn Cwm Rhondda was first sung one hundred year’s ago.  Brian gave us a history of the hymn which we then sang with gusto before having tea and cakes prepared by three kind ladies from the chapel.