taking fire crews more than five hours to put out Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said More than 160 emergency calls were made to 999 about it and crews from Morriston Ammanford and Pontardawe were sent to the scene with the flames finally extinguished just after midnight It was one of several grass fires attended by firefighters across south, mid and north Wales on Tuesday ShareSaveCCTV shows head attacking love rival teacher with wrenchAnthony Felton is jailed for attacking his friend and colleague in his office at school. Man recalls moment car turned into 'ball of flames'Tony Johnson pulled a driver from a burning car after a crash with two vehicles in Bodfari. Watch: Labour MP criticises gender ideology 'damage'Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi says Welsh government and others were "captured" by LGBT charities. Race Across the World 'much harder than we thought'Sioned Cray and Fin Gough thought they were prepared for the challenge of the reality TV show. Party time in Merthyr as Martyrs clinch promotionThe fan-owned club won the Southern Premier League South title with victory at Penydarren Park. Paddleboard tour victims' families pay tributeFour people died after paddleboarding in "extremely hazardous conditions" on the River Cleddau. Judge sentences river death paddleboard firm ownerWatch as a judge sentences Nerys Bethan Lloyd for the gross negligence manslaughter of four people. Footage shows firm owner at paddleboard death sceneWatch as Nerys Bethan Lloyd tells police what happened during a fatal paddleboarding incident. 'He was a great listener to everyone'Bishop of Wrexham Peter Brignall and Mark O'Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia, pay their respects. Watch as stranded dog rescued from cliff edgeEmber became stuck after chasing after a ball while out walking along a coastal path with her owner. Dangerous driver involved in 'shocking' crashSwansea Crown Court heard that Peter Gilmore had 44 previous convictions for 104 offences. Watch: Life raising a toddler with 'butterfly skin'Protecting Albi's skin is a daily battle for parents as it can blister or tear from any friction. Watch: 'Disgusting' vandalism of owl sanctuaryOwl sanctuary toilets targeted by vandals. Watch the moment thieves take charity truckOasis Cardiff, which supports refugees and asylum seekers, says the truck was crucial to its work. Watch: Can you spot a fake football shirt?Vintage football shirt expert, Daniel Rees, explains how to keep your money safe from fakes. How a Welsh uni helps F1 star reach top speedFormula One season favourite Lando Norris is put through his paces at Swansea University. 'Blaring' wildfire burns close to homes Crews have been battling wildfires across Wales, with firefighters described as "on their knees". Watch: E-bike riders caught using police drone Police in Newport use a surveillance drone to spot a group of e-bikers on city streets. Rugby fans react to Cardiff administration newsThe Welsh Rugby Union is in line to take over the regional side. Watch: Massive wildfire filmed from aboveFirefighters are striving to get a huge blaze under control after it started four days ago. Local Senedd Member, Peter Fox, has asked for an investigation after made aware of a large metal fence that has been placed on the Pwlldu road above the village of Clydach. The fence, which has recently appeared, can be seen visibly from the village and from the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road. Some residents have referred to it as an ‘abomination’ with others pointing out its large design will catch the sun, and will in turn attract more attention to it. Mr Fox has written to Monmouthshire County Council to ask why the fence has been installed, and has also questioned why the specific type of fence has been chosen. In his correspondence to the local authority, the MS pointed out the fence is not in keeping with the rural aesthetic of the area, which falls under the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, and lies on the edge of the nearby Blaenavon World Heritage Site area. Mr Fox, Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport and Rural Affairs, said: “I have been made aware of the fence appearing near Clyadach which seems to have come out of nowhere. “I can certainly understand why residents are surprised, and can appreciate the concerns being raised about it. “Whilst I am sure there will be a sensible logic as to why a fence is needed, there does not appear to be one yet, and in any case, I do agree the fence is hardly in keeping with the area. “I have contacted Monmouthshire County Council’s Highways Team to find out what is going on, and to get some rationale and further information on this fence appearing.” Comments Tel: 01873 852187[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar Fine and settled under the influence of high pressure though eastern counties turning cloudier later in the afternoon Feeling warm in the sunshine with light winds though a little cooler in coastal communities with cloud clearing to leave a rather chilly night Another settled day bringing a mixture of cloudy skies and sunny spells with light winds and temperatures a little above the early-May average The remainder of the week will see high pressure dominating Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average Carmarthenshire News Online Local and National News for Carmarthenshire A GIANT 2.1 metre tall steel fence that has been put across the side of mountain has been dubbed the ‘Great Wall of Clydach’ by villagers.  The galvanised steel palisade fence runs for some 200 metres along the length of Pwll Du Road, that has been temporarily closed to traffic for five years, and across the face of Gilwern Mountain that overlooks Clydach.  The area is within the Bannau Brycheiniog, or Brecon Beacons, National Park and close to the boundary of the internationally recognised UNESCO Blaenavon World Heritage site and from the ground appears as a solid structure or wall.  Residents, who confronted councillors and officials at an angry meeting in Clydach Village Hall on Wednesday evening, demanded it be taken down – despite the council’s insistence access to the road must be prevented due to fears it could collapse at any moment.  Top council bosses however did apologise for how the fence was put up over three days last week without warning and failures to keep promises the community would be kept updated on the future of the road.  They agreed the fence could potentially be reduce in height and painted a darker colour such as green to reduce the impact though it was also highlighted galvanised steel isn’t suitable for painting.  The council has said it will aim to mitigate the impact “as soon as practicable” and when it understands what local people want.  Most present at the meeting raised their hands when Llanelly Hill independent councillor Simon Howarth, who organised the meeting for local people to suggest alternatives, asked how many wanted it removed.  It was also revealed the fence has cost £40,000 to buy and install. Though it is intended as a temporary measure for nine months the council will consider pulling it down earlier.  Monmouthshire County Council’s neighbourhood manager Carl Touhig, who is responsible for highways, told the meeting previous efforts to keep vehicles off the road including gates and boulders had failed as they had been damaged or removed.   A rockfall in 2023 had prompted the council to commission a further report which has suggested the road should be closed to people, as well as vehicles, and outlined a number of options including new footpaths over the top of the mountain, and below the existing road, and rebuilding the road but moving the carriageway further back into the mountain.  Mr Touhig said it decided on the fence as a temporary measure and, in response to questions from the audience, said blocking the road at either side wasn’t sufficient as the open countryside meant people would still have access from above and below.  Rockfall has meant the carriageway is now almost at the cliff edge and Mr Touhig said: “A rockfall could take the whole road out.  “If someone was on that road and I know I’ve not made it safe I could be prosecuted for corporate manslaughter, and someone losing their live would be far worse than a prison sentence.”  He said motorcyclists have still been using the road and locals claimed since the fence was put up people have been using it to abseil down the rockface of the old quarry.  Former county councillor Martin Thomas called the fence “disgusting” and said he feared glare from the metal would cause an accident on the recently competed A465 beneath it.  He said: “What about the visual impact? It could cause the first fatality on the Heas of the Valleys road with people looking up at the glare, that is how bad it is.”  Farmer Wayne Elliot, who was involved in court action that ruled the road was a highway the council was responsible for, said the council had previously suggested putting the road further back, by cutting into the mountain.  One resident, who said his autistic daughter, had to turn back when her regular walking route was blocked by the fence and hadn’t left the house since, said: “You don’t understand if you think that’s okay to put that fence up there.”  He added: “You could shift the road back, the farmers would help do it, they’d get it done in a week and it would cost you a lot less.”  Mr Touhig said the cost estimate for rebuilding the road further into the mountain is more than £1m and would involve heavy machinery on unstable ground. He said: “You can’t have farmers going up there to build a road we would adopt. That is not going to happen.”  The highways chief also said planning permission wasn’t required for the fence, but the national park had been informed, with some residents complaining they are subject to the park’s strict planning requirements. Others asked if the impact on a breeding pair of peregrine falcons at the quarry had been considered and said the fence was impacting mental health and house prices.  Cllr Howarth, and Monmouthshire council’s Labour leader Mary Ann Brocklesby, who also represents the ward, said they hadn’t been informed before hand the fence was going up. Former council leader, and now Conservative Senedd Member for Monmouth, Peter Fox, said spending £40,000 would require political sign off at some stage.  Mr Fox said before the meeting he was “surprised” when the fence was brought to his attention and he could understand why it was considered an “eyesore”.  Senior council officer Debra Hill-Howells agreed at the meeting the council needed to get better at communicating as a highways authority and managing its relationship with the local community, the council will work with the community on mitigating its impact and to providing a permanent solution.  A further public meeting will be held on May 14. Following the meeting Mr Elliot, whose farm is below the fence, said he isn’t convinced the road is dangerous. He said: “I used to use it all the time. I’m not worried about it collapsing it’s been there donkey’s years. We’ve been here 30 years and I’ve used it without any issue at all.”  Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. CloseThis is the blaze that spread across a hillside on Tuesday evening It was one of several grass fires attended by firefighters across south, mid and north Wales on Tuesday Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionEditor's recommendationsDrone footage captures fire ripping through hillside 00:00:26Drone footage captures fire ripping through hillside 0:26Up Next Merz defeat 'an obstacle not a catastrophe' Video 00:01:05Merz defeat 'an obstacle not a catastrophe' 1:05Watch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 00:01:44Watch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 1:44Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 00:01:25Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 1:25Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster Video 00:01:21Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster 1:21'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 00:01:20'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 1:20Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 00:02:54Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 2:54Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 00:01:32Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 1:32Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 00:01:11Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 1:11Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 00:00:50Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 0:50Ros Atkins on.. What's in the US-Ukraine resources deal 1:23Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 00:01:18Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election Monmouthshire County Council to hold public meeting regarding concerns over newly erected fence at Clydach quarry A meeting has been organised by a county councillor to field questions from the public about a fence erected on the site of Clydach quarry The railings were installed above Pwll Du road around two weeks ago, with the local Member of the Senedd, Peter Fox raising concerns about the “eyesore” structure Motorists and residents have sighted the large fence from the opposite side of the valley which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest Villagers now say no public consultation was held over the railings which they say has spoiled the landscape of their cherished mountain A public meeting with a panel of Monmouthshire County Council will take place at Clydach Village Hall on Wednesday, April 16 at 6.30pm. Tel: 01873 852187[email protected]Follow us Residents of a picturesque Bannau Brycheiniog community have expressed concern after two metre high railings appeared along a disused quarry road without public consultation Locals in Clydach and Llanelly Hill in Monmouthshire recently woke up to the sight of large metal railings which were installed during the week commencing 31 March along Pwll Du Road above Clydach’s quarry and limeworks Passers-by have since spotted the ‘monstrous’ large fence from miles away in the opposite side of the picturesque valley which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) while driving on the nearby A465 Heads of the Valleys road The road on Gilwern hill has been inaccessible since 2020 following safety concerns over lack of barriers and ongoing landslides caused by the unstable sandstone and limestone quarry below but villagers claim that no consultation has taken place over the railings which they say have ‘ruined’ the appearance of their beloved mountain is considered a “true hidden gem” and is an area of outstanding natural beauty rich in industrial archaeology and home to a National Nature Reserve Residents have expressed concern over the lack of public consultation writing: “How an earth has this been allowed in the National park He added: “There is local outrage already at this eyesore being allowed in an area of outstanding beauty it can be seen from the HOV and all around the area “I have now measured the height of this fence which exceeds 2 metres everywhere and generally is between 2.1 and 2.2 metres So it required planning consent under planning rules (greater than 2 metres) but I have been unable to find it on the park’s portal at all given the location I would have thought any 400-metre-long structure would require some sort of planning consent anyway it shows the limited space behind the fence for walkers and certainly inadequate for bikes And another view from the bottom railway track/cycle path “Rough calculations suggest that this has cost at least £40K of our money when the local roads are full of potholes because there is none to spare.” While another resident shared: “I noticed lots of work going on last Monday then saw the fencing while driving home on the Heads of the Valleys late last week “The area is a tourist hotspot because of its natural beauty steep drops and old relics at every corner – this sets a very worrying precedent for the rest of the gorge “Surely we should have been consulted and any fencing should be as inconspicuous as possible?” Villagers have taken to the local Facebook page to update each other in lieu of any official information complaining about the design and lack of consultation with many pointing out the fencing’s ‘inadequacy’ Absolutely hideous spoilt a beautiful area National Parks how have you let them get away with this !! by the look of that you will be walking on the unsafe side too.” Thomas Humphreys added: “National Parks… what a joke they come down on residents like a ton of bricks for painting your windows the wrong colour then allow something like this While Wayne Elliott shared: “I noted it going up early in the week and e-mailed the local authority as they previously agreed to have open dialogue with the community before further acting in regard to the roads temporary closure “This was on the back of me taking them to court over the road closure matter a little over two years back after which they promised to work with the community and not act in isolation I have spoken with councillor Simon Howarth on the matter he was not aware of the councils actions despite expressly asking previously to be involved given he represents the local community as a councillor.” John Hunt has completed a complaint to the National Park Authority and is currently encouraging others to do so here: https://beacons-npa.gov.uk/planning/enforcement-monitoring/forms/ Nation.Cymru has contacted Monmouthshire County Council and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park for comment Bannau Brycheniog National Park has so far shared: “We can confirm we have received an enforcement complaint and we are investigating it further.” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Seems pointless as the gate photo shows a wire fence which is no obstruction to a determined explorer Surely a better more aesthetic structure could have been used in such a picturesque area It looks more like a racist Israeli fence used to pen in the poor Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank Connect with Nation.Cymru on Facebook and Twitter If you would like to donate to help keep Nation.Cymru running then you just need to click on the box below it will open a pop up window that will allow you to pay using your credit / debit card or paypal Enter your email address to receive instant notifications of new articles All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018 In 2017 Nation.Cymru was launched after raising £5000 from a crowdfunding campaign Today it is one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK attracting over 1.5 million visitors a month We are not backed by billionaire owners or hidden behind a paywall but we depend on our readers' support to continue our work If everyone who visited the site over the course of a month donated at least £1 we would have enough funding for the next eight years To guarantee our future please consider making a donation today. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A 20-hectare blaze visible for miles was among several wildfires fought by firefighters across Wales on Tuesday evening One of the biggest fires was at Mynydd Gelliwastad Mountain The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they sent three crews from Morriston, Pontardawe and Neath to help extinguish the blaze A spokesperson said firefighters responded to the scene at 7.09pm on Tuesday evening using blowers and beaters to tackle the fire which was put out at 11.12pm Video footage filmed in Morriston near Swansea shows flames and smoke from the mountain visible from many miles away. Claire Kempster, from Craig-cefn-parc, above Clydach, said there had been wildfires in the area for the last week. “It happened last year too. They do land management on the gorse bushes. Sometimes it’s the farmers clearing the gorse bushes, and sometimes it’s an accident,” she told the PA news agency. Last week her husband called the fire brigade as a fire came near to their house. “There’s about four houses above us in a row, and it came right up to their boundary, so that was probably about 300 metres from our house,” she said. “We saw it and went out to it, and it was my husband that called fire engines. They had it out really quickly.” Elsewhere across the country, firefighters tackled a large grass fire in Ferndale and Maerdy mountain in south Wales and others in Caerphilly, Ogmore Vale, Gelli Pentre and Fairwood Common Swansea. A spokeswoman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said “it was pretty non-stop”. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service also said it had dealt with gorse fire on Tuesday night, including a large one at Garreg Fawr in Llanfairfechan, which was left to burn out. Having grown up in Clydach Gorge, any news report on the dualling of the A465 feels personal Engagement events became the norm for the village long before the first machine got to work and the shadowy threat of environmental damage loomed large for far too long In the immediate years prior to its construction I attended as many community events as possible to drum home the message that we wanted more broadleaf and protection for bats and other native wildlife and that safe entry points and connection to the village’s two districts were prioritised I uprooted smaller beech from the line of fire and planted them higher up in the village – some of which are four times my height now this small village which is cut in half by the A465 got on with things as best it could but of all the stretches of the freshly-dualled A465 the 50mph zone is the equivalent of the ugly arse-end of the Christmas tree but let’s start with the approach to Gilwern from Abergavenny and arriving at Glanbaiden and the slip road to Gilwern presents you with a strange take on Wacky races many stay in 50 from Abergavenny’s Hardwick roundabout onward) invariably meet at the onset of the 50mph limit signs And then the painful and congested ascent begins with a taunting Do I overtake the driver in front doing a mix of 49 I’m counting) and get a potential fine for doing 52 Do I hang back and create a safer distance and thereby risk arriving at Asda Brynmawr after closing time the following day paint my nails or give my nasal hair a trim the road was pointlessly elevated so takes on a climb before a descent that simply wasn’t there before or necessary I mentioned how I often head to Abergavenny from Brynmawr through North Clydach or Llanelly Hill simply to avoid the road but being from the area it means a more pleasant and a welcome break from a road that just doesn’t feel ‘right’ The bridge and pathetti-junction mess at Brynmawr in particular has to be experienced to be believed but for those leaving the town or the southern towns of Blaenau Gwent heading east it’s a reacquaintance with the old re-purposed roundabout across an over-the-top bridge that seems to need constant maintenance and then the slow downhill break-testing descent You get a sense that the architects were on a percentage-based payment plan and looked for the most convoluted solution possible and then stuck a shopping centre over-engineered bridge on top just for fun The skyline at the top of the beech-lined gorge with its (once) spectacular waterfalls the road needed better entry points for people leaving Clydach – it’s frightening to think that there was simply a junction turning left or right on to the busy road before And it’s the locals in this most special valley that paid the heaviest price for the disruption Years and years of omnipresent pile-driving and queues of diverted traffic making our roads unsafe Mature beech trees I swung from and climbed now lost to the over-the-top fly-over that crosses the River Clydach at the meeting point of Clydach South and North known locally as the ‘Saleyard’ – their stumps a ghostly reminder beneath the diverted and elevated road Road closures meant our commutes were made longer with the occasional stranded lorry adding extra joy to the proceedings Those of us who lived in the Gorge during its construction took our lives into our hands when leaving the village and adjoining the A465 when and we simply had to lump it with the promise of greater good come completion The village was held hostage to the slowest of slow progress: My closest friend had to move house when her family home was compulsary-purchased another friend was injured after a car ploughed into her on the temporary roundabout And then to discover that the speed limit would remain at 50 The Welsh Government said the proposed speed limit was “in the interest of road safety” and aimed to “reduce the scheme’s environmental impact.” director of the Institute for Civil Engineers In Wales said the limit was linked to the road’s design “If you have quite a difficult terrain then you can flatten it out so you can travel faster so people can see any obstacles in the way “But to do that you would be eating into the existing ground which would raise the cost.” I’ve raised no objection to 20mph speed limits (online anyway Driving on the A465 at 50mph makes driving 20mph in a town centre seem like a rally driving experience I’ve yet to find a single person from Clydach Black Rock or Maesygwartha whose lives were interrupted daily that is satisfied with driving 50mph with the overbearing threat of average speed cameras even if it has been presented to them by the experts as being in their favour I’ve also yet to see any of the wider economic benefits the road was touted as bringing locally – its obvious purpose being an M4 (and heads of the valleys towns) bypass and east-west link it’s a slap in the face for those who were most affected Leaving the A465 as it was between Gilwern and Brynmawr and installing a roundabout at Clydach would have saved us all a lot of heartache and we’d all be travelling at just the same speed in the one same lane and we have no choice but to accept the status quo But for most nearby it’s still not sitting right like the M4 section that was 50 since it was built I think (not the added 50) Of course you can always campaign to raise the limit but what are those barriers rated at for a 3 ton vehicle losing it on the wet because driver run out of talent at 70 vs 50 or a 3-7.5 ton van at 60 vs 50 fully laden undoubtedly there are some safety aspects to consider but to have the road at the same speed as the old road just doesn’t justify the collosal expense and disruption of the whole project Rip up a gorge and keep the same speed limit as before – quite simply unbelievable Just because the limit is the same doesn’t mean the experience is the same Surely upgrades are about capacity and reliability appreciate the sentiment but drove that old road more times than I remember and its now its 4 lanes which is an improvement and if memory serves you have to get past struggling HGV’s before the two lane became 1 in parts in the old days and the downslope single lane was always a drag if a wagon was infront Used to be the quickest route to Swansea from the midlands you just hit the cruise control get on with it Judging by the reaction to the A465 upgrade not proceeding with the Newport bypass has unfriendly topography when it comes to easy communication across the entire nation but the A465 is an instance where it’s also an east-west factor Trying to address the consequent problems carries costs – rather big ones We allow our topography to overwhelm us far too easily Compared to some European countries and not just those with Alpine ranges we are a pretty easy level plane Set some engineers from 200 years ago loose with modern day tools and you would get startling results road and rail connections across Wales instead of the reminders of extractive colonialism that exist today You have a point – a friend of mine who’s a lifetime railway buff told me about a light railway line of quite considerable length constructed in recent years along the north coast of Spain which has it’s own topographical challenges in certain parts But here in Wales the topographical difficulties haven’t just been an issue of recent times I remember reading that the Carmarthen- Aberystwyth railway line – closed in 1965 – was initially intended to be the start of a direct rail route between Milford Haven and Manchester when it was first projected in the mid-19th… Read more » £2bn and the speed reduces from 60mph down to 50mph this sums up the Welsh government to a tee Seems that you could have 1) have a variable speed limit 60mph in dry good visibility conditions and say 50mph when raining misty or overcrowded conditions or 2) have differing speed limits for cars and HGVs Having moved to Ebbw Vale about 5 years ago I can’t remember how it was before (though my satnav seems to) but elsewhere we’re told the 50 limit is to cut pollution but does this account for having to drive with the brakes on and the particulate muck which that chucks out due to having to hold a car which doesn’t want to do it to 50 mph on the long downhill stretch to Abergavenny You don’t need to use the brakes to stay at 50 going down there just change down a gear and the engine braking will take care of maintaining speed Literally drove down there today and didn’t use the brakes once while everyone else had their brake lights on the whole time Does anyone actually know how to drive properly any more they’re all driving automatics and it wouldn’t occur to them to use the semi-automatic function to downshift The electric drivers don’t really have any choice they either have regenerative braking or not The driving test is way too easy and this is why people keep crashing into each other Modern fuel injectors close when you’ve not got your foot on the accelerator and the wheels turning keeps the engine running rather than the other way around when you are using the accelerator Further proof that no-one knows how to drive properly nowadays What did architects have to do with the scheme The reporter is clearly lazy and doesn’t take the trouble to research the issue Financial aid from the eu meant the road cost every more Every single £1 received cost at least £1.60 in contributions If you’re talking about the membership fees Second the membership fees paid for much more than the money coming back Just look at the billions we now have to pay for customs agents to interfere with European trade Look at the costs this exra red tape is putting on business And look at the civil service bloat needed to run all the jobs once outsourced to Brussels If it was 70 you’d clear it in 4m 17s Given there’s no hard shoulder any collision or breakdown is going to have a huge impact to anyone using the road so it’s surely better to keep the speeds down to guarantee it stays free flowing Straighten a road given better forward visibility & reduce the speed limit Why spend £2billion pounds when all they had to do was maintain low speeds on the old ‘twisty’ heads of the Valley road and I moved up the hill from Abergavenny and I am happy with how the road turned out Christ I remember the traffic tailbacks and the accidents I’ve seen some horrific crashes on this section before the dualing with life changing injuries There’s some aspects that could have been done better like a decent junction when coming off at clydach heading from Abergavenny could have increased the speed limit to 70mph but coming down that section from Brynmawr doing more than 50mph then your mad There’s obviously the environment impact on the area which… Read more » Also they have cut off the access to the water falls There was a foot path under the brynmawr roundabout where you could walk to the water falls or the old railway line This is now a dead end where you have to walk next to a 50mph road with no barrier If you want to walk the old railway line you now have to take a car and park on the access road potentially blocking emergency services Costain really messed this up and should put it back What never gets mentioned is how much longer the 50mph section is then before they started the project I rode my bike down the gorge the day it opened I don’t think it had a speed limit (well I remember going around the bend in my car by The Pipes at 50 and being overtaken by my physics teacher the other side of double white lines This latest dialling has been an extravagance with a wide “barrier lane” in the middle when an extra lane and metal barrier would have sufficed has been an ego… Read more » Having read that article I wonder if the author is a fit and proper person to be driving a vehicle of any description I agree that the 50mph is an over cautious imposition but that aside the road is a tremendous improvement on what was there before I have used the road on pretty much a daily basis for the past 37 years using the the entry and exit slip roads at Abergavenny if the author finds these problematic he should seriously think about handing his licence back also the reason the original road was… Read more » Former Cymru International Helen Ward was on hand to open the Cymru Football Foundation’s latest fit-for-future football facility at Clydach in Swansea.  Cymru’s record goal scorer heard more from female players at CPD Clydach FC about the positive impact the investment will have on their experiences posing for photographs and signing autographs.  Helen said: “As a young girl coming into a facility You want to feel that it’s been made for you and you’re not just an extra that’s having the opportunity to use it “Grassroots is crying out for investment and a facility of this standard and quality is going to have a huge impact on the local area – for a grassroots facility in particular I’m really impressed “The Cymru Football Foundation help for clubs is only going to make grassroots football better the CFF have supported the creation of brand-new changing facilities with a grant of £300,000 – allowing a safe space for the club’s thriving women and girls provision.  Having only been able to welcome female players up to U13 level previously these new facilities will allow more players and better experiences alongside making strides towards doubling the number of women and girls playing football across the country – a key priority for the Cymru Football Foundation.  Director at Cymru Football Foundation said: “This project will have a hugely positive impact on the players at CPD Clydach FC and the wider community The Cymru Football Foundation is extremely grateful for the support of UK Government to deliver this project.” “We’re making strides in improving football facilities in Wales and seeing the difference a project like this inspires us to develop outstanding football facilities to enrich communities.” The CFF supports the development of football through investment and guidance as it delivers the FAW’s commitment to develop inspirational fit-for-future football facilities that will improve and grow Welsh football both on and off the pitch the Foundation has invested over £9 million in fit-for-future facilities across Wales thanks to support from UK Government the Football Association of Wales and Sport Wales.  Find out more by visiting www.cff.cymru.  The New Saints come from behind to take Nomads crown in JD Welsh Cup final Project Chwarae: FAW to undertake a review of weather-related postponements in grassroots football Cardiff City defeat Wrexham to lift Bute Energy Welsh Cup Close ModalLearn more from FA WalesSign up to receive all things FAW We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data – view our privacy policy by clicking here © 2025 The Football Association of Wales * We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting 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Brian Whitelock tortured and attacked neighbour Wendy Buckney with a kitchen knife a broken table leg and wooden shelving in her own home A convicted double killer told jury members “I hope you all suffer a brain injury” after they found him guilty of the murder of his neighbour. Brian Whitelock attacked neighbour Wendy Buckney with a kitchen knife a broken table leg and wooden shelving during a sustained assault in her own home The bloodstained and naked pensioner, 71, was discovered in her living room at her house in Clydach, near Swansea Swansea Crown Court heard Whitelock, 57, had been jailed for life in 2001 for murder and manslaughter, before being released from prison in 2018. He was convicted by a jury who deliberated for around 30 minutes following a two-week-long trial on Wednesday. Following the guilty verdict, Whitelock shouted at the jury from the dock and had to be escorted from the courtroom. He said: “I hope you all suffer a brain injury, I hope you all suffer a brain injury. I hope you all suffer what I went through. You are all bang out of order.” Mr Justice Griffiths apologised to the jury for Whitelock’s “disgraceful behaviour”, adding the murderer is in a “safe place from whence he can do you no harm”. The judge adjourned the case for sentencing on 20 December. Whitelock, of Tanycoed Road, Clydach, represented himself during the trial and told jurors he had no memory of the incident and was suffering from a brain injury at the time after he slipped over while out fishing. Christopher Rees KC, prosecuting, said Whitelock had a long-standing drug addiction and a history of violence. The prosecutor said Ms Buckney must have “suffered greatly” at the hands of Whitelock before her death, having sustained multiple stab injuries, sharp force injuries and blunt force injuries. Whitelock had previously been jailed in 2001 after he battered Nicholas Morgan to death with an axe handle and set fire to his body. Whitelock’s brother, Glen, who was asleep, died in the subsequent blaze. He was released from prison in 2018 and moved in opposite Ms Buckney, who employed him to do odd jobs, including gardening. During his closing arguments, Mr Rees described to the jury how Whitelock had gone to Ms Buckney’s flat fully clothed, but the next time a neighbour saw him he was covered in blood, wearing just his pants inside out. Jeffrey Llewelyn, a neighbour, confronted Whitelock outside Ms Buckney’s house while he was kneeling on the front lawn and wiping dirt over his body, where he heard the defendant say “I’ve killed Wendy”. Another neighbour, Paul Jones, heard Whitelock say “I didn’t realise what I was doing until I came down from the high”. Whitelock had to be repeatedly told to stop interrupting the prosecution’s closing arguments, accusing them of “playing dirty” and talking “bullshit” and was briefly sent to the cells. Providing his own closing statement, he told the jury there was “no doubt” that he was suffering from “some form of brain damage” and insisted he did not “set out to hurt anyone”. In a statement, Ms Buckney’s family described her as a “much loved sister and aunty”. They said: “Today’s verdict brings some measure of justice for Wendy, who was taken from us far too soon. While nothing can bring her back, we are grateful that the truth has been heard. “Wendy was a very much loved sister and aunty whose kindness, laughter and spirit touched the lives of so many.” Wendy Buckney was murdered by Brian Whitelock at her home in Clydach in August 2022 murderer tells jury as he is found guilty","description":"Brian Whitelock tortured and attacked neighbour Wendy Buckney with a kitchen knife JD Cymru South club Cambrian & Clydach Vale will now become known as Cambrian United ahead of the 2024/25 season The new identity sees a return to the name that the club were founded as in 1965 before they merged with Clydach Vale Boys and Girls Club in 2002 The club have announced the name change on the 59th anniversary of the Cambrian Colliery disaster when an explosion tragically claimed the lives of 31 local men “Returning to our roots doesn’t mean going backward; it’s about embracing where we come from while moving forward we celebrate 59 years of achievements that have shaped who we are “Established in 1965 in the heart of Rhondda A number of name changes and merges; Sky Blues Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC to name just two we’re thrilled to reclaim our identity “With over 350 players and a tier two academy our footprint extends to prestigious tournaments Our men’s first team shines in the Cymru South our commitment to inclusivity birthed our unbeaten women’s team we’ll welcome the Hotsteppers walking football team we’re reminded of the values that have guided us: unity Join us as we redefine football in the Rhondda and pave the way for a new era of excellence.” JD Cymru Premier European Play-Off semi-final confirmed JD Cymru Leagues April Player and Manager of the Month shortlist JD Cymru Premier round-up | Caernarfon Town and Cardiff Met secure play-off semi-final spots Airbus win Welsh Blood Service League Cup with thrilling win over Trefelin The New Saints crowned JD Cymru Premier champions JD Cymru Premier format confirmed for 2026/27 © 2025 The Football Association of Wales Brian Whitelock told police officers that Wendy Buckney was ‘begging him to stop’ A convicted killer who brutally murdered his neighbour with a kitchen knife and a table leg before wandering outside her home covered in blood has been jailed for life Brian Whitelock, 57, said “I’ve killed Wendy” when he was discovered kneeling on the ground outside Wendy Buckney’s home in Clydach, near Swansea The 71-year-old had kindly provided him with odd jobs such as gardening believing he deserved a “second chance” after he was released from prison for murder and manslaughter but he killed her by carrying out a sustained assault in her own home The pensioner was discovered naked and bloodstained in her living room on 23 August 2022 after being repeatedly stabbed with a variety of weapons Referring to Mr Whitelock’s previous convictions, Swansea Crown Court heard that Whitelock had killed 34-year-old Nicky Morgan with a pick axe or hammer after a drink and drug fuelled argument in October 2000. He then went to a local garage, returning with a jerry can of petrol which he poured over him and lit a fire. His brother Glen was sleeping upstairs and died of smoke inhalation. He was convicted by a jury of Ms Buckney’s murder after they deliberated for around 30 minutes following a two-week-long trial on Wednesday. During the trial, Christopher Rees KC, prosecuting, said Whitelock had a long-standing drug addiction and history of violence. Mr Rees said Ms Buckney must have “suffered greatly” at the hands of Whitelock before her death, having sustained multiple stab injuries, sharp force injuries and blunt force injuries. He added: “You will also hear evidence of sexual assault upon her – whether this was done by the defendant before, during or after his attack upon her is impossible, forensically, to say.” He was seen arriving at Ms Buckney’s flat fully clothed, but the next time a neighbour saw him he was covered in blood, wearing just his pants inside out. Jeffrey Llewelyn, a neighbour, confronted Whitelock outside Ms Buckney’s house while he was kneeling on the front lawn, where he heard the defendant say “I’ve killed Wendy”. He was arrested by police at the scene, and told officers: “It looks like I f****** tortured her, I have, like, I literally have. She was begging me to stop.” He previously told doctors he took “30 Polish diazepam a day” bought off the street. A doctor, who carried out a CT scan ahead of the incident, believed Whitelock’s confusion in the weeks before was caused by drug withdrawal, rather than his head injury. During his trial, where he represented himself, he told the jury he had not been in trouble with the law since he was let out of prison. However, the prosecution said this was untrue and that he had assaulted a worker in a Co-op store in Swansea in 2020. They said: “Today’s verdict brings some measure of justice for Wendy, who was taken from us far too soon. “While nothing can bring her back, we are grateful that the truth has been heard. “Wendy was a very much loved sister and aunty whose kindness, laughter and spirit touched the lives of so many. “Our lives will never be the same without her, but we will continue to honour her memory every day. “This has been a painful and heartbreaking journey for our family.” 20 years later he brutally murdered his 71-year-old neighbour","description":"Brian Whitelock told police officers that Wendy Buckney was ‘begging him to stop’ Clydach Wasps bounced back from trailing 0-2 at half-time to defeat Autocentre Gwent Premier League Premier Division rivals Newport Saints 5-3 on penalties in the Dragon Signs FAW Amateur Trophy first qualifying round at the Clydach Recreation Ground Clydach Wasps halved the deficit two minutes after the interval when Joshua Baynton successfully converted a penalty awarded by referee Daniel Britain The hosts were back on level terms on the hour mark when Wasps skipper Ben Sherman lifted the ball over Saints goalkeeper Nathan Florence from substitute Declan Heaven's teasing cross delivered from the left edge of the penalty area Both teams pushed for the decisive third goal to secure victory but were unable to make the breakthrough It was left to Owens to become the hero for Clydach Wasps when he saved from Jack Williams to secure a 5-3 shoot-out victory leaving Sherman to convert the winning spot-kick and provide the sting in the tail for Newport Saints who looked destined for victory and hour earlier in the afternoon Tel: 01873 852187[email protected]Follow us HAMPERED by the loss of Australian all-rounder Dan Skipwith with a broken hand and with David Clarke barely fit to play, it was a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show in West Wales for Abergavenny 1st XI, reports PAUL SUSSEX. After the sparkle and champagne of the previous week’s victory that secured promotion to South Wales Premier One the previous week, there was the down-to-earth thud of dull flat beer as they were bowled out for 107 in just 31 overs at Clydach, undone in the main by 'quickie' Salman Mirza with five wickets for 20 runs, all bowled. The writing was on the wall after seven deliveries when Andrew Jones was adjudged lbw without scoring. Abergavenny were then reduced to 33-5 in the 13th over, the only batter really coming to terms with the attack and the conditions being Ryan Avery, who carried his bat for 43 not out when the innings came to a close. Jack Ryan with 10 and David Clarke with 21, who put on 38 for the seventh wicket with Avery, were the only other batters to reach double figures. Clydach had little difficulty in reaching the target for the loss of just three wickets in the 27th over, Pawan Nisansala, Lloyd Sharp and Lewys Wilkes-McCarthy each taking a wicket. Leading batter for the season was Ryan Avery with 605 runs at 3.81, while top bowler was David Clarke with 28 wickets at 15.36. Avery was also leading fielder with nine catches and a run out, while best wicket keeper/fielder were jointly Jack Ryan with 12 catches and a run out and Joe Harris with nine catches, three stumpings and a run out. South East Wales 6 champions Abergavenny 2nds finished their season off with yet another resounding victory at home to Panteg 2nds. Batting first after winning the toss they accumulated 268-7 in their 40 overs, Ellis Jones firing 56, Toby Smith 50, Greg Fury 38 and James Hrastelj 35 not out. In reply Panteg were all out for 198 in the 35th over, Matthew Knight taking four wickets, and Hrastelj and Steve Brown two apiece. The 3rd XI lost a very close game at home to Pontymister & Cross Keys 2nds by just three runs. The visitors batted first and scored 251 all out in 38 overs, Andy Timpson taking 3-26, and Manuraj Raju, Evan Jones and James Morris two wickets apiece. In reply, Jones fired 59, skipper Stuart Eccles 28, Manuraj 26 not out, Will Jones 25, and James Morris 24, but they fell agonisingly short of the target, reaching 248-7 in 40 overs to finish fourth in SEW 10. The 4ths went out on a high though with a magnificent victory away to Blackwood 3rd XI, thanks largely to a fabulous second-wicket partnership of 161 between Joe Fairbank who scored 93 and Dylan Bradley who hit 51, leaving them first and second in the batters list for the season. The visitors reached 196-5 in 40 overs and then skittled Blackwood out for 130 in 36.1 overs, Aber finishing fifth in SEW 12E. Tel: 01873 852187[email protected]Follow us this picturesque trail travels high above the Clydach Gorge It takes in breath-taking views of the Clydach Gorge Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the Brecon Beacons and the Sugar Loaf and Skirrid Mountains Look out for the remains of an industrial age highlighted by mining and quarrying ruins and incredible railway structures as well as the wildlife that has taken them over including peregrine falcons Once in Brynmawr riders can travel west along the Heads of the Valleys National Cycle Network Route 492 towards Blaenavon from where there are only spectacular views Would you like more route inspiration? Sign up to our enewsletter. We have taken all responsible steps to ensure that these routes are safe and achievable by people with a reasonable level of fitness all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk Sustrans accepts no responsibility for any accidents or injury resulting from following these routes Walking and cycling routes change over time Weather conditions may also affect path surfaces Please use your own judgement when using the routes based upon the weather and the ability experience and confidence levels of those in your group The Clydach Gorge Cycle route is part of the National Cycle Network Your donation today will help keep the Network safe and open for everyone to enjoy Sign up now to hear more about our latest news Sustrans is committed to fundraising in a way which is legal, open, honest and respectful. Read our fundraising promise Sustrans is a registered charity in England and Wales (326550) and Scotland (SC039263) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (1797726) at 2 Cathedral Square that practices sustainable mining in the countries where we are present We exist to improve life and transform the future We extract ore and transport it through a a complete logistics chain we prioritize the safety of people and the environment Click on the states below to learn more about our performance in each location We value individual talent and seek to be more diverse and inclusive acting with respect and practicing open dialogue we receive a new opportunity to transform our work environment and the world we live in Access the page Opportunities for professionals Our recruitment process has been changing and is in line with the cultural transformation we are going through Access the job vacancies portal and come be part of this history Access the page Opportunities for students Have you ever thought about starting your professional life at a company that invests in people and in a transparent and inclusive work environment Get to know our Internship and Professional Training Program.​ We work with transparency for those who already invest with us or are thinking of becoming part of our investor base Access the page Information to the market access documents and the main Vale’s financial reports We believe that business partners are essential to live our purpose to improve life and transform the future - together Learn about our guidelines to be part of our supply chain Access the page I'm a Supplier (Brazil only) We seek to work with a chain of suppliers that contribute to a more ethical and fairer society Learn more about our materials and services.​ we are already working with local communities and different sectors of society with the aim of leaving a positive social Learn more about our commitments to sustainability.​ Innovation is one of the main pillars for achieving our purpose We use technology to redesign our ways of working We have learned from our history and we are committed to the full reparation of the communities and people impacted by the dam collapse in accordance with the signed legal agreement Vale’s Clydach Nickel Refinery began operations in 1902 and since then has been responsible for refining nickel oxide produced by our mines in Indonesia and Canada.  Vale’s Clydach Nickel Refinery is located in Wales a charming village in the city and county of Swansea Located approximately 10 km northeast of Swansea’s downtown the village (population 8,000) has a Co-op grocery store is encircled by a woodland with River Tawe and Swansea Canal hugging the property on either side Inside this naturalized boundary is a grassy area the size of 10 football fields which we planted to remediate a former production and warehousing facility.   Learn more about Our Approach to Tax in the UK aimed at assuring credibility and preserving the company’s image in the markets in which it regularly operates in the short and long term and this extends to our approach to tax Our approach to tax risk management and governance  Our approach to tax is set by the Global tax compliance team which supports the Group’s business activities and commitments The Global tax compliance team implemented a global compliance program with the involvement of local experts in each country in which the Group operates to assist and support local Finance teams to ensure that each of the affiliates comply with local laws and requirements for tax purposes   The Company is the indirect parent company of Vale Europe Limited a UK-incorporated company that performs toll refining services in the UK The tax function for the Group is led by the Head of Accounting those with responsibility for the Group’s tax matters report to that position including the team responsible for tax matters at Vale Europe Limited Tax & Financial Reporting reports to the Group’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and to the Board of Directors of the Company (the “VBML Board’) and ultimately to the Board of Directors of the Vale S.A. The VBML Board is accountable for Group’s affairs Tax matters are also regularly discussed with other business functions whether at corporate and/or refinery management meetings to ensure that the tax implications of significant business developments are appropriately considered.  We aim to ensure that our tax returns are prepared accurately and submitted in a timely manner We ensure that duties are segregated while preparing our returns separate individuals review the tax returns before they are submitted.  We aim for certainty in our tax positions we will have effective frameworks in place to identify in compliance with the tax policies of the Group considering a position that is possible to be accepted upon examination by the relevant Tax Court stable and competitive tax system with reduced litigation while delivering appropriate tax revenues to governments to support economic growth and development for the local communities job creation and viable long-term tax contributions Our attitude to tax planning  Our approach to tax is conservative and aligned with the commercial activities of our business the legislation in force and broader group policies  We benefit from government incentives in a manner as intended by the government; these include capital allowances The Base Metals Tax team provides support and additional expertise on uncertain UK tax matters where necessary Significant tax decisions in the UK are discussed with the Head of Accounting Tax & Financial Reporting to ensure that our approach to tax is consistent with the broader group policies we will seek third-party advice from external expert advisors as necessary.  Our approach to engaging with tax authorities  We maintain an open and collaborative relationship with HMRC in the UK We are in regular contact with our Customer Compliance Manager at HMRC and proactively discuss significant tax matters and business developments This tax strategy has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 19 (2) contained within Schedule 19 of the Finance Act 2016.  Vale’s Clydach Nickel Refinery produces refined nickel in the form of powders and pellets from nickel oxide produced by Vale's intermediaries The resulting nickel products are of the highest purity Respect for the environment: Our remediation work coupled with good water quality in the River Tawe and Swansea Canal has earned us recognition by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) a governing body that sets and inspects the parameters by which we operate to continuously improve environmental performance whilst meeting our business objectives we operate to the internationally recognised best-in-class standard ISO 14001. Every year we are audited by an external third party to ensure we are meeting the standard I spent close to thirty years in my beautiful beech lined valley thirty seasons of young spring green leaves and wet black bark crisp autumn copper and bare silver branches abandoned yards and quarries were our playground Like the awe-striking beech of Cwm Clydach that betray the gorge’s industrial past I felt a symbiotic relationship to my square mile I know where the bluebells return and from where the cuckoo calls The chapels where I played and great greats married are family homes and AirBnBs locked out of the ebb and flow of a world now gone knock knock ginger on the doors of people no longer there I moved away before the death of my beloved mam Mere minutes away and unaware of how unsettled I would be my hiraeth grew too strong and I moved back For too long I’d drive past and look towards Llanelly Church and the Lonely Shepherd that overlooks where she lay alone in her resting place Long before my forty rings appeared on Clydach’s beech and the devil himself built a bridge connecting Craig Ddu to Gelli Felin Welsh gravestones began to give way to English Long forgotten people waiting to welcome family friends neighbours and even friends of my own to the fold My sister’s child won’t attend the same village school or have friends scattered doors away but the village will be his as it was mine His tongue will match the faded gravestones of Siloam Chapel in a way mine could only dream of Too many of the beeches I’ve known have fallen since I left – victims of our changing seasons   I explored the graveyard that sits above the Heads of the Valleys and saw Welsh gravestones turn to English in the 1870,’s wandering along the old railway lines and followed an incline plain down to an old lime kiln Was amazed to see a fig tree growing high up between the stones of the kiln The Bluebirds found themselves quickly under pressure from the hosts who pressed when in possession and took their lead with seven minutes played Tim Parker headed home from a good cross past the reach of Jake Dennis putting Cambrian ahead with their first big chance of the evening Morgan Wigley and James Crole paired well up top for the young Bluebirds with City eager to utilise their pace whenever space was created Wigley created City’s first clear-cut chance for the visitors bursting into the area before unleashing a powerful shot which was tipped onto the post with Cian Ashford only able to hit his rebounded effort high The visitors deserved their goal when it came around the half-hour mark though the nature of the equaliser was fortunate for City Ashford’s low cross was met by an unsuspecting Cambrian defender whose touch sent the ball over the goal line and drew the Bluebirds back level City took the lead as the first half entered injury time was at the end of a swift City counter-attack which began with Jake Dennis bravely leaping to claim a cross inside his area Isaac Jefferies received Dennis’ thrown pass catching the hosts off-guard before Ashford was able to break into the area and dispatch clinically the Bluebirds worked well to keep possession and minimise chances for the hosts on the counter Caleb Hughes’ free-kick gave City their biggest chance of the half only for the ‘keeper to get fingertips to the effort and send it out for a corner-kick Cambrian threatened with a series of good chances made Their greatest saw the ball shot towards the far post where Josh Beecher instinctively pulled off a terrific goal line clearance to keep City ahead rightly earning congratulations from his ‘keeper The hosts drew level with moments remaining as Ceri Morgan’s cross went unmet and rolled in at the far post Winning the shoot-out provided more late drama as City came back to win after missing two of their first three efforts Will Spiers’ strike proved enough to secure his side’s place in Round Two as the hosts failed to find the back of the net With a youthful U21 side – featuring a number of first and second-year scholars throughout a competitive match in Clydach Vale the young Bluebirds secured their place in the Second Round of the Nathaniel MG Cup FINAL SCORE: CAMBRIAN & CLYDACH VALE 2-2 (3-4 on penalties) CARDIFF CITY U21s Manager Darren Purse discussed his side’s performance: it’s all about the learning experience,” began Darren “The reason that we’ve entered this competition is that we enjoy that it means that the boys now have a game that they have to play to win In penalties anything can happen and it’s a flip of a coin Some of the boys had never played in front of a crowd before We didn’t deal with a lot of what we were up against early on “There’s lots of things that we need to work on and lots of positives to take from tonight we knew it would be a brilliant experience for the boys.” Designed & built by Other Media The murders in Clydach 15 years ago were almost unimaginably brutal a mother and her two little girls were killed with a ferocious intensity that takes the breath away These four people were murdered in their own home without a sound being heard by anyone Mandy Power and her daughters Katie and Emily were all well known in the village and were well loved by their friends The story of the Clydach murders is one of complexity Four innocent people died that night in 9 Kelvin Road but the crime has had a deep and devastating effect on a huge number of people A few days ago David Morris, the man convicted of carrying out the murders, made a second application to the CCRC asking for his case to be investigated The 52-year-old former builder is in Long Lartin serving a life sentence Morris is as guilty – from a legal point of view – as anyone could possibly be He’s had two trials in which both juries were satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that he was the murderer He’s had one application to the CCRC rejected Some of the most senior police officers in Wales (and England) have investigated the case A legion of forensic scientists have analyzed the exhibits A posse of eminent barristers and solicitors have worked on the documents All have come to the conclusion that David Morris is guilty One very senior QC that I approached for advice in the early days of my investigation told me to give it up it would be much better to put your efforts in another case where you might get a result,’ he said there have been many times over the past five years when I wished I’d followed his advice The case is big – more than 300 lever arch files – and fiendishly complex When it first arrived at Winchester University in December 2009 The first few months were spent just trying to organize the files and the students We made little or no impact in those early days and I felt completely out of my depth What could I – a journalism lecturer with no formal legal training – and a bunch of undergraduate journalism students do with a case that had already been checked and signed off by some of the country’s most experienced legal minds That stage was very demoralizing – and was made worst by the fact that I had also taken on three other cases where prisoners were also claiming they were wrongly convicted As I tried to juggle the casework with my actual job – lecturing – the workload became almost unmanageable If it hadn’t been for the advice and guidance I received from people like Julie Price and Dennis Eady, of the Cardiff Law School Innocence Project and police expert Des Thomas I’d have struggled to complete the investigations The reason casework is so hard is because there’s no guidebook no tried and tested way to investigate a possible miscarriage of justice A convicted mass murderer writes to you to say he’s an innocent man The past five years have been a catalogue of mistakes disheartening dead ends and very occasional moments of revelation When I met David Morris in prison I told him I was sorry that the investigation had taken so long something that he found funny – I guess because people in his position don’t get many apologies Despite all of this the breakthroughs did come Francis Fitzgibbon QC and Maslen Merchant are the legal team behind the application and their dedication creativity and skill have made all the difference People like Francis and Maslen don’t get involved in cases like this for the money – which is good because there is no money in cases like this They are two rare examples of lawyers in this country who are still willing to take on ‘hopeless cases’ like this and they deserve a huge amount of credit for the work they’ve done I once spent a few days ringing every solicitors firm in the phone book in Hampshire looking for someone who did pro-bono work only to be told again and again that ‘we don’t do pro bono work in Hampshire’ And Hampshire is by no means the exception When the CCRC is roused it can be an unstoppable force – dedicated and brave  – and we are appealing for the commission to go the extra mile in their investigation of this case Cases like Sam Hallam show the commission operating as it was designed to – as the miscarriage campaigners of the 80s and 90s hoped that it would. But there is also another CCRC – the CCRC that carried out the first investigation into the Victor Nealon case A CCRC that can be lazy-minded and overly officious his legal team and everyone who has worked on this application – are asking is for the CCRC to see this application for what it is We see the CCRC as a partner in this process and with such a complex case we cannot do it alone  the Sam Hallam CCRC – with fire in its belly and up for the fight – to seek out the truth of this case None of us know 100% that David Morris is innocent – the fact is we will probably never know for certain what happened in Clydach that night But given what we know through our investigations it is very difficult to see how any jury in full possession of the facts would now convict David Morris for these horrendous crimes More volunteers are being encouraged to come onboard with the project By Ian Lewis · 17 April 2023 A new facility has launched at Clydach's Coed Gwilym Park thanks to a hard-working charity April 14 and was made possible by the efforts of Friends of Coed Gwilym Park which formed four years ago with the aim of improving the park Officially opened by the town's former international rugby union referee Derek Bevan as well as a balcony with views over the bowls green and park David Rooke said: "The café income allows the friends group to meet all costs associated with the pavilion and any surplus that may become available will be put back into park facilities "The café is open every week day from 9am until 3pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9am until 12noon More volunteers are welcome and the friends group already has around 20 helping with the café Mr Rooke said the pavilion is already helping those in the community who were perhaps feeling isolated adding: "The existence of the facility is already helping some persons in the community to improve their confidence health and well being and to become less isolated "Our sincere thanks goes out to many people and organisations which helped this project come to fruition and there are far too many to list key funders and advisers are the Community Lottery Fund  Mynydd y Gwair Wind Farm Community Fund WCVA and the Communities Facility Programme sponsors and the people of Clydach and beyond for their kind donations and help." LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} the Clydach killings remain horrific—and contested though my wife does not fully approve—of buying books almost everywhere I go though I always intend to do so: and good intentions are the ancient walled town in southwest Wales I bought a book about four gruesome murders that took place in the village of Clydach as gripping an account of a crime as one is likely to read It is also an account of what seems a miscarriage of justice of byzantine complexity—is more than enough to put one off the supposed joys of community wielded with such force that it inflicted injuries far greater than those necessary to cause death Whoever was responsible sought to destroy the evidence by trying to burn the house down but firemen extinguished the blaze before total destruction ensued It took seven years before someone was convicted for the crimes—and then his guilt was not proved beyond reasonable doubt and Morris lays bare a story of police corruption and incompetence and judicial unfairness—liberally assisted by local prejudice and a willingness to lie that is “un-British.” The murderer either had a key suggesting that he was well-known at least to Mandy Power the principal suspect or suspects were Alison Lewis and her husband Alison was involved in a torrid affair with Mandy Power Alison herself had been in the police force but had been invalided out on disability after witnessing an upsetting suicide granted because she supposedly could not work again for the police for psychological reasons a rough sport that the feminist lobby wants us to believe is as good as the men’s version; several times she was selected to play for the Welsh international team which she put into practice one day when a Welsh boxing champion objected to her same-sex canoodling in a pub Alison was also known to be expert in handling the kind of blunt instruments used in some forms of martial arts Alison was jealous and domineering of her newfound partner Mandy: not that she was faithful to her—far from it The jealous are not ever jealous for the cause the jealous are often jealous because they themselves are unfaithful and suppose that everyone is like them for Mandy Power was “one for the boys,” as a witness put it including one eventually found guilty of the murders: David Morris (no relation to author Morris) He had a long string of criminal convictions and had served time in prison for acts of violence as well as of dishonesty Since most British criminals have committed five to ten times as many crimes as those for which they have been charged he had doubtless caused others much misery and appeared to earn his living as a laborer though it is not clear whether this was because of past or present behavior And one should remember that a man with a criminal record is not therefore a murderer even when a murder takes place near to where he lives he was having a sexual relationship with her A gold chain that he wore turned up at the murder site—in effect other than his bad character and reputation for violence though he acknowledged the lie a few days before his first trial His new story was that he had visited Power for sex two days before the murders and it was then that the chain had come off on the other side of which Power’s 80-year-old invalid mother was sleeping in which case it suggested something about the morality of the eventual victim as well as her attitude toward her elderly mother; or it suggested that Morris thought that it would have no effect on people’s view of him because he explained his lies about the chain not by a desire to avoid a murder conviction but to conceal his affair with Power from his sexual partner Morris’s relationship with Jewell was volatile—the euphemistic expression for violence commonly employed when a couple exercises little self-control—and he feared her reaction on discovering his infidelity he would retire for a time to his Winter Palace He also seems to have rented a room elsewhere as another alternative It would be intriguing to know what proportion of Britain’s serious housing shortage results from the increasingly kaleidoscopic given Morris’s claim that he had left the chain in Power’s house two days before the murders Morris said that it was a different gold chain that he wore to the pub (he owned two) that evening and that was angry because Morris had refused to have sex with her must have been doubly wounding; and another was annoyed because Morris had boasted in the pub that he would be able to “pull”—have sex with—the witness’s girlfriend without difficulty Morris appeared to have no motive to kill Mandy Power or the three others but the prosecution got around this by alleging that he was drunk and psychotically high on amphetamines at the time and had reacted furiously to Power’s refusal to have sex the police produced a small-time drug dealer who said that he had sold Morris amphetamines shortly before the murders The drug dealer was awaiting a trial of his own and it is not impossible that the police offered him a deal in exchange for his testimony though he admitted to taking amphetamines in the past denied that he had bought or used them this time; and no other witnesses were available to testify to his supposedly psychotic state Another possible motive was that Power threatened to expose him to his girlfriend Jewell and then the witnesses to the initial murder But the forensic evidence strongly suggested that Power’s mother was the first to be killed while the other victims-to-be were out of the house Morris’s first trial ended with his conviction but it was quashed when it emerged that his solicitor (in England and Wales the lawyer preparing the case “instructs” the advocate the two functions being separated) was acting not only for Morris but for the three Lewises he had an irreconcilable conflict of interest that he did not declare He paid for his dishonesty because the court of appeal not only declared the first trial unfair but also made him pay the costs of it from his own pocket Yet a second trial found Morris guilty on precisely the same evidence as had the first It appeared that both trial judges offered the jury a false But the sole question should have been whether Morris had been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and I do not see how anybody could have reached that emphatic conclusion—even if Morris was guilty The evidence against the Lewises was more compelling Alison and Stephen had been arrested for the murders a year after the crime but eventually released for lack of evidence using the services of Morris’s lawyer to do so at the same time the lawyer was representing Morris in the first trial Stuart Lewis was the first senior policeman on the scene after firefighters had brought the blaze at 9 Kelvin Road under control and it became clear that four people had been killed before it was set except telephone someone on a public—and therefore unrecorded—phone at neither trial was he called as a witness to explain his behavior and gave such a good description that the police artist composite resembled him she testified that she had first arrived at Kelvin Road at 9 AM They said also that they had comforted her for her loss But the judges ignored this evidence in their charges to the jury giving credence to her alibi: that she was in bed with her husband The alibi could hardly be weaker: two suspects backing each other up given the definite recollections of the other witnesses at least one criminal conspiracy was taking place in this so-called close-knit community Circumstantial evidence also implicated Alison Lewis including her jealousy and capacity for violence and her awareness that her lover was still seeing men The blunt instruments that her martial-arts training enabled her expertly to wield can produce injury or death in all the multiple blows that the killer inflicted on the victims as one might expect if the killer was an enraged but amateur bludgeoner they had made love three times the day before though if the victim had showered thoroughly as she habitually did several times a day because of the psoriasis from which she suffered that Lewis’s contact with the victim was more recent than she admitted fit Lewis’s hand better than Morris’s she would know better how to clean up a crime scene than would Morris had neither the intelligence nor the knowledge to do a good job of it The South Wales Police were under intense public pressure to find the culprit Nothing should have been easier in a small community where everyone knew everyone else (and not infrequently in the biblical sense) No one thought that an outsider had committed the murderers But the police were clearly reluctant to pin the blame on their own—namely They found a perfect substitute suspect in Morris a man many believed capable of extreme violence which hardly needs emphasizing (shown a video of the crime scene and felt unable to go on; later in the trial another juror suffered a heart attack and also could not continue) the whole episode was disturbingly unedifying It shows an almost complete breakdown of official probity—a probity that many of the British once (perhaps naively) thought characteristic of their society gaining a doubtful final conviction after seven years only after ignoring the obvious while pursuing mare’s nests But they were possibly worse than incompetent not for making the punishment fit the crime but for making the evidence fit the suspect—in this case perhaps without even believing the suspect guilty They might have sought to protect their own or those whom they thought were their own; and it was obvious from the outset that the South Wales Police should have handed over the investigation to another force Just as alarming was the lack of probity of Morris’s first lawyer who imposed a condition on the barrister representing the client in court that he was not to adduce evidence that could implicate or cast suspicion on any of the Lewises Surely this was a condition that the barrister should not have accepted it is incumbent upon it to produce a fair case—and not to obtain a conviction But perhaps the most significant feature of the story is what appears to be the total moral collapse of at least part of Welsh society The actions of the protagonists (of which I have given only a brief outline) were utterly without dignity The presence of children made no difference to their behavior and since everyone in that small community was au courant with almost everything it is unlikely that the children were protected from knowledge of that behavior but the total evaporation of religious belief must have played some part Welsh society was long dominated by evangelical Christianity The landscape itself proves it: countless former chapels dot the towns and countryside now almost entirely converted into luxury apartments The main chapel in the little city of Brecon is now a pharmacy caring for the bodies instead of the souls of the local people Welsh Christianity was often narrow-minded There is an extensive and extremely interesting literature on this subject which obsessed Welsh writers for much of the twentieth century But for all its unattractive qualities—I would have chafed under its domination—it provided a moral framework (or perhaps straitjacket would be a better way to put it) in which life was to be lived It was also extremely earnest about educational effort which the Clydach murder case illustrates graphically Stephen and Alison Lewis separated after Morris’s conviction Morris has from the first maintained his innocence It is an irony that he has now achieved a dignity that he never had while he was at liberty he remains subjected to the prison regime with the least comforts and privileges—and he will remain so until he acknowledges his guilt he will not be granted the parole after 32 years for which he might otherwise have been eligible which dishonestly takes acknowledgment of guilt and expressions of remorse as a proxy for improvement and reduced propensity to re-offend But in what kind of society can personal dignity and self-respect be achieved only through wrongful imprisonment for decades Theodore Dalrymple is a contributing editor of City Journal, the Dietrich Weismann Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and the author of many books, including Grief and Other Stories Photo: It took seven years for Britain’s criminal-justice system to convict someone for the grisly murders of Mandy Power City Journal is a publication of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (MI) Are you interested in supporting the magazine donations in support of MI and City Journal are fully tax-deductible as provided by law (EIN #13-2912529) Copyright © 2025 Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Please note that tickets for Friday night's cup fixture have now sold out City's first competitive match of the 2023/24 season comes amidst the U21 side's pre-season preparations with Cymru South outfit Cambrian & Clydach set to provide a stern test for the young Bluebirds away from home Cambrian finished in fifth place on the Cymru South table last season with 47 points earned across the 30 match campaign with the winners of the division - Barry Town United - being the sole side promoted to the Cymru Premier U21s Manager Darren Purse anticipates a challenge for his side as they set off for Clydach Vale "We've been building minutes into our players throughout pre-season so far," began Darren "Perhaps this fixture has come a little earlier than we'd have liked "It's nice to have this fixture in the calendar because we'll be going up against a side that will want to beat a big city side from down the road!  "It's important that the young players step up to the challenge against this senior side The expectations will be high for us to perform and get the win put on a performance and ensure that we get that win new purpose build sections and old railway lines this route provides a green strip through the industrial heart of the Swansea Valley it is possible to see some of the valley’s industrial past while at the same time the route showcases its regenerated present The ride begins in the re-developed marina running alongside the Tawe and taking you up past the Morfa Retail Park and the Liberty Stadium This is a very gentle 6.5-mile ride along canal towpath and old railway following the valley floor from between two of the major Swansea Valley towns the route picks up the canal towpath and takes you into the heart of Pontardawe Moving away from the Canal and following the riverbank you find your way onto the old railway line This takes you through woodland alongside the river before emerging on the edge of Ystalyfera The ride can be halved in length if you stop in Pontardawe while it can also be extended by riding in the opposite direction If you are feeling particularly energetic it is possible to ride from Ystalyfera to Mumbles almost entirely on traffic-free paths There is a short gap in the route after Ystalyfera but then the route continues to Coelbren Route 43 is part of the National Cycle Network Sustrans is committed to fundraising in a way which is legal, open, honest and respectful. Read our fundraising promise. Sustrans is a registered charity in England and Wales (326550) and Scotland (SC039263) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (1797726) at 2 Cathedral Square, Bristol, BS1 5DD. Wednesday 9 February 2022 at 1:29pmMandy Power and Mandy's elderly mother Doris were all found murdered at their home in July 1999.It was the biggest police investigation in Welsh history The Clydach murders saw multiple suspects investigated as well as documentaries and books written about the case What happened on the night of the murders in Clydach were found dead by firefighters at their home in Clydach All four had been bludgeoned to death with a pole before their house was set on fire Former builder David Morris was jailed for a minimum of 32 years having been convicted for a second time of their murders in 2006 An earlier conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal when a second trial was ordered David Morris died in HMP Long Lartin on August 20, aged 59 A unanimous verdict by a jury at Swansea Crown Court in 2002 convicted Morris but this ruling was overturned on appeal due to a conflict of interest by a defence solicitor He was convicted again at a retrial at Newport Crown Court in 2006 when he was sentenced to life imprisonment The Criminal Cases Review Commission had reviewed the case as recently as 2018 but at the time found no new evidence and decided not to refer it to the Court of Appeal After Morris' death, new forensic evidence unearthed during a review of the case linked him with a blood-stained sock found at the crime scene Why were there doubts over David Morris' conviction David Morris long maintained his innocence An investigation by BBC's Panorama programme in 2003 claimed South Wales Police made a string of errors while investigating the murder case with vital witness statements not being properly acted upon a programme by BBC Wales Investigates questioned the safety of the conviction It featured interviews with two potential witnesses - one who said he had never spoken to police and the other who said he contacted police to report what he had seen but nobody ever called him back Morris was arrested after the finger of suspicion wrongly pointed to Ms Power’s lover Former policewoman Ms Lewis and her former husband Stephen were arrested on suspicion of murder a year after the deaths was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice What is the Murder in The Valleys TV show and how can I watch it Murder in The Valleys tells the story behind the largest and most exhaustive criminal investigation in Welsh history and its enduring repercussions The four-part series premiered on streaming service NOW and Sky Crime on Sunday February 6 Director of Documentaries and Factual Commissioning at Sky said: “The Clydach murders remain one of the largest and most divisive investigations in Welsh history "The team at Five Mile Films have meticulously re-examined the case and bring fresh scrutiny to the historic inquiry in a richly thought-provoking and gripping series." As someone who loves all things supernatural I was intent to discover what beautiful magical Wales steeped in mystery and superstition has to offer in the way of local ghosts and folklore Walking my dog through the enchanting woods near my home in Maes Y Gwartha and along the path to Clydach Gorge I imagine the trees whispering their secrets to me last week I met with official Welsh tourist guide Eifion Lloyd-Davies at Gellifelen tunnels for a guided tour through Clydach Gorge and sure enough he did not disappoint with his bygone tales of the mythical legends associated with the area cutting deep through the rocks of the South Wales coalfield between Brynmawr and Gilwern and despite the current works on the A465 it is easy to lose yourself in its fairy-tale splendour Locals herald the story that Shakespeare himself so inspired by the mystical properties of the Gorge reflects the essence and beliefs of his era and the superstition that dominated the widespread opinions in those times that the Gorge was the haunt of fairies hugs the side of the gorge forming the Cwm Clydach nature reserve With over 400 species of fungi and rare plants birds and butterflies to be spotted here it is no wonder the site is protected for its inhabitants Immense tracks of wild garlic leave a powerful scent in the air the most spectacular being the dramatic 60ft falls at Devil’s Bridge Devils Bridge is so named as the water has worn away a sinister image said to be the devils face himself into the rocks below a particular sort of goblin named “Pwca” existed they were believed to have a menacing shapeshifting ability Said to have the power to bring terrible fortune people would be filled with dread if one crossed their path for fear that the “Pwca” would curse them As we strolled past the old railway station viewing ahead the lime kilns and beyond where it is said Peregrine falcons nest and certain trees grow here as only they can where the air is at its purest Eifion related the story about some farm hands who were walking with their horse pulling a cart of straw one summers eve when it suddenly stopped and refused to walk another step The men recalling an old lady walking past and assuming she must have been a witch that had placed a curse on their horse chased back after her cutting briar switches as they went once finding her they viciously beat her until she bled thus the horse was said to walk once again The reason behind their brutality was the belief that a witch’s power could be released by drawing her blood by scratching her as quoted in Shakespeare were thought to brew evil concoctions in their cauldrons and here in the Gorge there were no shortage of the gwiddonod (witches) depicted as wicked old women who could cast curses over people and animals tell fortunes and use charms to both heal and cause diseases Another Clydach witch was said to be that of Old Magw A teacher employed at the Ironworks school in Clydach by the manager Edward Frere Old Magw was reputed to be a vicious wicked woman with merciless means of dealing out the most severe punishments to children who were late for school or defiant Widely feared by local folk she was reputed to curse your plants in the garden if you maddened her Another teacher reputedly a harsh tyrant at the ironworks school was a man called John Dawson who was reputed to have three pets that he kept close by his side - a black jackdaw Disliked by many Dawson would walk daily from home and back to work across the mountain from Twyn Wenallt and one day Assumed that he had drowned in a nearby pond locals in search of his body recovered a sack from the water with the three pets drowned inside The apparition of a figure wearing “old fashioned clothing” and a hat that “dated back to the Seventeenth Century” has been reported high up on Gilwern Hill near the old quarry pits There is another story of a witch located in Clydach and her name was Molly Davies Little is known about Old Molly but it is reputed that she had the power to make pigs stand on their heads Eifion explained to me that there was widespread belief that at certain times of the year folk witches met at midnight to steal and ride horses belonging to local people and stories of the animals being discovered perspiring and distressed in the morning were proof that witches had been riding them General belief was that branches from Elder or Mountain Ash trees woven around stable doors it would deter the witches and Elder was grown commonly in Wales at the entrance of farms to stop witches entering can found growing there to this can Elder has many associations with the fairy world in Celtic lands and there is also much natural magic associated with powers of Ash The witch’s broom was traditionally made of an Ash staff together with Birch twigs and Willow bindings People would customarily only cut elder branches with the permission of the tree and would first doff their caps to the tree and say give me some of thy wood and I will give thee some of mine when I grow into a tree’ witches were even said to live inside Ash trees The Ash tree has always been given mystical import and character frequently being associated with healing and enchantment but in particular it is associated with the Welsh Magician-God Gwyddion Amongst other magical healing powers that the Gorge held precious was the belief that hernias could be cured by splitting an ash tree and passing the afflicted person through the gap three times to make their hernia disappear Children suffered a lot with hernias due to the heavy work they were subjected to at the ironworks and this practise would have been a regular event Over on the opposite side of the valley towards it is said that a wise man called Solomon lived (below another fort named Tom Thumb’s Rock or King Arthur’s Chair) and as one farmer crossed the valley in desperation one day to find Solomon to tend his animal he found him already en-route to his farm as he also had the ability to see the future As we approached one of the earliest chapels in the area Nazareth chapel (known as Cuckoo chapel) now privately owned Eifion pointed out behind it on the mountain top stands Dynas rock – an iron age fort A spectral black dog ghost has been witnessed by many people following them down the hill from here the black dog is usually a night-time apparition often said to be associated with the Devil or a Hellhound (Cwn Annwn) Its appearance was regarded as a warning of death It is described to be larger than a normal dog Black dogs are almost universally regarded as malevolent The hounds of hell were said to be a pack of ghostly hounds lead out at night by the King of the Otherworld to hunt the souls of the damned their growling is loudest when they are at a distance In legend the hounds are sometimes accompanied by a fearsome hag called Mallt-y-Nos Mallt-y-Nos drives the hounds onward with shrieks and wails which some say are evil and malicious in nature Apparently once a beautiful but wicked Norman aristocrat who loved hunting so much that she said I would rather not go!" She is said to have regretted making this wish and now cries out in despair as she hunts forever in the night sky It is not known if she has been seen in this area but no wonder the sighting of the black dog on more than one occasion would fill the locals with fear In Llanelli Church yard the ghost of Colonel Sanderson’s white dog was often seen the dog was often pining at his master’s graveside and so they placed a statue of the dog on the grave after his death Shadows of the dog have been seen by passers-by at night and poachers coming down from the mountain would report their dog’s hackles going up and refusing to pass the grave yard Ghosts not surprisingly are a common feature of Clydach and another mischievous spirit said to regularly haunt the area came to take gates off the hinges at certain nights of the year Spookily the phantom of a headless horseman has also been sighted many times galloping across Smart bridge Of course my story would not be complete without mentioning The Lonely Shepherd As a teenager I had the perfect view from my home on Station Road in Gilwern and I would gape at the rock on the opposite mountain in awe of this legend a farmer at Ty-lsaf farm was so cruel to his wife that she threw herself into the River Usk and drowned the husband was turned into a pillar of stone (Lonely Shepherd) he is granted the ability to go down to the banks of the Usk to search for his wife By next morning he has always returned to his lonely place It was a local custom to white-wash the stone so that it could easily be seen when it walked on Midsummer’s Eve I am certain the Ironworks in Clydach (pictured) must also boast numerous ghosts of employees disfigured or killed here in their duty as the Frere family hired 1350 workers many of them only children who would have worked here and died at a young age in the 1800s Now a place of heritage it remains an impressive relic of long-gone times but I wonder if the spirits and souls that lived and died are still amid us and how many more accounts would they tell if they could Legends and folklores provide a greater and deeper insight to life and living as even despite the various accounts we may hear and the parallels to other folk tales they are quite simply the legacy left to us by our resident ancestors as a connection to the beliefs common values and morals that they held as demonstrated in these compelling stories For tales such as these to have been passed down from bygone eras illustrates the importance and wisdom of folklore I feel compelled to share these mystical stories with you and would equally be keen to hear more Let’s keep them thriving as a gift to our future generations Tel: 01873 852187[email protected]Follow us Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC is a football club nestled in the heart of the Rhondda Valley in a small village called Clydach Vale the club have grown exponentially since that time and have become arguably the biggest and best football club in RCT.  Within a decade they have had numerous successes including winning the Welsh League Division 1 title in 2011/2012 Another huge milestone for the club happened within the decade also with their Academy being formed in 2008 after the devolution of RCT Schools/Council Football The Academy was set up with a sole purpose to provide elite opportunities for young players within RCT the present day they have grown to 11 teams from u7 to u16s with the brand #CamArmy renowned within football circles all over Wales over 30 players have gone onto professional clubs in that time and over a dozen have since graduated and played senior football in the Welsh League for the club.  The club are the only affiliated FAW Academy in RCT They became the first club in RCT to have an artificial 3G pitch in 2013 they reached the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup beating four Welsh Premier League sides on their route to the final They were losing finalists to Cardiff Metropolitan in the highest attended Nathaniel MG Cup final to date Nr Cambrian Industrial Estate Clydach Vale Rhondda CF40 2XX Welsh Football League Division One: 2011/2012 Welsh Football League Division Two: 2006/2007 (Runners-Up) Welsh Football League Division Three: 2005/2006 South Wales Amateur League Division One: 2004/2005 David Morris was found guilty of murdering an entire family of four including two young girls have given campaigners calling for his release fresh hope who has helped police forces in high profile killings including the murder of Geraldine Palk in Cardiff Prof Berry says he finds it hard to believe Morris was behind what happened afterwards When all four residents of the house were dead the killer did not flee but stayed to perform bizarre acts including taking Mandy's body to the bathroom and apparently washing it Small fires were started in various parts of the house South Wales Police say Morris was convicted twice at two trials after an "extensive investigation" ShareSave'Magic' rare otter sighting in garden pondIt 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