The ward is characterised by marshy grasslands There are some areas of native and ancient semi-natural woodland but most of the tree cover is conifer plantation The Land Behind Pen y Bryn and Pant-y-Brwyn SINCs are both designated for their species rich marshy grassland habitats The Fields Behind Heol y Coedcau SINC is designated as blanket bog with peat in excess of 1 meter deep A large area of the ward is covered by the Tiroedd Comin Cwm Amman Uchaf SINC designated for a mosaic of habitats including acid grassland The wonderful mix of habitats makes the area species rich Skylark and Lapwing can be found throughout Specialist plant species can be seen in the wetter areas including Bog asphodel Hare’s-tail cotton-grass and Round-leaved sundew The green corridors in the urban areas are good for House sparrow which have dramatically declined in the UK in recent decades The rivers Twrch and Tawe are important habitats for Otter Common lizard can be found on former brownfield sites Barn owl can be seen hunting over the farmland The Welsh Liberal Democrats have won a stunning victory over the Labour Party in a county council by-election in Cwmllynfell & Ystalyfera former midwife and district nurse Susan Grounds secured 34% of the vote to finish ahead of Plaid Cymru’s Brandon Havard on 30% Labour’s candidate Heledd Owen and Reform UK’s Cameron Richards trailed a long way behind The by-election was held following the resignation of Labour County Councillor Cathy James The final result was: Liberal Democrat 34% The result means the Welsh Liberal Democrats now have three councillors on Neath Port Talbot Council and their first in the Swansea Valley Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said: “This is a fantastic victory for the Welsh Liberal Democrats right in Labour’s heartlands Whether it’s the cuts to the winter fuel allowance and disability benefits or the record-breaking NHS waiting lists in Wales people are crying out for change and are fed up with stagnation and decline under Labour “The Liberal Democrats are winning across Wales again and are out here proving we can challenge the status quo “I look forward to working hand in hand with Susan as her MP to champion communities across Cwmllynfell & Ystalyfera and the entire Swansea Valley.” Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS added: “As we head into our party conference tomorrow this win in Cwmllynfell & Ystalyfera shows there is nowhere across Wales that the Welsh Liberal Democrats can’t win as we head into next year’s Senedd elections “We’ve shown that the hype about ‘how well’ Reform is doing in our former mining and industrial towns is misplaced and in fact people just want change and someone to listen to their concerns which have gone ignored for far too long “The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to work hard across Wales to provide voters with that voice for positive change in our communities Susan Grounds said: “I’d like to thank everyone from across the community who have placed their trust in me to represent them on the council “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in straight away and ensuring local residents’ voices are heard loud and clear by the Council and the issues raised with me in the campaign are tackled.” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Although I vote Plaid first and foremost the Lib Dems would be my second party So much for the suggestion that Reform UK are sweeping across the valleys! The media’s obsession with Farage’s mob doesn’t appear to be affecting voting intentions nearly as much as many people believe They still had far too many votes for a civilised society but I’d say that one by-election doesn’t cut enough of the proverbial mustard Labour’s vote is collapsing around Wales As well as this embarrassing result they suffered a humiliating loss – to Reform – in a council seat in the south wales valleys recently And they came nowhere in a council by-election in Swansea last week (a city that is Labour controlled) Labour’s branch office in Wales should be very worried about next year’s Senedd elections For a party hoping to win next year’s election Plaid really need to provide more evidence of why people should vote for them Endlessly trying to be to the left of Labour and promising to use Welsh Government funds to pay for everything and obsessing about letters written by Eluned Morgan HS2 and the Crown Estate is clearly not working Plaid are right to hold Wales’ hopeless labour FM to account Lynn They are also right to point out how Wales is being short changed to the tune of billions due to HS2 and you’ll find that devolving the crown estates to Wales is a position shared across the political spectrum From what youve written perhaps the right of centre Gwlad would be more to your liking – they average around 8 votes a time in council by-elections But I don’t think a Plaid Welsh Gov would force the UK Gov to hand over the HS2 money or Crown Estate and I don’t think Welsh voters (those that care) think so either and there does appear to be an over focus on these niche issues I want Plaid to focus on a positive story of how they will improve the lives of the people of Wales with the powers and money they will have if elected they are a bunch of eccentrics who will take votes from Plaid and… Read more » If others choose to bury their heads in the sand Trouble is Plaid held their hand for so long That’s why the Liberals have done so well I would say that this result is far worse for Labour (going from first to fourth) and Reform The likely reason for Plaid being narrowly edged out for first place here is that this council seat is part of an area that is now held by the LibDems at parliamentary level If Plaid can’t take a seat from a decimated Labour party in a Welsh speaking stronghold What would an independent Wales do for people who are reliant on English hospitals for healthcare Next year’s Senedd elections are seen as a three-way fight between Plaid and Plaid get comfortably more votes than Labour and Reform combined in a seat that was previously held by Labour! If that’s supposed to be an “awful” result for Plaid then what on earth would you call this result for Labour and Reform!!? A 30% fall in vote share is not good for a party which hopes to win next year’s election only two parties stood in this seat in 2022 so it’s impossible to know how the electorate would have voted had there been three other parties plus an independent standing for office back then so it’s not really comparing like with like Not sure who you normally vote for but I do not celebrate the result in Torfaen which saw far-right English nationalists take the seat unlike the Tories who couldn’t hold a candle to them So much for Reform “sweeping the board” Here’s hoping the trend will continue Plaid and the same Labour party were joined at the hip for years shows all that Labour have a problem at all levels in Wales add an ineffectual First Minister against her right wing counterpart in London currently wearing Reform UK clothes is it a surprise that Labour were thumped in this by-election But I echo others when they say although they vote a certain way are content the Liberals Democrats beat Welsh Labour and that Plaid Cymru came in a strong second although personally would have preferred it to be the other way round It’s good for politics if the Dems are a stronger voice but they have to work on their ambition Their last stint in Cardiff was a story of managed decline and everytime their local representatives get involved it’s to try and talk the capital city into a provincial backwater If Plaid can keep up the campaign to the Senedd elections then we can expect to be near to achieving a Plaid led government We need to continue to make it clear that ‘reform’ is an far right group that is appeasing fascist dictatorships around the world including Trump and Putin and such if elected to our Senedd would do great damage to Wales Plaid Cymru should be able to attract many English speaking Welsh people there are areas may be harder to reach and that is where the Liberal democrats will provide the alternative 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. A local postmistress has been congratulated on her retirement by MP David Chadwick following 30 years of service to her community. Beryl Jones has run the Ynys Y Darren Post Office in Ystalyfera for the past 30 years and recently announced her retirement. MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said that Ms Jones had a tremendous record of community service and will be deeply missed by those living in Ystalyfera, and that he wishes her well in her retirement. Following Ms Jones’ retirement, the Post Office has decided not to replace the branch. Mr Chadwick has said that the Post Office’s decision has left the community with even less access to cash. He has called on LINK, the body which decides which towns will receive banking hubs, to consider the closure as part of his campaign to secure a banking hub in Ystradgynlais. Comments Tel: 01874 610111[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 if the bride and several of the hen party are runners then of course you have to throw in a parkrun  Our hen party was lucky enough to be able to make Cycle route 43 Ystalyfera parkrun part of our celebrations this week so we were delighted when this lovely new addition to parkrun started 15 weeks ago located just 2.5 miles from where we were staying  That short distance made the morning after the night before with ample parking in the Junction Café and Asda carparks and friendly marshals directing us to the parkrun start with 68 first timers including 19 members of ‘Team Bride’and visitors from Pontypridd There was also a large contingent from Llanelli AC as they had picked this parkrun as their latest Club Championship run  By the end we’d even roped in the statue of a woman on the bench into our hen party gang This lovely statue highlights the support of Ramblers Cymru in the community and was one of several signature features of this lovely parkrun see if you can spot the special tree marshals on the course… We could not have been made more welcome by Gareth (today’s Run Director) and all 25 of the lovely volunteers – thank you all for your support Everyone in the start/finish area break into a rendition of The Wedding March as our bride crossed the line which was a particularly lovely moment.Apparently it was Gareth’s first time as RD but you’d never have guessed as he was friendly As a fellow RD from Trelai Park parkrun in Cardiff I know that he will have had eyes in the back of his head to make sure everything went according to plan  After a great first timers briefing from Debi tree-lined route was very pleasant indeed at the tail end of the recent heatwave running alongside the river Tawe and it is a fast and flat out-and-back on tarmac.The marshals on the course were extremely encouraging although the two tree marshals didn’t have a lot to say for themselves The out-and-back nature of the course made for a great atmosphere with participants able to support each otheras they passed I want to give a special shout out to the twoteenage girls who were very vocal in their support for their fellow participants Abi and Abi – hope you all enjoyed and plan to return Coming back for their ‘difficult second parkrun’ we had Hannah taking that important next step towards making parkrun a habit – croesonol we had parkrun royalty in our midst in the shape of Paul Freyne who has 735 parkruns at 691 different locations under his belt (a world record) His name is the moniker for the Freyne Club whichis an unofficial club for tourists who have run at 250 different parkrun locations Congratulations to the 20 people who recorded new Personal Bests in the near-perfect running conditions we enjoyed Nick and Idris will be hitting their 50 milestone next week The event was made possible by 25 wonderful volunteers Sarah PRYOR • Bruce MORGAN • Llinos DAVIES • Jodie DENNISS • Wayne BOWEN • Dee DOWIE • Terry HUMPHREYS • Emma BROPHY • Debi BARTLETT • Allan BARTLETT • Gareth ROBBINS • Nicola BOWEN • Claire KEARNEY • David WILLIAMS • Paul DENNISS • Laurence F H BOWEN • Andrea EVANS • James SWEENEY • Mark JONES • Abi DAVIES • Alison PHILLIPS • Elaine REES • Andy PHILLIPS • Russ REES • Deborah SWEENEY Volunteering is easy, fun and very rewarding, so if you want to give it a go then email cycleroute43ystalyfera@parkrun.com with your name and parkrun Post parkrun bacon butties and other treats are available at the Junction Café it was off to brunch and the more usual hen party activities of cocktails and karaoke © parkrun Limited (Company Number: 07289574) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner This week I ventured from my home run of Chipping Sodbury to visit Cycle Route 43 Ystalyfera parkrun a few miles north-east of Swansea as I often set off much earlier to visit such exotic locations as Zuiderpark in the Netherlands Am I the only one who can’t help but think of the tune “Guantanamera” when I see the name Ystalyfera I visited as part of minibus trip arranged by Airey Airways Karl Johnson of Johnson’s Tours our arch-rival parkrun touring group and we passed like ships in the night on the Severn Bridge  Due to the marvels of modern communication we were able to flash our lights and make hand gestures (!) to each other as we passed  In a second coincidence we managed to do it on the way back too and managed a quick “splash and dash” at Sarn services en route – no one wants to “do a Paula” during parkrace the day’s Run Director (a couple amongst our number volunteered as well as run/walking) there was plenty of time for photographs and a bit of chit-chat and saying hello to friends old and new before we headed over to the First Timers Welcome  It was then time for Nicola’s main run briefing which made for pretty good running conditions overall and the tree lined route was a bit of a blessing  The course is located in a very pretty Welsh valley and takes you out and back alongside the River Tawe (For which Swansea or Abertawe – mouth of the Tawe – is named) the route is tree lined for almost it’s entirety A few hundred metres in we all settled into our rhythm others just enjoying a run/walk on a warmMay morning although it did feel quite a bit slower coming back and many of the runners and walkers were saying thank you to the marshals while we still had enough breath and was manned by a great bunch of friendly who seem to be coping very well for such a new event Once barcodes had been scanned it was time for breakfast in the Junction Café located in the car park which is only a couple of hundred metres from the finish but I think they use those Nescafe sachets for cappuccino/latte etc which are much better than the 1970’s instant stuff and I can honestly say it was the best bacon (and egg) roll I have ever had post-parkrun – or possibly anywhere  They only use the thick end of the rasher and not tiny like the ones a certain national pub chain seem to source from Lilliput What would a Saturday morning be without a bit of parkfaff and what better way can there be to start the weekend  parkrun HQ in their infinite wisdom decided to enforce their entirely arbitrary made up “rule” about parkrun nomenclature and insisted that this event be named “Cycle Route 43  This was contrary to the wishes of those setting it up (who clearly were not concerned about being swamped by “alphabet chasers”) and I suspect by a large number of their loyal “customers”  The argument that it might encourage tourism is entirely specious as anyone chasing an alphabet would need to go you York or Yarborough instead kill the planet by flying to the far east)  The more Y’s in the UK the smaller the distance people would need to travel  As far as the argument that parkruns must be named after the nearest local park/ geographical feature/area is also nonsense First finishers were Marc Hobbs of Swansea Harriers in 16:44 (exactly 1 second slower than in the report I wrote last week for Severn Bridge) and Naomi Sutton from Vegan Runners in 18:50 and it’s quite rare for even one first finisher to also get the highest age grade “Runniest” runners were James Ashley on 488 runs (not long to go for your 500 James)  Thirteen people had run/walked 250+ parkruns There were 4 members of the Junior 10 club An extraordinary 14 people ran their first ever parkrun today at CR43 by Marc and Naomi – perhaps not too surprising at a fairly new event  The Age Graded course record is no longer easily available unfortunately for us old geezers 2 people have volunteered on more than 250occasions (quite remarkable!)  Pretty impressive for a small field of 166 Chipping Sodbury Tourist Team/Bristol parkrun Mentalist Welsh-medium school's sports teams receive a welcome boost from a house building firm By NOTICEBOARD · 10 December 2024 Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Dur in Port Talbot has received a £1,000 boost from Persimmon Homes West Wales to support its highly successful school sports teams Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur is a successful and prosperous Welsh-speaking community where all children and students are challenged and motivated to develop into first-class individuals The school is a 3-18 school on two sites: Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera is an all-age setting and sits at the top of the Swansea Valley and Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Dur is an 11-16 school based in Sandfields The funding has been used to purchase new football and rugby kits for Bro Dur ensuring students are equipped to excel in the sports they love The school had been actively seeking sponsorship for the academic year and the timely donation is part of Persimmon’s commitment to supporting local communities The new kits proudly feature Persimmon’s logo which has been funded by the housebuilder’s Community Champions initiative which sees the business donating £24,000 annually to good causes where it develops in West Wales The donation coincides with Persimmon’s Awel Afan development in Port Talbot where the company is offering a selection of quality three and four-bedroom homes Persimmon Homes West Wales’ Sales Director said: “We’re thrilled to support Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Dur and its outstanding sports teams by funding new football and rugby kits through our Community Champions initiative we are committed to fostering strong relationships with the communities we serve The Awel Afan development is already becoming home to families in Port Talbot and this partnership is a wonderful opportunity to give back and support the next generation of athletes.” Leader of Teaching and Learning at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Dur added: “We are very grateful to Persimmon Homes West Wales for their generous contribution The new kits not only enhance our teams’ appearance but also boost the confidence and morale of our young athletes “This support plays a vital role in helping us continue to nurture talent and encourage a love for sport among our students.” Other recent local beneficiaries of the Community Champions scheme include Sandfields Community Group in Port Talbot and Aberavon Schools’ Rugby LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} After an incredibly successful 2022 programme the ‘Road to Principality’ fixtures for 2023 kick off with a triple-header at the home of Welsh rugby on Thursday 2 March 64 teams and more than 2,000 players take part This year it will be the schoolboys who take centre stage for the opening event This year the Welsh Schools Senior Group Male U18 Finals will be played on the same hallowed turf on which the Wales and England players did battle in the Six Nations last weekend 92 players feature in the Cup The female equivalent finals take place in April The games kick-off at the following times and entry to Principality Stadium Former Wales and British & Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies will be hoping to inspire his former school They face Merthyr College and Davies is due to hand out the shirts prior to kick-off Ysgol Ystalyfera will be bidding to hold onto the title they won at Principality Stadium last year when they beat Christ College Included in the Ystalyfera side that day was current Wales U20 back row man Morgan Morse Morgan Morse playing for Wales U20 this year They beat Christ College in the semi-finals to make it back-to-back finals and will now face Ysgol y Strade with Ystalyfera running out winners by 26-17 at home in the Carmarthenshire League Last weekend saw two old boys from Ystalyfera start for Wales at No 10 against England in both the U20 and senior internationals Builth Wells-based Ysgol Calon Cymru will meet Swansea’s Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr in the Vase Final YOU CAN WATCH LAST YEAR’S FINALS HERE Principality Stadium, Westgate Street, Cardiff CF10 1NS © 2025 Content Copyright Welsh Rugby Union, Statistical Data © Opta “Mud, mud, glorious mud. Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.” Or so the old Flanders and Swann refrain would have it. Cold, soaked through but happy – and that went for the supporters too ! – Neath reinforced their position at the top of the WRU Championship with a strong 6-try performance. Conditions were treacherous at Ystalyfera whose workers had performed wonders to get the pitch playable after a morning break in the rain. Underfoot it was very heavy and more rain – of the cats, dogs and many other domestic pets variety – greeted the kick off when Neath had first use of the slope but Ystalyfera had the advantage of an erratic wind. For most of their proud history, Neath have been well suited to a forward wrestle in the mud and the current crop are no exception. After a couple of early errors, the Blacks were first to go close when centre Ben Atkins was adjudged to have been held up over the try-line. But the Neath forwards were controlling possession, switching play from side to side and on 10 minutes Atkins made the most of a second chance to hit the try-line and outside-half Steff Williams converted superbly from a wide angle into that volatile wind which was now blowing at its strongest. The rain was coming down in torrents but the Neath forwards were firmly in command and five minutes later the Blacks doubled their lead when the strength of their combined drive saw them spurn a penalty under the posts, retain possession through several phases and No.8 David Griggs touched down for Steff Williams to add the this time simpler conversion points. Neath were very much on top and midway through the half their Masterly Eight drove powerfully again to set up a third try by hooker Sion Crocker – his 11th try of the season – and Steff Williams duly added the conversion points to increase Neath’s lead to a handsome 21-nil. That score effectively settled the result but to their credit Ystalyfera hit back and expert handling of a greasy ball resulted in a try by full back Alec Jones which outside-half Sam Comley converted. Determined Neath were in no mood to let the home team back into contention though and right on half-time the Blacks responded with some wonderful linking by scrum half Macauley Griffiths and his forwards – handling which would have graced a dry day. The Blacks fought their way to the right corner and, from a lineout, flanker Elis Hopkins crossed for the fourth, bonus point try which Williams again converted splendidly to make it 28-7 at the interval. Neath emerged for the second-half wearing their change teal jerseys but the nature of play did not alter one bit as the Blacks clicked into rhythm and soon added their fifth try. Playing uphill onto slightly terra firma, Neath were quick to attack and constant probing of the Ystalyfera defence saw Elis Hopkins, back to his most forceful since his long injury lay-off, drive over for his second score near the posts for Steff Williams to convert and extend the lead to 35-7. Neath kept up the pressure with prop Gareth Lloyd working diligently and locks Matthew Davies and Jacob Blackmore giving Neath lineout advantage and offering themselves as willing ball-carriers in a relentless effort by the Masterly Eight. In such trying conditions, the scrum-half becomes almost a ninth forward and Macauley Griffiths fitted that bill and usually managed to get the ball away cleanly to his partner although the back-line was naturally confined to a largely supporting role which they did well. Forward changes saw Jack Powell, Josh Clark and Fergus Kneath replace Tim Ryan, Sion Crocker and Owain Morgan, satisfied that excellent shifts had been done. Neath added one more try – their sixth – when the imposing David Griggs, relishing the conditions like a good mudlark should, made a strong 30 metre charge, busting tackle after tackle, and finished with a flourish for his second score. Up stepped the immaculate Steff Williams to land his 50th conversion of the season (144 points in all) as he made it a perfect six from six and it was 42-7. That completed the scoring as rain, hailstones and goodness knows what other meteorological phenomena bore down from the heavens – and the mud, mud became even more glorious. The deluge worsened and, in the gathering gloom, Ystalyfera rallied slightly. They had played a keen game throughout and battled valiantly with Kiaran Mackey, Craig Price and skipper Ben Williams in the thick of it but they had the misfortune to run into a firing Neath side well able to counter their strengths. After Jack Powell collected a yellow card, the home team were on Neath’s 22 when the referee blew a final blast on his whistle – in the Stygian darkness, it came as a relief to spectators and players on both sides who deserve nothing but praise for supplying surprisingly good entertainment in the mud which may have been too much for the Hippopotamus eulogised by Flanders and Swann. Still, it was five more points in the bag for impressive Neath who now move onto an important game at Bargoed while Ystalyfera head to Cross Keys whose Pandy Park suffered the only cancellation in the Division on Saturday… more rain is forecast ! YSTALYFERA – A.Jones; C.Tomsa, T.Powell, G.Drewson, J.Congreve; S.Comley, Z.Beynon (L.Evans); J.Williams (R.White), K.Mackey (J.Mort), C.Phillips; M.Olding, G.Owens (C.Gibson); C.Papp, C.Price, B.Williams (capt) NEATH – J.Bayliss; R.Griffiths, R.Evans (capt), B.Atkins, A.Brew; S.Williams, M.Griffiths (N.Griffiths); G.W.Lloyd, S.Crocker (J.Clark), T.Ryan (J.Powell); J.Blackmore, M.Davies; E.Hopkins, D.Griggs, O.Morgan (F.Kneath) CloseA school has been forced to close over concerns about the possible risk of a landslide from quarry spoil Teachers at Godre'r Graig Primary School near Ystalyfera were told on Thursday afternoon and children were given letters to take home to parents Residents in nearby Pantteg moved out of their terraced homes in 2017 due to concerns over landslips Work to relocate to a single school site by September is under way and the summer holiday was brought forward Parents of pupils at the school said it was "quite shocking and worrying" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreSchool closure 'quite shocking and worrying' Video 00:00:34School closure 'quite shocking and worrying' 0:34Up Next 'I always dread the beginning of a new term' Video 00:01:02'I always dread the beginning of a new term' 1:02'Logos double the price of uniform' Video 00:00:46'Logos double the price of uniform' 0:46Welsh dad's hilarious football coaching 00:00:08Welsh dad's hilarious football coaching 0:08Editor's recommendationsMerz 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 Three tries in each half steered Neath to a comfortable enough double over Ystalyfera who enjoyed rather more of the game than the scoreline suggests Neath seized the initiative early on through a fine try by Aled Brew hit back with some impressive driving by their forwards and levelled through prop James Williams Ystalyfera were giving as good as they got and former Neath men Craig Price and Steffan Jones formed a competitive back row with skipper Ben Williams but Neath went back in front after several strong individual drives with a 14th try of the season from hooker Sion Crocker Neath’s 12-5 advantage ought to have been extended when lock Jon Barley galloped away from halfway – “like a runaway giraffe” as the great Bill McLaren once said of the late Doddie Weir – but he looked for support when he could probably have scored himself The Blacks were beginning to get on top though and when Crocker charged down an Ystalyfera defensive kick there was a quick transfer and there was wing Louis Rees dammit on hand to flash over for Neath’s third try and it was 17-5 at halftime Whatever coach Patrick Horgan said at halftime had the desired effect as Neath stormed onto the attack and Williams kicked a penalty before Neath produced a magnificent score – nearly the whole team handled in easily the best of the night Morgan Kneath ran strongly from the re-start and linked with Brew the ball was swung left where centres Ben Atkins and Ryan Evans made headway up the middle Neath hit the right touchline before switching left again where No.8 Kneath finished off in style to make it 25-5 and give Neath the bonus point Ystalyfera replacement prop Cori Phillips was sin-binned and Neath struck again when flanker Elis Hopkins powered over for the home team’s fifth try and Steff Williams’ conversion made it 32-5 Both sides used their replacements’ benches to the full and No.8 David Griggs made a particularly strong impression with a couple of trademark charges for Neath while Ystalyfera centre Gareth Drewson was often a threat with his powerful running The result was now beyond doubt but to their credit Ystalyfera struck back with their second try accredited variously to Williams and Glenn Owens before Neath signed off with a sixth try when prop Gareth Lloyd surged over and replacement outside-half Rhys Harris converted That sealed Neath’s win but the Blacks know that it will take a significantly improved effort in the next game against Pontypool… nothing less than 100 per cent will do Preparations can now begin in earnest for next Saturday’s game (kick off 2.30pm) against the table-toppers who lead Neath by seven points with the Blacks currently ten points ahead of third-placed Bargoed who have a game in hand Pooler’s 7 point cushion makes them nailed on for promotion – can Neath join them 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 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 Route 43 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 19 December, 2018 By Ten houses in Ystalyfera evacuated after a landslip in 2017 are likely to be issued with demolition orders next year Residents in Cyfyng Road, Ystalyfera, were handed prohibition orders after Neath Port Talbot Borough Council said there was an “immediate risk to life” in August 2017 Council leader Rob Jones has told the BBC that demolition was “the more likely solution.” Jones said: “I cannot rule out ultimately that the 10 properties on Cyfyng Road may need to be demolished for people’s safety “It’s an option for us and I will be honest and say it is the more likely solution.” Council engineers and geologists from the Earth Science Partnership (ESP) have been focusing on drilling work above Pantteg Chapel using a specialist rope climbing rig According to a statement from the council in August the strata cores and results from the specialist drilling work will allow review and verification of the assessments to date which have included Lidar surveys trial pits and the creation of monitoring wells/installations The final assessment report from ESP is expected by early next year Want to read more? Subscribe to GE’s enewsletters and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn The election to appoint three new members to the British Geotechnical Association (BGA) executive committee is now under way Voting is open to all BGA members and will close at 5pm on 30 May 2025 Ground Engineering magazine is preparing to launch the 2025 GE100 survey which will once again identify the biggest players and key trends in the UK geotechnical sector Glasgow’s £15bn Clyde Metro has taken a step forward with the appointment of Mott MacDonald which will provide consultancy services for key stages of the project Caledonian Maritime Assets is seeking a contractor to carry out ground investigations (GI) for a major project to upgrade ferry fleets and associated infrastructure on the west coast of Scotland Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion Gareth James has scaled the heights of semi-professional rugby in Wales and is one of the most prolific points scorers that level has ever seen Having spent nine years as a semi-professional representing Narberth and Ebbw Vale James was rewarded with a Welsh Crawshays cap while he was also chosen for Glamorgan County But home is where the heart is with the 40-year-old choosing to end his career back where it all began at his local club Ystalyfera “Ystalyfera is my home club and I started off playing for their first team when I was 16,” he said “I always wanted to give something back to the club My dad Noir played over 500 games for the club so this club runs in my blood “We’ve taken the club from division four south west to the Championship and we played at the Principality Stadium in the cup as well You learn a lot from going back to local rugby and in my opinion not enough semi-pro players go back to play local rugby because it’s really beneficial for their development It’s important to have a good team around you and players who want to play for the jersey “I was at Neath and Narberth a short time but what I learnt was regardless of what you do on the field it comes down to how you prepare off the field “First and foremost you need to get a bit of togetherness in the squad and I tried to bring that to Ystalyfera As soon as I had that I was lucky enough to have some talented players play for us The veteran outside-half is the top points scorer in the clubs history scoring 2,004 points Rugby is the heartbeat of Ystalyfera as a village so holding such an impressive record mean’s a lot to James who insists he thrives on the pressure of goal kicking All I am at the moment is a bit of a good influence on the boys I’m just giving the boys a bit of direction “One of my biggest philosophies as a coach is fitness My day to day job is being a fitness coach and I work with boys from the age of seven all the way up to 90 “Too many boys in Wales turn up to training on a Wednesday or a Thursday to get fit but my philosophy is you’ve got to be fit to play rugby in the first place “I’ve played at a high level in the Welsh Premiership and that was great but it’s such a huge honour to have achieved what I have with my home town club and to overtake my brothers points scoring record is very special.” Ystalyfera’s rise up the Welsh leagues has been nothing short of remarkable but they have endured a shaky start to their season and go in search of their first win of the campaign against Cardiff Met tomorrow And James insists the club need to realise how far they’ve come and must consolidate themselves as a Championship club “So far it has been a difficult season for us because after we won the Championship we lost a few boys who retired “So our recruitment policy is we can’t pay players so we have to pick up some boys from the lower divisions It’s a huge jump from division two one to the Championship “We have a great group of boys but it’s been difficult to transition them into the Championship We’ve tried to implement a new game plan which is different to what we’ve played the last 10 years “We’ve unearthed some good 17-year olds this year who are also training with Swansea I think we’ve got to bring the youngsters through and if they go onto better things then great “For me as a coach we’ve got to be realistic we are never going to get to the Premiership on our budget For us there is a group of six or seven teams in the bottom half who we can beat “It’s about safety and consolidating ourselves in the Championship while we’d also like a run in the cup this season.” Elsewhere in the WRU Championship Plate this weekend Tata Steel host Beddau and Bedwas travel to Trebanos In the WRU Championship Cup Bargoed face Maesteg Harlequins and Ystrad Rhondda go head to head with Neath © 2025 Content Copyright Welsh Rugby Union Ystalyfera celebrate winning the WSRU Senior Group U18 Male Cup Final What a season it has been for 17-year-old Morgan Morse captained Wales U18 and is now a Welsh Schools U18 Cup winner The Ysgol Ystalyfera student was at the heart of a raw-boned pack that set-up a 36-26 victory in the U18 Spirit of Youth final against Christ College Brecon at Principality Stadium on day four of the ‘Road to Principality 2022’ showpiece finals He thundered over for the fifth and final try for his side as they went just far enough ahead not to fall foul of a valiant fightback in the final quarter from the Brecon team who found themselves 24 points adrift at one stage in the second half “It has been a great season for me and this really caps it off It doesn’t get any better than winning a final at the Principality with all your best mates,” said Morse It might not have been as physically demanding as playing at U20 level but it was pretty fast and furious out there.”  had a first half to remember as he scored two tries to help Ystalyfera move into a 24-12 half-time lead Their opening try came from scrum half Rhodri Lewis-Rees The Ospreys Academy player has been playing senior rugby with home club Seven Sisters this season and was a constant threat on both sides of the ball Morgan Morse looks to offload against Christ College After breaking the first line of defence in his own half he kicked ahead and then won the race for the ball to score at the posts Cellan Carter added the extras and then kicked a penalty on the stroke of half-time to give his side a 12-point interval lead Christ College featured three players who had been at Principality Stadium as part of the all-conquering Builth Wells Youth team last weekend when they won the National Youth Cup against Bridgend Athletic Alecs Williams was one of the try scorers in that game and he followed No 8 Owen Conquer to the line to keep Brecon in touch at the break “It was great being back at Principality Stadium so soon after the win last weekend It was hard on the legs and it was a shame not being able to pick up another win,” said Williams “That’s the first 15-a-side game I’ve lost all season I played in 17 of the 18 games the Builth Wells Youth team played in their unbeaten season and we’d had 14 wins and a draw with the school prior to the final they were a very strong team and we just left ourselves with too much to do in the end It was another special occasion for all of us.”  Ystalyfera struck with their fourth try immediately after the re-start centre and skipper Kian Abraham crossing after latching onto a neat kick ahead but couldn’t then improve the try from close range by Morse with a 24 point lead it looked like being plain sailing for Abraham’s men from thereon A great solo effort from centre Dylan Skyrme cutting in from the right to score at the posts for a try that Jack Griffiths improved cut the gap and then Abraham picked up a yellow card for a late tackle U18 Men’s Plate Final – Stanwell Comprehensive 18 – 7 Penweddig  It was a tight affair in the opening game of the day as two first half penalties from outside half Rhys Mottram edged Stanwell Comprehensive into a 6-0 interval lead against Penweddig in the battle for the U18 Plate Stanwell came into the final against the side from Aberystwyth having held their nerve in a 19-17 semi-final triumph over Bro Edern and coped well with the pressure of the big occasion at Principality Stadium U18 Men’s Circle IT Vase Final – Preseli 19 – 47 Coleg Sir Gar II  Coleg Sir Gar 2nd XV were too strong for Preseli in a game of 10 tries Iestyn Wood scored one in each half for the losers and Joel Davies ran in another But Sir Gar were always in the driving seat and ran-in five tries in the first half and two more after the break to win 47-19 Gabe McDonald grabbed a brace in the opening period and was followed to the line by Jack Stone U18 Women’s Celtic Camping Trophy Final – Llandovery College 22 – 46 Coleg Gwent  Amy Williams was the star of the show for Coleg Gwent in the 12-a-side U18 Celtic Camping Trophy final as she scored a hat-trick of tries to steer her side to a convincing win Carmarthenshire News Online Local and National News for Carmarthenshire Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email LLANELLI Rural Council’s ambitious community hub project in Llwynhendy is green for go following the council successfully being awarded a… A kind-hearted artist has brightened up a Morriston Hospital corridor for free Ric Kane (pictured) has given the section between… That’s the message from patients and staff on a Neath Port Talbot Hospital ward following… Contratulations to Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera who are through to the final of the Welsh Cup following the win versus Christ College Brecon this afternoon The final will be played at the Principality Stadium next month Llongyfarchiadau ENFAWR i’r dîm 1af am guro Coleg Christ i gyrraedd Stadiwm Y Principality ?? Mor prowd o chi bois – Ymlaen at y ddiwrnod mawr ar 8fed o Ragfyr!! Rugby is very much a family affair at WRU National Plate semi-finalists Ystalyfera where former player Noir James is secretary and his son Gareth chipped in with a conversion and penalty in the Division 1 West Central side’s 30-20 quarter-final win over Rumney at the weekend to take the Swansea Valley club to within 80 minutes of possibly the biggest game in their 134 year history “Getting this far is a dream for the boys and our pack is going really well The win over Rumney was the eighth in our last nine games and we are getting some real consistency in our performances,” said Noir “It is hard to believe we have got this far especially as we could have gone out in the second round when we only beat Mumbles 35-34 Rumney were the third side from Division 1 East Central that we have beaten and the games simply get harder and harder each round “We are very much a community club and we know that whoever we get in the next round is going to present a huge challenge It would be incredible to go all the way to the final “I was here at the Bowl Final a few years ago when our near neighbours Ystradgynlais won the title That was a great achievement for the whole valley and it was a magnificent occasion for the club and their players Noir James was at the heart of the Ystalyfera side that won Section C of the West Wales Championship in 1976/77 Prior to that the club had been crowned West Wales champions in 1930/31 and won the West Wales Cup in 1938/39 Since then the only real success was winning the Division 5 Central title in 1998/99 Could this year provide the club with its greatest triumph yet “We’ve had some good cup battles in the past I remember playing against Ebbw Vale in the last 16 of the old WRU Challenge Cup in 1976 and we also played Pontypool one season,” recalled Noir “But this team is capable of re-writing our history If they could go all the way to the Principality Stadium and win the Plate then that would arguably be the greatest achievement in our 134 years “Another home draw would help – we’ve had three in a row now When you look at the quality of sides like Penallta you see how tough it is going to be for any side to win this title.” Skipper and No 8 Steffan Jones was one of the four home try scorers as Ystalyfera twice came from behind to beat Rumney The visitors went 10-3 ahead thanks to a Sol Matthews try and a conversion and penalty from Danny Clarke but it was the home side who were ahead 13-10 by the break Centre Jonathan Bayliss and Jones provided the tries and outside half Gareth James converted one and kicked a penalty Rumney regained the lead with a try from wing Lee Bendon straight from the re-start Back row dynamo Jessie Patton and centre Martin Davies crossed for two more tries and full back Staffan Castle proved five more points with the boot Rumney grabbed a consolation try before the death but they headed back to Cardiff empty handed who not only got knocked out of the competition at Penallta but also lost their grip on the top spot in Division 1 East as Rhydyfelin won with a bonus-point Having beaten Penallta on the final weekend before Christmas Nelson travelled with confidence and put up a great showing in the first-half Coached by former Dragons and Wales lock Andrew Coombs the Unicorns were given last-minute instructions by Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards before emerging from the dressing room to play in front of a crowd of more than 800 at the Ystrad Mynach Centre of Sporting Excellence The visitors’ took the lead with a Danny Ellis penalty before Matthew Brewer levelled the scores the rest of the opening 40 minutes was dominated by the Nelson pack Liam Williams drove over from a try that Ellis improved Nelson then made the most of their next visit into enemy territory as Ellis kicked another penalty to open up a 10 point gap that gave his side a real chance of reaching the last four But whatever the Penallta coaches said at half-time The Pitmen came out like men possessed for the second half and succeeded in turning the game on its head as they put themselves in with a shot at regaining the title they last won in 2012 The Penallta scrum took a firm grip on proceedings and Nelson then lost centre Dafydd Carter to a yellow card After a while a penalty try at scrum time looked inevitable and that is how Penallta grabbed their next score Lloyd Rowlands converting to cut the gap to three Ellis hit back for Nelson with his third penalty to make it 16-10 but back came Penallta and a break by replacement Max George enabled James Spear to send scrum half Luke Crane over for a try that Rowlands converted to put the Pitmen ahead for the first time in the match there was no turning back and a drop goal from Jonny Wright sealed the deal There were mixed fortunes for the top two sides in Division 1 North as Nant Conwy progressed with a 21-5 win over St Peter’s while Pwllheli fell 34-26 on home soil to Abercarn Nathan Curtis’ Gwent outfit are the lowest ranked of the four remaining clubs coming from Division 2 East but they been irresistible in the Plate competition They conjured up five tries to make it six wins in a row in all competitions to see off the reigning North Wales champions Jack Davies and Greg Baker scored the tries for the visitors and Jamie Baker’s boot added three conversion and a penalty In took almost half-an-hour before the first points came in the other game in north Wales where current Division 1 North leaders Nant Conwy butchered some early chances before finally taking the lead with a Delwyn Jones penalty The Rocks hit back with a superb try from Luke Thomas but the home side went into the break with a one point lead after a second Jones penalty The second half belonged to the Gogs as they took their third south Wales scalp on their way to the semi-finals Tom Olver and Jack Moriarty powered their way over for tries and Jones added one conversion and a penalty We always want to be successful within our own division in North Wales but we love to play in this national competition as it gives us a good idea of how we rate against south Wales teams,” said Nant Conwy coach Kevin Thomas Our players’ were quite nervous and at only 6-5 up Email: info@wru.wales Telephone: 02920 822 000 Bedwas survived a late Ystalyfera surge to hold on for victory in what was a keenly-fought WRU National Championship clash at the Bridgefield The visitors dominated the set piece throughout the game but had no answer to the Bedwas driving maul It was from a scrum penalty that Ystalyfera took the lead as outside half Gareth James slotted over a goal after ten minutes to put his side ahead.  Bedwas responded with a well worked driving maul buta try-scoring opportunity was squandered when Owen Jones dropped the ball as he crossed the tryline no mistakes were made from a similar driving maul two minutes later where permit signing Matt Dwyer grabbed a try Dion McIntosh made no mistake with the conversion.  Ystalyfera’s Iestyn Scott’s long-range penalty fell just short of the posts before his centre colleague Tom Powell was sin-binned for an off-the-ball incident His absence didn’t seem to cause his fellow players too much hardship and although James missed a penalty chance shortly afterwards right-wing Luc Caines found space off the back of a scrum to cross for a try Bedwas fought hard to get back into the game and Lewis Bowden followed up a good run to sprint through unopposed for a try McIntosh’s conversion put Bedwas 14-8 ahead as the referee blew for the interval A determined Bedwas came out for the second half looking to put the game to bed Lewis Bowden emerged from a pile of bodies to claim his second try of the afternoon the hosts looked for their fourth to secure a bonus-point – but lost possession at key times as chances evaporated a hack through and chase almost the length of the pitch saw the away side come close to scoring but with the ball judged to held up over the tryline As had been the case all afternoon Bedwas’ scrum was struggling to cope and it was no different on this occasion as the referee ruling Bedwas had impinged one times too many The visitors continued to put Bedwas under pressure in the scrum with the sin-binning of Bedwas prop Ben Drew adding to the hosts’ difficulties A series of scrums followed but Ystalyfera were kept out from scoring a decisive try and the referee finally called a halt to proceedings after a lengthy period of stoppage time Imagery and match report by Ian Lovell of Bedwas RFC Support quality, independent, local journalism…that mattersFrom just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts.Become a member today 27 November, 2017 By You have read 1 of 1 free-access articles allowed for 30 - days. For further access please register or log in Ystalyfera have been promoted to the WRU National Championship after overcoming Felinfoel in a play-off over two legs The One West Central champions led 34-28 after the first leg at the Ynysydaren Ground last Tuesday and then went on to seal the deal 30-20 in the second leg last Sunday for a 64-48 aggregate victory captain Steffan Jones and flanker Ben Williams scored the Fera’s tries in the second leg with full-back Steffan Castle converting all three as well as kicking two penalties Outside-half and coach Gareth James booted a drop goal Jonathan Bayliss scored twice in the first game with James and Luc Caines also going over wing Eray Wilson was at the double in the second leg with other wing Ellot Dawe also scoring a try Outside-half Aled Roberts booted the other five points Roberts had helped himself to 23 of his side’s 28 points in the first leg by landing seven penalties as well as a conversion to Rhys Evans’ try With a league title and now promotion in the bag Ystalyfera still have two cup finals to look forward to First up is the Glamorgan County Silver Ball final against Nantyffyllon at the Brewery Field in Bridgend on Saturday followed by the West Wales Cup final against Glynneath at Ystradgynlais RFC a week tomorrow (May 23) but we’re immensely proud that the boys have achieved it,” said Ystalyfera vice chairman David Carter on winning promotion “We were dominant on the park in the first game but Felinfoel kicked seven penalties that kept them in it “But then in the second game it was end-to-end stuff but then in the second half our strength really came through with our forwards dominating the ball “We’ve had five seasons through our history where we’ve been champions but it could be said that this one and with the extra chance of two cups as well Meanwhile for back-to-back One West winners Felinfoel It comes 12 months after they suffered play-off heartache against Maesteg Quins There was also an emotional farewell to outgoing head coach Mike King who has decided to step down after two title winning seasons in charge King said: “I honestly felt we were better prepared this year but their pack of forwards controlled things really well in the second game “We were 20-10 up on aggregate and I thought we could have kicked on from there but “We beaten up front and their half backs were extremely good “It’s disappointing but I don’t think we can let it spoil the season that can never be taken away from this group of players “They are a credit to Division One West and the players gave me a guard of honour walking off and I can’t ask for more than that.” King said: “I’ve had two great years there and I couldn’t have wished for a better club “But I just felt it was time to take a little step back maybe take a year out and spend a bit of time at home more than anything “My son Rhodri was recently capped with Wales U18s and he’s hopefully going to move into the semi-pro game My other son Ryan captained the Scarlets Combined U16s and I’ve got a little one on the way as well “So I’ve just decided to take a bit of time out and enjoy it and we’ll see what happens down the line.” 08 September, 2017 By 18 Jul 2019School name Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur Local authority Neath Port Talbot Rating Overall 46.66/100 Rank 143/207 Attainment Progress Attendance Finances What type of school is Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur and what are the admission criteria How many children have been on the school roll in recent years Pupil characteristics - what percentage of pupils are in different groups and how does this compare to the national average Our unique rating system takes into account a range of different indicators to evaluate a school's performance Data may be missing for some indicators because it has not been published This may be because the school is new or because it is very small so data has been suppressed to avoid identifying individual pupils Schools do not lose points for missing data so will still fare better in the ranking than schools that underperform on that indicator but they cannot score as highly as schools that perform well on the indicator How Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur scores in terms of stars for each indicator Estyn has given Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur an overall performance rating of Estyn began a new inspection round in September 2017 so only some schools have been inspected using the new criteria For schools that have not yet been inspected under the new criteria, their most recent Estyn inspection is below. Overview Estyn Year Overall Performance Overall Prospects Web Link How does Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur perform on each of the areas inspected by Estyn? Category Estyn verdict How good are outcomes? How good is provision? How good are leadership and management? The National School Categorisation System was introduced in 2014 to replace Banding as a way of assessing schools. The system is based on a three-step process: Step 1: a range of performance information is used by the school to self-evaluate its capacity to improve in relation to teaching and learning. As of 2017, the Welsh Government no longer calculates or publishes standards groups. Step 2: an evaluation of the school's capacity to improve further, taking account of the evidence about the standards and the quality of leadership, teaching and learning, resulting in an improvement capacity. Step 3: using the information from earlier steps to decide on the school's support category, colour coded either green, yellow, amber or red. For 2017, Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur has been placed in the Green support category. The Welsh Government no longer publishes scores or standards groups. How have pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur done in their GCSEs and how does it compare to local authority and national averages? In 2018, the most recent results available, 60.2% of pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur gained at least 5 A* to C grade GCSES including English/Welsh and Maths. Nationally 55.1% of pupils achieved this. What proportion of children get top marks, gaining at least five A* or A grades, or equivalents (figures are three year averages)? Schools are also rated based on their relative progress measure, which is calculated using the overall performance results for each of the last four years (the higher the score the better). The table below shows what percentage better or worse Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur is doing over the past four years in terms of the proportion of pupils gaining 5 A* to C GCSEs including English/Welsh and Maths and the numbers gaining A* and A grades. How does the % of boys and girls at this school getting 5 A* to C GCSEs including English/Welsh and Maths compare to the national average? How do children who are eligible for free school meals do at GCSE level? The performance against Free School Meal (FSM) measure calculates the percentage better or worse a school performs compared to how it might be expected to based on the level of pupils who receive free school meals. Another measure is capped points score, based on pupils' performance in their best 8 exams. Schools are also assessed based on how much progress they have made in terms of their capped points score and the performance on this measure in comparision to expected performance given FSM levels. What is the pupil:teacher ratio at the school and how does it compare to local and national averages? In 2017/18, there were 18.4 pupils for each teacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur, while the national average was 16.5. What is the attendance rate at this school and how does it compare to the local and national averages? In 2017/18, pupils attended 93.9% of all half day sessions. Nationally, secondary school pupils attended 93.9% of sessions What is the total school budget per pupil compared to the local and national averages? How much has the school held in reserves in recent years? Swansea Valley celebrate their success in winning the Morgan Griffiths Plate Alfie Selby did what many few players have ever done as he scored an incredible four tries in a match at the Principality Stadium as he steered Swansea Valley Schools to a 34-24 victory over Carmarthen Schools 3to carry off the the U15 Morgan Griffiths Plate three of the right-wing’s strikes came from his willingness to chase kicks He notched a hat-trick in five minutes in the first half and his fourth came when he reacted quickest to a dropped ball and pounced once again It was Carmarthen who had opened the scoring with full-back Rhys Jones going over unopposed wide out after being put away by passes from Carwyn Legatt-Jones and centre Gethin Davies Outside-half Legatt-Jones converted for a 7-0 lead who took it on the burst to steam over for an unconverted score to trim the deficit to two points Nicholas Frisk-Jones put Swansea into the lead with a penalty which was awarded after Carmarthen offended at a ruck They extended it to eight points after winning a turnover when Selby pounced on a kick ahead from centre Iestyn Loughor for his second try son of former Wales captain and British & Irish Lions scrum-half Robert Jones Loughor kicked long and the ball bounced up for a delighted Selby to complete his hat-trick Skipper Frisk-Jones failed with the conversion but they were 20-7 to the good Carmarthen needed to score next and did with accurate passing by Legatt-Jones and full-back Ashton Crook enabling left-wing Ellis Jones to get outside Selby and round Rhys Jones for the try Leggat-Jones converted and added a penalty for them to go into half-time just three points behind after honing in to a dropped ball from Alfie Jones hacking on and winning the race to the ball for the accomplished Frisk-Jones to convert to stretch the Swansea Valey lead to 10 points It continued to be end to end rugby with hooker Tomos Axford on the end of a driving line-out Legatt-Jones converting beautifully to once again  close the gap to three points Carmarthen defended desperately to keep Swansea at bay then went down the other end with right-wing Will Evans being halted just short by an illegal Referee Kyle Lewis awarded a penalty but it could easily have been a penalty try as the line was at the mercy of Evans They failed to go over from the tap-penalty that followed and had a couple of other opportunities Swansea eventually broke away with flanker Jack O’Malley-Jones forcing his way over for a fifth try which was splendidly converted by Frisk-Jones It was very close with a fantastic standard of rugby on show For Alfie Selby to get four tries was a tremendous achievement and he’s a year young so can play next season “It’s brilliant the WRU allow us to play here perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of our players This festival is a fabulous opportunity to showcase the community game and the good work the WRU does at this level “We wanted to win it for our secretary Gwynfor Davies who has given 60 years of service to Swansea Valley Schools.” “I started as secretary in 1964 but am handing the baton over I’m 85 now and have groomed some great coaches and players Justin Tipuric was in one of our teams which won Owen Williams was on the losing side on another occasion and Joe Hawkins is the most recent Wales international to have come through Swansea Valley Schools.” Carmarthen Schools: Rhys Jones (Bro Myrddin); Will Evans (Queen Elizabeth HS) Ellis Jones (Bro Myrddin); Carwyn Legatt-Jones (Queen Elizabeth HS) Logan McDermott (Dyffryn Taf); Iago Ap Dafydd (Bro Myrddin) Charlie Cullen Thomas (Bro Myrddin)Reps: Oscar Robers Swansea Valley Schools: Ashton Crook (YG Ystalyfera); Alfie Selby (YG Ystalyfera) Issac Davies (YG Ystalyfera); Gruff Peters (YG Ystalyfera) Freddie Millward (YG Ystalyfera)Reps: Brandon James (Maesydderwen) Ystalyfera and Cross Keys just managed to sneak in a game of rugby hours before the community ban was enforced last weekend due to the corona virus A group of Scottish fans turned up to watch the Specsavers National Championship clash and Ystalyfera head coach Gareth James admitted it was a strange day at the Ynysydarren Ground.​ CLICK HERE TO VIEW GALLERY It was the last for weeks – and potentially much longer – due to the global pandemic News of the WRU’s suspension of community rugby until at least 30 March filtered through while the game was still going on.​ “I can’t see the season being played out this year if I’m honest I just don’t see where they are going to fit the games in,” added James ‘Casino councils’ are spending huge sums on property across the country in a high-stakes bid to balance their books It looks much like every other Asda in the country. But this site is owned by Mole Valley district council – in Dorking, Surrey. The council bought it for £11.5m and receives an annual rental income of £599,450. Asda has a lease with the council until 2037. The proceeds from Asda – “saving you money every day” – are used to pay for key council services, such as bin collection and community and leisure centres, 200 miles away. Dave Keane, a retired police officer shopping at the supermarket, said: “I would prefer it to be owned by the local council, Neath Port Talbot. I pay £250 a month council tax … so I feel a little bit aggrieved by that.” exposing some to a ticking timebomb of high borrowings and the nascent threat of a property-market collapse The correction would be driven in part by a 10-40% reduction in rents to make them affordable for bricks-and-mortar retailers The Local Government Chronicle (LGC) said the amount spent by councils in England on investment properties ballooned from £76.4m in 2014-15 to £1.8bn in 2017-18 sometimes miles outside a council’s own area: these out-of-area investments are worth £619m alone Cafe owner Mandy James and colleague Beverley Rayne would prefer Asda’s rent to stay in the area Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/ObserverLord Oakeshott which manages commercial property portfolios for institutional clients Councils are being loaned vast amounts of money by government It’s a hell of a gamble that these councils are taking and this is not what councils should be doing.” If the economy does take a turn for the worse, councils may find their current roster of reliable tenants forced to take evasive action. Store and office closures are a common cure when companies begin to feel the squeeze A deepening economic crisis and a soaring debt pile makes for a toxic financial cocktail that some “casino councils” may be forced to swallow Authorities will be forced to find new tenants who might not be able to pay the same levels of rent – if they can find new tenants Spelthorne borough council in Surrey is most exposed to the commercial property sector after ploughing headlong into a buying spree that has seen it hoover up properties worth almost £1bn including the £358m purchase in 2016 of BP’s Sunbury-on-Thames campus The council, based in Staines-upon-Thames, has the 15th smallest budget in England. It has borrowed £1bn from the Public Works Loan Board The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) has warned councils not to expose public funds to “unnecessary or unquantified risk” when borrowing to invest in commercial property “Where the scale of commercial investments including property are not proportionate to the resources of the authority this is unlikely to be consistent with the requirements of [the Cipfa prudential code],” it said Runnymede and Eastleigh – have borrowed more than 10 times their net revenue to finance property deals Spelthorne said it generated £50m a year from its investments and that its portfolio had risen in value by £11m “Our proven property investment strategy is significantly supporting the services we provide to our residents Since the implementation of this strategy there have been no cuts to services or call on reserves no disposal of capital assets or above-inflation council tax increases.” But with Brexit looming the property sector is particularly vulnerable The Bank of England has warned that “disorderly” Brexit – where Britain crashes out of the EU without a deal – could make the price of offices shopping centres and hotels drop by as much as 48%– more than the 42% peak-to-trough decline following the 2008 crisis Even with only a “disruptive” Brexit – where the UK retains access to some trade agreements between the EU and other countries – the Bank suggested property prices could still fall 27% BP’s campus in Sunbury-on-Thames Spelthorne’s Labour councillor for Surrey county council said: “These casino councils are playing property roulette with taxpayers’ money I’m surprised the government allows a small council to borrow so much Playing the property market is not what people see as the role of a local council.” the Local Government Association said councils had little choice but to look for “alternative” sources of funding because the gap between the money local authorities received and what they needed was estimated to rise to £7.8bn by 2025 Mole Valley said the reduction in its government grant from 2016-17 onwards had left a hole in its budget The council last year proposed an increase of capital expenditure of £48m to £100m These funds will be invested in “appropriate property assets with a view to generating additional net income of £1.35m per annum by 2020” but the Ystalyfera Asda is the only “out of area” retailer cabinet member for prosperity at Mole Valley backed the strategy of buying assets to fund services “We are confident that this purchase [Asda] was the right property at the right price and represents value for money for taxpayers,” he said “By 2020 further reductions in government funding may mean that Mole Valley needs to become entirely self-funding “We are confident in our investment’s future prospects and her colleague Beverley Rayne believed it was income that should stay in the area “My partner works for Neath Port Talbot council and they are struggling because of budget cuts,” James said “The rent paid by Asda should come into this community because we are the ones who shop there,” Rayne added Instead the beneficiary is another council also seeking funds – nearly 200 miles away Spelthorne £654.9m* Runnymede £356.4mSurrey £268.3mKingston £163.8mTorbay £96.8mNewham £91.5mBucks £79.2mLeeds £76.3mEastleigh £68.7m *An additional £285m has since been invested This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media Ystalyfera won the first of what could be three titles last weekend Ystalyfera have clinched one title and still have two to chase as they bid to complete the treble before the season ends The celebrations were underway at the Ynysydarren Ground last weekend after the club were crowned champions of Division 1 West Central with two games to spare – without even taking to the field That was due to Bonymaen’s 21-14 defeat at Maesteg Celtic in their final league match of the season Now ‘Fera can go into cruise control in their final few fixtures against Skewen and Ammanford “We’re very proud that we’ve managed to finish on top It’s been hard work and a long season; there are good sides in Division One and it has been a contest all the way through,” said Ystalyfera vice chairman David Carter They are a very good side and one of only three sides to have beaten us this season in any competition rather than the bigger picture and we’ve done it our way.” Next on the silverware agenda will be the defence of their the West Wales Cup title against fellow Division 1 West Central outfit Glynneath They are also in the final of the High Motive Glamorgan County Silver Ball where they will meet Nantyffyllon at Bridgend’s Brewery Field on 18 May Ystalyfera made the final of the Silver Ball after defeating Nant’s fellow Two West Central title challengers Birchgrove 30-15 in their semi-final clash at Glynneath last week Jesse Patton and a penalty try were on the scoresheet for the Fera Lewis Cox and Nathanial Llewellyn got the Birch tries with Jamie Sturgess adding five points from the tee Ystalyfera have already recorded a win over Nantyffyllon in cup competitions this season defeating them 49-14 in the first round of the WRU National Plate at the end of September But perhaps top of their list before the season ends will be the two-legged play-off against Division 1 West champions Felinfoel At stake then will be promotion to next season’s WRU National Championship Ystalyfera last met Felinfoel at the end of last season defeating them 27-6 at Loughor to lift the West Wales Cup the club would then have a big decision to make about whether or not to take promotion to the Championship “That decision would be entirely up to our players as it’s them who have got to go out on to that field It would be a big challenge and obviously the Championship is very hard division,” added Carter we’ve come out from the old Division Eight way back that’s where we started in the National League We’ve worked our way up and we’ve done it gradually and steadily managed to hang on for a couple of seasons and then we’ve got our heads together rose to the top of the division and won promotion I remember when we were champions of Division 3 in 2014 and we were put into Division One thanks to a league reorganisation at the time “People were saying then that it was a hell of a jump that it would be torture and we were going to get hammered every game we lost a few games and were overwhelmed by certain sides but we hung in there and we won enough games to keep us there last season we finished second and this year we’ve finished top.” This season’s run to the title has seen them win 16 of their 18 games to date in the league Their only other defeat so far was at the hands of Treorchy The weather forced four games to be called-off in the third round of the WRU National Plate but there was still plenty of drama to go round in the remaining seven fixtures Last season’s beaten finalists Ystalyfera had diminutive full back Steffan Castle to thank for a last gasp drop goal to earn their passage into the next round His kick settled the game against visiting Bonymaen 8-5 The visitors went ahead after only three minutes with a try from Connor Salter but Jonathan Williams levelled matters on the stroke of half-time The game seemed destined for extra-time before Castle struck the winner deep into injury time where centre Ifan Phillips held his nerve to slot the crucial penalty that earned his side a 27-25 home win over Tondu When the visitors’ were 15 points ahead going into the final quarter they looked set for a ticket into the next round and a try from No 8 Osian Davies that Phillips improved cut the gap to eight points Phillips then crashed through for a try of his own and slotted the conversion to make it a one point game with 10 minutes to go Phillips then stepped up to take his match tally to 17 points with a crucial penalty that gave his side the lead for the first time in the match as Josh Tatchell had a kick at the death to win in for Tondu Mountain Ash had two tries from second row David Richards to thank for their 14-6 home win over St Joseph’s The visitors led 6-0 with 10 minutes to go on a snow covered pitch but the power of the home pack shone through in the end but the boot of Alun Thomas steered the ‘Bwl home Thomas added two second half penalties to the one he kicked in the first half and the conversion of Lewys Ryan’s try Glamorgan Wanderers had 11 points from the boot of Luke Fish to thank for their 28-25 triumph at Aberystwyth Aaron Folwer and Phil Pariyo for the visitors Ruthin and Nant Conwy ensured the North Wales flag continues to fly high in the competition as they both picked up wins down south Ruthin ran out 33-17 winners at Croesyceiliog while Nanty Conwy triumphed 27-24 at Whitland to become the first team to win at LLwyn Ty Gwyn this season Hooker Danny Miller gave Ruthin a flying start in Gwent with a driving line-out try that outside half Nathan Jones converted but there was no holding the Gogs as they worked wings Josh Wilson and Gethin Hughes over for tries that Jones improved The home side cut the gap from 16 points to four with two tries by Micky Witts A fourth try for the visitors on the stroke of half-time by Emyr Gwynedd made it 26-17 to them at the break and Wilson’s second in the second half made the game safe Back row men Carwyn Ellis and Gethin Vaughan combined to see Nant Conwy through as they scored all three tries No 8 Ellis crashed over twice and outside half Arthur Lennon converted all three scores and added a penalty and drop goal for good measure