The Memorial Stones, Tredegar where Nye Bevan used to hold open air meetings.
Mrs H. mailed me some information from our local paper. As it usually contains mainly City news I rarely buy it, but regular followers of this blog will know I do dip into it from time to time. Well, I didn't last night, but thankfully Mrs. H did.
There was advertisement advertising Valley Tours.
It seems that you can take a tour of either Merthyr, Blaenavon, Bute Town near Rhymney, Tredegar and Aberdare. All these are half day or full day tours and the prices are very good. £10 half day and £16 full day tours. The Tredegar tour for example takes in Bedwellty House and Park, Tredegar Hospital, built in 1903 as a home for Samuel Homfray one of the former Iron masters in the town, and then down to the circle to see the town clock - standing 72 feet high. Among many important buildings in the circle is the former home of the Medical Aid Society - where for a small weekly contribution from their pay packets, people would receive free medical help. This scheme was the precurser of The National Health Service (NHS) introduced by Aneurin Bevan in 1948. This all happened just one year after I was born, not far away from the Medical Aid building, in the Nursing Home in Market Street Tredegar - I entered the world in 1947 .There are other buildings of historical interest to see other than the ones mentioned. The website address is given above, so have a look at what the tours offer.
It is easy to dismiss initiatives such as this as by saying 'Who wants to visit the South Wales Valleys?'. It's a poor person that thinks that. The valley's are steeped in history and not just for the Welsh. The cholera cemetery for example is a National Monument (although that is not listed on this tour).
Well done to the organisers of these tours. Not everyone has a car or want to drive themselves around outside their comfort zone. There are people out there that will be glad that these tours are running. I, for one, sincerely hope they will be well used.
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