Lon Las Cymru

[Cyril Haearn]

I know the Gospel Pass very well, and I know the Taff Valley. If someone asked me which to choose to start that epic trip I would find it hard to answer. The Taff Valley is an untidy, scruffy former industrial place with lots of people just about getting by. But it is worth getting to know. There is nowhere like it outside Wales. The people are almost all friendly and willing to chat. But the Gospel Pass is my favourite hill anywhere. Try not to do it in the afternoon because it can get a bit too busy with tourist cars. Before 10am is best. The two sides of it are totally different.

During the industrial revolution many people moved to South Wales from Ireland, Italy and elsewhere. For a while Welsh was the lingua franca, then English took over. Are there still traces of this immigration in the Valleys now?

I do love Wales but regret that I know the Valleys much less well than the Hills (canol a gogledd)

Diolch

[fausto copy]

We recently cycled a short section of the Taff trail from Cardiff up to Pontypridd.
Approaching Ponty we were dismayed to see lots of litter and refuse (TV's, washing machines, baby buggies and mattresses) dumped over back garden fences, alongside the path. It always dismays me to see the lack of respect people have for their surroundings. Most people these days have cars and the local tip is usually within a short drive.
Having said that, we found the people we met pleasant, courteous and helpful, even to us Northern-English speakers.
Apart from the above section, we were pleasantly surprised by the scenery once away from the busy A470 and would revisit the area.

Last week we cycled some of Route 4 from Tredegar Park to Newport and Caerleon and again we encountered lots of dumped items alongside the path.
In describing our trip to friends on our return, sadly Mrs.Copy described Newport as a bit of a dump. I felt this unfair as there has obviously been a lot of effort to tidy up the riverside near the city centre and when the tide was in it was a pleasant sight.

It such a shame that a few folk can affect the impressions others have on a place. I have every sympathy for those struggling in areas where jobs were once plentiful and am just thankful not to be in the same situation. Those people trying hard to make a living in the areas deserve our custom when visiting and we always frequent local shops and cafes when able to do so. Please don't be put off by the minority.

nuevoboy.