Used to frequent the Valleys and South Wales on a regular basis for work delivering flat pack. Only place the residents used to frequently help me out when they saw I was on my own. Diamonds.
Thank you boyo we like to help others it’s in bred in those who went to chapel that’s what they teach . Nothing wrong with being a valley girl we have woodland mountains and forestry beautiful scenery. Places have gone down like every where else , the government has done this ,it’s not the peoples fault .🏴🏴🏴🏴🌲🌿🤝
Love seeing my home county pop up here! Do think its funny you called Aberdare a pretty nice town though. As a Bridgend local please don't call what happened here a su!cide cult. That's not what happened, that's what the media called it to sell papers and sensationalise stories. What happened was a catastrophic failure in youth mental health services, those young people were suffering and were not given the support or help they needed and there was no link between those who we tragically lost despite the media doing their best to find one. A lot of painful memories for us when we still have that time misrepresented due to the way it was reported on.
There were many rumours, official investigations cited no link. However they were all at some point or currently under the care of the youth mental health team in Bridgend.
@@jonbarnes2424 What's also worth noting is the figures are absolutely rubbish. The health board were involved in reporting them. They cite the increase as only lasting between 07 and 08 when those of us who were involved know it lasted until late 2012. And they never talk about the amount of young people who attempted and failed but still required hospitalisation.
@@AlexandraBassett-g5j They would say that wouldn't they? Seroxat is well known for suicidal ideation along with many others in the same class. Pharma grifters making money out of the completely devalued idea of serotonin reuptake inhibition which has been robustly shown to be utter garbage.
I think the people who live in the valleys deserve better than this- the pride and dignity that they once possessed has been taken away from them- replaced by fear and desperation- In such a beautiful landscape.
The valley's were shocking in the scale of industrial decline and mine workings despoiling the area, it's thanks to the EU it got a make over so now they're a dumping ground for over-dense forestry and wind turbines, the valley tops are ecologically barren just fit to graze sheep and fly-tip builders waste.
@@zenzen9131I live near Aberdare and most people aren't scum, but it doesn't take a big percentage of scum to drag a place down, they do disproportionate harm because that's all they do. There are a lot of problems with intergenerational poverty, crime and drug use, local government can't get a grip of it, money occasionally gets thrown at the problem but never a really sustainable longterm strategy. There's still a post industrial legacy of overpopulation, crappie outdated infrastructure/housing and increasingly the areas being used as a dumping ground by other parts of the UK to offload their high dependant population that make it a difficult place to live. Most people with any sense or ability try to move somewhere better. Short of targeted genocide it's a big problem to solve without the kind of resources that the areas just aren't being given, the location and geography mean there's unlikely to ever be another industrial revolution to create widespread prosperity, the best that can be done is managed decline, but even that requires money and effort that people just don't want to commit. 90% of the population can and would make it a worthwhile place to live if they had a chance, 10% keep it a shithole and hold the rest back and increasingly the law gives them the protection to do it because it's made by people who don't have to live with the consequences on a daily basis. People at the top don't care, and as long as that's the case then whatever the people at the bottom do to try and make things better is basically just pissing into the wind, and your legs can only get so wet before you decide it's a waste of time and give up.
@@zenzen9131I think the situation in the valleys is probably one of the best examples of causes outside of the community leading to them becoming deprived. The number one reason things are so bad there is because there is no work and no good transport links to places where there is work. Both of those things were entirely caused by governments that the people in this area did not vote for and were actually militantly opposed to.
I live in Porth the Rhondda Valleys in which three towns are featured in this video. The thing about the Valleys is that you can be in Turdtown the one moment then in a beautiful village the next. Then five minutes down the road another Turdtown.
Also in Porth! To be fair, Porth town is a turdtown! I tend to avoid all the towns when I can help it haha!! I live in trebanog, which is rough as hell, but summertime with the windows open you don't need TV... the entertainments here. I grew up in Cardiff and I'd still never move back to Cardiff. Much rather the valleys.
The high streets and housing estates often look ugly but the tourist attractions such as the Winding House near New Tredegar, the Rhondda Heritage Park north of Pontypridd, and Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil are off the beaten track and often easier to get to by train or bus and then bicycle or on foot than by car. There are country parks created from reclaimed industrial land with cycle tracks running through them such as Parc Penallta, Parc Bryn Bach, and Parc Cwm Darren. The cycle tracks are linked to the train stations
The valley towns are certainly a bit of a dump aesthetically, but they're where my Best Man comes from. As such, I've spent a lot of time in and around Treorchy: walking in the mountains, cycling and of course drinking in the local pubs. It's an exceptionally friendly area with really nice, down to earth people. I thoroughly recommend a Saturday afternoon/evening pub crawl from Tonypandy up to Treherbert and then work it off the next day with a cycle ride up over the Rhigos to Hirwaun. Enjoy :)
I used to live a couple of miles from Maesteg. When I grew up there in the 70's it had a thriving town centre and was generally a reasonable place to live close to. I have been back there a couple of times in the last 2-3 years to visit a relative and the decay is staggering. It's not just the mines that have closed down - a whole industrial estate just off the town centre that was filled with factories is now just scrub and rubble, with not a single building left. Anyone with any money or ambition has long since moved down to the M4 corridor, to Cardiff or like me, out of Wales altogether.
Ponty benefits from having the (now) university. I went there back in the mid 1980s when it was known as The Polytechnic of Wales. I actually loved the place for its friendliness though not all students would agree back then. I was lucky having many relatives living in the area, as my mother's side of the family had their roots in Rhondda.
I was a German laguage assistant at the polytechnic in the late 80s. I lived in Ponty. I LOVED it! People were SO friendly although they suffered from the miners' strike.
I live 4 miles north of Pontypridd and agree with most of your observations. However, had you visited during the day, you would have found a little treasure in the indoor market. There’re quality butchers. Excellent restaurants and a superb coffee shop along with a fine bakery. Many other businesses also. Well worth a visit.
I remember the Market in the 60’s when young!! It was a mega busy bustling area!! So glad Ponty is doing well. I’ve spent my career living in the SE and working in London, but love Ponty and the Rhondda!! It was a brill place to grow up in!!
Theres a free miners museum by the Bridge in ponty Town that doubles up as a tourist information you got the rocking stones they used to hold concerts in the park for free and often the stereophonics would perform I would not call Pontypridd a turd town!
Some interesting observations as a former "Valleysboy", now living in New Zealand. It outlines a waste of human capital and lack of investment. Please note that in the filming, you can just see the outstanding countryside that abounds among the hillsides and hilltops between the valleys. The place certainly deserves a visit. Perhaps the Welsh Tourist Board should promote these towns as a 'must see', possibly encouraging a form of voyeuristic tourism, its spinoff benefiting the community? Remember the local adage, "You can take the boy from the Valleys but you can't take the valleys from the boy".
@@llanieliowe794 Came here in 1973 for excitement and adventure, moved back and fore a couple of times but here for good. Wales has changed, so have I. It's harder each time I go back. NZ is uncrowded, even the cities, the scenery is stunning and the climate better. The people are great. What's not to like?
The valleys would make a living history experience of the 1970's. If it was not for the mines, it would be one big national park of Outstanding Beauty.
Its a shame because the valleys are actually beautiful in terms of the scenery but there's just no economy there anymore, still brings a smile to face when u see footage of it
Worked for a retailer across mid glamorgan for many years in the 90's and 00's. Gradually saw the decline every year as the ambitious or prosperous moved away . The surroundings in some cases may be crumbling but the spirit of those remaining is strong.
Well, I’m a valley boy born and bred, even though in general there is some truth to this video, I live in a small village called Gifach Goch, not much there but I love it, fantastic views from my house on a sunny day. I’ve worked all over the UK and there are just as many depressed areas in England, Scotland and Ireland. I wouldn’t sell my house for one anywhere else, I just travel to London every week for work, a Londoner would be jealous of what I can come home too, perhaps I’m just lucky.
Idk why I like these videos so much or why I find them so interesting. You definitely need to venture into Scotland at some point, there is many grim places here 🏴 🇬🇧
You’re absolutely right. Wales needs to embrace adventure tourism and also nature conservation and wildlife. All the sheep and pine plantations do nothing for the economy. Creating wilderness parks would transform the place and bring in people from across Britain.
I agree. Build on hill walking cycling and river fishing. Afan Argoed Mountain Biking now attracts a certain well heeled professional type of tourist from the shires.
honestly think the senedd are pulling a Westminster and putting all their focus on Cardiff, it has become a nice little city (bad timing saying this with Ely incident) but everywhere else is tumbling downhill
This seems to be a universal problem; funnel all investment into the capital/largest city, neglecting everywhere else. It's mainly to do with population, as the population of the big three (Cardiff, Newport and Swansea) alone is higher than pretty much everywhere else in Wales combined so there's more taxpayers concentrated there to give more incentive to prioritise the investment there. Not a very good approach, I know, given it's clearly a profit-driven model (more population = more profit). Wales need to look at Switzerland (tbf they are starting to use Swiss-style trains in the Valleys now so that's a start), where they avoid giving preference to one city over another to the point where they officially avoid saying they have a capital. The de-facto capital (as the seat of government has to be somewhere) Bern isn't even among the top three largest cities (Zurich, Geneva and Basel) and every city in Switzerland holds its own without being in the shadow of another, hence there is much more balance in investment across the board.
@Lucy and Clare - An Appreciation Channel You don't need to list them I've been there, and in fact most you have listed are on the outskirts which is an issue every city deal with e.e London with Croydon, Camden before gentrification. What I'm saying is you can circle the city centre of Cardiff a lot further out before finding the rougher outer areas, I mean Swansea one step out of the Quadrant and you are in the dive that is Sandfields. Also regardless if you believe it's good or not, money is going there to make it better more than anywhere else.
@Lucy and Clare - An Appreciation Channel Haha well agree to disagree, not saying the locals couldn't have a better attitude but to call it incorrect to blame the government for failing many people with a lack of opportunities is quite erroneous in itself. Do you truly believe the council has done everything they can to mend these areas, the same council that build hostile architecture to hide the homeless instead of tackling the issue?
Funny narrative but really sad considering we are a G7 nation. The wealth is going somewhere, but not equally and totally missing some places by the look of things.
Why the Welsh government haven’t had the foresight to turn the Valleys into a serious tourist attraction, like the Peak District for example, is beyond me. The landscape up there is incredible and crying out for tourism investment/development/infrastructure. I’m from Bridgend and all these areas have so much potential to thrive once again.
Work is about to start on a massive adventure park with hotels, log cabins etc in the Afan valley, about two miles from Maesteg. It's about time someone took advantage of the incredible landscape and scenery of the valleys.
Maybe it's something to do with politicians and government employees being feckless, stupid, lazy parasites who've never succeeded in building anything in their lives except for persistently lining their pockets and filling their fat pensions with the confiscated wealth generated by the productivity of others... just a wild guess.
Wales voted for brexit so all the tourism funding has just ended. EU funding brought huge tourism infrastructure investment eg Rhondda Heritage Park, Big Pit Blaenavon and Llancaich Fawr Cromwellian Manor House. The Heads of the Valleys Rd and Merthyr By Pass. Huge investment in fast Broadband and various River clean ups. The Taff Trail Cycle route and some superb new educational colleges in Merthyr Ebbw Vale and Ysrrad Mynach. New local railway stations into the valleys towns. A lot of it had 75% EU grants Then the people of the Valleys voted 3 to 1 to leave the EU.
The prevalence of lung disease in Merthyr Tydfil is largely a legacy of the mining era. I went to school there in the late 80s / early 90s and a shockingly high proportion of kids my age were asthmatic. Even now there are still a lot of toxins in the environment.
I do enjoy your entertaining videos, but it well worth remembering that the reason these once thriving, bustling towns have become so run down is because of the closure of the mines and their dependent industries. It's easy to look at them now and think "what a shithole", but these places haven't always been like that, and it wouldn't take to much creativiity and investment to make them alive again. Maggie Thatcher was determined to break the working class, and that fact is no evident than in the post industrial heartlands of Wales.
All true (I grew up near Merthyr through 70’s & 80’s before moving away). However let’s not pretend coal mining was anything other than extremely dangerous, dirty and polluting to everyone and everything around it. The spoil heaps are still leaching poisonous chemicals every time it rains 40 years after the pits started closing. Remember the furnacite plant below Aberdare OMG. Dead trees nothing grew. The coal industry was doomed to closure, what should have happened was the controlled decline over say 20 years allowing for new jobs, new approaches, new apprenticeships etc etc. Although well written and humorous this list was tragic really. Labour have been in power for decades, hundreds of millions of pounds and euros have been pumped into Wales, and gone where? Labour need a kick up the arse if you ask me.
@@jfro5867 I come from a family of colliers, and grew up in the shadows of one of the most brutal pits in the coalfield, I also agree with every word you say. The problems the valleys have faced is that when the mines closed nothing replaced them, communities were literally left to rot on the slag heaps, it was horrific to witness. You also rightly point out, the Labour Party in Wales have done virtually nothing to right the wrongs, with all their investment going into Cardiff, and Cardiff alone. Who knows where the future takes us, for me walking these beautiful valleys has become my way of life, they have so much to offer, if you look in the right places.
I hear people slate these towns of Wales as being dumps. I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Wales and from experience of some of the places Ive worked, comparatively the Welsh offerings don’t seem that bad. Least here you still have beautiful greenery, valleys and rolling hills. If you want to see a sh@thole then take a wander through places like Brixton, Camberwell, Southwark, Peckham, Tottenham, Bow, Bethnal green the list of dumps within London is endless. Peckham is probably the worst I’ve seen. Narcotic Needles, human waste, rats, people wandering around talking to themselves, shouting, lost their minds due to drug abuse. All concrete, no nature. Horrid places. I’d pick working in a Welsh town over 90% of the dumps within London.
I agree, Aberdare is a very nice place. I moved to the Cyon Valley 8 year's ago when my marriage broke down as I could not afford to live in Northant's any more & move to Mountain Ash, between Aberdare & Ponty. I use the cycle path's most of the time and they are FANTASIC, mostly well maintained and load's of them. A cyclist's dream. (Mind at 75 I do have an electric bike now!). My first impression of both Merther & Ponty was the same as your's as well as that of Aberdare. I alway's felt I chose well and your video confirm's it.
There are so many off-road cycle paths because of the disused railway lines. When you cycle along them, you feel like you are in the middle of the countryside and not near any towns. That's because they are tree lined and higher up the sides of the valleys. Like the off road path between Trethomas near Caerohilly and Machen. You couldn't even notice that you are cycling between two housing estates. Then there is the high level route of the Celtic Trail between Gnoll Park in Neath and Pontypridd. From Pontypridd you cycle through Ynysybwl and then Yr Gwenno Forest between the Cynon and Rhondda Fach valleys. Then close to the Heads of Valleys and down through the Afan Forest. You feel far from civilisation, but you are close to Ferndale, Aberdare, Treherbert, and Glynneath. That's because there are hills between them and the Celtic Trail high level section.
Glad to see this review. My great-great-great grandparents migrated from Merthyr Tydfil around 1820. I can only imagine how much worse it must have been back then in the iron mills and mines.
My husband and I moved from England to South Wales. We have lived here for almost two years now. We moved here because you get more for your money in the way of house properties than in England. To be honest, I haven't really ventured far here. I have been to Meardy as it is just over the mountains from us. I've been to Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. I clean for a couple in Pontypridd. Yes, some of the areas are run down but you also have some lovely areas. I wondered if the makers of Turd Town could do a video of the nice places to visit in South Wales as there are loads. You have the castles; coch and Caerphilly on the way to Cardiff, the dare Valley aberdare Park and the brecon beacons. Its not all doom and gloom. However, i now realise why one of my cleaning customers said that the government need to invest in making South Wales better. I also agree with the comment of.. these Valley towns was once thriving places as the mines provided jobs for locals and also people came from miles around to work in them. Sadly, when they closed there wasn't much in the way of jobs for people. Also, just to add being English myself, I totally agree with what you said in your Monmouthshire video that children here are actually brought up with manners compared to some English children and the Welsh people have a lot of pride in their country and heritage! And so they should as they have a beautiful speaking language (welsh) and celtic ancestry. And the more up north and west you go they have preserved the welsh language (as they should) such pride! And the views? Absolutely beautiful 😍
Unfortunately I don't think the maker of turdtowns is interested in creating anything positive about any place. Just someone who likes to sneer and be negative and has figured out how to edit videos to broadcast it to the world.
I’ve lived in Wales for 23 years as my ex is Welsh. Whilst most of the friends I made were lovely, the majority are so up their own arses (my ex included) and are brought up to hate or at least have a big problem with the English. Most of the towns are shitholes. The National Parks are beautiful and I did love going to Abergavenny. My favourite pubs were the Clytha in Raglan and The Skirrid Inn in Llanvihangel-Crucorny. Cardiff was good for shopping as is Cwmbran. I’ve worked in the valleys too and they are shocking too.
You mention that a positive for Penywaun is that its close to Aberdare which is quite a nice town. I live and work in the latter and I would agree, although Aberdare has had its fair share of social and economic problems over the years and some parts of the town have seen better days. But theres far worse out there.
A lot of it looks familiar. As a kid back in the 70s/80s I'd get shipped off from London for the school summer holidays to Cymmer. My aunt married a Welsh fella so it was basically a free holiday lol. Happy times though running wild in the open countryside. Made a pleasant change from the big smoke.
This video needs to be shown on a big screen facing the Welsh Parliament building with a battery of pop festival-strength loudspeakers turned up so the mainly over-fed occupants don't miss any of this glowing appraisal.
All someone needs to do is get a generator, a big outdoor screen usually used for concerts and something that can play videos connected to it. I'm sure it could be crowdfunded
The grimness of forced de-industrialisation laid bare here, just like in other parts of country after the mining was closed down. Everything was still working until the late 1970's, and there are still a few brighter spots even now. They should probably turn those boarded up shops into affordable housing rather than wait forlornly for gentrification or some other miracle to bring in money for the councils. If they don't bother more of it it will collapse into 'zombie apocalypse' territory. Keep up the Turdtowns series, you won't be running out of new ones to find any day soon.
Hopefully everyone in the UK has now noticed that this clusterfluck of governance has nothing to do with being in the EU, and everything to do with being ruled by elite Etonians, nothing personal.. they just want more money. Ok yeah it is personal, they hate us plebs.
I spent a couple of years living on the Gurnos when I was a teenager. I saw more crime and depravity than I have in the rest of my life combined! It was a truly depressing place and I feel sorry for the people who spend their whole lives there.
The problems in Merthyr arose when the local mines, iron production and then manufacturing industry all closed leaving mass unemployment. Hoover washing machines. Triange and a host of others were sold off and then "lifted and shifted" elsewhere. An incredible downward spiral..
Bridgend used to be a lovely place, and could still be again but the council have a difficult job and there is a lot of homeless/drug/mental health issues in the town. The best thing about bridgend and many other places around here, is that there are also friendly and nice people, and some ambitious people trying to build local businesses. Of course, varied escapism choices are top notch; close to the coast, mountains, a mainline railway route in town, motorway, and an airport not far away. Lot of sport locally to participate in or watch. Always music and jam nights in some pubs throughout the week, loads of walks. So while it is quite bad in some areas, it's also not as bad as many other places, and has potential to get a lot better. Hopefully.
I lived in Wales for 3 years. I've lived in Pontypridd, visited Bridgend several times and Merthyr Tydfil. The hit that these communities took from the mining collapse is deeply haunting. South Wales was doomed from the get go.
Unfortunately the Council's didn't do much to bring them back to life. This is coming from someone who has spent all my life in Glamorgan areas of South Wales and now work in a Council. Lots of poor decisions and being out of touch with communities' want's and needs has meant most towns have suffered immensely.
@@photoman3579Why does Wales have 22 local authorities with 22 chief executives and 22 teams of senior executives? Surely, in these days of modern technology and communications, local authorities can be combined, to reduce the number to at least half to 11. Why can't a chief executive and senior management team manage the services provided to people living within 2 current local authorities. Money saved from these salaries, pension payouts, expenses, immediate support staff and office accommodation, could be put to front line resources, kkwhich are crying out for money, such as improving the number, and salaries, of home care assistants, schools, NHS and other services suffering for the want of finance. Eluned Morgan, the Welsh Health and Social Services Minister, warned recently, although additional funding was available to the NHS in Wales, cut backs would have to be made. From the pictures shown on Welsh news whilst reporting this, the implication was that the cuts would apply to front line services. Why not back office cuts rather than front line services cuts? Also why is it necessary to increase the number of Senedd members by 50%? Especially at a time when front line services are desperate for the money. Finance should ALWAYS be available to provide the services required by residents within each local authority, rather than being diverted to support management. Community charges, which Welsh people pay, is for FRONT LINE SERVICES.
@@photoman3579 The bulk of Local Government money comes from Central Government, fed through Welsh Government. How do you expect Local Government to run properly when the past 3 years, the Conservative UK government has ruined the the UK?
What's extraordinary about Penrhys is the huge statue of the Virgin Mary that's actually the focus of pilgrimages. It replaces a mediaeval (wooden) statue that was torn down during the Reformation and burnt at Smithfield. There's also a holy well, which is something genuinely miraculous in this outpost of Hades. (It had been vandalised last time I visited, yet still somehow felt like a healing and special place in the midst of horrible dereliction). It's as if something satanic has done its best to desecrate what was once a holy place. But I suppose one could say that about large swathes of the British Isles!
These are accurate, honest & highly entertaining, as well as being very funny indeed, which is perhaps the most important ingredient. It's very well scripted & clearly narrated. There are some nice funny remarks. Great stuff. Thanks. JC
I’m born and raised in Maerdy, you’ll do hard to find a place with more lovely people back in the day, now, like most places, the scumbags and spoon burners are shoved up there in the social housing. I loved growing up there and will always be proud of my Maerdy and mining roots, best part of the village is the road out nowadays.
That’s surprising. I live in Birmingham but have visited Northampton many times. Never found it to be bad but then again, visiting is different from living somewhere
You have to love nature to enjoy these places and i think if you grow up with it its just wallpaper. Go to any exotic beautiful place in the world and the locals just chuck all their shit on the floor. Human nature.
I was born in Porthcawl, went to college & had my first job in Bridgend and dated a girl from Maesteg. This is why i have lived in Cheshire for the last 25 years. I don't miss it.
99% of Wales, if in England, would be national Park...its that nice here....well done for finding the 1%....you help keep the English out and prices affordable....peace
Rather than carrying that massive chip around on your shoulder why dont you actually do something about the state of these places. The evidence is there for all to see.
Tbh most of these places are shit holes because the English government shut down all the industry in the 80s suddenly without providing any assistance or alternative employment. Not that the same thing didn't also happen in England though. These places have massive potential, especially with stunning countryside so close by. I feel like things are slowly improving though (mostly).
Aberdare girl here, delighted that we didn’t make the list (but a bit surprised if I’m being honest!)😂 Everyone remembers the year Santa left the Christmas lights turn on in the back of a riot van 😂😂😂
I drive past Penrhys estate sometimes and it always reminds me of the FIBUA villages the Army use for training urban warfare, you can't imagine how some poor sod would actually live there. What the planners were thinking when they shat it onto a hilltop just baffles me, presumably none of them had any intention of living there themselves. Gurnos had a load of money and effort thrown at it about 15-20 years ago, it looked a lot worse back then than it does now, so use your imagination on how bad that was.
There’s another place in Wales, you should do Gwynedd and number one should be capel celyn Which is a ghost town that is practically gone after the village was Basically destroyed, in 1989 So a reservoir could take its place
You need to go to London for sit and drugs. Nd Bangor nothing wrong wraith our Bally’s Pontypridd is a lovely place You horrid man life is what you make it Thing go on all over the world.
Penyrhys’ flats had a revolutionary central heating system that didn’t work. Good to see Ponty bounce back. The uni is finally coming up trumps. Really surprised by Bridgend though. The houses there, for the best part, seem nice. I think the town centre looks like that because people go to McArthur Glen instead?
Penyrhys actually won design awards when it was built as the design was apparently inspired by a Mediterranean hill village. However they didn't appear to take into account that the top of a Welsh mountain is rather wet and windy for quite a bit of the year and its within walking distance of nowhere. I thought you were a bit unfair about Merthyr though, the town centre was ok until they allowed Trago Mills to get built, its basically killed the town centre. Other bits of Merthyr are quite nice, or at least will be once they finish the massive road works.
My ex boyfriend knew about it as there is a cheap recording studio there which he used once. Though he did exaggerate what it was like saying people were trapped there till they died which is not true. It should be razed to the ground. They even tried to turn it into a Transition village.
I've actually just been in Milford Haven today. It's kinda sad. The marina is beautiful but expensive and gentrified for the tourists (like me tbf). But the rest of the town is so dead even the charity and betting shops have closed down...
We,ll keep a welcome on the hillside , we,ll keep a welcome in the dales . This land of ours will still be singing when you come home to wales again. .🎶🎵🎵🏴🏴🏴🏴🎶🎵🎵🎵🎶
Having grown up nearby and gone to school in Merthyr back in the 80’s I know all these bar number 1 well. Only thing is if you are born into it you don’t know different until you move away. Like I did over 30 years ago.
“Lipstick on a pig”. Comedy gold. I’ve only just realised I cycled up a lovely steep hill from Ystrad to Penrhys, took a photo of the stunning view and cycled back down. I missed the dwellings completely!
@@mountaingoat3012 Actually, since they demolished half the houses and cleaned the place up, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. A fun sport back in the day was looking to see which cars had valid tax discs on them. I would estimate about one in three...
Lol, I think you nailed this video! Your description of life in Maesteg was so accurate I got chills! Although, I feel Bridgend is too high on the list, I feel like Merthyr Tydfil is better than Bridgend, although Bridgend's housing and rent prices are higher - I reckon it's because Bridgend got a movie made about it's apparent suicide culture starring Hannah Murray, so they're riding that popularity wave. The movie is actually called "Bridgend" and the movie poster has the caption "you will never leave", which is exactly how I felt growing up there! Penrhys is in the right spot though. I remember learning about Penrhys at school, it was such a disaster it became a case study and a legendary cautionary tale. Apparently the design was based on an idyllic Greek mountain village! Talk about a swing and a miss!
Surprised you didn't bump into any 'colourful' characters in Bridgend,walked down to town this morning around 9:30 and someone was already threatening to smash a shopkeepers face in 😅 yea not sure if it was a suicide cult but there was definitely a lot of teen suicides in 2006/7, one of them was in my year group. Awesome video 😅
Bridgend was probably at one time a thriving place but when I had some time to wait for a train connection I had a walk around the town centre which was very run down. Sadly though, hardly an unusual state of affairs in a lot of town centres these days.
@@herridge819 You're dead right. I've lived in Bridgend for all of my 65 years and it was indeed a thriving market town back in the sixties and seventies. It has been so sad to see it's slow decline over the last forty years. The closure of the livestock market followed by pedestrianisation and the inevitable edge of town retail parks have not helped either. As you say, a lot of town centres are suffering the same fate these days. All we seem to be left with now are charity shops, hairdressers and takeaways lol. ( Sorry for the moan/rant).
There was no cult. That was a rumour made up by the press to sell papers. The only link between the teenagers was the fact that they had all at some point been referred to child mental health services who neglected to help them and they were all suffering with their mental health as a result of the lack of support. Very dark times and the borough still sadly has a high rate in under 25s. Agree with you about town though! can't walk through there without seeing something kicking off these days.
I've never really seen any major issues myself, but I did move here from Chatham about 12 years ago so alot has to be wrong to make me notice any difference lol
I'm guessing Wiltshire will likely be next in England? I predict Swindon will very likely be number 1, Westbury will probably make the list somehow and I'd be really surprised if Salisbury gets on there given I've heard it's one of the nicer parts of the country!
I'm a History graduate and we learned that the Merthyr Riots resulted in far more deaths than the Peterloo Massacre the English made so much of. The other thing that really niggles me is the way the football stadium fire which resulted in about 25 deaths was publicised so much and the 100th anniversary of the Senghenydd pit disaster in which over 430 people died was virtually ignored
Myrther..you missed cafartha retai Park, the museum and art gallery, the leisure estate which has gym swimming pools, a hotel and a nice pub/carvery situated next door.
These videos are really interesting and your line about burglars working from home was genius. Half the time I'm laughing at the absurdity of these places, the other half I feel really sorry for anybody trapped there, in poverty with no job prospects.
Being from Cardiff, some of the most successful people I know have come from the valleys. The links to Cardiff are great (for the best part) and some have better public transport links than those in Cardiff. The problem is education up there
We used to have great schools in Wales. I think every time - the answer is poverty. It caused lots of illness in the past. With the collapse of the coal and steel industries, whole communities were left with no employment. If you were academic and had good qualifications and skills you could get a job out of the area, and many did move away to find work. But we are not all the same, and for those less qualified, or for the most vulnerable ( for various reasons) and you stayed in the areas what were you supposed to do? Jobs were few and far between. Many people had to rely on benefits - not because they wanted to, but you have to survive, don't you. Poverty brings with it depression, anger, envy, ill health - mental and physical, and ultimately a dependence on alcohol and drugs. Of course there are decent, law abiding people living in some of these places, but even they lack ambition and positivity when there is sadness and crime all around them. Don't blame the people who live in these places. What they need is work, monetary investment, a sense of purpose and eventually this will turn into a pride for their village or town. No places in Britain should have been abandoned like they were post industrialisation. I blame successive governments for failing to invest in the people of Britain - but of course it is cheaper for them to import goods made in other countries.
Grew up near Pontypridd and was pleasantly surprised to see some money being spent down there. I was glad to see they finally knocked down that eyesore of a shopping centre and put something else there. I also noticed they've recently knocked down the old block on the corner by the train station, not sure what they're building there. Not sure if it's my poor memory, but around 15 years ago when we used to go to Ponty on Saturdays they rarely had the main street open for cars, but these days it's always open. Might have a positive impact on the area since you don't have to park in the multi-storey or the tiny carpark just off the main street. Something similar happened in my small village where they re-routed the traffic through the main street which has helped the shops a little bit. For me it's strange to see stuff actually being built and improved, as all of my life I've been used to seeing areas being neglected and left to rot, especially in this area of the country.
The block you referred to was where the old County cinema was. They are supposed to be turning it into a "pleasant outdoor sitting area" , so good luck with that one. They are also demolishing most of the block where Marks and Spencers was. Also they have rebuilt the YMCA. Its no called YMa, no idea what that means or what its for, but it looks better.
I grew up in the Aberdare it’s such a shame that such lovely scenic places have been left to become like this. I also grew up seeing the heartache my father had as an open cast minor constantly being laid off and struggling for work. There is a lot of sad history here but for the most part it is a warm and friendly place. By the way you comment on burglars working from home and kicking their own doors in made me laugh out loud
Aberdare architecture looks like Brecon in places but run down, needing a lick of paint and with cheap shops and empty shops on the ground floor. It does have a nice coffee shop in the old town hall and museum.
My God there were some grim places there. It's amazing how bad he last place was. It's good that you pointed out that all the people had ruined the last town had moved out, presumably to destroy somewhere else.
I live in Pontypridd, halfway up a mountain with glorious views. Most of the town is pretty decent and there is a lot of rebuilding going on, I just hope I live long enough to see it finished but I'm not holding my breath.The Town Council need to get to grips with the assets we've got such as the railway viaduct built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I think it does have a plaque on it but its about 18 inches long and about 30 feet off the ground. We also had the distinction of having the longest railway platform in the UK, so what do they do!!! Chop it off. You could have mentioned the Ynys Angharad Park which, though small, is quite pretty and the Lido swimming pool. I did enjoy your video and had a good chuckle as I was born and raised in the Valleys and knew most of the places you featured. Penrhys was doomed to failure before it even started. Everyone thought it was a stupid idea but the "Experts" obviously knew better. By the way, it is pronounced Pen-rees if you can't pronounce it the Welsh was and aspirate the h. I shall keep a look out for more of your videos. Hwyl Fawr. Although I can't speak much Welsh myself, we made sure our children were brough up with and my grandchildren also speak it as well. Its a beautiful language and I am very proud of my Welsh heritage and my roots (I was born in Tylorstown) I also have to admit that my son-in-law and my granddaughter are criminal solicitors and they are never short of work.
Adventure tourism is already taking shape around the Valleys. From the beautiful Afan Forest Park in the west where walking, cycling and mountain biking all take place, to Bike Park Wales near Merthyr Tydfil , where inbetween there is the excellent Zip World facility and Dare Valley Country Park, bringing visitors from all over the country. The Brecon Beacons National Park is on our doorstep offering endless opportunities for adventure tourism, miles of hiking and mountain bike trails the waterfalls walk and climbing Pen Y Fan to name a few. More needs to be done, of course but the Valleys has alot to offer. Never have the Valleys been so green as they are today. The mines have gone, finished, nobody wants coal in these environmentally sensitive times , so we need to embrace new sources of income, with tourism being the no1. So long as the Welsh Assembly doesnt introduce the tourist tax, Wales has a bright future for tourism.
Not Mid-Glamorgan but I grew up in a village called Loughor between Swansea and Llanelli...a nice place to grow up as a kid...I left there when I was 8 and moved to England...I still think my life would have panned out better if I'd stayed in Wales...
Glad you see the potential in Pontypridd. It could be a serious contender with Cardiff in a lot of areas but we're a few decades away from that I think.
I was born in 1960 in Llwynipia, I moved to Ynyswern in 1968 but the main shopping centres then were Tonypamndy, and Pontypridd. None of them were run down and decrepit then. Some of the biggest employers began shutting down and moving to cheaper countries in the eighties, TC Jones, EMI, Polikoffs, Rolo (telco Hardy) and lots of others, nothing came and took their places. I worked in Pollikoffs, then in Lewis Merthyr and Thatcher came and killed that industry too. One of the biggest employers lately was Griffin Windows - that closed with a week's notice not too long ago. I worked for Laser Travel who are one of the biggest employers now, but it costs at least £1,000 to get the license and pass the 'exams' to get to be able to drive a taxi or minibus, and the wonderful useless council of ours keeps adding more hurdles when Taxi firms are desperate for drivers. No wonder some of these places are like this today,
A £1,000 for the taxi license, but they don't tell you that they're closing all of the pubs and and other places with late night openings . Hope things get better my friend, but somehow I've got a feeling of - dont hold your breath. Respect. ❤😊
Problem with most of the valleys people is they dont realise what they've got surrounding them. So dont appreciate it or even recognise it. So have no motivation to make their towns and homes as beautiful as the countryside around them. Its only the ones that move away and see other parts of the UK realise that they are in one of the most picturesque parts of the country. By the way I was born there moved away and have now returned. So speaking from experience. Glad to here Porth wasn't on the list but probably should have been.
Couldn't agree more. Unfortunately the latest fad is to turn any grassy area into a muddy rutted mess on a wide variety of legal and illegal off road vehicles. This includes roundabouts and other grassy areas in the town themselves. Not just the beautiful mountains.
@@GamiGreen dont i know it. Just arrived home from 5 weeks awsy and the mountain behind my house jas been set alight destroying who knows haw many small mammals and their food supply. Total morons.
I live in Merthyr Tydfil and its a village. It feels old and haunted. I can’t say the people are very nice either. I grew up in California in a town less than 20,000 and the downtown is bigger and better than here.
used to love ponty in the 80s getting pissed in the clarence then heading down to the dun thing on the pull. if you didnt pull it would be a curry in sweaty bettys. great mun
I lived for many happy years in Pontypridd, but I understand what you say. It is a great town but the anti-social behaviour, usually due to substance abuse, is crippling the valleys. When are we going to really do something about it. Thank you for your direct, fair and always amusing delivery.
The new library may look architecturally attractive from the outside but inside it's a desert. The book stock is tiny compared to the extensive floor area. When I last visited some weeks ago I was pleased to see shelves on the right hand side as you go in. I thought that they had taken action to fill the wide open spaces with books. No chance! They had simply moved the stock previously held upstairs down to ground level. There was a LGBT display standing in splendid isolation, with not a book to be seen.
Awful place,we need a decent car park,it's a useless place with very little disabled parking. I can't walk from the ncp car park, or climb the hill out of the tiny car park( if you can get a space ) Aberdare is much better for a disabled person. But still not enough parking spaces.
I’ve actually lived in/near a few of these places and visited all of them MANY times…. You are 100% right about Penrhys, it’s the WILDEST place I’ve ever seen, we used to drive up there like it was a tourist attraction because it doesn’t quite seem real! There’s a few crazy stories from the 90’s I hope you cover when you do the full video, arson attacks and firefighters getting rocks thrown at them for trying to put fires out 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️ the place is wild. Great vid, you’ve got a new Sub
Really enjoying this highly entertaining & amusing series. only 21.6k subscribers is a shame. Come on people spread the word so we get to see more content.💩
Unfortunately these Valley towns are now the victim of the extinction of the coal and related industries, they were all, except Penrhys, vibrant communities. However, they have no real purpose, other than people still wanting to live there, and their future is uncertain. In the USA they would have been abandoned, take West Virginia coal fields for example. My grandmother was from Tonypandy and left there in 1912 and moved to Cardiff at the age of 18, you will find a lot of Valley people working in Cardiff and are usually the most helpful and kind people you will ever come across
Your videos make me laugh but it's sad to see these places in your home country and think how far they've fallen since the 50s. You could probably do an episode for North West Wales and Angelsey too.
I don't know what to think. This is extremely sad. Maybe it's a dream or someone's train set in Farnham . Originally from Barry, long ago, I am stunned.
Pena wees lol for your new video its prenounced "pen rhys" i used to live there about 25 years ago when it was in its prime. Now living in pontypridd. This was a great video thanks for uploading.
wow what a sad state the valleys has turned into, I'm from Hirwaun and watching this at home in Queensland. I went back last year and struggled to be there, the people don't realise how bad it is because they never leave. Hopefully Wales gets the independence it deserves and then they'll put some much needed money into the valleys which London is never going to do, London doesn't put money into the north of England so they certainly ain't gonna look at the valleys.
@@thehangingtorchofdarkness4769 as much as you find the idea amusing, at least an independent Wales could have a plan and channel resources to meet that need . We work with disadvantaged young people in the valleys, many are able and keen to work, but the jobs aren’t there. Hopefully the new Metro will help, but it won’t reach everybody. The geography of the valleys works against employment, if you need a job you can only travel north or south, an employer in an adjacent valley might as well be on the moon. Without employment the towns will continue to decline,
@@thehangingtorchofdarkness4769 why Drakeford? I have never voted Labour in my 76 years. But I will give Drakeford credit for being a thoughtful man who listens to advice before making a decision even if I don’t agree with it, I put him above any Westminster politician in power at the moment. An independent Wales would choose it’s government, it could be any colour, even conservative, once the influence of Westminster is removed. Why dollar? There are alternatives, even keeping the pound. Don’t listen or read sound bites, there is no reason Wales would be any worse off that it is now but have the possibility to do better, just as you decided to move away to improve your life.
@@siarlb8115you have got to be having a laugh if you think Drakeford is ay good!! The bloke is an absolute disgrace & embarrassment, Whats with the 20mph speed limit? Or not building an m4 relief road?? The tidal barrage in swansea!? Locking down toy alleys in supermarkets during covid!! Longer lockdowns than England during covid!! 4 NHS trusts are in special measures!! Bollocks tp an independent wales the senedd needs to be knocked down ASAP, Have you heard a single word from him about the Stradey Park Hotel & the illegals?? No nothing at all, absolutely clueless
Successive governments either tory or Labour have left these towns to rot. Especially since the vile Thatcher and her minions closed the mines down in the 80s and left little or no employment for people. It breaks my heart to see what were once thriving towns and communities left the way they have been. I'm from Cardiff which is a totally different place, in feel and atmosphere, to the towns mentioned on here, but ALL of these towns have real salt of the earth people and are ALL friendlier than Cardiff.
Cycling around the Valleys is very good because of the disused railway lines and viaducts turned into parts of the Taff Trail and the Celtic Trail, and they also go through country parks created from reclaimed industrial land. Most of the time on the cycle trails, you don't see the towns as you would driving, so you often have to turn off the trail to get to the town. Or they go through housing estates without you noticing the housing estate around it because of trees and hedges on either side of it and then going through a tunnel under the road or over the road on a bridge. Like between Trethomas and Machen, for example. The same when you travel by train. The railway lines are higher up than the roads and you see more countryside from them. On the road, the towns and villages are sprawled alongside them.
![Hunxho - Ball Forever [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nki9ZTF9Uls/mqdefault.jpg)
Used to frequent the Valleys and South Wales on a regular basis for work delivering flat pack. Only place the residents used to frequently help me out when they saw I was on my own. Diamonds.
oddly en ough --- i always come down the stairs to get my parcels ( when they buzz me ) instead of making the driver handball them up the stairs!
Thank you boyo we like to help others it’s in bred in those who went to chapel that’s what they teach . Nothing wrong with being a valley girl we have woodland mountains and forestry beautiful scenery. Places have gone down like every where else , the government has done this ,it’s not the peoples fault .🏴🏴🏴🏴🌲🌿🤝
Love seeing my home county pop up here! Do think its funny you called Aberdare a pretty nice town though. As a Bridgend local please don't call what happened here a su!cide cult. That's not what happened, that's what the media called it to sell papers and sensationalise stories. What happened was a catastrophic failure in youth mental health services, those young people were suffering and were not given the support or help they needed and there was no link between those who we tragically lost despite the media doing their best to find one. A lot of painful memories for us when we still have that time misrepresented due to the way it was reported on.
It was an "antidepressant" medicine called Seroxat that was implicated.
Another thing that's worth noting is that the youth suicide rate at the time in Bridgend was still below that of large towns and cities in the UK.
There were many rumours, official investigations cited no link. However they were all at some point or currently under the care of the youth mental health team in Bridgend.
@@jonbarnes2424 What's also worth noting is the figures are absolutely rubbish. The health board were involved in reporting them. They cite the increase as only lasting between 07 and 08 when those of us who were involved know it lasted until late 2012. And they never talk about the amount of young people who attempted and failed but still required hospitalisation.
@@AlexandraBassett-g5j They would say that wouldn't they? Seroxat is well known for suicidal ideation along with many others in the same class. Pharma grifters making money out of the completely devalued idea of serotonin reuptake inhibition which has been robustly shown to be utter garbage.
"They were probably burglars working from home and decided to kick their own door in" lol
😂😂
Actually pmsl 😂😂😂
That line had me PMSL!
He has amazing zingers 😂😂😂😂
The sad thing is its probably true,covid hit them hard lol
I think the people who live in the valleys deserve better than this- the pride and dignity that they once possessed has been taken away from them- replaced by fear and desperation- In such a beautiful landscape.
The valley's were shocking in the scale of industrial decline and mine workings despoiling the area, it's thanks to the EU it got a make over so now they're a dumping ground for over-dense forestry and wind turbines, the valley tops are ecologically barren just fit to graze sheep and fly-tip builders waste.
The shitty conditions are caused by the people that live there. You can't keep on blaming others for the piles of litter and crap everywhere.
🔊 this
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1. neolibralist late stage capitalism
@@zenzen9131I live near Aberdare and most people aren't scum, but it doesn't take a big percentage of scum to drag a place down, they do disproportionate harm because that's all they do. There are a lot of problems with intergenerational poverty, crime and drug use, local government can't get a grip of it, money occasionally gets thrown at the problem but never a really sustainable longterm strategy. There's still a post industrial legacy of overpopulation, crappie outdated infrastructure/housing and increasingly the areas being used as a dumping ground by other parts of the UK to offload their high dependant population that make it a difficult place to live. Most people with any sense or ability try to move somewhere better. Short of targeted genocide it's a big problem to solve without the kind of resources that the areas just aren't being given, the location and geography mean there's unlikely to ever be another industrial revolution to create widespread prosperity, the best that can be done is managed decline, but even that requires money and effort that people just don't want to commit. 90% of the population can and would make it a worthwhile place to live if they had a chance, 10% keep it a shithole and hold the rest back and increasingly the law gives them the protection to do it because it's made by people who don't have to live with the consequences on a daily basis. People at the top don't care, and as long as that's the case then whatever the people at the bottom do to try and make things better is basically just pissing into the wind, and your legs can only get so wet before you decide it's a waste of time and give up.
@@zenzen9131I think the situation in the valleys is probably one of the best examples of causes outside of the community leading to them becoming deprived.
The number one reason things are so bad there is because there is no work and no good transport links to places where there is work.
Both of those things were entirely caused by governments that the people in this area did not vote for and were actually militantly opposed to.
I live in Porth the Rhondda Valleys in which three towns are featured in this video. The thing about the Valleys is that you can be in Turdtown the one moment then in a beautiful village the next. Then five minutes down the road another Turdtown.
Nah it's one big shythole
I live in Porth too lol
Port Talbot is really bad
Also in Porth! To be fair, Porth town is a turdtown! I tend to avoid all the towns when I can help it haha!!
I live in trebanog, which is rough as hell, but summertime with the windows open you don't need TV... the entertainments here. I grew up in Cardiff and I'd still never move back to Cardiff. Much rather the valleys.
The high streets and housing estates often look ugly but the tourist attractions such as the Winding House near New Tredegar, the Rhondda Heritage Park north of Pontypridd, and Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil are off the beaten track and often easier to get to by train or bus and then bicycle or on foot than by car.
There are country parks created from reclaimed industrial land with cycle tracks running through them such as Parc Penallta, Parc Bryn Bach, and Parc Cwm Darren. The cycle tracks are linked to the train stations
The valley towns are certainly a bit of a dump aesthetically, but they're where my Best Man comes from. As such, I've spent a lot of time in and around Treorchy: walking in the mountains, cycling and of course drinking in the local pubs. It's an exceptionally friendly area with really nice, down to earth people. I thoroughly recommend a Saturday afternoon/evening pub crawl from Tonypandy up to Treherbert and then work it off the next day with a cycle ride up over the Rhigos to Hirwaun. Enjoy :)
Maybe lock your bike outside the pub
Ah, the spectacular gas tanks at Hirwaun.
I visited Penrhys in the late 90s and I literally thought I was in Baghdad.
Your video's are brilliant 👏
Is it full of Iraqis displaced by Tony Blair's war?
It was nice in the 90s compared to today.
@@AstronomyWales Hahaha
@@AstronomyWales not when I seen it pal
It used to be a very scary place, but with some great people as well.
I used to live a couple of miles from Maesteg. When I grew up there in the 70's it had a thriving town centre and was generally a reasonable place to live close to. I have been back there a couple of times in the last 2-3 years to visit a relative and the decay is staggering. It's not just the mines that have closed down - a whole industrial estate just off the town centre that was filled with factories is now just scrub and rubble, with not a single building left. Anyone with any money or ambition has long since moved down to the M4 corridor, to Cardiff or like me, out of Wales altogether.
Yeah,just move east,over the bridge and back to civilisation.
Ponty benefits from having the (now) university. I went there back in the mid 1980s when it was known as The Polytechnic of Wales. I actually loved the place for its friendliness though not all students would agree back then. I was lucky having many relatives living in the area, as my mother's side of the family had their roots in Rhondda.
I was a German laguage assistant at the polytechnic in the late 80s. I lived in Ponty. I LOVED it! People were SO friendly although they suffered from the miners' strike.
I live 4 miles north of Pontypridd and agree with most of your observations. However, had you visited during the day, you would have found a little treasure in the indoor market. There’re quality butchers. Excellent restaurants and a superb coffee shop along with a fine bakery. Many other businesses also. Well worth a visit.
Yes, the indoor market was great when I lived there in the mid-eighties, a great doughnut place was a highlight of my weekly shopping!
I remember the Market in the 60’s when young!! It was a mega busy bustling area!! So glad Ponty is doing well. I’ve spent my career living in the SE and working in London, but love Ponty and the Rhondda!! It was a brill place to grow up in!!
four miles north Porth maybe? Glynoch? Maerdy ?
None of those
Theres a free miners museum by the Bridge in ponty Town that doubles up as a tourist information you got the rocking stones they used to hold concerts in the park for free and often the stereophonics would perform I would not call Pontypridd a turd town!
Some interesting observations as a former "Valleysboy", now living in New Zealand. It outlines a waste of human capital and lack of investment. Please note that in the filming, you can just see the outstanding countryside that abounds among the hillsides and hilltops between the valleys. The place certainly deserves a visit. Perhaps the Welsh Tourist Board should promote these towns as a 'must see', possibly encouraging a form of voyeuristic tourism, its spinoff benefiting the community? Remember the local adage, "You can take the boy from the Valleys but you can't take the valleys from the boy".
The valley's are shocking, the coastline is the best part of South Wales
I heard the rest of the LOTR movie was filmed in New Zealand, but the shots of Mordor were from here
why do you live in NZ?
@@llanieliowe794 Came here in 1973 for excitement and adventure, moved back and fore a couple of times but here for good. Wales has changed, so have I. It's harder each time I go back. NZ is uncrowded, even the cities, the scenery is stunning and the climate better. The people are great. What's not to like?
The valleys would make a living history experience of the 1970's. If it was not for the mines, it would be one big national park of Outstanding Beauty.
Its a shame because the valleys are actually beautiful in terms of the scenery but there's just no economy there anymore, still brings a smile to face when u see footage of it
There is economy in Cardiff so hopefully that comes to the rest of the valley
Worked for a retailer across mid glamorgan for many years in the 90's and 00's. Gradually saw the decline every year as the ambitious or prosperous moved away . The surroundings in some cases may be crumbling but the spirit of those remaining is strong.
Well, I’m a valley boy born and bred, even though in general there is some truth to this video, I live in a small village called Gifach Goch, not much there but I love it, fantastic views from my house on a sunny day.
I’ve worked all over the UK and there are just as many depressed areas in England, Scotland and Ireland.
I wouldn’t sell my house for one anywhere else, I just travel to London every week for work, a Londoner would be jealous of what I can come home too, perhaps I’m just lucky.
Idk why I like these videos so much or why I find them so interesting. You definitely need to venture into Scotland at some point, there is many grim places here 🏴 🇬🇧
You’re absolutely right. Wales needs to embrace adventure tourism and also nature conservation and wildlife. All the sheep and pine plantations do nothing for the economy. Creating wilderness parks would transform the place and bring in people from across Britain.
That would require venture capital and removal of government downforces... neither of which will happen.
I agree. Build on hill walking cycling and river fishing. Afan Argoed Mountain Biking now attracts a certain well heeled professional type of tourist from the shires.
honestly think the senedd are pulling a Westminster and putting all their focus on Cardiff, it has become a nice little city (bad timing saying this with Ely incident) but everywhere else is tumbling downhill
Ye it seems that way!
This seems to be a universal problem; funnel all investment into the capital/largest city, neglecting everywhere else. It's mainly to do with population, as the population of the big three (Cardiff, Newport and Swansea) alone is higher than pretty much everywhere else in Wales combined so there's more taxpayers concentrated there to give more incentive to prioritise the investment there. Not a very good approach, I know, given it's clearly a profit-driven model (more population = more profit). Wales need to look at Switzerland (tbf they are starting to use Swiss-style trains in the Valleys now so that's a start), where they avoid giving preference to one city over another to the point where they officially avoid saying they have a capital. The de-facto capital (as the seat of government has to be somewhere) Bern isn't even among the top three largest cities (Zurich, Geneva and Basel) and every city in Switzerland holds its own without being in the shadow of another, hence there is much more balance in investment across the board.
@Lucy and Clare - An Appreciation Channel You don't need to list them I've been there, and in fact most you have listed are on the outskirts which is an issue every city deal with e.e London with Croydon, Camden before gentrification. What I'm saying is you can circle the city centre of Cardiff a lot further out before finding the rougher outer areas, I mean Swansea one step out of the Quadrant and you are in the dive that is Sandfields. Also regardless if you believe it's good or not, money is going there to make it better more than anywhere else.
@@AymanTravelTransport To be fair, the new valleys trains are very nice, quite surprised we have such modernity to be honest!
@Lucy and Clare - An Appreciation Channel Haha well agree to disagree, not saying the locals couldn't have a better attitude but to call it incorrect to blame the government for failing many people with a lack of opportunities is quite erroneous in itself. Do you truly believe the council has done everything they can to mend these areas, the same council that build hostile architecture to hide the homeless instead of tackling the issue?
Funny narrative but really sad considering we are a G7 nation. The wealth is going somewhere, but not equally and totally missing some places by the look of things.
Rich people take it out the country and park it in the caymans.
Thank you for your effort. I love watching this channel full of information and glorious smattering of classic un-PC Brit humor!
Why the Welsh government haven’t had the foresight to turn the Valleys into a serious tourist attraction, like the Peak District for example, is beyond me. The landscape up there is incredible and crying out for tourism investment/development/infrastructure. I’m from Bridgend and all these areas have so much potential to thrive once again.
That would need imagination, the senedd plans only reach to the M4 the northern edge of Cardiff.
Work is about to start on a massive adventure park with hotels, log cabins etc in the Afan valley, about two miles from Maesteg. It's about time someone took advantage of the incredible landscape and scenery of the valleys.
They have. Look at Ebbw Vale Festival Park. Its now completely defunct due to lack of interest.
Maybe it's something to do with politicians and government employees being feckless, stupid, lazy parasites who've never succeeded in building anything in their lives except for persistently lining their pockets and filling their fat pensions with the confiscated wealth generated by the productivity of others... just a wild guess.
Wales voted for brexit so all the tourism funding has just ended. EU funding brought huge tourism infrastructure investment eg Rhondda Heritage Park, Big Pit Blaenavon and Llancaich Fawr Cromwellian Manor House. The Heads of the Valleys Rd and Merthyr By Pass. Huge investment in fast Broadband and various River clean ups. The Taff Trail Cycle route and some superb new educational colleges in Merthyr Ebbw Vale and Ysrrad Mynach. New local railway stations into the valleys towns. A lot of it had 75% EU grants
Then the people of the Valleys voted 3 to 1 to leave the EU.
The prevalence of lung disease in Merthyr Tydfil is largely a legacy of the mining era. I went to school there in the late 80s / early 90s and a shockingly high proportion of kids my age were asthmatic. Even now there are still a lot of toxins in the environment.
It's also the open cast mine on the mountain above sending up tons of coal dust.
Its all the gear.....
They all smoke
I do enjoy your entertaining videos, but it well worth remembering that the reason these once thriving, bustling towns have become so run down is because of the closure of the mines and their dependent industries. It's easy to look at them now and think "what a shithole", but these places haven't always been like that, and it wouldn't take to much creativiity and investment to make them alive again. Maggie Thatcher was determined to break the working class, and that fact is no evident than in the post industrial heartlands of Wales.
You've hit the nail on the head there. The Thatcher government ripped the hearts and souls out of many of these communities.
All true (I grew up near Merthyr through 70’s & 80’s before moving away). However let’s not pretend coal mining was anything other than extremely dangerous, dirty and polluting to everyone and everything around it. The spoil heaps are still leaching poisonous chemicals every time it rains 40 years after the pits started closing. Remember the furnacite plant below Aberdare OMG. Dead trees nothing grew. The coal industry was doomed to closure, what should have happened was the controlled decline over say 20 years allowing for new jobs, new approaches, new apprenticeships etc etc. Although well written and humorous this list was tragic really. Labour have been in power for decades, hundreds of millions of pounds and euros have been pumped into Wales, and gone where? Labour need a kick up the arse if you ask me.
@@jfro5867 I come from a family of colliers, and grew up in the shadows of one of the most brutal pits in the coalfield, I also agree with every word you say. The problems the valleys have faced is that when the mines closed nothing replaced them, communities were literally left to rot on the slag heaps, it was horrific to witness. You also rightly point out, the Labour Party in Wales have done virtually nothing to right the wrongs, with all their investment going into Cardiff, and Cardiff alone. Who knows where the future takes us, for me walking these beautiful valleys has become my way of life, they have so much to offer, if you look in the right places.
Well said,Maggie did the same to the fishing g industry I'm in grimsby and from a fishing family,things changed here to.
@@jfro5867agree 100%
I hear people slate these towns of Wales as being dumps. I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Wales and from experience of some of the places Ive worked, comparatively the Welsh offerings don’t seem that bad.
Least here you still have beautiful greenery, valleys and rolling hills.
If you want to see a sh@thole then take a wander through places like Brixton, Camberwell, Southwark, Peckham, Tottenham, Bow, Bethnal green the list of dumps within London is endless. Peckham is probably the worst I’ve seen. Narcotic Needles, human waste, rats, people wandering around talking to themselves, shouting, lost their minds due to drug abuse.
All concrete, no nature. Horrid places.
I’d pick working in a Welsh town over 90% of the dumps within London.
I agree, Aberdare is a very nice place. I moved to the Cyon Valley 8 year's ago when my marriage broke down as I could not afford to live in Northant's any more & move to Mountain Ash, between Aberdare & Ponty. I use the cycle path's most of the time and they are FANTASIC, mostly well maintained and load's of them. A cyclist's dream. (Mind at 75 I do have an electric bike now!). My first impression of both Merther & Ponty was the same as your's as well as that of Aberdare. I alway's felt I chose well and your video confirm's it.
There are so many off-road cycle paths because of the disused railway lines. When you cycle along them, you feel like you are in the middle of the countryside and not near any towns. That's because they are tree lined and higher up the sides of the valleys. Like the off road path between Trethomas near Caerohilly and Machen. You couldn't even notice that you are cycling between two housing estates. Then there is the high level route of the Celtic Trail between Gnoll Park in Neath and Pontypridd. From Pontypridd you cycle through Ynysybwl and then Yr Gwenno Forest between the Cynon and Rhondda Fach valleys. Then close to the Heads of Valleys and down through the Afan Forest. You feel far from civilisation, but you are close to Ferndale, Aberdare, Treherbert, and Glynneath. That's because there are hills between them and the Celtic Trail high level section.
Ive heard Ely isnt great, especially at the moment!
dont need to switch the heating on there at the moment
Ideal for a street barbecue though
It's what happens when there's a shortage of sheep for the neanderthal chavs to play with.🐑🐑🐑
Chasing 2 kids on an e scooter? Murder by the cops.
Lots of lawless bastards down that way.
Glad to see this review. My great-great-great grandparents migrated from Merthyr Tydfil around 1820. I can only imagine how much worse it must have been back then in the iron mills and mines.
My husband and I moved from England to South Wales. We have lived here for almost two years now. We moved here because you get more for your money in the way of house properties than in England. To be honest, I haven't really ventured far here. I have been to Meardy as it is just over the mountains from us. I've been to Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. I clean for a couple in Pontypridd. Yes, some of the areas are run down but you also have some lovely areas. I wondered if the makers of Turd Town could do a video of the nice places to visit in South Wales as there are loads. You have the castles; coch and Caerphilly on the way to Cardiff, the dare Valley aberdare Park and the brecon beacons. Its not all doom and gloom. However, i now realise why one of my cleaning customers said that the government need to invest in making South Wales better. I also agree with the comment of.. these Valley towns was once thriving places as the mines provided jobs for locals and also people came from miles around to work in them. Sadly, when they closed there wasn't much in the way of jobs for people. Also, just to add being English myself, I totally agree with what you said in your Monmouthshire video that children here are actually brought up with manners compared to some English children and the Welsh people have a lot of pride in their country and heritage! And so they should as they have a beautiful speaking language (welsh) and celtic ancestry. And the more up north and west you go they have preserved the welsh language (as they should) such pride! And the views? Absolutely beautiful 😍
Unfortunately I don't think the maker of turdtowns is interested in creating anything positive about any place. Just someone who likes to sneer and be negative and has figured out how to edit videos to broadcast it to the world.
Blackwood is a neat proud little town with some gorgeous scenery.
@@DaiHGowerWalesThat's where I live now lol Markham boy 30 years😂😂
Wales is one of the most beautiful places in tge UK. Gorgeous beaches stunning mountains and countryside. I love being from Wales 🏴
I’ve lived in Wales for 23 years as my ex is Welsh. Whilst most of the friends I made were lovely, the majority are so up their own arses (my ex included) and are brought up to hate or at least have a big problem with the English. Most of the towns are shitholes. The National Parks are beautiful and I did love going to Abergavenny. My favourite pubs were the Clytha in Raglan and The Skirrid Inn in Llanvihangel-Crucorny. Cardiff was good for shopping as is Cwmbran. I’ve worked in the valleys too and they are shocking too.
You mention that a positive for Penywaun is that its close to Aberdare which is quite a nice town. I live and work in the latter and I would agree, although Aberdare has had its fair share of social and economic problems over the years and some parts of the town have seen better days. But theres far worse out there.
Born & raised in Aberdare. Pleased that it was too nice to make the list of TTs! Has it's problems for sure, but there's a lot worse out there.
Aberdare's a fucking shit pit "just ask the fucking snakes ".
A lot of it looks familiar. As a kid back in the 70s/80s I'd get shipped off from London for the school summer holidays to Cymmer.
My aunt married a Welsh fella so it was basically a free holiday lol. Happy times though running wild in the open countryside. Made a pleasant change from the big smoke.
This video needs to be shown on a big screen facing the Welsh Parliament building with a battery of pop festival-strength loudspeakers turned up so the mainly over-fed occupants don't miss any of this glowing appraisal.
A bunch of greedy self -serving pigs at the Welsh Assembly. Get rid of, and use the money on community projects in Wales.
All someone needs to do is get a generator, a big outdoor screen usually used for concerts and something that can play videos connected to it. I'm sure it could be crowdfunded
Thank you for that. Despite having lived in the area (Maesteg!) I hadn't heard of all of them.
Your description of Maesteg cracked me up.
The grimness of forced de-industrialisation laid bare here, just like in other parts of country after the mining was closed down. Everything was still working until the late 1970's, and there are still a few brighter spots even now. They should probably turn those boarded up shops into affordable housing rather than wait forlornly for gentrification or some other miracle to bring in money for the councils. If they don't bother more of it it will collapse into 'zombie apocalypse' territory. Keep up the Turdtowns series, you won't be running out of new ones to find any day soon.
Hopefully everyone in the UK has now noticed that this clusterfluck of governance has nothing to do with being in the EU, and everything to do with being ruled by elite Etonians, nothing personal.. they just want more money.
Ok yeah it is personal, they hate us plebs.
I have seen corner shops being turned into housing in Cardiff.
NO.@@lemsip207
I spent a couple of years living on the Gurnos when I was a teenager. I saw more crime and depravity than I have in the rest of my life combined! It was a truly depressing place and I feel sorry for the people who spend their whole lives there.
The problems in Merthyr arose when the local mines, iron production and then manufacturing industry all closed leaving mass unemployment. Hoover washing machines. Triange and a host of others were sold off and then "lifted and shifted" elsewhere. An incredible downward spiral..
Move on. Get over it look at Poland Hungary and East Germany. Stop being victims
Still blaming Thatcher 35 years later😂 What have your Labour councillors and people like Drakeford done for you since? Sod all that's what!
Depressingly familiar,and I live in South Wales! Keep up the good work!
Bridgend used to be a lovely place, and could still be again but the council have a difficult job and there is a lot of homeless/drug/mental health issues in the town. The best thing about bridgend and many other places around here, is that there are also friendly and nice people, and some ambitious people trying to build local businesses.
Of course, varied escapism choices are top notch; close to the coast, mountains, a mainline railway route in town, motorway, and an airport not far away. Lot of sport locally to participate in or watch. Always music and jam nights in some pubs throughout the week, loads of walks.
So while it is quite bad in some areas, it's also not as bad as many other places, and has potential to get a lot better. Hopefully.
I lived in Wales for 3 years. I've lived in Pontypridd, visited Bridgend several times and Merthyr Tydfil. The hit that these communities took from the mining collapse is deeply haunting. South Wales was doomed from the get go.
Unfortunately the Council's didn't do much to bring them back to life. This is coming from someone who has spent all my life in Glamorgan areas of South Wales and now work in a Council. Lots of poor decisions and being out of touch with communities' want's and needs has meant most towns have suffered immensely.
@@madmike987655 Get rid of the Labour councils to have any chance at all !
@@photoman3579
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
@@photoman3579Why does Wales have 22 local authorities with 22 chief executives and 22 teams of senior executives? Surely, in these days of modern technology and communications, local authorities can be combined, to reduce the number to at least half to 11. Why can't a chief executive and senior management team manage the services provided to people living within 2 current local authorities. Money saved from these salaries, pension payouts, expenses, immediate support staff and office accommodation, could be put to front line resources, kkwhich are crying out for money, such as improving the number, and salaries, of home care assistants, schools, NHS and other services suffering for the want of finance.
Eluned Morgan, the Welsh Health and Social Services Minister, warned recently, although additional funding was available to the NHS in Wales, cut backs would have to be made. From the pictures shown on Welsh news whilst reporting this, the implication was that the cuts would apply to front line services. Why not back office cuts rather than front line services cuts?
Also why is it necessary to increase the number of Senedd members by 50%? Especially at a time when front line services are desperate for the money.
Finance should ALWAYS be available to provide the services required by residents within each local authority, rather than being diverted to support management. Community charges, which Welsh people pay, is for FRONT LINE SERVICES.
@@photoman3579 The bulk of Local Government money comes from Central Government, fed through Welsh Government. How do you expect Local Government to run properly when the past 3 years, the Conservative UK government has ruined the the UK?
I love the sense of humor that the Narator has , makes the video complete !
I’m welsh but was moved to England as my grandfather moved for work
He ended up working in a factory putting the holes in coconut ring biscuits
Everyone's a fucking comedian on here ain't they?
Pontypridd had a lovely shopping area and a massive park. We used to love going there.
What's extraordinary about Penrhys is the huge statue of the Virgin Mary that's actually the focus of pilgrimages. It replaces a mediaeval (wooden) statue that was torn down during the Reformation and burnt at Smithfield. There's also a holy well, which is something genuinely miraculous in this outpost of Hades. (It had been vandalised last time I visited, yet still somehow felt like a healing and special place in the midst of horrible dereliction). It's as if something satanic has done its best to desecrate what was once a holy place.
But I suppose one could say that about large swathes of the British Isles!
These are accurate, honest & highly entertaining, as well as being very funny indeed, which is perhaps the most important ingredient. It's very well scripted & clearly narrated. There are some nice funny remarks. Great stuff. Thanks. JC
I’m born and raised in Maerdy, you’ll do hard to find a place with more lovely people back in the day, now, like most places, the scumbags and spoon burners are shoved up there in the social housing. I loved growing up there and will always be proud of my Maerdy and mining roots, best part of the village is the road out nowadays.
Used to live in Northampton, so these do not seem too bad, at least there is nice scenery and the cost of living is lower.
That’s surprising. I live in Birmingham but have visited Northampton many times. Never found it to be bad but then again, visiting is different from living somewhere
Same, I grew up in Luton and most of these places don’t seem that bad to me. Although they are fairly remote.
You should see Port Talbot and then you will feel blessed to be in Northampton
You have to love nature to enjoy these places and i think if you grow up with it its just wallpaper. Go to any exotic beautiful place in the world and the locals just chuck all their shit on the floor. Human nature.
@@jonathanparker2369 In a lot of places they don't have any bins or anything so they have to do that
I've lived in the Rhondda my entire life and Tonypandy & Penyrhys have always been no go zones due to how bad the crime was when I was younger.
I cycled thru' Tonypandy once or twice and it seemed nice enough with plenty of small independent shops open.
I was born in Porthcawl, went to college & had my first job in Bridgend and dated a girl from Maesteg. This is why i have lived in Cheshire for the last 25 years. I don't miss it.
I remember being up Betws mountain when they shut the fans down on Ammanford mines the valley fell quiet
Used to play in that mine over 30 years ago. Went to school at Amman Valley.
99% of Wales, if in England, would be national Park...its that nice here....well done for finding the 1%....you help keep the English out and prices affordable....peace
Rather than carrying that massive chip around on your shoulder why dont you actually do something about the state of these places. The evidence is there for all to see.
Tbh most of these places are shit holes because the English government shut down all the industry in the 80s suddenly without providing any assistance or alternative employment. Not that the same thing didn't also happen in England though. These places have massive potential, especially with stunning countryside so close by. I feel like things are slowly improving though (mostly).
Aberdare girl here, delighted that we didn’t make the list (but a bit surprised if I’m being honest!)😂 Everyone remembers the year Santa left the Christmas lights turn on in the back of a riot van 😂😂😂
Un arall o Aberdar sy'n siarad Cymraeg! Da iawn.
@@drychaf Fi hefyd. Ces fy magu yno cyn "ymfudo" i'r Gorllewin yn ddeng mlwydd oed.
I drive past Penrhys estate sometimes and it always reminds me of the FIBUA villages the Army use for training urban warfare, you can't imagine how some poor sod would actually live there. What the planners were thinking when they shat it onto a hilltop just baffles me, presumably none of them had any intention of living there themselves. Gurnos had a load of money and effort thrown at it about 15-20 years ago, it looked a lot worse back then than it does now, so use your imagination on how bad that was.
Them town planners got awards for this and that tit king charlie actually praised it and the design!!
I loved your reference to the FIBUA villages with regard to Penrhys. Absolutely spot on. I'm from Tylorstown so I know the area well.
There’s another place in Wales, you should do Gwynedd and number one should be capel celyn Which is a ghost town that is practically gone after the village was Basically destroyed, in 1989 So a reservoir could take its place
Thought you were going to say the Shithole that is Bangor.
An embarrassment to Gwynedd.
You need to go to London for sit and drugs. Nd Bangor nothing wrong wraith our Bally’s Pontypridd is a lovely place You horrid man life is what you make it Thing go on all over the world.
Penyrhys’ flats had a revolutionary central heating system that didn’t work.
Good to see Ponty bounce back. The uni is finally coming up trumps. Really surprised by Bridgend though. The houses there, for the best part, seem nice. I think the town centre looks like that because people go to McArthur Glen instead?
Penyrhys actually won design awards when it was built as the design was apparently inspired by a Mediterranean hill village. However they didn't appear to take into account that the top of a Welsh mountain is rather wet and windy for quite a bit of the year and its within walking distance of nowhere.
I thought you were a bit unfair about Merthyr though, the town centre was ok until they allowed Trago Mills to get built, its basically killed the town centre. Other bits of Merthyr are quite nice, or at least will be once they finish the massive road works.
Yes - there's a reason that the Victorians didn't build on these hills. They are so inhospitable!
My ex boyfriend knew about it as there is a cheap recording studio there which he used once. Though he did exaggerate what it was like saying people were trapped there till they died which is not true. It should be razed to the ground. They even tried to turn it into a Transition village.
Loving this series keep them coming!
These valleys have suffered more under labour in the last 20 years. Tonypandy was a bustling town once. Pontypridd ruined by the council
Come to West Wales and experience the pleasure of Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest.
Visited in the 80s as a lad. Was quite decent then although hard to find work. Dread to think what it might be like today.. 😮
I really do want to and I almost did. Worried tourist season will make slow travel.
@@Turdtowns that holiday traffic will only affect you when leaving …
I've actually just been in Milford Haven today. It's kinda sad. The marina is beautiful but expensive and gentrified for the tourists (like me tbf). But the rest of the town is so dead even the charity and betting shops have closed down...
Your content is greatly appreciated 👍.
Your fair and just say it as you find it.
Simples.
🎉
We,ll keep a welcome on the hillside , we,ll keep a welcome in the dales .
This land of ours will still be singing when you come home to wales again. .🎶🎵🎵🏴🏴🏴🏴🎶🎵🎵🎵🎶
Having grown up nearby and gone to school in Merthyr back in the 80’s I know all these bar number 1 well. Only thing is if you are born into it you don’t know different until you move away. Like I did over 30 years ago.
“Lipstick on a pig”. Comedy gold. I’ve only just realised I cycled up a lovely steep hill from Ystrad to Penrhys, took a photo of the stunning view and cycled back down. I missed the dwellings completely!
Missing the Smallpox isolation hospital up by there , but it's hard to tell which is which.
Porth, Tonyrefail towns in intensive care.
It's a good job you didn't stop or the wheels would have been nicked off your bike.
@@paulsengupta971 In all fairness, it didn’t feel unsafe at the Penrhys roundabout
@@mountaingoat3012 Actually, since they demolished half the houses and cleaned the place up, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. A fun sport back in the day was looking to see which cars had valid tax discs on them. I would estimate about one in three...
@@paulsengupta971 You can't play that game anymore now tax discs have disappeared. Fingers crossed for Penrhys going forward.
Lol, I think you nailed this video! Your description of life in Maesteg was so accurate I got chills! Although, I feel Bridgend is too high on the list, I feel like Merthyr Tydfil is better than Bridgend, although Bridgend's housing and rent prices are higher - I reckon it's because Bridgend got a movie made about it's apparent suicide culture starring Hannah Murray, so they're riding that popularity wave. The movie is actually called "Bridgend" and the movie poster has the caption "you will never leave", which is exactly how I felt growing up there! Penrhys is in the right spot though. I remember learning about Penrhys at school, it was such a disaster it became a case study and a legendary cautionary tale. Apparently the design was based on an idyllic Greek mountain village! Talk about a swing and a miss!
Go to Swansea city centre, empty shops and places shutting down, wasn’t like this five years ago.
good job again - addictive watching!
Surprised you didn't bump into any 'colourful' characters in Bridgend,walked down to town this morning around 9:30 and someone was already threatening to smash a shopkeepers face in 😅 yea not sure if it was a suicide cult but there was definitely a lot of teen suicides in 2006/7, one of them was in my year group. Awesome video 😅
Bridgend was probably at one time a thriving place but when I had some time to wait for a train connection I had a walk around the town centre which was very run down. Sadly though, hardly an unusual state of affairs in a lot of town centres these days.
@@herridge819 You're dead right. I've lived in Bridgend for all of my 65 years and it was indeed a thriving market town back in the sixties and seventies. It has been so sad to see it's slow decline over the last forty years. The closure of the livestock market followed by pedestrianisation and the inevitable edge of town retail parks have not helped either. As you say, a lot of town centres are suffering the same fate these days. All we seem to be left with now are charity shops, hairdressers and takeaways lol. ( Sorry for the moan/rant).
Some shockers in here for sure! Keep up the good work
There was no cult. That was a rumour made up by the press to sell papers. The only link between the teenagers was the fact that they had all at some point been referred to child mental health services who neglected to help them and they were all suffering with their mental health as a result of the lack of support. Very dark times and the borough still sadly has a high rate in under 25s. Agree with you about town though! can't walk through there without seeing something kicking off these days.
I've never really seen any major issues myself, but I did move here from Chatham about 12 years ago so alot has to be wrong to make me notice any difference lol
I'm guessing Wiltshire will likely be next in England? I predict Swindon will very likely be number 1, Westbury will probably make the list somehow and I'd be really surprised if Salisbury gets on there given I've heard it's one of the nicer parts of the country!
Wiltshire is pleasant...apart from Scumdon in League 2...F*** of Swinedon ! Joking aside apart from the scum...Wiltshire is pleasant...
Merthyr Tydfil was the site of a pretty badass workers' revolt in 1831, known as the Merthyr Rising.
I'm a History graduate and we learned that the Merthyr Riots resulted in far more deaths than the Peterloo Massacre the English made so much of. The other thing that really niggles me is the way the football stadium fire which resulted in about 25 deaths was publicised so much and the 100th anniversary of the Senghenydd pit disaster in which over 430 people died was virtually ignored
@@janiced9960 Things that happen in far off conquered territories have little importance to those in power
Myrther..you missed cafartha retai Park, the museum and art gallery, the leisure estate which has gym swimming pools, a hotel and a nice pub/carvery situated next door.
These videos are really interesting and your line about burglars working from home was genius. Half the time I'm laughing at the absurdity of these places, the other half I feel really sorry for anybody trapped there, in poverty with no job prospects.
Being from Cardiff, some of the most successful people I know have come from the valleys. The links to Cardiff are great (for the best part) and some have better public transport links than those in Cardiff. The problem is education up there
We used to have great schools in Wales. I think every time - the answer is poverty. It caused lots of illness in the past. With the collapse of the coal and steel industries, whole communities were left with no employment. If you were academic and had good qualifications and skills you could get a job out of the area, and many did move away to find work. But we are not all the same, and for those less qualified, or for the most vulnerable ( for various reasons) and you stayed in the areas what were you supposed to do? Jobs were few and far between. Many people had to rely on benefits - not because they wanted to, but you have to survive, don't you. Poverty brings with it depression, anger, envy, ill health - mental and physical, and ultimately a dependence on alcohol and drugs. Of course there are decent, law abiding people living in some of these places, but even they lack ambition and positivity when there is sadness and crime all around them. Don't blame the people who live in these places. What they need is work, monetary investment, a sense of purpose and eventually this will turn into a pride for their village or town. No places in Britain should have been abandoned like they were post industrialisation. I blame successive governments for failing to invest in the people of Britain - but of course it is cheaper for them to import goods made in other countries.
@@marythurlow9132 well said! You have made the best comments on here IMHO. Every word you have written is the truth
Grew up near Pontypridd and was pleasantly surprised to see some money being spent down there. I was glad to see they finally knocked down that eyesore of a shopping centre and put something else there. I also noticed they've recently knocked down the old block on the corner by the train station, not sure what they're building there.
Not sure if it's my poor memory, but around 15 years ago when we used to go to Ponty on Saturdays they rarely had the main street open for cars, but these days it's always open. Might have a positive impact on the area since you don't have to park in the multi-storey or the tiny carpark just off the main street. Something similar happened in my small village where they re-routed the traffic through the main street which has helped the shops a little bit.
For me it's strange to see stuff actually being built and improved, as all of my life I've been used to seeing areas being neglected and left to rot, especially in this area of the country.
The block you referred to was where the old County cinema was. They are supposed to be turning it into a "pleasant outdoor sitting area" , so good luck with that one. They are also demolishing most of the block where Marks and Spencers was. Also they have rebuilt the YMCA. Its no called YMa, no idea what that means or what its for, but it looks better.
I grew up in the Aberdare it’s such a shame that such lovely scenic places have been left to become like this. I also grew up seeing the heartache my father had as an open cast minor constantly being laid off and struggling for work. There is a lot of sad history here but for the most part it is a warm and friendly place. By the way you comment on burglars working from home and kicking their own doors in made me laugh out loud
Aberdare architecture looks like Brecon in places but run down, needing a lick of paint and with cheap shops and empty shops on the ground floor. It does have a nice coffee shop in the old town hall and museum.
My God there were some grim places there.
It's amazing how bad he last place was. It's good that you pointed out that all the people had ruined the last town had moved out, presumably to destroy somewhere else.
Yeah they went to Bridgend and little Beirut in Brackla in particular.
Yeah, some ended up in my area. Brought all their bad habits and stupid ideas with them.
A block of flats in a roundabout is pushing the surreality envelope.
I live in Pontypridd, halfway up a mountain with glorious views. Most of the town is pretty decent and there is a lot of rebuilding going on, I just hope I live long enough to see it finished but I'm not holding my breath.The Town Council need to get to grips with the assets we've got such as the railway viaduct built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I think it does have a plaque on it but its about 18 inches long and about 30 feet off the ground. We also had the distinction of having the longest railway platform in the UK, so what do they do!!! Chop it off. You could have mentioned the Ynys Angharad Park which, though small, is quite pretty and the Lido swimming pool. I did enjoy your video and had a good chuckle as I was born and raised in the Valleys and knew most of the places you featured. Penrhys was doomed to failure before it even started. Everyone thought it was a stupid idea but the "Experts" obviously knew better. By the way, it is pronounced Pen-rees if you can't pronounce it the Welsh was and aspirate the h. I shall keep a look out for more of your videos. Hwyl Fawr. Although I can't speak much Welsh myself, we made sure our children were brough up with and my grandchildren also speak it as well. Its a beautiful language and I am very proud of my Welsh heritage and my roots (I was born in Tylorstown) I also have to admit that my son-in-law and my granddaughter are criminal solicitors and they are never short of work.
Adventure tourism is already taking shape around the Valleys. From the beautiful Afan Forest Park in the west where walking, cycling and mountain biking all take place, to Bike Park Wales near Merthyr Tydfil , where inbetween there is the excellent Zip World facility and Dare Valley Country Park, bringing visitors from all over the country. The Brecon Beacons National Park is on our doorstep offering endless opportunities for adventure tourism, miles of hiking and mountain bike trails the waterfalls walk and climbing Pen Y Fan to name a few. More needs to be done, of course but the Valleys has alot to offer. Never have the Valleys been so green as they are today.
The mines have gone, finished, nobody wants coal in these environmentally sensitive times , so we need to embrace new sources of income, with tourism being the no1. So long as the Welsh Assembly doesnt introduce the tourist tax, Wales has a bright future for tourism.
Not Mid-Glamorgan but I grew up in a village called Loughor between Swansea and Llanelli...a nice place to grow up as a kid...I left there when I was 8 and moved to England...I still think my life would have panned out better if I'd stayed in Wales...
I was born in Gorseinon
Glad you see the potential in Pontypridd. It could be a serious contender with Cardiff in a lot of areas but we're a few decades away from that I think.
Also quite a few crack heads away from it
I was born in 1960 in Llwynipia, I moved to Ynyswern in 1968 but the main shopping centres then were Tonypamndy, and Pontypridd. None of them were run down and decrepit then. Some of the biggest employers began shutting down and moving to cheaper countries in the eighties, TC Jones, EMI, Polikoffs, Rolo (telco Hardy) and lots of others, nothing came and took their places. I worked in Pollikoffs, then in Lewis Merthyr and Thatcher came and killed that industry too. One of the biggest employers lately was Griffin Windows - that closed with a week's notice not too long ago. I worked for Laser Travel who are one of the biggest employers now, but it costs at least £1,000 to get the license and pass the 'exams' to get to be able to drive a taxi or minibus, and the wonderful useless council of ours keeps adding more hurdles when Taxi firms are desperate for drivers. No wonder some of these places are like this today,
A £1,000 for the taxi license, but they don't tell you that they're closing all of the pubs and and other places with late night openings . Hope things get better my friend, but somehow I've got a feeling of - dont hold your breath. Respect. ❤😊
Problem with most of the valleys people is they dont realise what they've got surrounding them. So dont appreciate it or even recognise it. So have no motivation to make their towns and homes as beautiful as the countryside around them. Its only the ones that move away and see other parts of the UK realise that they are in one of the most picturesque parts of the country. By the way I was born there moved away and have now returned. So speaking from experience. Glad to here Porth wasn't on the list but probably should have been.
Couldn't agree more. Unfortunately the latest fad is to turn any grassy area into a muddy rutted mess on a wide variety of legal and illegal off road vehicles. This includes roundabouts and other grassy areas in the town themselves. Not just the beautiful mountains.
Young people don't care about natural beauty, especially when they have no hopes or ambitions
@@GamiGreen dont i know it. Just arrived home from 5 weeks awsy and the mountain behind my house jas been set alight destroying who knows haw many small mammals and their food supply. Total morons.
I live in Merthyr Tydfil and its a village. It feels old and haunted. I can’t say the people are very nice either. I grew up in California in a town less than 20,000 and the downtown is bigger and better than here.
used to love ponty in the 80s getting pissed in the clarence then heading down to the dun thing on the pull. if you didnt pull it would be a curry in sweaty bettys. great mun
The grimmer the place the more friendly the people. Just my observation in life.
You have to do some places around East London, just bring a stab proof vest.
Newham would be fun :D
Pen Reece is how I've been pronouncing PenRhys.
❤
And you would be correct!
You missed out on Bettws, Mid Glamorgan, the place where birds fly upside down as it's not worth shitting on!
I lived for many happy years in Pontypridd, but I understand what you say. It is a great town but the anti-social behaviour, usually due to substance abuse, is crippling the valleys. When are we going to really do something about it. Thank you for your direct, fair and always amusing delivery.
We need more buildings like Pontys library! Amazing!
The new library may look architecturally attractive from the outside but inside it's a desert. The book stock is tiny compared to the extensive floor area. When I last visited some weeks ago I was pleased to see shelves on the right hand side as you go in. I thought that they had taken action to fill the wide open spaces with books. No chance! They had simply moved the stock previously held upstairs down to ground level. There was a LGBT display standing in splendid isolation, with not a book to be seen.
There's not enough Prozac in the world to make the library something you can live with.
RUBBISH !
How long will it last though? Do the crackheads in ponty really want to go read literature?
Awful place,we need a decent car park,it's a useless place with very little disabled parking. I can't walk from the ncp car park, or climb the hill out of the tiny car park( if you can get a space ) Aberdare is much better for a disabled person. But still not enough parking spaces.
I’ve actually lived in/near a few of these places and visited all of them MANY times…. You are 100% right about Penrhys, it’s the WILDEST place I’ve ever seen, we used to drive up there like it was a tourist attraction because it doesn’t quite seem real! There’s a few crazy stories from the 90’s I hope you cover when you do the full video, arson attacks and firefighters getting rocks thrown at them for trying to put fires out 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️ the place is wild.
Great vid, you’ve got a new Sub
Really enjoying this highly entertaining & amusing series. only 21.6k subscribers is a shame. Come on people spread the word so we get to see more content.💩
Easy days still
For how many videos are on here I think it's growing very fast, I'd be very proud.
@@Turdtowns Just subscribed. At 21.9k now 🙂
Yes, the commentary is so entertaining!
Unfortunately these Valley towns are now the victim of the extinction of the coal and related industries, they were all, except Penrhys, vibrant communities. However, they have no real purpose, other than people still wanting to live there, and their future is uncertain. In the USA they would have been abandoned, take West Virginia coal fields for example.
My grandmother was from Tonypandy and left there in 1912 and moved to Cardiff at the age of 18, you will find a lot of Valley people working in Cardiff and are usually the most helpful and kind people you will ever come across
Your videos make me laugh but it's sad to see these places in your home country and think how far they've fallen since the 50s. You could probably do an episode for North West Wales and Angelsey too.
I don't know what to think. This is extremely sad. Maybe it's a dream or someone's train set in Farnham . Originally from Barry, long ago, I am stunned.
Pena wees lol for your new video its prenounced "pen rhys" i used to live there about 25 years ago when it was in its prime. Now living in pontypridd. This was a great video thanks for uploading.
Sorry I blame my Welsh friend 😂 any chance you would be willing to do a short interview over phone about Penrhys?
As you fan out eastwards and northwards I’m looking forward to the episode covering Kent. Will probably need to be a feature length special addition.
Fun Fact: Pontypridd and Tonypandy inspired the town name "Pontypandy" in Fireman Sam
I'm hooked watching these videos. Such sunny weather. Where I'm from, Baltimore, Md., these "turdtowns" are paradise.
Do Nottinghamshire soon. Small county, mixture of nice rural villages and crappy old mining towns 👌🏻
Well picked up on. You missed a couple though in Mid Glam though, Cefn Cribwr, Kenfig Hill, Cornelly and Pyle.
wow what a sad state the valleys has turned into, I'm from Hirwaun and watching this at home in Queensland. I went back last year and struggled to be there, the people don't realise how bad it is because they never leave. Hopefully Wales gets the independence it deserves and then they'll put some much needed money into the valleys which London is never going to do, London doesn't put money into the north of England so they certainly ain't gonna look at the valleys.
@@thehangingtorchofdarkness4769 as much as you find the idea amusing, at least an independent Wales could have a plan and channel resources to meet that need . We work with disadvantaged young people in the valleys, many are able and keen to work, but the jobs aren’t there. Hopefully the new Metro will help, but it won’t reach everybody. The geography of the valleys works against employment, if you need a job you can only travel north or south, an employer in an adjacent valley might as well be on the moon. Without employment the towns will continue to decline,
@@thehangingtorchofdarkness4769 why Drakeford? I have never voted Labour in my 76 years. But I will give Drakeford credit for being a thoughtful man who listens to advice before making a decision even if I don’t agree with it, I put him above any Westminster politician in power at the moment. An independent Wales would choose it’s government, it could be any colour, even conservative, once the influence of Westminster is removed. Why dollar? There are alternatives, even keeping the pound. Don’t listen or read sound bites, there is no reason Wales would be any worse off that it is now but have the possibility to do better, just as you decided to move away to improve your life.
@@siarlb8115you have got to be having a laugh if you think Drakeford is ay good!!
The bloke is an absolute disgrace & embarrassment,
Whats with the 20mph speed limit?
Or not building an m4 relief road??
The tidal barrage in swansea!?
Locking down toy alleys in supermarkets during covid!!
Longer lockdowns than England during covid!!
4 NHS trusts are in special measures!!
Bollocks tp an independent wales the senedd needs to be knocked down ASAP,
Have you heard a single word from him about the Stradey Park Hotel & the illegals??
No nothing at all, absolutely clueless
Just a picky point: Mid Glamorgan County included Caerphilly as well.
Successive governments either tory or Labour have left these towns to rot. Especially since the vile Thatcher and her minions closed the mines down in the 80s and left little or no employment for people. It breaks my heart to see what were once thriving towns and communities left the way they have been. I'm from Cardiff which is a totally different place, in feel and atmosphere, to the towns mentioned on here, but ALL of these towns have real salt of the earth people and are ALL friendlier than Cardiff.
The turkeys keep voting for Christmas... sometimes a red Christmas, sometimes a blue Christmas... but always Christmas.
Cycling around the Valleys is very good because of the disused railway lines and viaducts turned into parts of the Taff Trail and the Celtic Trail, and they also go through country parks created from reclaimed industrial land.
Most of the time on the cycle trails, you don't see the towns as you would driving, so you often have to turn off the trail to get to the town. Or they go through housing estates without you noticing the housing estate around it because of trees and hedges on either side of it and then going through a tunnel under the road or over the road on a bridge. Like between Trethomas and Machen, for example.
The same when you travel by train. The railway lines are higher up than the roads and you see more countryside from them. On the road, the towns and villages are sprawled alongside them.