Leighton Andrews

Twenty Years Ago 2

 

  

 

Joyce's dad

Fascinating story about my Labour colleague Joyce Watson AM's father returning to the UK as a Welsh-speaking POW and nearly being locked up here and here

Frank Owen fought for democracy

Bad weather prevented us holding the ceremony to dedicate the plaque to Spanish Civil War international brigadier Frank Owen actually at the bridge where the plaque stands. However, we held the event in Teify Hall in Maerdy instead, with the Cor Cochion from Cardiff and the Labour chorus from New York. A video of the New York choir is on Rhondda TV. I spoke about the links between the Rhondda and the fight for democracy in Spain, as I have before. Frank Owen died in Spain as did others from the Rhondda. I was pleased to meet members of Frank Owen's family including his 91 year-old brother Arnold.

70 years on

The Spanish Civil War is generally reckoned to have finished 70 years ago today.

At a recent European event in the Rhondda, I spoke in part about Rhondda engagement in the Spanish Civil War.

The sound quality of the recording isn't great I'm afraid, but it is here

Miners' Strike

I met up with Dr Hywel Francis MP last week in the House of Commons. Hywel, who wrote the definitive history of the South Wales Miners' Federation with Rhondda-born Professor Dai Smith, and founded the South Wales Miners' Library, has now written a book on his memories of the Miners' Strike which of course began 25 years ago this last week. I read the book on the train back last week and can thoroughly recommend it.

Penrhys Partnership

The Penrhys Partnership launched a People's history of the Penrhys Estate on Saturday.

I have put a video about this on Rhondda TV

Thought for the Day - come home to the Valleys!

It's not often initiatives we launch as Ministers get to be the subject of the Radio Four Today programme's Thought for the Day, but thanks to the Rev Roy Jenkins our Valleys Homecoming Initiative in 2010 has done so.

You can read Roy's words here, or listen here.

Penrhys celebrates

There can be few better outdoor venues than the amphitheatre on Penrhys looking down into the Rhondda Fawr.

It was the setting for the concert on Saturday to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Penrhys estate - and the 470th anniversary of the destruction of the shrine of Penrhys at the command of Henry VIII in 1538.

You can find a clip of the concert on Rhondda TV .

Our Valleys Heritage

The HLF has been funding a project on the history of the Rhondda. Some interesting old photos here.

Maerdy Archive Group

I was pleased to welcome members of the Maerdy Archive Group to the Assembly - not for the first time - a couple of weeks ago, for the launch of the Community Archives Wales online records project. You can find the Maerdy Archive Group material here.

The project has been supported by Communities@One, the Assembly's digital inclusion project, which is funded from my Ministerial budgets in the Assembly and from Objective One monies, as well as by the Heritage department in the Assembly.

CAW is a 15-month pilot project to enable eleven groups within Communities First areas throughout Wales to create their own digital archives and share them on the CAW website. The project employs 4 members of staff. It started in January 2007 and the current phase will end in September 2008. Digital community archives are collections of material in private hands that have been digitised and interpreted by community groups, enabling the communities to present their own history in their own words.

Members of the Maerdy Archive Group have been supporting my campaign to get the Maerdy Community Centre run by a broader-based group of people. Chris Bryant MP and I held a meeting two weeks ago where a lot of people indicated they wanted to become involved in the Community Centre, and later today we will be receiving the application forms from those who want to join.