Yesterday, I celebrated the Eucharist at St Catherine's, and again this morning at St John's. I had an early dental appointment in Llandaff North beforehand, and was cleaned up and ready to leave for a bus by twenty to nine. I was seen early by the dentist, and back at the bus stop across the road from the surgery by quarter past. I only had a few minutes to wait, and was back home again with time to drink another coffee before walking down to church, all within the hour.
Sometimes, the same outing can last an hour and a half or longer, depending on time of day and frequency of buses. I always feel good when public transport works like that to my benefit. The same route, in the evening has fewer buses and none after eight fifteen, which can make it difficult for Clare returning from an evening do at school, if we without the car, as we are this week, and she can't get a lift. It's a forty minute walk home, and with sunset at nearly ten at the moment that's fine. In the winter, it's dark and miserable.
On a whim, after lunch and a siesta, I took advantage of my free bus pass and caught the 122 from Llandaff FIelds, to its destination in Tonypandy, up in Rhondda Fawr. The NAT commuter buses are small and not very comfortable, as the suspension is rigid, making for a rough ride on an assortment of winding and bumpy roads. It was an test, to see how well I could cope sitting down for a journey of more than ten minutes, and at the end of it I wasn't that tired or sore, which was pleasing. My wound condition has improved enough to make this trip worth the effort.
I got off the bus at a point where I thought I could catch a connecting bus to Pontypridd. I walked to the nearest stop, where I noticed a legacy gents pissoir built into the wall close to the bus stop. These were a feature of every Valleys town when I was young. Early in the journey up, I notice one at the roadside in a state of neglect but this one had been restored with a new brick front fascia and stainless steel stall. I went to inspect, and wasn't quite at the bus stop when one whizzed past, ignoring my gesticulations.
I walked half a mile from there to Tonypandy train station, where I had a ten minute wait for a train to Cardiff, just thirty five minutes away. It cost me six quid. That ride was much more smooth and pleasant, and took half the time of the bus trip. It's interesting to compare and contrast commuting experiences like this. I suppose its effectiveness depends on how close the terminus or any stop is to your actual destination. I think I shall try out some more of the Valleys public transport routes in weeks to come.
As a teenager I used to accompany my dad by car on his work journeys visiting pits all over South Wales. That was how I first became acquainted with my home region. So this is a trip down memory lane for me. At that time the coal industry blighted the environment, but the village streets were busy with people all the time. Now the Valleys are green and beautiful again, houses are brightly painted and mostly well kept, but the everyday streets are for the most part empty, as people commute to Cardiff and the Vale for work, or stay home prisoners of the telly. The renewed beauty is shot through with sadness, and hidden poverty, due to lack of suitable local employment for the less well educated with only their physical strength and skill to sell. Thirty thousand jobs have gone. Will they ever be replaced? Especially with the UK leaving the EU?
Tonypandy was once a place where protest against poor pay and conditions by striking miners in 1910 and 1911 led to British troops being deployed to suppress dissent. Could it ever happen again? Or has the epidemic of drug abuse anaesthetised those who suffer most?
I walked half a mile from there to Tonypandy train station, where I had a ten minute wait for a train to Cardiff, just thirty five minutes away. It cost me six quid. That ride was much more smooth and pleasant, and took half the time of the bus trip. It's interesting to compare and contrast commuting experiences like this. I suppose its effectiveness depends on how close the terminus or any stop is to your actual destination. I think I shall try out some more of the Valleys public transport routes in weeks to come.
As a teenager I used to accompany my dad by car on his work journeys visiting pits all over South Wales. That was how I first became acquainted with my home region. So this is a trip down memory lane for me. At that time the coal industry blighted the environment, but the village streets were busy with people all the time. Now the Valleys are green and beautiful again, houses are brightly painted and mostly well kept, but the everyday streets are for the most part empty, as people commute to Cardiff and the Vale for work, or stay home prisoners of the telly. The renewed beauty is shot through with sadness, and hidden poverty, due to lack of suitable local employment for the less well educated with only their physical strength and skill to sell. Thirty thousand jobs have gone. Will they ever be replaced? Especially with the UK leaving the EU?
Tonypandy was once a place where protest against poor pay and conditions by striking miners in 1910 and 1911 led to British troops being deployed to suppress dissent. Could it ever happen again? Or has the epidemic of drug abuse anaesthetised those who suffer most?
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