Cynon Valley History Society: History of Aberdare

Chapter 16
THE ABERDARE VALLEY IN THE YEARS 1939–1967.

1. Employment in the Aberdare Valley.

In 1920 there were 20,000 people working in or around the mines of the Aberdare valley. By 1936, it had shrunk to 10,000; by 1939, it had gone down to about 8,000.

The weakness of the economy of the valley from 1875 until 1939 lay in its complete dependence on the coal industry. Except for the service industries in a modern community there was practically no other industry.

Industries in the Aberdare Valley — 1936.

1. Coal Industry 10,000 workers.

2. Lamp making 20 workers.

3. Bricks & Pipes 80 workers.

(Second Industrial Survey of S. Wales, Vol. 3, 1937, p.147).

2. Coming of the Factories to the Aberdare Valley.

In 1938, a cable firm came to Aberdare from the Derby district. It called itself Aberdare Cables Ltd., and employed 300 men at its opening.

In 1939, the C.W.S. opened a Creamery employing 150 men. These were the first factories since 1876.

3. The Second World War and the Aberdare Valley.

As soon as the first factories had got into production the war began. By 1940 there were many hundreds of people travelling to Cardiff, Swansea and Bridgend where the Government had set-up munitions factories. Many other people had left the district for the Midlands, London and Bristol areas for work. In 1941 the Government set up in Rhigos, near Aberdare, a giant Royal Ordnance Factory (R.O.F.). By 1943 there were 10,000 men and women working there.

4. Women enter Industry in the Aberdare Valley.

The entry of women into industry was a new thing in the mining valleys of South Wales. The nature of the mining industry ruled out their working there. This can be seen from the figures given.

Female Labour employed in Industry.

Female Labour employed per 1,000 Males:—

Great Britain – 375 per thousand.

South Wales – 105 per thousand.

This figure was even less in the mining valleys.

Never in the history of the Aberdare valley had there been such an intensive use of female labour. It brought about a great change in the attitude of women to going out to work. Under the impact of full employment, the people felt a new confidence in the future of their valley.

5. The Post-War Era in the Aberdare Valley.

(1) New Industries Come to the Valley.

When the war came to an end in May 1945 the Government passed the Direction of Industry Act. Under this Act, firms wishing to expand or set up new factories had to go to the old depressed areas of Britain. Here at the Rhigos R.O.F. was plenty of experienced labour and new factory buildings waiting for tenants. They came — firms old and new.

(2) Factory Development on the Rhigos Estate, Aberdare in 1946–47.

(a) Number of Factories – 30.

(b) Type of Factory and Number of Workers:—

Engineering —	300 workers	Rubber —	900 workers
Aircraft —	600 workers	Radio —	2,200 workers
Abrasives —	300 workers	Electricity —	400 workers

Making a total of 4,950 workers.

(3) Factory Development in the Aberdare Valley — 1947–1967.

By 1967 the number of factories in the Aberdare valley had increased.

(a) Number of Factories in Aberdare valley:—

1936	1967
2	93

(b) The great change can be seen in the figures of those employed in mining and manufacture: —

1936	1967
10,023 miners	4,826 miners
4,364 miners workless	Nil miners workless
14,387 total miners	4,826 total miners

In 1966 there were five mines employing 3,500 miners. The 1,826 miners travelled to work to mines outside the valley.

Since 1920 over 15,000 miners had left the district or changed their occupations.

(d) Manufacturing in the Aberdare valley — 1936–1966: —

Numbers Working in Manufacturing.

1936	1966
Lamps — 20 Workers	Food-Drink-Tobacco —	240
Bricks — 80 Workers	Chemicals. —	619
Total — 100 Workers	Electrical Engineering —	5,672
	Metal Goods —	172
	Textiles —	142
	Clothing & Footwear —	285
	Leather —	5
	Bricks, Pots, Glass —	193
	Paper-Publish. —	48
	Other Manufacture —	1,798
	Total	9,174

6. Life in Aberdare Valley – 1967.

The Aberdare valley is a fairly prosperous area of manufacturing, mining and services: —

Mining	Manufacture	Services
4,826 people	9,174 people	8,448 people

With the severe decline in mining, a well-established way of life has almost passed away. With modernization, the very vocabulary of the miner has changed.

Since the coming of the factories on a mass scale in 1942, the employment of women and girls in light industry has led to a dramatic change in the manner and income structure of the traditional Welsh mining valley household. Today most men and women go to work in their own cars. In pre-1939 days, the man was the sole earner in 90% of the households. Today in 70% of the valley homes all the people over 15 years of age are out working, and the increased incomes are reflected in the habits of the people.

Some Lifestyles of the People of the Aberdare Valley in 1967.

Religion — There are about 100 places of worship in the valley, of all denominations. The chapels and churches have seating capacities that vary considerably, but on average taken throughout the valley, we may estimate the average capacity is 500. Thus, there is room for 50,000 persons, but the average attendance is about 70 persons. This gives a total average attendance of 7,000 persons. That is, about 10% of the population go to chapel or church regularly.
Entertainment — The decline of religion since 1900 was paralleled by the growth of cinema attendance, some say cinemas took away the people from the religious services. In 1945 there were 16 cinemas in the valley, with a total seating capacity of about 8,000 seats. Since 1950 with the coming of T.V., the cinemas have mostly converted to hosting bingo and dancing.
Every suburb of the valley has its betting shop, and its luxury club, where both men and women go to drink, gamble and listen to light concerts. There are over 30 clubs. Before the war, the practice of women going to pubs or clubs was unknown in the Welsh valleys.
Cultural and Sporting Organizations — There are over 100 societies catering for the cultural, theatrical, sporting, charitable and musical amateur activities of the people of the valley. In spite of clubs, pubs, bingo, and betting-shop activities, the social and cultural life of the more enlightened is as vigorous as ever. Never has the educational interests of the people in their leisure time been so intensive, as is shown by the attendances in the adult education centres in the valley. This is despite the fact there are now 10,000 motorcars in the area, when in 1939 there were no more than 200 in use.

7. The Future of the Aberdare Valley.

In the last 207 years the Aberdare valley has gone through a series of changes. It has seen the rise and decline of the iron and coal industries; the increase of the population from about 250 people in 1759 to 100,000 in 1921; and then its decline to its present figure of 71,000 people.

This valley could be the centre of a slowly rising population in the mountains of north-east Glamorgan, based on high-class manufacturing industries which use little raw material. The two towns of Aberdare and Mountain Ash will soon be joined administratively. They are well-integrated communities where the disorders of modern urban civilization are at a minimum. What is needed to arrest their decline is a massive investment of social capital by central government to remove their environmental despoliation, bring more industry in to reinforce the economic basis for the future citizens of this fine area of Wales.

This is the purpose of telling the story of a valley from the earliest times to the present day, in order that the people of the area might come to know and love their community and to work for its future betterment.

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