Edwin Greening : His Life
 

This article is based on the obituary that was published in the Summer 2003 edition of the Society’s newsletter, Hanes.

Edwin Greening was born in 1910 in Glamorgan Street, Aberaman, the fifth of eight children. For the next 93 years he was to live life to the full.

He was a great reader from an early age, beginning with his Uncle Gwilym’s library, the Aberdare library and, of course the Aberaman Workmen’s Hall library. His education was cut short when he began work in 1924 at Aberaman colliery.

Periods of unemployment and the Great Lockout of 1926 had a great impact on his political development. He joined the I.L.P. Guild of Youth when he was 18 and in 1933 became a member of the Communist Party.

Early in 1937, he volunteered to serve with the International Brigade to resist the rise of fascism in Spain. He survived and whilst, in later life, political activism was not of the intensity of the past, Edwin remained a faithful supporter of all progressive causes.

After fighting in the British Army during the war, he resumed his studies in 1945 and qualified as a teacher in 1948. Most of his working life was then spent teaching and he encouraged many young people to improve their lives through education. He taught in Warwickshire in the period 1948–56 but the call of Aberdare was too great and he came back to Aberdare where he taught at Penywaun School between 1956 and 1975.

He joined the Labour Party and was a prominent District Councillor from 1960 to 1968. He also took a keen interest in family and local history, being a member of the Cynon Valley History Society and latterly he became a life member and a regular contributor to its publications. He recounted his life as a coal miner in great detail in Old Aberdare Volumes 2, 8 and 9. His autobiography “From Aberdare to Albacete” makes fascinating reading.

In 1946 he married Bronwen Davies; they had two children Mary and Ann. They were the main focus of his life. His niece Denise Jones said, “Edwin was always around, always jovial, never miserable.”

He died on 9th July 2003. Sadly he is “around” no more but he made a significant contribution to a proud history, and will remain an inspiration to all who knew him.