Brecon and Radnor Express and Powys County Times


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NewsNews Remembering the Epynt


MEMBERS of a lost community have to


memories share report


Farmers’ Clubs launched its Cofio’r Epynt or Remembering Epynt project to celebrate, and record the memories of, surviving members of the mountain community forced from their farms during the Second World War. While


farms scattered across the mountain, but in March 1940 the families were given just three months notice


Epynt


anniversary of the outbreak of the War and the first in a series of significant milestones related to the conflict this June marked the 70th anniversary of the Epynt clearances. The 220 strong community lived on 54


last September saw the 70th


history project. The Brecknock Federation of Young


gathered their for a


twm@brecon-radnor.co.uk by Twm Owen


home. “I remember it being such a sad time for


my mother and father. We used to go back up there for a spin in the car on Sundays and they would always tell us about it. It was a trying time for them as they had to go and find somewhere to live.” At Friday’s event Gwyneth was reunited


her parents former Waunfawr farm home and walking to school with Idris and his brothers. Iorweth, who now lives in Camden Road,


with old friends Iorweth Davies, 87, and Idris Jones, 82. Gwyneth said she remembers living at


farms as the land was requisitioned by the military. Today the land is still in use as the Sennybridge Military Training Area. Last Friday, July 30 a number of former residents and their descendants


attended an event organised by the YFC at the Guildhall in Brecon where volunteers recorded memories and digitally scanned photographs and documents. Amongst


were 75-year-old Gwyneth Williams, who was the last pupil to start at Cilieni School before its closure due to the clearances. Gwyneth, who now lives in Sennybridge,


said her parents retained an emotional attachment with the Epynt which lasted long after they’d been forced from their


those who attended the event to quit their


Brecon, recalled: “We didn’t have much time to think about anything other than getting ready to move. I was a young man but it must have been very difficult for the older people.” Iorweth also welcomed the YFC and


Heritage Lottery Fund backed project: “It’s a good thing that somebody has thought about this as it could easily die a natural death. It’s a pity it’s taken so long to record it.”


when she was evicted in 1940 and had been landlady since the 1880s. “She was the only person the military


“My great grandmother was in her 80s


record memories and log information, is the wife of project leader John Davies, whose family were forced from their farm. Menna said until marrying John, and


Brecknock YFC Play Golau’r Epynt, which took the Wales YFC drama title earlier this year for its portrayal of the clearances from a child’s point of view. “It’s not really something I knew much


added: “I remember the day my father was pulling a horse and cart when an Army vehicle came up to the farm yard and the soldier told my father, ‘Don’t do any more work because you will have to move out in three months time,’ and that was the end of it.” Amongst


and census information for recording was Hilary Williams, whose great grandmother Caroline Evans was the landlady of Drover’s Arms pub on the old Garth road.


those bringing photographs the Idris, who now lives in Llanwrtyd Wells,


would be a horrible thing and as a Welsh speaker I wonder how the area would be know a s


community was dispersed during the clearances.” The Cofio’r is


Epynt project t h e


about until I came here and we never heard about it in school,” said Menna: “You just think what


if it had happened to you? It


found a home for as she was so elderly and there was a public outcry at the time. She was moved onto a smallholding just outside the range.” Menna Davies, 43, who was helping


moving to Merthyr Cynog, she had been unaware of the clearances. The couple had been involved with the


also organising a story tr a i l over the Epynt fol lowed by a Cymanfa Ganu on Su nd a y , August 22.


Show cup returns from down under


by Brecknockshire Agricultural Society, has been returned from Australia and will be exhibited at the Watton Villa Showground on Saturday (August 7). Clive Smith travelled all the way from the


A LONG lost tankard will take pride of place at this weekend’s Brecon County Show after a 21,000-mile trip around the world. The old pewter cup, originally awarded


report


by Daniel Johns dan@brecon-radnor.co.uk


‘land down under’ to bring the silver-coloured trophy, which is thought to have been made in 1876, back home to Brecon. Ex-pat Clive said the forgotten tankard


was a farmer and resided in the Breconshire area. My father died in 1998, and I flew back from Australia to take care of the funeral arrangements etc. While sorting through his belongings I came across the cup, which was very tarnished and the inscriptions were unreadable. “To this day I don’t know why I brought


the cup back with me, having no idea what it was. “I put it in a cupboard where it stayed until


Looking back, former Epynt residents, from left, Idris Jones,


Iorweth Davies and Gwyneth Williams. Inset, the Pumsaint farmhouse on the Epynt where Iorweth grew up


Park’s historic crash sites


A NEW booklet detailing aircraft crash sites in the Brecon Beacons National Park has been launched. The pamphlet, which will also


raise funds for the Royal Air Forces Association’s (RAFA) Wings Appeal, is the brainchild of Brecon pensioner Len Roberts. As well as including a map


had been lost in a cupboard for more than a decade before he brought it over to Mid Wales. He explained: “I believe my grandfather


detailing all 30 aircraft crash sites in the Park the pocket sized guide gives a brief history of the circumstances which brought the planes down and the names of the crew. The booklet, which has been


PW9771-1 & 2 Newsin brief


Phone Problems


TE L E P H O N E customers in Brecon and Radnorshire were left frustrated earlier


failure at Newport Telephone Exchange on Monday, August 2 knocked out 90 per cent of telephones lin e


although users


Brecon, Crickhowell and as far away as Presteigne were also affected. A spokesma n


in Gwe nt , in


after a power failure denied them use of the service. A ‘partial’ power


this week


Thursday, August 5, 2010


for BT confirmed that there had been a power problem at around 1.45pm, although most users wer e con ne c t ed again by around 7pm that evening.


Flatscreen Stolen


PO L I CE


burg la r y wher e a flat screen LG television was stolen from a property in Pontneathvaughan. The


occurred between 4.30pm and 6.30pm on Sunday, August 1.


was taken from a property on Dinas Road. Pol ice are particularly keen to speak to two males who were seen in the area at the time. Any o n e wi th


information is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Local people are to


asked


September 2009, when again for no specific reason I decided to find out more about it.” After Clive cleaned up the trophy he


contacted Barbara Green of Brecknockshire Agricultural Society, who sent him a book on the history of the long-running association, as well as a member’s tie. After


agricultural society, Clive and his wife Kathleen decided to give the cup back to surprised society members during a lunch meeting in May. A resident of West Wollongong, New South


reading about the UK’s oldest


Clive and Kathleen Smith return the much travelled tankard to Brecon Agricultural Society chairman Sue Cooke


owners after 134 years.” Society member Barbara Green said of the


remarkable story: “Once the cups are awarded we never expect them to turn up again, we do not often get the chance to get them back. “It was a real surprise and we’re delighted


parents to Oxford, to and from Australia and back to Brecon, via a family visit back to Oxford. The forgotten award bears the inscription:


to have it back. He could have had around £400 for it, but its sentimental value is far greater. “Brecon Show is one of the few shows that


Wales, Clive told The Brecon & Radnor Express: “The cup was of no real significance to me, and after reading the book plus the information I received from Barbara, I decided the cup should return to its rightful


travelled more than 20,000, miles having first left Brecon for New Tredegar, where Clive’s grandparents lived.


‘Breconshire Agricultural Society 1876, Presented by the President Gramshay Bailey Esqr For


offspring at foot.’ Despite the well-travelled cup now being


still traditionally present their cups in a grand parade, and it will be nice to see this one there among them.” It is thought the lost pewter trophy has


the Best Breeding Cow with her


safely stored in the vaults at Brecon’s Lloyds TSB bank, it still carries an air of mystique. Barbara Green added: “Mr Smith did not


The trophy would later travel with Clive’s


was originally inspired to compile a history of local crash sites in 1996 after researching the history of a crash site in Llangamarch Wells. However his original booklet


produced in association with the Brecon Beacons National Park, is intended as a guide for walkers aiming to visit the crash sites with notes on the best accompanying walking routes. Len, 83, who served in the RAF,


vigilant and report any


activity in the area.


Craft Exhibition


‘PLATFORM One’ Arts


had been out of print until he approached Brecon’s RAFA branch last year and asked for help in reproducing it. It was launched at the town’s


RAFA Club, on The Struet, on Friday, July 30 where a special exhibition of items recovered from various crash sites had been assembled.


know whether it had been his father who had won the tankard or his grandfather. We’re really grateful to have it back, it has a little legacy now.”


Layla secures investment from ‘Dragon’ Duncan


APPEARING in the latest episode of the current series of Dragons’ Den on BBC2, Powys Young Entrepeneur of the Year award winner Layla Bennett impressed the Dragons with her unique company Hakwsdrift Falconry. After a cool, calm and collected audition, Layla was


successful in securing £50,000 from investor Duncan Bannatyne - the entire amount she sought from the Den - in exchange for 25 per cent of her business. Hawksdrift Falconry near Builth Wells provides bird


report theeditor@brecon-radnor.co.uk by Julie Chappell Layla and ‘Monty’


was invited onto Dragons Den by the BBC show’s production team to pitch her business idea to the panel of venture capitialists Duncan Ballantyne, Peter Jones,


control services, falconry displays and talks for clubs and schools. Dedicated to the promotion of falconry as a traditional country sport and to the conservation, protection and rehabilitation of wild birds of prey, the company also offers wedding ring delivery by both hawk and owl. After coming across the company website, Layla


the outcome: “Duncan has always been my favourite ‘Dragon’ as like me, he pretty much started from nothing. I was fascinated by his ‘rags to riches’ tale and am so glad that he was the one who decided to invest in the company.” Layla will use the money to secure the services


days,” the clearly excited 26-year-old told The Brecon & Radnor Express, who have been instrumental in propelling Layla into the spotlight ever since she won the Powys Young Entrepenur of the Year award at the first ever Powys Business Awards last autumn (see page 14 for more).


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of more staff as she seeks to expand the business by building more avaries for breeding falcons and hawks. “Obviously expansion is what’s important now and I expect to hear


from Duncan within the next few


for Monday night’s show, Layla said she was absolutely delighted with


James Caan, Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden. Accompanied by her falcon ‘Monty’


Len Roberts with his crash site guide books


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See I told you small is better!


who are based at the Erwood Station Gallery are holding an exhibition and sale of crafts at The Elan Valley Hotel from August 14-15. There will


demons t r at i o ns and wo r k s h o p s th r o u g h o u t


we e k e n d a n d craf ts


th e


le a t h e r w or k , jewellery, paintings, pr i n t s ,ca r ds , pe wte r w o r k phot o g r aph y , woodcarvings plus much more.


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   


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