Inspired by the Valleys Retold and the people who took part, we put together a case that shared our stories about several of the local people. This was just a sample, as we are sure there are many more that could have been included. It shows that even though we are only a small community, that there are many others that are worthy of inclusion.

John Collins

Penrhiwceiber Art Trail

Framed photo of my father selling fish + chips in Penrhiwceiber 1930s.

Allan Robinson

Allan Robinson: Framed photograph of my father selling fish and chips in Penrhiwceiber, 1930s

This is a photo of my father, Mr. William Henry Robinson M.B.E. (Harry); he is driving his horse and cart selling fresh fish and chips in the streets of Penrhiwceiber in the 1930s. In 1979 he was in the New Year’s Honours for Services to (MAFF) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (32 years) Receiving his award at County Hall, Cardiff, from Mr. H.L. Knight Her Majesty's Lieutenant for Glamorgan. In his working life he had various rolls visiting many farms all over South Wales, too many to mention. He worked hard throughout his life all to keep his family fed and watered. In this treasured photo he is serving street to street fresh fish and chips. I think he must have been the first ever mobile street food seller!

Photo owned by William Allan Robinson (Allan)

Nos Galan vest off my brother + pack of matches and photo of him with friends.

Christine Williams

Christine Williams: My brother's Nos Galan vest

My name is Christine Williams, and this running vest was worn by my brother David James Neal, of Miskin, Mountain Ash, during the Nos Galan race of 1963. The race involved running four miles around the streets of Caegarw, Darranlas and Miskin, Mountain Ash, which continues today.

David attended Mountain Ash Grammar school where he enjoyed doing cross country. He attended Cardiff University and continued studies at the Open University as a Managerial Accountant and lived most of his married life in Gilwern.

The Nos Galan race was started in 1958 and attracted many famous runners from all over Great Britain. David Bedford who came to stay with my family and managed to rekindle the interest in running with my brother who then decided to enter the race in 1963.

MBE of Mrs Dorothy Jean Head (1936–2011)

Diane Locke

Diane Locke: MBE of Mrs Dorothy Jean Head (1936-2011)

This MBE belongs to my mother, Mrs Dorothy Jean Head (1936–2011). My mother was born in Birmingham and was evacuated to Wales during the Second World War. My parents married in 1955 and set up home in Church Street, Penrhiwceiber, and later in Station Terrace. She was heavily involved in the Girl Guide Movement and over time became a Brownie Guider, Guide Guider, Ranger Guider and Ranger Adviser for Central Glamorgan, which instilled a strong sense of community. She was a member of Penrhiwceiber Revival Strategy and Chair of Penrhiwceiber Action Group. Over the years, along with others, she campaigned for many things including a better play area, reinstating the bridge across the railway station and opposing the bus lay-by that would have taken valuable space from Lee Gardens Pool.

Photograph of my father standing outside Peglers with his colleagues

Rose Murphy

Photograph of my father standing outside Peglers with his colleagues © Rose Murphy

He is 14 years old. On the left, proudly stands my father Handel James aged 14 in 1926. He worked for Peglers Grocery Shop, in Penrhiwceiber. He was a sales assistant, and his job was to fetch and carry boxes. He left Peglers to work as a Miner/Hewer, in Penrikyber Colliery. He worked on his side in a two-foot coal seam usually lying in a puddle of water. He married in 1939 and had four children. My father had a fantastic singing voice, and he palled up with Tom Jones from Penrhiwceiber (not Pontypridd) and became club singers and travelled around the valleys and were known as the two J's. He passed away in 1963 when I was 11. I feel cheated as I never had him long, although I have a disc of him singing which I listen to for comfort.

Sergeant Major Robert Bye 12.12.1889–23.8.1962 British Army

Christine Price

Christine Price: Sgt Robert Bye

Robert James Bye VC was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry. He was born in Pontypridd and was a Sergeant in the 1st Bn., Welsh Guards, during WW1 when the heroic deed took place on 31.7.1917 at the Yser Canal, Belgium.

No. 939 Sgt. Robert Bye, Welsh Guards (Penrhiwceiber). Sgt. Bye displayed courage and devotion to duty during an attack on the enemy's position. Seeing that the leading waves were being troubled by two enemy blockhouses, he, on his own, rushed at one of them and put the garrison out of action. He then rejoined his company and went forward to the assault of the second objective. When the troops had gone forward to the attack on the third objective, Sgt. Bye volunteered to take charge of this party and took many prisoners thus rendering invaluable assistance to the assaulting companies.

Thomas John Collins

John Collins

John Collins: Thomas John Collins, Rugby player

My father Thomas John Collins returned to live in Penrhiwceiber after he fought in the First World War. He was living in 71, Woodfield Terrace, Penrhiwceiber and playing for Mountain Ash, when he was selected to play for the Wales Rugby Union team against Ireland in Dublin on 10 March 1923. Tom did not receive his cap at the time, as he "Went North" to play Rugby League for Hull and then Keighley. He played for these teams for about nine years. As Tom died in 1957, he never received his cap, and it was left to me John Collins and my brother Howard to apply for the cap in 1975 when the WRU relaxed their rule and anyone who had not received a cap could now apply for it.

Items from my mother's time in the land army: a tie with pin and 2 photographs of my mother working

Karen Collins

Karen Collins: Valerie Mitton, Women’s Land Army

My mother Valerie Mitton (née Richards) joined the Women's Land Army when she was about 17 years of age during WW2. She was stationed in Ledbury, Herefordshire, and worked mainly on the local farms helping in the war effort. This is where she met my father, John Mitton, who was also working on the farms in the area. The photos show my mother on one of the farms. The tie and badge are the items she received when joining the Women's Land Army.

The Zeraschi Family: A photograph of J. Zeraschi with his ice-cream cart in Penrhiwceiber. From the 1930s.

Lorenzo Zeraschi

Lorenzo Zeraschi: J. Zeraschi with his ice-cream cart in Penrhiwceiber, 1930s

My great-great grandfather Giacomo Zeraschi first emigrated, alongside many other Italians, from Bardi in Parma to the Welsh valleys in search of work in the 1920s following the first world war. Once there he sold squash and ice cream around the valleys and eventually in 1926 he opened his own cafe on 60 Rheola Street in Penrhiwceiber to make a living for himself. He would later bring his sons over to the valleys to live with him. Giacomo and his family hastily assimilated into Welsh society and he was a naturalised British subject by 1930. The Zeraschis then opened a chip shop on 50 Glanlay Street which they would run until they moved to Barry Island in 1967.

2 clothes brushes with a shop name and Penrhiwceiber engraved on them but a different spelling

Jan Williams

Jan Williams: Two clothes brushes

Four small trinkets with a picture of Penrhiwceiber War Memorial clock on each of them

Jean Simmons

Jean Simmons: Four small trinkets