Into the Valley
CARTOONIST Siôn Tomos Owen is proud of his Rhondda background, so much so that he’s back with a second series of Pobol y Rhondda (The People of the Rhondda), in which we’ll get to know the Rhondda Valley and its people with local boy Siôn, 32. We spoke to Siôn to find out more. How does this series differ from the first? As the title suggests, the series is based on the characters who live in the Valley. In the first series, I created a map of the area and filled it with the characters who live here. This time I’ve created seven murals, one in each episode, based on different themes linked to the area. We’ll look at Rhondda’s history, its links to music, its protests and its closeknit community. In the final episode, I’ll create a massive mural out of everything.
Where will you visit?
I’ll visit different places during this series, from Porth to Pen Pych and from Blaenllechau to Clydach. I’ll visit a tattoo artist and a person who’s got a black belt in tai chi. I’ll also sing with a big band and try hammerthrowing. I’ll also guide people around cafes and chip shops and look at works of art in the area.
Who will you interview along the way? I’ll meet many characters, some who are wellknown and some you won’t have heard of. I’m a local boy who wants to show off my home valley.
How important is it for you to raise your oneyear-old daughter Eira in the Rhondda? One of the main reasons we moved back to Treorchy was so that we could be close to our family. My wife and I were bought up in Treorchy, and both our families still live here. Eira will be able to walk from our house to Nana and Grumpy’s house, and then go up to see her Nain and Tad-cu who live on a farm, and then back down to see her greatGran. Everyone lives about half a mile from each other. More people say hello to Eira than to me nowadays. Even the binmen wave hello to her through.
Is there a lot of Welsh spoken in the area? It’s more widely spoken than people think. I’ve definitely seen an increase since the last series. I’m definitely more aware now of Welsh speakers in the Rhondda. I’ve come across shopkeepers, workmen and staff in pubs who speak Welsh to customers. I’ve also heard parents changing languages to speak Welsh with their children on the street when they see me. Hearing more and more Welsh being spoken in the valley brings a smile to my face.