IAN’S BACK ON ROAD FOR BUTTY BAY RUN
MOUNTAIN Ash-born Ian Edwards has precious memories of Miners’ Fortnight, when his and other Valleys families, as well as entire communities, would flock from their homes to Porthcawl for their prized two-week break.
For Ian Edwards, it was the only time of the year that meant safety from the constant insecurity of family members working in the mines, and the freedom of being able to move around and do what he wanted.
Keen to recapture that nostalgia, Ian, 57, decided to organise a convoy of classic cars driving from Aberdare down to Trecco Bay and back again in an event aptly named the Butty Bay Run.
This July’s will be the third annual event since its relaunch in 2015, and Ian said: “I pretty much grew up down Porthcawl I was there so much, and whole Valleys villages would literally move there for a fortnight. I was an only child and the significance was that it was safe. Whatever age you were, you knew on that site you could have your freedom.”
Like many youngsters, Ian went down to his nan’s caravan every summer from when he was born until he was 14 in 1974. The event was named the Butty Bay Run because, quite appropriately, everyone would say ‘Hiya, Butt’ to one another when arriving at Trecco Bay.
Ian nostalgically recalls playing go-karts, bikes, football, cricket, and reading James Bond books. He explained: “It was a massive playground for me and it felt like I could do whatever I wanted – play around there or walk into the town.”
This year’s event will take place on July 1, and Ian, who is a presenter for Pontypridd station GTFM Radio, said: “I just have fantastic memories of there and so for years was waiting for someone to launch something like this. It’s very much the Welsh version of the London to Brighton run and focuses on an iconic time in Welsh history.
“Most of the stuff you hear about the miners and the Valleys are memories of tragedies, so I thought why not celebrate the good times for a change? That’s the key message in this. After all, that dry Welsh Valleys humour came from the miners, w who would go down the pits not knowing whether they would come back after their shifts. That’s how they coped with the fear of death.
“Everyone I have spoken to about this idea was quick to relay the stories of Miners’ Fortnight to me. It was such a huge part of our community.”
The Butty Bay Run is all about recreating that j journey from the Valleys to Porthcawl in classic cars, using old roads and passing miner-relat- ed landmarks to get there before returning home to the Valleys.
It will begin at Cafe Cwtch in the Dare Valley Country Park, travelling through locations like Pontypridd, Talbot Green, Pencoed and Coychurch before stopping at Trecco Bay for two hours and driving back again.
It’s open to all pre-1990 classic cars, and entry is free. A donation to charity Christians Against Poverty would “be greatly appreciated”.
For more details, visit: http:// bit.ly/2tW14sa