PLENTY IN STORE AS OPTIMISM RETURNS TO TOWN
EIGHTEEN months ago Pontypridd town centre cut a very sorry sight. In mid-February 2020, Wales was hit by devastating flooding brought by Storm Dennis with some of the worst affected areas falling in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The country woke up to shocking images showing Taff Street in Pontypridd more closely resembling a river than the town’s main shopping street.
Shops were boarded up, in some cases it turned out for several months, and sand bags remained on the streets for what seemed like forever.
As if it couldn’t get worse for the Valleys town, the coronavirus pandemic hit just over a month later, meaning the town was forced to shutter up alongside the rest of the country while just taking its first steps towards recovery.
But a year-and-a-half later, the town is showing a vibrancy that few could have predicted.
The town centre has traded its collection of big name brands for a host of new independent businesses - and the trend appears to keep growing.
Just before Christmas last year excitement began building as the new Cortile Coffee shop opened its doors on Taff Street, marking a true point of difference and offering people something the town has never seen before.
Local businesses have been growing and growing, and even more are planned to appear in the months ahead.
One notable, and successful, recent tale of the town’s high street is the arrival of Closet of Style.
Kelly Nash started out selling clothes with nothing other than a £150 box of stock, and a social media account.
Eight months later she opened her own clothes shop on Market Street, and it’s gone from strength to strength since it opened its doors this summer.
Kelly, 37, from Bargoed, said if it wasn’t for the pandemic, she would never have had the courage to follow her dream.
Kelly said: “It’s good. I can’t believe how it has taken off. I didn’t expect the shop to get big in so little time.
“Facebook has helped with that. We have a lot of loyal customers, but we are getting around by word of mouth.
“We have a mixture of people coming now. We are seeing people who are saying they haven’t been to Ponty for years, and they can’t believe how much it has changed.
“They have been to town after being told about these things - these shops. I’m having a lot of customers coming in and saying that.”
In September last year the mumof-two started working at Shoe Zone in Pontypridd, but seven months later she had to hand in her notice because the business she had started during lockdown - selling clothes via Facebook - was so successful she didn’t have time to do both.
She soon opened a shop, and within weeks of opening, she had customers coming from all over to sample her fashion favourites.
Kelly has also said she’s noticed people are travelling from further afield to shop in the town. It’s not just the locals who are visiting, but she’s been serving people who have travelled from places like Caerphilly, Swansea, Neath and has even served people visiting from Northern Ireland.
“One person caught three buses to come over,” she added.
“They haven’t been to the town for a while and they come here now, and there are lots of different things here.”
Kelly’s Facebook presence has also helped attract visitors to the quirky little business.
Every day she goes live on the Closet of Style Facebook page to show what’s on offer, and to model the latest arrivals.
The social videos are proving extremely popular and help to show people that in the little shop, hidden in the town centre, there are lots of fashion choices on offer for women of all shapes and sizes.
Talking about the live videos, Kelly said: “I had lots of people on Facebook saying they love it, so we decided to keep that going. I sometimes do an outfit of the day, and then everyone wants it. It has been great.”
Not far from Closet of Style you’ll find KooKoo Madame. The women’s clothes shop, on Taff Street, has actually been present in the town for a number of years but many people have only discovered it recently.
Originally the little clothes shop was situated on Mill Street - one of the areas that was worst hit by the floods during Storm Dennis in February 2020 - but after water poured through the premises around 18 months ago the owners decided to open back up in a different location.
You’ll now find the pretty shop on Taff Street which is, arguably, a much more visible location for shoppers looking to treat themselves.
Rez Jamil owns the shop with his partner, and said it’s been great to see so many businesses open their doors in the town over the past 12 months.
He said: “It’s looking good. There are a lot of positives about Pontypridd. We have been in the town for 14 years, so we have been through
One person caught three buses to come over. They haven’t been to the town for a while and they come here now, and there are lots of different things here.
KELLY NASH
RICHARD SWINGLER
It’s looking good. There are a lot of positives about Pontypridd. We have been in the town for 14 years, so we have been through the changes, but it feels like we have started again. Being on the main high street - it’s a lot better. New customers are discovering us.
REZ JAMIL
the changes, but it feels like we have started again. Being on the main high street - it’s a lot better. New customers are discovering us.
“They think we are new even though we have been in the town for 14 years, but we’ve been noticed.”
Rez also talked about how it has also been great to see the town develop in other ways - from the new Llys Cadwyn site to the demolition of the former Bingo Hall building, which could be turned into a hotel if all goes to plan.
“Hopefully we will get a hotel so that will be different. It’s 100% a good thing,” he added.
Those who know Pontypridd town centre well will note that many major brands have disappeared from the high street in recent years - Marks & Spencer, Clarks, New Look and River Island are but a few notable brands that have shut up shop.
But, remarkably, what we are now seeing is the arrival of more independent shops in various shapes and forms.
Rez said: “I think it’s great. It’s good to see the rise of the independents.
“Independents are moving into the town. It’s good - it’s different - unlike a major high street where all the shops are the same, same, same.”
And, if you take a look around, it’s clear to see that the shops are anything but the same, same, same.
Opposite KooKoo Madame you’ll find a new dessert parlour, called Imperial Desserts and Candy, that’s proved popular since recently opening in the town.
Offering a variety of sweet treats the business has seen people queuing for goodies and has, understandably, seen many little ones dragging their parents into the shop begging for sweets.
Just a few months ago the town also saw a book shop open its doors.
Storyville Books opened on Mill Street back in June after two literary lovers decided to take the plunge and set up a shop.
Cerith Mathias, 42, and Jeffrey Baxter, 49, were only used to seeing family and friends visiting the shop when it first opened but, a few months down the line, book lovers can’t get enough of the quirky little independent shop.
Cerith said: “It’s wonderful to see so many new, independent shops opening in Pontypridd adding to the diversity and vibrancy of the town centre.
“Storyville Books has had such a great welcome, we already have a loyal customer base, which is rapidly growing. Getting to know our customers and their tastes is such a rewarding experience.
“We’ve held a number of author visits already, which have been a great success, and we have an exciting line-up of events taking place throughout the autumn.
“There’s so much going on in the town centre, with more new independent businesses set to open over the coming months too. It’s fantastic to be a part of the positive change taking place in Pontypridd.”