Captured on canvas... the Gower women who went cockle picking
THE next Antiques and Vintage fair at Llandeilo Civic Hall is coming up soon on Saturday, March 2.
The fair can be located in the heart of the busy town of Llandeilo, close to the main car park.
And once there, you will find plenty of antiques and vintage items at affordable prices.
Wales has produced a wealth of talented artists and the colourful works by Swansea artist Lyndford Jones is no exception.
His acrylics and pastel paintings show a love of the sea. His works reflect an old tradition of cockle picking, when women would scour the beaches of Penclawdd on the Gower, looking for cockles.
The village of Penclawdd is famous for its cockle industry and cockles are gathered from the cockle beds of the Burry Estuary. There have been cockle pickers in Penclawdd since Roman times.
Until the 1970s they were picked locally by women whose husbands were unfit for work, providing an important income for their families.
The women used hand-rakes and a type of sieve known as a riddle to gather the cockles at low tide.
It was dangerous and back-breaking work – the women were busy for 10 hours a day and endured harsh conditions.
They were renowned for their resilience and ability to work in all weathers.
Today, cockles continue to be gathered using hand tools, but it is men, not women, who do the picking.
Tractors and four-wheel drives replace the role of the donkeys.
Lyndford’s paintings on display are atmospheric and show the toil these women had to endure.
Meanwhile, there will also be displays of toys and vintage clothes, postcards, militaria, kitchenalia, up-cycled and pre-loved furniture, paintings and prints and an impressive display of books.
Homemade refreshments will also be available.
Doors are open from 10am to 4pm and admission is £1.
The remaining fair dates for 2019 are May 25, July 27, August 31, October 26 and November 30.