Sunday 26 April 2015

April Roundup

It has been another busy month over the park.

The month started off with a visit from Paul Evans from Safer Swansea who was on a recruitment drive to get more people involved in keeping an eye on the park and other places around the town. The Paws on Patrol scheme has been running for a few years and it has proven useful to helping the Police keep an eye on troublesome hotspots around the Swansea area.
It is free to join and you get a regular email informing you of everything that has happened.

We also had some vandalism, fires and an attempted dog napping in and around the park this month.
Details have been passed to the authorities as to who was causing the vandalism and the other destructive behaviour.

The dog napping is still being looked into but the dog was returned to the owner after they gave chase and managed to get a photo of the car and driver.
We are still looking into whether the incident has been reported to the police but we assure you the park is safe to use. Just be vigilant and report anything you see to call the numbers below.



Emergency Numbers.

Police Emergency 999
Police Non Emergency 101
Neighbourhood watch 582851
Abandoned untaxed cars 635600
Grafitti removal 635600
Dog fouling 635600







A dog walker was seen recently walking through the park with her two dogs which sadly had health problems, her dogs were wearing yellow ribbons and this is encouraged by vets as a warning that others should keep away or at least keep their pets away due to health problems.
It is a great simple idea.
Although the majority of park users are respectful to others you always get one that will ruin it for everybody.






This month we have engaged with Pontarddulais Comprehensive School yr 10 pupils to help redesign the BMX track to make it better than the current layout.
This will be an ongoing project and it will be a great opportunity for the pupils to gain work skills and develop other skills such as planning working within a community group and other skill sets.
The project will be managed by Swansea CC and Keep Wales Tidy.







Now we are into the spring months the sun has been out and the colour has returned to the park.
We have been visited by Canadian Geese several have been spotted on the seasonal pond over the last month.
Also our Bluebells are beginning to show (YAY!!!) and we are expecting a bumper crop this year as we have been able to clear a larger area in the second woods (well Dillwyn has been a one man work machine we could not keep up with him).






On Tuesday 28th April we are planting some helibores flowers by the bench in the second woods as we received some Garden Centre Vouchers from Keep Wales Tidy to help us buy these bee friendly polinator plants we will also be putting up a sign to say we are managing this area.
If we could ask members of the public to please keep an eye on this patch for us it would be a great help.
The planting will take place on Tuesday 28th April at 7.00pm Friends members are asked to meet by the tennis courts at this time please bring your Hi-Viz vests and gloves with you please.
If you are passing through the park at that time please feel free to stop and have a chat with us.





And of course we have our AGM on Wednesday 29th April 7.00pm at Pontarddulais Cricket Club back room.
This year we are looking for a new Chairperson and possibly Treasurer.
If you know of anybody that can spare us some time (you can do as much or as little as you like in this group) than it would be a great help. We don't want to close the group up but we will carry on with our committee meetings but we will have to think radically how we go about achieving our business.
So please join us.


follow us on Facebook
and also on Twitter
link tabs are on the top of this page.

Thank you to everyone that has contributed to our Social Media pages over the last few weeks and we hope to see you enjoying yourselves in the park soon.

Wednesday 22 April 2015

Park History.


COED BACH PARK


Official Opening - July 29th, 1922

Part of the estate of Sir Marteine Lloyd and Mr Moore - Gwyn of Neath


Opening Ceremony

The Pontarddulais town band with it's conductor Mr Jim Morris, led a procession of over 1000 children through the village to the entrance, where Gwynfryn road now stands.

Present

1. Miss Elaine Llewellyn performed the opening ceremony.
2. Her father Sir David Llewellyn.
3. Councillor Matthew Griffiths presided.
4. Mr Henry Perry-Chairman of the Parish Council.
5. D R Grenfell MP - Gower
6. John Williams MP.
7. Mr Vaughan Price-General Manager of Graigola Colliery (Cory).
8. Mr Daniel Morgan - Clerk of the Parish
People of Pontarddulais


Because of the inclement weather tea had been arranged at the Mechanic's Institute.
Guests were entertained with the music of Mr Ivor Williams and Mr Reginald Elias on the violin
(The later opened an electrical applience shop in St Teilo Street in the 1950's It was closed recently)

The Parish Council had a tablet of black granite installed at the old 'Ffynnon' alongside the path down to Yr Hen Eglwys on the March.
An Englyn was inscribed on the granite.

Gwin a groyw-wyd gan Grewr-yw ffynnon
A gorphenol wlybwr,
Bron haf, dibrui I yfwr,
Y sten Duw I estyn dwr.

A well is a wine purified by the creator,
The consummate drink,
At summers height, lavish to the drinker
God's pitcher to offer water.





A few years later, the whole area where water had flowed from the spring for countless centuaries was turned into a rubbish dump. It is now a football field
The parish council also installed a Royal Artilliery cannon near the Coed Bach fair entrance to the park. It caused controversy in the community and the canon was eventually pushed off it's concrete plinth and down a very steep slope!


The Park's facilities

Woods
Paths
A lake with boats and an island in the middle
Tennis courts
A croquet green
Swings
A rugby field (opened in 1930)
A football field



Over the years it has held

Carnivals
Circuses
Fairs
Band concerts
Rallies
The 'Monkey Parade' on Sunday evenings



The area was known as Coed Gweunydd Bach

Gweunydd - Meadows



Bibliography

'Bont. The history of the village' by Denver Evans.
'Images of Pontarddulais' By John Miles.