Elm Road
Llanharry
Pontyclun
Rhondda
Cynon Taf
CF72 9HR

Secretary: Ivor Evans

Tel: 01443 222217
Fax: 01443 224322

As Officers of the Club, we have immense pleasure in presenting this site as part of its history. When we decided to embark on this project we considered that the two persons better fitted to tackle the task were Mr David Francis, local historian and his daughter Julie.

On behalf of the Committee and Members we extend to them our warmest thanks and express the hope that this record will form the basis of a similar history of the club in years to come.

It should also be remembered that many l950's male householders had come from areas where such clubs had long been established, and one of the most enthusiastic of these was a local entertainer, Mr. Dick Stallard of Pencoed. It was he who approached another Pencoed gentleman Mr. Cliff Corbett, who is still today an acknowledged authority on the early days of the Club, to draw up some posters calling a public meeting of all those in Llanharry wanting a club of sorts to be established. Mr. Corbett, later a long-serving Secretary of the Club clearly recalls that the first meeting was held in The Lesser Room of the old Miners' Welfare Hall and about 25 men turned up. They elected District Councillor Trevor C. Lewis as Chairman and formed a Committee to establish a Club in Llanharry. It is ironic that half a dozen or so of the founder members were "Bear Inn" drinkers, so it is not unlikely that the idea to build a workingmen's club originated in the old inn itself at the time when George Llewellyn was landlord!

Here are the names of the formation Committee:-

Dick Stallard (Secretary)
Cliff Corbett (Treasurer)
Idris Walters
Trevor Tompkin
Albert Neate
Fred Bird
Eric Ponting (who was later co-opted on to comply with regulations).

Under the vigorous leadership of Councillor Lewis those present at the inaugural meeting decided to begin looking for as many members as possible at a membership fee of one pound. A pound was worth something in those days, so most "new members" paid half a crown a week.

The new establishment was named "The Llanharry Workingmen's Club and Institute" and the local Brewery was approached for financial backing. Councillor Lewis was an important politician on the old Cowbridge Rural District Council and he was able to obtain a plot of land behind the Aelfryn Council Houses and adjacent to an old quarry and public well that dated back to l630 if not earlier. This rough area had to be cleared, though the old elm tree still remained as a visible landmark and there was enough land for a car and bus park as well as the Club Premises. Members themselves paid over £l00 for the land and the necessity of registration with The Registrar of Friendly Societies. The next big step - a real leap in the dark for those days of financial stringency- was to borrow a massive £l3,000 from the Bank with the United Club's Brewery acting as guarantors. Mr. Cliff Corbett does not recall any vigorous opposition from the village, apart from a few of the old residents grumbling about "Sunday drinking" and the initial concern from the Church already mentioned.

In the account of the Opening Ceremony in the local Press one gets an impression of the great personal triumph of Councillor Trevor Lewis and his intrepid band of workers and much personal pride felt by the 300 - odd men in l959 when they saw the completion of a building said to be five years ahead of its time. For the record the architect of Llanharry Club was H.M. Burgess.

Mr. Howe, Chairman of the United Clubs' Breweries, who officially opened the building, said he was pleased that Llanharry Club was starting its existence with brand new premises. This did not apply to many other such clubs in South Wales at the time. Llanharry Club was in no way political, yet there was a galaxy of well known politicians present at the Opening Ceremony. These included County Alderman Percy Smith of Llantwit Major, County Councillor David Isaac Morgan of Llanharan and Councillor Catherine Read, Chairman of the Cowbridge Rural District Council as well as several Llanharry Parish Councillors. It had indeed been a year of triumph for the above named for they had also been leading lights in establishing the new County Secondary School at almost the exact time as Llanharry Club was opened. Also present were Mr. Norman Jenkins, the Builder, and Mr. Harrison who supplied the equipment. Mr. Id Walters, the Chairman of the Club in l959 presided over a memorable opening ceremony. None was prouder that day than Councillor Trevor Lewis, however, for it was a great thing to see a building finally completed that had started with his team collecting money throughout the village in buckets!

What did the new premises look like? Long-standing members like Mr. Cliff Corbett recall a building the appearance and structure of which was very different from what it is today. The original building basically comprised two rooms - a Members' Bar and an Entertainment Hall plus a stage with a cellar behind the Bar, where the Gents' Toilet is today. The entrance lobby was where today's front entrance is with toilets on the left side of the lobby. From the start the building had a flat roof which developed cracks after inclement weather, and the author recalls several harsh winters when the members rushed to remove the heavy fall of snow from the roof - even before clearing the paths and car park!

A few years later came extensive structural changes. The first stage was the Hall being extended outwards from the supporting pillars. Next the increased volume of public entertainment and sporting fixtures necessitated a bigger stage and an enlarged Skittle Alley. A new Committee Room, enlarged Toilets and an attractive Foyer were added. The establishment of a Lounge was probably the most important renovation at this time and the increasing membership wanted a new Bar, Billiard Room and Darts Room as up- to- date amenities for a properly run Club.

The Swinging Sixties and Rock'n Roll culture did not bring too many problems for the Club Committees of those heady times. Llanharry Club has always had an excellent reputation of keeping order and good behaviour within its portals. Surprisingly, Club members were expected to behave in a responsible way even outside the Club perimeter. Occasionally, unsociable behaviour in the village or on trips away would see members brought in front of the Committee to explain themselves. A Complaints Box was always available for "grumbles, groans and suggestions". Such was the Club's good reputation at this time that a Police Patrol Officer in Llanharan once asked Cliff Corbett, the then Secretary, where on earth Llanharry Workingmen's Club was situated. Mr. Tudor John, another long-serving member, made some interesting remarks about Dress Code in the early years. He told the author that wearing semi formal dress was "the done thing" in the l960s with the gentlemen wearing suits, collar and ties and the ladies always looking smart in their evening dresses on social occasions. One Club Rule that was adhered to was the one that banned jeans in the Hall on Dance Nights, whilst the ladies often put little "protectors" on their stiletto heals to protect the surface of the dance floor. There was once a "snow storm atmosphere" when Mr. V Neate put too much French chalk on the floor!

The prices of drinks charged by Workingmen's Clubs like Llanharry in this early period are always interesting to recall. The great attraction for Llanharry topers from the beginning was that its prices were well below that of the local public houses. A pint of beer amazingly in the early l960s cost a shilling with C.P.A. the main beverage among the United Clubs Brewery brands. Whisky was a luxury at one shilling and sixpence! One should recall however that the average wage was about £5 a week. Sometimes, regular members drifted away to the "Fox and Hounds" or "The Bear" but came back in droves at Christmas to claim their "checks", and these could also be claimed by winning one of the several Christmas Sports Tournaments, which sadly are not as popular today as they were in the l960s and l970s.

Christmas, in fact, was never complete at the Club without a visit from the pupils from Llanharry Primary School, who with Head Teacher and Staff sang Carols regularly from l970. This Yuletide custom is now performed by the Llanharan Songsters, who have made many other visits to sing in Charity Concerts over the years. But it was New Year's Eve that brought the crowds in. Members of today find it hard to believe that people would queue right down to Sycamore Road from late afternoon to find a seat at the New Year's Eve Dance. Seats on most concert nights were as prized as they used to be in church or chapel, but on New Year's Eve it was a case of "first come first served" and the Hall was always packed to the door with late comers spilling into the Lounge itself. There was no club canteen in those days so the revellers brought along their sandwiches with them.

The earliest forms of entertainment did not include Bingo. This was actually a late starter, but once it became a regular feature of the weekly calendar it never lost its popularity. Early members did not have to be constantly entertained by others, but were content to play cards, dominoes, darts, skittles and a strangely named game called "Tip It". Later, the Club entered local Sports Leagues, based on the Lower Rhondda Ward and Pontyclun, Pencoed and Whitchurch Leagues in Skittles and Darts and over the years Club Teams have won numerous championships. Sometimes, a real player of ability would appear out of the blue like the late Evan Bowen, whose success in "The News of the World" Darts Tournament is still talked about, David Ryan junior, was a wizard on the Snooker Table as a young man and learnt enough to win several provincial titles when he went to live in South Africa. How many members, I wonder, realise that in its infancy Llanharry Club had Lawn Green Bowlers competing in The Lower Rhondda Ward or that Dominoes formed part of the Christmas Sports Tournament! More sophisticated entertainment was soon demanded by the members and thanks to first rate Entertainment Secretaries like B "Tiger" Perkins and Billy Griffin famous names like Frank Carson, David Whitfield, Billy Fury, Shakin Stevens, Ryan Davies and Mary Hopkins drew huge crowds of fans to the Hall. "Go as You Please" evenings were also popular from the start and local singers and comedians competed fiercely for the First Prize. Local groups such as "Jean and the Strangers" also led the way in the early days.

It was not too long into the l960s before a very successful Horticultural Committee was formed at the Club that remains to this day. The aim was to arrange a Vegetable and Flower Show in August similar to those held in other Border Vale villages at the time. I was amazed when Mr. Ron Campbell asked me to join this hard - working band of men and one lady. I was even more flabbergasted when I, a non-horticulturalist, was made the Chairman. After two shows I was told firmly by the Show Committee that the children's "avalanche of Art" had to stop and sadly, due to lack of space, the children's section was severely restricted.

Mr. Philip Vowles tells me that l9 years ago he and an enthusiastic group of younger growers set up a Giant Vegetable Show to run alongside the more traditional August Flower Show. Mr. Vowles had seen such a Show in Abertysswg and thought it a good thing to import the idea that "Big is Beautiful" to Llanharry in a show always held in September. The first big pumpkin displayed was 50lbs in weight. This seemed large, but is nothing when compared to today's 450lb winners. The show prospered and brought growers from as far afield as London, Wigan Southampton and, of course, South Wales. Supported from the start by the Crown Brewery, then Crown Buckley and now S.A. Brains Brewery the Giant Veg Show has put Llanharry Club firmly on the horticultural map. None more so than when Mr. Vowles appeared on national television and when World Records were smashed for longest carrot and heaviest cucumber or British records for swedes and beetroot. The recipe for success says Mr. Vowles is the right seed and good farmyard manure- perhaps with a pint or two of Club ale fed to the thirsty garden giants! The Giant Vegetable Show has outlasted its sister Flower Show and will celebrate its 20th birthday in September 2005.

One event in l976 that I was deeply involved in was the launch in the Club of a Local History book and this, I hope, helped to put our village on the literary map in the same way as the Horticultural Show brought a degree of fame to our community. The book was entitled "The Border Vale of Glamorgan", published by Stewart Williams of Barry, and it covered the area between Llantrisant and Cowbridge from the earliest times. There were many distinguished guests at the event from the world of Education, the Press, Politics, Sport and many well-known Local Historians. The Club Hall was full to capacity with Club members and people from the wider community and I felt deeply touched by the support given to my first book, even though I had not concentrated solely on my own village in the text. I felt it was truly a community celebration for "The Border Vale of Glamorgan" was a community book with all l5 of my book committee canvassing a wide area for weeks before the official launch. This sense of community has always been at the heart of Club Life. A vibrant community is almost always a charitable one. From the beginning Llanharry Club has raised a great deal of money for Charity. Since the l960s on Friday Nights the Club has allowed raffles to be held for all manner of organisations to fund raise for their individual causes. All sorts of worthy causes have been supported but Raffles held for the Primary School, the Church and local Sports teams have particularly caused members to dig deep into their pockets. Furthermore, the Club has always been particularly generous to the handicapped and injured in the village. To prove the old adage Charity begins at Home, dozens of sick members have benefited from short summer breaks at the Convalescent Home in the Gower. Far more members went on the Family outings to Porthcawl and Barry in the early days. So many in fact, that many a time Llanharry resembled Goldsmith's, "Deserted Village". Today, the seaside outing is perhaps becoming outmoded and I'm pleased to hear that a Social Fund is currently being set up (2004) to enable youngsters to undertake more leisure pursuits and greatly widen their horizons.

An event in l975 could so easily have dealt Llanharry Club a mortal blow. This was the closing of the Llanharry Haemitite Iron Ore Mine. It had been the last and most important of a series of mining operations in the parish that stretched back to the time of the Romans. Not many people in l959 realised when the Club opened that there was only l6 more years or so iron mining left or that the technically advanced colliery in Llanharan was on its last legs. It is worth pointing out that the majority of Club members at that time either worked in the iron mine or at P.D.s, Llanharan with the rest employed further a-field in coal mining or on the local farms and quarries. The closure of Llanharan in l962 dealt a severe blow to the economy of the village, but was nothing compared to the demise of mining in what was the only iron ore mine in Wales in the next decade. A well- known Club member at this time, the late Mr. Harry Lewis, wrote in l975 a fascinating article about the "Mine without Malice" and the men, whose destinies were entwined with the iron mines for most of their lives. Many of the miners Harry listed were also active Club members, although obviously not all. The mine was called "the mine without malice" because there had been only a few weeks strike action there spread over three quarters of a century. I used to spend hours sitting in the Bar of the Club in the l960s mesmerised by the anecdotes and antics of the miners, many of whom were genuine village characters. People like Henry Painter, Alf Davies, Ernie Deakin and Edgar Rosser used to regale me with stories about bath house attendants, lamp room attendants, black smiths, electricians, canteen girls and cashiers and the ostlers, whose pit ponies were perhaps the greatest "characters" in the wet and icy working conditions underground. The pit ponies were used to move the iron to the bottom of the shaft and were so temperamental that they'd drink from the miners' flasks on good days but point blank refuse to move at all on bad ones, if the loads were heavier than usual! The old Club Men told me with considerable pride about their long-service medals that often commemorated 50 years of service in the mine. They spoke with great affection about other men with strange nick-names like "Tommy Trouble", "The Harbour Lights", "Apple Jack", "China Birch" and "Wally the Welsh Pole". I soon realised that a happy- go-lucky and relaxed relationship had existed for years between the men and the various bosses and amongst the men themselves. This latter camaraderie would continue to flourish within the portals of Llanharry Club itself long after the Mine had closed as the banter of the Bath House was replaced by the banter of the Bar and Sports Rooms. If the village and the Club felt the effect of the Mine closure in the l970s things did not improve much during the next decade, especially in the period of the Falklands War (l982) and in the fierce struggle of the Coal Miners' Strike of l984-5.

The Club, like the School, the Council and other village organisations did its best to alleviate the social and economic implications of the Strike with collections, donations and raffles, but even when it was over the years ahead were far from easy. No one ever called "Llanharry a dying village" as they did of Llanharan at one time, but one really has to wait until the last decade of the 20th century to see the malaise that had enveloped all aspects of village life perceptibly lift. Pubs as well as clubs obviously found this period a challenging one. I was told that one local inn, for example, took a mere £5 during one day of the Miners' Strike! However, Llanharry Club survived and with competent management, sound financing and loyal support from committee and members, the Llanharry Club entered the new millennium in a mood of optimism and confident of playing the same role at the heart of village life as it has for the past 44 years.

Throughout good years and bad club life has been enriched by the antics and idiosyncrasies of a rich array of characters. These "bar entertainers" always seemed to take great delight in showing off their unusual behaviour as though they were amusing themselves and wanted to share their amusement with their fellow men. Others enthralled listeners, not so much with wit but rather with valuable anecdotes about their work experience, especially in the era before the Club was formed when wartime memories were still rife and traditional village crafts were dying out. The former type included Alfie Jones, who enlivened many a party with a tune on a beer tray or play the spoons -like clappers upon his knees, arms and shoulders! Then there were the latter kind like "Dusty" John, who told how he was given a lift home from his farm work on "Emma", the Cowbridge train, which stopped on the line as if she were a taxi to pick him up. Some of these "characters" came to life on the annual outings to the Races that have been a feature of Club Life since its genesis. The trips usually went to Newbury, Worcester and Chepstow, but now and then things used to go awry! A Club Newsletter, published a few years ago, had an amusing story of a l960s trip to Newbury. A popular character called Frank was not at the Club when it was time to leave. So it was decided to drive to his home and sound the horn. He looked rather sheepishly as he peered at the bus through his bedroom curtains, yet within three minutes he was out and seated with his mates on the bus. He had put his clothes on over his stripey pyjamas - to everyone's amazement! The Newsletter went on to say that in those early days Newbury Races used to have beer tents with wooden tables and chairs. That particular day the race meeting was cancelled early and everyone was on the bus ready to go, except Frank and his mate. A couple of Club boys went looking for them in the beer tent. Imagine their surprise when they saw Frank entertaining all the people with his own version of "The Sand Dance" wearing just his pyjamas. You can just imagine the language when they eventually got him on the bus!

From some Club characters I, as a local historian, learnt a lot. One that stands out in my mind was Ted Tansell, the village postman for many years. He took over from his wife Gladys and by the l960s the pair of them had walked something approaching 300,000 miles since the l930s. He told me that he'd carried the regulation weight of 56lbs to scores of outlying farms, where even tractor parts were conveyed by the village postman. It seems from an article written by Harry Lewis about "Ted the Post" that the Llanharry dogs were docile enough but Ted was once gored by a bull and on one nerve- wracking occasion he had to rescue a farmer from an overturned tractor. Ted was one of the last of the old village craftsmen and it was very heaven to sit in the Bar sipping a pint of beer with him and my colleague Paul and hear him tell us the right way to cut a hedge. Not all characters were of the human kind the most memorable of the canine sort was Rex, an alsatian belonging to the then Steward, Fred Summers. Fred eventually sold the dog to the owner of the Egg Farm near Ystradowen before moving away. But the dog remembered his "old home", walked back to Llanharry Club, entered the building and terrified everyone in the bar. Young Darren John, then only about l2 years old, had to be found immediately to calm the waters and persuade the old dog to leave amicably.

There have been many societies based at the Club over the years but some are less known than others. There was a Sea Anglers' Club founded by Tudor John, Dennis Askins and Bill Ambury that was very popular in the early days, and it is good to report that the Fishing Club still operates with sea excursions several times a year. The Men's British Legion never really got off the ground, but the British Legion Ladies Section prospered for many years until its recent demise and played an active role in the annual Armistice Services at St. Illtud's as well as arranging well-supported Easter Bonnet Parades.

A society that has lasted longer than most is the Llanharry Workingmen's Club Homing Society that was formed soon after the Club was built. The earliest members included Ron Parsons, Geoff Butt, Jack Huish, Ron Powell and Eddie Durham. This group, I am told, originally belonged to the 'Llantrisant and District Homing Society' which was based in 'The Ivor Arms', Brynsadler. At first, there were some forty members when they came to our Club, but these numbers slumped in l982 to a mere 14. From the start the Homing Society had its own little meeting place below the Snooker Room. Mr. Ian Claridge, the Secretary, tells me that the society meet every week from April until September and once a month from September to April. The races vary from 550 miles (well into Germany) to 60 miles and many records have been broken over the years. As I write, the Llanharry Homing Society holds the Lower Rhondda Ward record for "The Best Bird" from the Longest Young Bird Race. The Society is well supported by Llanharry Club, especially in Friday night raffles, and it holds annual Dinners with its President Mr. Gino Coco. The South Wales Vintage Motor Cycle Club first made its base here in March l996. This prestigious society was in urgent need of a meeting place. However, Mr. Doug Gwilliam of Llanharry, a keen bike enthusiast himself, suddenly thought of asking his schoolboy chum Mr. Mervyn Rosser, the then Llanharry Club Chairman if the Vintage boys and girls could meet on alternate Monday evenings. Our Club was pleased to welcome them and their 'Noggin and Natter' evenings have now become a regular part of the Club scene. Their programme is a varied and interesting one and has included Bring and Buy Evenings in the Club Car Park, Auto Jumbles, Charity Auctions, Quizes, Historical Exhibitions as well as Talks from experts in the motor cycle world. Regular runs are made from our Club on Boxing Day and New Year's Day to Wick and Llancadle and each fortnight an excellent Newsletter is distributed. Since 1996 the South Wales Vintage Motor Cycle Club has held its Christmas Parties here. The recent opening of a restaurant at Llanharry Club has benefited the Vintage Club and other local organisations. The Llanharry Senior Citizens Association also holds its monthly meetings and festive dinners at the Club. The Pensioners used to meet at the Miners' Welfare Hall, but when its closure became imminent the Pensioners wisely decided to move to Llanharry Club and use the Hall and Committee Rooms. A feature of their annual programme is the visit by Glyncoch Pensioners to Llanharry Club early in the year for a pleasant social evening.

As well as encouraging various societies within its portals the establishment of Llanharry Club on the edge of the Pant Gwyn Housing Estate in l959 favoured the erection of a Betting Shop close by. The possibility of having one was discussed by the Cowbridge Rural District Council in February l961 and it was not too long before it was built, first as a shed and then as a bricked building. It is said that the shed still stands in someone's garden! T B Fish of Cardiff built it, and Mr. Mansel Mote was for many years a popular Book Maker's Clerk there. Although originally opposed by some in the village, it has remained on the same site until the present day as a well used amenity. For a long time it has been in the capable hands of Jack Brown the Bookmaker.

History was made in Llanharry in January 2001 when it welcomed its first woman priest. Two years later, more history was made when male members of Llanharry Club voted unanimously at an Emergency General Meeting to change the constitution to allow women to become full members and sit on its committee for the first time. According to a newspaper report some 300 ladies then applied to join. Previously, the Men's Bar had been 'opened up' to women but it was now deemed necessary to admit women with full rights to keep this club alive and inject new ideas, some from a purely female point of view. This is already bearing fruit with a new slant being adopted on the Social Fund. For the record, Mrs. Peggy Claridge became the first Woman Member of the Committee after she had been a full member for six months.

Llanharry Club in 2005 will celebrate its 50th birthday in the sense that the year l955 was the year those early enthusiasts got the idea of having a workingmen's club in Llanharry. These notes are very incomplete, but I hope they have proved that for the past 50 years Club Life has been far more than 'beer and skittles'. When formed Llanharry Club became one of the important centres of community life in this parish. Finally, as an early Club member myself I have many happy memories of Club Life.
May this role long continue!

References:

Francis D.J, "The Border Vale of Glamorgan" 1976, published by Stewart Williams, Barry.

"The Llantrisant Observer".

"Llanharry Workingmen's Club Action Link Update from 1996-2004

Interviews with local people including:-
The late Mr. Harry Lewis, Mr. Cliff Corbett and Mr. Tudor John.

© LLANHARRY W0RKINGMEN'S CLUB & INSTITUTE LIMITED 2005