Writing & Sticky Toffee Pudding

Spent the week-end at Ty Newydd House in Criccieth, North Wales.  An enjoyable and informative writing course with help and advice on the content and structure of my planned book, Llanhilleth Miners Institute - 100 Years, as well as my fiction writing.   The Four hour drive each way through the centre of Wales was wonderful, even including the flock of sheep spread across the road.   The snow falling on the return journey added not only to the beauty of the landscape, but also the driving tension.   Fortunately, the snow didn't stick on the road, so driving was okay.    Returned home with renewed enthusiasm and inspiration and, best of all, a fantastic recipe for sticky toffee pudding !!    Its  all muscovado sugar, butter and double cream - scrumptious !!

Added March 2012
Thought it was unfair to tell you how wonderful it was and then not to include the recipe, so here it is.   My husband has banned me from making it!!

Sticky Toffee Pudding (as from Ty Newydd Writing Centre, N Wales)

Ingredients
300 g pitted dates
4 tsp bicarbonate soda
150g diced unsalted butte
250g light muscovado sugar
4 eggs
4 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tsp vanilla essence
400 g plain flour

Sauce:
200g dark muscovado sugar
200g unsalted butter
300ml double cream

For Serving:More double cream
or ice cream

To make Pudding

Pre-heat oven to 190deg.C.     Grease and line a large tin

Chop dates in saucepan with 500ml water.   Bring to boil, then simmer for 5 mins on low heat.

Remove and stir in bicarbonate of soda – frothy paste

Cream butter and sugar in a food processor or large bowl.   Add eggs one by one, followed by syrup, vanilla essence and flour.

Transfer to bowl if in food processor.  Gently beat in dates in 2 lots and spoon into prepared tin.

Bake 25 mins until the top is set and the sides coming away from the tin.

To make Sauce:

Heat and whisk all ingredients till smooth.

Spoon half over cake and reserve other to serve.

Serve hot.

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The 'Shale Lorries' of South Wales Valleys

In the late 1950’s Richard Thomas & Baldwin planned to build Spencer Steelworks, later known as Llanwern, near Newport in South Wales.   It opened in 1962 and employed 1600 people.   The planned site was to the east of Moorland Avenue.   The name of the avenue was significant, as prior to building the huge expanse of steel works buildings, the ‘moor’ had to be stabilised by laying millions of tons of hardcore.  

A request went out to the local area for sub-contractors to provide the necessary material.   This was the trigger for entrepreneurs in the South Wales Valleys to become hauliers and buy one or more lorries.   Grocers, entertainers, coalmen, even the retired joined the rush.   With payment on results, two or more drivers often worked in a shift pattern to ensure maximum usage and thus maximum financial reward.   Not satisfied with the amount of slag they could load, owners would often increase capacity by fitting ‘greedy boards.’   These were fastened along the top of the lorry sides increasing their height.   Then they were held together across the top with chains to prevent sagging.    Owners searched the valleys for any unwanted hardcore or stone waste they could take to make a profit.   Slag and red ash tips that had stood for generations from Pontypool to Blaina were swallowed by the marsh.

With no bye-passes or motorways, the result, in the narrow, twisting valley roads and busy villages was frightening.   Local authorities and residents from Abertillery to Newport made continual protests.   People were harassed when trying to cross the road, and deafened day and night, by the constant roar of revving engines of often overloaded lorries, travelling at break-neck speeds along ill suited roads to make their next delivery.    Smelly, steaming loads poured water as they travelled, as the dusty shale had to be dampened down.

Llanhilleth, due to its position, possibly suffered more than most, positioned on two steep hills.  Huge lorries thundered down Commercial Road, towards Crumlin and Newport.   Unfortunately,  the weight-to-power ratio often prevented their acceleration up the other side.   They would stall in the bottom, near the railway bridge, or worse, skid and collide into houses or shops on the way down.

In 1961, Mr Marples, the Minister of Transport, in a written reply to Mr Llywellyn Williams, the Abertillery Labour MP described the project as an “immense road transport operation.”   He revealed the extent of the problem when he explained that between January 1960 and 1961, 980 road accidents involving lorries had occurred, but, he was quick to add, in 750 of those no one had been injured.   Although 18 people had been killed and another 280 injured, Mr Marples commented, according to the The Times, “no accident was on so large a scale as to cause anything approaching a national outcry.”     

After sympathising with the families of the 18 people killed and the 280 injured, we can acknowledge a few advantages: 

Firstly, the disappearance of much of the hundreds of tons of coal waste and slag tips which had towered over the welsh countryside for decades.  

Secondly, the hope of the creation of thousands of jobs, ancillary businesses, and a little prosperity by ousting a few hundred wild birds and stabilising an area of Severn marshland.   

The valley landscape was re-emerging, after a time when any free space was used as a dump for waste products from both coal mines and iron works.   Suddenly beautiful views across the valley, masked for decades by hills of grey ash, were visible again.   Children could enjoy a natural beauty barely remembered by their parents or even perhaps their grandparents.

The Aberfan Disaster in 1966 ensured that the remaining spoil heaps and waste tips in the valleys were all thoroughly checked by the National Tip Safety Committee, and a plan created to level them.   Certain valley areas may now, on occasion, look like “Telly Tubby Land,” but can be used for sheep grazing or left to naturalise.   But this fragile grass environment can so easily be destroyed, as can be seen from the black grooves and ridges created by off road motorbikes and four-wheel drive vehicles selfishly enjoying this landscape.

Llanwern steel works opened in 1962, and its prospects have varied greatly over the years since.

Llanhilleth Miners Institute

100 Years Old, Grade II Listed

Although Workmans Institutes formed the hub of many mining communities in the South Wales Valleys during the twentieth century, very little has been documented about these structures and their members. Curiosity led me to research this particular building and its surroundings. Much of my work has been pieced together from snippets of information obtained from people with firsthand knowledge, or their children and grandchildren. Many hours have been spent rummaging through drawers to find old photographs, and documents.

It would be impossible to discover every piece of this one-hundred year jigsaw, but I aim to provide a flavour of the building and people who have and still enjoy using it.

Travel from Newport in South Wales along the A467, and just north of Crumlin an imposing red brick building appears on the right-hand side. A brown road sign indicates it is Llanhilleth Miners Institute. Part of an area regeneration scheme, this building has been lovingly renovated to its original magnificence. Village life has again begun to revolve around this edifice. Both young and old follow previous generations to congregate and enjoy clubs, discos, entertainment or just a coffee. In times of poverty or full employment, members of the community again have the assurance they are not alone.

This axis of entertainment and social life was once a source of escape for just a short time from the uncertainties of a miner's life and the often overcrowded terraced housing along the narrow valley walls. Now the pit has gone, and new access roads and parking facilities make this building easily available for people from all over South Wales and across the Severn bridge to celebrate both public and personal occasions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzPV4udP65E&feature=share

Tom Arthur & Llanhilleth Miners Institute

Llanhilleth Miners Institute

I have been researching the Institute for a couple of years now, but always seem to have more questions than answers.   Here's one puzzle I have been working on, if anyone can help.

The Tom Arthur Conundrum

In the early 1900’s, Tom Arthur was a runner with Newport Harriers.   An international athlete, he won several international cross-country races, including one in 1906 at Caerleon.   He would have been a wonderful role model for the youth of his day.   He was later killed during World War 1.

Merlyn Neads, in the 1980’s, found a photograph of Tom Arthur at the Institute.   In a press article, he then requested information to confirm that this gentleman was a founder of the Institute.  I have no way of knowing if this information was ever forthcoming.

Both Blaenau Gwent and Llanhilleth Institute websites state that Tom Arthur opened the Institute in May 1906.   This seems unlikely as the miners at Llanhilleth Pit were on strike at this time.  The dispute ended later that year.

The South Wales Gazette reported the opening of the Institute took place in September 1906 with Theo. Jones, President of the Institute, and Dan Lloyd, the architect.   In 1904 the Gazette reported the stone laying ceremony, which took place in October of that year.   Many people laid stones, some on behalf of others.

Both articles are quite lengthy and detailed, but Tom Arthur is not mentioned in either report.

I would appreciate it if anyone reading this could clarify the involvement of Tom Arthur with Llanhilleth Institute ?

http://www.stilltydscommunitiesfirst.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=64