Bargoed

"They will plunder will-nilly
Cry the bells of Caerphilly
They have fangs, they have teeth
Shout the loud bells of Neath
Even God is uneasy
Say the moist bells of Swansea
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney"

The Bells of Rhymney, song by Pete Seeger based on poetry by Idris Davies

A day of digging into the past at Bargoed library; a more helpful and friendly library staff I have yet to meet. Trawling through newspapers from 1916-18 in search of a the newspaper that published a clipping I have with a photo from (probably) 1916. I haven't visited the town for years so it was a surprise to see the miners sculpture as I drove into the town, so I had to spend a few minutes photographing it before I started "mining" the archives. My family history research is rooted in the valleys so this is also a part of the family story, although further up the valley at Rhymney for my direct ancestors. I didn't find the particular newspaper photo I was looking for but I did find enthusiasm for the search from the staff and pointers to other possible sources, so the search continues (as it always will). Back home I did have a really pleasant surprise with an email response with several possible strong leads to another thread I'm following.