Wales from the air (4): communities rural and industrial

A fascinating clip from this BBC documentary of the late 1960s - the village and rural communities you see at the start are still there but the industrial sites are now no more - no more operating deep coal mines or deadly coal tips exist in Wales and the industrial valleys are clean and green again but jobless. Listen to the captivating Welsh hymn 'Tydi a Roddaist' ('Twas thou who gave') as you hear the story of the mining communities in Wales.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Wales
• mountains
• countryside
• scenery
• images
• history
• culture
• TV

[bonzey1171]

I can't thank you enough, Jim, for all these great uploads about Wales. I have read every book I could get my hands on about Wales, but these programs make history come alive. We Americans call it edutainment. Thanks again. Bonzey Williams

[griffcats]

ah now i see there are more segments....perusing them now!

[griffcats]

A lot missed in this commentary, particularly a brilliant literary tradition, etc. due to its briefness, and clearly a sort of strangeness, and a hint of condescension, in the commentators perspective. However, it was most interesting indeed.

[Ynysmydwr]

Ah, yes, now I've found number 1 in the series, it's obvious: Rene Cutforth!

[Ynysmydwr]

A fascinating clip, as you say, even if a lot of the fascination is in the way that the London BBC of the 1960s still hasn't managed to quite rid itself of a faint but still appreciable air of condescension when dealing with the life of "ordinary people" in "the provinces". Who was the commentator? It sounds a little like Cliff Michelmore, though I think it probably wasn't.