Category: Tribute

Vic Davies – Rhondda’s Champion

Tributes by Cennard Davies and Leanne Wood and Jill Evans

This tribute was delivered at the funeral of Vic Davies at Bethlehem, Treorci on Friday, 30 October 2015 by Councillor Cennard Davies.  A native of Treorci, Rhondda, Cennard is the former head of the Language Studies Centre in Glamorgan University (now the University of South Wales).  He has served as a Plaid Cymru councillor for Treorci since 1999.

Braint yw cael y cyfle hwn i dalu teyrnged i gyfaill a gyfrannodd gymaint i fywyd politicaidd yr ardal hon yn ystod ei oes hir ac ar yr un pryd i gydymdeimlo â’i deulu yn eu colled.

Today we share with Vic’s family their sense of loss, but also take comfort in the knowledge that he led a very long, active and purposeful life and this large congregation is evidence of the high esteem in which he was held both in this community and further afield.

Vic was born in Nanternis, New Quay, Ceredigion in 1917, the youngest of 6 children. His mother died soon after childbirth and his father brought him to Ystrad Rhondda to be reared by his coalminer friend, Tom Thickins and his wife. At first he took the name Thickins and always praised the love, kindness and support that he received from this family. It was only in later life that he learnt of his true background, eventually contacting his blood relatives in Ceredigion and reverting to the name by which we came to know him, Vic Davies.

After leaving Tonypandy Grammar School in 1934, he worked as a mechanic at Central Garage, Pentre and remained there until he was called up in 1940. He returned to the garage in 1945 before moving on to work for various companies including Rhondda Transport, Thomas & Evans and the Ministry of Defence. Vic continued studying in the evenings, eventually gaining qualifications that enabled him to join Pontypridd College of Further Education as a lecturer in motor mechanics. There he stayed until he retired. The urge to study and better himself remained throughout his life. After retiring he registered as a student at the University of Glamorgan and at the age of 73 was awarded a degree in the Humanities.

Whilst in the RAF Vic met his wife, Irene, a native of Hull. They married in 1945 and came to live in Prospect Place, Treorci, sharing the home with his adopted  father, Tom Thickins. They had 3 children, John, Peter, who passed away in 1996 and Ann.

I first got to know Vic in the early 60s, working for him in the 1964 General Election. The prospects weren’t good as Labour were commanding huge majorities. In 1951, Iorrie Thomas had a 22,000 majority and won 81% of the vote here in Rhondda West  when the constituency was half its present size! Everyone else, as you can imagine, lost their deposits. In politics, as in other aspects of life, there are periods of success and periods when you need to plug away until prospects improve. The early 60s was such a period and Plaid owes a great debt to people like Vic who stuck at a thankless task, without ever losing faith or conviction.

In the 1964 General Election, Iorrie Thomas secured 79 per cent of the vote, with Vic coming third behind the Tories. Two years later in 1966, undaunted, he stood again, this time managing to overtake the Tory but still lagging 16,888 votes behind Iorrie Thomas. Then, things changed dramatically.  Iorrie Thomas died suddenly in December 1966. There was a Labour government in power, led by Harold Wilson, and in February 1966 the Parc & Dare Collieries, the largest employer in the area, finally closed and mining families, without alternative employment, felt betrayed. Gwynfor Evans had won a famous by-election victory in July 1966 in Carmarthen and with a by-election in the offing, there was a feeling in the air that things were changing.

Vic was chosen to stand and I was appointed his election agent. The task we were facing was enormous. As George Gale, the Daily Express political correspondent put it the beginning of the campaign, ‘The constituency is surrounded by mountains and Plaid Cymru certainly have a mountain to climb’. We had to box clever and create an impression that we were much stronger than we actually were. Vic’s adoption meeting, for example, was held in Parc Hall, Cwmparc, a fairly small venue, but we distributed hundreds of invitations and when the big day arrived the hall was full to capacity with lots of people standing outside. The urban myth got round that a huge number of people had failed to gain admission to the meeting and, fortunately for us, the size of the hall was hardly mentioned. When the same tactic was used at a subsequent meeting at Judge’s hall, Trealaw even more people arrived, only to be refused admission at the door. Supporters flocked in from all parts of Wales to help in the campaign, ensuring that every house in the constituency was canvassed many times over. The evening before polling day the Parc & Dare was full to the rafters for a final rally, addressed by Gwynfor Evans, Meredydd Edwards, the actor, Illtyd Lewis, the powerful socialist debater as well as Vic himself. It was probably the biggest political gathering that this valley had seen in years and news of its success spread like wildfire. George Gale’s headline in the Express the following morning was simply ‘The Mountain is Moving’.

Well, it moved – but not far enough. Labour’s majority was slashed from 17,000 to 2,306, a swing of almost 30  per cent. Gwynfor Evans’ victory in Carmarthen had been explained away by saying it was a rural, Welsh speaking constituency but achieving such a result in the English speaking, industrial Labour heartland sent shock waves throughout Britain and was the forerunner of further success in by-elections in Merthyr and Caerffili.  If seats like Rhondda West were to tumble, then Labour’s grip on its fourteen Valley seats would be in grave jeopardy.  Harold Wilson’s government moved fast, announcing relocation of the Royal Mint, no less, to Llantrisant – amid protests from its London workforce and comments by the prominent Labour council leader T Dan Smith that north-east England would benefit from a good dose of Welsh nationalism!  The Mint has been there ever since – quite a legacy.

 

By the time Vic fought the 1970 election, things had seemingly returned to  their previous pattern, with Labour once more in the ascendancy. But Vic kept going, sticking to his socialist principles and his unbending belief in a self-governing Wales.  He continued to fight local elections. Gwynfor Evans describes him in one of his books as a solid, dependable man, balanced in his views.  Although Vic could sometimes appear to be a diffident canvasser on the doorstep he had strong social convictions and was Welsh to the core.  In no way could he be described as flash or colourful, but he had a huge store of dogged determination to achieve his political ends.  He was a strong supporter of Rhondda CND, believing fervently in unilateral nuclear disarmament, and joined with fellow members on the well publicised Christian CND march from Wallingford to Oxford.

In 2010, aged 93, Vic  moved into Tŷ Pentwyn where he was content and well looked after. He spoke enthusiastically about his travels in North America, his interest in boxing and rugby and remained actively interested in politics to the end. His good friend, Roger Price and I tried to keep him informed of developments in Paid Cymru and the politics in general. Fortunately, we also managed to record some of his reminiscences that are now part of the Plaid Cymru history archive.  > Atgofion Vic Davies

It is paradoxical that a man who never won an election made such a political impact on the life of this community. He lived to see the upper Rhondda Fawr become a Plaid Cymru stronghold, Geraint Davies winning the Assembly seat, Plaid Cymru controlling RCT Council, but I hope that he also realised that without his faith, determination and perseverance, that none of this would have been possible.

Diolchwn i Vic am ei ymroddiad, ei argyhoeddiad a’i ddyfalbarhad. Mawr yw ein diolch a’n dyled iddo. Heddwch i’w lwch!

 

 

 

Vic Davies, Man of Principle

A Tribute by Leanne Wood

 

I’m afraid I can’t talk of my memories and working with Vic when he stood in the famous by-election – I wasn’t born!

 

When I joined Plaid Cymru in the early 1990s, Vic Davies was coming to the end of his politically active life.

I have fond memories of Vic Davies and Glyn James – the veterans of Rhondda Plaid Cymru – attending constituency meetings, public meetings, social events.

To the end, Glyn was a firebrand.  Vic was too – but in a quiet way.  They complemented each other.

Vic was a thinker.  His points were always very well thought through and always from a point of principle.

Vic was a socialist.

And whenever he made a political contribution – whether in a one-to-one conversation, or in a meeting – his sincerity, his quest for justice and recognition of the underdog shone through.

Today’s generation of political activists owe so much to Vic and the others of Vic’s generation.

And for that – on behalf of all of us – I say thank you, diolch yn fawr iawn.

You laid the foundations for the Wales we know we can be.

You taught us the importance of integrity and principle in politics – and we will continue with your work.

We will build on the foundations that you laid.

Vic – your contribution to the national cause of Wales, the defence of working people and for peace was immense.

From the bottom of my heart I thank you for all that you did and all that you were.

Diolch o galon.  Cwsg mewn hedd.  Nos da Vic.

 

Vic Davies, Rhodda Pioneer

A Tribute by Jill Evans

Mae’n anrhydedd mawr i gael y cyfle heddiw i ddweud rhywbeth. Rwy’n ddiolchgar i’r teulu ac mae meddyliau ni i gyd gyda nhw yn ystod y cyfnod anodd yma.

Hoffwn sôn am rhai o’r pethau rwy’n cofio mwyaf am Vic. Fe wnaethon ni gydweithio dros y Rhondda, dros Gymru a dros heddwch.

It is a special honour to be asked to speak today. I am grateful to the family and all our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

I’d like to mention a few of the things I remember most about Vic from the time we worked together for the Rhondda, for Wales and for peace.

I knew the name Vic Davies a long time before I met him, of course. Everyone in Plaid Cymru knows the name. Vic was one of the pioneers, the heroes, who showed us it could be done. There may have been several years between 1967 and 1999, but Geraint’s victory in the Rhondda was Vic’s too.

I was only seven at the time of the famous by-election so I don’t remember that event. But Vic had a big influence on my life that I don’t think he was really aware of. I used to walk to Bodringallt Junior School from my home in Tyntyla Road, where he had also lived when he was young. Every day I passed the marble plaque in the garden by the Star which read “Hiroshima, Nagasaki 1945, Never Again”. Those words were forever etched on my mind. I didn’t understand them when I was little, of course. But I came to understand them only too well.

As a founder member of Rhondda CND, Vic was one of the small group of people who placed that plaque there. I have been active in the peace movement all my life, as he was. I don’t believe that’s a coincidence. Vic helped me understand early on the folly of nuclear weapons.

Having heard the much repeated stories about 1967, I was surprised when I first met the quietly spoken, quite unassuming man that was Vic Davies. It was in a Plaid constituency meeting in the Gelli Hotel. I was in awe of him, but he soon dispelled that. He was more interested in learning about other people than talking about himself.

I remember walking into the bar of the Star Hotel with him for one of the Rhondda CND meetings and being conscious of people looking over and nudging each other. People recognised him, but he seemed oblivious to it, or maybe just pretended to be.

His gentleness was in contrast to the strength of his convictions. He always said it about me – and now I can say it about him – he had steel in him. The strongest beliefs. A socialist, a European, a nationalist and internationalist, he took the side of the weak against the strong, with an absolute dedication to peace and disarmament. He was on every march through the Rhondda.

In the eighties, at the height of the Cold War, he went driving around Eastern Europe, talking to ordinary people, learning about their lives, making friends with those people we were supposed to think of as our enemies, breaking down barriers, venturing behind the Iron Curtain. He was brave as well as everything else.

Talking was one of the things he loved best. He loved a political debate! When Vic came to Plaid Cymru National Council, he was always in the group discussing international affairs and Europe. He listened to other peoples’ views. He was thoughtful and wise and knowledgeable. And highly respected.

He never pushed himself forward – not your usual politician, you might say – but he would encourage others. I am lucky to be one of those people. I will always be grateful for Vic’s support. Whenever I spoke at a meeting, however tricky things got, I knew that if Vic was in the audience I had strong back up! He gave me confidence.

No one was more delighted when I was the first Rhondda member ever elected to the National Executive of Plaid Cymru!

Nicola Sturgeon reminded us in the Plaid Cymru conference last week, that we stand on the shoulders of giants. To me, to all of us, Vic is one of those giants. I will always be grateful for his inspiration, his support, his friendship. A great man who made a difference – to the Rhondda, to Wales – and for peace.

Diolch Vic am yr ysbrydoliaeth, y gefnogaeth a’r cyfeillgarwch.

Fe wnest ti wahaniaeth i’r Rhondda, i Gymru – a dros heddwch.

Wales has lost one of her foremost nationalists, Dr Meredydd Evans, who has died at the age of 95.

A respected figure in the country’s life, Merêd was always ready to take a courageous stand for his nation’s language, culture and future.

We extend our sympathy and best wishes to Phyllis and the family.

 

 

Tributes have been paid to the late Clive Reid, Swansea, who died in November 2014.   A former Plaid Cymru parliamentary candidate for Swansea East and chairman of the Swansea West constituency, his life was honoured at his funeral in orations by the Rev Jill Hayley Harries, Heini Gruffudd and Gruffydd ap Gwent.

Photos of Clive Reid, courtesy of Anne Reid and Heini Gruffudd

Clive Reid, Swansea

Sadly Wales has lost Clive Reid, a well-known chemist as well as a staunch member of Plaid Cymru. Clive was brought up in Barry in a seafaring family but moved to work and live in Swansea. This tribute was delivered in Welsh at his funeral by Heini Gruffudd and translated by Dafydd Williams.

 

It is a privilege to say a word about Clive, and recall his strength of character as well as his civilised and pleasant demeanour.

Thank the lord for the deacon in Walham Green Welsh chapel in London who advised Clive and Anne that within the space of two years they would settle down to live there for good. What a shame that other Welsh people did not react in the same way as Clive, by moving back to Wales – and ironic that Walham Green chapel closed in 1988. Clive’s response to that advice indicates his dedication to Wales and his determination to live a full life as a Welshman.

Step by step he set about mastering the Welsh language, with great success. He enjoyed his Welsh lessons in school and pursued an O level in the language. On his mother’s side of the family he had Welsh-speaking relations and he became a member of Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Meeting Anne ensured another reason for persisting, and a long time was to elapse before Sara, David and Mari realised the significance of their parents’ decision to raise their family in a Welsh-speaking home. Clive was an embodiment of the way in which the Welsh language can gain ground.

Clive and Anne arrived in Swansea at a time of great excitement in Wales. This was the era of the drowning of Tryweryn, Gwynfor winning Carmarthen, and the foundation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith. Soon Plaid Cymru won seats in Meirionnydd and Caernarfon, and, with others, Clive saw to it that the waves of national renaissance reached Swansea as well.

After settling down in Killay, by now with a young child, he became aware of the evident anti-Welsh nature of political life of Swansea at the time. Clive was not ready to accept the way so many Swansea politicians, especially those in the Labour Party, were so ready to turn their backs on their national heritage, and he became a keen letter writer to the local paper.

He served as chairman of Plaid Cymru in Swansea West for three years and set up a chemist’s shop in Morriston. A small room at the back of the shop became the venue of many meetings that discussed Plaid and the nation, while he was dispensing medicines.

Clive contested a number of local elections in Morriston, defeating Labour in 1976, but not beating the Ratepayers. He also stood twice at Parliamentary level in Swansea East, sadly without any success. At the same time he served as Plaid’s spokesperson on health.

He held strong beliefs. He campaigned against cutting the number of beds in West Glamorgan hospitals, and against an army exhibition in Margam Park, which, in his view, was attracting young people to the armed forces without their recognising the dangers or the moral implications.

Here in Swansea there were campaigns to set up a Welsh-medium secondary school, which followed Clive’s wise counsel to decline going to Sandfields in the shadow of its chemical works.

Before that came the intrusion of the 1969 Investiture, of which Clive was critical. It was not that pantomime that was important to him that year, but the setting up of the Welsh-medium Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera. So what would he do, when invited by the residents of Lôn Camlad, to open their street party? Some of them were customers in his shop, and they saw the occasion as a national celebration. So what could be done but turn up to open the party, with me in attendance to take photographs and understand that there was more than one idea of Wales.

He talked about the time that he heard a Labour candidate trying to convince customers in his shop, not knowing he could hear, telling them, “We are not Nationalists, we are Internationalists”. Clive knew that this was a ‘British nationalist’ talking, whose internationalism went no further than London.

And Clive was certain in his backing for the highest standards of internationalism. He took an interest in Europe’s small countries, with Brittany one of his favourite destinations. He held shares in the P&O shipping company, which meant he could take his car and caravan to the continent half price, and he took his family on several trips to Brittany and France in particular. Under his influence I also ventured into the world of stocks and shares, and travelled cheaply with the family to Europe. The channel tunnel and cheap air travel shattered the share values, but Clive and his family carried on with their travels.

After retirement he still continued to make the case for Wales and the Welsh language. He was in correspondence recently in the Chemists’ Society magazine on the topic of Welsh language prescriptions after Morrisons in Bangor refused to accept Welsh prescriptions. In his letter, Clive asked why Welsh was regarded as a problem, although along with many other countries in the world Wales is a bilingual country. And then he reminded his readers that half a century ago the language of prescriptions was Latin.

That was the sort of person Clive was: well informed, conscientious, committed, someone who served his community and Wales with the highest standards.

You, his heirs and descendents, can be proud of him, remembering his ceaseless care for you. We remember him with the deepest respect, thanking him for his contribution, and recalling his late daughter, who was so dear to him, to you and to us.

Heini Gruffudd

Remembering Clive Reid

This tribute was delivered in Welsh at his funeral by Gruffydd ap Gwent and translated by Dafydd Williams

I first met Clive in the early 60s, after I returned from college in Aberystwyth, through the involvement we both had with Plaid Cymru. He had to come to live in Swansea after two years in London, full of enthusiasm for everything that was good about Wales and keen to share and defend what he recognised as our nation’s treasures. This was his dream and he saw Plaid Cymru as the best vehicle to fulfil it.

On the whole politics in Swansea at that time was rather flat, but suddenly everything was changed in July 1966 when Gwynfor Evans won the Carmarthen By-election. Wales was alight and the period that followed, with by-elections in the Rhondda and Caerffili, was remarkably exciting. Everything was possible. Clive was in the thick of things and delighted. Several people remarked that Clive, like Gwynfor, came from Barry and had learnt Welsh. Another boost for our expectations!

From the office in Cardiff came the command that Plaid Cymru had to stand in every parliamentary constituency in Wales in the next General Election. That meant a quite unexpected development for me. One evening I answered the door in Yr Olchfa to discover Dr J. Gwyn Griffiths and Clive on the step. I gave in to their plea to stand as candidate in Swansea West and a new window opened in my life.

Over time Clive’s focus was increasingly drawn to Swansea East and the back room of Reid’s Chemist shop on Morriston Square became a centre for Plaid activity. Clive’s penetrating letters in the Evening Post were a source of inspiration for Plaid members everywhere and his dedication to fight for the people of Swansea East in particular an example to us all. Later on Clive himself stood as parliamentary candidate.

Today we remember and give thanks for Clive the patriot, the campaigner for justice, the chemist and Christian, but above all, Clive the man, the civilised gentleman, the friend and father. To him his family came first – Anne, Sara, David, Mari and the grandchildren. We know that life was not always easy for this family but in both fair and stormy weather Clive’s place was in the bosom of his family.

We are all richer for having known Clive and the world is a better place because of his life.

Thank you Clive.

Gruffydd ap Gwent

Councillor with iron in her soul

A leading member of Plaid Cymru in Merthyr Tydfil, Miss Marian Morris died in December 2013.

A devoted Plaid member for many years, she was a member of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council when the party was the ruling group under the leadership of Emrys Roberts.

For many years she served on the National Executive Council and was the Merthyr Branch Treasurer. She was also Honorary Branch President.

Paying tribute on behalf of the Merthyr and Rhymni Branch, Brian Thomas said: “I, like many other members, first got to know Marian in the 1970s when Plaid took off as a political force in the town. With other members, such as Emrys, Dafydd Wigley, Gareth and Linda Foster, Gwyn Griffiths (recently sadly deceased), my brother Geoff, she broke the stranglehold of the Labour Party in the council elections in the famous victory of 1979.

“Marian was a dear friend to all, and the Branch held regular meetings in her front room with plenty of cups of tea and coffee with biscuits.

“She worked tirelessly for her local church the Quar Church, a short distance from her home, and was a long-standing member of CND Cymru.

“We should all be truly thankful to Marian for her friendship and generosity and her love of Wales and the language.”

 

Emrys Roberts writes: “Margaret and I have very fond memories of Marian from our time in Merthyr Tydfil in the 1970s.

“She was a very quiet and unassuming woman with a great love of her country. Marian never looked for the spotlight or for any praise. She looked for work instead and she worked hard, with conviction and persistence, to help build a better Wales. She often reminded me of the fable about the tortoise whose persistence enabled him to reach the finishing post before the hare.

“When Margaret and I came to Merthyr Tydfil, everyone (apart from some Labour councillors, perhaps!) was very welcoming and friendly and promised all sorts of assistance. Plaid received a great deal of support from many people. But, unfortunately, many people fail to keep their promises. Marian was not like that. If she gave you her word, she would keep her word and she usually achieved far more than she had promised.

“Although quiet by nature, Marian had iron in her soul. She was loyal, active and persistent in her endeavours for Plaid and for Wales.

 

Diolch Marian.”