The historic Lady With the Lamp statue was welcomed back to her rightful home in Tonypandy by hundreds of local residents.
An iconic image which stood in the centre of the town for over 60 years, and was paid for by the miners of the local Glamorganshire or “Scotch” Colliery, is back on display.
The unveiling ceremony was one of the highlights of a fun-filled day of family activities to commemorate the centenary of the Tonypandy Riots.
The clear blue sky welcomed thousands of people to the town centre to witness the sparkling lantern parade and spectacular open-air evening concert in the Asda car park.
Undoubtedly the unveiling of the Lady With the Lamp proved a major part of the day for many residents who remember her from their childhood – and those who had never seen her before.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has worked with its partners including the Rhondda Civic Society, Rhondda Cynon Taf Community Arts and The Civic Trust for Wales to create a community garden where the statue is now situated.
The unveiling took place in De Winton Street car park, outside the old Town Hall. The Leader of the Council, Cllr Russell Roberts spoke of his pride and honour in carrying out the unveiling.
“I was actually born in Llwynypia and spent my childhood years in this area of mid-Rhondda where my father was a miner,” he explained.
“And the Lady with the Lamp was always the meeting place for many of my friends and I during our teenage years. So you can imagine how many wonderful memories are being brought back to me today when I see her returned to her former glory.
“This is a wonderful occasion for Tonypandy as we commemorate the centenary of the riots and return the Lady With The Lamp back to her rightful place of honour.”
Cllr Robert Bevan, the Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism joined Cllr Roberts in offering his thanks to all those who had made the event possible, including Director of Civic Trust for Wales Matthew Griffiths, Nigel Snell the Managing Director of Acorn Restoration and David Lewis of the Rhondda Civic Society.
The lamp was unveiled by Cllr Roberts and Lise Brekmoe of the Civic Trust Wales who was largely responsible for raising the funds to realizing the ambition of restoring the statue.
Also present was Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf Cllr Simon Lloyd, Deputy Mayor and ward member for Llwynypia Cllr Sylvia Jones and fellow local councilor, Cllr Craig Middle and Cllr Mark Norris.
This fountain and statue was erected in 1909 with money left over from the memorial statue paid for by the miners to Archibald Hood the well-known Scottish engineer and local mine owner which stands in the grounds of the Llwynypia Workmen’s Institution.
It was unveiled on October 28th 1909 by William Abraham (Mabon) MP. The fountain stood 13ft high and built of cast iron on a pedestal of Aberdeen granite, surmounted by an Egyptian water carrier supporting a powerful gas lamp.
It had three drinking taps, one cattle trough and two dog troughs. It was built by the Coalbrookdale Company from designs by R.S.Griffiths, architect of Tonypandy.
The following inscription on the statue said: “This fountain was erected in conjunction with the statue at the Workmen’s Institute by the workmen of Llwynypia Colliery and others as a memorial to the late Archibald Hood Esq., JP and founder of the Llwynypia Collieries.”
After years as a famous landmark in Tonypandy, it was knocked down by a car in 1965, although it remained on show until 1993 when it was put into storage. All that now remains is the lady herself, as the drinking troughs disappeared long ago.
The Rhondda Civic Society have been striving to refurbish the iconic statue and The Civic Trust for Wales have been instrumental in raising funds from various sources to reinstate it on a new plinth and surrounded by a community garden as a fitting new facility for the town of Tonypandy.
