Two of Rhondda Cynon Taf’s oldest library users have praised the Council’s Housebound Library Service which brings first-class facilities to their homes.
Life-long library user Mrs Martha Jenkins, aged 96, of Glyncoli Road, Treorchy, has used the Housebound Library Service for the past five years. Through the service, librarians visit residents’ homes monthly with a selection of books, music and talking books to borrow.
Welsh-speaker Mrs Jenkins whose parents came from Cardigan, has always been a library member and used the library in Abergorki Hall when it was 2d to borrow a book. She also belonged to the Miners’ Institute library at the Parc and Dare, which at the time only had one shelf of Welsh books.
One of 10 children, Mrs Jenkins has one surviving brother, former mayor of Barry, Benjamin Evans, aged 100, and two children, Mairwen and John. She was brought up in the house she still lives in, which was built in 1875.
She was sent to service in London as soon as she left school during the 1920s but disliked the city. She returned as soon as she could and moved back into the family home to look after her mother and run a shop from the front room. Martha sold baked produce, including bread and cake which she made herself. She continued living there and running the shop after she married her husband, Tom.
Visits from Housebound Librarian Kevin Payne have made a big difference to her life these days, she said, and she forgets her troubles when she gets into the character in the book.
She prefers only to read ‘cheerful’ books – and says Kevin understands the types of books she likes. “There is a sincere way of helping in the way the books are given to you,” she said.
“Martha likes reading mysteries but actually has wide and varied tastes. She likes Elizabeth George and Palma Harcourt but will try anything new I think she’ll enjoy,” said Kevin.
Mrs Joyce Beer, aged 83, of Birchgrove, has used the Housebound Library Service for around five years and says: “It’s marvellous. I don’t know what I’d do without it.”
She regularly borrows books and tapes and says: “I don’t like anything ‘Mills and Boon’!” Irish author Maeve Binchey and Pontypridd-born Catrin Collier are among her favourite writers.
A resident of Llanharry for the past 50 years, Mrs Beer (pictured above with librarian Aled Thomas) who had four sons, was born and brought up in Roath, Cardiff. She was 13 when World War II broke out and in her first job aged 14, she cut out food rationing coupons.
She went on to work at Cardiff Central Station serving refreshments to the troops and it was there, aged 17, she met her late husband Ken. He contracted TB while serving in the Far East and had to spend two years recovering in a sanatorium.
Mrs Beer went on to work for MGM Studios which had premises in the centre of Cardiff. She repaired film there – a job she loved doing. She remembers cinema’s golden age, when there were many picture houses in Cardiff, including The Empire, The Pavilion and The Capital. “My favourite film star then was Van Johnson!” she said. These days, Mrs Beer enjoys reading a book at bedtime and going on holidays.
The Housebound Library Service caters for around 250 residents throughout the county borough every month. To get in touch with the service, please call Catherine Langdon on 01685 880061.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation Cllr Robert Bevan said: “The Housebound Library Service is a lifeline to the many residents who take advantage of this first-class Council facility. In some cases, it is one of the very few times a month where people have one-to-one contact with another person.”
· Membership of all Rhondda Cynon Taf’s libraries is free and everyone living or working within the county borough is welcome to join. Find out more by visiting www.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/libraries
