Places

The origins of Talog Hall

In 1914 the “Committee of the Talog and District Eisteddfod” signed a “Memorandum of Agreement” with the shop-keeper, Thomas R Thomas, whereby he lent the Committee £40 to purchase a marquee for their use, and agreed to store the same until paid for. 

Agreement and Signatories

After World War 1

After World War 1 Lloyd George’s government decided to demolish most of the army camps and give huts away. John Daniels worked in Cardiff and helped to acquire the Hall, along with T R Thomas the shopkeeper.

Talog Hall was originally an army hut, like those used by men on National Service as dormitories, probably with 10 beds in a row. The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) distributed the huts to mining communities and villages on condition a plot was found, and money to pay for transport and erection. The money to pay was collected by chapels to be paid back after the hall made a profit.  However, Bethania Chapel agreed to give the money, instead of asking for it back, in return for use of the Hall free of charge.  Mr Turner believes that T.R Thomas organised the transport of the hall from Cynwyl Elfed railway station – using a traction engine and horse and cart.

Cilwendeg Farm gave land in the village to build the hall. They also gave a water supply to the village. The villagers laid the pipes for the water. Mr Turner’s mother-in-law paid someone for a day’s work for her share of the work.  The maintenance was taken over by the Carmarthenshire Council.

Talog Hall Opening Concert

The opening ceremony involved Sir John Daniels, MA, Cardiff, who also gave a set of books to the hall to start a library. The chapel used the hall for drama on Boxing Nights, an Eisteddfod on New Year’s Night, and Christmas parties for the children, as well as other chapel events.

Talog Hall

The ex-army hut was opened on 22 September 1920, and now, as Talog Community Hall is 100 years old.

The YMCA wanted one shilling a year from the hall to maintain ownership. This agreement held until 1977 when Brinley Jones sold Talog Shop to Handel Griffiths.
Inside the hall in those days there was a kitchen, with books on a shelf. In 1962 electricity came to Talog. The lighting had previously been provided from the shop via a generator to the hall. There was a stove in the hall, powered by coal, in the centre of the hall.
Mr Turner said of those times: “Brinley the Shop asked me if I would go with him and Jack Jones, who worked in the shop, around villages which had a hall to see what heating they had. “We went to several villages, started with Meidrim, can’t remember the names of all of them, but Aber Cych was one, and we ended up in Llanpumsaint.” Some had tubular heating, some had overhead, one had under-floor heating. The team decided on overhead heating.
Brinley decided to ask the YMCA if they could provide a grant for the heating, and a man came down Talog where a delegation met him. But there was no grant, and the YMCA representative also refused to sell the hall. However, in the last few years the hall has been transferred to a community organisation. The car park was bought from Brookside, probably about 20 years ago.

Source: Eddie Turner

A brief ‘retrospective’ look at Talog Community Hall.

When providing information about Bethania Chapel, Mr Turner referred to the booklet written by his brother-in-law, Gwynfor Phillips, published in 1997.

Some additional information was gained through discussions with local people including Lily Thomas, and through online research.

Bethania Chapel was built in 1839 (the year the Rebecca Riots started). The ground was rented from Rhydygarregddu at 6 shillings (30p) per year.

On the 150th anniversary in 1989, the Jones family presented the leasehold to the Chapel for free. There had been a little cottage, Bryntirion, where the vestry now is. It was demolished, and stables were built because people came from a distance to the chapel, but in time the vestry was built in its place.

Following a rift in Bethania, Bethel Chapel, was built along the road, towards Penybont. The disagreement was sorted out and it was never used as a chapel. It became a house, Llygaid yr Haul, and was originally split into two flats. Harry the Blacksmith lived there.

In 1927 the chapel was refurbished with parquet flooring, new seats, a pulpit, windows, and doors.

Gwilym Wilkins (Danybont, Talog) took over from Harry as blacksmith. He was the conductor of the Bethania Chapel choir, and there is a plaque for him the chapel. As Bethania had no organ before electricity came to the village, Gwilym used to start the singing by striking a pitchfork, and humming the note produced. Weddings were not held in the Chapel until 1989. Before then, local weddings took place at Foelcwan Chapel (sister chapel to Bethania), or at the Tabernacle Chapel in Carmarthen.

Source: Eddie Turner

A few of the gravestones and memorial plaques to be found at Bethania Chapel.

Thomas Thomas, 1854 and his family

Er coffadwriaeth am Thomas Thomas masnachwr Talog o’r Plwyf hwn yr hwn a fu farw Ion
19 1854 yn 41 oed
Hefyd Margaret ei wraig a fu farw Ion 27 1854 yn 39 oed
Hefyd David eu mab a fu farw Ion 5 1854 yn 15 oed
Hefyd Mary eu mherch a
fu farw Chwef 10 1854 yn 17 oed

Edrych ar orchwyl DUW canys
pwy a all unioni y peth a gam modd efe

Two of the memorials to the Jones family, Rhydygarregddu

Plaques in the Chapel to Gwilim Wilkins, Chapel Deacon, and conductor of the Bethania Chapel choir. Also Gwynfor Phillips, Deacon and Chapel Secretary.

Memorial to Professor Henry Harford Williams

Raised in Meidrim, he studied at Aberystwyth University and became an eminent scientist, an expert in fish parasitology. His family said “He was hard working man, with numerous interests, and didn’t know when he should take a break from work. At the end of a hard day’s work, he’d frequently say that he’d overdone it:
“Dw i wedi gorwneud i””