The family name of Gardiner comes from Stow in Gloucestershire. My paternal grandfather left home at 13 and walked all the way to the Rhondda. He was taken in by strangers in the little village of Blaenllechau. When he was found by his parents a month later, he was happy and didn't want to return to Gloucestershire. It was agreed that he could stay in Blaenllechau as long as his new guardians kept in touch by letter.

He finished his schooling in Ferndale lower school and started work in the local colliery at 14 years old. Eventually he got married, started a family and his first child was born in 1901. He was killed in the colliery at the age of 34.

It all happened because he was offered more money to stay behind to help two colleagues who were behind with their work. He was killed within 10 minutes of arriving on the scene, when a stone fell and broke his neck. My grandmother was left a widow with four children.

My father went to work in No. 1 Colliery in Ferndale at the age of 15 and worked there until he joined the army as regular in the Royal Artillery. He served during the war in Belgium and then in the Khyber pass. He came home in 1945, was unemployed for a while and then went to No. 5 Colliery, Ferndale.

I found life very hard at times as a young man but the community in Blaenllechau was close knit and cared and shared for each other. I enjoyed school, in particular the free school dinners.

At the age of 15 I left school and worked for a butcher and a rubber factory before doing three years at Maerdy Colliery. I went to Scotland to work in the Forestry Commission, lodging with my brother and family. I returned to Blaenllechau after a spell working away due to ill health in the family.

The valley has changed dramaticaly and community life and spirt has dwindled. Despite some hardship when I was younger, I'm pround to be a Blaen boy.