Ponty Points
These are archive messages - to air your views please visit our messageboard.
Clare from Ynysybwl is worried about the impact of the new licensing laws on the town centre: "Ponty has a drug culture and is full of binge drinkers who cause fights and disturbances. I'm young and I do drink in Ponty, its a scary place. RCT have a lot to answer for allowing certain places to even open in Pontypridd. Police are constantly paying these clubs a vist during the weekend."
Marina Cox from Pontypridd is concerned about the road system near B& Q: "We take our lives in our hands to cross these roads and some people have already lost theirs. Is it not a good idea to have a shuttle bus going back and fore for the elderly? Something has to be done."
Jeanne now lives in Australia and was saddened to see what's happened to Pontypridd:"I was born there, and loved the place, the park the churches, community hymn singing on a Sunday at Carmel chapel etc. Have been back several times from Australia where I now reside, and I was heart broken. Ponty is just a network of roads taking all traffic further up, it was dirty, the old bridge had grass and weeds sprouting from the concrete. The rocking stone on the common, couldn't see it for brambles."
Gaz left the area to live in Cardiff:"I moved out of Ponty a year ago to get away from the yob culture. The violence there is ridiculous, after living there 19 years I learnt a valuable lesson: don't go out on Friday or Saturday nights. My parents' house overlooks town, and since Kudos opened they've had nothing but trouble with the noise levels. Though, granted, the upside here is seeing all the drunken morons trying to beat each other senseless but tripping over themselves in the process. Way to go Ponty, maybe you'll kill yourself off soon so we can start fresh."
Maya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has fond memories:"I spent three years in Treforest during my uni days. When the sun was up we walked to Ponty to purchase groceries or have some chips and curry at the shop next to the Natwest. On a student budget, our shopping were mainly done at the many charity shops where we unearthed many lovely treasures. My fav memory is the sight of Ynysyngharad Park in winter. Gorgeous!!! n I was soo proud that Neil Jenkins played for Ponty in his heyday... wish i could return to my honorary kampung..."
William Watkins is an expat in Perth, Western Australia:"I would love to see photos of Pontypridd and the park. My father proposed to my mother on the bandstand and I would love to see some photos of the park. I have not been back to Ponty in 50 years and I want to see if it has changed. Thanking you every much, William Watkins."
Email your photos to wales.southeast@bbc.co.uk and we'll publish them here
Andrew Payne writes from Carmen, Manitoba, Canada:"Hi - I left Ponty in 1982 when I joined the army. I thought Ponty was a great town and Coed-y-llan was really good - I still have a sister who lives in Glync and I hope to be home for a visit in a while. Ponty rugby club is great but I do agree with the town needs areas for youth to play as here in Canada we have the same problems with kids having nothing to do except wander the streets at night and get into mischief. If there was an area set aside for them maybe they wouldn't get into trouble. Ponty market rocks for great bargains so why would anyone want to pay high street prices for clothes? I worked a flower stall there when I was a kid - it was great fun and so was the fruit stand. Maybe back then we found weekends more fun outside than being sat indoors. Keep up the good work on this site and now that I have found it I will save it in my favourites."
John in Caerphilly isn't impressed:"Truly the worst place on earth. Everytime I visit, I return home depressed! The only plus about the place is the park."
Robert Price wants people to get involved in local politics:"Pontypridd's decline can be attrbuted mainly to the merger of Rhondda, Cynon and Taff Ely Councils and the 'bury your head in the sand' attitudes of its town council. High business rates and commercial rents (except for charity shops that is), the debarcle of road planning (people from Blackpool come to see the lights of Pontypridd!!!). Everyone I talk to knows the problems that Ponty has got but we have only ourselves to blame - if we were more active within the councils, then we would have a voice but because of party political allegiance the minority rule and decide what they want for Ponty.
"What I want to see is a regeneration of the town centre, the park and a traffic system that would encourage people into Ponty making the most of its assets, such as the park with the regeneration of the swimming pool, perhaps a membership scheme as they have in other towns. People would become members of the pool if they knew the membership money was being invested in the regeneration of the pool - a figure of £52 per year from each member would probably be sufficent to regenerate the pool. That's a pound a week, each member given a 10% discount on entry as an incentive to join plus other incentives such as member only sessions could be employed. But while you have a council bent on party alliances there will be nothing done.
"So come on, people of Ponty - you have the council you deserve. Let's start asking the questions what our councillors (all parties) are doing for the town and not what their party wants them to do."
Adalaide is a newcomer who loves the town after moving from the Bath area:"Me and my husband moved to Ponty a year ago with a 2 yr old and soon fell pregnant with our second. It took a while to make friends but we eventually did and they are very welcoming people - so are strangers in the street. Also my experiance of giving birth in Wales was much much better due to the health service staff and everything that went with it. I love Ponty and I would stay here forever!"
