Maerdy Hall in 2003

Description

‘MAERDY HALL’
CLOSE ITS DOORS

ON FRIDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2002 ‘MAERDY HALL’ CLOSED ITS DOORS FOR THE FINAL TIME

‘Maerdy Hall’ was once a great and thriving place. It was subsidised by the miners of Mardy Colliery who had great pride in the building.

Names from the past who were synonymous with the Hall were William R. ‘Will Box’ Thomas and Jabbus Davies. It was a place where junior and senior choristers gathered several nights a week to practise in the school rooms, under the baton of the conductor William John Griffiths. Concert performances took place in the main auditorium, which provided excellent acoustics.

Moses Jones, a well known author, produced many plays on the stage in Maerdy Hall, the majority of cast being Maerdy people. Drama festivals and competitions were also staged at the Hall which housed one of the finest libraries in Wales and which was very much appreciated by the miners and local people in the surrounding areas.

The basement comprised of games rooms, including billiards and snooker, which were under the strict guidance of the committee. It was a venue for twice weekly dances in the Rainbow Room, named for its central light which cast rainbows around the room. the Hall had its own dance band, which for a number of years was conducted by Lawrence Rennish of Ferndale. During its day, ‘Maerdy Hall’ turned into a picture house showing the latest movies. Many Maerdy residents will still remember Jabbus Davies, who wielded his torch authoritatively during the performances.

Then ‘Maerdy Hall’ turned into a Club with its first manager Alec Rigby. It was the start of a wonderful venue for artists, which was packed to capacity nightly for various events. Many stars such as Billy Fury, the Platters, the Back abbots, Rupert a brilliant tribute to Elvis, the Searchers, and Tom Jones appeared on stage. But like all good things, its life sadly came to an end.

In later years the building became too much of a struggle by various committees to keep it open. Numbers using the club dropped dramatically and without the finances of the Mardy Colliery (closed on Thursday 21st December 1990), and being such a large building, the cost to run it was tremendous. It is sad to think that this wonderful building was built by our forefathers and used to its full capacity when they had so little money, but now that we have become more affluent with more money to spend, we cannot even afford to keep it open.

It is a sad day for so many people in more ways than one.

The closure of ‘Maerdy Hall’ is a sad sign of the times.
The closure of Maerdy Workmen’s Hall and Institute is a sad sign of the times in the Rhondda. The Hall was a landmark in the valleys and in many ways was synonymous with Mardy Colliery. It was the pit’s miners who subsidised the Hall, which provided a hub of entertainment for the community of Maerdy and the valleys.