Latest news with #RhonddaValley
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts, 61, admits he's 'failed on every level' on major refurbishment project - after getting a 'second chance at life' following health scare
Martin Roberts has admitted he's 'failed on every level' in his attempt to turn around an out-of-use pub in the Rhondda Valley. The Homes Under The Hammer star, 61, purchased the Hendrewen Hotel in Blaencwm, Rhondda, in 2023 and planned to inject £500,000 to give the boozer a complete makeover. Situated not far from Martin's farmhouse in South Wales, the renovation expert wanted to bring bark a spark to a community which had 'lost their heart'. He'd estimated that the half-a-million would be enough for works to be complete in around two years, but after that exact amount of time, the makeover is far from finished. In fact the eight-bedroom property looks the exact same, with the presenter admitting he's 'failed on every level'. Martin told The Sun: 'For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level. 'I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been, I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. 'There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications, I'd say we are 60 per cent there.' One of the many hold-ups which he has encountered has been dealing with planners who insist he prepares for possible floods. Helping Martin power through the many obstacles he's overcome to get to this point have been a host of young locals. The presenter has a group Welsh teens aged between 15 to 17 working with his tradesmen, learning various practical skills they can use after school. Given his boozer is located in one of the country's most deprived areas, Martin hopes he can give the children 'a step up the ladder' and help them gain employment. With the pub now months away from completion, the former I'm A Celeb star is aiming to have around 30 locals employed when it 'hopefully' opens later this year. Martin is designing the Hendrewen so that each of its eight bedrooms has a different theme, all centred around television. He's planning to have a Fawlty Towers room, A Question of Sport room and - of course - an offering centred around Homes Under The Hummer - a show's he's presented for more than two decades. Martin purchased the pub in South Wales after suffering a health scare a year earlier in 2022 when his heart, kidney and liver failed. He was hospitalised with chest pains that he mistook for long COVID, but doctors told Martin he was suffering from pericardial effusion, a build-up of fluid in the structure around the heart. He had to have surgery and was ultimately 'given a second chance at life' thanks to the incredible work of surgeons. In December 2024 Martin issued a worrying update on his health, revealing he fears he doesn't have much longer left. Speaking to MailOnline, he said that he still gets twinges in his chest that cause him to panic. He explained that he doesn't 'know how long he has left' and is trying to do as much good in the world as possible. 'The physical side of things took a lot longer than we thought to get around,' the father-of-two said. 'I still get twinges and every single time I get a twinge in my chest, I panic. As anyone who has had any kind of problems with their heart would attest to it.' Martin continued: 'It sends you into a flurry of worry because they only sort of dribble out these stories afterwards. 'It was like I went to see the the consultant who did the emergency operation, and I said to him, "so how long would I have survived?" 'He said, "well, you probably wouldn't have made it through the night. So it was just as well I was on duty... you probably had maybe two or three hours to live." 'That was two to three hours from dying and not being here and not seeing the kids anymore and not fulfilling all my ambitions and doing all the things I want to do. 'So that's sort of the psychological side of that. It takes a lot longer to get over than the physical side. 'I was told I need to slow down and take things easy and all that kind of stuff, and I've gone a completely other way. 'This is why I've got this project in Wales where I'm renovating a pub, for the community, and we're using local kids to do the work and bringing kids who are disengaged and disadvantaged, giving them a chance to get construction skills. 'Just doing lots of good. I don't know how much time I've got left, so I just want to do as much as I possibly can to help.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Steps' Ian H Watkins hits out at JK Rowling as he claims the LGBTQI+ community is 'under attack': 'How dare you challenge my existence?'
Ian H Watkins hit back at JK Rowling as he spoke out on the minority choosing to attack the LBGTQI community. In his latest career venture the Steps star has released a children's book teaching younger generations that being different is your superpower and Pride is a safe space for people to be open and not be judged by others. Reflecting on his own experience growing up in the Rhondda Valley in Wales in the 80s and 90s, the singer admitted that while things are now more progressive the LGBTQI+ community are still 'under attack'. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Ian explained: 'There are a few, they are the minority, a few very powerful people making decisions that the majority do not agree with.... So this book is also a big middle finger up to the b***ts.' Most notably JK Rowling has been very vocal on the subject of trans people for several years and following the Supreme Court 's judgment on April 17, the author has consistently referred to transgender women as being 'men'. Meanwhile Stephen Fry also criticised LGBT charity Stonewall as 'nonsensical' and 'stuck in a terrible, terrible, quagmire' on trans issues as he admitted 'I am not sure I support them' in December. Asked what his response would be to those who use their platform to go against more liberal and progressive views, he began: 'I would say "how dare you?" How dare you challenge my existence. 'Queer people have always been here, we are here and we always will be here. So how dare you make me feel like a second-rate citizen? 'I don't want acceptance, I demand respect and every other LGBTQI+ person would say the same.' Encouraging people to be kind he continued: 'There's actual human beings involved. I think they are playing a political game. But at the end of the day, the bottom line is just be kind. 'We're all facing struggles on a daily basis, you never know what somebody is going through, so just be kind, life is hard enough, let it go.' The star added: 'Who I choose to love, why does that form your opinion? Why should that make you lose sleep at night? No. Worry about yourself.' Ian's new book titled Pride and the Rainbow Warriors follows the Rainbow Warriors on a journey as they teach readers of all ages the definition, history and importance of Pride and what it means to be included in the LGBTQ+ community. Talking about the book, the star explained: 'It's a little love letter to my younger self. 'It's a book that I wish I had had when I was growing up. I was bullied. I was made to feel very different. 'I spent lots of time out of school because I was I called names. I felt like I was secluded and I wanted my children and their friends to grow up in a very different world so that's where the idea for this book came from.' Ian shares twin sons Macsen and Cybi with his former partner Craig Ryder. The couple welcomed the boys via surrogate in 2016 before splitting a year later. Explaining how accepting his children are of sexuality, he joked: 'One of the things Cybi said to me, we're talking maybe five years ago when they were four or five. 'He went, so Daddy, 'boys can marry boys" and I sad "yes," and "girls can marry girls" and I said "yes," and he said "But can a T-rex marry a pterodactyl? And that was the conversation. 'They didn't care about what humans could marry what humans. It was more that the T-rex would eat the pterodactyl. That was the conversation.' After coming out publicly in 2007 in an interview with The Sun, Ian revealed he now feels he is 'making up for all of the years I spent in the closet while in Steps. 'It was a very dark time for LGBTQ people in the 90s. You were demonised. You were painted as the devil. It was sensationalised when somebody was in the closet. 'There was always a gay in the band and the papers knew about it, the press knew about it, and we were scared but I feel like now I'm making up for it.' He added: 'I have a lot of peace to make with my silence and I'm very proactive. I use my voice in a political way and a supportive way for all of my peers. 'So it's a passion project for me this book and I'm really, really proud of it.' As well as the release of the new book, Ian also devotes his time to talking about diversity in schools and encouraging children to embrace their uniqueness. He added: 'There's also a massive lack of education in schools and libraries. The resources are very, very, very sparse. There's not much of it at all so that was another kind of fire in my belly to get this out there.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Homes Under The Hammer's Martin Roberts gives shock update on hotel project, admitting ‘I have failed on every level'
WITH total honesty, Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits: 'For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level.' Two years ago, the property expert showed The Sun around his own DIY project to turn a run-down Welsh village pub into a top tourist attraction. 8 8 And just like he does on the hit property show, I asked: 'What is your timescale?' Back then, in spring 2023, Martin was convinced it would take just two years and around half a million pounds to rebuild the Hendrewen Hotel in the Rhondda Valley. So here we are, two years later, and on the outside, the eight-bedroom boozer looks . . . exactly the same. Martin, 61, who has witnessed more than 3,000 property renovations on his BBC daytime show, says: 'I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been. 'I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. 'There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications. 'I'd say we are 60 per cent of the way there.' But when I ask how soon we can expect the pub to be open, Martin hedges his bets and shrugs: 'I think it's going to come together really quickly in the final few months. 'I'm hopeful for Halloween but Christmas would be good. If not, in time for Easter.' One of the many hold-ups, according to Martin, has been dealing with planners who insist he makes preparations in case the pub in the former mining village of Blaencwm is hit by a once-in-a-century flood. Homes Under the Hammer's Martin Roberts announces new series that's world's away from beloved BBC show He says: 'We've got to do it right, and we will do it right, but unfortunately that means there's lots of hoops to jump through.' It is only three years since Martin was minutes from death and needed an emergency heart op. Doctors who carried out the surgery to drain fluid from the sac surrounding his heart told him in future to choose the easy life and avoid unnecessary stress. That is advice he does not seem to have followed. He could have spent his spare time living at his Rhondda Valley farmhouse — which he bought after falling in love with the area — and enjoying the stunning scenery which is popular with mountain bikers. Instead he decided to seize life and bought the pub lock, stock and barrel — without telling his wife Kirsty. My head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. Martin Roberts In fact, father-of-two Martin thought he had kept the purchase a complete secret, but he reveals: 'My cleaner rang me up one day and said, 'Have you bought the Hendrewen?' 'It turns out her auntie was in the queue at Asda and the woman behind was saying, 'That Martin Roberts has bought the Hendrewen'. 'It's just hysterical because as far as I was concerned I hadn't told anybody, but it was being discussed in Asda.' Martin is making a ten-part documentary series called Oops! I Bought A Pub, which will be shown on ITV next year — or whenever the pub finally opens. But he has also given The Sun an exclusive peek at his architect's visualisations of how the pub will look when the work is finally done — including a wacky upside-down Rolls-Royce suspended from the ceiling in the dining area. 8 8 As well as a new bar and restaurant, there will be eight bedrooms, all named after hit TV shows. Martin says: 'When I was a travel journalist I probably stayed in hundreds of hotels and often they all looked the same. 'The ones I remember most are those where the rooms felt individual. "So in my hotel I wanted to create rooms that had an individual feel. 'Then I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly thought, why don't I theme them around what I know and what I'm known for, which is television. 'Each room is themed around a legendary TV show. Obviously we're going to have a Homes Under The Hammer room with lots of memorabilia and funny stuff from the 20 years of the show. 'We're going to have a Doctor Who room, which is very science fiction-y. 'Next Stereophonics' 'A Fawlty Towers room where the light fittings are broken, the wallpaper is hanging off, beds are going to be very creaky and lots of quotes from Fawlty Towers on the walls. 'A Question Of Sport room will have lots of sports memorabilia. 'There will also be a Top Of The Pops room, an Antiques Roadshow room, a Planet Earth room and one that is a tribute to Top Gear. 'I've been collecting things from car boot sales, flea markets and online for the last two years. Now I've got lots of TV memorabilia so these rooms can be decorated in the style of different telly programmes. It's going to be great.' 8 When the Hendrewen Hotel does finally open it will employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe. Teenage students on catering and hospitality management courses will get practical experience working in the pub and in the hotel. Martin says: 'They'll get a chance to run a real-world place. We're going to have a teaching kitchen where celebrity chefs will come along and pass on their cookery skills. 'We're also putting in a stage with lots of musical instruments, which the locals will be able to come and use. 'And we'll have visiting musicians coming along, teaching musical skills to local kids. We might discover the next Stereophonics.' He also has a team of teens aged 15 to 17 working with his tradesmen, learning the skills to be plasterers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers. Martin says: 'By working in the pub, these kids are getting a massive step up the ladder. A lot of their lives have been transformed. 'We've had kids come off drugs. We've had kids who wouldn't get up out of bed in the mornings who are now arriving early to work because they're enjoying it so much. 'These kids have been told by the schools that they're rubbish. They come in, we give them a paintbrush or a trowel and say, 'There's a wall, you've got to work on this'. We teach them, and they walk away, heads held high, a belief in themselves has returned. 'They also walk away with a CSCS card, an industry qualification which shows they've got the safety experience to work on a building site. 'If one day they say working with me was a turning point in their life, I'll be thrilled. 8 'Village lost its heart' 'Some of the youngsters have given up drugs. We have one lad who struggled to communicate because of a really strong stammer, but he's grown in confidence. 'Now he won't stop talking and his stammer has diminished, which is great to see. 'I was three hours away from death, so I am even more driven to do things, not to make me money — because it's certainly not doing that — but to do some good, and to change lives. 'Because that's what you'll be remembered for, not for having a million pounds in the bank.' He adds: 'Bear in mind that some families around this area have generations of unemployment. It's like breaking a cycle and the kids get to see the joys of working.' 8 And Martin admits there are still months of hard graft ahead. He says: 'I've broken every single one of my rules! 'I have been driven by my heart. I made the classic error of going, 'It's a little pub, it closed at the start of lockdown, and the village has lost its heart and it needs me'. 'At the same time, my head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. 'It has ups and downs. I still have days when I really struggle with my health. 'This is the thing that just keeps me going. 'I've got people relying on me and I won't let them down. I'm not going to give up.' The last episode of Martin's programme will be the hotel's grand opening. He has already booked the world- famous Treorchy Male Choir and a big-name female celebrity. He says: 'I am absolutely supersizing it for the opening. 'The Valleys will have never seen anything like it." And there's light at the end of his tunnel too... 8 THE end is in sight for Martin's other fix-me-up project in the Welsh Valleys. His hotel in Blaencwm sits at one end of an incredible two-mile railway tunnel that has been closed off for more than 60 years. Martin is patron of the campaign to reopen the tunnel, which links the Rhondda and Afan Valleys, and turn it into a major tourist attraction. When it reopens it will be the longest all-year-round-use tunnel in the world for cyclists and walkers. Last week Railway Paths, a charity that restores old railway infrastructure, became a partner in the Rhondda Tunnel, which was used to transport coal from mines in the Valleys to Swansea docks. The £2million restoration could be open in two years. Martin says: 'Now all we want is for the Department for Transport to give us the tunnel. It's not going to cost the UK or the Welsh governments anything. 'The partnership with Railway Paths is a marriage made in heaven. 'This could be the vital step to finally making our dreams and hopes a reality. 'Being the longest continually open walking and cycling tunnel in the world will attract visitors from all around the globe to this area.'
The Sun
11-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
We're at war over neighbour's HUGE 6ft gate blocking shared path – they were told to rip it down… but accuse US of abuse
A VILLAGE row is threatening to boil over after a wealthy family ignored council orders to tear down a huge 6ft gate. Locals have been battling to remove the "gates of hell", which block a popular mountain path in Cwmparc, Rhondda Valley, South Wales. 7 7 7 Homeowners of Vicarage Terrace installed the eyesore in February this year, later hiring 24/7 security guards and using CCTV to monitor the imposing blockade. In a statement, they claimed that the work had been done to put a stop to "illegal parking, out-of-control dogs, people urinating, aggression, theft, drugs, and air rifles" on the land. They added: "A decision was made that we needed to put security gates at our home to keep our children safe." But locals were left fuming at the barriers, which were constructed on private land, but shut off a path that has been used for decades. They prevented access to a highway leading to a beauty spot on Cwmparc Mountain. announced it would serve the wealthy family a legal notice. And on May 8, council chiefs officially gave the owners, named locally as Laura and Adam Drew, one month to remove the metal obstruction. Now, over a month later, the massive gates remain in place, but a new gravel path has been created to run alongside them. Locals who have been involved in the 'GateGate' campaign say it is unclear whether they are able to use the " temporary path". Last Friday, council leader Andrew Morgan confirmed the local authority was aware of the interim footpath. He said: "This work wasn't agreed in advance and will be considered once the notice expires. Our kids' play area was blocked by huge 6ft privacy fence "Any access proposals can only be considered after the notice ends and must meet these key conditions: "The public must always be able to access the highway. "The route must remain safe and usable for people walking, cycling, or riding horses. "There must be a clear plan with a timeline to make the highway rights permanent and follow planning rules." But now the enforcement notice has expired, Richard Clarke, one of the campaign leaders, explained locals are awaiting "definitive action". Richard added: "We are now in a position where we await the council to ensure that we have continued access to the obstructed highway. "The gates remain both a physical obstruction and detriment to the visual impact of the area. 7 7 7 "It is my view that the council needs to act swiftly to ensure that it is not seen as doing a U-turn on its previous enforcement decision. "The Gate-gate campaign has consistently argued that a makeshift path constructed in haste is unsuitable as a long-term solution. "We sincerely hope the leader of the council remains true to his word and will provide us with continued access to the highway leading to the forestry. "Our campaign slogan was 'No to the gates!'. Having the gates continue to visually oppress us while we utilise a temporary path just reminds us of how the use of this road was taken from us. "We hope the council considers the feelings of the community and makes the right choice from not only a legal perspective but also a moral one for the benefit of the community as a whole." The owners preside over a small patch of land that visitors need to cross to reach the mountain, 1,600ft above sea level. They put up a sign saying 'no unauthorised access' and made it look like an official forestry sign. More than 70 people turned up for a peaceful protest in the rain, waving banners proclaiming: "No to the gate. Our mountains are there for all to enjoy." A social media campaign is also under way and a petition has been signed by more than 3,000 locals. One villager fumed: 'A walk up the mountain was like stepping into heaven, but now we can't get there because of the gates of hell. "It's a horrible way to treat people." David Powell, 53, who lives just 200 yards away, said: 'There's a fella threatening to use his pick-up truck to attach some chains to the gates and pull them down. 'I hope it doesn't come to that, but feelings are running high and people feel their right to walk up the mountain has been stopped. 'I've used that path all my life, I go up there to look at the Peregrine falcons, buzzards and red kites. 'It's a mountain paradise that the locals have used as far back as anyone can remember.'
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
We live in Britain's 'most depressing' council estate - there's no pub or GP surgery and two-thirds of the homes have been demolished... but here's why it's not as bad as you might think
It was once an important Christian pilgrimage site where the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared. But now, on a hillside overlooking the stunning Rhondda Valley in Wales, 1,100ft above sea level, sits a neglected council estate: Penrhys. Homes built in the late 1960s as part of a 'modern council housing development' have been left to rot and are black-stained. In its heyday, 951 two and three-storey terraced homes were at the centre of a thriving community. A lonely shop, Woody's newsagents, and a concrete basketball court is all that remains of any form of amenities. The pub and doctor's surgery have all been closed down, and restaurants and takeaways where a Just Eat sign still hangs are boarded up in what has been branded as one of Britain's most depressing place to live. Two-thirds of the homes deemed uninhabitable have been bulldozed in the troubled estate since the 1990s. Today, the foundations are still visible in the hillside, and steps that once led to people's front doors now lead to nothing but rubble and an empty space. Green waste bins with the motto 'strong heritage, strong future' sit toppled on pavements, surrounded by empty paint tins, discarded energy drinks and nitrous oxide canisters. One empty home is infested with blue bottle flies, which crawl all over the grimy windows, and chilly winds blast locals. Former shoplifter and heroin addict Cullain Mais described it as a 'real eye-opener' when he took his cameras inside the dilapidated estate for his successful podcast The Central Club. 'I feel like i'm in a warzone here. Just rubble. Literally, you feel like you are in the West Bank,' he said as he stood among the remains of one demolished home. But despite its ramshackled appearance, people who live in the neighbourhood are fiercely protective of their community who say 'it's an amazing place to live'. Resident Michelle, who did not give her surname, has lived in Penrhys for 11 years and vowed to stay living there 'until I'm moved off'. She told The Central Club: 'It's such a tight-knit community, it's brilliant up here.' However, not everyone was as complimentary about the place. One bald-headed tattooed man had returned to live in the area six years ago having moved out in the 1990s. He said the difference between the two eras was clear: 'In the '80s it was full of people and everybody was happy. Now it's a f***ing s***hole. 'But there are some good people up here. It's a ghost town now.' Jan Griffiths, 72, told The Sun in February that they did have a problem with people setting cars on fire and guns but those days have since gone. A resident since the 1970s, she said: 'It might be a bit run down, but there are lots of run-down places. Anybody who wants to criticise should come and visit and see what a welcome they get – we welcome anybody.' Others though spoke of having leaky homes, and their rubbish bags that are only collected every four weeks are being torn open by cats and foxes. For 18 months, locals had to battle against a plague of giant rats that roamed the estate. A series of horror photographs showed the enormous rodents in gardens, food waste bins and rats caught in traps. On Reddit, former inhabitants and other commenters have come out in defence of the village. An abandoned home sits on the hillside of the Penrhys estate where locals have in the past had to contend with a plague of rats 'As an English person who lived there for a few years South Wales has a unique feel,' one person wrote. 'Largely impoverished valley towns built to sustain previous population growth bang in the midst of dramatic rural landscapes. 'These places may "look" somewhat depressing to a lot of people in the UK but you will struggle to find friendlier, more welcoming and homely places in the country. I can think of and know of far far far more depressing places to live.' Others think the area would be desirable with 'a nice trash pick up and some tree and plants'. 'Architecture is nice and the natural area is pretty, lots of open space,' they said. Former Plaid AM for Rhondda, Leanne Wood, said in 2017 that the village had been 'neglected by the powers that be'. She told Wales Online: 'It is a community that has been left behind. I see Penrhys as one of the victims of austerity. 'It is a place with so many good people with good attitudes and ideas, but with little support from statutory services.' Views from the top of the Penrhys Community Centre in December 1971 United Reform minister Patricia Parrish looks at some of the graffiti on the walls at her chapel on the Penrhys Estate -- March, 1986 Housing association Trivallis has some grand plans for Penrhys and hope building 1,000 new homes, a school and a community centre will breathe some much needed new life into the estate. Duncan Forbes, chief executive at Trivallis, told The Sun: 'Penrhys is far from forgotten — when you take time to get to know people there you can see that it's a strong, caring community where people look out for each other. Local volunteers have worked with us and other partners to support people and make a positive difference. 'We're proud to work with residents to build a better future and excited for what we'll achieve together.' Mr Mais agreed that the area needed some work, but commended those who lived in the village. 'If i was giving this a rating I'd have to give Penrhys five out of ten and the five is just because of the community and the people here,' he said. 'Maybe I'll give it a six for the view. The view is stunning.'
