Probably the best known piece I was involved in making like everything else in my life comes as usual with an interesting story.
My grandfather was a great man and a great positive influence in my life. When I was about to leave Port Talbot to go to Drama School he took me aside and gave me his point of view. He thought that I was leaving what he thought to be a wonderful job as a Backdoorman at the Grange Coke Ovens in The Steel Company of Wales where I had been working for three years in order to get a full grant to go to drama school. He just said one thing to me.
“Rob, I dont u’nderstand what you are doing but its your life and you can do whatever you like. Just promise me one thing” .....
“Never join the police force.”
My grandfather was a great man and a great positive influence in my life. When I was about to leave Port Talbot to go to Drama School he took me aside and gave me his point of view. He thought that I was leaving what he thought to be a wonderful job as a Backdoorman at the Grange Coke Ovens in The Steel Company of Wales where I had been working for three years in order to get a full grant to go to drama school. He just said one thing to me.
“Rob, I dont u’nderstand what you are doing but its your life and you can do whatever you like. Just promise me one thing” .....
“Never join the police force.”
In 1910 my grandfather was in Tonapandy South Wales and was involved in what is commonly called the Tonypandy Riots. He was working as a miner in the Ely Coliery in Penycraig. The miners who worked there were locked out of work by the Naval Colliery Company as a result of a wage dispute which resulted in all the miners in all of the mines in the area going on strike. Riots ensued. Winston Churchill illegaly sent in troops to deal with the situation. It has never officially been proven but I believe my grandfathers eye witness account that shots were fired on the miners, several of his friends were wounded and two men were killed. My grandfather never forgave Churchill for that. On the 24th of January 1965 the day that Winston Churchill died my grandfather put on his best suit, donned a bowler hat bought many years before espescially for the occation and never worn until that day and marched along the main road from his home in Aberavon to Margam Abbey applauded by many veterans lining the route who knew the reason for his march. At the Abbey he lit candles for the men who died in Tonypandy.
Despite that I entered a competition for the job of making Winston’s statue I didnt win but a friend of mine Ivor Roberts Jones did. When making a large statue inside is a skelital structure called an armature, Ivor asked me to help him by making it for him. I was glad to be involved. When the sculpture went to the foundry to be cast the armature moved causing Winston to be more stooped or round shouldered than was originally intended. I think it improved the statue. Sometimes accidents actually help the work. Ivor loved it.
Or was it an accident? Karma is Karma maybe it was the wieght of conscience.
Despite that I entered a competition for the job of making Winston’s statue I didnt win but a friend of mine Ivor Roberts Jones did. When making a large statue inside is a skelital structure called an armature, Ivor asked me to help him by making it for him. I was glad to be involved. When the sculpture went to the foundry to be cast the armature moved causing Winston to be more stooped or round shouldered than was originally intended. I think it improved the statue. Sometimes accidents actually help the work. Ivor loved it.
Or was it an accident? Karma is Karma maybe it was the wieght of conscience.