Bro Caerffili
Pigion Bro
- Pigion Bro
Caerphilly is probably best known for its cheese and its castle. However, few people realise that there is an even older Caerphilly Castle hidden away on the top of Caerphilly Mountain.
A lively, modern town with ancient roots, Caerphilly is a mixture of old and new, town and country, with its busy shopping centre and quiet hidden woodlands.
The town itself has been home to a number of famous people, from comedian Tommy Cooper to Evan James, author of the Welsh national anthem.
Shân Cothi and Iolo Williams visit the town in this week's "Bro" to meet some of the town's most interesting characters.
Gwyn Bradbury –BMX trail rider
A landscape gardener by day, Gwyn's passion is for BMX trail riding. He has been involved in the sport for five years and practices regularly at the Van Road bike trail in Caerphilly. A Caerphilly boy born and bred, Gwyn has been coming to the Van Road trail for three years to practice tricks and jumps on his trusty Kona Cowan slope-style bike. Last year he came first in the North Shore Jam competition at Churchill Park, a premier BMX contest.
Angharad Davies -Rockwood Dog Display Team
18-year-old Angharad travels the country doing dog shows and demonstrating tricks in obedience and agility with The Rockwood Dog Display Team. She has been involved in the group since she was 9 and her whole family are dog trainers. Angharad works with 'Shaz', a Doberman she has trained to do leap over jumps, race through tunnels and even jump through hoops of fire.
Anwen Thomas -Member of the Caerphilly Woodlands Trust
Anwen Thomas has been a member of the Caerphilly Woodlands Trust for 3 years. The group is made up of local people who are all passionate about preserving and protecting the natural environment with its various flora and fauna. They encourage wildlife by stacking sticks and digging ponds and have also resurfaced paths and replaced fences and gates for the benefit of the public. The site is protected as an area of significant geological interest due to the large number of fossils to be found in the area.
Dorian Simmonds and Nick Horne -The Caerphilly Young Fire-fighters Club
A Caerphilly local, Dorian Simmonds has been a firefighter for 5 years but in his spare time, he helps lead a team of local children between the ages of 13-18 at the Young Fire-fighters Club. The club is a chance for young people to learn skills and carry out training that is very similar to that which adult firefighters undertake. The group carry out drills where they have to assemble ladders and put out simulated fires.
Sixteen-year old Nick has been a member of the Young Firefighters' Club for 3 years after being inspired to follow in the footsteps of his dad, a local fireman. He is currently doing an NVQ in public services and his work in the club can count towards his qualification.
James Fussell -The Tommy Cooper Society
One of the original members of the Tommy Cooper Society, James Fussell first got involved as part of a fund-raising initiative by local people to erect a statue of Tommy Cooper in his home town. The group succeeded and Anthony Hopkins unveiled the 9-foot statue last year. The group now raises funds to help local people in the performing arts with various fund-raising activities including the Tommy Cooper Walk of Fame where people pay to inscribe paving stones with a personal message.
Kellie Barnaby -Rhino's Kick-boxing
20-year-old Kellie Barnaby started kickboxing at the age of 14 because she was being bullied at school. The sport helped her to build her confidence (and her muscles!) and she has since managed to win her first dan black belt. She has won the world championships twice and is current reigning champ in her category.
Sara Davies - Historian
Head of History at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, Sara Davies is a Caerphilly local born and bred and has ended up teaching at the very school that she attended herself! With a wealth of knowledge about the local area and its history, Sara gives Shân a historical tour of the town from its ancient castle to its old market square stopping off along the way to discover one of the first free schools in Wales.
The Caerphilly Tigers Girls Rugby Club
Caerphilly Tigers Girls Rugby Club was set up in 2004 through the work of Sport Caerphilly and with the help of a Lottery grant. The funding provided the necessary coaching qualifications for two of Sport Caerphilly's community coaches as well as for kit and equipment. Now purely run by volunteers, the club is going strong and producing some potential future stars of Welsh ladies' rugby. One of their members was made captain of the East Wales U17 side and five of them were selected to participate in the regional U18s Dragons competition.