WHERE IS PONTYGLO ?
SIR,—With reference to the enquiry (The Spectator, January 14th) re the location of the town which -is the setting of my novel, Some Trust In Chariots, I am glad to inform your correspondent that the Pontyglo of the novel is, in actual fact, Pontypridd. Famous as a mining centre, famous also as the home of the father and son who wrote the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, and for its singers, for its champion boxers, such as the late Fred Welsh, one-time lightweight champion of the world, Frank Moody and others, it is still more famous as the home of Glyn Davies, the Cambridge University and Wales outside-half, who was mainly responsible for England's defeat of Saturday last.
Pontypridd, which in English literally means "Bridge of Earth," is more often than not affectionately spoken of as " Good old Ponty " by Welshmen at home and abroad. For greater freedom in the writing of my novel I took the liberty of renaming it Pontyglo, in English " Bridge of Coal," and many now living in the town have since agreed that Pontyglo is quite as appropriate, having regard to its industrial history, as Pontypridd. Whether or no, it has always been a grand old town and the mining metropolis of South Wales. I can only hope that my novel is worthy
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