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Wales Online

Lydia Stephens

29 reasons why no-one wants to live in the Rhondda

1. There really is no reason you would live there.

Pen Pych, Treorchy (Carl Bethell)

2. Seriously, you would never want to leave your house.

Porth, the gateway to the Rhondda (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

3. There is nowhere to go for a walk.

Maerdy Reservoir (Tyler Mears)

4. And everything is so dark.

The Rhondda at night (Adam Davies)

5. The locals are really unfriendly.

Resident on the Bwlch mountain (Grant Royce)

6. Seriously, they never crack a smile.

Treorchy high street (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

7. And there is absolutely nowhere for wildlife.

Clydach Top Lake (Adam Davies)

8. Nowhere.

Clydach Lake, Rhondda (Rob Jones)

9. There are no good schools.

Rhian Ellis has been named the best head teacher in the UK (Richard Swingler)

10. And no-one knows how to play rugby.

Tomos Williams from Treorchy playing for Wales against Italy in the 2020 Six Nations (Getty Images)

11. History? Rhondda doesn't have any.

Lluest Wen Reservoir at the brink of collapse in 1970 (Media Wales)

12. Really, nothing historic ever happened here.

The Lewis Merthyr Colliery, Rhondda Heritage Park, Trehafod (Media Wales)

13. Nothing.

The Rhondda Tunnel, Blaencwm (Western Mail)

14. There is no culture.

Bracchi Station Cafe, Treorchy (Mark Lewis)

15. And no-one looks after the community.

16. Or cares about anything.

A memorial stone on the Rhigos Mountain, where five-year-old William Llewelyn was found dead after being reported lost at Aberaman in 1902 (Richard Swingler)

17. There is no high street.

The best high street in the UK, Treorchy high street (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

18. And there are no independent shops.

The Flower Room in Tonypandy (Adrian White)

19. Seriously, they are all chains with no history in the area.

20. There is not one nice restaurant.

21. Not one.

22. Honestly, here is absolutely nowhere to eat.

Hake and chips at The Crispy Cod in Pentre (Instagram/Bwyta)

23. And there really is nowhere to enjoy yourself.

The Parc and Dare Theatre in Treorchy (Mirrorpix)

24. Nowhere.

25. No entertainment at all.

The Treorchy Male Voice Choir (Rob Browne /WalesOnline)

26. Everyone should know how awful it is to live here.

27. It is so grey.

Porth (Sarah Davies)

28. And everywhere looks the same.

Pen Pych waterfalls, Treorchy (Lee Williams)

29. Why would you choose to wake up to this?

A frosty day in Cwmparc, Rhondda (Tyler Mears)

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