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It’s been several years since a new supermarket has opened in the Rhondda, and local people are starting to go cold turkey. 

Since Asda, Tonypandy opened in 2007 there’s been a real lack of excitement amongst Rhondda people. With the demise of local music festivals and fetes due to over-zealous health and safety laws, it seems that new supermarket openings are the next best entertainment in the Rhondda.

Monday
Kelsie Whiting from Llwynypia told us, “I’ll never forget the day Asdas opened in Tonypandy, it was a Monday. I took my mother and the kids down, it was packed.  We stayed there most of the day and got free bags for life and cakes. Why cant we have another supermarket opening day? I’m not asking for a Waitrose or Sainsburys just an Aldis or another Lidls would do really. ”

Tuesday
We asked Richard Wink from the Council’s Entertainment Licensing department about why there are less fetes in the valleys than there used to be, “It’s not our fault really”, he told us, “it’s the health and safety laws, and we dont make them. Only last Tuesday I had to refuse a license for a street party to celebrate St David’s day because they wanted to use real daffodils as table decorations. I’m afraid shop opening events are the only fun thing left that we can’t put a stop to.”

Happy Days
Shopper and local Tonypandy resident, Carl Skimmer,  said, “The day Asdas opened was all set to be a happy day, me and the wife got there really early to try and be the first customer.  But we failed, although if you dont count children, we were the sixteenth customers ever in that shop.”

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