As translated by Mr.Peter Williams of Moorland Road Sandfields in Aug.2012.
From the Welsh report of the County Archivist 2006-2007.

ABERAFAN AND PORT TALBOT NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD 1932

2007 marks 75 years since the first visit of the National Eisteddfod to the Aberafan and Port Talbot district. The Aberafan Port Talbot National Eisteddfod was held in 1932, during the depression, a year that saw remarkably high levels of unemployment in industrial areas like Port Talbot. Despite the hardship and the poverty that came in the wake of this unemployment, the local support for the Eisteddfod was strong.

The Eisteddfod was proclaimed on Glenafon Field, Taibach, on the 9th. of July 1931. The proclamation ceremony was led by the Archdruid Gwili. A procession was held by the Bardic Circle, together with a performance by the local choir of the Urdd.

The National Eisteddfod was held during the first week of August 1932. The main ceremonies were quite a success. Several new members were elevated to the Bardic Circle, including the poet from Rhosllannerchrugog, 1. D. Hooson ; W. Pritchard Williams from Aberafan ; and Timothy Rees, Bishop of Llandaff, among others. The Crown for the pryddest (long poem in free metre) was won by Tom Eurig, namely the Rev. Thomas Eurig Davies who composed on the theme 'He who suffered overcame'. The chair for the ode was awarded to the Rev. D. J. Davies, Capel Als, Llanelli, for his composition 'Main'.

According to the edition of Y Faner that appeared on the 9' of August 1932,

The Gorsedd ceremonies were very seemly, and the Archdruid Gwili did his work in a very dignified manner.

West Glamorgan Archives Service has a list of subjects for the Aberafan and Port Talbot National Eisteddfod 1932 (ref.: D/D Xki 17/1). In addition, the Archives Service keeps two manuscripts which include a full list of the competitors and the winners (ref : PTL 8/1-2). These were presented to Port Talbot library, and later to the Archives Service, by Mr. W. J. Samuel, General Secretary of the Eisteddfod, and former headmaster of Ysgol Pontrhydyfen and Eastern school Port Talbot. Mr. Samuel was a keen Eisteddfod-goer himself, and he was elevated to the Bardic Circle under the bardic name Idrisdad.

The list of subjects records the members of the Eisteddfod committees, and here we see the bigwigs of Aberafan. The president of the main committee of the Eisteddfod was Captain A. M. Talbot Fletcher of Margam castle. He also presented the chair to Aberafan Eisteddfod, and various prizes in the choral competitions section. Among the vicepresidents we see W. J. Chidzoy, a member of the family who own fruit shops in Bethany Square and Station Road, Port Talbot. The local Member of Parliament, Sir William Jenkins, Ala dd Afan, chaired the Working Committee and the Poetry Committee.

The great depth of the local support was reflected by the guarantors of the festival, and those who donated prizes to the various competitions that took place on and off the stage during Eisteddfod week. The financial support that was volunteered was especially notable considering the economic circumstances of the period.

On top of the list of guarantors we see Captain A. M. Talbot Fletcher, the local landowner. He gave a gift of £500. But the list of those who presented £5 is the longest by far. We see here natives of Aberafan, Taibach, Baglan, Pontrhydyfen, Cwinafan and so on. A number of local establishments were listed, including Fare Creamery, Taibach; the `Crown', Port Talbot and the `Red Lion', Aberafan, together with Sandfields police.

Among those who donate prizes we see once more the Chidzoy family who gave £10-10s to the victorious school orchestra. Support was had from the M    ember of Parliament, Sir William Jenkins for the under 14 years Solo, with a first prize of £1-1s and a second prize of 10s.6d. The individuals who donated prizes include, among others, J.O. Maddocks, Trevor Parker, H. W. Henderson and T. S. Hussell, all from Port Talbot R. Hopkins from Aberafan ; the Glamorgan police through Chief Inspector Rees Davies ; and the Earl of Plymouth who gave £50 in a prize in the architecture section for the competition to design a small theatre suitable for presenting a Welsh play.

In addition, prizes were donated by local societies. These included the Aberafan and District Social Institute, the South Wales Freight Company, Port Talbot General and Borough Workers, Port Talbot Music Club, Afan Glee Society, Taibach and Port Talbot Co-operative Society, the Port Talbot National Teachers' Union Society, Swansea Press Ltd.the South Wales Institute of Architects, Dyffryn Afan and Margamn Fellows, and the Benefit Society Institute and Cymer Public Hall. It is necessary to applaud such generosity for it seems that there has been a visible reduction in subscriptions in the wake of the high unemployment of the time.

There was a local subject to some of the competitions. The subject of the Hir Thoddaid (another form of poetry) competition was `The late John Phillips, Conductor of Aberafan Male Voice Choir'. In the essay competition we see the theme `the History of Dyffryn Afan and Tir larll'. In the music section, the candidates were asked to `Compose a Memorial Anthem with Accompaniment for the Organ for the late D. Alan Thomas'. There was a local flavour also to the essay in the scientific and industrial section, as i focussed on the geological features of the Afan valley, and the influence of these features on local industrial development.
The Eisteddfod attracted candidates from every corner of the world. In the lists of competitors and victors we discover that the candidates were from places as varied as Nigeria, Ohio in the United States, Liverpool and London.

Of course, there were a number of local candidates for the week's competitions.There was a very local flavour to the competition for a Small Choir from one Church or Chapel of not less than 40, with the first prize going to Aberdulais Baptists' Chapel, the second prize to Tabernacle Chapel, Skewen, and the third prize being given to Moria Calvinistic Methodists' Chapel, Kenfig Hill. The main prize for the Soprano Solo was given to Miss Jennie Morgan of Seven Sisters. Elwyn David Jones of Port Talbot was victorious in the Solo on the Organ. There was a special local success in the craft section : Eiddwen Morris from Sandfields won the competition for the best woollen quilt,. Sydney Lewis of Cwmafan snatched the prize for the basketwork, R. A. Bowen of Trebanos came to the fore in the competition for a lace-decorated pillow; Betty Louise Thomas of Port Talbot won the first prize in the pastel competition; it was decided that Cora Wellington of Port Talbot produced the best lace cloth for a tray; and the woodwork prize for a working machine model went to W. R. Thomas from the Youth Training Centre, Aberafan.

An effort was also made by the children of Aberafan and Port Talbot. We see the influence of the Eisteddfod through looking at the school log books of the district. Of course, the schools had closed for the summer holidays during the Eisteddfod week in August. But in 1931 we see the effect of the Proclamation Ceremony. Every local school was closed for a day.