This is a magnificent portrait of a typical Rhondda bus in its home environment showing Regent 134, new in 1935, waiting for miners to come out of Naval Colliery, the Naval No. 4 or Anthony Pit headgear being visible in the background.
134 lasted until 1954 whilst the Naval Colliery was to close shortly afterwards, in 1958. Note the patch on the panel above the destination display, this was a relic of what seems to have been en experimental ventilation system fitted to some (at least) of this batch and later removed.
The poster advertising performances at the Empire in Tonypandy allows fairly accurate dating of this photograph and features names now largely forgotten. Ted Lune is best remembered for his appearances in the ITV series The Army Game along with many other more familiar names. This series was the progenitor of the Carry On series of films.
Alongside is Van Luin, an artist who dressed as a clog-wearing Dutchman, yodelling but also doing excellent impressions of Winston Churchill. However, he may have opted not to do this in Tonypandy as Winston Churchill was the Home Secretary who ordered the use of troops in the Cambrian coal dispute of 1910, an act that led to strong feelings in the area. The Cambrian dispute actually started with a dispute over the price list for coal from Naval Colliery No. 2 pit, otherwise known as Ely Colliery, although this was some distance away at the other end of Penygraig.
