Introducing Jane Carpenter, local artist and stained glass expert who is a passionate volunteer at the Pontardawe Heritage Centre.
Read on to discover how her work has connected her with Pontardawe and the local community, and why she loves volunteering at the Heritage Centre so much.
“I’ve lived in Pontardawe for many years, since I was nine years old, and I’m so proud to call this place my home.
“I’ve always been interested in local history, so volunteering here has allowed me to nurture that passion and find out more about the local area. I’ve been involved with the Pontardawe Heritage Centre since the beginning really, and it was in a bit of a mess when we first started working on it. The shop area was flooded, the ceiling had come down – it was just damp everywhere. It’s incredible to look at it now and see just how far it has come.
“Around the same time I started volunteering here, I was given several trays of odd bits and pieces of glass from the All Saints Church, just a mile or so away. I love everything about stained glass, so this became a passion project of mine. Slowly but surely, I began to sort through the pieces and restore the window, which turned out to be around eight feet in diameter! I wondered if it would fit in the Centre, and with the help of our talented local carpenter, it has.
“The Heritage Centre is such as special place, and it’s essential for preserving and honouring our culture and history. People often come in with an antique they’ve found in the attic, and we proudly add these pieces of the past to our displays. Perhaps the most amazing thing is that we often get contact from America or even further afield, from people who have traced their roots all the way back to Pontardawe.
“What I love most about Neath Port Talbot is the scenery – you’ve got the sea one way and the mountains the other. The forests and the walks, the rivers and the fields; they’re all right on our doorstep and I count my blessings every day.”