26 March 2004
A bright future emerges in Cwm Brefi

The road from Llanddewi Brefi up the mountain must be one of the most remote in the county. A single line of electricity poles follows the isolated valley road, although they are such a familiar sight that they are hardly noticeable against the striking scenery. Then the narrow road peters out to an un-surfaced lane before reaching Aberdauddwr, where the family of Eleri Davies have farmed for three generations.

This is a very self-reliant community, which until last year functioned without a single mains service. It took four years of relentless campaigning, spearheaded by Eleri and her neighbour Julie Hutchings, but thanks to a European Objective 1 grant Cwm Brefi mains electricity finally reached Cwm Brefi last June.

In the short time since installation the change has been dramatic. Most of us can’t imagine life without mains electricity, which provides such ordinary luxuries as being able to run a washing machine and a hair dryer at the same time, or turn on the television in the afternoon. And the stress levels have really gone down as the residents get used to things we take for granted, such as leaving the freezer plugged in round the clock instead of having to switch it on and off along with the generator. Julie laughs as she relates that they once put their freezer on a trailer and drove it down the valley to plug in at a friend’s house because the generator was broken. Julie is still sparing with electricity after 20 years of enforced frugality, although she’s lost her excuse not to do the ironing! But Eleri’s family have really made the most of not having to count kilowatts before flicking a switch. Now one of the children can use the computer while someone else watches tv and Dad uses power tools in the yard.

The Davies’s are currently looking forward to their first lambing season with mains electricity. They believe it is much more likely now that their son will live and work on the farm after them. And people running small businesses from home can boast such basic facilities as fax machines and answerphones, helping them to expand their businesses and keep the community thriving. The list of benefits goes on and on, and the future gets lighter and brighter.

Many people would object to electricity poles in their front garden, as the Davies’s now have. And how often do we hear about the march of technology spoiling our views in the countryside? But from the top of this valley, poles and cables have never looked so good.