‘The steelworks is our identity – we are the steel town’

Former Miss Wales, Gabriella Jukes, from Port Talbot with her grandad, Kenneth Phillips; one of several men in her family to have worked in the steelworks.

BBC A young woman with blonde hair standing alongside an older man with short grey hair on a promenade along a beachfront. There's golden sand behind them and the sea in the distance. The sky is blue with some clouds. In the left corner of the shot there is a large crane above a harbour. The woman is wearing a grey, buttoned front coat with a leather handbag strap across her front. The man is wearing a dark jacket with a blue top underneath and a white t-shirt. — Former Miss Wales, Gabriella Jukes, from Port Talbot with her grandad, Kenneth Phillips; one of several men in her family to have worked in the steelworks.

“We have the beach, we have the mountains, however the steelworks is our identity – we are the steel town.”

Gabriella Jukes’ grandfather, uncles and cousins have all worked in Port Talbot’s steel plant, which on Monday will see the second of its two blast furnaces shut down – ending traditional steelmaking in south Wales.

The former Miss Wales said she was proud of the town’s industrial history, but shares the community’s concern about its future.

“My cousin, he’s still really young. He left school thinking he was going to have a job for life there. You don’t know what the plans are for those who have got young families already, it’s just so uncertain,” she said.

Her grandfather, Kenneth Phillips, said it had always been a comfort to see the blast furnaces because “you realise your children are working, they’ve got a job”.

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The former electrical engineer said it was sad to see what was happening, but he admitted it was “not a surprise” after witnessing cutbacks many times during his 25 years at the plant.

“It’s just going to devastate Port Talbot. I don’t care what anyone says, they all know it really,” he said.

Tata Steel said it was offered retraining opportunities to employees and the transition to a greener way of making steel will cut carbon emissions.

“It’s going to help in terms of the air quality… but at the end of the day people’s quality of life [is] going to be poorer because there will be less jobs, less money in the area and people might eventually have to move away,” said Gabriella.

A steward of the Tata Steel sports and social club, Claire Edwards, says she often hears different opinions on what’s happening at the steelworks.

A middle aged woman is smiling with her teeth showing looking at the camera. She's wearing a white and black speckled top and she has blonde hair. She's standing on a large balcony with blue railings which is looking over a rugby pitch. Rugby players training are visible in the background near rugby posts. The sky is darkening and floodlights around the pitch are also visible. — A steward of the Tata Steel sports and social club, Claire Edwards, says she often hears different opinions on what’s happening at the steelworks.

At the Tata Steel sports and social club, views vary on the impact significant changes at the steelworks will have on the local community.

Club steward, Claire Edwards, said she believed “without the steelworks there is no Port Talbot” but she hoped the works owners, stick to their promises.

“It might be good for the environment but it’s hard to see people losing their jobs. I just hope things come good in the end, really.”

The club has many different teams, including rugby, football, cricket and bowls.

Many of the regulars either work at the steel plant or have done so at some point, but talk about what was happening at the steelworks is kept to a minimum at weekends, according to Claire.

“When they’re here it’s an escape really. It’s a release from them away from the pressure over there.”

Port Talbot’s blast furnaces can be seen rising above terraced houses across Port Talbot, as depicted here by one of many local artists, Simon Gough.

Simon Gough A digitised image of a terraced street with houses on either side and at the end of the road. In the middle of the road there are two males kicking a football and each side of them are cars - one red and one black. There are some telegraph poles and wires above their heads crossing over the street. In the distance rising above the terraced houses are two blast furnaces with some white smoke rising above the houses. — Port Talbot’s blast furnaces can be seen rising above terraced houses across Port Talbot, as depicted here by one of many local artists, Simon Gough.

Though local artist Simon Gough has never worked in the steelworks, it features in his art which captures every day life in Port Talbot.

“It’s there whether you like it or not. It’s produced and provided for the town for as long as I can remember,” he said.

“It’s quite a dichotomy, really, because it’s provided a lot for the town but it also takes a lot away if you want to go into the pollution element – but it’s what Port Talbot was built on so when it gets decimated it affects everybody.”

He said he remained optimistic about the future because of the closeness of the town’s community and other things it offers.

“We’re a town with strong legs and can walk up big hills, and this is just another big hill we’ve got to get over. There’s inspiration everywhere you look really, whether it’s people or places – the town is full of it.”

Gavin John owns a craft beer bar in Port Talbot town centre and believes the town has much more to offer despite the news from the steelworks.

A man in a black hoody and blue denim shorts and trainers is standing in the doorway of a shop front which has two large glass windows either side of him and a black frame. There's an advertisement board at the front of the shop and a chair and wooden table in the left hand corner. The windows of the shop are reflecting buildings from the opposite side of the road. — Gavin John owns a craft beer bar in Port Talbot town centre and believes the town has much more to offer despite the news from the steelworks.

There are a growing number of local businesses which celebrate Port Talbot’s identity.

Gavin John, uses his craft ale bar in the town centre to showcase local creativity as well by putting on music and comedy nights as well as poetry sessions.

He said he wanted to see more being done to promote and grow the creative sectors so the community can feel optimistic about the future.

“I think what’s happening at the steelworks is disgusting. But we’re a tight-knit community and the creative scene here is growing. With the right support it could be big,” Gavin said.