Llanwern at 60

Written by Sean Edwards
Recited by Sean Edwards and Jeanne Welford – two Llanwern steelworkers.

The 60s were swinging, when a giant was born.
A steelworks in Newport, it was an industrial dawn.
Transforming the landscape, a works ahead of the game.
A heart that was beating with a Welsh dragon's flame.
Opened by the Queen, royal approval was given.
Employment for the many, a workforce that was driven.

A process that was unique, it followed the perfect flow.
Working west to east, there was a history to bestow.
The hungriest furnaces, waiting for the perfect meal.
A hunger never satisfied, iron wanting to be steel.
Mills would be waiting, both hot and cold.
Thousands and thousands of tonnes, to the world it was sold.

The journey has been fraught, there's been many ups and downs.
Like a rollercoaster in a theme park – we've had smiles, we've had frowns.
We've seen the brand change, different logos have been worn.
We've seen streamlining in action, ahead of a political storm.
The decades kept rolling, more chapters we would write.
We watched the end our heavy end, now just memories out of sight.

Yet sixty years later, there is a brand we still wear.
We're still living the dream, world-class products we share.
Misconceptions are often made, we're not ready to concede.
We are still fighting.
We are still here.
Rydym yn dal i ymladd.
Ry'n ni yma o hyd.