"We just need shops. We need things to bring people into the town.” These are the common words spoken by businesses owners in Aberdare town centre.
It's a cold and wet Thursday morning and the town is quiet. There are people walking by, there is a queue outside the local bank and there is life at the indoor market.
On one side of Cardiff Street a row of shops remain empty and look rather battered. People tell us Pound Stretcher used to be really popular, but it's been closed for some time now.
Nearby the old New Look store has been left empty and disregarded, and more than one person reveals the building is said to be "soaking wet" inside.
On the opposite side of the street there is more life, and one of the busiest places is Servini's Cafe.
The family-run business has been going since 1933, and is still standing the test of time. It's now in the hands of Marino Servini, 59, who has ran the business for the best part of 40 years, and has seen much change in the town over the years.
Marino said: "It used to be a mining town, so around then there were a lot of high paid mining jobs. Now this situation has changed.
“It’s now a commuting town - people work in Cardiff or maybe Swansea - but they live in Aberdare rather than work in Aberdare. You don’t see many people in town."
A part of this, Marino says, is due to the pandemic. People are now starting to get more confident at going out and about, but the food industry has also changed in terms of the way it works.
As we sit and speak about business there are a few people having a cuppa and a cake at the cafe, but more people are at the counter picking up meals they have ordered to takeaway. This is where business really is now for people like Marino.
“We have had busy periods where people have been excited to come out, but then there have been lulls," he explained.
He points to an Uber Eats sticker that's placed on the front counter at the cafe.
Marino said: "That’s the big part of the business at the moment - ordering what you want and then picking it up."
Despite the changing shape of the town centre Marino said there are attractions in and around the Cynon Valley that seem to draw people in.
He said he meets customers who sometimes stop by for a bite to eat if they're on their way for a day out.
"We have the zip line," he continued. "A few people have come in saying they are going there, and have stopped for some food. We have the Brecon Beacons on our doorstep - hopefully this will bring people over.”
For other businesses the message is clear - what is needed in Aberdare is more shops, more choice and little points of difference that will make people want to visit.
Joy Carter, 59, has owned Flowers by Joy on Victoria Square for 25 years.
Her shop really marks a point of difference in the Valleys town, as it's not often you see such a beautiful florist around these days.
The front window of the shop is gloriously pretty and inviting, and as soon as you walk through the door you're hit with a fragrant smell of beauty.
As well as seeing and smelling so many beautiful flowers as you enter the little shop, the staff couldn't be more welcoming. They invite us in, and start telling us all about how business has changed.
Joy said: "We would be selling 20 boxes of daffodils over Easter, and now you're lucky to be able to sell one. The supermarkets have taken that from us.
“There aren’t many shops to bring people to Aberdare. There are no men's clothes shops. Barclays is closing down. Natwest has already gone. There’s nothing in Aberdare for people to come for."
It's sad to hear business owners speak this way when it's clear they have such a love for what they do.
By just spending a few hours in the town you can see how many empty spaces there are, and that there's a lack of independent shops, aside from some of the trusted faithfuls like Joy's business, that have stood the test of time.
Back last year councillors opposed the decision to close Barclays Bank that doesn't lie far from Joy's shop.
There was also controversy earlier in the year when plans were announced to turn the former New Look building into flats, as what the people and business owners are really crying out for is more shops.
“The market is still nice," Joy continued. "There’s a really tight-knit community in the market.
“A lot of shops closed because of the pandemic. We have lost New look.
“A lot of our work comes via order, but some people come in to do funeral work.
“We just need shops. We need things to bring people into the town.”
Similar thoughts are echoed by the owner of Joe's Fish Bar, which lies on Whitcombe Street.
Much like the other business owners he welcomes us with open arms - the warmth and generosity of people in Aberdare comes in abundance.
Danilo Croci sits at a table when we walk into the chip shop, which has been owned by his family since 1940. He’s worked in the industry since he left school.
He takes great pride in showing me a photograph of his grandfather that hangs on the wall. It shows him starting out in the food industry by selling ice creams off the back of a horse and cart in Cwmaman.
Speaking about when he started out in the business, Danilo said: “The town was thriving and busy. Business was thriving and everything you wanted you could get in town. You didn’t want to go out of town.
“Gradually over the years there’s been a growing decline. Things weren’t great before the pandemic, but during the pandemic we were closed for 10 weeks."
Danilo rests at a single table that once formed part of a small seating area at the shop, but he said they "haven’t needed it" since the pandemic.
He's planning on doing something with the area over the next few months, but a lot of the business's focus has turned to takeaways due to the demand for fast food over the past two years.
Danilo said there are "a lot of empty shops" in the town, but he thinks the way forward is to open up more independent businesses, and you can see why.
When you look at a town like Pontypridd that saw several shops left boarded up and empty following the floods during Storm Dennis, but now has a high street bursting with independent businesses, it's clear to see that change is possible.
Discussing this, Danilo said: "It’s giving people the will to do it. Aberdare needs independent shops. Forget all the big names - that’s just not going to happen. Forget all the names.
“We have seen shops come and go over the years, but there needs to be reason for them to stay in the town.
"The business rates need to be lower, and there needs to be reason to continue."
There is a little more hustle and bustle at Aberdare Market. People are looking around at the different stalls, and it's hard not to be tempted by the delicious-looking (and tasting) Welsh cakes at Bakestones.
Nobody is happier to stop for a chat than Amanda Webber, 54, who runs the wool stall together with a little Welsh shop.
The stall has actually stood in the market for 80 years, but she took it over three years ago when she retired from her previous job.
She turned her passion into a profession, and is now keen to voice what exactly she thinks Aberdare needs to bring the town back to life.
Amanda said: "Since we became Rhondda Cynon Taf the funding has gone to the Rhondda, and it’s gone to Pontypridd. We have seen the regeneration of Pontypridd. We have seen regeneration in parts of Merthyr and the Rhondda.
“Mountain Ash has the town hall. We have three council buildings here. They are beautiful, but nothing is being done to them. We need that."
But, for Amanda, she thinks work also needs to be done to change people's mentality about the potential for a new Aberdare.
She said there is a lot of negativity that surrounds trying to better the town by opening more shops, and trying to diversify the businesses.
“There are a lot of people who say it won’t work," continued Amanda. "It’s trying to get that outlook changed.
"They'll say: 'It’s pointless - why are you bothering?'
“We have a cluster of people who didn’t get over the fact that Marks & Spencer didn’t come here.
"We are not helping ourselves. We need people to make sure it happens. We have potential."
All you need to do is spend a few hours in Aberdare to see that the town has potential.
I could have easily spent an hour alone looking around Amanda's little Welsh stall as it was full of unique items that you wouldn't find anywhere else.
Although several shops remain empty it's also easy to see how some parts of the town could be cleaned up and completely transformed.
The most important thing to take away from Aberdare is the kindness and generosity of the people. Business owners are warm and welcoming, passers by on the street stop for a chat and wish you a good morning.
The sense of community is strong, and the warmth of Aberdare's people is even stronger.
Looking to the future what the town really needs is support and drive to make sure it reaches its true potential, and doesn't become a Valleys town that simply gets forgotten.
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