On a cold, crisp Saturday in March 2023 the place to be to be inspired was a small village at the top of the Rhondda Fawr valley. Local people gathered on the bridge over the river in Blaencwm to meet Homes Under The Hammer's Martin Roberts and find out more information, not about how to sell their property at auction, but about the next steps towards a local project that could revitalise the area and potentially become 'one of the best tourist attractions in the UK'.
Martin, who has bought a pub in the community, was joined by members of The Rhondda Tunnel Society, not only to unveil an information board about the history of the landmark local tunnel but also to look purposefully into the future.
The future of the tunnel, the area and the community have brought together unlikely combination of a TV property guru, a pub he bought, and a group of people who hope their plans for an abandoned railway tunnel may bring prosperity to this beautiful yet forgotten area.
Despite the biting temperature, the local community took to the streets in support of Blaencwm's new dream team, happy to wave flags and cheer as the next steps in the campaign were revealed and discussed.
Connor Fogel from Cwmparc is in support of the proposals to open the tunnel and Martin's pub vision. He said: "I think it's really important for the area, I think it's important for tourism, and I think it will bring opportunities to a deprived area.
"It will help it to have life, to have real weight within Wales, especially combined with the zip wire across the Rhigos [mountain] as well - this will be another really interesting and exciting place for a similar demographic to enjoy, which is really important."
Gillian Bowtell from Pentre can see the vision that Martin wants to create within the valley. She said: "I think what Martin is doing is fabulous, bringing interest to the area, and people who like walking will be very pleased to know that he is generating accommodation and facilities at the hotel, it's excellent."
Before the plaque is unveiled by Buffy Williams MS for Rhondda and Joel James MS for south Wales central, Martin is keen to explain to the crowd and the TV cameras how he ended up here; in this spot, on this day, talking about a pub and a tunnel.
He said: "I have filmed Homes Under The Hammer here a few times, and about a year and half ago I bought the Ty Newydd farmhouse and basically I fell in love with it - I fell in love with the area, I fell in love with the people, I fell in love with everything about this part of the world - it's an undiscovered gem.
"I was very honoured to be asked to be patron of Rhondda Tunnel Society, and this dedicated group of enthusiasts have been beavering away for the last 10 years doing all the slog - designing things, doing all the feasibility studies, doing all the engineering drawings, with the idea of revealing this incredible piece of Victorian architecture, industrial architecture, which was so important to the area years ago.
"It could be an absolutely amazing catalyst to what I think would be one of the biggest tourist attractions in the UK. It's undeniable that this would revolutionise the area, and you've got so much going on in the valleys, we're in the middle, we mustn't get left behind, and this tunnel would link all these amazing other projects together and be something that I think we should all be very, very proud of.
"I am delighted to be adding just a little bit of celebrity sparkle to the hard work that the team at the tunnel society have done over the last 10 years. And through that process I ended up buying a pub, how did that happen? What middle-aged bloke doesn't want to own a pub?
"I know nothing about running a pub, I know nothing about running a hotel, I know nothing about running a restaurant, so what could possibly go wrong? However, we're hopefully going to film a TV documentary all about it, so the good news is that if it all goes horribly wrong it makes great television!"
Martin's proposed plans for the Hendrewen Hotel in Blaencwm include a full refurbishment into a gastro pub but as a local community hub too, that includes a community store. The plans include further accommodation for visitors to the area and access for people with disabilities, a bike hire and equipment centre and even a tourist information centre. Find out more about Martin's pub and the proposed plans here.
Martin said: "I'm hoping to do all that, and I'm very proud to be doing all that, I think we're on the cusp of something really special here. I want other people to experience the welcome of the Valleys, the welcome of specifically the top end of the Valley here because you've got something to be very proud of, so I will do my bit to get the rest of the world to see what an amazing place and an amazing bunch of people are here."
The Rhondda Tunnel Society campaign logo to get the tunnel reopened, designed by Cardiff artist Jackie Geoghegan, was also revealed at the event by the committee members flashing the new design on their sweatshirts in a line-up that Martin teased might be their version of The Full Monty.
Martin explains the source of the inspiration of the logo's design. He said: "There is a rumour, a legend, that there is a dragon who lives in the tunnel and apparently people have seen smoke rising from the ventilation stacks, so this is the dragon that we hope we're going to finally release after all its years of captivity - it's a friendly dragon."
Lesley Crew, treasurer with Rhondda Tunnel Society briefly explains how the connection with Martin came about. She said: "One of our trustees is from Blaenrhondda and got talking about the farmhouse and then the tunnel with Martin, down the pub.
"Then he said 'the community keep nagging me and there's rumours that I have bought the pub so I suppose I'd better make the rumours right!'. We think it's absolutely awesome, absolutely fantastic, from where we're coming from as a society, it's absolutely superb."
The society has been campaigning to reopen the tunnel for many years and part of this work has been to raise funds. Kate Breeze executive director of Pen Y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund first met with members of the society in 2016 and they were one of the first local groups to request a formal discussion.
Kate said: "They were one of the first ever appointments that came to see us and they were great, with activities such as putting on public events for the community.
"As a fund we are invested in the future tourism of this area and so we did take a big risk when we funded them with over £90,000 to do all of the initial feasibility work, but a project like this needs someone to take that first risk otherwise they can't move any further on.
"It still could be a long way away but would be transformative for the area, and now with Martin coming in, he has a vision, and they seem excited at what that could be, and for us as a fund, to continue working with them hopefully. I wasn't sure at the start because it's a big change, but I think they've shown us that the local community will benefit from tourism."
It's this aspect of tourism, the rejuvenation of the area, and the extra facilities for the village that has piqued the interest of local MS for the Rhondda, Buffy Williams.
She said: "I met Martin a few weeks ago and I absolutely love the plans he has for Hendrewen Inn, exciting plans, and I think if we get the tunnel open, this will really take off, you only have to see how many people have turned out today in support of this, it shows the enthusiasm for this project.
"The community are on board with it, especially in this area, and Martin is making a really positive difference to the top end of this valley, he lets people in, he invites people in, there's real engagement, and it's nice to see them [the society] working together.
"The guys who've been running the tunnel society, they've just kept on and on, plugging away at it all the time, I'm just looking forward to seeing what the future holds for this project. It will bring tourism in, which we need, we're desperate for tourism in the Rhondda, and why wouldn't you want to visit here, it's absolutely beautiful and spectacular."
But a tunnel is only a tunnel if it has two open ends, so the support of the community across the mountain in the Afan Valley is equally as important in the story of this project as the enthusiasm the Rhondda Valley residents appear to be demonstrating.
David Rees, MS member of the Senedd for Aberavon says the community at the other end of the tunnel are very keen to see the project succeed because they also see the opportunity to bring benefits to a valley area that has been desecrated over the years with the demise of traditional industries.
David Rees says: "This would bring tourism back in and it would link in to the Wildfox Resorts project in the Afan Valley and allow those people to experience the area here as well, this Rhondda side of the valley. We think this is a huge project that could attract a lot of people to our communities to develop a new set of industries around tourism including local jobs for local people.
"Funding is a big challenge, and a big challenge to get ownership of the tunnel and take on the responsibilities of it too, but then, how do we fund this? With a tight budget funds are limited, so is this a levelling-up fund, something they might want to look at? - it's possible.
"And also the heritage lottery who have supported local communities and if you look at the other side of it [the tunnel] the community matches their brief there too, it's a double tick.
"But it needs matching funding too, the society and the project have to demonstrate that they can raise money as well. Martin coming on board has raised the level of getting access to more people to talk to."
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