Legend of Dylan Thomas keeps growing

IT has been half a century since his death but Dylan Thomas is still proving a big draw for Swansea.

But new memories of the life and times of the famous writer are now on offer for a new generation of fans, with a nostalgic trip into the past.

It would have been his 94th birthday yesterday and family and fans alike had double cause for celebration with the official opening of his birthplace.

The semi-detached house which is situated at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands, was home to a young Dylan where he wrote much of his early work.

And the opening was packed full with visitors looking forward to catching a glimpse of what life would have been like for the young poet.

Karen Hardings, from Neath Abbey, was one of the lucky few who attended the opening.

She said: "It is fantastic. A lot of hard work has gone into it."

And now that it has been completed, Geoff Haden and wife Annie who restored the house, said they were pleased with the outcome.

Holiday-makers from around the globe, with a steady stream of fans from across the Atlantic, will be also able to get as close as it gets to Dylan's early life.

The house is going to be opening its doors to guests who will be surrounded by period furniture and household items, including a cast-iron toilet, and even receive a 1914 newspaper.

Modern comforts like telephones and television are banned.

Mrs Haden, who has spent three years working on the house with her husband, said: "The property was lost to the local area for a few years. It had been leased to students and was in a very sad state.

"We felt Dylan hadn't been fully acknowledged by Swansea, so took the house on as soon as the lease came up."

And they have put every effort into the detail of the house.

Mrs Haden said: "We've matched the colour of the original plaster, to keep it as original as we can."

The couple also painstakingly went through charity shops and car boot sales to find appropriate furniture and fittings.

She said: "I think it's stunning. Every morning when I come in, it hits me with something else."

Aeronwy Thomas, Dylan's daughter who officially opened the house yesterday, said: "I'm surprised at the size of the crowd, but I am glad my father still attracts this amount of interest in his home town.

"I would say the house is pretty authentic, the old Victorian cupboard is perfectly correct."

Dylan is best known for his poems, including Fern Hill, The Hunchback in the Park and, of course, the play Under Milk Wood.

Dylan's life was also put onto the silver screen this year in the Hollywood hit, The Edge of Love, starring Matthew Rhys as Dylan.

Dylan died on November 9 in 1953 in St Vincent's Hospital, New York.