Too American

I WOULD like to express extreme disappointment at the name of the new school currently being constructed in Oakdale. Being called Islwyn High sounds too American to me for a school in the heart of the Welsh Valleys. Does anyone realise that where that school is being built there was a wonderful woodland called Martin’s Wood. When I was a girl living in Oakdale, it was an exciting spot for us to play. We would spend all day at the place we called The Pentlands where we used to drink the clear water from the springs. Exploring the old coal levels and making rope swings we spent many magical days. It seems to me that the body entrusted in the naming of this school evidently had no knowledge of the history of the local area which meant so much in days long past. I believe the name of the new school should bear some relevance to its local history and that we should have been asked to play a part in the choosing of its name.