‘She’d rock up in a Rolls-Royce’ Villagers remember their global superstar who invited everyone for Christmas
‘You can take the girl out of Skewen, but you can never take Skewen out of the girl’
Bonnie Tyler had an open door policy at Christmas, inviting hundreds of people into her Mumbles home(Image: Robert Lewis)
“She put Skewen on the map bless her, everybody loved her.” Bonnie Tyler’s hits may have travelled around the world but despite her global fame you could never take Swansea out of the girl.
Her local accent never faded, her house parties in Mumbles were the stuff of legend and she would still turn up regularly in the village where she grew up – in style of course.
To the people of Skewen she wasn’t just the chart toping Bonnie, she was Gaynor Hopkins, a coal miner’s daughter. In Skewen everyone you speak to seems to either be related to her in some way or remember her working in the old shop on New Road.
In the local pub and in the hairdressers everyone is sharing memories, anecdotes and tributes to a star who was one of their own. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here
A musical family, the Hopkins clan were all known for dabbling with singing including Bonnie’s brother Paul, who is the lead singer of the Sunshine Cab Co band who perform rock covers locally. In fact, he can often be found at the weekly Colliers Arms Karaoke night in Skewen.
One local even remembers Bonnie getting her start in that very same pub where she took part in a singing competition, but came second.
Salon owner Kimberley Davies said her father Francis is Bonnie’s cousin.
“It’s so sad,” she said. “She was so lovely, a lovely woman and so down to earth.
“We could see it wasn’t looking very good but were hopeful that she would pull through. A legend gone.”
Kimberley Davies from Skewen’s dad, Francis is the singer’s cousin and spoke fondly about her “Auntie” Bonnie.(Image: Indigo Jones)
The last time they saw each other was at her father’s birthday party. Everyone found it funny that there was a woman in the room that was a “dead ringer for Bonnie Tyler.” It took them a minute to realise it was actually her.
Before you knew it Bonnie was up and singing at the party.
“It was really lovely, and I’m so glad I’ve got those memories to look back on. She put Skewen on the map bless her, everybody loved her.”
Accountant Robert Lewis has known the singer since they were in their 20s.
He remembers when she first started out singing in Swansea as part of the group Bobby Wayne and the Dixies. Robert said that they were “better than Abba in those days” when he used to and watch them perform every week.
Robert Lewis from Cadoxton has known the singer since they were both in their 20s(Image: Indigo Jones)
Since then, the pair were firm friends and he would often spend Christmas morning with her at one of her iconic parties filled with friends, family and fellow musicians.
Many may call her Gaynor, most will call her Bonnie, however her past bandmates have a different name altogether.
Robert said: “When I first met her, when she was with Bobby Wayne and the Dixie’s, she was Shereen. So everybody in the music world at that time would know her as Shereen.”
Beth Jones from Skewen owns Billion Hair in the village, she spoke about seeing Bonnie drive around and how she never forgot her roots.(Image: Indigo Jones)
She’d sent Robert and her former bandmates tickets to her Cardiff Utilita Arena concert that was supposed to take place in March but unfortunately that reunion never happened for the friends of 50-odd years.
“Obviously, when the news broke, we were all devastated, but nobody thought it was as serious as it was,” he said. “I mean, everybody expected her to recover. So it was a terrible shock for us all. An absolutely tragic loss.”
He speaks fondly of the Christmases they spent together, saying: “For many years we used to go down to her house in Mumbles.
Sylvia George from Rhydyfro was a big fan of the singer and was emotional speaking of her passing.(Image: Indigo Jones)
“Her nephew Chris used to play the piano and everybody would get together and sing Christmas carols and songs and she would sing. So it was just one happy get together.
“Sometimes there would be like 100 to 200 people there on a Christmas day, back and forth, because it was an open house, you could call in and have a drink and go home. It was an annual event which would giver everybody the chance to meet up.”
Owner of Billion Hair in Skewen, Beth Jones said: “She was a Skewen girl through and through. She used to rock up in her Rolls-Royce to see her family, and was still a Skewen girl. Absolutely gutted. Long live Bonnie Tyler!”
The owners of Streaks Ahead salon, Kim Hickman and Caroline Evans, spoke fondly of the singer and remembered how she turned on the Christmas lights in Skewen.(Image: Indigo Jones)
Sylvia George from Rhydyfro is one of the many salon customers who can’t top talking about the news. “I’m devastated,” she said.
“I was in tears when I heard, that she’d been taken into hospital and I prayed, put my fingers crossed and wished her all the best.
“What a woman, she was fabulous, down to earth. I think we are all devastated.”
Lloyd and Marilyn Davies had only good things to say about the singer and that was she a great ambassador for Wales(Image: Indigo Jones)
Kim Hickman and Caroline Evans said she never forgot where she came from, she was at the heart of Skewen and always remembered that.
They added that she was very down to earth and close to her family, as they would always go to visit Bonnie and Bobby in Portugal every year.
Caroline remembered the time when Bonnie turned on Skewen’s Christmas Lights with Father Christmas in 2010.
Kim said: “You can take the girl out of Skewen, but you can never taken Skewen out of the girl.”
Carl Draper who owns Café-tiére in Skewen, would often see Bonnie down the Mumbles and said how she would always be happy to stop and have a chat(Image: Indigo Jones)
Lloyd and Marilyn Davies would bump in to her in the Mumbles when having lunch.
Marilyn said that was very easy to talk to and she will be dearly missed. The pair called her a “good ambassador for Wales.”
And in Café-tiére in Skewen Carl Draper has spoken to his customers about little else. He aid that he would often see Bonnie down the Mumbles or in Marks & Spencer when he would take his mam shopping. He said how she would always be happy to stop and have a chat with anyone.
He said: “I just think we’ve lost an icon, very popular around Skewen, Swansea and Mumbles. I met her a couple of times, she was really genuine and would stop and talk to anyone. True to her roots. She will be well missed.”