THE year began in the most unimaginable way possible with a devastating fire at Cwmbran's Coed Eva Primary School, which took hold in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Charred remains of the school’s infant and nursery blocks were left behind by the blaze, but head teacher Gill Ellis issued a defiant message that Coed Eva Primary would partially re-open just 11 days after the fire.

Four-hundred-and-ten pupils returned to the school on January 11, while the younger children came back to Coed Eva one week later.

“In a time of darkness, we stand together,” said Mrs Ellis, as special assemblies were held for all the returning pupils and it was confirmed that temporary classrooms would be installed to replace the teaching areas lost in the fire.

Also in January, the descendants of a Victoria Cross war hero from the battle of Rorke’s Drift participated in a parade for the 137th anniversary.

Cwmbran’s John Fielding VC was one of 11 recipients of the highest military award for defending a remote station from around 4,000 Zulu warriors.

In February, the issue of open cast mining at Varteg re-emerged after a new planning application was submitted to Torfaen council.

The possibility of open cast mining on Varteg Hill had first emerged more than a decade before, and the new application contained six amendments from a previous plan.

Despite objection from campaigners and a protest outside the civic centre in Pontypool ahead of the meeting, Torfaen council’s cabinet voted seven to one in favour of closing two schools in Abersychan in February.

Ward member for Abersychan Cllr Gwyneira Clark was the only member of the cabinet to oppose plans to close the schools – Abersychan Brynteg Nursery and Victoria Primary.

Concerns were raised in February by the then-Mayor of Blaenavon, Cllr Gareth Davies, and his successor, Cllr Alan Jones, over the future of a listed building in the town.

The Grade-II listed and former ironmaster’s house, Ty Mawr, labelled an ‘eyesore’ and a ‘blot on the town’ was put up for sale but had become a magnet for vandalism.

March started with a tribute to Pontypool teenager Courtney Smith from her father Robert, after she died at the Royal Gwent Hospital following a car accident which claimed her boyfriend’s life.

The 16-year-old, who was opt-in organ donor, was able to help two families – at that time – with transplants, her father said.

Emily Clark, the inspirational 18-year-old who beat cancer on two occasions, passed away in March after developing breathing problems.

Behind the Remission Possible blogs, the Cwmbran teen had been previously named as the 37th most influential women in Wales, ahead of a number of celebrities, and her funeral was held the following month.

Trevethin’s TRAC2 founder Sue Malson received an award in March as a guest of honour of the Cardiff City FC Foundation.

The previous month, Newport-born actor Michael Sheen popped into the charity where Mrs Malson informed him about the work TRAC2 does in the local community.

In April, the former building which housed the Blaenavon library was sold for £108,000 – despite having received £800,000 in investment since the town received World Heritage Status in 2000.

The library in Blaenavon moved into the World Heritage Centre after the building was deemed surplus to requirements in 2015.

It was announced in the same month that although the usage of foodbanks in the borough had risen by one per cent between April 2015 and March 2016, 39 tonnes of food was dispensed to Torfaen residents.

Torfaen had the seventh highest figures of the 22 authorities in Wales with 5,266 packages given out – 3,316 to adults and 1,950 to children.

Josh Peake became the sixth generation of the same family to drive a bus for a Pontypool firm in April.

The 18-year-old passed his driving test and works for the family business – Peakes Coaches – and said: “When I was a young boy, I always wanted to become a bus driver.”

In May, as Lynne Neagle was re-elected as the AM for Torfaen and Pontypool RFC missed out on promotion to the Premiership, the inaugural running for an overnight charity fundraiser smashed its donation target by more than £20,000.

The Relay for Life in Pontypool Park finished at 12pm on May 1 and 316 people, including a number of cancer survivors, participated.

A mystery biscuit tin found in a railway shed in Blaenavon uncovered a treasure of ancient artefacts, prompting pupils from a Gwent school to find its origins.

Next month, the schoolchildren found out who the items belonged to – the grandfather of former Newport County footballer Aaron Collins.

Staff from Big Pit continued their strike action but hoped for a swift resolution in order to return to the ‘best job in the world’.

The Blaenavon museum closed its doors in April following discussions over payments between the PCS union and National Museums Wales.

There was overwhelming support for the decision to leave the EU and the decision to pull the Varteg planning application was confirmed in June.

The decision to pull the plans by the Glamorgan Power Company ended the 12 years of toing-and-froing over the possibility of open cast mining.

Tributes were made in June to Cae Trayhern, the former Pontypool RFC captain and legendary captain, who died tragically aged 37.

“He was Pontypool through and through,” said former kit-man Terry ‘Tiger’ Simons of the former flanker.

After more than 60 days without working, staff from Big Pit returned to work in June after it was confirmed that the strike was over.

An agreement was reached between the union and the representatives of the National Museum Wales, although the museum fully re-opened following essential maintenance in July.