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'She was just Gaynor from up the road' – villagers ready for emotional Bonnie Tyler goodbye

A sign welcoming visitors to Mumbles reads "You're the total eclipse of our hearts Bonnie", referencing the singer's 1982 hit There aren't many villages where you can walk into a jewellers, a hardware shop, or a cafe, and hear stories about one of the world's biggest music icons. But in Mumbles, Swansea, Bonnie Tyler was […]

By deepak · August 14, 2026 · 2 min read

A sign welcoming visitors to Mumbles reads "You're the total eclipse of our hearts Bonnie", referencing the singer's 1982 hit

There aren't many villages where you can walk into a jewellers, a hardware shop, or a cafe, and hear stories about one of the world's biggest music icons.

But in Mumbles, Swansea, Bonnie Tyler was never treated like a superstar.

To many local people, she was Gaynor Sullivan, or "Gaynor who lived up the road".

The Total Eclipse of the Heart singer, who died in July aged 75, would often be seen doing her shopping or having a drink with friends.

On Wednesday it seemed only fitting that the iconic song could be heard playing throughout the village as the biggest partial solar eclipse in nearly three decades took place, with Spotify streams of it almost doubling.

As locals prepare to say goodbye to Tyler, who split her time between the Mumbles and a home in Portugal, it's ordinary moments that people seem to remember most.

On Saturday, hundreds of people are expected to line the streets of Newton Road to pay their respects, as Tyler's coffin makes its way through the village to her home on Mumbles Road.

A service will then be held in St Mary's Church in Swansea city centre on Monday, for family and invited guests, before the cortege makes its way to her birthplace of Skewen, Neath Port Talbot.

Jane Price, who owns The Lovespoon Gallery in Mumbles, remembers seeing the singer out shopping

"It was always so nice to have Bonnie Tyler as part of the village, I would often see her shopping," said shop owner Jane Price.

"You'd see her beautiful house coming into Mumbles, and she will be greatly missed.

"It made you proud to know that Bonnie was part of the village and part of Swansea. It's so sad that she's not with us any more but her memory will definitely live on here."

Price, who runs The Lovespoon Gallery, expects local people to come out in force on Saturday, adding: "I imagine the streets will be lined and we'll give her the send-off she deserves."

Chris Francis (left) and Alfie Williams (right) frequently saw Tyler at their store

Source: Read the original article on www.bbc.co.uk