Very! I have quite a few memories of mid-Wales, because it in many ways made me think of my hometown when I was a kid.
Depressing. It was pretty clear there wasn't much in the way of jobs. While the north and south are doing well, the mid-lands seem to be forgotten.
My most distinct memory was in Merthyr Tydfil, about 2 hours by bike from Brecon. The bike path went through a kind of scary alley way, and I felt (but wasn't) a bit lost. Up ahead I saw a young girl, who looked to be about 12. ( And looked like she might have some modeling in her future. )
She looked up, pointed with her cigarette and in a husky been-smoking-for-40-years voice said "Hiya! You wan go that way."
(And the dropped 't' and 'to' are deliberate.)
Don't know why, but with all the obvious signs of poverty... that one made me the saddest.