Blaenau Ffestiniog memories
Here are memories of Blaenau Ffestiniog and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Blaenau Ffestiniog or a Blaenau Ffestiniog photo.
Growing up in Blaenau Ffestiniog. 1961
I was brought up in Blaenau Ffestiniog and lived there until 1971. The High Street photograph brings it all back. The shop on the extreme left of the photo was my mum's hairdressing shop and we lived in the flat above. My dad was the Superintendant Registrar and he used to marry people, usually on Saturday mornings. I well remember the lobby to his office always had bits of confetti. His office was called Caerblaidd Offices and they were a bit further left again to this photo. Every morning at about 7am the miners would congregate in the middle of the High Street to the left of this photo and the buses would take them to their various quarries around the town. In June every year the fun fair would come into town, and it was always when you had to revise for the summer school examinations. They would set up camp just behind the square to the extreme left of this photo. It was a busy town in its heyday and... Read more
An Unexpected Opportunity to Trainspot!
My father was born in Blaenau, and he and I would travel there every summer to visit his mother/my nain. One of the things we would do is catch the train from Blaenau Festiniog (sic) Central to (Llan) Festiniog and walk round to Hugh Lloyd's pulpit.
It's sad, but I wouldn't know how to get there now. I expect it's signposted. But I do remember the spectacular views across the Vale of Ffestiniog. And on one occasion there was even a train to be seen: not the train back to Blaenau but a weedkiller special. There weren't many trains on that line!
Bronddwyryd
Not exactly my memory (only 44yrs old). But in the research of my family tree, I have been interested in locating old pictures of Bronddwyryd. The small row of houses were built in 1880, and my great grandfather Richard Evans (1846-1912) was the first to rent the property. His son, my grandfather Evan Evans (1880-1954) lived there with his wife Annie Mary Evans (nee Hughes) (1884-1946) with his mother Margaret Evans (nee Jones) (1848-1929).
Evan Evans then bought the property in about 1923 for the grand sum of 900 pounds. When he died in 1954, he left the house in his will to his eldest daughter, Annie Blodwen Casson (nee Evans) (1920-1996), she died in Canada where she lived.
During the 1950s the house was rented out, and in 1963, when Anne's younger brother left the army, he took residence with his family. On the 28 Sept 1981, Anne bequeathed the property to her brother William Hughes Evans (1927- ) and his wife Jean Evans (nee Evans) (1938- ),... Read more
100 Years Ago
My aunt Elizabeth Lloyd Griffiths Jones was born in Blaenau Ffestinog on Feb. 12, 1906. She is the daughter of the late William and Annie Griffiths. She came to America in around 1920. While living in Wales she lived with her maternal grandmother Elizabeth Jones (Husband was David Jones). As a young girl she came to America to join her parents, her brother William Cynwal and sister Anna Lloyd. She is a wonderful lady. She married Richard T. Jones born in Blaenau Ffestinog in May 1905-son of Elias and Margaret Thomas Jones. Blaenau Ffestinog has a wonderful daughter that they sould be so proud of saying "she came from here". I hope to send a picture of my aunt to share with you all. I am sure no one now living in Blaenau Ffestinog can remember her or her family. She is the second cousin of Glenys Jones presently living in Blaenau Ffestinog. I am not sure where Glenys's brother... Read more
Memories of Gwynedd
Spiritual Home
My first memory of Tanygrisiau goes back to my being aged five and being taken there by my parents, Lloyd George and Catherine Owen. Dad's family had lived and worked at Tanygrisiau since almost the beginning of the slate mining industry. Dad was very proud of his slate mining ancestors, his great-great-great-grandfather James Williams being the Welsh partner in Ffestiniogs first quarry the Diphwys. My dad's family, "Tudor Roberts", had moved from Trawsffynyd in 1824 to live and work at Tanygrisiau. Dad told me that they lived in the first years at Dolrhedyn Terrace. I can remember each year returning to Tanygrisiau and going to visit Ty Gwyn, the cottage on the lower mountain where five genarations of my family had lived, my grandfather Morris John Owen having been born there.
My family left Tanygrisiau in 1903 but Dad and his brother James Tudor Owen returned to live there at Bryn Mair during the years 1914-1920 approx. They lived at Bryn Mair with their grandparents William and Ann Owen.... Read more
WW11 in Llan Ffestiniog
Towards the end of WW11 my mother took me to visit family in Llan Ffestiniog. I was vey young. I recall clearly looking out of the parlour window and seeing a communal water pump in the street and with dozens if not hundreds of soldiers passing through - apparently en route to their camp at Trawsfynydd.
Where was the pump ? Can anyone help? I think it may have been near the wide Y junction in Ffestiniog but I just don't know. Help!
Childhood Memories
I was born in Cwm and I was always known by my middle name of Maelor, My fondest memories are playing with my friends Ken, Idwal, Iola, Anne Evans and Anne Parry to name but a few, We all used to meet after school to play, I also used to fish in the river and caught many trout with both rod and by tickling trout, I was so sad when I had to leave to find work, Sadly it was the end of a way of life because when I moved away I found a very different world to the wonderful innocent world I had known before.
First Love
1995 was the best year of my life, I was aged 13 and I was totally besotted with a lad in the village called James Power, he was working with a local builder from Penmachno called Jeremy McWilliam. I loved the way he was of being the local stud of the village, I became close to James through his sister Tammy. I would go to the local park and admire him from a distance, his family were lovely people who used to welcome me in any hour of the day. James and I went out with each other for a year and 9 months and I was totally gutted when we split up. I remembered teaching James to whistle through his fingers and we used to whistle to each other from a far distance and it used to echo for miles around and we had a secret whistle from the bottom end of the village to the other. When James let out this almighty whistle after hours of him trying,... Read more
Childhood Days in Cwm
I was born in Cwm went to school there and have happy memories of playing with Brian Evans, Eric Hughes, William John Roberts, Gareth Hughes and many others. Our cricket pitch was by the slate quarry tips in Swch and the football field was anywhere there was enough room to kick a ball.
I went to Llanrwst Grammar School, left at 16 and went to work in the Forestry Commission until I was called up to the army in 1955. My parents moved to Liverpool during my time in the army and that was the last I saw of Cwm for many a year.
My family and I went back there in 1978 (at this time we are living in Australia)and found the place changed considerably. There weren't many people I recognised!
At the moment I trying to find some of the children that played together in the early 1950s, but no luck so far.
Memorybank total
We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.
You've shared 26,163 memories of 5,731 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!
Find Memories
Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.
Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write?
It's easy - just think of an important place in your life and ask yourself:
How does it feature in your personal history?
What are your best memories of this place?
How has it changed over the years?
How does it feel, seeing these old photos of your favourite place?
Do you remember stories about the local community, its history and people?
Start now!
It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the orange "Add your Memory" icon to begin.
Places this week
Here are some of the places you've shared memories of this week:
- West Dean, West Sussex
- Seaton Carew, Cleveland
- Marchwood, Hampshire
- Tintwistle, Derbyshire
- Bonnyrigg, Midlothian
- Riddings, Derbyshire
- Cefn Fforest, Gwent
- Wishaw, Lanarkshire
- Virginia Water, Surrey
- Shelsley Walsh, Worcestershire
- Hindhead, Surrey
- Aldershot, Hampshire
- Bacton, Norfolk
- Chelmsford, Essex
- Rossett, Clwyd
- Steep Marsh, Hampshire
- Loughor, West Glamorgan
- Glossop, Derbyshire
- Shoreham, Kent
- Royston, South Yorkshire
- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
Your memories
To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here
I Remember When...
This stunning compilation highlights some of the best stories selected from the thousands contributed here on the
Frith website. The result is an absorbing chronicle of British life from the Second World War to the mid 1960s.
A colourful treasure trove of memories, "I Remember When" is an
irresistible mix of personal stories and recollections that affectionately reveal the detail of everyday life in Britain.
