Joan Thomas's (nee Vaughan) Memories

My first memory was going to school from Pen-y-Ball and being tought by Mrs Daisy Jones, Eluned Jones, Mr Bellis (the headmaster) and Mr Yeomans who we all loved, and also attending Sunday School every Sunday was a must. Mrs Price had the shop in Calcoed, she was our landlady and we would go every Saturday morning to pay the rent and she would always give us a sweet. Mr and Mrs Hughes used to deliver the milk, they had two daughters, Daureen and Glenys, and a son, Neville. Then moving from Pen-y-Ball to Brynford at the age of 13 years (1950/51). Mr Tommy Edwards, coal merchant moved us on his coal wagon, we must have looked like the Clampets!!. We thought it was great moving to a brand new council house, having running water and electricity, we thought we were "posh". We were a family of 7, the Vaughan family. Mam (Marian), Dad (Hugh), David, Maureen, Beverly, Ken and myself, Joan...the eldest!! Dad worked in Courtaulds as an electrician, he used to M.C. the dances in Brynford. We had wonderful carnivals and I loved the dances, we had to choose the Rose Queen and retinue, we were thrilled when Maureen was picked to be flowergirl! Mr and Mrs Pierce had the post office on "the doorstep" so to speak and it was not so far to walk to school. I remember Mr Pierce only had one leg. Does anyone remember Mr Tommy Nuttall? He lived in Erw Wen before Mr and Mrs Roberts turned it into a shop. Mr Nuttall used to have the most delicious damsons, he would fill 2 blue sugar bags every year for Mam to make jam, I can taste it now!! The Gables Cafe was a meeting place for youngsters, Mrs Smith was very kind to us. We were friends with Collette and Maureen her daughters. Mr Bamford was greenkeeper on the golf course. He used to make rag doll soldiers in uniform. Mrs Rogers used to run the Llyn y Maun, she had a daughter Patricia, Dad used to help out behind the bar, they moved to the Rock Inn. Mrs Williams from Pen-y-Ball used to arrange pantos with all the local children in them. I left Brynford when I married Howell Thomas in 1960 and moved to Caerwys where we lived until 3 years ago when we moved to Broughton, near Chester. We have 2 girls, Jennifer who lives in Colwyn Bay and Ann who lives in Broughton. Mam, Dad, David and Maureen are sadly no longer with us but Beverly lives in Buckley and Ken lives in Durham. These are just a few of the many memories I have and I would love to hear from anyone whose memory I have jogged!