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Corwen
Corwen maps
Historic maps of Corwen and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Corwen maps
Corwen area books
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Memories of Corwen
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memories of Corwen.
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The 1950s
Though I have some recall of the 1940s - eg starting school in 1948 at the age of three and a half and being reluctant to get off a rocking horse on the first day, it was the 1950s that really kicked in - to the accompaniment of songs like 'McNamamara's Band', 'Open the Door, Richard', and 'Lovely Bunch of Coconuts'. We were still on rations, and it was common for my sister and I to share a divided egg, we had very little jam on the bread, and there were perhaps occasional small bags of 'Dollly Mixture' sweets but we did ok. There were also radio programmes like 'Twenty Questions', 'The Billy Cotton Band Show' and Uncle 'Someone' with 'Children's Favourites'. Towards the mid 1950s we had the wonderful 'Journey Into Space' with the heroic Jet Morgan that Dad and I listened to, but Mum disliked. Also there were the radio soaps - 'Mrs Dale's Diary', 'Meet the Huggets', 'Life with the Lions', and who could forget the wonderful... Read more
1965 Era
I was 20, following a stint as a trainee mechanic (I only took the job there as Mick Becker was there) at the Druid Garage and us starting pop group. Affected garage+ not enough work, so following being fired by Mr Davies ("Reluctantly, lad", he said) I got a job after short spell unemployed at Hafod y Calch limestone quarry. Battle between Rolling Stones and Beatles for top of the charts - Beatles won ('I Feel Fine' - good song), but being rather non-comformist I preferred the Stones, Yardbirds, Downliners Sect and suchlike. During this era there was a lot of rain, but we did have better summers then! Dreadful floods at Corwen, mainly due to poorer water control up Bala way. There was a milkbar, Ormonde House I think, where 'Ecclestons' cake shop is now. It was run by one we called Glyn, all revolving stools, expresso coffee (made with horrible 'slurping' noises!) and two circular glass tanks, one for orange cordial, and one for blackcurrant -... Read more
Former Pen-Y-Bryn School, Corwen - 1952/3
I heard yesterday (Feb-19-2011) that Mr GWYLFA ROBERTS has passed on. To me, and I'm sure all others who knew him, he was the little man with a big heart! He of course taught Standard Two in Corwen School until he moved to the school at Sarnau,a nd later to the headship of Bala Primary, known to many as "Ysgol Goch" or "Ysgol Meirion Jones". His widow is Mrs Olwen Roberts (formerly Davies), who taught Corwen infants class (as seen in an earlier article). Though slight of stature, Mr Roberts, in line with most teachers, could nevertheless pack a swift clip on the ear to mis-behaving pupils! I had experience of Mr Roberts earlier as he, as a rule, took two classes for art lessons. Mr Roberts was fun, and could send the wnole class into a fit of laughter with one of his sallies - he no doubt had the entertainer in him as his being compere of the local "Opportunity-Knocks" shows and many other shows and concerts testify! And... Read more
More Corwen Memories
It was abuot 1950, and we were having what we called PT lessons, the infants teacher Miss Olwen Davies had us playing 'What's the time, Mr Wolf?, culminating with 'Miss' (the wolf) turning and chasing us, shouting "Dinner time!", and us running off shrieking with delight! In winter, there were at Corwen Primary School large open fireplaces, one to each classroom, with large brass and wire mesh fireguards that, if very cold, a table (usually four to a table) of children would be called out in turn to warm at, leaning on the guard drinking milk, or in my case the orange juice issued to us kids post-war. The one lesson I hated was dancing to the school radio with someone we called out "Bore da, Miss Bassett" to, and I, as I'm sure others did, believed she could hear us as she returned the greeting! (Teacher's trick?) Oh, we boys disliked having to pick a girl as a dance partner! Well, it was cissy, wasn't it! Well, lunchtime came, I looked... Read more
Any Relations Out There?
My great grandfather, William Davies, son of Thomas, was born in Corwen in 1862. He married Ann Jane Lewis and they moved up to London in the 1880s. Is there anyone, still living in Corwen, related to me? You can mail me at mar2eng@yahoo.ca
Life at Corwen
I have lived here all of my 65 years and can't imagine living elsewhere unless fate dictates otherwise. Corwen had reached rock bottom at one stage, but,as they say - the only way is up! Hopefully, I will live to see the railway back here, I had two uncles working on the railway here in the 1950s up to the Beeching axe in the mid 1960a - the late HARRY GRAVES, booking clerk, and the late FRANKIE DAVIES, on track maintenance, and many may recall them as renowned sportsmen, namely football and cricket. Corwen need not be a dying town, that can only happen if we allow it. Before the railway returns, the young as well as us older ones will hopefully welcome visitors here, I like to act as unofficial guide to show what the area has to offer such as walks, etc. If this is done without alienating or encroaching on visitors who look lost there is every chance they may visit again, so, fellow Corwenites, LET'S MAKE... Read more
Clwyd memories
Cynwyd Youth Hostel
The Youth Hostel in Cynwyd was a converted watermill. It was very old and very damp and I stayed there one wet weekend in April 1967 with my girlfriend Angela Chapuis as we were heading towards Snowdon. I had a top bunk and banged my head on the low roof beams! What a wet weekend! The memory lingers as the following day we moved on from Cynwyd and stayed at Llanberis before our attempt on Snowdon. The weather was so bad that the mountain rescue teams were out forcing everybody back from the mountain so here I am forty years later and I STILL haven't been up Snowdon! Cynwyd was pleasant and our North Wales adventure is still a happy memory.
