The Francis Frith Collection.
You are here:

Druid

Druid maps

Historic maps of Druid and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Druid maps

Druid photos

We have no photos of Druid, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Cynwyd| Corwen| Maerdy| Melin-Y-Wig| Llandrillo| Carrog| Llandderfel| Clawddnewydd| Rhosygwalia

Druid area books

Displaying 1 of 0 books about Druid and the local area.   View all books for this area

Druid books
View all 0 Druid and Clwyd books

Memories of Druid

No memories of Druid have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Druid or of a photo of Druid.

Clwyd memories

Cynwyd Youth Hostel

The Old Bridge 1936
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

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.

Evans Family

Does anyone have memories of my great grandmother Ellen Evans, my granddad David Evans, my grandma Florence Evans, a great uncle Bill and his wife Nancy? Iam trying to compile my family tree without much success. I would be so grateful for any information. I do remember going to Cynwyd in 1971 to my great aunt Jane's funeral who I think was granddad's sister.

Mill Street

I have a photo taken in 1959 of my mother outside the boarded up cottage in Mill Street where she was born in 1920. My Grandparents moved there around 1918 from Pontypridd. I can remember that it was down by the river and looking back up towards the bridge which must of been the old one as visiting there a few years ago all I could see looking over the new one was a few stones. I presume that was the remains of the houses that were down the original lane.

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

Parish Church 1888
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

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

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

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

© Copyright 1998-2012 Frith Content Inc. All rights reserved.