High Street 1957, Garndiffaith
High Street 1957, Garndiffaith Ref: G245009
Memories of High Street 1957, Garndiffaith
I Used to Live on Garndiffaith High Street About 1952-3
My name is Bruce Griffiths, my sister's name is Paulette, we lived on High Street. Over the road was a grocery shop where we would buy pomegranites, cut in half then shared betweeen us both. There was another road opposite us leading to a church where people got married, people would throw pennies over them and we would scramble to find the pennies. My Uncle Roly played the organ at the top of the hill. He and my Uncle Howard worked at the colliery along with my grandfather. My grandmother's name was Violet. I remember my mother shopping in the Co-op at the top of the hill. I used to attend school at the top of the hill. I remember my grandparents had a smallholding on the Varteg, I remember my grandad killing a pig there. Fond memories, I remember it well.
Bruce Griffiths
Evacuation
I hope I have the right Garndiffaith? My brother, Walter (Wally) was 13, my sister June was 10, and I was 4. We were evacuated from Birmingham in 1940/41 after our home was destoyed in the blitz. Wally stayed with a Mrs Cooper who died shortly after we arrived, he then went to live with a Mrs Williams, and worked for the local baker delivering the bread. My sister and I stayed with a Mrs Powell at number 13, Top Road. I remember a little girl about my age who may have been Mrs Powell' grandaughter? We were playmates. We all attended the local school, and would sometimes visit a milkbar called the Temple Bar. I recall 13, Hill Top as being in a small terrace, perhaps 3 cottages, it had small ornate fish ponds in the garden with a railway line running along the bottom. The view from the front of the cottage overlooked the hills opposite, one morning we awoke to find that a plane had crashed on... Read more
Garndiffaith & local memories
Read and share memories of Garndiffaith and Gwent inspired by Frith photos.
Those Were The Days
I was born on the Garn in 1961 and shared very many happy days. You didn't worry about locking your door or strangers because everyone knew everyone. My memories were:- sliding down the policeman's hill (as it was known then) when snow was snow, from top to bottom, knock out ginger, devil up the drain pipe on Halloween (naughty), fireworks especially jackijumpers, pictures on a Saturday morning cost 6d, (it's a shame it had to be knocked down), scrunchies from the chip shop, FREE, carnivals on the football field, the youth club over St John's Church hall, and the old lollypop stick when you needed to see the doctor who actually knew you by name. And they say time are better, questionable I think! There is nothing in your local areas no more, you now have to travel everywhere at a cost, walking distance was always always a build up to the fun, parents always knew where you were going and what time you would have to be back.... Read more
Coppers Hill
When it snowed, it snowed. Fondest memories were sliding down Coppers hill on old cardboard or playing in the old ramping cat walks and camping up the mountain, wimberry picking and knockout ginger in the avenue.
