Gilwern memories
Here are memories of Gilwern and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Gilwern or a Gilwern photo.
The Old Primary School
I attended the old primary school via School Lane through the 1930s and early 1940s, the teachers were E L Richards (head), Mr Withers, Miss Austen, Miss Lewis. The school by the old canal was a very happy school, and through the last war we had a big school garden where we grew food and shared it in the village. We also had to help on the local farm (Jim Llewellyn's, at Ty Gwyn) at potato picking time, we had good food and got paid, we enjoyed that. I left school in 1945 but enjoyed my years there. I still visit the village as often as I can, it brings back memories of home. The other memory I have is of Gooding the canal boat owner, where we made ourselves some pocket money by rowing people up the canal that could not row. These were very happy times. I would like to hear from anyone who is old enough to remember them, my email address is bachen95@yahoo.com
Memories of Gwent
School Camp at Govilon in The Early 1930s
The children of the unemployed were taken to school camp in Govilon for a week. At the time there was an R.A.F. camp being built, after which we knew as St. Athens. When went to the beach we were told to each bring a pebble ready to put where the ofices were to be built. Best Regards. Idris Bowen
Frogmore Cafe
My parents Monica and Jack Garrett ran the Frogmore Cafe from 1954 until 1978 when it became a dry cleaners when they then sold it to Sketchleys in 1980. I was their only son Richard.
Churchgoing in The 40's
My grandparents lived in Abergavenny since 1934 in a beautiful dressed stone house called Maisemore in Albany Road, and every summer after the war my family and I went to stay with them for a month, that is, until my grandfather died in March 1950, when this happy time came to an end. During the war my mother, brother and I were evacuated there, as our home was in Sunderland, which was a target for bombs, and if my grandparents hadn't taken us in, they would have had to put up evacuees from Cardiff. We used to go to this church in Llanwenarth on Sundays, and I can remember having to be taken out during the service one Sunday in 1949 because I wasn't feeling well.
Ascent of The Blorenge 1949
This picture reminds me of a photo my father took from the top of the Blorenge when we climbed it in August 1949. To start, we had to take the railway (closed in the 50's) to Gilwern or Govilon (I can't remember which!) and then begin our climb from there. When they reached the top, my father and brother built a cairn from the stones lying around - I wonder whether it's still there? I have a photo of my brother standing next to it. Unfortunately I didn't climb to the top on that occasion as I wasn't feeling well, so I stayed with my mother, who wasn't so keen on mountain climbing, in a field on the way up.
Cattle Market
As far as I can remember, my brother and I were taken to this market only once, in August 1949, and we were most interested in the cattle. I have lovely photo of us stroking a calf there.
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