High Street c1950, Haverfordwest
High Street c1950, Haverfordwest Ref: H41017
Memories of High Street c1950, Haverfordwest
The Abandoned Car.
This photograph shows my father's car reg EDE 3 at the traffic lights in Castle Square. He was William Gywther Thomas, Divisional Highways Surveyor. The reason the car looks as if it has been abandoned was that the traffic lights had failed and father was investigating the reason at the control box on the corner of the street to the left of the photograph out of shot. The police are there to direct the traffic which was not very taxing as you can see from the volume of traffic passing through the square.
Haverfordwest & local memories
Read and share memories of Haverfordwest and Dyfed inspired by Frith photos.
The Gloster Arms
I was largely brought up in Mariner's Square. Directly opposite the Mariner's Hotel (the building with the portico) was a pub called the Gloster Arms. At the time this picture was taken it was run by my great grandmother and later by her daughter, my grandmother. My father and his brother lived there until they both married in the 1950's. My sisters and I played on the square outside of the pub. The pub has sadly gone now but the Square itself is largely unchanged.
I remember Christmases at the Gloster. Our bedroom was above the main bar. too excited to sleep, we would listen to the men in the bar below singing Carols before leaving the pub and wind their way up Tower Hill for Midnight Mass at St. Mary's Church (top right of the picture).
Where Was Boots in 1955?
I think that Boots was still on the other side of the road (as seen in the 1950 photo)
W.D. Phillips And The Salutation
W.D. Phillips 1846-1927 owned and ran this hotel, he was my great-great-grandfather. One of my uncles and one of my aunts, I had six, were born in this building the latter around 1915. Whilst here WD wrote the book 'Old Haverfordwest'. I know the book was reprinted in 1924-25 when WD was a representative for the Pembroke County Guardian, I would love to own a copy of this book. My Aunt Nancy always related the tale of 'running at speed' through the upper floors of the Salutation, when she was a child. It was also known that WD was a Solicitor, did he run that business from the Salutation too? He did write from here and was in the employ of Sir William Davies as his confidential secretary, he was also the Illuminator for Lloyd George and reported 'local matters' to him. There is a certificate made out to WD confirming this fact. I wonder if that ever hung in the Salutation?
