A New Home

A Memory of Llangattock.

My family and I relocated to Llangattock in or about 1955/6.  We came from the American army camp at Dan-yr-Park.  I rather think that the local people thought we were aliens of some sort and regarded us somewhat disdainfully and not to be trusted.  However we soon integrated into village life and I hope we are remembered as decent folk.  We occupied a house in the new estate Plas der Wen and it was a great home to grow up in.  I retain fond memories of it and life in Llangattock.  Some of the memories are unpleasant.  If only because of the attitude of local people towards we people from Dan-yr-Park.
I well remember the local school and its headmaster Mr Parry whom I believe reflected local attitudes.  He was inclined to segregate the camp children from the village chlidren, in as much that we were made to eat our school lunch on a separate table well away from village children. This made me feel inferior and unworthy and resentful, so much so that I feel it has remained with me most of my life and has only soothed by my marriage in later years to a local girl Jean Carr.  We both lived in Australia for 30 years unaware of each others existence until I did some research on the internet and found to my delight that she lived in Perth WA.  We met and found that we still felt the same towards each other. I had loved Jean from the moment I saw her.  I was grimly hanging onto the school gates (it being the first day of school for me).  I was 5yrs of age and determined not to enter the premises no matter what my mother said.  Jean walked past with her mother and I was sold.  I hated the school and every thing about it.  I was never able to express my feelings to Jean, such were my feelings of inferiority and anger.  Since meeting Jean and marrying her all those feelings have dissipated.  Talking to Jean made me realise what a wonderful place Llangattock was to grow up in, the woods, the mountains, the history of the place.  I was able to step back and appreciate how fortunate I was to have lived there.  How sad that it has taken me all my life to realise it. My essential view of the village is unchanged in that it often reflected the best and worst of human behaviour.  Llangattock was too small a place to get up to mischief.  Those who stole/committed adultery/cheated /prostituted themselves or committed the frailties that people are so wont to do. They should know that someone is always watching.  Then as now!
While I did not take part in any of the village activities such as scouting/drama groups or any community activity, I am assured that such activities did occur. My wife was involved in many such activities and talks fondly of them.
Llangattock was and still is surrounded by large country houses and they in turn are surrounded by high walls.  In those days the inhabitants were strange looking people who spoke with a strange accent, not unlike someone who speaks with a mouthful of plums!   I still don't know who they were or indeed where they came from.  I suspect that they were aliens and that the high walls were there to keep them isolated from the locals, because I am sure I never saw any of them in the village.  It remains to say that high walls were meant to be climbed and I climbed them many times and invited myself to tour those alien abodes.
The village church was a place of great awe to me. Its great age and majesty, its permanance so steeped in history. The tower was of great fascination to me and I connived to get to the top of it.  To this end I joined the church choir sure in the belief that I would get to be shown the stairs to the top.  Stupidity and mischief got me the sack and I never got to the top so to speak.  It's been many years since I visited Llangattock so I would imagine it has changed radically.  Many of the children from that time in the fifties will have moved on and dispersed throughout the world.  But I suspect they will always have a small place in thier hearts for Llangattock.     

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