Maentwrog, Gwynedd

In my heart this is where my roots are.

I was born in Meantwrog on 1 July 1942 at 2 Fron Goch. My father was Cadwalader Jones Owens and my mother was Mary Bridget. Dad was born, I believe, at Tyn Fedw (it has now changed its name but I cannot remember what to) which was just up from Cae Glas farm in Gellilydan. My gran was Kate Owens, I... [more]

A wonderful memory from a Carnival Queen

We moved to Gellilydan so that my dad could work on the power station. We lived in a caravan, Mum, Dad, my 2 brothers, Roy, Daniel and me, Angela Maalma. We had a wonderful time living there, playing in the woods and attending the local primary school. Mr Jones was the head master and was lovely. I remember the outside toilets... [more]

An English boy going to school in a Welsh village

My mother brought me aged four and my brother aged one to a farm on the outskirts of Gellilydan in 1940 to escape the bombing in Coventry. I can remember my mother taking me to the village school to see if they would let me attend lessons. I was allowed to go even though I was only four years old. ... [more]

1927 my grandmother was born

On July 31st 1927, my grandmother Mary Alice McGroarty was born at Brynderw Bungalow, Gellilydan. xx

WW11 in Llan Ffestiniog

Towards the end of WW11 my mother took me to visit family in Llan Ffestiniog. I was vey young. I recall clearly looking out of the parlour window and seeing a communal water pump in the street and with dozens if not hundreds of soldiers passing through - apparently en route to their camp at Trawsfynydd.
Where was the pump ?... [more]

Spiritual Home

My first memory of Tanygrisiau goes back to my being aged five and being taken there by my parents, Lloyd George and Catherine Owen. Dad's family had lived and worked at Tanygrisiau since almost the beginning of the slate mining industry. Dad was very proud of his slate mining ancestors, his great-great-great-grandfather James Williams being the Welsh partner in Ffestiniogs first... [more]

An unexpected opportunity to trainspot!

My father was born in Blaenau, and he and I would travel there every summer to visit his mother/my nain. One of the things we would do is catch the train from Blaenau Festiniog (sic) Central to (Llan) Festiniog and walk round to Hugh Lloyd's pulpit.

It's sad, but I wouldn't know how to get there now. I expect it's... [more]

Bronddwyryd

Not exactly my memory (only 44yrs old).  But in the research of my family tree, I have been interested in locating old pictures of Bronddwyryd.  The small row of houses were built in 1880, and my great grandfather Richard Evans (1846-1912) was the first to rent the property.  His son, my grandfather Evan Evans (1880-1954) lived there with his wife Annie... [more]