The Children's Home, Woodland Terrace
My sisters and I lived in the children's home at 40 Woodland Terrace, Maesycoed from 1972 till 1975. I remember the staff being very caring but occasionally strict. Us younger ones were banished to the massive garden! We used to sit on the wall at the back of the garden and wait for a man with a delapidated truck hollering "Any old iron". Sometimes we used to sneak through the bushes and head off into town which was down a very steep footpath. If caught, the dormitory was our sanctuary for a couple of hours! We went to a Victorian-looking primary school, I think it was near Dan-y-graig or Dan-y-llan. I'm sure it was called Maesycoed Primary School but my memory is a little hazy. I do remember that a little down the road opposite the school and up a steep hill were fields of fern and heather. The staff used to take us there for walks, probably to tire us out! I could wax nostalgic about those days but I would run out of words!
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RE: RE: The Children's Home, Woodland Terrace
Hi Shelley, I lived in Dan y lan, Maesycoed from the age of 6 in 1963 until 1984. I know the children's home well. It is a nursing home now. I went to Maesycoed primary until I was 11 (1968). I was known then as Elaine Tantum. Do you remember anyone from the school? I loved the area and had many friends there and still have. How old would you have been when I was there? Do you remember any of my siblings, Elizabeth, Brian and David? I also have an older sister Barbara but she was too old to go to Maesycoed school when we moved there and so went straight to Mill Street School instead. Did you go to Mill Street as well? I know well the steep hill into town, you went down what is called the tram road. Where are you living now? Do you have any siblings that went to the school that may have been in my form? What about the teachers, do you remember any? Mr Rose, Mrs Apsulum, Mr Lewis, Mrs Williams and Mr Jones were the teachers in the junior school when I was there and I remember Mrs Parfitt and Mrs Evans from the infants and Mrs Davies was the headmistress. If you like you could e-mail me at elaipri1@yahoo.co.uk it would be nice to hear from you even if you don't remember me. I must confess that I don't remember you but then at my age my memory of children at the school is vague, except for those in my form of course. I would love to hear from you and travel down memory lane, as there is so much that I remember. Please e-mail as I would realy love to hear from you. Kind regards. Elaine
Comment from Elaine Tantum Howell on Sunday, 27th February 2011.
RE: RE: The Children's Home, Woodland Terrace
Hi Elaine, Thank you for your comments. I lived in the children's home from the ages of 6 to almost 9 years old (1972-1975). I remember a teacher called Mrs Kitchen from the junior school! I remember having running races with Julie Whyles (?spelling) and her cousin Jackie the length of the playground near the outside lavs! They lived about half a mile further down from the old guide/brownie hut. My memory is quite hazy because, as you can imagine, I've slept since then! Paul Brown and Kay Davis were in my class at Maes-y-coed Junior school. My sisters Dawn, Vanessa and Nicci were born in 1964, '65 and '68 respectively and I was born in '66. Is Dan-y-lan the area nearer the junior school than 'the graig' (again ?spelling) because I remember there was the Dan-y-lan gang and the kids from 'up the graig'. Some names you may, or may not, know from 'the children's home': Leslie, Paul and Carl Emmanual, Yvonne Tanner, Mary Benny, Violet Kennedy and Jenny Benbo to name only a few! I remember going to Mill Street School for a fireworks display. Lord knows what year that was! I now live in Boston in Lincolnshire where I'm a Staff Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit of the local hospital. As with most of us Anglocised Welsh people, my Welsh accent comes out during the rugby season, when I'm with Welsh people or when I'm drunk! But my heart is still very much Welsh! Cymru am byth as they say in Wales! I've just remembered the outdoor pool 'in town'! With fond memories and kind regards Shelley (Michelle) shelleygphillips@yahoo.co.uk
Comment from Shelley Phillips on Sunday, 27th February 2011.