Nant Gwynant memories
Here are memories of Nant Gwynant and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Nant Gwynant or a Nant Gwynant photo.
Twelve Happy Months
I was born in Nant Gwynant in 1925 and lived there for the first 20 years of my life. In 1944 I was drafted into the army and served in German and Italy. Upon release in 1947, I decided to try and make a career in agriculture and before undertaking a college course Brooksby Hall, Melton Mowbray, I had to gain experience of farming for 12 months, and this was done at Hafodlwyfog Farm. It was then owned and run by William and Myfi Jones, both of good old Welsh stock. I had to undertake all aspects of farm work. There was a small milking herd of about 12 cattle I think. These would be hand milked twice a day at about 7:30 in the morning and 4:30 in the afternoon. The farm building were quite a long downhill walk from the house, but I was lucky, because by then, the 10 gallon churns of milk were picked up by a milk lorry at the main road, where as before,... Read more
Brooksby Hall Agricultural College, Leicestershire,England
Like Gwilym Evans I was enlisted into HM Forces in 1944, along with my twin brother. We were born in May 1926. Served with RASC as drivers first in Wiltshire, England, driving 3 ton vehicles, then in Italy and Egypt where we took over a tank-transporter Coy. We were demobbed in October 1947. Cannot now recall exactly when I went to Brooksby, late 1949 /early 1950? I went through the Government scheme where one was required to have worked on a farm for 12 months first to become eligible to attend Brooksby. My first job when I left school as a 14 year old was on a farm, where I had worked as a schoolboy just for the love of it, so I was happy to get back into farming. The course at Brooksby was described as being "a course in scientific farming" ! Currently I am in the process of writing my autobiography, but am struggling with my memory and have been using "Google" in an attempt to re-acquaint myself... Read more
Memories of Gwynedd
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 quarry the Diphwys. My dad's family, "Tudor Roberts", had moved from Trawsffynyd in 1824 to live and work at Tanygrisiau. Dad told me that they lived in the first years at Dolrhedyn Terrace. I can remember each year returning to Tanygrisiau and going to visit Ty Gwyn, the cottage on the lower mountain where five genarations of my family had lived, my grandfather Morris John Owen having been born there.
My family left Tanygrisiau in 1903 but Dad and his brother James Tudor Owen returned to live there at Bryn Mair during the years 1914-1920 approx. They lived at Bryn Mair with their grandparents William and Ann Owen.... Read more
Growing up in Blaenau Ffestiniog. 1961
I was brought up in Blaenau Ffestiniog and lived there until 1971. The High Street photograph brings it all back. The shop on the extreme left of the photo was my mum's hairdressing shop and we lived in the flat above. My dad was the Superintendant Registrar and he used to marry people, usually on Saturday mornings. I well remember the lobby to his office always had bits of confetti. His office was called Caerblaidd Offices and they were a bit further left again to this photo. Every morning at about 7am the miners would congregate in the middle of the High Street to the left of this photo and the buses would take them to their various quarries around the town. In June every year the fun fair would come into town, and it was always when you had to revise for the summer school examinations. They would set up camp just behind the square to the extreme left of this photo. It was a busy town in its heyday and... Read 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 Mary Evans (nee Hughes) (1884-1946) with his mother Margaret Evans (nee Jones) (1848-1929).
Evan Evans then bought the property in about 1923 for the grand sum of 900 pounds. When he died in 1954, he left the house in his will to his eldest daughter, Annie Blodwen Casson (nee Evans) (1920-1996), she died in Canada where she lived.
During the 1950s the house was rented out, and in 1963, when Anne's younger brother left the army, he took residence with his family. On the 28 Sept 1981, Anne bequeathed the property to her brother William Hughes Evans (1927- ) and his wife Jean Evans (nee Evans) (1938- ),... Read 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 signposted. But I do remember the spectacular views across the Vale of Ffestiniog. And on one occasion there was even a train to be seen: not the train back to Blaenau but a weedkiller special. There weren't many trains on that line!
100 Years Ago
My aunt Elizabeth Lloyd Griffiths Jones was born in Blaenau Ffestinog on Feb. 12, 1906. She is the daughter of the late William and Annie Griffiths. She came to America in around 1920. While living in Wales she lived with her maternal grandmother Elizabeth Jones (Husband was David Jones). As a young girl she came to America to join her parents, her brother William Cynwal and sister Anna Lloyd. She is a wonderful lady. She married Richard T. Jones born in Blaenau Ffestinog in May 1905-son of Elias and Margaret Thomas Jones. Blaenau Ffestinog has a wonderful daughter that they sould be so proud of saying "she came from here". I hope to send a picture of my aunt to share with you all. I am sure no one now living in Blaenau Ffestinog can remember her or her family. She is the second cousin of Glenys Jones presently living in Blaenau Ffestinog. I am not sure where Glenys's brother... Read more
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