Old Times

I was born at Gwaenfarren House in Merthyr Tydfil and lived at 70 Bryncelyn Ave with my father, step-mother and brother Barrie until I left to join the RAF in 1970. I can remember the old prefabs being knocked down and the new housing estate being built to accomodate those people who used to live in the prefabs. I can also remember the Queen of Hearts nightclub which was the old cinema (converted by a local builder Reg ?. I also went to both local schools (Llanfabon infants and Llancaiach juniors if I remember correctly) before passing the dreaded 11 plus exam and going to Pontypridd Boys Grammar School when the choice was Pontypridd, Pengam and Bargoed! My next door neighbours were Ron Holland in number 68 and the Millets in 72. Further along were the Farrants who went to South Africa with their 3 daughters Helen, Viviene and Carol. I think it was Carol who was involved in a car accident in the street which damaged her foot. The old Welfare building used to be opposite our house and behind that was the new clinic with the ambulance station and old peoples houses as we used to call them then. I can remember Barclay's Bank being next to the Nelson Inn and only being open on certain days! The Wellington pub was also open when I left although it is the Wellington store these days. The Police station in Station Road was in use and the Bus Stop was opposite before the new one was built in the old filled in railway cutting in the middle of the village. Stockleys butchers was opposite the Wellington store and that has now been converted back to residential use. There used to be a blacksmiths down Wern Crescent near the Club that used to be there and we were spoilt for choices of swimming places with the old quarries of the Wern or Pandy to cool down in summer (both of which have now been filled in) I can remember the ponds that used to be on either side of Bwl Road that we used to go ice skating on in winter and frog spawning in spring! One of these ponds has now also been filled in and they have built a housing estate on the site, I was talking about this at work (Cardiff Airport) and one of the guys told me he now lives there! I told him that it used to be very boggy there and he told me it still is! Does anybody remember the old steam trains that used to go through the Station, my brother used to have to catch the train to school in Ystrad Mynach before the Beecham cuts! Llanfabon Infants school and the gasholder has now been demolished and houses built on that site as well!