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Pontneathvaughan
Pontneathvaughan photos
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Pontneathvaughan maps
Historic maps of Pontneathvaughan and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Pontneathvaughan maps
Pontneathvaughan area books
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Memories of Pontneathvaughan
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Powys memories
My Family
My family were the Davises who lived in the Bear House, Trecastle. Most of the people in the area were related to us. We were originally of Gypsy desent and can be traced back many hundreds of years. We were also related to the Pike family and to Adelina Patti who brought travelling singing shows to this country. Myself and my familly are travelling show people. My mother was Olwen Davis who married Rouen Wilkins, her mother was Violet Davis, and Harriet Davis was my great-grandmother, they all in turn owned the Bear House in Trecastle. My father and mother had the Three Horseshoes pub in the 1960s. My uncle Dilwyn owned the Castle. All of my late relatives are buried in Llwyl churchyard. Some of my cousins still live in Trecastle. When my grandmother Violet died, the Bear House passed to my mother, who due to ill health, sadly, had to take the decision to sell the Bear, which after hundreds of years, took it out of our family.... Read more
I Was Born Here
I was born in Station View, Sennybridge in 1954. Dad was at the army camp, we moved out approx 1957. I'm not sure if Station View was a road or the name of a house. I think there was a post office nearby.
Living in Trallong
I lived in Trallong at this time. I was 7 years old. I lived in a cottage next to the school and the church on top of the steep curving hill which led down to the vicarage. The vicar was Mr Lewis and his daughter Carol and I were good friends.
One day my brother and I borrowed a pram chassis from my mother, ostensibly to fetch wood but in actual fact for our trolley. We rode it down the hill from our house and when we were going round the bend a post van was coming up. We managed to steer the pram chassis up onto the bank to escape - it gave the driver a fright but we thought it was hilarious. Looking back it was rather silly really.
Capel Bryn Seion, Glanamman
My name is David Jones, and I remember this street well - opposite & to the right (out of pic) was the local dairyman, who used to deliver milk from the back of a dog-cart..
Further behind the Capel was the Workmans & Mechanics Institute (just see the side in pic)
Grandfather's name was 'Evan Nathaniel Jones', an ex miner from Gelliceidrim Drift mine, (to the left of the front of the Capel) as well as an ex farmer in 'Llwyncelyn Farm', Heol Grenig.
Miners coming off shift would squat/sit down in front of the gates, waiting for the James (?)bus to take them to Bettws and Ammanford, smoking and talking.
Peaceful and quiet in those days, as the Forest in the distance was where my G/father would take me shooting for pigeons. He was an avid collector of foxes in his day, and would nail up the fox pelt on his barn door to dry, as there was a shilling paid for every 'Brush' - but some dealers wanted... Read more
Ice Cream Shop
The shop on the left - with the awning down - was known as 'Capanini's' (spelling?) and obviously Italian. They sold the most wonderful ice-ceams, sodas and coffees as well as tea. I remember the daughter there - her name was Bella, and she was a fiery one too, older than me, and by all accounts, typically Italian (as in temper..). Last heard of in Florida somewhere - if info was correct - as family had all died and she was the owner of the shop and the house next door. Opposite, and further up, was the Billiards and Snooker Hall - which in my day had the local barber in there as well - so you could play a game of either, while waiting your turn to have your haircut or shave - or both..
Lots of worries in those days about Polio, and it was suggested that ice cream was a carrier - hence big slump in sales...but I always had several when I was there on... Read more
Seventy Plus Years Ago!
My brother Elwyn and myself were born in Nant-y-glyn, Penybont on 18th March 1931. We were twins. We lived at 18 Tabernacle Road from when we were about three years old. We left in 1953 to teach in Birmingham. Glanaman was a lovely place to be brought up. It was a real Welsh village, Welsh being spoken everywhere. My father worked at the Gelli Ceidrim coal mine. When I visited some years back I was disappointed at the amount of English spoken but impressed at the signs of affluence, very different to my days. This view brings back happy memories when we used to fish in the river, play in the surrounding fields. I remember that the bridge on many occasions was covered with flood water and damaged by floods. Lle hyfryd iawn! The other side of the bridge was the main road to Amanford but at the square was a shop selling newspapers and also had snooker tables.
Doctors House And Surgery. (?)
This was where the Doctor moved to (I think) from High Street, Glanamman.
Opposite this house was 'Show Sam', a picture house (cinema these days..). I spent time in there watching films from all over the world - and the newsreels as well...
Further on - is where I would play and try to catch fish, in the river...near to the small marshalling yards, where the coal would be loaded, from several drift mines in the area.
Fascinating place for a small boy...
Posted: April 7th 2008 by David Jones.
