Growing Up In Morgans Terrace

A Memory of Pontrhydyfen.

I was born in 1932 at 5 Morgan's Terrace and soon thereafter moved to No 18. There were 7 people living at that address, my maternal Grandfather John Lewis, my maternal Uncle Donald Lewis, my mother Greta Emmanuel, my father Stephen Emmanuel, my older brother Ivor Emmanuel,my younger Sister Mair Emmanuel and myself, when on the 11th May 1941 the house was destroyed in an air raid killing all but my uncle Donald, my brother Ivor and myself. This was a time when Swansea was being heavily bombed and I feel our involvement was more by accident than design.As many will know my dear brother went on to become quite famous as a singer/actor on stage,TV and film (Zulu). I was 8 years old at the time and was taken by one of my father's brothers Rees Emmanuel (a priest in the Church of England)and his wife Erica (a German ) firstly to Trelewis then Bedlinog and lastly to Cilybebyll where he was Rector. They raised me up to my 16th year and I then went back to Pontrhydyfen where my brother Ivor was living with our maternal Aunt Fossie. We were only together for about a year when Ivor left for London to start a long and successful stage career. I followed him to London about a year later into the Civil Service and was able to meet up with him from time to time.
Pontrhydyfen will always be home to me and although I have lived in New Zealand for the past almost 48 years I still get homesick for that little village where I was born. I look at the village often on Google Earth and as I wander the streets my memories come flooding back and my childhood friends, many of whom have passed on.