Memories of Mountain Ash
Get involved in the Frith Memories Community
Savour and share Memories of your favourite places.
Start now - Add your own Memory of Mountain Ash or to a Mountain Ash photo.
Shared Memories of Mountain Ash
|
Mountain Ash remembered between 1970 and 2008
Now as a baby of the swinging sixties (1966 to be exact) we didn't see the Beatles or Elvis Presley but we did have the lads coming home from the local pubs singing their hearts out. The pubs included The Mount Pleasant (still alive), The Baileys (alive), The Park Hotel (deceased), The Lee (burnt Down) and the Osbourne (alive) to name a few and the Con Club (Ceiber (alive) and Mount (now gone), Ceiber Legion, The Nixons and The Workmans. The so called posher pubs in the Mount where us ceiber boys were either not welcome or who were barred from anyway such as the Mountain Ash Inn, The New Inn and the Aberdare Hotel (or Aber as it is affectionately known) .... We don't mention the Harp or the Jeff as we boys didn't wear Barbour Jackets or ties so we were not welcome over there..... The shops in the Mount such as the Leather Stores, Woolworths, and the Pet Shop with George the Mynah Bird that kept us amused by speaking "Hello" and "Pretty Boy" to everyone. The Mounts shops may have come and gone (most have them have now gone) and the place may have had a new one way system which some people still can't get the hang of installed but it is still a nice place to live. People on the whole still speak and say hello to the people they do not even know and everyone knows everyones business. The problems of inner city life seem to to have mostly missed this pleasant valley town and life still seems to be running at a pace that we enjoy. The outside swimming baths (or Mount Baths as it was known) may now be a distant memory and the times we spent freezing to death in the water on warm days. The boys of Tyrfelin Street (me included) having our outings to the baths on the days that it was raining as the water always seemed warmer when it was raining or perhaps we were so cold outside that the water felt a little warmer HA HA HA. The memories of the Floods in Henry Street Car Park and Pinos Cafe and the floating sweets and fags, the only time the Baileys closed and us wondering if we would see Noah and his Ark. Miskin Co-op burning down and taking two days to do so and the tears that were shed when the Park Hotel closed its doors to now become Flats for the old age. No fights when we lost the rugby (but in them days we seldom did !!!!) and any fights we did have usually ended with the police being called and we all went home without a charge. The police who gave us a clip round the ear when we were naughty and we wouldn't tell our Dads as he gave us one as well. We all had Mams and Dads at home and brothers and sisters galore....(one of 6 you see). Two and three bedroom terraced houses that had umpteen kids sleeping end to end and Bunk Beds being all the rage. Christmas.... Ahhh Christmas we had no computers or TV games cosoles and we had a black and white TV with a rubbish aerial when we reached 11 and a 2nd hand bike for Christmas from a neighbour who was buying their kids a new one. A Snooker table that we had to share with all the street as you always had a friend if you had a snooker table. No fancy stockings with your names on them we had a rugby sock of my brothers with white wool at the top for me and a differant colour for my siblings. You always know the Christmas stockings as the first rugby day at school the kids had to play with them around their ankles as they had all been stretched... If you always wondered why JPR Williams always played Rugby with his socks down to his ankles now you now. Halloween was not spent Trick or Treating and knocking doors for money but spent burning your fingers with candles shoved down Swedes if you were rich and empty tins of peas or beans with faces cut out of them with sharp edges you would slice apendages off with. No make up on the faces just the dirt that was always there and an added soot from the firelighters we piched when our candles had long gone. The Bonfire nights we spent raiding other local street bonfires and pinching their wood and rubbish was a real treat. Cutting down Silver Birches from the other side of the valley and dragging them across the River Cynon for fear of the police catching us. The mucky books that used to be found every year and was the font of our carnal knowledge. The dens we made in the rubbish and the time we ran when the neighbouring kids set fire to the rubbish while we were in there..... Chapel on a Sunday the place for Sunday School, where we all learnt our Christian morals and our songs to sing at night in pubs. We used to sit at the back and send notes and play with Rubic's cubes and when the ministers said amen we were the loudest in the room. We all remembered Sunday School and the trips to Barry Island and the oldies and the youngsters playing all our games. The time we spent in Primary school was fun and the teachers loved us then and to name them all would take all year so forgive me if I just mention, Pengeulan the one that I went to. Mount thanks for the memories and the more to come. AMEN Posted: 08/11/2008 23:08 by Clive Francis |
|
 Add your own Memory
 Read/Post Comments[0 so far]  Add to your Album
|
|
Mountain Ash
My mom would talk about Mountain Ash, she was born in Quakers Yard in 1929, my nan, she was born in Llanrug in 1904, name was Griffiths, later she became Mrs Jackson and lived at 3 Field St. I am so sorry that I can't find any of my Welsh family, I know there are some left with the surname of Thomas, and more with the name of Evans, and I remember the name Treharris, I used to go and visit my Auntie Annie and Uncle Steve there, it was a real nice place. Last edited: 03/11/2008 09:30 by June Wood |
|
|
Add your own Memory
Read/Post Comments[0 so far] Add to your Album
|
 Mountain Ash, Town Hall and Bridge 1950 (ref: M175020) |
Mountain ash Town Hall
My nan and grandfathey lived in the house directly opposite the Town hall. There was just two houses there, one of which become Lee's Hairdressers in the later years. Last edited: 11/08/2008 15:30 by Sheila Watts |
|
Add your own Memory
Read/Post Comments[0 so far] Add to your Album
|
 Mountain Ash, Swimming Baths c1955 (ref: M175034) |
Year: 1958
Playing Fields
My name is Martin Flower. I lived in 21 Bailey St. The field at the back of our house is where I would spend most of the day. There was a crowd of us and we would make Dutch arrows, yes you cannot use them today. If you could see forty arrows in the air it was some sight. And when there was a flood Nieno's cafe lost all his stock. The grown ups would be in the water getting fags, tobacco and any beer barrels that were from the Baileys Arm. The treat in the summer would be loading a pram with bread, butter, cups and jam, bats, football, and then it was a long walk over the cwm where there was a stream. Have a few pictures of me and my gran. When I saw this picture of the swimming baths it reminded me of a boy that lived in Bailey St that drowned there, eddie he was out skinny dipping. His mum was dad ran a shop in the Mount doing starching men shirts. His mum was chinese and his dad was white , a really nice family. It's a shame that Misken School has gone, I loved it there. I hope if anyone that went to Misken School 1956 to 1959 who may have a group photo can contact me, big thanks. Last edited: 03/08/2008 12:33 by Martin Flower |
|
Add your own Memory
Read/Post Comments[1 so far] Add to your Album
|
 Mountain Ash, Grammar School 1938 (ref: 88699) |
Year: 1984
Duffryn House
I can remember having lessons in Duffryn House, top floor. The walls and stairways were amazing, thick handrails curving from top to bottom. An amazing building which in my opinion should have been listed. Dai Boyce, MACS 1981 -1985 Last edited: 27/05/2008 09:16 by Dai Boyce |
|
Add your own Memory
Read/Post Comments[2 so far] Add to your Album
|
|
Year: 1980
mountain ash comprehensive school (grammer school)
I remember what a facinating old house Duffryn House was. As a teenage girl I remember having lessons in very ornate rooms decorated with wooden panelling and beautiful ceilings. The fireplaces were typical of those you would find in grand manor houses and castles. The grounds were vast and kept in very good order. I remember the science teacher telling us ghost stories in the science lab which was situated in the back of the building. There was a big heavy door entering one of the rooms where the Lord of Aberdare entertained with lavish balls. The door was aparently from an actual castle. I have very fond memories of the school. Last edited: 22/02/2008 14:31 by Sharon Hawkins |
|
|
Add your own Memory
Read/Post Comments[0 so far] Add to your Album
|
Need to revise your search? Click here for our Search Homepage, where you can browse by Place, Postcode or Keyword.