Memories of Pontycymer
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Shared Memories of Pontycymer
 Pontycymer, Oxford Street c1955 (ref: P227010) |
Year: 1940s
A busy street
My mother Joan Marion Jones nee Gibson from Nantyrychain Terrace worked in the Home and Colonial Stores (on the right hand side of this photo) during the war and has many memories and stories, especially about rationing. She also knows many of the shops. Starting on the left corner was Peglers (grocer) - now a Chinese, I see from another memory, then Morgan Hughes (ladies outfitters), Powell (butcher), Wellingtons (newsagent and greengrocer), Bethel Chapel with the British restaurant where Mrs Jones from Meadow St. was the Cook. (This later became a canteen for Garw Grammar School boys in Forms 4-6 who walked from the school to take their lunch here. I know because I was there! Mrs Fricker was the Cook then.) Over to the RHS - Joe Polledri (Italian cafe) - he used to breed corgis and show them. Next a shoe shop kept by ? for whom Morgan Roberts worked. He later took over the shop and his son Clive still runs the shop, I believe. Hodges(men's outfitters), The Meadow (grocer), (Mr James, manager), then Rupert Pugh (butcher), Hughes the Jeweller, Home And Colonial, The Star (grocer), J.O Thomas (shoe shop), ? Martins (sweet shop and ice cream). Last edited: 01/04/2008 15:10 by Eric Jones |
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 Pontycymer, Oxford Street c1952 (ref: P227008) |
Year: 1952
I was there.....
Some years ago my mother came across this postcard and looking carefully saw herself! She is the woman, Joan Marion Jones, nee Gibson, carrying a child on the corner by what was a barbers. That child is my sister, Christine Jones (now Howell) and the boy by the side is myself. The other lady with her is my Auntie Beat. We were on our way to the railway station in Pontycymer to catch the train to Porthcawl. Christine was born in Dec 1950 and I was born in Nov 1947. Last edited: 02/04/2008 10:58 by Eric Jones |
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 Pontycymer, Park View c1955 (ref: P227001) |
Waun Bant Cricket
I spent the vast bulk of my childhood in this area. The centre of the cricket pitch is a strip of concrete that was used for boys club and school's cricket matches. Mostly, a game of soccer or rugby was played either side of it too. Down the grass bank is now the "Swings" at Waun Bant. These were built in about 1968/1969. In the foreground is the rubbish tip that became Lawrence Park rugby ground in 1970 and at the top of the photo is St Theodore's Church which is now gone and a bungalow is in its place. To its right are the houses in Church Street that are now demolished. The Mem is also visible on the far right. Last edited: 18/03/2008 13:52 by David Jones |
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Pontycymer, Oxford Street c1952 (ref: P227008) |
Post Office
This photograph has changed little I think apart from the demolishing of the public toilets on the right. The wooden notice board on the railings advertised the weekly films featured in the "Mem" and always drew my attention as I walked past it. The Squirrel is visible just up from the post office and was formerly called "The Pontycymmer Hotel" but I am not sure as to when this pub changed its name. Just past the toilets on the right was "Sid's", the gent's hairdresser. He was there for years. Last edited: 18/03/2008 13:53 by David Jones |
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 Pontycymer, c1955 (ref: P227004) |
The Welsh School, Bridgend Road
It is great to see a photo of the Welsh School that I attended from 1959 to 1963. (Bottom right hand corner). Miss Winnie Bisset was the Headmistress and I remember her teaching three classes of kids at once. My class only totalled four and I was the only boy. She died in 1976. I also remember the large house pictured in Bridgend Road. That was demolished in about 1961 and I remember seeing that they tied a rope around the chimneys and attached it to a car bumper in order to pull them off. Also on the bottom left is the top end of Bridgend Road which was demolished in about 1964. Number 7 had a murder take place there in 1907 where a man was executed for killing his mother. I also remember the house in the bottom centre down by the railway line. That disappeared in about 1965. Mid picture on the far left is the rear of Noddfa Chapel which I attended between 1960 to 1971. Also gone but never forgotten in this picture is the Pontycymer Memorial Hall (aka The Mem) looking huge in the centre of the picture and Wood Street (top) the only street ever to be totally demolished in Pontycymer. Posted: 17/03/2008 17:35 by David Jones |
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Pontycymer, Oxford Street c1955 (ref: P227010) |
Oxford Street
The hill at the front, sharp left is indeed Alexandra Road and the pub is the Squirrel. The shop on the front left is Peglers Grocers and this became a Chinese Takeaway in about 1970 and is still one today. Just up from that is Emlyn Powell's butchers shop. Front right is Joe Polledri's cafe. Joe was a lovely man who only died about two years ago, well into his 90's. I remember that chewing gum machine well. Further up at number 21 is Morgan Roberts shoe shop where I was born in the flat underneath (21a) in December 1955. The shop is still open today. David Jones 17/3/08 Posted: 17/03/2008 17:18 by David Jones |
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Pontycymer, Oxford Street c1955 (ref: P227010) |
Year: 1955
Down the valley
I guess this photograph is looking down the valley with the photographer standing near The Square. I can't quite remember the name of the hill (Alexandra Road?) just out of shot on the front left of the photo. It had a pub halfway up on the left, and a doctor's clinic if I recall correctly. Paul Last edited: 03/01/2007 22:58 by Paul John |
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Pontycymer, Oxford Street c1952 (ref: P227008) |
Year: 1955
Good place in which to grow up
Really strange looking at the photo of Oxford St circa 1955. It took me some minutes to work out that I was looking at the old Post Office from the Square. I remember the railings outside the Post Office. I guess it's all changed now but it was a lovely place in which to grow up. No-one locked their front doors in those days. Ho hum, how times have changed! Paul, lived in Oxford St from 1953 to 1971. Last edited: 03/01/2007 23:00 by Paul John |
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