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Memories of Abergwynfi

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  Year: 1953 I grew up here
My first recollection of living in the valley was at Duffrin where my sisters Pat and Pam Smith also lived, later we moved to the Gwynfi, and that is where I lived and was educated in the local infants school at the bottom of the hill near the river and bowing green, then to the local Secondary Modern at the top of the hill, from there to Cymmer, left there in 1953, memories for me was one of poverty and like most a true sense of pride.
Poverty even if you were in full time employment, the weekly wage just about got you through the week. Pride even on men with ashen faces who could no longer work, and came from the fact that they were miners and had the respect of other men, whose lives depended on each other when in the body of mother earth, but they were hard men, strong in the arm and of their skills.
I worked after my training in Mastag in South Pit, Glencorrwg for about two and a half years, I was down the mine when the panzer division blew up and helped carry out the injured.
I will be returning to Wales in the next few weeks to visit for the last time, and hope to visit the local mining museum.   

Last edited: 28/07/2008 15:19 by Kenneth Smith  

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Abergwynfi, Avon Colliery c1965 (ref: A170002)
Year: 1953 Days of long ago.
My father had a very good friend who was a coal miner in this colliery, they lived in Abergwnfi. The name was Ad & Ivor Morgan.

Last edited: 14/04/2008 12:25 by Brenda Vanderwert  

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Abergwynfi, St Gabriel's Church 1938 (ref: 88715)
Year: 1976 No Longer a Church
This church had been derelict for many years and was still derelict when I returned home on R & R. I believe it is now a business premises. Shame a waste of a lovely church.

Posted: 31/12/2007 00:31 by Philip Loveday  

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  My family roots
My father lived in Abergwynfi as a child, his name was Peter Thomas Walley. My grandmother was from the area, her maiden name was Eirwen Thomas and she had  brothers named Estyn, Edward, Emlyn and Thomas. She also had a sister named Ginny (Janette).

My father had copper coloured hair, so there may be people who are still around who may remember him. The family lived at:

15 Heol-Y-Felin
Abergwynfi

Is there anyone who can remember my family or who can provide a picture of the house if it still exists?

The family moved to Stoke-on-Trent (where my grandfather Ralph Walley originally came from) around 1955.

I did pay a visit to Abergwynfi in November 1991 to see the place where my father grew up, but as it was winter, there were not many people around and so I did not find much information about the place.

I am led to believe that my Great-Grandfather is buried in the graveyard close by. His name was William Thomas and he died around 1968 and was about 82 years of age.

I hope that there is someone out there who may be able to share memories or who can tell me if I still have relatives in the area as I know that my Great Uncles had children.

Last edited: 08/08/2007 10:49 by Gwyneth Harding  

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