Memories of St Athan

Hammett's Farm.

This building was known to us as Hammett's Farm, properly West Orchard Farm, in the Higher End area of St Athan. Arthur Hammett and his wife ran the farm and I occasionally helped to deliver milk from the farm around the village from a horse and cart. Arthur, who lived to the great age of 92, and continued farming to the last, would bottle his own milk in a tiny parlour. He was a lovely chap and always gave us a mangold to make a lantern for Halowe'en night. The farmhouse is alongside the old main road from Barry to Llantwit Major before the huge RAF Station at St Athan was further enlarged and another road had to be built. The establishment was behind West Orchard Farm to the north.

Mustow's cafe.

I lived with my family in St Athan village from the time of my first birthday in 1946 to my marriage in 1970. Mt wife and I were married at the church shown in the photograph. The church is dedicated to an Irish saint by the name of Tathan. The village was once known as Llandathan, then Saint Tathen and finally St Athan(s). At this church I was a choirboy, Sunday School teacher and bellringer too. There are six bells in the tower cast by Warners.
Mustows' Cafe figures prominently and this shop was run by Dai Mustow, as we knew him, along with his wife and they lived next to his brother in one of the two houses that are shown. The cafe provided nourishment for locals and visitors alike, being frequented by lorry drivers and cyclists. Dai also sold newspapers and sweets. I can well remember going to the cafe with money from my father, together with our Ration Book, for the weeks supply of confectionery. In my youth we used to sit there drinking coffee and feeding the juke box. Petrol was sold in front of the cafe and the pumps promised BP, Shell, National Benzole and Power petrols. Sometime in my teens the wooden building was gutted by fire and another wooden cafe was built in its place but that has also gone now.