My Memoirs 1964 1966 Part One

A Memory of St Mellons.

Wayne Carter

My father is Frederick Carter born in London, and mother was Loraine Carter nee Chadwick was born Cyfarthfa Street Roath; mum sadly passed away in 1998. I have a younger sister Jane Carter nee Dunscombe, and younger brother Paul Carter.  I was born in St David’s hospital; until I was nearly 2 I lived in Claude Road, Roath.

I was just over 2 years old when my family and I moved to 39 Hendre Road, Trowbridge Estate Cardiff. I recall all we had to sit on was a few tea chests.  Hendre Road itself was a dirt track, and there were no pavements, our garden were farrowed field, it looked like a building site.  The Swedish Type houses didn’t exist.

Our house had Cast Concrete walls; they don’t make houses like that these days. Our neighbours were Billy & Betty Porter; their kids were Susan, Sharon & Debbie. Shirley and Mervin Cox; their kid were; Gary, Alison, & Wendy.  Maureen and Brian Wilson, their kids; Susan, Brian, Mark, and John, I think there’s an elder sister. Across the road was Frank & Vera Jones; their kids were Lynette, Jackie, twins Neil & Mark, and sadly Michelle who was killed crossing Hendre Road. Next-door to them was the Terry & Pam Lukins, kids were Paul, & Lisa. Paul Lukins went on to be my best mate, and his mum Pam was great.
Next-door to them was the Margret & Arthur Ford; kids were Martin & Suzanne.
My first memory was helping dad do the back garden. I remember finding an old clay pipe out the garden.  I used to watch them build the flat roofed Pre-Fab houses; each wall panel slid into place using a crane.

I recall how terrified I was on that day I started Trowbridge Infant School in Tresgin Road, when my mum left me alone. The smell of school dinners, and there was a tyre and log in the playground I used to play on.  One day the teacher stopped me from going to lunch because I was behind on maths; mum attended the school and had a go at the teacher. The Christmas party when we had to take our own spoon, knife and folk with our names on, and a food contribution for the party; I took a tin of fruit cocktail.  I recall Caroline Chaplin; we would be given a rich tea biscuit and a quart of milk daily, Caroline would always pencil on her biscuit then eat it.

After Michelle Jones was sadly killed the entire street blocked to top end of Hendre Road because it was a main bus route, and protested to have safety fences to prevent us kids from running across the road.

I attended Greenway Junior School in Towen Road Rumney; with Mr Rees, Mr Broom. There was a bee’s nest in a large oak tree not far from the playground. We’d happily play allies, and football at break time in playground, each class would watch a weekly educational program on TV in the school foyer. I went on a school trip to Castle Cork and fell down a banking and knocked myself out’ including stitches in my eyelid.  I would help Mr Lewis the caretaker so to get extra milk.In school dinners I’d have seconds, and pudding.

I was placed in a bennies class for reading, I remember Lynette Evans; she was a Romany and very upfront with words and actions; she didn’t care what the teacher thought or did. I really liked her but I was too shy let on. She’d play handstands-cartwheels; she was an expert with allies. Kids use to try their luck but she’d put them in their place; she had a real punch on her. I also remember David Gully; he lost his eye through an accident playing allies in the playground.   

Mum used to give me bus fare 2d there and 2d back, but I’d walk to and home from school and spend the money on sweets.

I recall me, my sister Jane and Paul stood on the porch roof watching Prince Charles come down our street; I was excited because we were getting a Prince Charles mug along with a coin.

When it snowed we had a six foot drift outside our front-door; it would always blow down Menai Way; it was great; I'd watch the street lamp wishing the snow would'nt end as the snow-flakes speckled in the ray of light, hoping to have the day off school the next day. We'd play for hours in that snow wearing socks on our hands. I miss the old coal fire; black smoke filled the winter's air; sometimes orange sparks flew into the sky.   

Behind our house was an endless field as far as St Mellons Golf Course. If we needed extra milk we’d have to go to Farmer Jones at the top end of Hendre Road. Once I got bitten by Farmer Jones’s Jack Russell dog Micky. I remember having to go to Batemans supermarket in Trowbridge Shopping Centre to buy bread extra and mums fags in the Newsagents, including tampon from the Chemist. Mum used to have tic off Toni the ice-cream van.

---

---