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The Rhiw
The Rhiw maps
Historic maps of The Rhiw and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all The Rhiw maps
The Rhiw photos
We have no photos of The Rhiw, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Oakdale| Penmaen| Blackwood| Pontllanfraith| Newbridge| Gilfach| Aberbargoed| Crumlin| Markham| Bargoed| Aberbeeg| Llanhilleth| Hengoed| Maes-Y-Cwmmer| Maesycwmmer| Ystrad Mynach| Cwmcarn| Six Bells| Pontywaun| Cwm| Abertillery| Cwmtillery| Llanbradach| Llanfabon| Waunlwyd| Treharris| Bedwas| Machen| Abersychan| Risca
The Rhiw area books
Displaying 1 of 3 books about The Rhiw and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of The Rhiw
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Gwent memories
Happy Days
I lived opposite Thomas the Dairy and sometimes I helped to deliver the milk driving the milk float pulled by a superb Welsh cob named Rob, well known and loved by all the local children and winner of many rosettes at horse shows, including the Bedwellty Show.
I also remember the American soldiers arriving and being invited to play baseball with them in the "show". I often wonder how many of them survived the war and returned to the USA.
Memories of Cefn Fforest
I am the youngest child of Thomas the milk and delivered milk on horse and cart from age 11 for 3 years and then went modern when the horse died. I remember Alastair Macsorley, his mum and the rest of the family, they lived opposite our dairy in Penybryn Avenue, after they moved Mr and Mrs Roper moved into their house, next door to Doll and Id Jones. My parents had a bungalow built on a piece of our land, we moved in 1959. I am still working in Cefn Fforest Primary School, please get in touch, Alastair would love to hear from you again. Cefn Fforest has only changed a little, Park and Showfield still the same, Bethany Baptist Chapel is still there. I am still in touch with Roy Smith who took over some of our milk round, he's living in Cornwall.
1950's
I can also remember a horse and cart going around Cefn Fforest from Central Ave selling cockles and mussels. We played football in Bedwellty Rd near to what was known as Rees Jones the grocers and the sweet shop known as Bizinni's? Cars and buses run passed us but it wasn't that busy in the late 50s and early 60s. I bought a book from Blackwood "Blackwood Yesterday" by Ewart Smith which shows all the districts surrounding Blackwood. Highly recommended for its photography. We are living in a small town called Ballymoney, Co Antrim now.
Gandparents
I am 62 years of age and never got to see my grandparents, but I have just found out today that they were married in Bedwelty, I have no idea when, but my grandfather's occupation was a Heaver, something to do with mining I have been told. His name was William Andrew Griffiths, and his wife's name was Sarah Jane Williams, also known as Sarah Jane Sheen. If anybody in Bedwelty has any information that can help me get to know about my grandparents I would be very grateful.
The Old School Memories
I attended Pengam school until 1945, when spotty Willliams was the head master, only a little man but he could swish the cane on you which I remember well. During the war we all had to carry our gas masks with us everywhere, when there was an air raid warning we were billeted out to local households but more often than not we would go playing on the slag heaps, going under the arch to get to them. We used to have school dinners cooked at the scool by Miss Summers and others, it was the best meal of the day in those times of food rationing. School sport was played on the old rubbish dump. I have lived in Australia for the past 48 years but my memories of my school days are still strong.
The Arch to The Slag Heaps
Hi, I also remember Pengam, I went to school in the 1950s, a Mr Preist was the head then. I used to come down from Fairveiw through the arch and into the school. I love looking back and how wonderful Wales was. I'm living near London now. I used to sit and look at the steam engines at the station just by Pengam pit bottom, great days.
The Miller's Van in This Photo.
I travelled with Mr Moor, the miller, in this Ford van as he went from house to house selling grain food for chickens etc. I also paid a weekly visit to the mill which charged our accumulator acid battery that powered our wireless (radio). I recently visited the mill and spent an enjoyable hour being shown around and seeing an actual copy of the distress message sent out by the Titanic which Mr Moor picked up, after it struck the iceberg in 1912. My home was in Brynteg Avenue and I now live in Northern Ireland.
