Early Years In Park Road

A Memory of Tanyfron.

Born in 1947 to Ted & Cred Fowles, I lived in 3 Park Road until 1955 when I moved down the hill to Southsea. I started Tanyfron primary school in 1951 and went on to Penygelli Secondary school, Coedpoeth, in 1958. When I started at Tanyfron the Head teacher was Mr Jackson, quite a strict and serious man if I remember rightly. Soon after him was Mr Emlyn Davies, totally opposite, a very jovial man. Other members of staff were, Miss Joan Sutcliffe who later became Mrs Davies. Miss Odgers, Miss Gertie Williams, Mrs Julie Edwards, Mr John Tudor Davies (who lives not far from me in Johnstown), Mr Herbert T Williams who still lives in Rhos.
Tanyfron was a relatively small community in the 50's with a Coop store, Post office, run by Mr & Mrs Lewis, Mrs Ellis ran the shop on St Albans Rd, where you could by all the popular sweets of the day. You could also buy sweets from the entry shop where a black jack was a farthing. Mrs Roberts ran the butchers at the top of Poyser St where everyone bought their meat on a daily basis (no fridges for most of us then.) Certainly no freezers so everyone waited eagerly for Lewis's ice cream van to come around. I well remember my dad used to buy a little cone of ice cream in the steel works canteen before cycling home at top speed to get it to me before it melted. Roy Wilkinson from Ty Cerrig farm would deliver the milk by horse and cart every morning. There was no pub in Tanyfron but we had an Off licence on the end of Bottom row which was run by Mr & Mrs Burrows. I much prefered the Border Breweries Dandelion & Burdock which was sold there than the Corona pop which came around on a van once a week.
My house was next to the Coop where the colliers would meet at 5 every morning to catch the colliery bus. I still remember them standing on the corner stamping their feet in the winter to keep warm, their white mufflers wrapped tightly around their necks to keep out the winter wind. Most of the men in the village would work either in the local collieries or at Brymbo Steel works where whole families would earn a living. Coming home from a shift at the steel works, many a tired and thirsty man would call in at the Cric, for liquid refreshment. The Cric also offered other entertainment for steelworkers and their families by setting up various sports sections such as cricket, hence the name of the club, football, bowls and tennis. On Sundays the places of worship, Cana, Salem and St Alban's church were visited 3 times by villagers. After chapel on a Sunday evening, many a walk was taken down Farm lane or to Brymbo pool.
As children most of my friends and I would spend hours playing on "the bank" setting up dens where we became cowboys and indians before going home for Lop scouse for dinner.
Tanyfron is not steeped in history. It's purpose was to house the colliers and steelworkers but it was place which was to offer me a good start in life where I made many friends and many good memories.