Waunlwyd memories
Here are memories of Waunlwyd and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Waunlwyd or a Waunlwyd photo.
Evacuation to Cwm 1940
My mother, Eunice Weeks, came from Cwm, went into service in Bristol and London at 13 years old. Married in Cwm 1938, lived in London where my brother was born in 1939. Our house was bombed so Mum evacuated to her family in Cwm. I was born at my grandmother's, 14 Emlyn Road, but lived with my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Sayce, at 6 King Street. I went to Duffryn School until I was 6, then we returned to London. My brother and I travelled on the train from Paddington to Newport, then up the Valleys to Cwm, every summer holiday. We went on the Sunday School outing to Barry, went wimberrying up the mountains, and played in the street all day. My mum was the eldest of 10 children, they and their children, my cousins, were always in and out of my Grandparents at Emlyn Road. Grancha had a field opposite with pigs and horses. Grancha and my uncles worked in Marine Colliery. I still have cousins living in Cwm and last visited in... Read more
Waunlwyd 1955 - 1973
I was born in 1955 and lived in Waunlwyd until I went away to University in 1973. I remember this row of shops very well as I was entrusted to shop for family and relatives who would pay me a small fee that I was saving up for a school trip to Paris (that never took place). I remember Mr & Mrs Morgan in the Post Office - who I think you can see in the photo - with their corgi dog. Mr Morgan had the corniest jokes in the world but it was always a treat to go in there. Next door was John Rogers the butchers and I can remember the older Mr Rogers gutting a chicken while carrying on a conversation with a customer - I was about 8 at the time and found it shocking. Next door was Bessie Smith, the greengrocers and next to that was a shop with two entrances - one to a hairdressers and the other to a wool/knitting patterns and haberdashery... Read more
Waunlwyd
Just seen the photo of Park Place and couldn't resist commenting. The first shop is the post office with Dai and Lally stood out (a well liked couple). Next would be Rodgers the butchers, then Jessie Smith's the greengrocer, then Don Brake's the grocer, then a private house occupied by the Law family. Next was Manship's hairdressers and finally Mrs Warren's haberdashery, later to become Clists chip shop. I left Waunlwyd in 1965 with a lad called david Perry (Rip) to join the army, but I often think of my childhood there.......happy days.
The Village
I left the village in 1960. I attended the local junior and infant school. The teachers I recall were Miss Whitehead, Miss Jenkins, Miss James, Granny Chancellor (she was a lovely lady who taught most of our parents also, those that brought up in the village), Mr Hodge, Eric Finney and Mr Vaughn the Headmaster. Football, cricket, school sports days were up the Gagas and when the school football team played we went to Victoria to play. At the end of the game we would often take a short cut across the slag tips and down through the Pit rather than walk all the way around the road. The slag tips were made up of the remains of the top of the iron melted in R.T.B. I recall this being dumped throughout the day and night time and being taken in large ladels across the main road down by the Institute. At night time the Valley was lit up, so much so that at that point you did not require... Read more
The Park Hotel, Waunlwyd
I understand my late uncle's father, Arthur Miles Beale, along with his wife Janet Beale, nee Stanley, owned and ran the Park Hotel, until he sadly died behind the bar of a heart attack, I think sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s. It was before my time and now I have no one to ask about this. I would be most interested to find out when he did own it. My late uncle Frank Miles Beale would have been there as a young man. I have been to visit Waunlwyd last year and this year and am still no nearer to finding anything out, it would be great if someone had something hidden in their memory bank.
Yvonne
Memories of Gwent
Happy Days!
I was born at 1 Woodville Road, Cwm on the 15th November 1940.
My Grandfarther was a Miner at the Marine Collery. His fellow miners called him "Stonejar Morgan" because he took a stonejar full of water to work each day.
He was a rescue worker during the "Six Bells" disaster.
Miner Jack Bedford
My father worked at the marine colliery for over 20 years. His name was Jack Bedford, from Brynmawr, a hard working man. There was a pitfall in 1964 where a friend and workmate was killed, he brought this poor man to the surface. I remember him coming home crying. I had never seen him cry before. Those miners worked in awful conditions, up pass their knees in water, with a pick and shovel. I’m always going to be proud of my Dad. What he done for his kids. The one time he had a beat knee, where his knee was just rotting from standing in dirty water for hours. He died in 1995 - God Bless You my beautiful Dad.
Nill Street, Cwm Photograph (Ref C517004)
Hi,
I was looking on the site reminising about my father, Malcolm LLoyd who lived at 156 Marine Street with my grandparents, Walter and Dilys LLoyd until he married my mother, Monica Buckley (from Newtown, Ebbw Vale) in the 50's. I think this photograph shows him in the foreground (In the black suit). Unfortunately, the Frith watermark covers the detail of the woman he is walking with, but I believe it may be his cousin, Shirley Brown (Ne. Baker).
Both my Dad, and my Auntie Shirley have passed away. Malcolm died tragically whilst we were on holiday in Italy of a heart attack some 19 years ago. He was 60. My Auntie Shirley died last year, it was a terrible shock to lose her as she was so beautiful and so treasured by all of her family. Shirley married Alan Brown from Abertillery. His family had a shop.
Malcolm and Shirley were friends all their lives, and I would... Read more
The Pitts Family
My Dad and his sisters were all born in the Cwm, at 10 Bailey Street in the 1920's. They later lived at 4 Woodville Road. My grandfather Bertie Pitts and all his brothers worked in the Marine Colliery. Dad, Eric Pitts, joined Bertie in the Marine in 1938 and left there in 1946. Most of Bertie's family are buried in the cemetery there including Bertie and Eric, Bertie's parents Alfred and Caroline, five of his sisters and one of his brothers. Bertie was the youngest of 13! I remember visiting my grandmother Eliza many times especially at Easter when there was the Parade through Cwm until she moved away from the Cwm in the late 1960's, .
Missing Home
I was born in Wales and lived at 3 Bailey Street until moving to Canada at age 10. All of my memories of Cwm are wonderful ones, sliding down the mountain on cardboard, wading in the river behind our house, climbing the hill to play at the park or swinging on the rope swing that was always around but we never knew where it came from. I still have family living in Cwm, my mother's sister and husband Thelma & Bob Annett. My plan is to bring 4 children back this summer (2008) and show them where I grew up. Please feel free to contact me if you have any information on my family.
Thank you
Debbie Turner
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