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 any lights. Perhaps this was why the street lights went off at midnight. My father Ron worked as a Banks man on top of the Colliery and often on Sundays would work a double shift. My mum Gwyn would cook the dinner, serve up the meal and I would take my father's dinner down to the Colliery for him. When you think that we would walk through the slag tips on the way back fro football and then walk on the top of the Colliery to deliver his dinner, so much for health and safety. Morgan the Post had a Welsh Corgi named Ianto and he would often walk the dog up over where the Old Waunlwyd Nibs Football team had their hut. I recall the day sweets came off ration in 1954. I went to Kibbys Store and bought some. I recall Don Brake's shop next to Jessie Smith's the florist. Clive Richards from Cwm Road worked there whilst still in school and appeared to spend all his time there. Tom Self was the local Barber over by the toilets. He always had a coal fire burning in the grate and was a man of inquisitive nature over what the members of your family were up to. He wore a long white apron and I think he always had sawdust on the floor. The Co-op was the main shop of the village. Butchery Department, Groceries, shoes and other utensils. Mr Dewson was the main man on the Grocery side. I also have a vague recollection of Porters Shoe shop in Park View. In winter time, at some stage, it always appeared to snow. There were always a couple of good toboggan runs, one down at Kibby's corner and one on the path from Hillside Terrace to Excelsior Street. The Colliery was also the centre of village life. The Piithead Baths (the one made famous in the song by Max Boyce) not only doubled for the daily use by the miners but was also a cinema, boxing club and judo club. Whit Monday, the procession to Ebbw Vale by the local chapels. Husbands brought out to swell the choirs, finally up to the Palace, turn around, back down Ginshop Hill, disperse and back to the chapel for a meal. Chapel Anniversary, on stage to do your recitation, bearing in mind you have just had your new clothes for the occasion. Sunday School trip to Barry Island, British Rail from Victoria arriving at the other end at it was always raining. Memories of all those years ago vivid and helping to shape me into the person I am today.