Land Occupation Prior to The Construction of AB Metal Products Ltd

I was born at 86 Avondale Street, Ynysboeth, in 1936, and my memories of growing up in this close knit community are very vivid indeed. The land prior to the construction of AB metal products and the carpet factory was meadow pasture farmland used for grazing cattle owned by Mr. Davis whose farmhouse was situated in AvondaleStreet, Ynysboeth, the entrance of which was down the lane opposite the shop owned by Miss Francis Brake at that time.

I believe the building construction of AB Metals began in 1946-47 just after World War 2 when I was about 10 years old. I remember together with other boys from the village playing games on the footings of the foundations, before the erection and completion of the factory estate.

Back at the farm the cows were milked daily in the farmyard, and fresh milk was distributed on a daily basis throughout Ynysboeth and other nearby locations by horse and cart, and served by Berwyn, Mr. Davis's eldest son. In later years Berwyn opened a shop in Cross Street.

In 1946 just after the war my father Gwilym and Mother Rose (nee Ware) opened a shop at number 86 Avondale Street, which stayed open for business for decades.

I still to this day remember the names of most of the families, children and friends living at the bottom half of Avondale Street, at that time, which I will furnish later.

Sadly I do not have any photographs of Ynysboeth from that era.