Aberaman, Lewis Street c.1964

I read the memories of Aberaman and Miss Venables with great interest and a bit of a tear in my eye. My grandparents emigrated from Aberdare, New Tredegar area in 1912, two weeks after the Titanic went down. The fares were cheap. I grew up in the 1950's in Welland, Ontario Canada next door to my dear Granma, Alice Stallard Venables. My grandfather, Albert Venables, of Aberdare, died a few weeks after my birth ...see more

I often used to go to the Miners Hall, to the pictures on a Friday. It was a family treat, we would watch a film, stop at Wynnens chip shop, and also pick a bottle of beer up for my grandfather Percy Honour. We all lived at Paklands Lodge. The beer used to come from The Swan, near Whyndham Terrace. Later on I was courting, and went to the Aberaman Hall, back row upstairs, but not to watch the film,b ut that's another story! Good old memories, sadly gone for ever.

I remember the line and playing fields, very well. Another of my haunts was Mike's field, Aberaman. My girlfriend and I spent many happy hours in these two places. We used to walk to Aberdare along the line and come out at the base of the Graig mountain. Also in Mike's field was the open air baths, where we spent a lot of our time in summer. I was born in the Oaklands Lodge at Cardiff Road - unfortunately not in existence any more. Good old days.

Having been born and reared in Aberaman, I spent many hours in the playing fields, even before it was named King George's field.  Locally it is known as the hayfield, and even now is a source of pleasure for football and dog walkers. Sadly though, often the childrens playing area has been vandalised and it is no longer safe to 'camp' there overnight, as we once did, with a bottle of water and jam sandwiches! In the picture ...see more