Blackmill

A Memory of Blackmill.

My name is Beth McMillan - Mckay then. Now living in New Zealand. We lived in Glyn-Llan but I spent many a hour walking up and down that road to Blackmill, getting the shopping in the Co-op and little shop/post-office on the corner. Some times I would catch the Gilfach bus back home if I was rich - it was 3d - old money! - as I recall. I also have so many wonderful memories of Blackmill from very early childhood when the steam trains were still running, carrying coal to Bridgend I think, to my teenage years and beyond when we used to hang-out for hours in 'Cams Cafe' as it was then, listening to T.rex, The Sweet, Mud etc on the juke box - making a coffee last an hour! He was brill, and never threw us out :-) I remember one summer the whole of the village was made to look like a cowboy town. People worked so hard on it and it was amazing. I loved it. Not sure what the occasion was but it was fantastic. I also loved going down there on boxing day for the boxing day hunt to watch the horses and dogs and all the 'posh people' in their bright red jackets. Every Thursday we would go to the youth club that Reg Westlake ran. I loved that place and Reg was brilliant with us kids. He tought me first aid and it was he that inspired me to become a nurse and later a midwife, I will always be grateful to him for that. A top bloke! In my earlier years we spent the seemingly endless summers down the Dimbuth. There was always a rope swing over the river where we used to have 'skimming' competitions or a car bonnet we used as a boat in the water! Hey we were poor and times were tough but we had the BEST fun in that water. Ah they really were the good old days, nearly all our time was spent outs doors with great friends, it was a fantastic place to grow up.