Former Pen Y Bryn School Corwen 1952 3

A Memory of Corwen.

I heard yesterday (Feb-19-2011) that Mr GWYLFA ROBERTS has passed on. To me, and I'm sure all others who knew him, he was the little man with a big heart! He of course taught Standard Two in Corwen School until he moved to the school at Sarnau,a nd later to the headship of Bala Primary, known to many as "Ysgol Goch" or "Ysgol Meirion Jones". His widow is Mrs Olwen Roberts (formerly Davies), who taught Corwen infants class (as seen in an earlier article).

Though slight of stature, Mr Roberts, in line with most teachers, could nevertheless pack a swift clip on the ear to mis-behaving pupils! I had experience of Mr Roberts earlier as he, as a rule, took two classes for art lessons. Mr Roberts was fun, and could send the wnole class into a fit of laughter with one of his sallies - he no doubt had the entertainer in him as his being compere of the local "Opportunity-Knocks" shows and many other shows and concerts testify! And his Friday afternoon stories were wonderful too.

Well, as I mentioned, Mr Roberts left Corwen and was replaced by one we knew as Miss Roberts "Carrog" (she lived there, and may have taught at the school there too). Well, I must honestly say I didn't take too well to Miss Roberts, a strict disciplinerian! She was a bit stern, compared to the wit and humour of her predecessor - however we gradually became fond of Miss Roberts and I particularly liked her stories of Holland, of which she spoke fondly and regularly, especially the "hand in the dyke", a well-known story of the little boy who saved his homeland from flooding due to a leak in the dyke, one of many that held waters back off the lowlands there - that's when I first heard it. But what I DIDN'T like was Miss Roberts' a (vile to me) habit of dishing out a second punishment, such as detention at play-times if anyone from her class was admonished/punished by another teacher. But it taught us two things - how to behave, and (by being punished twice for the same "offence") we learnt that life does not always seem fair!
(NEXT TIME: 1954/5 - STANDARD FOUR!)

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