In My Heart This Is Where My Roots Are
A Memory of Gellilydan.
I was born in Meantwrog on 1 July 1942 at 2 Fron Goch. My father was Cadwalader Jones Owens and my mother was Mary Bridget. Dad was born, I believe, at Tyn Fedw (it has now changed its name but I cannot remember what to) which was just up from Cae Glas farm in Gellilydan. My gran was Kate Owens, I never met Granddad, he died when Dad was quite young.
My father worked in the gardens at Plas Maentwrog until a chance encounter with a visiting family on a fishing trip from Derby, who offered him a job as gardener in the little village of Quarndon complete with tied cottage. (Something not to be overlooked in those days.) We moved on 5 May 1946, when my brother David was only a baby.
Every year without fail we all went on holiday to stay with my gran at Tyn Fedw. Almost every we day we would go fishing, either in local streams or, if we could afford it, we would spend the day at Trawsfynedd lake, pulling out as many perch as we could with the bonus of a trout now and again.
What remains of my family still live in Gellilydan and our 4 boys Simon, Andrew Steven and James just love to go back there fishing and generally socialising with relatives and locals.
I have so many happy memories of the area, including going back to Gellilydan school if my cousins were still at school when we got there.
Our love of fishing was of course ruined by those days when we would have to get dressed up and visit ALL of the family and friends in the district. Mum used to make sure we had our school uniforms on on these days (to make a good impression that the move was a good one, I suppose). The good thing was that when we still managed to speak Welsh they gave us money. I remember one year coming home with more in my pocket than I left Derby with.
I still love to get back there as much as possible although We do not go as often as I would like. I am proud to say that I still speak Welsh, although it is a bit rusty now I can still get by.
I could go on a lot longer, but I might well overrun the space available, however it was very nice to reminisce for a while.
John Owens
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