Distant Memories Of An Evacuee

A Memory of Llangynwyd.

My name is Nigel Redding and I was sent to Llangynwyd about 1942/43? as an evacuee. I was aged about 3 or 4 years old and accompanied by my older brother Alan who was 5 years older. (Both born in Rogerstone , Monmouthshire). My first memory of Llangynwyd was staying with a Mrs. Murphy in what I think would have been a council house on the left side of the main road from Bridgend. She had a daughter named Nancy (compared to me - an adult). She also had a lodger by the name of Mr. Lacey.
I do not know how long I was there, but I do remember being moved to a lower part of the village to a stone cottage where an old lady, Mrs Morgan lived. When I stayed there, my brother had been moved on somewhere else. I remember a family across the road called Harding. Being so young, I can only remember one friend, I think his name was Collwyn Lewis? who lived further up the road. I can also remember going for walks to what I believe was the Darren woods with vague memories of a high bridge (like a viaduct) across a river. One day, a large, black car stopped outside Mrs. Morgans house and a very stern looking lady called Mrs Truman (probably a welfare officer) took me by the hand and said "I am taking you home to your mother". I think that was the first time I had ever been in a car! We drove for what seemed like hours to me and eventually arrived in Tonyrefail near Porth. I was taken in and introduced to my mother - my first memory of meeting her (!) as somehow all previous memory seemed to have been erased - probably because I was so young.
I am 77 yrs. old now and wonder if it is possible that anyone in Llangynwyd is still around to remember any of the people I have mentioned. It is my intention to return to the village soon, just to see if I can recognize anything from all those years ago.