Happy Times

A Memory of Llanthony.

I went to live in Llanthony village around 1970 with my husband who was brought up at The Daren Farm, and our children Lynda and Andrew. We lived in The Cornmill which is directly opposite the old post office, it was called Mill Cottage then and Met and Gertrude (Rachel) lived there. She always amused me when she answered the phone because she had a posh 'phone voice', she was a real character. Also in the village - there were four houses - was the old school teachers house occupied by Ted and Alice Jasper. They became very good friends and Alice introduced me to the local WI where I met a woman called Barbara Beardsmore. She was amazing and wrote plays and pantomime all of which was based on the valley. I took part in many of these pantomimes - sometimes I was a goodie and sometimes a baddie. I'll never forget Barbara being carted out of the village hall in a tesco trolley at the end of one pantomime. I worked a few hours a week in the Abbey Hotel when the children got a bit older. What a privilege to live in such a place as llanthony. Beautiful walks up the mountains and if I felt a bit down I would go and sit by the Honddu river - just listening to the river rippling along and the birdsong would lift my spirit. I left in 1991 and can remember crying as I drove my car down the valley for the last time. I still miss the friends I made in that valley especially Grace Mitchell who was like the sister I never had.