Childhood Memories

A Memory of Lower Machen.

My grandfather lived in the tied cottage on the Plas farm in Lower Machen. His name was Albert Thomas, known as Bert. I have many fond memories of him and his cottage and playing around the farmyard and watching him complete his chores. I would stand for ages in the milking parlour watching him, Owen (owner of the farm), and his sons Stuart and Brian at work! All the cows had names and my grandfather used to make me laugh by talking to them and pretending they were answering him in moo language!
A 'not so nice' memory was the day I fell up to my waist in cow dung in the slurry pit on the farm while playing tag with my cousins Glyn and Clive! I can remember having to stand in the bath and my grandad washing me down and laughing his head off! He could not wait to tell my parents!
I also have fond memories of the girl who lived in the cottage next door. Her name was Mary Haigue and we used to have hours of fun. I would love to know what she is up to now!
My grandad used to grow fantastic vegetables and sell them. I remember the rows and rows of runner beans and I will never forget the smell of the tomatoes when you walked into his greenhouses! I loved going there in the runner bean season because he would always cook me a big plate of them with butter and pepper on them and some bread to make a sarnie. Yum, I can taste them now!
I loved to go off in his car with him (an old classic car that looked like a bat-mobile!) even though he was a terrible driver! We usually went to the Old-post shop up in Machen to get his cigerettes and ended up talking for ages to someone or other.
I loved to go inside the Plas farm, as it is such an old and beautiful building and there was a glass case in one of the rooms with a 'two-headed' lamb inside it! Yes it was a real one that died shortly after birth and it used to fascinate me.
I have fond memories of the farm owners Katheline and Owen and I remember my mum doing flower arrangments for them in their lovely entrance hall with a very cold stone floor!
I missed Plas Cottages terribly when my grandad became ill and had to move to a complex and I know he did too.
He sadly passed away some years ago and is buried with my nan in the churchyard at St Michael's, Lower Machen. That is another place that has fond memories for me as my mum and I had a florist and we did the flowers for weddings many times there.
My parents were married there in 1967 and I was christened there in 1969!
Regards to anyone that remembers anything I have talked about and thanks for taking the time to read it.
               Louise James (formely Willetts) x

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