Memories Of A Lovely Childhood In Bryncoch And Neath

A Memory of Neath.

I was born and brought up in Bryncoch, a little village on the way to Pontardawe, it was the most lovely childhood. Bryncoch was in the middle of fields and a river and plenty of space to run about, lots of friends and then Neath Grammar School, which was on the whole enjoyable. I had to leave when I was 13 because I was one of the girls who developed TB at that time and I spent the next 4 years recovering. When I was older, I joined a Chapel in Neath and made wonderful friends, who I haven't heard of for years. We spent hours in a coffee bar in Queen Street, used to buy our tights and underwear in Renee Gwilyms and at weekends went dancing in, I think it as the Empire Ballroom. I was Ione Roberts in those days. I have been married for 54 years and have two daughters in their 50's and one grandson of 27.
My mother went to see her sister in America in 1963 and while she was there she became Nanny to a very rich couple who wanted an English! Nanny for their 2 year old, when they found she was Welsh, they were very excited because they'd never met a Welsh person. They were all going to Sun Valley for a holiday and wanted mum to look after their daughter. Mum was in Dallas airport waiting to take off when the pilot came in and told them that Kennedy had been shot. In Sun Valley, she was introduce to film stars staying there and one evening she was asked to dinner by Ray Milland who was delighted to see her and talk about his childhood in Neath, she said he had tears in his eyes. I haven't been to Neath for donkey's years but have loving memories of it.