Events On The Hill

A Memory of Penygarn.

I have left the year of these incidents because they were on going throughout my childhood. The first concerns Dr Clinch's dog. Dr Clinch lived at the top of Penygarn Hill. He was a large man with a gruff exterior, I believe he had numerous caps for Ireland in the late 1940s and if my memory is correct the great Jackie Kyle paid him several visits, causing much excitment amongst us boys who harboured dreams of playing for Wales. Dr Clinch had a wire-haired terrier, whenever the Dr began his journey by car at the bottom of Penygarn Hill to his home he would deposit the dog outside of the car, and drive away. The dog gave chase it would follow that car as fast as possible running up that hill. I swear that if there was a chance of the dog beating the Dr then he would accelerate. I lived half way up Penygarn Hill and witnessed this event many times. The dog always avoided traffic, not that there was a great deal in the 1950s. The second event concerns the courage or stupidity of the boys who lived at the top of the hill. Peakes Buses had a route up the hill, often boys would attach themselves to the rear of the buses - older buses had many protruding attachments - and thus get a free ride. The most I ever counted on the back was six.

Robert Miles.

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