Graham Clive Cale James

A Memory of Pontllanfraith.

Between 1938-1949 I lived in Llanarth Road then at Bryn Road 1949-1959. There was no Springfield Estate (only Springfield Villas, about 6 houses). Tradespeople at that time were Davies the bakers with door to door delivery by horse and cart, the horse was named Boulter and his driver was Oliver Tovey, W.A.Ford greengrocer, Starks grocers shop opposite Pont. Low Level Station and Richards, grocer/greengrocer at Pont. bridge.  Opposite Richards shop was Pantycelyn Stores. The other side of the bridge was Gibbs Brothers Garage (purchased by my grandfather in 1939/40) and the Greyhound Hotel. The Gibbs family all lived at Llanarth Road and Islwyn Terrace.  Ynyswen House was the home to the park keeper of the Welfare Ground and The Dell was the home of the swimming baths superintendant, Jack Musselwhite.  At No.2 Springfield Cottages lived Nan Withers, the only person I knew who lived over 100yrs.  Belmont Garage on Newbridge Road were agents for Triumph cars and motorcycles.  Gibbs Brothers were agents for Ford vehicles. Next to Belmont Garage was the Ivor Arms Pub, then run by James Mitchel, ex policeman in the village.  Further up the road was a very old cottage which was occupied by a Mrs Mansfield who was killed when a runaway vehicle demolished it.  Ty-Nyddfa, a large house set in open fields, was owned by Madame Williams-Bayliss, a well known music teacher and organist at St Augustine's Church.  Near the Bayliss house was Cwmdraw Farm (since demolished) owned by the Morris family, whilst close by was Bryn-Y-Mill the home of the Bowen family.  Grancher Bowen kept pigs, and when they were killed we boys were given the pig's bladder to play football with.  The pigcot attracted rats which, when caught by Mr Bowen, were put in a barrel live (2 or 3 at a time) to see how long the cat took to kill them.  Mr Lyndon Dark lived at Ivron, Llanarth Road and he was the housing officer for Mynyddislwyn council;  he gave tutorial lessons to many children in the village.  In 20 and 21 Llanarth Road lived the Williams family who were monumental masons and carpenters. In the old area of Springfield was Caerwern, the home of Ike Rees who owned the blacksmith's shop at the rear of Gibbs Garage.  A.G Coles had the wheelwright and carpenter's business on the old tram lane by the post office, which was once the local abattoir run by the Tucker family.
My parents were Trevor Cale James and Enid Stephanie Gibbs. Dad was from Blackwood and his father (Reece Cale James) and mother (Lena Charlotte Francombe) were the landlords of the Butchers Arms pub in Blackwood.  My maternal grandparents were Albert George Gibbs and Sarah Jane Travers.  Albert was the founder of Gibbs Bros. Coaches and Gibbs Garages.  Heather my sister was born at Llanarth Road in 1942.  My early school days were at Pont. Infants and Junior School.  Teachers in Infants were Miss Jarman (Head), Miss Jones-Evans, Miss Shore and Miss Davies.  Miss Evans was the daughter of Canon Jones-Evans.  Junior school teachers were Mr Lewis (Head), Mr Smith, Glyn Jenkins and Bert Rees.  The school was segregated, boys and girls, and NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET according to Miss Winnie Smith head of the Junior Girls.  All toilets were outdoors and strictly overseen at all times.
Further tradespeople that come to mind are Miss Harris (the milk) who delivered door to door, serving the milk with hand measures from the churn on a handcart.  She lived at Cwmalsie Farm.  Miss Flower ran a haberdashers shop at the Plough Corner.  Joe Walker was the local shoemaker, although my uncle Bertie Gibbs had a shoemaker's shop in Pentwynmawr.  Just off the Plough Corner on Penmain Road was the Newsagents and Gents Hairdresser of Mr S.S. Bater.
Although not about Pontllanfraith, I must mention some memories of the Butchers Arms, Blackwood.  In the public bar was a huge pair of buffalo horns (about 6ft wide) mounted on the wall.  Then there was a man named Charlie Berkeley, he would place a penny in his eye, sit me on the bar counter, get me to say "bugger" and then let me keep the money.  This always happened when my Gran James was in earshot, who went absolutely mad with the poor man.
The Junior School had a metalworking class, where the canteen is today and between the Infants and Juniors was a long wooden building which was the woodwork class.  The teacher was a Mr Edwards.  All school games, football etc was played on what was known as the "common".  This was a parcel of land between Heolddu Farm and Newbridge Road.  The grass was cut with a scythe by Mr King the farmer.
My playmates were Brian Hopkins, Mike Price, Dennis Frailey (my age group) and Tony Gibbs (cousin), Peter Garrett, Ray Bowen, Lyn Lewis, Doug Bennett and John Musselwhite (these were about 4/5yrs older than me).  It was with this older group that I tended to get into trouble, like the time I fell 30ft over the quarry at Cwm Nant-Y-Odin.  Being the smallest I was sent out over a branch to collect some birds eggs, the branch broke and I fell to the quarry floor.  Ray Bowen was sent by the other boys to inform my father.  In the meantime, the boys made a crude stretcher to carry me home.  Lucky for me I only had severe back bruising.
There was the usual football games between Llanarth Road and Newbridge Road boys, played in the field behind Llanarth Road.  Sometimes things got a little rough, which resulted in a gang fight, but nothing more serious than a few whacks with a stick or maybe being hit with a stone thrown by someone. Games of dare were played like pole vaulting the brook or crawling through the pipes carrying the brook under Llanarth Road and the Welfare Ground. Needless to say I was always the one who got wet or found myself up the apple tree (the others had run away) with the owner standing below.
My parents moved to the Bryn  Road about 1949,which is when I went to the Grammar School. Teachers were Cliff Rowlands (Head), Miss Phillips (history), Miss Phillips (English), Miss England (biology). Tom Garrett (physics), Dan Williams (chemistry), Walter Sweet (PE),  Mr Glencross (French), Miss Hibbins (Maths), Mr Capewell (Latin), Edgar Bond (art and Woodwork).  Edgar Phillips taught Welsh, and was also a WELSH BARD.  His bardic name was "TREFIN".  All these were very strict teachers, the men all partial to giving the cane.
My carefree days prior to Grammar School were the best.  I suppose the homework etc. gave me little time for play and all my old friends had been split up.....

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