Childhood Freedom

A Memory of Rhydyfelin.

1952 - 1970.
I recognise most of the names mentioned, even after all this time. My family name was Elley and most of my family still live in Rhydyfelin. With my immediate family I have moved about a bit over the last 30 or so years but still visit fairly regularly. I can honestly say that I enjoyed my childhood in Rhydyfelin for all the reasons given and many, many more. The freedom to roam - my mother would open the back door and say 'out and play and don't come back until dinner time' and she would be free of the worries of today's parents. She would however be as mad as hell if we were not back by the time she stated, as that is when she would start to worry. The remains of the Glamorgan canal ran near to our house, from the end of Poplar Road and down to Upper Boat. The sluice near Martin's Cottage where we dammed the gate opening - the gates long gone, resulting in our own pool for a couple of weeks during the summer, who cared about the mud and horse flies? Scrumping apples at bottom house, Bown's, and being recognised because of our Tony's hair colour - bright ginger, what a give away! A short cut to our grandparents house in Oak Street via the lane around top house Bown's, across the railway line and through the narrow opening between the gardens of the steel houses at the top of Oak Street. I am fairly sure that there was a Michael Morris in my class in Hawthorn Secondary Modern. Our teacher was Miss Lewis. I still have a form photo somewhere. Does anyone remember Mr Falck, he always used to spell his name out - F A L C K. He used to have a stick called Ernie which he used to put on a seat near anyone he thought was going to cause a bother - I can't ever remember that happening though. He taught me how to drive in later years. Does anyone remember the 'barn' on the allotment side of the Monkies tump, we all learned to jive there - obviously no booze etc. but loads of good clean fun. The more I write... the more I remember. Best wishes to all who remember me.

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