Happy Times In Groes Village

A Memory of Margam.

Knowing where to start with the many memories that I have of Groes Village is difficult. For many years my brother and I were dispatched, from our home in Hertfordshire, for the entire school summer holiday to stay with Mansel and Martha Jones, our grandparents, at 14 Groes, Margam. There was always huge excitement over having six weeks of freedom and of being able to meet up with the friends made on previous visits – Nerys from No 15 and Brigitte who lived next door to the dairy on one side and Mr and Mrs Mainwaring on the other. I would wake up each morning enveloped in a huge feather mattress and wonder what the day would bring – a walk up Brombil to the reservoir looking for snakes and paddling in the brook on the way. Maybe we would ramble over to Morfa, over the dunes to the beach and back again seemingly miles from anywhere or would we choose to go to Margam Abbey and walk amongst the graves always a spooky experience. My mother sang in the choir at the Abbey and it was there she married my father in 1946. My grandfather was a keen gardener – just as well for the garden of no 14 was rather large – runner beans, asters and roses were his speciality; the driver of the blue buses (Thomas buses?) that turned around outside Groes always seemed keen to have a few of his beans and in return I, and my friends, were given a ride to Aberavon or even Porthcawl – of course a very unofficial arrangement! A treat would be to follow my grandfather with his head down and shoulders stooped as he shuffled up to Fosters for sweets. Bathing in the tin tub was always memorable but I also remember walking along the main road, towards what I believe to be the middle lodge to Margam Park, in PJ’s and dressing gown with bath bag under my arm, for a bath in their proper ‘tub’. Groes was unique. The memories of the holidays spent there are very special and I would dearly love to learn more about the history of Groes Village itself; it is easy to establish its connection with Margam Castle and its history, but I would be interested to hear of any other source of information on the village’s own life and times.