David John Bradd

A Memory of Abertysswg.

I first arrived at Abertysswg in 1955 leaving Cwmsyfiog where we lived across the road from my grandparents. My mother, Gwynneth Bradd, was a nurse in Abertysswg and travelled there from the Cwm (Cwmsyfiog) for her eleven hour night shift . Initially mother would walk there to commence her shift (9.00 PM) and then walk back home at the finish of her shift the following morning (8.00 AM). Apart from the significant distance each way the walk took her through the old mine workings on her own which were dangerous and a daunting prospect for anyone, let alone a woman on her own. Mother was made of sterner stuff than most and she had done her duty as a nurse in London during the Blitz.
Fortunately a guardian angel, in the form of Harry Mayo, appeared providing a lift both ways (if my memory serves me well). This was a significant boon to mother and lasted until we moved to Abertysswg (Aber). There were four of us comprising of mother, my sister Myfannwy, myself (David) and my brother George. We lived at 36 Carn-y-tyla terrace. I, by some fluke, passed the eleven plus in 1955 and went to the Grammar school in Rhymney. My sister went to Hengoed and George went to Tredegar tech.
My best friend in Cwmsyfiog was David Adams but this fell by the wayside upon leaving the Cwm.
Terry Higgins of 1 Warns terrace became my one and only friend upon my arrival in Aber where we became firm cyclists. Following on from this I joined the British Army as an apprentice Vehicle Mechanic REME, then travelling around UK and abroad plying my trade. George also had an adventurous life, joining the RE's and when he left became a deep sea diver , a boat builder amongst other pursuits. Whilst George lived in Aber he fell down the slip cheating death yet he fractured his skull, broke both his arms and legs and lived to tell the tale. However George sadly passed away some years ago in Australia from a different mishap.
My recollection of Abertysswg is of a place where I grew up and remember very fondly both in terms of the area and people. Dunstan was the local bobby who kept some of the people in line some of the time. The hospital was at the bottom of station road opposite McClaren colliery, which was where my mother worked alongside Nurse Jones of Rhymney and Sister Lance of Pontlottyn. Theres much more I can write but by now you may have fallen asleep so I will bring a halt to the proceedings.

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