Bassaleg And Other Things.

A Memory of Bassaleg.

I was born in Rogerstone, a street away from the Nook on Tregwilym Road and was a chorister in Bassaleg choir for 10 years. I remember Canon Picton (a very tall man) vividly, The Rev (later Canon) L.C.Barttle-Jenkins and both his children Paul and Chris. I managed to meet up with them both over the years. I went to the Graig Secondary school when it first opened in 1958. I became head boy of the school in 1959/1960. Remember a lot of the teachers, Rex Major, Liz Jones, Wiif Tanner, Ivor Phillps, and Stan Reece, Mrs Jones (Merlin Jones wife) of course Glyn Jones the head master to name but a few. The original rugby pitch at the Graig was on the side of a hill and it was hard work in the wet as I recall.
I had an uncle (and family) who live in Bassaleg, Arthur Joseph. He became Master of Hounds at Tredegar Park. I remember the Hall next to the church hall at Bassaleg that held a Saturday night dance in the 1960. A very popular place that was well patronised and a lot of fun. A group called the Midnighters used to play there in the early days. I served an apprenticeship at Alcan Industries as a Fitter and Turner in the early 1960. I saw that someone wrote about the flooding at Pye Corner, not an annual event but when it flooded I recall wading through the flood to get to church from High Cross. Great fun when one is young and looking for an adventure no matter how small. Bassaleg Bridge was "the" bus stop and could be full of young folk on a Saturday night after the dance. But it was the Boxing Day Hunt gathering outside of the Tredegar Arms at the top of Forge Lane that was an eventful morning as I recall. The place was full of people and the pub was overflowing. I have not been back to Bassaleg for a long time as I now live in Western Australia. I have very fond memories of the whole area. From where we lived on High Cross Lane I could see the church tower and the Graig School, the old Flour Mill and a large area of the Bassaleg Estate. So many enjoyable memories never to be forgotten.


Added 30 April 2017

#387796

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