The 1950s

A Memory of Corwen.

Though I have some recall of the 1940s - eg starting school in 1948 at the age of three and a half and being reluctant to get off a rocking horse on the first day, it was the 1950s that really kicked in - to the accompaniment of songs like 'McNamamara's Band', 'Open the Door, Richard', and 'Lovely Bunch of Coconuts'. We were still on rations, and it was common for my sister and I to share a divided egg, we had very little jam on the bread, and there were perhaps occasional small bags of 'Dollly Mixture' sweets but we did ok. There were also radio programmes like 'Twenty Questions', 'The Billy Cotton Band Show' and Uncle 'Someone' with 'Children's Favourites'. Towards the mid 1950s we had the wonderful 'Journey Into Space' with the heroic Jet Morgan that Dad and I listened to, but Mum disliked. Also there were the radio soaps - 'Mrs Dale's Diary', 'Meet the Huggets', 'Life with the Lions', and who could forget the wonderful comedies - 'Educating Archie', 'The Goons', or 'The Navy Lark'! Sunday kicked off with 'The People's Service', and lunch with 'Family Favourites' - and if Mym took a nap after lunch, Billy Cotton yelling 'Wakey Waaakey!' would soon rouse her. Of course, Sunday School had to be attended, and truanting then was impossibole - for me anyway, as my sisters went too, and threatened to tell - in those days, the response would be to call out "Tell tale tit, Your tongue will be split!", but were encouraged to go with the "Ticket for Rhyl trip, and Christmas party for being a good boy" - well, treats were few and far between then, so we willingly did things were not not keen on - and don't forget, you went willingly to the 'Laugh and Scratch' on the Saturday - that was the cinema, run by the late Ken Jones of Cynwyd. As I recall, it had no proper name, it was the white building across the way to Westbourne Terrace. When Glyndwr cinema opened (I think) in 1955/56, the old cinema later became the Catholic church. Before the building work by David Tudor on 'Glyndwr' was completed, films were shown at the former Church House courtesy of the late Idwal Peak and either Clifford 'Waterloo' or his brother. Sometimes a laugh with 'Stan and Ollie', Norman Wisdom, George Formby, or the more serious 'P.C. 49' series - a sort of 'Dixon of Dock Green'. Well, 1957 arrived, and having deliberately fluffed two 11+ exams to avoid Bala Grammar School I attended Corwen Secondary School.
We were told that we were the first class or form to have school television! I used to be fascinated, almost mesmerised by two circles revolving within each othr for a minute or two before the broadcast began. We watched some schools series called 'Spotlight' as part of 'Social Studies', and one memorable programme to me was the launch of the Russian 'Sputnik One' - the first satellite (which kindled an interest in astronomy which has never left me), thanks to the encouragement of the late Llewelyn Richards, our form master.
Things were now looking up at home too - I remember arriving home one day to find that Dad had arranged delivery of our first television set. I recall feeling a very lucky youngster to have telly at home and in school. Oh yes, things like that were 'cool' to a 1950s' youngster - a big deal! So, the soap box cart and knocking on doors and running away escapades were (if only) temporarily discarded for Robin Hood, 'vanhoe, Whacko and Billy Bunter, as well as Lassie, Popeye, Huckleberry House and other kids' delights. And do you recall 'Criss Cross Quiz', 'Dotto', 'All Your Own' (kids' talent show), 'Circus Boy', 'Crackerjack' and some cracking Westerns - I still had a Davy Crocket cap somewhere! And Thursdays I loved - there would be a 'Jolly Lolly' or a bag of crisps, to be eaten while reading the 'Beano' or 'Knockout', sometimes the 'Eagle' - I loved 'Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future', and 'Luck of the Legion'. My sisters had 'Girl' (a sort of 'Eagle' for girls) and 'School Friend'. I admit having a peek at them, I loved 'Todd and Annie' - the runaway orphans relentlessly pursued by the unpleasant and mean 'Silas Stiggins' - wonderful stuff! Then Our Ernie - 'Mrs Entwhistle's Little Lad' (from Wigan, I think) - and the adventure always ended with "Hullo Ma, what's for tea?", and his dad with an upside down pipe saying "Daft, I call it" - legendary! Well, 'The Army Game', 'Take Your Pick' and 'Wagon Train' came and went but some continued well into the 1960s, such as the memorable 'London Palladium Show' with the leggy dancing troupe at the start who always seemed to do the same dance each Sunday night - not that it mattered to me, already taking an interest in girls! There was a similar dance troupe on BBC - was it the 'Television Toppers' or something - and Brucie's wonderful 'Beat the Clock' game, before the star guest, such as Gracie Fields, Tommy Steele, Johnny Ray, and David Whitfield, whose 'Carra Mia' reverberated across the airways a few years earlier - I often thought his voice sounded more operatic than 'pop' - and the pre-rock and roll Michael Holiday - they were often on TV.
Well, now the 1950s were closing to make way for the more permissive 1960s - and now a job had to be considered. I was in my final term at school - "You are grown up now", Mr Richards voice would ring out, "I won't force you to learn what you don't want, it's your future" - but it was jobs we wanted, a chance to be grown-ups, and who knows, even a drag at the first cigarette! In those days, you could go up to hide in Pen-y-Pigyn, and someone would see the smoke and tell your parents! I have long quit smoking, but Mum was horrified to find a packet of 'Woods' under my pillow, which meant a 'back-hander' from Dad for sure, but no. "What can I say, Phyll", he told Mum, "When olf Ginge the head caught me smoking behind the lavatory - and I was only nine!".
So, look for a job it was, and one snowy Saturday afternoon in late 1959 I made my way to see a Mr Royal at Bonwm, a mile or so east of Corwen, to try for a career in forestry. I loved it up there, still do, and Mum often regaled me with tales of her as a Land Girl there during the Second World War. But Mr Royal regretted, not taking school leavers, so, disappointed, I trudged my way back into town. It was '"Find a job and you can leave school". Undettered, one weekday afternoon, after another refusal at Richards Garage in London Road, a tool maker from the Davies Bros engineering factory across the way overheard us and took me to see a Mr Stokes. They were a firm from Hither Green, London. I was taken on , so it was goodbye 1950ws, hello 1960s!

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