Evacuation

A Memory of Garnant.

I was evacuated from London in 1939 with my primary school, first to Folkestone Kent, then to Tredegar, Monthmouthshire. After passing the 11+ exam in 1941 sent to Garnant to grammar school, called Addey & Stanhope, which had also been evacuated to Garnant. It shared premises with three other local schools and one in Ammanford. I was billeted with Miss Williams in Cwymamman Road near the railway bridge. She gave piano lessons to children at weekends. I stayed with her until 1944. I had to go to chapel twice on Sundays, and the services were all in Welsh that I did not understand. I used to play on the big slag heap behind the main road, fish in the river and pick whinberries on the gorse hills. There was a small fish and chip shop and a cinema where I went on Saturday morning matinees to watch cowboy films and serials like The Perils of Pauline. I expect Garnant has all changed now. with the closing of pits and new housing developments.

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