1 A High Street, Garndiffiath

A Memory of Garndiffaith.

My name is Robert Gwillim, I lived at 1A High Street with my parents Edward & Betty from when I was born in 1955 until April 1962. My sister, Carol, was born in December 1961. My parents had lived at 1A High Street for a few years prior to my birth. The photo shows the top end of High Street with Lovedays Electrical shop to the left and The Hanbury Pub to the right-hand side. 1A High Street was a small house entered via a large gate which was between the two stone pillars which can be seen just to the right of Lovedays shop. To the right of this entrance was the Barber Shop of Dai Gurney; to the side a lane, and below the lane the chemist shop. My father was working in the late 50's and early 60's for Lovedays as an electrician, the house was actually part of the shop building and gave access in the early years to the upstairs rooms of the business. I understand this shop and buildings years before were a public house; as in the garden of 1A High Street was the entrance to the cellars, covered by two large wooden doors in the floor. The Hanbury Public House was run by Mr Weeks; his daughter Susan often looked after me and took me for walks and out to fly my home made kite (wallpaper and a few canes tied together with string). I remember the parrot kept at the pub (from memory, probably an African Grey), which for some forgotten reason I have a photo of in our garden in its cage alongside my pet budgie, while I played a banjo?! Looking down High Street the houses on the right was where a good friend of mine lived, Steve Clarke wonder where he is now? The chemist was on the left of High Street as you walked down the hill, to the right of the chemist was another house in which another friend of mine lived. Unfortunately all the years gone by has left me forgetting his name. What I do remember is he had a much older brother who was about 21 while we were just 5 or 6. I recall thinking I do not want to be 21 ever, how I wish I was 21 now! The 50's and early 60's; no Laptops, playstations, mobile phoes etc, I remember playing outside on the roadway (very few cars about), with of all things a wooden bat and an old car tyre. You would run about rolling the tyre and keeping it going by pushing it forward with the bat - downhill was...great, but then you had to walk and carry it back to the top. I will add some further memories in a while, hope someone can recall some of the things I have said and would great to hear from anyone who may remember me or my parents. I have seen a mention on this site of going to a local church to watch a wedding, and waiting for the coins to be thrown for the local children to collect. I also remember this and on many occassion waited to collect a few halfpennies, as they were then.