Capel Bryn Seion, Glanamman

A Memory of Glanaman.

My name is David Jones, and I remember this street well - opposite & to the right (out of pic) was the local dairyman, who used to deliver milk from the back of a dog-cart..
Further behind the Capel was the Workmans & Mechanics Institute (just see the side in pic)
Grandfather's name was 'Evan Nathaniel Jones', an ex miner from Gelliceidrim Drift mine, (to the left of the front of the Capel) as well as an ex farmer in 'Llwyncelyn Farm', Heol Grenig.
Miners coming off shift would squat/sit down in front of the gates, waiting for the James (?)bus to take them to Bettws and Ammanford, smoking and talking.
Peaceful and quiet in those days, as the Forest in the distance was where my G/father would take me shooting for pigeons. He was an avid collector of foxes in his day, and would nail up the fox pelt on his barn door to dry, as there was a shilling paid for every 'Brush' - but some dealers wanted the whole pelt - and paid much more.
Almost opposite the Capel Gates was the 'Farmers Arms' selling Buckleys Beers, my Uncle Elfed loved his pint..while to the right of the pub was the local blacksmiths - watched many a horse being shoed there.

The road to the right of the Capel - is High Street, Glanamman. My Grandfather lived there (in 'Iscoed', High Street), as he was the caretaker of the Capel - and my father learned how to play the organ there. Father was 'Mon' - uncle was 'Elfed'.
Next to 'Iscoed' was a clothing shop - and opposite 'Iscoed' was the doctors house, and surgery - who drove a nice Rover car - before he moved down to the station, bottom of the hill. The hill was very steep and dangerous, as at the top you could hardly see traffic coming from the right (if you were in a car) .. many a near squeak there..
If anyone reading this knows of my family - please contact me - very happy to talk about Glanamman, and my chidhood memories. Croeso i pawb.

Posted:April 7th 2008 by David Jones.

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Added 07 April 2008

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David are you sure it was the Farmers Arms and not the Cross Keys I didn't know there was two Farmers Arms in Glanaman, the one am thinking of is as you come into Glanaman from Ammanford on the left hand side.

By Anthony Gostling on Sun Aug 24th 2014, at 1:01 pm

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Sut mae Anthony !
Yes,if you are coming in from Ammanford ( on the top road ! ) the Pub was on the Left hand side - just to check,do you remember the Blacksmith next door ? If so then you are right - it was the Cross Keys...( where was the Farmers Arms ? )

By ynys.avalon on Mon Dec 7th 2015, at 7:55 am

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Siwd mae, David. As a small boy - from around age 3 to 8 or so - we lived in the Police Station just up the road next to the doctor's office. This would have been in the 1951 - 1956 period. My father was one of the village policemen. Our neighbour to the right was Steve who was well regarded locally as a piano player. The clothing shop (or drapery shop?) opposite was owned by the Jenkins family and the younger daughter, Ann, was a playmate. She had an older sister Eleanor and a brother, David. Great times. I remember using a toboggan to go sliding down the small hill visible at the top of the picture next to the tip. Another early memory is getting up before dawn one time to go mushroom collecting with Dad behind the tip to the right. Opposite our house was a pasture field with a little hillock called the Twmpa in Welsh. It served as a tremendous castle or fortress for us children. Further down from the Jenskinses was Thomas the butcher and the shop at the bottom right corner was owned by an Italian family. Used to walk to the local school less than a mile away off the main road to Ammanford (Rhydamman.)
We came back to visit every now and then after moving to Llanelli and on one trip as a young teenager I climbed to the top of the steep pyramidal active coal tip - visible to the left of Bryn Seion - quite an adventure with great views.
I moved to the USA in my early twenties. On a visit back to Llanelli sometime in the mid-nineties my father and I took I took a nice drive up to Glanamman, Brynamman, Ammanford and a few more of his old haunts and had a pint each at the Cross Keys. Took a walk down High Street. The Police Station, with the office area in front, is long gone, of course, now remodeled into a regular house as is the case with the drapery shop and the butcher's. The most amazing change to my eyes was the leveling of the coal tips done many years before following the Aberfan disaster. The coal tip behind our house is now reduced to essentially a grassy mound with a seating area with a nice view of the Black Mountains.

By john.maclean on Fri Jul 20th 2018, at 2:24 pm

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