Wartime Years In Llanarmon Yn Ial

A Memory of Llanarmon-yn-Ial.

Shortly after the outbreak of war, my Father who had a pet shop in Wallasey, evacuated the family to Llanarmon.  We consisted of Dad, Mum, my brother Ray and myself.
We moved into Rose Cottage in the village, and my Aunt Ann and husband George moved into a cottage down the side of Beech Cottage which was next door to us.
It was so peaceful and safe there.  My father travelled to his business every Monday and returned on Saturday night.
I started at the village school (Ray was too young) and always remember Miss Wynne who travelled to school on an old "sit up and beg" bicycle.  She was very stern looking, she lived on a farm down the back lane past a chapel with a broken column in the graveyard.  The headmaster was Mr Vaughan Roberts, a very charismatic person who believed in fairies and took us to the Nant to show us where they were, on one of our many walks looking at worms and insects.
I did not like my days at the village school, I think the children there resented us and the bullying was quite bad.
I always remember Miss Wynne telling us when we first arrived that if we wished to be taught we must learn Welsh, on reflection today she was so right.  I learned enough to converse well and still have most of it today  Calon Lan was my favourite school hymn and I still sing it at concerts now at 77 years of age.
If memory serves me correctly the post office was owned by Glenys Oldfield, and possibly the shop also, there was a nice but backward young man called Benjie, completely harmless but was singled out for ridicule by some children.
Noah Jones, a great friend of mine, lived in the Sunday school house, and a very severe looking very old lady, Janet, who always dressed head to foot in black, lived next door to my auntie down the side of Beech Cottage.
One of my recollections is that the doctor used Mrs Ellis's front room at Beech Cottage as a surgery once or twice a week and this was quite a meeting place, Mrs Ellis and husband (Arthur)?? were delightful neighbours. I went to Sunday School every Sunday and church at night,  Welsh service one week and English next. I learned so many hymns from this and they have kept me in good stead over the years.
I was at this time entranced by a girl who lived with her mother near the shop. Her name was Joan Erickson and they were from Liverpool.  We were inseparable for a long time much to the amusement of local children.  I wonder what happened to Joan.  Tudor Pugh was also a great friend, he lived at the farm by the river Alyn bridge and the big cave, as one leaves the village. The stone or bronze age fortification nearby was always a fascination at my tender years.
Clwyd Jones owned the Co-op and it was always busy.  Johnny Stoddard was the quarry owner and Trevor Williams the garage, he delivered coal, and Stan his driver would also carry chippings from Pistyll Gwyn Quarry.  They also charged up the radio accumulator so we could have our weekly fix of Tommy Handley and ITMA.
A great friend of mine was Daniel Evans, the road sweeper, who could be seen walking the local roads carrying his red flag and brush and shovel, his corduroy trousers tied at the knee with string, and his pipe in his mouth, a wonderful character.  In later years his son Thomas John was to become one of my firmest friends.
About 1942 we moved from the village to Bryn Haidd, a lovely hidden away place of 5 houses or so.  Our cottage was very basic, running water in the adjacent "Dairy", but no electricity.  A large garden and an acre of land where we kept real free range poultry, there were fruit trees and outbuildings and we were there for four halcyon years.  It was however very frightening and worrying when we regularly watched the awful red glow in the sky over the mountain and knew Merseyside was burning. We had unbelievable winters when we were cut off for weeks and I walked to Mold and back level with the tops of the telegraph wires to buy provisions.
At this time I left the village school and started at Ruthin School, where I remained until 1946 when sadly my parents divorced and we returned to Wallasey.
Our days at Bryn Haidd were wonderful and one of the plus sides was to shop at Bryans shop near the garage.  He and his daughter Eluned were lovely people and their fresh crusty bread was such that I have never tasted the like since.
I still miss North Wales and go back as often as I can.  All my life I have been a professional singer travelling the world, and appearing on radio and televison regularly, and have played just about every theatre and cabaret venue in the UK.
I trained for singing under Edwin Francis in Mold and shall be eternally grateful to him for his patience and guidance.
There is so much I have left out but time prohibits more. These are memories that I shall take with me on my final journey. Would love to hear from old friends who remember me.  IECHYD DA
DON.


Added 19 August 2007

#219623

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