Cwmdraw Inn

A Memory of Ynysddu.

In 1974 my mum and dad purchased the farm from a man called Laurence Organ. Our next door neighbours were Arthur Morris and old ma Morris, we used to call her. She was scary. My dad used to hold charity evenings for the nuns who lived on Blackwood Road. There was many a barn dance. My dad Ronald Lloyd was a builder and tried for 5 years to convert the old barn house into a pub. After 5 years of planning permission finally the pub opened in August 1979. Sadly 9 months later my dad died of a heart attack. My mum Bett Lloyd carried on running the pub for many years. Many of the locals supported the pub, many of them didn't. My summers were spent at the local swimming pool where Tom was the life guard. I also helped out at the pub for many years to come. In 1988 Islwyn bourough council made a complusive purchase order to have the inn demolished so the new road could go ahead. After a year of fighting the local council my mum lost the battle to keep the pub open. It was a very sad day to see the old building being knocked down. Gwent county council paid a sum of £47,000 for the pub, house, 5 acres of land and planning permision to build a bungalow in the grounds. Sadly Bette Lloyd, my mum, passed away April 19th 2009. Until this day my mum never saw any of the money for the house, pub or land. It all went to her solicitors. Now it's my duty to find out all the wrong-doings of everyone involved.
Justine Waters

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