Ah Well, I S'pose That's Progress!!

A Memory of Welshpool.

Loved your reminiscences Patricia. I came to Welshpool in 1965 or thereabouts after ten years in the Merchant Navy, and have loved the area and the folk since then. I worked in the post office at Welshpool, times were good. Your writing about the railway going through the town, brought to me the following:
On occasion, when on leave from the Merchant Navy, I would visit the fields around Belle Vue where so much happiness occurred in my early life. Where us kids could go, without fear, just to spend all day long doing nothing other than enjoying living and swimming in the Reabrook - that was so good. The last time I took a 'memory' trip 'over the fields' as we used to call it, I came away devastated with my heart torn out. The route over the fields began with a large field, after which was a lane to a style. On reaching the style, the next field was covered in houses. It really was an awful shock. Almost as though the powers that be, had decided to eliminate a wonderful life. They sure did that with a vengeance. I often think since then, of A.E.Houseman' s words:

With Rue my heart is laden for golden friends I had.
For many a rose-lipt maiden,
And many a lightfoot lad.

By Brooks too broad for leaping
the Lightfoot lads are laid
The rose-lipt girls are sleeping
In fields where roses fade.

At least we do have some wonderful memories, don't we ? Don Williamson