Gobowen Junior School

A Memory of Gobowen.

I went to Gobowen School from about 1964-1970. I lived in Hengoed, and when I first started school in Gobowen, my mum used to take me and collect me on the back of her bike. As I got older, I walked down Trewern Lane and cut across the field by Wats Dyke, then across the railway by the Hart & Trumpet, through the Back Alley and down Old Chirk Road. If the fields weren't too muddy, sometimes I'd walk home across the fields to Hengoed and would cross the railway at the Black Bridge - maybe lingering long enough to see a steam loco pulling a goods train (I think all the passenger trains had already changed over to diesel). I'd get home and mum would say "I've told you not to hang around on the bridge". I would swear I hadn't been there, but I guess the flecks of soot probably gave the game away!
I remember the Headmaster at Gobowen was a man called Edwin Jones; he used to send me down the road to the Perry Garage to buy his cigarettes. I was terrified of the huge Alsation they had there - even though it was chained up! I remember a few of the teachers who all seemed nice: there was Mrs Porter, Mr Cross, Miss Jones, Mr Roberts and Mrs Foulkes. It was great in the summer as the school had two large playing fields - although it took a while to get back from the furthest point when the bell went! At the back of the playground were the old toilet blocks and behind them was a long, locked passageway that I was told was once used as an air-raid shelter.

---

---