1965 Era

A Memory of Corwen.

I was 20, following a stint as a trainee mechanic (I only took the job there as Mick Becker was there) at the Druid Garage and us starting pop group. Affected garage+ not enough work, so following being fired by Mr Davies ("Reluctantly, lad", he said) I got a job after short spell unemployed at Hafod y Calch limestone quarry. Battle between Rolling Stones and Beatles for top of the charts - Beatles won ('I Feel Fine' - good song), but being rather non-comformist I preferred the Stones, Yardbirds, Downliners Sect and suchlike. During this era there was a lot of rain, but we did have better summers then! Dreadful floods at Corwen, mainly due to poorer water control up Bala way. There was a milkbar, Ormonde House I think, where 'Ecclestons' cake shop is now. It was run by one we called Glyn, all revolving stools, expresso coffee (made with horrible 'slurping' noises!) and two circular glass tanks, one for orange cordial, and one for blackcurrant - wonderful - plus a juke box. Also, a cinema-the Glyndwr, later to be Yddraig Goch nightclub, now a D.I.Y. shop. We would see James Bond and similar good films, followed by a bag of chips or coffee at Glyn's cafe, which stayed open late. I rarely went to pubs then - which was often difficult anyway, more strict and if you looked too young (as I did then) you were often shown the door and I did not want that humiliation, so I never bothered until at least the age of twenty five! And on Sundays they were closed anyway, and Sunday evenings, following general horseplay, it was 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' on TV - there was only the choice of two channels then, and yet I don't recall any of us young ones then saying with a sigh "I'm bored!".