Growing Up

A Memory of Garth.

As a kid growing up on "The Garth" I have memories of playing cowboys and indians in the woods around King William's Tower, (home made bows and arrows) and still living to tell the tale ;0) Being chased out of "Dai's Wood" on a regular basis. Crad the Garth (now there was a character!) I do remember sneaking over the back wall of The Rockmans's Arms, stealing empty bottles, and going around the front to trade the bottles for a bottle of lemonade or Vimto! I'm sure the landlord knew what was going on LOL. Helping the Blake boys at harvest time. Don't really know if we were a help or a hinderance.
Very few people had a car in those days, so the Garth bus was the main mode of transportation. Going to Cefn pictures was a huge adventure, but waiting on The Crane for the bus back when Monsanto was in full production was torture. Eyes and nose streaming from whatever was being pumped out of the chimneys.
The Llangollen Eisteddfod was a major event. I used to sell programmes on the bridge in Llan. Never made much money, but you could stand at the back of the tent for free and just let the music roll over you.
I've often wondered how the kids I grew up with are keeping. Gwynfor Davies, Gareth Williams, Vic Hughes, Les Bevan, George Hardy, Peter and Leslie Budd, Ann Roberts, Rhiannon Owen and Wally Roberts to name a few. What ever happened to Geoff the Post, brother Eric, and our 'Ew? Their Auntie Mary had a stern exterior but a heart of pure gold. The smell of fresh baked bread will always bring to mind the village shop/post office when there was a delivery. Waiting for my dad to come in from work every thursday with the latest Beano comic for me and his newspaper with the forecast of the football scores for the following saturday "One of these days my lad, I'll come up on the Treble Chance then we'll all be in clover" Still waiting dad! Driving mam and dad crazy listening to Radio Luxembourg. Watching the coronation on Gwynfor's parents TV, and the terrible day we heard that his dad had been killed on a motorbike accident near "The Pump"
I'm now living in Canada, and love the country, but I wouldn't trade my memories of growing up on "The Garth" for my dad's Treble Chance winnings.

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