Growing Up In Pontnewydd

A Memory of Pontnewydd.

Hi I was born in 1936 in Five Locks Road just down from Bert Deacons's grocery shop. My mother was Kathleen (nee Bowen) and my father was Fred Williams the Barber in Pontnewydd village next to Ivy Horton's sweet shop and Milly Edmund's newspaper shop. Sid Short had his bicycle shop near the railway bridge and bank, and Mario Gazzi had his ice cream parlour/coffee shop next to the Bridge Pub. Gwyn Smith who was best man at my wedding to Dorothy at Holy Trinity church lived with his mother at the fashion shop next to Chalmers the Chemist

I spent the war years mainly in Pontrhydyrun and attended Panteg Wern School. The headmaster was Mr Davies who was a stong disciplinarian with the aid of Miss Summner and Mrs Butcher. Ken Tilley arrived as a teacher later and was a great inspiration. School mates were Tony Clark, Ernie Quick and Billy Stopgate. In Pontrhydyrun I played cricket and football in the Well Fields with Jimmy Cornes (the shop) Freddie Williams, Len Shorthouse, "Onker" Waters, Ronnie Pitt and many others. Remember the Indian Mule convoys passing through Pontrhydyrun from The Skew Fields in Pontymoile, and collecting train numbers on the lower line.

There were many trips "Up The Mountain" via the golf links and the slippery path passing through Bevan's Farm. Sliding down the slipery path as a kid on your bottom and picnics at the top. In later years summer evening trips over the same route to drink in The Mountain Air and play darts with informal teams from the regular drinkers. Never won but the enjoyment was great.
On Sundays afternoons went to Sunday School at St Oswalds in Sebastopol and in the evenings went to St St Andrews Church ( The Tin Temple) in Pontrhydyrun with my parents. Was allowed to ring the Sunday evening bell.

After Panteg Wern went to West Mon School in the days of Garnett,Witty, Haigh, Larry Stevens and the Moseleys. Fungus for physics and Drip Harris for latin. Naz Harrison was the Headmaster and the indoor swimming pool was never warm. Played on the Plateau at the back of the school, Had sports day on the lawn at the front of the school and played cricket there as well. For rugby it was the long trek to the Skew fields. We were always grateful for the wonderful Ken Jones getting us half days holiday each time he was selected to play for Wales. I wonder if the tradition pased on when Bryn Meredith played so regularly and brilliantly for Wales?

In the early years joined the Cubs run by the Siggs family in the big red house opposite Deacons. Later went on to scouts and senior scouts with pals Peter Jinks, Maurice (Moggy) Rodgers, Harald Thomas Mike Gay from Cwmbran and several others. Remember pulling a trek carts loaded with waste paper and cardboard through the village for storage and sale for Scout troop funds. We collected many many tons. Had great camping holidays at Brook Farm the site of the now Llandeveth resevoir. Rope bridges, Beefy Cameron's appendicitis and camp fire singalongs. Gang Shows at the Welfare Hall and parades to the Cenotaph with a not very competent drum and bugle band.

Played cricket for Coesyceiliog with stalwarts like Ambrose Gladwin and family. Later under the captaincy of Peter Yewell who passed away far too soon. Had a couple of years playing secong string rugby for Pontnewydd RFC before taking my very limited talents to Newport Nomads Cricket Club and the Monsanto Works rugby team

Left Pontnewydd to set up home in Newport in 1964 and since moved to live in Belgium but have been back in Swindon since 1984.

Pontnewydd was a great place to be born and I have many memories of happy times and great friends who made even the war years memorable.