Ferndale - Generally

[brianblaenboy]

Hi everyone, what a chance to "chew the fat" about where we once either lived, went to school and left like me.
My parents lived in North Road after moving from Blaenllechau in the late 50's. During the time I had the hard job of emptying their house, I found programmes of various events at the Workman's Hall. This building (which I thought when demolished and rebuilt, became the Doctor's surgery) was not only the cinema; there was the dance hall in the basement, the library and snooker rooms upstairs as well as a flat for the general manager of the hall his name escapes me for a minute but I'll work on that. Does anyone know if there is somewhere for these programmes to be sent and maintained for the future so that people can see what went on in "the hall". I played in the Ferndale & Blaenllechau Band on the stage at a concert with the Imperial Male Voice Choir and a guest artist called Inia Te Wiata - this would be around 1956 - I was 11! I don't remember if my knees knocking or teeth chattering made more noise because I was so nervous of blowing a wrong note!!
I recall the Conservative/Band & Imperial Club were all next to each other before the Imps took over what was the Maxwell Pub after it closed.
I also remember being taken to the workman's hall from the Grammar School to watch the film "The Ten Commandments".
Prior to going to Paris with the school, I worked the previous school summer holidays in Woodley's the butchers, and taking a full basket of meat on the bike over to Blaenllechau was and still is probably the most terrifing thing I've ever done.
Best wishes to you all. Brian

[mochyn]

You could ask at the Glamorgan Records Office (http://www.glamro.gov.uk/) to see if the programmes you mention fall within their collection criteria. Sounds like thing that should be looked after as you say.

My great-grandfather, Thomas Thomas from Bryngoleu Cresent, used to go to the workmens' hall I'm told.

[howard]

Brian
I remember the manager of the Workmans Hall at this time as Mr (George?) Newell and that the family lived
at the Park Road end of Brynhyfryd Terrace. I think they were connected with Richard Burton in some way as
he sometimes used to call with them in a grand car (and of course Burton's future first wife Sybil came lived in Maerdy)
regards
Howard

[JohnPitt]

They did have a varied events programme which included a visit of the (full) Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra which only just squeezed on to the stage a brilliant performance of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. Round about 1958-60.

[brianblaenboy]

I've a feeling that could be one of the programmes I have. Also there was Cymru'r Groes (The Christ Church Youth Group) who put on the odd show. In the back of my mind, there's a thought that my late father once re-painted the Hall (he was a painter and decorator by trade) but I have no proof of it.
How many remember the following:-
1. The telephone box in the middle of the road at the Strand.
2. Burgess Chemists.
3. Olivers Shoes - I think next door.
4. The whole range of Co-op Shops.
5. Peglars.
6. Co-op "Divvy" books.

[JohnPitt]

yup all 6!!

Burgess were great for specific chemicals.
Iron sulphate and copper sulphate for competition size crystal growing .
Then flowers of sulphur and potassium chlorate for bombs!!

[GaryLockyer]

Whilst up the Strand, why not add Davies the Booksellers. Next door to that was the Welfare - with the green wooden gate, which has been mentioned before in other posts. Also Hodges Meanswear. I used to be the first in the queue for their Xmas sale and would order 3 made to measure suits every year. One for "Best" and 2 for work. (I always had about 12 suits).
Haven't seen a mention of the Tudor Hall, which used to be opposite the Band Club. The Aberdare, Red & White buses always stopped there. I used to go and meet my nanna - Rene Hayes every Wednedsay when she came over to run the needlework and leatherwork classes upstairs above the Co-op in High Street. Another shop that needs a mention are Meesons sweets. Ray Tann was the manager befor the Co-op took it over. Ray then opened his own shop, which Yvonne ( nee Gazzi) now has.Thomas& Evans was two doors away from Meesons and was directly opposite the bottom of Cross Lake Street.
How about Dave Holloway's Shoe Shop? Not going into David's proclivities, but he always ahd very very nice shoes.
Yes, I remember Lettie's, it was next door to another shop that has not been mentioned - Johns the Booksellers. Glynn Harris the Ironmongers - where everything cost sixpence was a couple of doors up. Prices Ironmongers next door but one to Pickfords Butchers had the greatest range of Wallpaper Pattern Books. Between them there was a barbers shop - was this one Idris? or was Idris the one down near Alpha Dry Cleaners?
Hope I have stirred some more memories.
Gary

[brianblaenboy]

Well done, Gary, Davies the Bookshop on the corner - couldn't remember the name. There was menswear shop near the top chipshop, started with a H - old age getting to me - and I remember Mr Thomas of Hodges very well. Whilst I was serving in Aden, he had the makings of a new suit for me for my brother's wedding, and as soon as I got home had the fitting done he got it ready in time - that for me is the true description of customer service. Idris the Barber's was opposite the side road down to Maxwell Street and opposite Peglar's. What about Fisher(I think that's the name) papershop - I remember the father at the station collecting the "Echo" for the paper-rounds in Ferndale, - I used to collect those for Blaenllechau.

[GaryLockyer]

And little Jimmy FIsher coming around selling the pink football echo every Saturday - almost within an hour of the games being played.
Then sitting down and checking your Vernons or Littlewoods football coupon to see if you had the 8 draws to win the magic jackpot.
I actually had 8 draws once.
The only problem was that of the 51 games on the coupon, 43 of them ended as draws.
Everyone was given a 'free' entry the following week.
Another name came to me last night. Dr Plant the dentist. He had his surgery a couple of doors down from Barclays Bank.
Meesons became the Co-op Mens Outfitters.
Who remembers the old bakery in Maxwell Street? I think it was Barkways.
Anyway, going way - way - way back, when God was still a boy, in the late 1940's the bakery used to cook turkeys every Christmas for their customers. This was because most people didn't have an oven big enough to cook a big bird.
My father - Trevor Lockyer, had the job on Christmas morning of delivering the turkeys for the bakery. He used to use one of the W H Lockyer Garages limousines that were normally used for weddings and funerals. Used to be a very hectic time for him.
I don't remember a great deal of that time, but I was born in 55 Fountain Street and that was where we were living at the time - corner house, directly across the road from the bakery.
My grandfather Reg Hayes was the head buyer for the Ferndale Collieries and this was his NCB house before he was transferred to run the Aberaman Buying Offices. He and nanna moved over to live in Abernant when he was transferred. Hence my earlier referral about my nanna coming over on the Red & White bus every Wednesday.
Thats enough to be going on with,
G'day from Oz
Gary

[brianblaenboy]

Barkway's was at the bottom of the steps from Blaenllechau near the railway station, and they did indeed cook the turkeys on Christmas Day. During the 90's when back home my wife and I spoke with one of the daughters who ran a "Boutique" in Ferndale, and when asked how her father knew which turkey belonged to whom, her reply was "He tried everything to make sure it was right but somehow I don't think even he knew if it was". I remember the bakery in Maxwell Street, also the place where we had school dinners - does anyone remember the trip up from the "Lower School" - up the tump I think most people called it - that was when it was dry. I thought some-one baked bread near the old Grammar School and Phil Phillips had a little shop round the corner.
Back to the "Pink-one", one Christmas-time, having delivered it to the houses, I called in either the Glyn pub or the Radical Club and a guy gave me 2 shillings and told me to keep the change - he'd had a few mind - the paper cost the old 3 pence - that is true - my father was gob-smacked.