by iorijones » Mon Dec 28, 2009 12:01 am
Dear all,
This is my first post, so first of all Hello everyone, hope you had a good Christmas and 'A Happy New Year' to you all.
I've got loads of questions and probably more than a few answers I suspect, I have a very good memory for places, events and dates but not for names I'm afraid unless I can put a face with it. First of all John Pitt, am I right in saying that you lived in no.19 New St. The point is , how old you are. Because I lived in no.13 and used either to play with either you or your elder brother! I also remember your father very well. I'm 73 now by the way. Moving on,the bakers by the bridge on Station Rd, was 'Barkways,' immortalised in music to the tune of Cwm Rhondda, -'bread from Barkways, bread from Barkways, you can tamp it on the floor- on the floor' etc. try it , the music I mean, not the -ah well. Yes,there was a large house at the end of Taff St, I think it was the Stationmaster's house, I knew the daughter there, I seem to remember that her name was Brenda Williams, that she was Captain of Islwyn up the Grammar and she was a very good pianist. She'd be a few years older than me now, was then as well!
I haven't been in Ferndale for years and when I did it pretty well stunned me , for a start I didn't know that the Workman's Hall had been pulled down. Where I had expected to see the 'Skyscaper of the Rhondda ', there was just a hole! During it's heyday it was the hub of the universe, altho' I never saw the baths in use,I remember well everything else, from the basement up there was an indoor swimming pool, the second floor contained rooms for let (i.e. the photographic club,)then on to the High St . level with a 1500 seat cinema, (it had side seating upstairs at one point, but they got rid of that in the early '50's,) first floor - a 6 table snooker/billiard hall, ( and I wonder how many remember another snooker hall about 150 yds. down the High St, with a large indoor market underneath) , the next floor had an excellent library and atop it all, the manager and his wife lived in a penthouse. The queues for a good film would go round the block. By the way. the premiere of the film 'Zulu' , courtesy of our very own Stanley Baker, was not the royal one in Leicester Sq., it was held in the Workman's Hall the night before. If you wanted a ticket for 'Drama Week' or 'Variety Week' you queued all night, usually in lousy weather. And of course there was the eisteddfod, the pantomime, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the choirs, God, the choirs, not just the male voice, do you remember the Tylorstown Childrens Choir? World Class , Then and now. We were privileged.
But sad Darren Pk. the baths,- a pile of bricks, the children's playground - nonexistent, do you remember that terrifying iron horse, which if it gave you a clout, could probably have knocked you clear into the swimming pool. The playing field - granted a better one than we had, (less stones) but apparently they now need protection against a howling mob, I don't think they had fences that high at Stalag Luft 111 quote' put a fence in front of these men - and they'll climb it' unquote ( nostalgic reference 'The Great Escape ' it hasn't been on this Christmas!) Let's not forget the lake either, the trees are bigger but no floating island, no swans.(But in fairness they disappeared in the 40's) So of course Darren Park too has it's history, but what I know about that I'll keep for a later date.
It certainly wasn't my intention to go on like this when I started, I just meant to say 'Hello', but I seem to have tapped into the manic part of me, and I haven't been in touch with him for a long time. Hope I haven't bored anybody with all this because I do have plenty more in the way of memories and reflections But not tonight, if anyone replies to this please let me know who you are will you? Thanks and Goodnight.
Iori Jones
