macgregor1947 wrote:keith aycocks died a few years ago
How lax have I been?
This was posted 2 years ago and it is only now that I have come across it.
If you still read this macgregor - was Keith still in the pub over in Ystrad, it was on the main road, on the opposite side to Phil Jones the motorcycle dealers.
Anyway, by your post and 1947, you must have been the same age or thereabouts as he was. As Keith was in school with my brother Topher - who was also born in 1947.
I also note the passing of Norman Jones the milkman's son, who also used to knock around with Topher.
As we grow old it seems the first thing we read are the obits in the newspapers.
I am aware of a number of ex-Ferndalians emigrated to Australia around the same time as I did.
A lot of them settled in the Newcastle area - an hour or so north of Sydney. Frank and his wife, and Frank's brother are a few who spring to mind.
The last time I saw any of them would have been back in about 1984 - oops - just realised that was over 30 years ago, when Topher's son Matthew and his friend came over on a holiday visit.
Matthew's friend - whose name has slipped from my memory - was the grandson of John Jones the fireman that lived next door but 1 from Barclays bank.
His daughter - Elunid had married and separated from Alan. Alan was over here in Australia and the boys were going 2500 kms up to Queensland with him to Airlie Beach - which has access to the Great Barrier Reef. We went with them as far as the NSA/QLD border - about 1000km.
On the way, we met up with the Newcastle Ferndalians at Wests Rugby Leagues club and had a great time.
One of them subscribed to the Rhondda Leader so as to keep up with the local gossip. (Funny how these things come back to you after all this time).
I wonder if any them remember - or read these posts? Let's see if I have stirred up anyone.
Gary