Taff Street

[darran]

Alan, you might br interested - I don't think I've seen this photo of Taff St. before -

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... X%26um%3D1

Sheila

[RogerWood]

I remember that foot bridge well. A bunch of us got nicked for Railway Trespass for playing touch around there.

[RogerWood]

There are photos of Ferndale on that same site. I looked at this on :-

http://www.rhonddafach.com/album/low/Fe ... h_road.jpg

it's the lane behind North Road but something is missing. After a while it struck me,
The Workmans Hall has gone

[mochyn]

Alan, you might br interested - I don't think I've seen this photo of Taff St. before -

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... X%26um%3D1

Sheila

Oh yes, I've not seen that partcular view before, although I have seen the web site. That's looking up towards Llanwonno isn't it? Some of my family on my mother's side are buried up there.

[mochyn]

There are photos of Ferndale on that same site. I looked at this on :-

http://www.rhonddafach.com/album/low/Fe ... h_road.jpg

it's the lane behind North Road but something is missing. After a while it struck me,
The Workmans Hall has gone

That's been gone about 10 years I think. There's a low, modern building there now, a community centre, or sheltered home, that sort of thing. There's a notice on the wall saying it's the site of the workmen's institute.

[mochyn]

There was a larger house at the end of Taff Street that's now gone. As you went into Taff Street, it was on the right, perhaps attached to the terrace but across its end, perpendicular to it. I've only seen it in a photo, but not idea when or why it was demolished. Anyone remember it?

Alan

[darran]

Could have been the stationmaster's house?
The station and the Taff St area were not familiar to me living in Darran Terrace. The only times we went on trains was on Sunday School outings and it was a long uphill walk back at the end of the day.

Sheila

[mochyn]

Well, it had that look about it. I have a postcard with it on. I'll see if I can dig it out.

[bouncer]

Could have been the stationmaster's house?
The station and the Taff St area were not familiar to me living in Darran Terrace. The only times we went on trains was on Sunday School outings and it was a long uphill walk back at the end of the day.

Sheila

Sheila - we had to walk up from the lower school every day wet and dry and then in the winter go back down to the pantomime rehearals and walk back up and then when the panto season started we came home from school went back down got on the coaches to take us to places like Seven Sisters, Onllwyn, Hafodyrynys, Rhigos, Blackwood, Aberdare, Neath and got back at all hours and had to walk back up. The memories I have of Ferndale is we ALWAYS had snow (I think Darren was above the snow line) it was a normal thing for us as kids because we didn't have cars! I was 11 before my dad bought a Vaxhaull 10 and we were mobile (well! - pushed it more than drove it!)
I LIVED on the mountain outside my back door - we would climb the Bristol Tump in March and still find "virgin" snow drifts to dive into - camped out for a week at atime (before the food ran out) and then come down for a bath - stock up and back up again (no worries for our parents about "funny" people).
Would be nice if this site could be advertised somewhere that more "local" people could take advantage - after all - I'm living South now - PORTH!

[darran]

It was a long walk after a day in Barry with all the stuff we had to carry!! But with all that to and froing twice a day down the lower school and the mountain as our playground its no wonder we were fit and healthy kids. Re the snow, we all had sledges our dad's made and we used them on the grass too and rubbed candle grease on the runners. With those stone walls at the bottom that was hair raising but no namby pamby parents then.

By the way, did it ever occur to you that the Taylor's house across the road from yours was originally a farm - Dyffryn Farm, which with Rhondda Fechan farm on Rhondda Rd were the two farms on our side of the valley before any development? I know I wondered why it was bigger and separate but can't remember being told about it. I found out that the Baths/park wall we used to climb and sit on was the old farm boundary and the line continues down to the main road.

The pantos! Your parents were major players I recall. Were you and your sisters too? Did you say Janet was in Australia and what about Denny?

Sheila