Ferndale - Generally

[JohnPitt]

Talking of the lower school, who used the Pit canteen to get their tuck?
It was the nearest tuck shop really and sold a super-big Bath-bun-cum-rock-cake for the easy on the pocket money price of just 1d yes one pence old money folks. The down side was psyching yourself up to breathe in hard and deep, pick your way through the thick fog of cigarette smoke chat and chesty coughs and hope there wasn't a big queue get your confectionary prize and beat it quick into the wonderful fresh air outside wondering how miners lungs stood it all.

They didn't of course; their lungs died of pnumachoniosis and lungcancer.

The river died too! Once, there was a guy regularly fishing for trout by the waterfall under the colliery bridge. Then one day it turned yellow, then brown and finally shale black. Upper Maerdy the final Rhondda mine was being sunk. It would be years before rivers would be clean for good never again to be polluted in the cause of industry.

[snooky]

Hi Folks, I've now sent the programmes for various events held at the Workman's Hall to Alun Clement and am going through the rest of the bits and pieces from my late parents house. I feel very happy to have contributed to his attempts to maintain the history for future generations, after all, The London Symphonia Orchestra played in Ferndale, how many would have known that?
Apart from that, did anyone else partake in an event in the Hall, I played in the Town Band in 1956 at a concert with the Imps Choir?
So next year, I shall really try to get down there and see the changes.
Take care one and all.
Brian

Yep, I was in the Christ Church Panto's , which Mr Idris Mathias "directed" like "Hitler"!! Also Graham Hatton, who "put us through our paces" 3 times a week! Kept us off the streets! Linda Mathias had STAR singing role, and is now "quite famous" in her own right, I believe.

Watkins The Barbers in North Rd, not been mentioned... Elaine was in Panto too .... Pritchards shop, Nanw's, Harriets...(who sold "quality" clothes,) as opposed to Ashford House,which resembled an organised Jumble Sale!!! (the owners were called Gershenson, and were exiled Jews, and I loved talking to them! They also had a shop in Cardiff!!) Peggy's (and the WONDERFUL) 1d lollies! Jeremiahs; Liptons...with it's "Harry Worth mirror...haha! Leslie's, the BIG shop on the Strand; The Bazzar(where I would run to with my half-a-Crown to buy my Enid Blyton book)....Maudie's in New St; Hughes's in Brynhyfryd.....and "BETTEROLE"....next to Millie John's the bookseller, and opposite Williams The Bakers...and Penuel!!!

NEED a drink after all that thinking!!!

CHEERS!!!

[JohnPitt]

Not been much contribution on this site since before Christmas. Where's Gary, Dave porthcawl and Blaenboy been? Let's have some more nostalgic tales!

Actually I would like to know if we have any resident Ferndaleans here to get an opinion on the current quality of life in what must now be a bit of a backwater in many ways.

Anybody?

[brianblaenboy]

John, I'm here but have been quite busy with compiling articles for various projects, some connected with Ferndale/Blaenllechau and others to do with regimental history.
As most people would know the singing for the film "ZULU" was done by the then Ferndale Imps Choir in Llanwonno. Stanley Baker then arranged to have a Welsh Premier of the film in Cardiff in March 1964 and I with others from 1 Welch Regiment were standing in the foyer that evening - the original programme of the event is going "HOME" to be placed in the "Sir Stanley Baker Lounge" when the new building is finished.
Our small area of Wales has some wonderful history!

Brian

[JohnPitt]

A proud moment for you Brian and a pinnacle in the distinguished career of Stanley Baker. No I didn't know the imps were part of the soundtrack - wonderful film - bit of a myth tho'. - little more than a quarter of the regiment was Welsh and the regimental song was 'The Warwickshire Lad' and even in 1879 foot soldiers realised that red and brilliant white was not the best of camoflage.

Are we ever going to see 'How green is my Valley'again?
Filmed for TV when Stanley was dying of lung Cancer. This is a far better version than the older cinema film. Should be shown on the 'Yesterday' channel.

[JohnPitt]

Stanley Baker in the Ferndale Grammar School athletics team ... 2nd from left middle row.





- before my time

[brianblaenboy]

John, with regards to the number of welshmen in the 24th of Foot (later to become the South Wales Borderers), the recruiting areas were changed in 1873 and the 24th got Brecon/Pembroke and Monmouth - if memory serves me correct, but I'll check. Therefore, bearing in mind the 24th was originally formed in Kent, and with true political style, changes always happened, that is the reason why very many people from Warwickshire feel peeved at the outcome of the Rorke's Drift Battle.
Sky True Movies 2 were going to put "How Green Was My Valley" with Stanley Baker and Sian Phillips in a couple of weeks ago, but they took it off for some unknown reason - my wife now checks every week to see if they are putting it on again - I'll let you know if it is.
By the way, the great-grandson of Robert Jones VC (Rorke's Drift) is often at our London Branch events/meetings and he is well up on the history of it all.

Brian

[daveporthcawl]

Stanley Baker in the Ferndale Grammar School athletics team ... 2nd from left middle row.





- before my time

This was my time John................photo was taken circa 1948. Stanley Baker was never at Ferndale Grammar School. The guy you mentioned (between Howard Lloyd and Terry Williams) was in fact John Jones who took part in the athletic walking events. I was not in the photo but I took part in the high jump in the Rhondda School Sports in 1950. Sadly John Jones passed away in 2010. I am in touch with Gareth Morse (in OZ) whose father Glynne was Stanley's mentor and taught in the Ferndale Senior Boys Scool in North Road.
Dave

[JohnPitt]

This was my time John................photo was taken circa 1948. Stanley Baker was never at Ferndale Grammar School. The guy you mentioned (between Howard Lloyd and Terry Williams) was in fact John Jones who took part in the athletic walking events. I was not in the photo but I took part in the high jump in the Rhondda School Sports in 1950. Sadly John Jones passed away in 2010. I am in touch with Gareth Morse (in OZ) whose father Glynne was Stanley's mentor and taught in the Ferndale Senior Boys Scool in North Road.
Dave

I bow to your better info Dave the Pic came from a photo-history of Rhondda Fach which says it IS him! The Nose chin and high LH forehead seemed credible enough to me tho' I have never seen any such wild hair in his old portraits. Anyway I think he was on National service in 1948.

[howard]

As the Howard Lloyd mentioned as being in the photo I can confirm that the boy sitting next to me that day was John Jones! -
Stanley Baker was the year above me in junior school before he went on to North Rd Sec Modern.
Incidentally the rest of that middle row is:
Terry Williams (Maerdy)
David Morgan, Tylorstown - later my best man and now living in Northumberland
Emlyn Rees, Blaenllechau
Ray Taylor, Duffryn House - a cousin of mine who died afew years back
Norman Lloyd, Darren Terrace - became a university adminstrator at Aberystwyth

Good to see them all pictured again

regards

Howard