I was born in a little village in the Welsh valleys called Cwmgwrach. English translation "Valley of the Witches" This a photo of the entrance to the village taken recently.
I lived there until 1972 then my husband (no.2,) went abroad to work in the middle east. I later joined him with my 2 children and lived in different Countries for almost 40yrs.
Now settled just 8 miles from my birthlace I am fortunate to visit it often.
I love the xmas tree and the witch sign
Thought I'd share the photo with you .
Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2025 to all my friends on this forum
.Sheila xx π π΄σ §σ ’σ ·σ ¬σ ³σ Ώ
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garshe
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Merry Christmas to you garshe ............. I have always had a very soft spot for the Welsh Valleys as I used to spend summer school holidays with my mothers cousin and her hubby in Aberdare. The hubby worked in the offices of the local Council, but he had mates who were steam engine drivers based at Aberdare Engine sheds/goods yards. Often I would meet up with a driver and we'd go goods van shunting to make up a goods train. That experience and the valleys and the choirs were an experience I am so eternally grateful for. The hubby was a local choir member and so often we'd go off with the choir in a coach to perform some where.
I grew up and took myself off to Australia, Sydney, in 1967 but there has always been a very deep love of those valleys. I returned a few years ago for a look around, a real mix of joy and sadness.
Wow. When I was growing up ,we had a railway station at the bottom of our street..we used to go to Aberdare and the other direction Porthcawl on a Sunday to the sea side on the steam train.My father was a well known singer he sang solo also in choirs. . I used to love going with him when I got older to the clubs he sang in . He was in what they called a concert party .I grew up in a house full of song as they would practice in our house.. we had a fantastic trumpet player. His rendering of Oh mine Papa gave me goosebumps..unfortunately I didn't follow my Dad singing but I did attend tap dancing classes from the age of 5 until 13yrs old. We would perform in pantomimes and many shows.
If you travelled that train to Neath etc..or Porthcawl. You would have passed the bottom of my street..the station was taken away 1994 .my lovely Dad used to make bacon sandwiches and tea for the workmen dismantling the track. Unfortunately my Dad died suddenly and all the workmen stopped working during his funeral and came outside my house and sang their hearts out.. also we had 3 male voice choirs in his funeral.
I remember the trucks shunting all night long
When it stopped couldn't sleep as missed the noise. Lol
So many memories of a very happy childhood.. the railway station is now the A465 dual carriageway.such a loss as everyone loved the train.
All the shops are now closed ,we never had to leave the village. We had a Butcher.a Baker, a grocers A fruit and veg shop , Chemist, doctors surgery. Shoe shop clothes shop .post office, sweet shops ,fish and chip shop..billiard hall, school , police station, 3 pubs.
Tennis courts .park..newsagents wool shop, wallpaper shop. Ironmongers .all these shops on the high street .a few extra shops in front room of some houses open all hours.also a petrol station and garage
Now they are all gone so sad .I loved my childhood I knew the names of almost everyone that lived there. All so friendly and felt very safe. Now strangers living there with their cars parked on both sides of the street. Don't go often as nothing there anymore the soul has gone.
I was fortunate to live there when it was a friendly village. Everything changes so sad..
Don't worry about the reminiscing ............. am quite good at that myself.
I remember Aberdare had two railway stations, Aberdare Low Level, right in the town and was the line to Cardiff General ( for connections to Paddington and to your part of the world ). Then right at the top of the hill where my Aunt lived was Aberdare High Level. In those days (1959 ) I was a 15 year old avid train spotter and so High Level was always much more appealing and I often used to get the train from there to Pontypool Road (to see trains on their way to South Wales from the Midlands) via the old, now defunct, Crumlin Viaduct. What fun ! Of course going the other way took me to where you are/were. I guess this railway is pretty much the route that the A465 takes these days.
As a kid/teenager, I grew up in Surrey and we were a village, much as you describe. We moved there when I was 7, I left to go to Australia in late May 1967 on my own, aged almost 23. In the 1950's and early 1960's not many people had cars so streets were pretty clear. I've revisited a few times in modern times and there are cars parked everywhere, and where people had front gardens, lawns/flower beds - these days they are additional car parking spaces as the streets are full. Ghastly. Nowadays the village is gone and it is just part of the greater London ugliness. Yuk ! Villages in those days had all the things you describe. If we went out of the village to was to nearby towns, like Woking or Guildford to the Cinema ..... the Odean or the Ritz or the Gaumont !! πππ
Well another Christmas/New Year is on our doorstep although this year mine seems to be taken up more with visits to GP's, Hospitals and Lung Test facilities, then messing around waiting for results. Groan !
Happy Christmas to you Sheila and a more exciting 2025 xxπ π§βπ
Hi John.I am so pleased I wrote about my birth village as I have received such wonderful replies, also met new friends like yourself..thank you for such an interesting reply .
The railway station at the bottom of my street was called Blaengwrach Station although it was actually in Cwmgwrach. Strange isn't it haven't worked that one out as Blaengwrach was the other end of my Villsge.
When I was 5 a neighbour of mine emigrated to Australia. I called him Uncle Danny . I used to go to his house every day as I was believe it or not a very shy little girll, and Uncle Danny was my best friend. He was married with 2 children Brenda 10 and Harold 15. I kept in touch with Brenda by writing and she came back to visit twice.. unfortunately all of them are no longer with us but through FB I found out they had another daughter later and she has kept in touch . When you mentioned Australia all the lovely memories of Uncle Danny came flooding back..it's been lovely getting to know you John. I hope you have a lovely Xmas and a happy and healthy new year.
Photo of Farewell party for Uncle Danny..that's. Me next to his daughter Brenda. I have my hands between my knees. Photo taken 1949.love your photo beautiful. Xx.Sheila
Thank you for sharing such an interesting insight into your life. It sounds like a wonderful and very exciting one; to have grownup in such a lovely village and then travelled the world. Such a comfort to have those memories to look back on. Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas.
Thank you. I'm grateful I was able to do all the things I've done while I had my health I am now on 24/7 oxygen so I'm limited in what I can do and what I can't.
Looking back on my life I feel blessed for everything.
Have a lovely Xmas and a happy and healthy new year. Lots of love
I hope 2025 brings you better health. Iβm so glad youβve got so many happy memories to look back on. I havenβt travelled as much as you but have been blessed with a wonderful family and friends who have brought me much joy over the years. For me, when Iβm struggling, itβs about finding the positives each day and Iβm sure your happy memories are such a wonderful comfort in dark days. Wishing you a healthier and a happy New Year.
What a wonderful life youβve had so far Sheila and I hope 2025 is better for you. Iβm thinking of you and wishing you a very happy Christmas. Your village looks lovely. Take care.
Lots of love, Carole xxxππ π»β€οΈπ€π₯°πππ
Happy Christmas, Sheila. I love the witch on the edge of your home village. I too have spent a lot of time in Wale, north Wales for me. My mums dad and many generations back as far as Evan Evans, born near Ruthin in 1818. The family lived there until it came to my great grandfather, who moved to Manchester for work.
thank you for sharing your reminiscences , Garshe .
My husband left South Wales in 1972 for the Middle East tooβ¦Oman β¦there were few jobs around at home . He always was a traveller though , and carried on , I moved to Scotland , then different parts of England, only came back to Wales to visit . Travelling from Cardiff to Carmarthen 70 odd years ago would take all day β¦a bus to Swansea , then Llanelli and on further hoping the connections would meet up.
I remember the bomb sites in Swansea , and Merlinβs oak tree in Carmarthen by the bus stops . It was said if Merlinβs tree fell , Carmarthen would drown . The dead tree was held up by iron bands , but now itβs gone and the river has flood defences .
merry Christmas π π to you Sheila and your lovely family I wish you all better health and luck for the new year π₯°πxxx
By the way me and my family love wales my son climbed snowdonia I was so proud considering I think I told you heβs disabled an struggles with his legs at times xxπ
You must be so proud of your son what an achievement. There is a mountain called "Pen y Fan" that is well known so everyone wants to climb it. It's in the Brecon Beacons which is about 1 hour from where I live. .I always promised myself I would climb it but living abroad never got around to it. That's my excuse anyway lol..
My husband used to drive me also to the Blac Mountains . Such beautiful scenery .
Have a lovely Xmas and a happy and healthy new year. Lots of love xx Sheila xx
Iβm very proud of him never moans about anything he has had to put up with with is health issues and will always give me a beaming smile and a Cwtsh (as you call it)in a morning ππbetter things hopefully for us all in the new year xx Yvonne xx
How lucky of you to have experienced life and travel as you have, Iβm extremely envious as a once weekly visit to Belfast City Centre was the highlight of our lives and that involved body searches (my big sis never complained )before entering each shop and usually a bomb blast when, if you were lucky the latest rock or jazz album would fall into your lap unscathed.
I lived in Yemen and my husband and I were highjacked on the way back to our camp from Sanaa after the food run.3 cars boxed us in , and the men got out with machine guns. My husband worked for a German company so my husband pretended we were German as they don't like the British..the company logo was on the side of our 4x4 so they accepted we were German. We were ordered out of the vehicle and they said we could remove our shopping. We were left in the pitch black on the side of the road miles from anywhere , they drove off with our vehicle (well the companies)
We were there all night until our neighbours noticed our vehicle was not outside our house. They came looking for us and found us just sitting there.
We were lucky as 2 weeks later 4 British tourists were kidnapped and held for ransom.
.maybe they thought no one would pay for my husband and me lol. The company lost 5 vehicles this way..we have had our moments. Caught up in a war in Sri Lanka ,but that's for another time.
Maybe i should write a book as almost 40 yrs in the Middle and Far East in the 70's 80's etc it was different to today, but we are here to tell the tale.
Thank you, another memory of Santa ab sailing from a helicopter..not a good idea as we lived in Oman on a camp site in the desert..the sand was blowing like a sandstorm from the helicopter rotor blades . Kids screaming and everyone running. Thinking back hilarious.. no one thought that one out lol π€£π xx.Sheila
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd dda garshe. I miss Wales having lived in the North East of England for many years now. Wishing everyone peace and joy and of course good health.
Merry Christmas, Sheila! The light is gradually returning to the earth now the solstice is past, so in a few months I hope youβll be able to venture out to one of those beautiful Welsh beaches nearby. Better than any medicine! x
So do I Jane I have to make the effort as staying at home has restricted my mobility. Got a long way to go to get it back.I have been up since 5am and only had breakfast, tonged my hair and that's it. Need to put the face on and get dressed. I'll get there, then it will be time to take it all off again π₯΅Merry Christmas xx.Sheila π€Ά
Merry Christmas π & Happy New Year Sheila, you really have had a very interesting life, definitely worth a book, hope 2025 is good to you πππ€Ά xx
Hi Garshe, I enjoyed reading your post. My husband is from the Garw Valley, but we live in one of the seaside villages between Cardiff and Bridgend. It's a lovely place to live. There's a few of us on this site, who live in South Wales. We should perhaps, consider having a get together in the new year. Merry Christmas everyone and a healthier 2025.
Unfortunately I am unable to meet up as on 24/7 oxygen. I would have to carry too many cylinders π±I live near Neath between Cardiff and Swansea.. I am also in easy reach of the Gower and plenty of seaside resorts.
Hope you have a lovely Xmas and new year xx.Sheila π
Thank you. Yes the witch looks great at the entrance to the village.such a shame as when I was growing up loved living there. Everyone knew everyone and I would call people Aunt or uncle even though we were not related. Everyone kept their front door keys on a piece of string hung inside the letterbox. Wouldn't do that today, but it was safe as all the villagers looked out for each otherThey certainly were the Good Old Days.
Have a lovely Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. Take care
Yes Sheila, I lived on a council estate when I was a child. We called all the neighbours Auntie or Uncle. Nobody locked their back doors. I now live in a village but always lock my flat doors whether I'm in or out. Merry Christmas and happy and healthy New Year to you too. Rest as much as you can. πβ€οΈβ€οΈxxx
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