Llanteg Down The Years Book

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Miss Williams should be especially thanked for her help, she had kindly undertaken the ordering of all the provisions and the cooking of the beef. Thanks were also due to Mr. Davies, Trenewydd, for kindly lending a conveyance to carry the children of the party; and to Miss Williams for motoring some of the elderly people to and from Amroth. 1926, April - “Letter to the Editor” to thank the ex-servicemen of Crunwere:- Dear Friends, We feel duty bound to write to acknowledge to you as a committee for the fine memorial tablet placed on the grave of our son and brother Albert. Words cannot express how much we appreciate your kindness towards one who was very dear to us all at Pantglas. It might seem a small tablet to you but to us it is a huge monument. Surely nothing can be more noble than a committee of ex-servicemen keeping alive the memory of a comrade. W M Thomas & family Pantglas, Tavernspite. 1927, February - A Temperence meeting held at the Congregational Chapel Lanteague was presided over by Mr John Lewis, Oaklands, who gave an excellent address and said that there were very few locations who had such a lot of young people who were total abstainers. The chapel was well filled. The accompanists were Mrs Wilson, Mr Howard James and Mr Wilfred Davies. SCHOOL LIFE UP TO 1946 The Admissions Book from 1898 to 1946 shows what became of pupils after they left Crunwere school - whether they went on to Narberth school with a scholarship, or left to do “domestic work at home” or “farm work”, or whether they had left the district. The majority of children left school at 14 years of age with a few going on to higher education. In 1924 the usual “break up” entertainment was held at school. Mrs Jackett distributed prizes (given by Mrs Parr, headmaster’s wife) to Sunday school scholars and also a pound note and book awarded by the RNLI to Mildred John who had written the winning essay for Wales in a recent competition - she was warmly congratulated. The school concert followed and subsequently a small jumble sale to raise funds for the childrens’ tea. The tea was held on Boxing Day with a large attendance. Mr Parr was presented with a silver-plated kettle on his departure for Manorbier and he stated that thanks were a poor return for all the kindness 51 Untitled-1 51 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

Untitled-1 52 LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS 52 Crunwere School Group, early 1930s Photo: Graham Mortimer 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM Back Row, L. to R: Mr. Wolff (Headmaster), Geoffrey James (Bevlin), Desmond Wolff (School House), Tommy Glanville (West Llanteg), Laura Davies (Stanwell), Billy Davies (Bryneli), Alice Davies (Stanwell), Jimmy Glanville (West Llanteg), Irene Herbert (Fern Villa), Herbert James (Blackheath), Nelda Lewis (Belview), Miss Webb. Second Row, L. to R: Ronnie Glanville (West Llanteg), Geoffrey James (Goitre), Aneurin Davies (Bryneli), Hilda Harris (Griggs), Eileen Allen (Ruel Wall), Donna Mortimer (Summerbrook). Third Row, L. to R: Graham Mortimer (Summerbrook), Norman Allen (Oxford), Jim Oriel (Garness), David Davies (Trenewydd), Hughie Hodge (Ashdale?), Margaret Glanville (East Llanteg), Betty Davies (Trenewydd), Marjorie Glanville (West Llanteg), three Hodge sisters (Bertha, Helen and ?). Front Row, L. to R: George Hughes (Mountain View) Hughie Harris (Griggs), Ivy Allen (Oxford), Dilys Reynolds (Belview), Clifford Brace (Mountain), Kathleen Wolff (School House), Cassie James (Goitre), Elwyn Davies (Bryneli), Archie Oriel (Garness).

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS he had received in Crunwere. Just over a dozen children were shown as being evacuees in the 1940s:- Heatherland -2 Rectory - 1 Summerbrook - 2 Castel Ely - 3 Crafti (Crofty) - 3 Llanteg Fach (Fern Villa) - 2. Crunwere school finally closed on 20 December 1946 with the remaining eight pupils being transferred to Amroth school on 6 January 1947. From 1898 until its closure the school had catered for 272 pupils. EXTRACTS FROM CRUNWERE SCHOOL LOG BOOK 1935 - 1946 1 April 1935 - school closed for the afternoon on account of funeral of Verdi James, formally a scholar, who was killed in a collision between his motor cycle and a motor lorry on Wednesday March 27th. The school and staff subscribed towards a large wreath and the Upper School attended the funeral service. 18 May 1935 - Day School outing to St Davids. An educational outing of scholars, staff, managers and about 26 parents. They went via Haverfordwest and were shown around the Cathedral - then on to Fishguard and back to Haverfordwest. They visited the new cinema and saw the King’s Jubilee Procession in London on film. The Rector promised a prize for the best essay on “A Visit to St Davids” by the senior pupils. 7 June 1935 - the Rector presented prizes for the St Davids essay competition. The first prize of a shilling went to Herbert James while the second prize of nine pennies each went to Connie Allen and Dora Mortimer. The Rector stated that the standard of English was very good and that he would be sending the best five or six to the Dean of St Davids for his perusal. 21 June 1935 - 1 case of measles and 2 of whooping cough. 27 June 1935 - attendance at low ebb. 28 June 1935 - Glyn James and Margaret Glanville - measles. 3 July 1935 - 10 measles, 2 whooping cough. 11 July 1935 - 4 more measles. 14 November 1935 - very wet morning - time table adjusted owing to Untitled-1 53 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 53

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS children arriving wet and having to dry clothes before beginning work. 27 November 1935 - visit of educational film - Fry’s Cocoa. 11 February 1936 - frozen roads too slippery for most children to attend, only six in morning and eight in afternoon. 6 April 1936 - two fresh cases of mumps - there are only two children who are so far immune. 24 April 1936 - Mrs Pickrill gave a lecture on “alcohol as a poison”. 2 May 1936 - people using the county library service - 25 adults and five children. 23 July 1936 - very wet morning - roads flooded in places - only four children in this morning. 9 September 1938 - received phone message from the Director granting me leave on Monday and Tuesday to visit my wife (Mrs Wolff), whose condition is hopeless, in Middlesex hospital. 22 November 1938 - school closed all day - funeral of Mrs Wolff. 24 November 1938 - Head Teacher resumed duties (Mr Wolff). 17 May 1939 - at 3.15pm eight of the older children came with me into School House to hear the broadcast of the arrival of the King and Queen. 19 May 1939 - Report of an Inspection held on 6 March:- “this small school with 23 children has an air of neglect and decay - two broken windows, old sacks lying about the yard, dirty interior walls, unscrubbed floors and patched ceiling all show the immediate need of attention and improvement here. As the school is frequently used for parochial functions the desks and other school property have to be moved to a shed in the yard and suffer in the process. Two classes are divided inadequately by means of a low portable partition - both sides of the room are extremely untidy. Cloak rooms small, no water laid on and damp towels are left on clothes pegs. Playground rough and uneven and the offices unsatisfactory. It is difficult to teach successfully under such conditions as exist here, and the work throughout does not reach a good standard”. 17 November 1939 - absent all day after extraction of teeth (Mr Wolff). 4 April 1941 - Report of Religious Instruction at Crunwere School:- “this school is doing excellent work in religious instruction. Christian teaching is emphasised and a pleasant feature is the civility and manners Untitled-1 54 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 54

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS of the pupils. Mr Wolff evidently takes a fatherly interest in the children and is ably assisted by Miss Player. The premises are in good condition and the period of religious education is not curtailed”. Cunwere School Group, 1930s: Photo: Margaret Hooper Back Row, L. to R: Archie Oriel, Marjorie Glanville, Betty Davies, Geoffrey James, Margaret Glanville, Vaughan Owen, Hughie Harris, Connie James. Seated, L. to R: Elwyn Davies, Ronald Glanville, Kathleen Wolff, Glyn James, VILLAGE BUSES IN 1940s During the 1920s Ebsworth Brothers ran a bus company from Laugharne and they established a regular bus service from Carmarthen to Tenby which enabled locals to visit Tenby market. “Saturday saw a bevy of country ladies from Llanteg:- Mrs Thomas, Penybont; Mrs Parsell, the Valley; Patty Davies, Sparrows Nest; Milly Phillips, Middleton; the Misses Hodge, the Barriets; and numerous others, laden with goodies such as fresh eggs, butter, flowers, fruit etc. etc.” (Tenby Observer). Untitled-1 55 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 55

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Ebsworth Bus Driver Freddie Roberts and Conductress Dora Harry, 1940s. Photo: Ruth Roberts The bus drivers and conductors soon got to know their passengers and the people from Llanteg would only have to leave a basket or similar item outside by the road for the driver to know to stop to pick them up, leaving them able to finish milking etc. and not have to stand and wait for the bus. The buses would travel frequently from Carmarthen to Tenby but there would also be a late service leaving Tenby at 9.30pm to enable people to go to ‘the Pictures’ in Tenby. At one time the police in Tenby were cracking down on overcrowding on the buses and would check to make sure that there were no more than ten people standing, but often the conductress, who knew all the passengers, would get the youngsters to walk up the Maudlins and pick them up out of view of the police - Dora Phillips remembers doing this for Herbert James of Blackheath, George Mathias of Middleton and many others. The bus employees would have been in trouble for overloading if discovered but they well knew that this was the only bus back through Llanteg and that the people would have no other way home, and so they were reluctant to turn anyone away. Extra buses would also be laid on in the autumn for Pembroke Fair, not leaving Pembroke until 1am. 56 Untitled-1 56 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS VILLAGE SHOPS AND POST OFFICE Shops From the census returns the following people have been found:- 1841 Elizabeth Davies, Crafty - Fish Dealer 1851 Allen Palmer, Golden Lion (Laurels) - Butcher Ann Kendrick, Moors - Shopkeeper David Lewis, Ruelswall - Shopkeeper John Morgan, Middleton - Fishmonger 1861 Allen Palmer, Golden Lion (Laurels) - Butcher 1871 Mary Kohane, Blackheath - Hawker 1881 Mary Griffiths, Norton - Shop woman John Charles Hobbs, Schoolhouse - Shopman/Grocer 1891 John Davies, Greenacre - Grocer William Williams, Milton - Commercial Traveller Within living memory there have been shops at Middleton, Sandy Grove, Oaklands and the Laurels. Middleton Shop in 1930s L.to R. Millie Phillips, Pattie Davies (Sparrow’s Nest), Florence Phillips. Untitled-1 Photo: Ruth Roberts 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 57 57

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS The Post Office Prior to 1635 the Royal Mail was used only by the King or Queen or Royal Court. However in that year Royal Mail opened up to the use of the public, and in 1660 by Act of Parliament the General Post Office started. It was more organised than previously, although still cost more than most people could afford. In 1715 Carmarthen to Pembroke was a main mail route, and in 1763 and 1794 further Acts of Parliament paved the way for delivery of mail to little villages. In 1786 official Mail coaches were introduced. These were guarded by two pistols and a blunderbuss gun, and the guards were told to protect the mail with their lives. The Penny Black stamp was introduced in 1840; and ten years later envelopes were first used, as were roadside letter boxes. The first date stamp for Llanteg was recorded in 1897. At this time Llanteg was linked to Whitland. Also in 1897 during Jubilee week the postal arrangements of the parish were rather disorganised, owing to the appropriation of the letter box at the Old Toll Gate by a swarm of bees! In 1901 a Mrs Jane Davies ran the Post Office at Ashdale. Records show that letters came out from Whitland at 9.25 am and were cleared at 4.40 pm. No Sunday delivery. By 1923 the Post Office had moved to the Laurels (which was also a grocer’s shop). It was then run by Mrs E.Raymond. Letters were still received from Whitland, but services such as telegrams and money orders had to be transacted at Amroth. Records of 1926 still show Mrs Raymond as sub-Postmistress, and by 1930 the office had become a sub-office of Narberth. Mrs Maggie Bowen took over from Mrs Raymond, and subsequently - still at the Laurels - it passed over to Mr Ivor Bowen. In 1972, when it now came under Haverfordwest, the office moved to Stanwell. Here it was run by Mrs Alice Brinsden until 1977, when it moved again, to York House, where it was taken over by Mr Dudley. During the 1980s the controlling office was Carmarthen. The office moved yet again in 1992/93 to Llanteg Garage, where it still is today, being run by Mrs Rose Gammon. In the very near future, all Post Offices, large and small, will be linked to a computerised network. As far as mail deliveries are concerned, in the early 1930s the Royal Mail began running its own vans out to villages. Once there it was taken on foot or by bicycle by the local postman. Mr Willie Allen, Rose Untitled-1 58 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 58

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Cottage, was a familiar sight cycling round Llanteg delivering mail and lots of other news. When the mail van took over from the foot delivery, he was often able to undertake general services like collecting prescriptions, shopping, etc. Sadly those days are gone. Sadly also the ending of Christmas Day delivery in the 1950s - though I dare say not missed by the postman, who many a time must have got home for a very late Christmas dinner having received a lot of Christman ‘cheer’ on the way! We now have GPO letter boxes at The Folly, York Lodge and the garage. VILLAGE CHANGES OVER THE LAST CENTURY Very many changes have occurred during the last century, both to the Village and to life within the Village. Some of these changes - probably most - have been brought about by the huge steps in technological advancement that have taken place over the last century, such as the development of the motor car, the introduction of mains water and electricity, and the advent of television. All have contributed to changing the way and pace of village life. At the turn of the century there were less than half the current number of properties, which now number approximately one hundred and twenty-five, including thirty-eight chalets at Llanteg Park. At that time all the villagers were known to one another, if not related in some way. There was no mains water supplying these dwellings and no electricity supply. Each household either had its own well or had to fetch water from the nearest well. Mains electricity did not arrive in the Village until the early 1950s. It was around 1828 that the A477 trunk road was driven through Llanteg as a main route from Carmarthen to Pembroke Dock, and this road was upgraded from a dirt road to a tarmacadamed surface early last century with the advent of the pneumatic tyre and the motor car. This road in a further upgraded form still bisects the Village and is now the main artery for traffic using the ferry from Rosslare to Pembroke Dock, and also during the summer months for all the tourist traffic into south and west Pembrokeshire. The method of transport for villagers at the turn of the century was walking, by horse, or by bicycle. For greater distances there was the Untitled-1 59 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 59

Untitled-1 60 LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS 60 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM Photo: Margaret Hooper Sunday School Outing at Llanteglos 1930s

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS train with stations at Saundersfoot, Kilgetty, Whitland and Narberth. Very early in the century the charabanc, the forerunner of the bus, gained in popularity and certainly after the First World War this became a useful form of transport. Midway through this century, after the end of the Second World War, there was a three times a day bus service through the Village to Carmarthen and Tenby. This bus service has long since ended and now there is a weekly Wednesday service to Carmarthen, and a service to Tenby during the school terms. Today there are very few non-car owning residents in the Village; indeed there are many two and three car families, and it is the car that is the normal mode of transport. Village children were schooled within the Village up until 1946 when the Crunwere County Primary School closed and the village children were then bussed to Amroth School. Today Amroth School is also closed and children have to be bussed to Tavernspite and Stepaside School, Kilgetty. The secondary schooling used to be centred at Narberth Grammar School, but this school has since closed and secondary schools are now at Whitland and Tenby. It is only since the Second World War that buses have been available to take children to their secondary schooling; before then they were obliged to walk or cycle to Narberth, a distance of seven miles. Many community activities that were popular early in the century have now ceased, although other activities are taking over. Whist drives and concerts used to take place in the old school. Also meetings of the Women’s Institute and, when not held in church, meetings of the Mothers’ Union also took place there. Such activities as concerts and whist drives are not as popular as they were and are being overtaken by sporting activities such as short mat bowls. The village football team has long since been disbanded and there is no longer a Young Farmers Club. The old school has now been converted to a private dwelling house and all village activities now take place in the Village Hall, which was built in 1948 and was totally refurbished in 1999. Also held in the hall are computer classes, short mat bowling, a mothers and toddlers group, Mothers’ Union meetings and Local History Group meetings. There is no public house, but a licensed club on a holiday complex at Llanteglos is open to the public during summer months. The church, in this village as in most villages in the country, has declined considerably this century. The current incumbent has two other Untitled-1 61 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 61

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS churches, Ludchurch and Begelly, to look after as well as ours. It used to be that there would be three services per Sunday held at Crunwere church, communion at 8.30 a.m., morning service at 11 a.m., and evensong at 6.30 p.m., with most of the members attending at least twice every Sunday. Now services are held just twice a month at 11 a.m. on the first and third Sunday of each month. An average attendance would nowadays be about a dozen. There are two chapels in the Village, Zoar Baptist chapel and Lanteague chapel (known locally as the Mountain chapel). Of these Zoar chapel has closed and so has Mountain chapel from December 1999. Up to the middle of this century worshippers used to attend from as far away as Marros and Whitland, those from Marros travelling by horse and ‘gambo’ or on foot across Marros Mountain, through the ford in the stream below Milton and then along Allen’s Lane to the road. Zoar chapel is unusual in that it has built on to it in lean-to fashion a caretaker’s two-roomed cottage which was lived in early last century. After that it was used as a vestry and as a place to serve the anniversary teas when, on its Anniversary Sunday, services were held in the afternoon and evening and a tea was provided in between the services. The same anniversary services were held at the Mountain chapel and there the inter-service tea was held in the detached first-floor vestry. Untitled-1 Photo: Olive Williams Mountain Chapel Jubilee 1939 62 62 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS For many years now the Village has not had a shop. Some of the main essentials can be obtained at the garage, where the local Post Office is also housed. The nearest supermarket is at Kilgetty, although there is a small shop at Summerhill, Amroth. Newspapers and milk are still delivered to the door and a mobile library visits. Also, baker, butcher and fruit and vegetable vans come around on various days. The Village used to have its own ‘roadman’ who was employed by the Council to keep the hedges along the roadsides neatly trimmed and all gutters open and free of debris. I well remember Mr William Horace Collingwood, known to all as ‘Collie’, using his scythe to cut the verges. He lived within the Village at what is now York House. Dan Lloyd succeeded Collie and was the last person to hold this post before the council tractor took over. Now a council tractor and hedgecutter passes through once a year and only infrequently are the roadside gutters attended to. Home Guard at Llanteglos Photo: Wyn Lawrence Doctors are available at surgeries in Kilgetty, Saundersfoot, Narberth, Whitland and St Clears, and the main hospitals for the area are at Withybush, Haverfordwest and Glangwili, Carmarthen. In my opinion, the greatest and most serious changes that have taken place are within agriculture. At the beginning of the century there Untitled-1 63 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 63

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS were very few inhabitants of the Village who were not involved in some way with agriculture. Almost every dwelling was a smallholding keeping a couple of cows, pigs and poultry. I well remember that during haymaking there would often be at least a dozen neighbours sitting down to supper at the end of a day’s work. Each smallholder would help his neighbours in gathering in the harvest, and machinery would be pooled to assist. In the 1960s the number of smallholdings started to decline rapidly as farming conditions changed. The land belonging to these smallholdings was often split up when they were sold and was bought by the larger farms. As greater mechanisation took place so the speed of these changes increased until today there are only a small number of farms left in the Village and the numbers involved in agriculture are very small. There has been a slight reversal in this trend recently with a number of villagers keeping horses for pleasure and therefore needing land for these horses. With the present pressures on farmers it would be impossible to turn the clock back as even farming is now governed by ‘the economies of scale’ and no way could a farmer with a thirty/forty-acre smallholding make a viable living as was done prior to the ’60s. Photo: Wyn Lawrence Llanteg YFC and Guests 1975 Another pressure on agriculture is the fact that many people who have moved into the area have no knowledge of modern farming methods and are easily upset by the movement of tractors and machinery around the roads, especially during the harvesting of silage in the summer months. It Untitled-1 64 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 64

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS seems that the idyll of the horse and cart clip-clopping along as depicted in Constable’s painting of the Hay Wain is still some people’s image of country life today. Village life in Llanteg has changed dramatically this century. No longer can you go out and leave doors unlocked, no longer do you see the gypsy plying his or her trade around the Village, no longer does the Village have its dedicated police officer, school or minister of religion. Very few of the inhabitants of the Village are Llanteg born and bred, and no longer does everyone in the Village know everyone else. This has broken the close-knit community spirit that existed and if we want this quality of life to return to our Village then we will have to try much harder to understand one another’s needs and aspirations. Photo: Marjorie Thomas Crunwere Mothers’ Union 1986 Untitled-1 65 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 65

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS PART 4 - REMINISCENCES Each generation is a link in the chain that perpetuates the wisdom of its elders - but once that chain is broken the knowledge can never be reclaimed. These days we have more money, convenience, knowledge etc. But what is all this worth if we do not have tolerance, respect, adherence to law and family values. Alice Brinsden (nee Davies) Alice and Tony Brinsden Alice was born in Greenacre on 17th March 1918 of farming parents and had a brother and a sister. Their home consisted of two bedrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, with two people in each room. Alice attended Crunwere school and left at 14 - the teacher was Miss Lewis of Oaklands and the headmaster was Mr Parr. Most of the lessons were sums, mental arithmetic, reading and writing. She recalls doing lots of skipping and Untitled-1 66 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 66

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS ball games in the playground. Out of school there was the Band of Hope and work at home to keep Alice occupied, and her most remembered meal was bacon with vegetables from the garden. During holidays she would spend three days at Wisemans Bridge and had to walk to get there. Alice attended church at Crunwere and Amroth and remembers carol singing at Christmas as well as Church and school concerts. Alice got married in 1938 in Crunwere Church and had one son, Tony. She now has two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Alice believes that one of the biggest changes in life has been in people’s attitudes to money and the amounts that they have. She also thinks that life is better in some ways but that they should “bring back the Hangman”. Tony Brinsden Tony was born at Stanwell on 26th April 1940, he had no siblings but had to share his bedroom with his grandmother. His parents were farmers. Tony began school in Crunwere but was almost immediately transferred to Amroth when Crunwere school closed in December 1946 - transport was then laid on for him. In primary school children of different ages were taught together with individual tuition according to their ability, the main lessons being maths, reading, English, Religious Instruction and Music. In 1951 he went to Narberth Grammar School where the curriculum was more varied with maths being Tony’s favourite. Tony recalls the playground games of football, “fox and hounds”, marbles and cricket. There was nothing in the village to do after school and children mainly did little jobs around the farm, played in groups or rode their bikes. When Tony was 14 a Youth Club began in Tavernspite to which the children would cycle. One of Tony’s favourite meals was rabbit. He states that it was a treat to have poultry. At that time the family grew a lot of their own produce and killed their own pig. Shopping would be done at the Laurels or the Co-op in Kilgetty (the Co-op had a mobile shop from around 1950). Tony would spend part of his school holidays with family at Bethesda, Narberth, and then when they moved, in Pembroke Dock. His first “real” holiday was a week at Butlins in Pwllheli with two mates in 1959. To get around Tony would walk, cycle or take buses to Carmarthen and Tenby. The family had their first car in 1955. 67 Untitled-1 67 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Church played a large in Tony’s life as a child, with Sunday school in the afternoon. Tony attended Amroth church with his grandmother while his parents went to Crunwere church. Amroth school’s outing was an afternoon on Amroth beach to which they walked. The trips at Narberth school were better, one being to Chester on the bus. Tony recalls having no birthday parties as a child but that Christmas was a lazy day with only essential farm jobs being done. There was always a special meal, the gifts in their stockings were mainly fruit, small toys, pencils etc. - not many things were available in those days. The family had their first TV in the late 50s, there was no mains electricity in the village until approximately 1952. Tony’s favourite programmes were westerns - Bonanza, Wagon Train etc. The family always had a wireless and most of the evening programmes were listened to. Tony met his future wife Margaret at a works social evening in Carmarthen. They married in 1962 in St Mary’s Church, Whitland. They have a son and daughter and four grandchildren. Tony feels that life has definitely changed and not all for the better. He believes society has become too materialistic and that respect for other people’s property has diminished. Tony sees that the village has altered considerably, mainly by the expansion of dwellings bringing in people who had previously been used to town life, and at the same time the agricultural community is shrinking so that the majority of the population know very little about the ways of country life. Margaret Carter (nee Hawes) Recollections of her mother - Mrs M. G. Hawes (nee Jones) was born in 1894. She had four brothers and her father was Benjamin Jones, of independent means. Mrs Hawes went away to school when she was five as her mother had died, aged 29, in childbirth. The first school attended was in Manchester and eventually she went to the Welsh Girls School in Ashford, Middlesex - there she played hockey in the 1st X1, as well as tennis. Mrs Hawes’ father had been a horticulturalist of repute in California. When he came to Heatherland he laid out the gardens, had two greenhouses and as well as vegetables grew such things as nectarines and peaches (some of the trees are still remaining). Untitled-1 68 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 68

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Early this century they would travel locally by horse and trap, and Mrs Hawes used to tell how frightened she was on returning to school - if they did not time it just right to get to the station in Narberth, the horse would get very skittish! Mr Benjamin Jones bought his first car, a Morris with a very high “dickie seat” on the back, shortly after the 1918 war, presumably from Silcox. Over a period of 50 years Mr. Jones held senior positions in Crunwere Church, where he and his family worshipped and where Mrs. Hawes continued to attend until her death - the family are all buried there. Mr Jones had a very early wireless which took up quite a sizeable table and in later years he would take the batteries down to Reggie’s garage to be charged (Reggie Glanville began the garage when he came out of the Merchant Navy). Mrs Hawes met her future husband at a dance in Whitland and they married in 1915. Mrs Carter was born in 1920, her sister in 1916. Mr and Mrs Hawes moved around Pembrokeshire, coming back to Heatherland when Mr Hawes retired and Mr Benjamin Jones died. For many years Mrs Hawes was the County Treasurer of the WI and later on became County President. She was responsible for bringing the WI to Llanteg as she felt there was a need to bring people together. She was also the instigator of arranging for the mobile library to come to Llanteg. She led an extremely busy life, being on numerous committees throughout the county. Mr Hawes, together with Mr Wyn Lawrence, did a tremendous Untitled-1 69 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 69

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS amount of work to bring electricity to the parish, calling on householders to subscribe to having electricity in their homes. Mr Hawes was also very interested in keeping footpaths open and did much work in this area. Mrs Carter attended the same schools as her mother, as did her sister. She was the first Land Army girl in the county, joining up on 4th September 1939. However once she had completed the required two years driving she joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, first serving at home and then commanding ambulances in France, Belgium and Germany. Finally Mrs Carter served at Catterick which was where she met her husband whose regiment had just returned from Palestine. They married in 1949 and served in the UK, Europe, Middle East and the Far East until her husband’s retirement. Mrs Carter has two sons, both of whom served in the army for many years. She came to Heatherland to care for her parents until their deaths in 1980 and 1981. Mrs Carter believes that this history book will give a lot of pleasure. In previous years there had been a considerable amount of life focused on the Church, the Hall and the WI; she believes that after something of a lapse, it’s now nice to see that being renewed - “so it’s very good luck to the book!”. Bob Davies Bob was born on 26th November 1914 at Greenacre, and was christened Robert John Mons - one of the first major battles in the Great War was fought around that time and Bob was named after it. He had two younger sisters. Untitled-1 70 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 70

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS During his early years he slept downstairs with his grandfather, on (or in) a cupboard type bed (which was never folded up as intended), and he heard many stories. Bob attended Crunwere school, and when he started the Head was Mrs Thomas, the teacher being Miss Rowena Lewis of Oaklands. Later there was Miss Kemp from Manorbier with Mr Parr the Headteacher - Mrs Parr would take the children as a class into her parlour and this was the first time that Bob had ever seen carpet. Bob recalls some of his classmates as: Fred Oriel (Garness), Brynley Hodge (Mountain), Verdi James (Blackheath), Wilfred Callen (Cwmshead) and Jack Jenkins (Upper Castle Ely). Bob then went onto Narberth County School where he stayed for three years until at 15 he was considered old enough to earn his living (or part of it). At Crunwere lessons were text book based. At Narberth each lesson was assigned to a teacher, some male and some female in mixed classes of about 30 pupils. Crunwere had no music until about 1925 when it was provided with a piano. During the winter months the Sunday evening service was held in the school - this may have helped with the provision of the piano. Bob recalls different school games - football “in the grit-covered yard” and “bulls on the bank” which was played between the school and Milton gate: the left bank was at field level (most of it has now been taken up by road widening), a few “bulls” would be on the top and the rest would try to get them off, or vise versa. Some rhymes recalled:- “Eny meany miny mo Catch a nigger by his toe When he squeals let him go Eny meany miny mo ............” “Ickle, ockle, black bottle Ickle, ockle .............. out” Crunwere school had a boys’ soccer team but they were not big enough or good enough for Amroth school. Fred Oriel and Bob were sent over to Longstone (Ludchurch) to arrange a game with them but they got lost on the way and missed an afternoon’s class! Outside of school there were not many organised events. There would occasionally be a Band of Hope or Temperance meeting - the aim 71 Untitled-1 71 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS being to get people to “sign the pledge” relating to the drinking of alcohol. Bob thinks it was a worthy ideal but a little unfair as children were involved. Ronnie Glanville Ronnie was born at West Llanteg in 1922, his parents were farmers. He had two brothers and a sister and while young had to share a bedroom with two others. Ronnie attended Crunwere school until the age of twelve. Class sizes were around twelve children and some of his classmates were Connie, Norman, Glyn and Herbert. Teachers at the time were Mr Wolff and Miss Thomas and Ronnie’s favourite lessons were nature walks. At playtimes the children would play football or cricket and after school there were Band of Hope meetings at Mountain Chapel as well as games of football. Ronnie recalls that his favourite meals as a child were broth and home made faggots. Groceries were delivered and he would sometimes go to market at Whitland or Kilgetty. There were pedlars in the village who sold pegs, pins and cottons and who came from The Common, Kilgetty. A rag and bone man called and Ronnie remembers a fair passing through. There were no holidays apart from day trips to Amroth in a pony and trap. Most travelling was done either by walking (the furthest distance being two to three miles) or riding a bicycle - the family had their first car in the 1950s. The family attended Church and Ronnie recalls a trip to St Davids by coach. There were never any birthday parties but at Christmas time Ronnie would receive an orange, apple and nuts. Untitled-1 72 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 72

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS The family had a radio and listened to sport and the News. Ronnie met his partner at a dance in Tavernspite in 1945 and they married at Carvan Chapel in 1947. They had two children and three granddaughters. Ronnie believes that living conditions have changed a lot since his youth, as well as the way that the country is run. He believes that our book is a good idea and he would like to see “as much local history as possible” included. With regards to village life today Ronnie thinks that there are more activities going on as we now have a hall which the village didn’t have when he was a youngster. Margaret Hooper (nee Glanville) Margaret was born in Red Roses but moved to East Llanteg when she was four. She had a younger brother, Hugh. Her father was a farmer and during the Second World War worked as an Agricultural Officer. Mostly Margaret had her own bedroom but during the war she shared her room with her mother while her father, brother and a farmhand (Hugh Hodge) shared another. The remaining four bedrooms and a living room were used by evacuees. One family of evacuees consisted of parents and four daughters - the mother and all the daughters had been dress makers and designers for Harvey Nicolls in Regent St, London. Margaret attended Crunwere school until aged 11 and then went onto Narberth County School until 15. In Crunwere there were about 50 pupils who were divided into two classes by a screen. The headmaster was Mr Wolff and the teacher Molly Garrett. Lessons were generally maths, English and spelling. They did stretching and running on the spot in winter with rounders in the summer. In the playground hopscotch and Untitled-1 73 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 73

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS skipping were popular. After school Margaret recalls that children most often came to her farm to play. In Narberth there were about 32 pupils per class. A Young Farmers Club was set up when Margaret was about 16. Margaret’s favourite food in childhood was roast rabbit, and her mother’s special dish was layers of potatoes, bacon and onion, stacked about 3-4 inches high and baked in an oil stove. The following delivery vans called in the village:- Morris the baker - Whitland Mr Jenkins - grocer and baker - Tavernspite Willie Phillips - butcher - Amroth Lionel James - butcher - Tavernspite Mr Morgan - chemist - Tenby, once a week. The family grew a lot of their own food and killed two pigs a year. Margaret never went to market but her father attended Whitland. Peddlers sometimes called at the farm: Granny Price from Kingsmoor Common selling pots and pans and Mrs Atwell from St Clears with pegs and tin pans. During World War Two military manoeuvres were expected but there was great surprise in the village when hundreds of troops arrived, together with generals and brigadiers. Their operations were cloaked in secrecy and there was a 9pm curfew throughout the entire village. Many troops stayed at East Llanteg and secret meetings were held (when Margaret’s mother, Mrs Glanville, went into the hall (living room) to ask if they required tea she was shouted out very promptly!). After a few days’ stay, during which time Churchill was in the area and also at Wisemans Bridge, the troops left as quickly as they had come. It was only afterwards with news of the “D-Day” landings at Dunkirk that people began to realise what all the secret movements had been about. The Pioneer Corps was stationed at Llanteglos during the war with some of their wives living at East Llanteg. One famous person who passed through Llanteg at this time was Harry Secombe. After the end of the war he had stopped at Reggie Glanville’s garage, and spotted some geese loose in the field in front of East Llanteg next to the road (at that time there was a pond by the crossroads). Mr Secombe went to the farm and asked to buy a goose not realising that he could not have it immediately - he called back for it a day or two later. 74 Untitled-1 74 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Margaret’s holidays in the summer were about three weeks spent at Castle Ely Mill with Cissie and Mildred. At the age of ten she went to stay with a great aunt in Laugharne, travelling there on Ebsworth buses. As a child Margaret walked or cycled. In the early 1940s the family acquired an Austin car. Margaret attended Crunwere Church with her mother - she attended Sunday school until she was 19 when she was made a teacher there. At Christmas Margaret remembers a school concert. At home they had a big Christmas dinner with a large party in the evening. She recalls presents of colouring pencils and a book, handkerchiefs, oranges, nuts and sweets - plus a nightdress case - every year! Margaret would go carol singing, going round most of Llanteg. The family had a radio and Margaret enjoyed listening to dance music. They got their first TV in 1957. Margaret met her husband on 8th May 1946 at the VE Anniversary Ball at the De Rutzen Hotel, Narberth. She married at Crunwere Church on 10th September 1949 and has two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren. Margaret feels life has changed during her lifetime and that her age group has had the best of life. She believes that discipline should return, both at home and at school and that there is not as much respect for people or property. Although Margaret has lived outside the village for 44 years she can see that it has changed dramatically and feels that the close community spirit, that was once so strong, no longer exists. Glyn James Glyn was born at Bevlin in 1926, he had one brother and two sisters - the youngest sister died in the 1930s. His father Frank was the local roadman 75 Untitled-1 75 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS from 1919 until 1944 and was responsible for nine miles of road (Glyn remembers the road being “rolled and watered by horses”). Glyn’s mother never had to key the door at Bevlin and she had an open fire which never went out in 35 years. Most of the stones for Bevlin came from the old chapel ruins of the original Mountain Chapel. Bevlin was bought by the family and improved for £500. “Will Henry”, a relative who had lost his wife, came to live with the James family. However when the house was being improved he moved out to Number 3 Amroth which was on the seaward side of the road (Glyn can remember picking apples in the back garden there). It was a one up, one down building with a kitchen which lost half of its garden to the sea - Will was in bed the following week when he heard a big bang and just got out of the house in time as the next wave took the pine end of the house (this was the row of houses that was washed away by the encroaching sea opposite Temple Bar Inn). Photo: Glyn James Hugh and Glyn James at Marros War Memorial 1980s Tommy Harris, Glyn’s grandfather, learnt his building trade with Alfred James of Broomylake. It was Tommy who built the War Memorial at Marros in commemoration of those lost in the First World War - including eight of Glyn’s relations. The stones weighed over one ton each and the work was done for free, the only cost being £25 for the plaque (if you look up from underneath the monument you will see that it is in the shape of a Untitled-1 76 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 76

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS coffin). Glyn attended Crunwere school and left at 14 - as soon as he could! His favourite pastime at school was “to get out”. The popular game was football which they played at school and also after school at Llanteg Cross where there would often be 20-30 boys playing. Before the Second World War it was not unusual to go half to three quarters of an hour without any traffic passing. In the late 1920s a Mrs Pursell left the village school £50 so that each child could have a present at Christmas. Glyn recalls Mr Grismond Williams (Llanteglos) and Mr Wolff (School House) going to Haverfordwest and getting all the presents at Woolworths. Mr Williams would then dress up as Santa, which terrified the children. Mr Wolff, the headmaster, was shortsighted and had catarrh and therefore couldn’t tell when the boys, including Glyn, had a quick smoke. Sometimes the girls would “tell tales” which resulted in the boys being caned either on their hand or bottom (the canes were supplied by Glyn’s father Frank, the roadman - he would get blackthorn which had notches and which was put up the chimney to dry). Cecil Lewis from Oaklands would sometimes send Glyn after Woodbines from Gladys at Sandy Grove. Cecil was a little slow and so Glyn could break some of the cigarettes in half, putting half back with paper underneath to make it look like a full packet. When Glyn returned Cecil would give him a cigarette or two for fetching them so would end up with almost nothing! Cecil smoked a clay pipe which was very strong; he walked with a stoop, but after an unfortunate accident when he fell from a tree whilst sawing he was able to walk upright again! At this time all the farms would help each other with the harvesting. No one expected payment - a good supper would suffice. During the summer months there would often be quite a few gypsies staying between the school and Rose Cottage, and the children enjoyed watching them making pegs or tin watering cans. Glyn recalls Verdi James being killed in Tanners Lane on his motorcycle. Verdi loved football. Glyn would want to join the others playing in the evening but would have to finish his chores in the garden at home first. Verdi had a very large funeral; the coffin was carried from Blackheath to the Church and the schoolchildren collected violets for his grave. For recreation a bazaar was held in Llanteglos every year and sports were held in the field next to Mountain Chapel (where ‘Arfryn’ bungalow now stands). 77 Untitled-1 77 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS For a trip, the horse and gambo from Llanteg Farm was used to take people to Black Rock at Amroth. A cooked chicken would be taken and potatoes would be boiled on the beach where they spent all day. An 18-hand mare named Diamond would be used and she enjoyed walking in the surf. Later as more cars became available Mr Leslie Davies of Cwmshead would drive his Humber to Pendine for five shillings for the day - it was the first time that ice-cream was seen (later an ice-cream cart came from Tenby about once a week). Glyn recalls the story of an old pair living at Fern Villa, Ellen and Captain Jenkins (brother and sister). The Captain was believed to have retired from the Indian Army and he would often visit the Roses, The Plume (Tavernspite) or Amroth for a drink. On this occasion he decided to visit Amroth. It was a frosty night and coming back slightly inebriated he allowed his horse to stop and drink in the pond at Llanteg. As the horse bent forward the Captain fell in and wasn’t found until the next morning when his body was dragged out by Tom Mortimer’s grandfather and Glyn’s grandfather. Glyn recalls that the old Toll House ruins were situated where the garage bungalow (Springfield) now stands. There were two garages where the present filling station stands. One was run by Reggie Glanville and was for petrol and mechanics, the other building was a shed where Leslie Bryn Davies of Cwmshead stored rabbits and eggs. Glyn’s favourite meal was “cawl a cig a tatws” - they also enjoyed rabbit. Glyn would often go rabbiting with his brother Geoffrey and could catch around a hundred rabbits a night. They also went poaching in Colby Lodge woods with a fishing line and hooks which they used from trees to secure themselves plenty of pheasants - the gamekeepers were not amused! The family shopped at the Laurels (next door) and Glyn never had a holiday - apart from “the army”. At the Laurels there was a shed for cattle feed and also a general shop. Here they had the first phone kiosk in the 1930s (John Williams of Crunwere Farm was puzzled by the telephone and thought that he had “better shout” the first time he used it). The first phone in a private dwelling was at Crunwere Farm and then at Trenewydd. Glyn had heard that there was once a shop at Rose Cottage. Other shops remembered were at Middleton, Sandy Grove (cigarettes and tobacco) and Miss Philipps Oaklands (pop and sweets). At Sandy Grove 78 Untitled-1 78 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Gladys Wilkins charged:- 2d for 5 Woodbines 4d for 10 Woodbines 6d for 20 Woodbines 6d or 7d for 20 Players Various sales people travelled around the area:- Davies from Carmarthen - clothes Ben Morris from Tenby - clothes Pomeroy from Pendine - ready made clothes (went round with a pack on his back) Danny Lewis from Stepaside - breeches Morris from Whitland - baker and grocer Jenkins - baker Frank Protheroe - dog biscuits, herrings etc Fred Ebsworth from the Moors - local butcher who travelled on his bike The only school trips Glyn remembered are a Sunday school trip to Milford Haven and visiting Amroth Big Day, which they did in a horse and cart. Marros Church was attended regularly - “they had to go”. At Christmas Glyn had a stocking with oranges and apples, and he also recalls having a gift from the person at Llanteglos. For dinner they always had a goose. At home they had a radio and gramophone from the 1930s. They acquired their first TV in the 1950s when living at Belview. The James family from Bevlin were going to sell the land for the proposed village hall to the village for £25 but in the end no money changed hands and the land was given for free. The village was divided over the need for a hall as many thought that the old school building was sufficient and the decision was only won by two votes. However the village soon lost the school building when the Council decided to sell it off. The original hall was an old army building which was bought for £120 and reassembled in Llanteg. It was Tommy Harris, Glyn’s grandfather, who put down the foundations for the village hall, and everyone helped to dig the footings. Glyn’s mother was the caretaker for ten years. Glyn met his wife at Whitland and married at Marros Church on 25th October 1947. During the 1980s Glyn ran a football team for about two years and also held a very successful “Gala Day” which raised over £1000 for hall funds. Untitled-1 79 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 79

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Photo: Glyn James Gala Day Committee From L. to R: Walter Morse (Castle Ely), Herbert James (Blackheath), Graham Mortimer, Jack Allen (Rose Cottage), Vaughan Wilson, Ronnie Glanville, Noel Davies (President), Hugh James (Arfryn), Glyn James (Woodview). Glyn believes that people were better off in the earlier years of the century; people were happier and there was more neighbourliness before the advent of the tractor which encouraged farmers to “do their own thing”. He recalls an incident when Fred Oriel of Garness was looking for his mare and eventually found her having fallen and wedged herself head down between very large boulders - over forty people turned up with ropes and horses and managed to pull the mare out unharmed. A similar occurrence happened to Leslie Glanville’s horse, Diamond, who got stuck in a freezing bog up to her neck but was rescued by the efforts of more than thirty locals and survived unscathed. Glyn thinks this book is a good idea because it shows how life was years ago, and it will be good for the children to see what life was like for the older people. Glyn believes village life today is “a rat race”, and he no longer even knows properties in the parish because the names are being changed. 80 Untitled-1 80 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Roy James Roy was born on March 6th 1951 at Ivy Cottage (now Brongwendraeth). The house is now a bungalow. It was Betty Lloyd’s house - Roy’s aunt. When Roy was born his parents were not in a position to buy a property and therefore lived in rooms with Georgiana Philipps at Oaklands - a house which had a colourful history and at one time had been a coaching inn. ‘Miss Georgie’ was an eccentric lady who had no family to look after her and therefore Roy’s parents took on that role. Oaklands at that time was infested with mice and other vermin, which Roy’s father took many weeks catching. Photo: Audrey James Oaklands House and Roy James 1954 Untitled-1 81 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 81

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Whilst growing up at Oaklands Roy remembers it as “a wonderful house” and states that the surrounding area was a marvellous place for a young boy to use his imagination and explore. At that time their next door neighbours were Mrs Margaret Rogers, a widow, who farmed a sixty-acre dairy farm, along with her son Tom and his wife Sylvia (now living in Kilgetty). Margaret also had a brother-in- law William and brother Cecil and looked after her sister Maude. To Roy she was always known as “Aunty Margaret”. In 1953 Roy’s parents (Audrey and Geoffrey James, Geoffrey having been brought up at Bevlin) bought part of Barrietts farm. With Roy’s parents busy working part-time on the land, Roy was looked after by Aunty Margaret. The Barrietts (now Caldey View) was then owned by two spinsters - Annie and Mary Hodge, two hard working tough little characters, very short in stature. They were descendants of Javanese people who had been shipwrecked on Pendine sands when the island of Java was evacuated after the volcano of Krakatoa erupted on the island of Pulan in 1883. Roy’s parents named the land they bought “Rose Park Farm”. After many years of hard work clearing the land of stone they built a bungalow, ran a dairy farm and developed a towing caravan and tent site (they even let out their own home during the summer months to try to make a living). Roy has a sister Wendy and a brother Darren. As the farm was not large enough to support all the family Roy went to work at Carmarthen Bay Power Station (now demolished) and subsequently at Pembroke Power Station (now also being demolished). It is a sad sign of the times that Roy and many others have had to seek work outside Pembrokeshire and at present is on an overseas work contract of two years in Pakistan. When Roy was young in the village he remembers people were known as “Leslie Middleton”, “Peggy the shop”, “Leslie Crunwere” or “Dick the Bont”. For years Roy could not put a surname to the Christian names he knew, and even today the same rule applies. He also recalled hearing of an old past-time which involved local lads removing and swapping gates for fun - sometimes gates from Milton Farm would find their way as far as Summerhill! In winter lads would ride down a snow- covered Rectory hill on sheets of zinc. He had also heard that at one time wrestling matches were conducted in Horsemanstone orchard. Roy now lives at Meadowcroft with his wife Susan and son 82 Untitled-1 82 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Samuel (Sam). He was able to build their home on a piece of land at Rose Park, because when his father died in 1979 he was needed at Rose Park to assist with the farm, his brother Darren being only a young boy at the time. Audrey James Audrey James recalls that in the 1950s a Baby Clinic was held in the schoolroom on the first Tuesday of every month. Nurse Cousins of Kilgetty surgery was in attendance. First the baby was weighed, and then each mother was given free concentrated orange juice for their little one and vitamin tablets for themselves. Audrey would walk to the Clinic. On the return journey she would call at Reggie Glanville’s garage to purchase paraffin for the oil lamps and to collect the battery and accumulator which had been charged ready for the family’s evening listening to the radio. She would then go on to the village shop at the Laurels to buy her groceries and some sweets from Mrs Bowen (known to all as ‘Maggie’) before wending her way home. Mr Merriman had the ironmongers shop in Kilgetty. If they needed any paint, brushes, screws, nails etc., says Audrey, they would meet the 10 a.m. bus at Oaklands and give the conductor a list to drop off at Mr Merriman’s shop on his way to Tenby. It was then collected on the return journey, arriving at Oaklands at 11 a.m. The bill would be paid the next time Audrey was in Kilgetty. Mrs Eileen Oriel (nee Allen) Eileen Oriel Mrs Oriel, an only child, was born in Ruel Wall on November 18th 1922. Her parents were Ellen and Fred Allen who were farmers. Eileen’s maternal grandmother, Sarah James, was the midwife in Llanteg - she had lived in 83 Untitled-1 83 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS the Rose Cottage area, moving to Ruel Wall when she married. Eileen attended Crunwere Primary School and then Narberth Grammar School, leaving at fifteen years of age, her favourite subject being maths. She recalls playing ball, skipping and hop-scotch in the playground. Their shopping was done locally but they also grew a lot of their own food. She can remember peddlers calling. Holidays were often spent with relatives in Burry Port, Port Talbot (travelling by bus) and Lampeter Velfrey. Eileen walked about half a mile to school but remembers having to walk two miles to Tavernspite to catch a bus to attend music lessons in Whitland. She attended Crunwere Church and recalls family get-togethers at Christmas. The family had a wireless and Eileen acquired her first TV in 1957. She has been married twice. Her first husband was John Mason from Templeton whom she married in January 1943, becoming a war widow in 1944. She remarried in 1949 at Narberth to Howell Oriel (his father being Tom Oriel, a carpenter). Eileen had four children and now has grandchildren and one great- grandchild. She spent many years living at Goitre Farm and now resides in Kilgetty. A Pre-War Childhood recalled by Mr D. Wolff Desmond Wolff Laurels Mountain In the pre-war world of Llanteg, bird life on the Laurels mountain - as elsewhere - was abundant and included curlew, peewit, and many smaller 84 Untitled-1 84 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS species. Larks would ascend vertically without missing a note and never seeming to run short of breath. In the evening, owl calls made by us children through cupped hands, or with the aid of an empty aspirin bottle, would usually get a response, with the call of the real owl becoming louder as it homed in on us. After dark, a night-jar could be heard for long periods, like a tiny motor mower, periodically dropping down the scale for just a moment and then at once returning to its original note to resume a steady drone. Gorse in some parts of the mountain grew high enough for our childhood games of hide-and-seek, whilst further over towards the Captain’s Pond there was enough open space to allow for an impromptu game of football. The Island Pond (now overgrown with reeds) was large enough to be used for ‘sliding’ after a hard winter frost, our hobnailed boots being very suitable for the purpose. At other seasons of the year the Captain’s Pond was home to moorhens, dragonflies, frogs - and of course, tadpoles. A favourite occupation of ours was to light a fire in one of the large pits on the Laurels mountain near the Mountain Chapel, and bake potatoes on stones arranged as a hearth. These pits were a source of clay which householders would mix with coal slack to form ‘culm’, which made an efficient fuel for domestic fires. At bedtime the fire in the kitchen range would be banked with a layer of this culm and a few vent holes made with a poker. In the morning there would be a glowing fire, heating water on one side of the range, and the oven on the other, while kettles and saucepans stayed hot on the hobs. I was told by Mr William Allen of Rose Cottage that he could not recall the fire there ever having been out. The Countryside Tranquillity was a feature of the Llanteg locality which no doubt we took for granted. A horse-drawn mowing machine could be heard at quite a distance - you would know when it changed direction by the clack- clack-clack of the turning mechanism which kept each wheel at the appropriate speed relative to the other when making a turn. Lacking such things as television, sometimes after the Sunday evening church service we might have a sing-song, sitting at the crossroads and seldom disturbed by traffic. Alternatively, we might do a run ‘round the chapel’, from the crossroads to the Captain’s Pond, up the Stoney Road to the Mountain Chapel and back down past the Laurels. It seemed like a good idea at the time! 85 Untitled-1 85 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Walking from Whitland railway station held the promise, near the end of the walk, of suddenly coming upon the view of the village from near the top of the Rectory hill, with the school at the centre and the sea and horizon beyond - in short, home. Also special to us was (and still is) the view of Tenby after dark as seen from near the Captain’s Pond. Gypsies frequently camped at the top of Allen’s Lane. They would make pegs out of sticks cut from the hedges, the two halves of the peg held together near the top by a strip of tin secured by a small nail. They also made tin pans and other kitchen utensils for sale. Every so often the Council would ask Mr Reg Glanville at the garage to paint a sign with the words ‘No Camping Allowed. By Order’. This would be nailed, rather optimistically, to a post at the top of the lane. The Garage Reggie’s Garage 1930s Photo: Marjorie Thomas Reg Glanville had the garage built in the late 1920s, near the location of the present garage on the crossroads. It was a magnet for many of us. The hand-operated petrol pumps were Shell, Pratts and R.O.P. - Russian Oil Products - which with those initials was doomed to be unkindly referred to as Rotten Old Petrol. Prices in about 1935 ranged from elevenpence- 86 Untitled-1 86 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS halfpenny to one shilling and twopence per gallon. Oil lamps were used in the home, and oil stoves in some homes, so the garage stocked paraffin oil. Popular makes of stove were Valor and Florence. On a three-burner stove the oven would span two burners, or could be taken off to make room for other utensils. Mothers, as always, coped remarkably well. Before we set off for church in our Sunday best, the joint would be put in the oven and things seemed to be just right when we returned. Tobacco and cigarettes were also on sale at the garage. Reg used an engine and generator to charge car batteries and ‘wet’ batteries for the old-style valve wireless sets, which also needed a ‘dry’ battery. The wet battery would last a few weeks on average before it needed recharging. Like most cars at that time, the engine at the garage had to be hand-cranked to start, then it was fascinating to us to watch the slightly flickering needles of the gauges registering the rate of charge. Rather than being intrusive, the putt-putt-putt of the engine was a reassuring sound. For Reg it was a logical step to use accumulators for lighting his house, Ashdale, long before mains electricity came to the village. Entertainment On bank holidays we would sit on the bench near Reg’s garage and watch for cars on the main road, hoping to be first to identify the make. As there were not many cars about in those days, there was a certain amount of anticipation as soon as an engine was heard. There were hedges at the crossroads, but as traffic increased these hedges were replaced by railings in the interests of safety. There would usually be motorcycle races at Pendine on a bank holiday, so we could either walk across Marros mountain or cycle via Red Roses or Amroth. Concerts were held in the schoolroom at Llanteg, and usually featured brave souls singing songs or giving recitations, and choral singing by both ladies and men. Sometimes a play would be performed. On these occasions a stage would be erected and benches brought down from the Mountain Chapel. This was achieved by balancing the benches on bikes and progressing as best we could. Things somehow arrived in one piece. In the earlier years there would occasionally be a Minstrel show. Two of us have combined our memories to reproduce an actual conundrum from such a show, and here it is:- ‘If a hen and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half, how 87 Untitled-1 87 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS long would it take a squint-eyed bloater to swim through a yard of treacle if sugar is twopence-halfpenny a pound?’ The cinema was of course a major attraction. Sometimes a game of pitch and toss would decide whether one could afford a ninepenny seat, or try again next week, cycling into Tenby to Shanly’s Pavilion or the Royal Playhouse. Mr Albert Bevan was a highly accomplished cinema organist at that time. There would normally be a ‘B’ picture before the main feature, usually in the form of a serial, so that viewers would want to return the following week to keep up with the story. A nice touch was that a free cast-list of the actors and actresses in the film could be picked up in the foyer. Nowadays the credits are rolled so fast that it is impossible to get more than the first two or three names! Road Sense My first sight of a steamroller was an event to eclipse any other kind of eclipse. It appeared with a road-mending crew of five or six men, coming from the direction of the Captain’s Pond down towards the school. To a little lad this ten-ton snorting monster represented high adventure indeed. It had the name ‘Invicta’ in brass letters and the insignia of a rearing horse, also in brass. Two shining brass bands encircled the boiler. A large flywheel whizzed round and each blast of power was followed by a small cloud of steam from the funnel. For any change of direction, the driver spun a bright steel wheel, with upright handle, at high speed. This controlled the steering via a great chain on either side of the roller. The men went ahead of the roller, using shovels to spray stone chippings which had been left heaped in piles alongside the road. Overall, there was a wonderful smell of hot oil. I was totally absorbed by the spectacle and by the noise of the stones being crushed into the road surface, until the crew drew alongside where I was standing. I heard one - called Shorty by his mates - suddenly exclaim, ‘There’s another one!’ as he reached down to pick up a coin, which he proceeded to rub clean of dirt. This happened a couple of times, with Shorty invariably being the lucky one. He kindly took me into his confidence, and explained that a few days earlier one of the crew had been run over by the steam roller, and as it had been pay-day, all his loose coins had been scattered into the piles of chippings. His mates had carried the unfortunate man back to his house, but his wife was not at home and the doors were locked. There was only Untitled-1 88 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 88

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS one thing they could do - they slid their flattened comrade under the door. One or two of the gang tut-tutted and shook their heads at this doleful memory. It was hinted that if I should care to try my luck, there was a spare shovel handy. The shovel may have been bigger than I was, but nevertheless I set to work with a will. However, such grim news could not be contained for long, and having failed to become wealthy I decided to go indoors and tell my mother the frightful details of the accident. She did not appear to be suitably shocked, and with the merest trace of a smile she suggested that someone had been pulling my leg, adding that it was all part of growing up. And so it was. A lot of bottle Lemonade bottles used a fascinating system of closure before metal bottle-caps came into general use. In manufacture, a glass marble would be placed within the bottle, the neck was pinched in, and then below that a rubber washer formed a seal. During the filling process the marble would locate against the seal and be held there by the pressure of gas introduced to make the lemonade fizzy. The bottles were re-usable, but if broken accidentally or intentionally, the prize was the marble, sometimes called an ‘ally’ after the earlier version made of alabaster. Crates of bottles were usually labelled ‘Thomas of Swansea’ and the retailer was provided with a bottle-opener in the form of a round wooden cap having a peg in the centre. This was placed over the mouth of the bottle and pushed down hard to dislodge the marble. As a lad I was most impressed by a young lady in a shop in Amroth: she could ignore the opener and use her thumb instead. She was accordingly my heroine for some time, and would have been quite unaware that in order to watch this operation I squandered my pocket money on more lemonade than was advisable. She would certainly not have known that her most excellent thumb was directly responsible for a small boy’s noisily-gurgling progress through Amroth. Nowadays such a bottle is sold for between £3 and £5. And no pop. Getting About There was a good deal of walking done in my childhood. Small children - some less than four years old - would walk to school with older Untitled-1 89 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 89

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS brothers and sisters. On the day of Whitland mart several ladies from the village would walk to Whitland with a large basket of produce on each arm. And it was not out of the ordinary for someone to walk to the dentist’s surgery in Whitland, have a tooth extracted, and walk back again. I remember an unusual visitor on foot was a gentleman from West Rose. He would appear at the school supporting a very large tray of pastries on his head. The pastries were delicious and cost a penny each. He would continue around via Tavernspite and thence towards the Roses. Perhaps the gain was not worth the effort, as I do not recall seeing him over consecutive years. Then again, the weather could have been a problem. For some, the pony and trap provided a useful form of transport. I have a clear memory of Mr Morris and family from Furzy Park singing in the trap as they headed home in the evening after a visit to Amroth. There were a few cars and a few motorcycles in the village before the war, but bicycles were the main form of transport. In 1932 my Raleigh cost £5 3s 6d - the equivalent today is £300. Bikes were used to get to school, to work outside the village, to the doctor’s surgery in Saundersfoot, and for all kinds of errands. Cans of water from the well on the Rectory hill would be carried on the handlebars. (This was usually bad news for the handle of the can in the ensuing downhill dash over rough sections of the road.) Mr William Allen did the village postal round by bike, his progress heralded by powerful whistling; and every year French onion-sellers would appear with hanks of onions draped over their handlebars. In summer, after Sunday school or having missed Sunday school, some of us would make a dash for Amroth. We could go for a swim or for a walk along the sands and be confident that on our return the bikes would be where they had been left. At holiday times our bikes would be used for going further afield, to Carmarthen, Tenby, Pembroke, Haverfordwest Air Display, and various coastal sites. It was even possible to tell by sound when we were crossing from Pembs into Carms at Pennsylvania/Pencilvania corner: the hum of the tyres changed, as the two counties presumably used a slightly different specification for road surfacing. In the absence of Oakwood-style thrills, a fair substitute was to get the bike up to maximum speed down the Rectory hill and shoot across the main road at the bottom. Just as well that traffic was sparse. Oil lamps were not very successful on bikes as they gave a poor Untitled-1 90 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 90

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS light and tended to blow out going downhill, just when they were needed most. Acetylene lamps were the mainstay (carbide obtained from Reg’s garage) until battery lamps became common. Failure to have a light on the machine after dark risked a fine of five shillings and a record of one’s sins in the newspaper. Occasionally a policeman would lie in wait after lighting-up time, and the challenge ‘Where’s your light?’ ringing out in the darkness was as alarming as Dick Turpin’s ‘stand and deliver!’ must have been. Speedy offenders would sometimes chance the reply, ‘Next to my liver’. On one notable occasion some of the lads were returning from a visit to the cinema in Tenby. At the bottom of Wooden hill the challenge rang out, and one of the number decided to make a dash for freedom. The policeman, maddened by this disregard for authority and possibly by rain trickling down his collar while in ambush, flung his own bike at the escaper, who landed all of a caffle in the hedge. ‘Why didn’t you stop?’ thundered the policeman. Disentangling himself from hedge and machine, our hero retorted with unassailable logic, ‘I have stopped!’ Fined five shillings... Tempted by sharp advertising in a catalogue, I bought an oil lamp. The first tryout was on a ride to Tenby, solo, to see the film ‘The Invisible Man’, at the time considered a bit of a thriller. On the way home (feeling suitably apprehensive) all was well until top speed was reached on the descent from Kilgetty into Stepaside, at which point the lamp blew out. No bike light and no street light. Fumbling with matches to relight the lamp while expecting a tap on the shoulder from the Invisible Man was a white-knuckle operation. It didn’t occur to me at the time that he could just as easily tap my shoulder in broad daylight. I made unusually good time from there home and immediately began the long hard slog to save up for an acetylene lamp. These acetylene lamps needed calcium carbide and water. Idle hands soon found other uses for carbide. A hammer and nail would be used to punch a hole in the base of a Tate & Lyle syrup tin, a couple of lumps of carbide would be put in the tin, a little water added, the lid firmly closed and the tin laid on its side. A lighted match would be held near the hole and the lid would blow off with a satisfying bang. Occasional backfires could give the incautious a smoky appearance. A lump of carbide in an inkwell was usually good for a laugh, 91 Untitled-1 91 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS though not always good for the offender. Serving the Public Bus services were run by Ebsworth Bros., Laugharne and Pendine, and provided a useful means of getting to Tenby and Carmarthen. The buses were Leyland Lion and Leyland Tiger, and we imagined good points in favour of one or the other. Visiting trade and business vehicles included the post office van from Narberth. Mr Francis, of Western Counties Agriculture, came from St Clears with products such as cattle feed, which would be stored at the Laurels. DCL Yeast had a regular schedule, and Mr Morris the Baker from Whitland made a weekly visit by van. Mr T.Pomeroy, a draper from Pendine, would visit to take orders for suits, etc. The Brook Bond Tea Co. made deliveries to the Laurels using a two-stroke chain-driven Trojan van. It had a distinctive sound and could be heard approaching, slowly, from at least a mile away. Mrs Raymond had the shop and post office at the Laurels, run mainly - and eventually entirely - by her niece Margaret Morris (later Mrs Bowen), known universally as Maggie or Peg. Peg moved around at all times at a brisk trot. The shop was a gathering point for the village and many customers came from further afield. Closing time was decidedly flexible. The telephone was installed in the 1930s, the kiosk being in the yard outside the shop. The original exchange number was Llanteg 32. Slightly further out, the shop at Middleton was deservedly renowned for wonderful home-baked bread. Nurse Greenslade used to come from the Sheepwalks on a small motorcycle to check the schoolchildren. Additionally, a doctor from the Board of Health would visit periodically to do a progress check on weight, height, dental and general health of the pupils. For grown-ups, a visit to the doctor usually meant a trip to Saundersfoot, and to the dentist probably Whitland or Tenby. School Games A casual type of soccer could be played in the school field, but as the field sloped towards Milton and had a lumpy surface, this was not especially successful. Also, because there was a good deal of blackthorn in the hedges, punctures to the football were frequent, and happened particularly when the ball was kicked around in the upper and lower yards. Untitled-1 92 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 92

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS Group games involving pursuit were low on logic but high on excitement, as in: ‘Heckety peckety, I broke my leg. Where? By the red gate. What do you want? A pair of stockings. What colour? Blue/red/green/yellow’ etc. The chase was on when the correct colour was called. Broken leg or not, some impressive speeds were attained. Similarly: ‘Sheep, sheep, come home! We’re afraid. Of what? The wolf. The wolf has gone to Devonshire and won’t be back for seven years - so run, sheep, run!’ (Panic stations.) Hoops provided a popular form of exercise. A hoop and skid made by a blacksmith were ‘top of the line’, although the hoop would sometimes fail at the weld. Those of us less fortunate would use the iron band from a suitably sized wooden wheel. This type was prone to bounce on rough ground, and skinned knuckles were guaranteed. The skid was made from thin rod or heavy-gauge fence wire. Useful distances could be covered when running errands, with the hoop providing a pleasant distraction. Whipping tops, too, were popular. One model was called the ‘Jackie Jumper’, very approximately mushroom-shaped, with the upper part extending beyond the slim body. The string of the whip would be wound round the lower part, a finger placed on top, and the whip pulled smartly to start rotation. A crack of the whip would cause the top to jump - it could be over a low wall, for instance - and land spinning on the other side. Another type of top had a wider body, and was shaped like an upright cylinder standing on an inverted cone. This type was stable and would spin for longer periods than the Jumper before needing renewed impetus. Most boys were avid collectors of cigarette cards, and these would Untitled-1 93 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 93

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS be exchanged as appropriate to make up a complete set. The cards were well produced and informative, the emphasis being mainly on sport and featuring stars of cricket, soccer and rugby; or alternatively a series might portray cars. Anyone wishing to dispose of duplicates or other unwanted cards would shout ‘scaddly pluck’ in the playground and fling the cards to the winds. Then it was every man for himself. School handicrafts consisted mainly of raffia work for girls, making items such as table mats, and boys produced fretwork items such as pipe racks (fretsaws, blades, patterns etc., from Hobbies of Birmingham). In the village there may still be pipe racks which either caused some family members to take up smoking out of loyalty, or put them off the pipe for ever. And that was just the mothers... Games out of School One day, seeking diversion, my brother decided that we should try being pirates. This involved making wooden cutlasses and daggers, and acquiring suitably villainous accessories such as belts and headscarves. My father (headmaster Mr F.E.C.Wolff), due perhaps to the absence of telephones, used to send out frequent notes of the utmost urgency to various locations. During our preparations for entering the grim trade of piracy, my father appeared with an urgent note for Castle Ely Mill. Not a moment to lose! Forsaking cutlass and headscarf, I shot off by bike followed by admonitions to ‘ginger it up a bit’. The Mill at that time was occupied by the Misses Cissie and Millie John, as pleasant a pair of ladies as one could wish to meet. It was Millie who came to the door. I said good morning - and Millie burst into peals of laughter, trying gamely to read the note. She regained control long enough to go inside, and returned with Cissie. Cissie in her turn seemed to have some difficulty reading the note, and I began to wonder whether my father had taken to writing dangerously comic verse. But they managed to say, in answer to the note’s contents, that yes, that would be all right. As I pedalled away they appeared to be holding each other up. I was slightly puzzled, but very pleased that I had found a way of saying ‘good morning’ that could spread so much joy. Back at the piracy factory, something appeared to be amusing my brother as I hove into view. No need to try out my new ‘good morning’ technique. I had quite forgotten that he had, before we were interrupted in our preparations, used burnt cork to give me a particularly ferocious black Untitled-1 94 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 94

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS moustache. I remember that it curled up at the ends just below my ears. My father would not have noticed, and my brother would not have let on, as I headed for the Mill. I was about seven at the time, and wisely decided thereafter to abandon piracy. Bits and Bobs If you come upon a snake which is motionless, and then there is a sudden shower of rain and the snake starts to move in an erratic manner, it is almost certainly a Vindshield Viper. If a blackberry is red, it means it is still green. To be very cold was to be ‘stivelling’, and to be very hot was to be ‘stumming’. Quite early on in my boyhood I was told that there was an interesting headstone in Crunwere churchyard. The story was that a stonemason had been asked to inscribe the stone with the words ‘LORD SHE WAS THINE’. The stonemason misjudged the spacing, leaving insufficient room, so that the final inscription read, ‘LORD SHE WAS THIN’. I don’t think I ever quite believed this, but have to admit to having had a furtive look any way. The following was told me by Peg of the Laurels (the term ‘to lap’ is used in the sense of ‘to fold over’) :- Peg’s uncle, Bob Davies (also uncle of our present Bob Davies of Stanwell and Greenacre) had gone out to California to represent a business firm. One day he was having a snack in a cafeteria when a man who had been sitting at a nearby table approached him. ‘Excuse me,’ the stranger said, ‘are you from Pembrokeshire?’ Astounded, Mr Davies replied that indeed he was, and asked what in the whole wide world had prompted such a question. ‘Well,’ said the man, ‘I noticed that you lapped your bread over. That’s something we do in Pembrokeshire.’ Foot note: Mr Davies became highly successful and settled in California. A Teenager’s Views In contrast to the above reminiscences of older inhabitants we have also spoken to a fifteen year old from the parish to see how life has changed. The boy was born in hospital and lives with his parents and brother, never having to share a bedroom. Untitled-1 95 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 95

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS After attending Mothers and Toddlers and Playschool he started primary school at four years of age. There was no need to walk to school as he was either driven or provided with a school bus. Classes were still of around thirty pupils but now new subjects such as Information Technology (computers) and Business Studies are included. The boy’s favourite subjects are maths and computers. Also the sports provided are more varied - football, rugby, hockey, basketball, swimming etc. When younger he attended Beavers in Kilgetty - there were no groups for children in the village. Later he went on to attend Summerhill Youth Club. He recalls playing tag, football and cricket at playtimes when younger. His chosen out of school activity is now computers. Food habits have also changed with his favourite meals being pizza and curry. Shopping is done once a week at Tesco’s, with bread and milk being bought weekly there too. The family have always had a car but he does occasionally use buses from Amroth. Untitled-1 96 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 96

LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS BIBLIOGRAPHY Census Returns - Haverfordwest Record Office. Enclosure Award 1868 - Haverfordwest Record Office. Tithe Map and Schedule 1842 - Haverfordwest Record Office. Turnpike Road Papers 1830s - Haverfordwest Record Office. Land Tax List 1911 - Haverfordwest Record Office. Hearth Tax 1670 - Haverfordwest Record Office. Land Tax 1787 - Haverfordwest Record Office. Place Names of Pembrokeshire - B.G.Charles, 1992. Crunwere School Log Books and Admissions Register - Haverfordwest Record Office. Historic Houses of Pembrokeshire - Haverfordwest Record Office. Parish Magazine 1897-1901 - Wilson Museum Narberth. St Elidyrs Church - Dr Charles F. Shepherd, 1933. A Pembrokeshire Countryman Looks Back - Commander W. R. Morris, 1988 Five Arches Press, Tenby. Narberth Weekly News 1912, 1924-1926 - Tenby Library. 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey Maps. Notes on the History of the Baptist Churches at Saundersfoot and Zoar Llanteg by the Rev. Thomas Davies. Printed at the “Weekly News” offices, Narberth. Papers and conveyance relating to Zoar Baptist Chapel. Dyfed Archaeological Trust. Correspondence from Mr B. H. J. Hughes, Historian, Pembroke Dock. Untitled-1 97 8/8/2009, 11:10 AM 97

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