Tag: Christmas

Christmas 1883

The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 135 years ago today (29 December 1883), and gives details of how Christmas was celebrated in Merthyr all those years ago. It’s remarkable how so much has changed, yet the drunken revelling has not!!!!

CHRISTMASTIDE AT MERTHYR

There was nothing novel in the manner of spending Christmas at Merthyr. For years it has been the practice of a number of young men and women to usher in Christmas by perambulating the streets the livelong night, shouting and screaming and indulging in various kinds of horseplay to their own amusement and the disgust of steady-going citizens trying to get their measure of rest after a hard day’s work. This year was no exception to the disagreeable instinct which seems to have forced the custom upon us. One or two singing parties were out and did their best to relieve the monotony of the other voices by singing some appropriate pieces, but it was a rollicking time for the youngsters who verily did not go home till morning when daylight was about to appear.

The morning was foggy, but it cleared rapidly after sunrise, and such a beautiful, bright, mild spring day has not been experienced on the 25th December for many years. It was most unseasonably fine, and people went abroad in thousands. The Taff Vale Company ran their ordinary service, and the Great Western ran special trains between Merthyr and Hirwain (sic) and vice versa. These trains were crowded with passengers. The interchange of outward and inward traffic was enormous and appeared to be pretty evenly balanced. At a very early hour the High-street was in a state of congestion. The puddle of the roads had no perceptible influence upon the incessant motion of the living stream, and as Christmas day does not rank as a Sunday in the Closing Bill, it was an ordinary day for public houses, which had a tremendous run of business. There was a good deal of drunkenness apparent in the evening, but no rowdyism. The charges at the police station for drunken and disorderly conduct were not numerous.

The usual Christmas dinner to the poor was distributed at St. David’s schoolrooms to over two thousand persons, the expenses of which were defrayed by the subscriptions of the townspeople. The Rector, the High Constable, and a numerous staff of volunteer carvers and distributors were engaged upon this duty for over two hours, well earning their own Christmas dinners, and, as heretofore, they had Mr. T. B. Meredith as their right hand man. Mr. J. Howfield, confectioner, undertook the cooking, which was all that could be desired.

The deaf and dumb people of the Merthyr branch of the Glamorganshire Mission to the Deaf and Dumb were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Rhys Davies at their residence at Courtland Terrace. A large number of mutes came from Merthyr, Dowlais, Aberdare, Tredegar, Rhymney, Cardiff, and Swansea. After dinner, the mutes went up the hill to see one of their number suffering from an injured foot at his house, and one of them took a hat and made a collection for the poor man. After that an adjournment was made to Mr. Davies’s house to tea, which finished, their pastor, the Rev. E. Rowlands, addressed them on the “Love of God”, and after a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Davies for their hospitality, the mutes left, having spent a most enjoyable Christmas.

At the Workhouse and Aberdare School too, the usual sumptuous fare of roast beef and plum pudding was served to the inmates and greatly enjoyed, whilst the additional luxuries of tobacco to the old men and snuff to the old women, as well as tea and coffee, were highly acceptable and appreciated.

Four performances of “The Haymakers” were given by the Bethesda Choir at the Temperance Hall on Christmas and Boxing Days. The powerful attraction of Uncle Tom’s Cabin influenced the attendance here prejudicially, nevertheless, the receipts for the whole series of performances amounted to a considerable sum, and the choir will more than clear all expenses. The performances were highly creditable, and received well-merited applause, the stage scenery being particularly effective. A competitive meeting was held at Bethel Chapel on Christmas Day, and at Hope Chapel on the evening following, while entertainments, dancing parties, and other forms of amusements took place all over the neighbourhood. The Volunteer Band paraded the town on Christmas Day, while the Town Band played several selections on the Market Square on Boxing Day. Altogether, the Christmastide just past has been as busy as any like period for many years.

Merthyr Memories: A Boy’s Christmas in Iron Lane

by Tudor Jones

Sorting out my Christmas stuff this year I came across decorations dating back to the 1950’s at least. These reminded me of my boyhood Christmases in Iron Lane, Georgetown.

Some survivors of the last half century and more include celluloid fairy light shades. I vividly remember my father struggling to get the lights to work, because if only one failed, there were no lights at all. They had to be replaced and tested one by one until the light worked. How fortunate we are today!

I will divide my memories into two sections –

FOOD

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the food was the bird – always a goose, never a turkey. This was roasted on a spit in front of the coal fire as can be seen in the photograph below.

Christmas goose roasting in front of the fire in Iron Lane

This tradition continued throughout my boyhood and beyond. It tasted delicious.

The Christmas pudding was always home-made. It was mixed by my grandmother and boiled in white earthenware pots covered with cotton on the top. One incident sticks in my mind – my grandmother, mother and I were mixing the pudding and beer was needed. For one reason or another I was sent with a jug to a pub a few minutes away on Georgetown Square (I don’t remember which one now). I remember entering the pub and being served the beer. This as a 10 year old! Not to be done today!

On the day itself, the pudding was covered with brandy or rum, then it was set alight. Christmas pudding remains one of my favourite foods. Afterwards, for the only time in the year, my grandmother, mother, father and myself drank alcohol. I remember its sweet taste – cider.

PRESENTS

As an only child in the 1950’s, I was blessed with many gifts at Christmas time, all wrapped – a tradition I continue to this day. Some of the presents I still have, especially the books: ‘Golden Encyclopaedia 1956’, ‘Golden Book of Bible Stories 1957’, ‘Pageant of History 1959’ & ‘Story of Ancient Egypt’.

I also have remnants of a toy zoo, and other odds and ends, but others have long gone. How much would they be worth today? Two remain in my mind. Firstly a Doctor’s set with stethoscope, thermometer, plasters etc, and secondly an electric Triang train set with lots of accessories. I wish I had kept that.

Another present I remember for other reasons. It was a big black box (not wrapped). I opened it, glanced at its contents, said thank you and shut it – never to use it again. The contents – Meccano, pieces of metal which you could use to build, a sort of metal Lego. I then turned to the rest of Father Christmas’ gifts. My father’s hopes of me becoming a draughtsman were dashed. By the way, I still have that box….but not the Meccano contents.

These memories flood back of an exceedingly happy Christmas time in Iron Lane. I remember it with great joy

Christmas 1945

by Laura Bray

The following is an extract of a letter written by my grandmother, 72 years ago today, to her son who was still on service with the Navy. She regularly attended Christ Church, Cyfarthfa, which she talks about in the letter. The vicar in question was Rev Vivian Thomas who was at Cyfarthfa Church from 1937 until 1948.

Christ Church, Cyfarthfa

Merthyr Tydfil
23 December 1945

“Christmas is the day after tomorrow…..It is a happier Christmas in many ways than we have had for the last six years.  The cloud is lifted.  There is no fear. But for ease of living I suppose things are worse than they have been at all at there is no evidence that they will be any better for a very long time.  We shall be paying off our debt to America for generations.

…Vicar got up a carol service this Sunday evening like the one in King’s. Nine lessons by different members of the choir with a carol sung between each.  Two Choir boys read lessons and four of the choir men….

Vicar had a brainwave.  He would have two Christmas trees in church, decorated and lit.  He appealed to the congregation to give him decorations.  But there are none left…..when I went up yesterday to decorate the font he was down in the depths.  His enthusiasm was petering out.  The trees that came were too big. They had had no end of trouble to get them in place. There were no decorations. People wouldn’t lend any and none could be bought.  And he could see he had had the idea the wrong year.  He should have waited until things were normal again etc etc.

We found at home long stands of tinsel – tarnished but whole – and took them up.  I bought silver paper in town and drew a star on paper, a foot across.  We cut it out in stiff cardboard and stuck the silver paper on.  It made two grand stars.  We made two tiny holes and pushed wire through and they were at the very top of the tress and looked well.  In the dark, before the lights were put on, it looked as if it were a star hanging up in the sky.  Vicar had an electrician up who wired one tree for lights, and he put a floodlight to light up the tree.  Only one.  The other tree was against the pillar just beyond the font.  The electrician came to me (I was decorating the font) for cotton wool with which to decorate the tree.  It looks really well……

After the (Carol) service, the whole choir went to the hospital and gave a concert of carols.  They went to six wards….by the end of the tour even those members of the choir who didn’t attend many choir practises, began to know them.

The sideboard is beginning to assume a Christmassy aspect, cards everywhere and oranges and apples.  Think of it.  G told me some time ago that he would see I had oranges and apples for Christmas; though for their business this was going to be the leanest winter of the war.  It is too.  The powers that be purposely arranged that there should be an allocation the week before Christmas.  To keep up our morale, no doubt”

My grandmother next writes on 29 December, when she describes Christmas Day and Boxing Day , shared with family and friends.  The house had  “Usual decorations, a holly wreath tied with red ribbon over the fireplace, the long string of separate letters from the mantlepiece…mistletoe over the hall arch, holly behind every picture…yellow chrysanths in one table vase and holly in the other…best china and linen and a nice big fire ….. on both days your photograph in a silver frame was on the table for meals and there was talk of you all day long”.

It may have been the first Christmas of peace but in many ways it was also the last Christmas of war, when families were still apart, loved and missed.

How different is her description of 1945 from Christmases today.