70 years ago today
Tag: Cyfarthfa School
Jimmy Edwards, Nancy Whiskey and an 11 year old Boy
by Brian Jones
The atmosphere in the red double-decker bus was a mixture of excitement and apprehension – the experienced pupils were pleased to renew old acquaintances, whilst the nervous first year boys and girls tended to quiet reflection. The bus, with the conductor keeping a watchful eye, meandered down Twyn hill, up the High Street to Pontmorlais, then skirted Merthyr General Hospital and finally reached its destination at Gwaelodygarth, near the top gates of Cyfarthfa Park. A mass of buses disgorged hundreds of Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School pupils, 120 of whom were about to begin the first day of a new adventure.
The ten minute walk through the park would be repeated innumerable times over the next seven happy and eventful years. Amongst the wave of children, some marched at a brisk pace, others moved slowly and deliberately, whilst a few set off on a hurried race ignoring the beauty of the park. Soon each of the four seasons would pass leaving each of their distinctive colours and smells lingering in the memory – the odour of wet leaves crushed underfoot in autumn, the snow and ice of winter, the showers of rain that heralded a new spring, and finally the shade of the trees providing some relief on the occasional hot days of summer.
The girls peeled away – on the path to the rear of the school while the boys from 11 to 18 years of age followed the gentle downward slope to the front of the school. Only the sixth form and teaching staff could enter through the quadrangle, while the Lower and Middle schools walked a little further through the yard and into the long school corridor.
In 1957 Jimmy Edwards (left) was the star of the B.B.C television comedy series “Whacko” which was shown on small black and white television sets with poor picture and sound reception. Jimmy’s trademark handlebar moustache, mortarboard and black academic gown marked him out as the incompetent schoolmaster, forever jousting with that errant pupil “Taplow”. Their fictitious school mirrored some of the features of “The Castle” – the academic dress of the staff; the occasional corporal punishment; the management of the pupils by the school prefects, all of who seemed like giants to that very small 11 year-old boy. The prefects would dish out lines for the slightest perceived misdemeanours saying “100 lines by tomorrow boy” then to rattle off at breakneck speed, “Deep harm to disobey seeing as obedience is a bond of rule”.
In other respects the school where Jimmy Edwards ruled the roost was very unlike “The Castle”. There all pupils were “posh” whereas at Cyfarthfa the school was a delicious mix of children of professionals, tradesmen and unskilled workers – the sons and daughter of teachers, · electricians and fitters, production operatives at Hoovers, I.C.I, B.S.A and Triang Toys. In the comedy series all of the children were English through and through, with appropriate English surnames. In my class there were Bernstein, Lozano, Jones, Walsh, Robertson, Olsen and Muller reflecting the local ethnic mix, as a result of immigration spread over the previous century.
A few months earlier the 120 new entrants to the school had passed the 11 Plus Examination whereas on that first morning of term they assembled in the old school hall, which would soon be converted into extra classrooms. The stern looking Headmaster, Mr W. Lloyd Williams M.A. (right) began the introductions and commenced the allocations to forms by asking, “All those who wish to study Welsh hold up your hands!” Then thirty or so pupils were placed into form 2A and the remainder allocated into three streamed forms of 2B, 2C and 2D.
Mr Bernard Jenkins (English) took charge of form 2B. A lover of golf he proved a humorous, if strict form master. Later that day we would meet our new teachers such as May Treharne (Latin); Mr J H Davies (French) a short man nicknamed “Twiddles”; Mr A G Harris (Geography) known as Gus who prior to World War II had married a former school P.E mistress, Miss Florence Price, and set up home near Penydarren Park; Maud Davies (Biology) who lived in Treharris and was a cousin of the Headmaster; the History teacher, Mr G L Williams nicknamed “Nero” and Mr Trevor Jones (English) who lived in Twynyrodyn and who joined the staff in 1952.
Mr Harvard Walters (Welsh) (left) had been at the school since 1936 and much later became the Deputy Headmaster. One of his tasks was to begin the long and frustrating attempt to teach the Welsh National Anthem and school song, the first 2 lines of which were:-
Ienctyd y Castell, Caer I Ddysg a Hedd,
Gloewn Ein Harfau I’r Gad Ddi-gledd.
Many a time he would despair at the “Wenglish” of most of the pupils moaning that they were “a lot of Dowlais Cockneys”.
At lunchtime we marched to the canteen sited in its own ground to the rear of the school where under the keen eyes of the prefects we were taught dining room etiquette. Each pupil was careful to walk slowly to each of the afternoon lessons with leather satchels becoming heavier as the day progressed. New friends were quickly made and by the end of that school day new groups ambled back to the buses, however most of the pupils soon had their school tie askew, and gold trimmed school cap set at an angle.
The journey home on the bus was light-hearted although the prefects still remained in firm control. The older boys whistled the catchy tune of the song “Freight Train” which had been recorded by the singer Nancy Whiskey, just at the end period of the Skiffle craze. The new boy alighted from the bus at Penuel Chapel on Twyn Hill, with his school satchel seeming to “weigh a ton”, however as each of the years passed it lost its shine and became as “light as a feather”.
I remember with affection Jimmy Edwards, Nancy Whiskey and that first day at “The Castle”.
Death in a Prison Camp
The following article appeared in the Merthyr Express 80 years ago today…
Dewi Bowen – A Tribute
by Mansell Richards
Earlier this year, on 16 June, Merthyr lost one of its great characters, and a huge champion of the town’s heritage, when Dewi Bowen passed away at the age of 93. Here his friend and former colleague, Mansell Richards pays tribute to the great man.
Dewi Bowen was a legend in his home village of Cefn-Coed, a legend at Cyfarthfa Castle School and a legend across the town of Merthyr Tydfil.
A naturally amusing man, he enjoyed making people laugh, whether passers-by in the street, his school pupils and their teachers – not forgetting headmasters – canteen ladies and caretakers, councillors and mayors. But he will be remembered mainly as a gifted artist and teacher. His imaginative artistic output was prodigious: his illustrations of scenes redolent of Merthyr and district’s rich and colourful history can be counted in their hundreds. It is no exaggeration to say that no individual over the decades contributed more to the heritage of this famous Welsh town.
Dewi was born on 7 August 1927 at number 87, High Street, Cefn-Coed-y-Cymmer (he loved to give his village its full title). From an early age he showed artistic talent which was nurtured at his beloved Vaynor and Penderyn Grammar School. In 1944 on leaving school at seventeen, he was directed to work as a coal miner for 2 years as part of the national war effort against Hitler’s Germany. This meant he had to postpone entry to art college. Dewi took pride in his years as a ‘Bevin boy’ at Elliot Colliery, New Tredegar and the Rock Colliery, Glynneath.
Indeed his memories of being a young miner never left him. Many of his detailed illustrations were based on his observations of those hard- working men who risked their lives daily in often dangerous conditions.
Similarly, he identified strongly with the soldier in both World Wars, but especially during the First World War. He never tired of telling of his father’s experience at Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, while his mother served as a nurse in both those wars. This strong affinity with the soldier never left him. Thus in later years, he joined a British Legion excursion to Flanders in order to be present at the unveiling of a sculptured red dragon monument at the site of the Battle of Mametz Wood, where thousands of Welshmen had been killed in 1916.
Dewi never refused work for charities. His cleverly designed, eye-catching posters, advertising fund-raising events appeared at local shops, pubs and libraries. Indeed, he and his scholarly brother Dr Elwyn Bowen MBE, to whom he was devoted, made a massive contribution toward necessary funding, estimated at tens of thousands of pounds, when the Urdd National Eisteddfod visited Merthyr in 1987.
Dewi rejoiced also in designing the scenery for the Cefn-Coed Operatic Society which flourished during the 1950s and, contributed greatly in this respect to the annual stage musicals and concerts performed by pupils and staff of Cyfarthfa High School, a school he served loyally for 30 years.
Continuing along the cultural path, his work was regularly exhibited at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, while he contributed to many heritage projects across Merthyr and other districts of South Wales.
He took a particular interest in the preservation of the Joseph Parry Birthplace Project which won the Prince of Wales award. He played a pivotal role in this success for his school. The visitor to 4, Chapel Row, Georgetown will see a beautifully inscribed stone plaque alongside its front door. Not only did Dewi purchase the block of dressed-stone out of his own pocket, but he lovingly carved the inscription, including the evocative words, ‘Joseph Parry, y bachgen bach o Ferthyr, erioed, erioed- Joseph Parry, a little boy from Merthyr , forever, forever’. This carved tablet will remain a monument to the creative talent of Dewi Bowen.
His final contribution to the Merthyr cultural scene was to provide the superb illustrations for a book on Merthyr place-names, compiled by Malcolm Llewelyn. Dewi was delighted to be invited as a guest to the book’s launch last year.
But let us return to his never-to-be-forgotten humour, which appealed to people of all ages. At Cyfarthfa School, some pupils with only limited talent were known to have opted for art, mostly for the pleasure of being taught by him. Several brought him regular small gifts of sweets, while one girl, aware of his liking for wimberry tart, presented him with one every autumn. He was, undoubtedly, one of Cyfarthfa School’s most popular teachers.
One story he liked to tell concerned a friendship he had at Cardiff College of Art with the beautiful future actress Anna Kashfi, who was later to marry the Hollywood star, Marlon Brando. When teased about this, Dewi replied ‘I never understood how she preferred Brando to Bowen!’
Dewi never owned a car, preferring to walk almost everywhere. He particularly loved walking holidays during his earlier years. He visited the Holy Land and parts of Russia. When asked why he loved walking so much, he replied. ‘If you’ve spent 3 days in an ancient bus crossing the Negev Desert in the company of 2 Arabs and 50 sheep, you too, would enjoy walking’.
On another occasion he accompanied a friend to see a Wales/England rugby match at Twickenham. With Wales snatching victory towards the end, Dewi insisted on joining the triumphant Welsh supporters on the famous pitch. He astonished his friend by asking for help in order to ascend one of the very high rugby posts. After climbing unsteadily onto his friend’s shoulders, they were both confronted by a London policeman, who turned to the friend with the instruction ‘put the gentleman down please sir’. Some yards away a group of Cyfarthfa sixth-formers were holding their sides with laughter.
Dewi loved music, especially light opera. He was a regular visitor to Cardiff theatres to enjoy Gilbert and Sullivan productions. He loved singing some of the songs in his distinctive sweet tenor voice, often when talking to friends on the telephone. Dewi would entertain at the drop of a hat.
But his greatest love was his family. He nursed his mother who lived to be a hundred during her final years, while his admiration for his brother Elwyn was profound. He received considerable love and support from his exceptionally loyal nieces, Ann and Elizabeth and sister-in-law Gwynfa, while he gained much joy from his young great nephews, Ewan and Llyr.
There can be no better epitaph to Dewi than in Shakespeare’s words:-
‘We shall not live to see his like again’.
Merthyr’s Heritage Plaques: Philip Arvon Jones (Philip Madoc)
by Keith Lewis-Jones
Plaque sited at Bryn Street, Twynyrodyn, CF47 0TG
Born Phillip Jones near Merthyr Tydfil, he attended Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School, where he was a member of the cricket and rugby teams and displayed talent as a linguist. He then studied languages at the University of Wales and the University of Vienna. He eventually spoke seven languages, including Russian and Swedish, and had a working knowledge of Huron Indian, Hindi and Mandarin.
He worked as an interpreter, but became disenchanted with having to translate for politicians: “I did dry-as-dust jobs like political interpreting. You get to despise politicians when you have to translate the rubbish they spout.” He then switched to acting and won a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
Philip Madoc performed many stage, television, radio and film roles. On television, he played David Lloyd George in The Life and Times of David Lloyd George and the lead role in the detective series A Mind to Kill. His guest roles included multiple appearances in the cult series The Avengers and Doctor Who, as well as a famous episode of the sitcom Dad’s Army.
I remember that…..
by Margaret Dooley née McLenahan
I lived in Pant and one of my earliest memories is the smell of baking bread from Jenkins’ bakehouse. I was often dispatched to get a loaf, which would still be warm. By the time I got home I would have eaten half the crust. Delicious, never tasted bread like it since.
I remember walking to school in the snow (to Cyfarthfa) as the buses wouldn’t be running. If Mr. Lee, a teacher who lived in Caeracca, could get there, then we were expected to as well.
The Castle Cinema on Saturday night. The last bus to Pant went at 10.30 so if it was a long film you had to choose between seeing the end or a long walk home.
On the same note, ABC minors and getting a bag of chips in newspaper on the way home.
Going shopping in Dowlais with my grandmother (when I was about 8 or 9) and it seeming to take hours as she knew everybody and stopped to talk. I was expected to stand still and not interrupt. Did hear some juicy bits of gossip though!
Happy days!!!
If you would like to submit an article for the ‘I Remember That’ series, please get in touch at merthyr.history@gmail.com
Cyfarthfa Fountain
The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 100 years ago today…
Fountain at Cyfarthfa Park
FORMAL PRESENTATION BY COL. J. J. JONES
On Tuesday afternoon the handsome water fountain presented to Cyfarthfa Park by Col. J. J. Jones, J.P., Cefn Coed, and his family, was formally presented to the Borough. The weather was exceedingly inclement, and during the whole of the interesting ceremony rain fell heavily, especially when Miss Jones turned on the water.
The fountain is planned with a circular basin 16ft. diameter, from the centre of which rises a circular pedestal 2ft. 6in. in diameter surmounted by three figures carrying a cornucopia, from which a jet of water issues. Around the base of the pedestal are carved dolphins and birds from the mouths of which sprays issue. Four winged cherubs riding on dolphins are placed around the basin, sprays issuing from the dolphins’ mouths. From the water line to the top of the pedestal is 9ft. 10in. A very pretty effect is produced when the fountain is in full play. The work has been carried out in Clipsham stone, a similar stone being used on most of the Oxford colleges.
The work has been executed by the well-known firm, Messrs. Martyn and Co., of Cheltenham. The architects were Messrs. Johnson and Richards, of Merthyr. The fountain work was done by Mr. E. P. Davies, builder, Dowlais.
The Mayor called upon Col. Jones to present the fountain to the park and to the inhabitants of the Borough.
Col. J. J. Jones, referring to the pouring rain, facetiously remarked that he was afraid that the people would be of the opinion that the fountain was a superfluity which they might very well do without. (Laughter.) For some years past his sister-in-law Mrs Jones, his nieces and himself had thought of presenting something useful to the Borough, and their chance fell upon this fountain. They thought that looking at the long connection of the family with Cyfarthfa, that it would be most appropriate to place the fountain in Cyfarthfa Park. (Applause.) He was glad they had the consent of the Corporation to erect it there, and it was with great pleasure that he handed the fountain to the town. (Hear, hear.) He was very glad indeed to have had the great skill and experience of Mr. Richards, the architect, to guide them in selection of the design, and also to carry out the work. He devoted a great deal of time and attention to do it, and he was sorry that an engagement in London prevented Mr. Richards from being present at that ceremony. The firm who undertook the work were to be congratulated upon its neat design and beauty. Col. Jones referred to the fact that during the preparation of the fountain his sister-in-law, Mrs. Jones, had passed away, and Mrs Jones was, unfortunately, unable to attend that day. He therefore, had pleasure in presenting the fountain to the people, and a thing of beauty in the beautiful park. (Applause.)
Councillor Dd Jones, Chairman of the Parks Committee, formally accepted the gift on behalf of the Corporation and the inhabitants of Merthyr. He said he was glad to find they had such men as Col. Jones come forward and help to beautify the park and increase the pleasure of the people. He trusted others would follow in his footsteps. (Applause.)
Miss Olive Jones then, amid applause, turned on the water.
At this stage the Mayor said he regretted the absence of Mr. H. Seymour Berry J.P., who had written to say that he was quite unable to fulfil his promise to attend and take part in that interesting function.
His Worship the Mayor moved a hearty vote of thanks to Col. Jones and his family for their generous gift to the townspeople, and said the people of Cefn, who were outside the Borough, would also be able to appreciate it when they visited the park. The name of Col. Jones’ family would now be enrolled in the history of the Borough, and whenever the present and future generations inspected the fountain, they would always refer with pride to the family who were so well known at Cefn. (Hear, hear.)
Councillor Parry, in seconding the vote, said he appreciated the fountain because it was so near the Castle School, and the scholars would be able to admire the work of the sculptor. (Hear, hear.) It would be an incentive to the scholars to make progress in art, and visitors would, he was sure, also appreciate it very much. The inhabitants of Merthyr would always be grateful to Col. Jones and his family for such a handsome gift. (Applause.)
The proposition was carried with acclamation, and Col. Jones having responded in a few, well-chosen words, an interesting ceremony in the history of the Borough concluded.
Many thanks to Tracy Barnard for transcribing this article.
Dr Solomon ‘Sammy’ Bloom
One of the most well-remembered characters in Merthyr between the 1930s and the 1970s was Dr Solomon Bloom, more commonly known as Sammy.
Solomon Bloom was born on 2 November 1898, one of seven children born to Eli and Sarah Bloom. Eli and Sarah (née Levine) were born in Riga, Latvia, but moved to Britain in the late 1800s, eventually settling in Merthyr in 1901 when Eli was appointed as the rabbi at Merthyr Synagaogue.
Sammy was educated at Cyfarthfa Castle School before going to study medicine at Cardiff University, and finishing his medical studies at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, graduating in 1922 as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) and Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (LRCP). He began his medical career as an anaesthetist at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, but soon made the switch to become a surgeon.
In 1930, he returned to Merthyr to go into General Practice with his younger brother Myer (1905-1974), opening a surgery in Church Street; his older brother Abraham already having established himself as a pharmacist in the town, with premises in Victoria Street (right). Shortly afterwards, he was invited to become a member of the honorary medical staff at Merthyr General Hospital, and in 1940 he was appointed as consultant to the Merthyr Tydfil Corporation, working at St Tydfil’s Hospital.
His duties at St Tydfil’s included orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and he also became obstetrician at Gwaunfarren Maternity Hospital and venereologist at the Merthyr special clinic. At the inception of the NHS in 1948, he became senior hospital medical officer at St Tydfil’s. As well as his hospital duties, he carried on his general practice until 1961, when he was given the status of consultant surgeon, a post he relinquished when he retired from surgical practice at the age of 72.
Those who worked with him remember him as a consummate professional and a perfectionist in surgery, gaining the reputation as one of the finest surgeons in the town. Short of stature, he would often have to stand on a platform to perform operations. Despite his elevated medical position and brilliance as a surgeon, his humanity always shone through, and he would always go out of his way to do the best for his patients, and to his colleagues he was simply “a lovely man”.
As well as his medical duties, Sammy Bloom was active in local medical politics, being chairman of the local medical committee and one of the representatives on Merthyr executive council for 14 years. He also served time as chairman of the medical staff committee and of the North Glamorgan Division of the British Medical Association. In addition to this he was appointed chief medical officer to the Welsh Boxing Board of Control, and officiated at many fights. He was also a volunteer for the St John’s Ambulance Brigade as the local corps surgeon, and in 1958, he was appointed an associate officer of the Most Venerable Order of St John.
Away from medicine, his religion meant a great deal to him. A devout Jew, he acted as president of the Merthyr Tydfil Hebrew Congregation for many years, and represented Merthyr on the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
In 1971, he moved to London with his wife Norah, but kept abreast of medical matters by discussing them with four of his five children – two doctors and two optometrists.
Sammy died on 17 August 1989, whilst on holiday. According to his obituary in the British Medical Journal, “typically, he had been playing roulette successfully the night before”. He was 90 years of age.
Air Raid Shelters at Cyfarthfa Castle
The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 80 years ago today (25 May 1940)….
SCHOOL CELLARS AT CYFARTHFA
SUGGESTED USE AS SHELTERS
A suggestion that some of the cellars at the Cyfarthfa Castle should be used as air raid shelters for pupils attending the Cyfarthfa Girls’ Secondary School in preference to the scheme of dispersal to the woods nearby, was put forward by Miss A.C. Davenport, B.Sc., the headmistress, at Wednesday’s meeting of the Merthyr Higher Education Committee.
Mr Andrew Wilson, J.P., the vice-chairman presided.
Miss Davenport said that she would like to use some of the cellars to accommodate the pupils in the event of an air raid, but she understood that permission to do so would have to be obtained from the Museum Committee. Parents were asking what arrangements were being made for the safety of the children, and she was very anxious about it. She had been advised that the cellars were the safest place, and she would like to give the girls practice in order that they would be calm and assured if an air raid did take place.
The school was about 10 minutes from the nearest house. It was either a question of sending the pupils out into the surrounding district or finding accommodation for them in the cellars, and she believed the latter course to be the better.
Mr B.J. Williams pointed out that the heads of the secondary schools were given an open hand to make their arrangements for the safety of the children. As far as the cellars under the museum and school were concerned, he could assure Miss Davenport that anything that could be done, would be done.
Mr Andrew Wilson: I understand that some of the valuable exhibits from the museum have been placed in these cellars.
Miss Davenport: Yes, I suppose they are more valuable than the human lives above.
Mr D. J. Davies, M.A., B.Sc., the headmaster of the Cyfarthfa Boys’ Secondary School, said that he supported Miss Davenport’s suggestion. If there was any accommodation in the cellars which was not required for another purpose he believed the schools should be allowed to use it. There were, however, about 300 girls and 300 boys of the schools and there would not be enough room for all of them in the cellars, but a hundred of the smallest pupils could be sent down there. He was quite prepared to let the girls use the corridors in the boys’ school. They had adopted the scheme of dispersal but he thought that the Castle provided such a target that dispersal to the woods would not be safe. He believed that the schools should be given assistance to dig trenches for added protection.
After further discussion it was decided to refer the matter to the special committee dealing with A.R.P. in schools.
A follow up article appeared in the Merthyr Express on 1 June 1940….
Cyfarthfa Cellars Not Fit For Shelters.
MISS DAVENPORT’S REMARK CRITICISED
A statement made last week at a meeting of the Higher Education Committee by Miss A. C. Davenport, B.SC., headmistress of Cyfarthfa Castle Girls Secondary School, on the provisions made for the pupils of her school in the event of an air raid evinced a reply from Mr F. T. James, chairman of the Museum Committee, at Tuesdays meeting of Merthyr Corporation.
The Mayor (Mr J. W Watkin, J.P.) presided.
It will be recalled that Miss. Davenport told the Higher Education Committee that she would like the use of some of the cellars underneath the Cyfarthfa Museum to accommodate the pupils during an air raid, but she understood that permission had to be obtained from the Museum Committee before that could be done. Mr Andrew Wilson, who presided at that meeting, said that he understood that valuable exhibits from the museum were stored in the cellars, and Miss Davenport replied that “she supposed that they were more valuable than human lives above.”
Referring to the matter on Tuesday, Mr F. T. James said that he had seen in the Merthyr Express that Miss Davenport had stated that she could not agree to the dispersal scheme system and would rather accommodate them in the cellars. She alleged, said Mr James, that the Museum Committee thought more of the storing of exhibits than the lives of the children.
“That is a most unwarrantable thing to say about my committee,” said Mr. James, who added that if it was desired to use the basement it could be done. If there was any committee to blame for not providing refuge for the girls, it was not the Museum Committee.
CELLARS NOT FIT
Mr Lewis Jones, chairman of the Higher Education Committee, told the Corporation that Mr W. T. Owen, M.A. (director of education), Mr A. J. Marshall (borough engineer) and he had visited the Museum that day, and after giving the matter due consideration he did not think that the cellars were fit to put the children in. If they put 200 children there it would be a “Black Hole of Calcutta,” and he could not recommend taking the children there. He would much prefer to see the children go into the woods near by. There was also a corridor in the school which could be used, and would be much safer than the cellars.
Prominent local historian, Joe England, editor of the book ‘Cyfarthfa School: The First 100 Years’ has confirmed that the cellars of the school were never converted for use as air-raid shelters, and luckily, Merthyr never actually had any need for shelters.
Many thanks to Tracy Barnard for transcribing these articles.
Merthyr Memories: Cyfarthfa School Days
by Barrie Jones
Of the many benefits that came to post war children such as myself the most important for me was my passing the Eleven Plus (11+) thus gaining entry to Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School in September 1960. Before the ‘Castle’, I attended St. Mary’s Roman Catholic School in Court Street, known to us boys as the “bottom of the town”. St Mary’s was a small school and boys were taught separately from the girls and even playtimes were held apart. To this day I can recall the name of only one girl who attended the school during my four years there. The boy’s school was on the upper floor with the girls occupying the ground floor. There were only three classrooms on the upper floor, so depending on pupil numbers some doubling up of age groups was necessary. My age group attended Mr. Dennis Hennessey’s class for the final two years.
I remember sitting some of the 11+ test papers in the build up towards the final sitting but I cannot remember the final important test. On the day of the result Mr Cotter, our new Headmaster in that year, called some of us out to the school hallway to tell us we had passed. We all returned to the classroom to thank Mr. Hennessey for getting us through. I recall that two boys who had joined our class in the final year to sit their 12+, passed for Quaker’s Yard Grammar School, two from Cefn Coed went on to Vaynor and Penderyn Grammar School, three others went to the County Grammar School, and four of us went to the Castle. Not a bad number for a small school and I am certain that ‘downstairs’ far more girls than us boys passed.
Today, pupils attending a new comprehensive school have some prior knowledge of their new school through school open days and primary/comprehensive school liaison. In my day the first taste of a new school was on that anxious first day of term. Three of us Castle boys lived in Twynyrodyn, Michael Long in Walter’s Terrace, and Alan Clifford and I on the Keir Hardie Estate, so most weekday afternoons after school we would make the long trek up Twyn Hill together. After the 11+ result we had more to talk about, and one afternoon Alan came up with an idea on how we could see our new school before our first day of term. An aunt of his was a cleaner at the Castle and she offered to take us around the school in the summer holidays. So one morning in August we met up by Penuel Chapel on the Twyn Hill and walked across town to his aunt’s house on the Grawen and from there we were taken up to the school.
My first impression of the school was how big it was! Such long corridors and so many classrooms, how would I ever find my way around? The place was busy with workmen everywhere and two new classrooms were being built on the ground floor in what I later discovered was the boy’s old assembly hall. A new gymnasium had been opened in April 1959 on the site of the old ruined coach house and it doubled up as the boy’s new assembly hall. The new class rooms were necessary to accommodate the impact of the post war baby boom. The Headmaster, W. Lloyd Williams, mentioned the increase in pupil numbers in his 1958/59 School report to the Education Committee calling it a bulge. It was a bulge that would last a long time. Entry numbers continued to increase each year so that by September 1960 the pupil number was 738,405 girls and 333 boys. More girls than boys were entering each year, in my year (1960) there was even a class 2G for girls only!
On my first day at the ‘Castle’ I found out that my form room 2A was one of the very new classrooms I saw being built on the day of our special tour. My Form Master, Mr. Alan James Hill (Religious Education), was new to the school also. The Form Master of the adjoining new classroom, form room 2B, was Mr. Vincent Lee, (English), he was a new starter also, but he had the advantage of being a former pupil of the school. Similar to St Mary’s school we boys were separated from the girls for assembly and play times, we having sole use of the downstairs while the girls occupied the floor above. What I was not prepared for was sharing lessons with girls, something I hadn’t experienced since leaving the Roman Catholic infant’s school in Morgantown.
Unlike the day of our private tour the School was so full and busy with pupils streaming through the corridors in between lessons shepherded by senior boys, the Prefects. Surely these were men who towered over us with beard stubble on their chins! It would take quite a while to settle in but those six years would soon fly by and in my final two years I to would be shepherding pupils in between lessons but with not so much beard stubble.