BBC Homepage Life at Dol-y-clochydddownloads.bbc.co.uk/wales/archive/bbc-north-west-wales...Life at Dol-y-clochydd Last updated: 17 January 2008 Life on a 1940s Dolgellau farm had

BBC HomepageWales Home

BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel

Neighbouring SitesMid Wales

North East Wales

Related BBC SitesWales

Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin

Sundaymax 16°Cmin 9°C

Mondaymax 12°Cmin 7°C

Life at Dol-y-clochyddLast updated: 17 January 2008

Life on a 1940s Dolgellau farmhad quite an effect on a littleboy from southern England.Here's Mike Bowyer'smemories of collecting wood,fishing tadpoles from thedrinking water and negotiatingthe pitfalls of an outdoortoilet.

We arrived in Dolgellau by train sometime in 1940. I can stillremember the journey from Crewe in the "Coffee Pot" train,rather reminiscent of the trains of the old Wild West, as wellas our arrival at Dolgellau railway station.

Puffing its way importantly up the valleys, the enginebillowed steam and black soot which trailed back along theshort line of carriages, clinging to everything it touched. Thegood old days of steam they say. Yes, it's all veryexhilarating, especially when, on opening a window, you get alungful of smoke, and eyes full of soot.

The train would stop every now and then for no otherapparent reason than to allow the driver to tend to hisvegetables growing in an allotment beside the line.

On our arrival at Dolgelley, as it was known then, it wasraining and the railway station and town, and even thesurrounding mountains, all appeared grey. However, thebackground trees and grass were of the most beautiful greencolour that one could ever see.

I am not at all sure if anyonemet us at the station, or howwe journeyed the four milesto Dol-y-clochydd Farm.Having always lived in avillage, the grey slate roofedstone farmhouse andoutbuildings appearedforeboding, lonely, and veryisolated. The two-storey

farmhouse itself was located some 50 yards from the bank ofthe Mawddach River on a slight bend, while a large barn anda smaller outbuilding stood between the farmhouse and theriver. The walls of the building were of local granite and verythick, while the ground floor was of thick slabs of local greyslate. The roof was also clad in grey slate.

A few milking cows grazed alongside the farmhouse andthere were sheep grazing on the adjacent very steep androcky mountainside. Scattered around the farmhouse,

more from this section

DolgellauHere For YouHistoryIn picturesOutdoorsPeopleTown guideLleol i Mi

Weather for Dolgellau

interactTell us about a web pageFound a web page we should knowabout? Send us the details.

Email A Friend

more from North WestWales

WeatherWhat's forecast?Check out today's weatherconditions for North WestWales.

Useful linksLet us guide youThe web at a glance forGwynedd, Conwy andAnglesey.

ArtsBe inspiredRelease your creativity witha look at local art andartists.

Sardinia: Cymry yn'ddiogel'

Pontio: Dim prifweithredwr

22 February 2012Accessibility helpText only

This document is a snapshot of content from a discontinued BBC website, originally published between 2002-2011. It has been made available for archival & research purposes only. Please see the foot of this document for Archive Terms of Use.

chickens scratched and a huge cockerel strutted among hisharem.

The water in the river was very clear, with the apparentdepth being very deceptive due to this clarity. Close to thefarmhouse there was a large pool where the water movedquite slowly, however leading into this pool there was a fastersection where a large rock protruded from the river. Mybrother and I had named this rock Gibraltar due to its shapeand location; however the present owners now refer to it asDepth-gauge Rock. It was at this location that, at the age often, I saw my very first salmon caught on a Jock Scottsalmon fly. From that time on I was hooked on fly fishing, apastime that has given to me a lifetime of wonderful hoursfishing rivers, streams and lakes in North Wales, Australiaand New Zealand."

Heating up the farm ...

your comments

Hilda Jewell nee Brown from NZI was evacuated to Llanuwchllyn with my mother. I lived ona farm owned by the Edwards family. Their daughter wascalled Cassie. Close by lived another family of evacuees withthree girls surname of Meehan. I can remember kneeling ina window seat and watching a tank drive up the road. Thiswould have been 1944-45. Does anyone else remember thisvillage?Web team: Llanuwchllyn is near Bala. More on our Balaminisite.Tue Jan 6 09:28:29 2009

Margaret Hainge-Lloyd, BodelwyddanIt is really lovely reading the stories of the people ofDolgellau. I was the very last baby to be born in the familyhome Llwyn Hall, Dolgellau, on the 5th March 1942. Myfather was born there in 1910 and his sister Elsie in 1908.My dad Willam Hugh Edwards and my Taid Huw Edwardsfarmed the Llwyn up to the time we moved to Ruthin whenI was three. Even so I came back to live with my nain andtaid when they retired. Dad told me many wonderful storiesof when he grew up in the Llwyn. Mam and dad came backto live in Dogellau in the 60s and had the Arran stores.Dolgellau town centre has not changed from my childhood,except maybe the shopkeepers.Mon Dec 29 10:36:13 2008

Stefan in LondonYoung Merfyn Jones will be pleased to know that the otherweek the excavator was still working under the bridge atDolgellau. He obviously retired too early!Mon Nov 5 16:34:53 2007

Bob Hughes living in Newcastle upon TyneMy mum's from Llanuwchllyn and a few years ago told meabout the day the evacuees arrived. The whole of the oldLlanuwchllyn school, including her and her sister, had to lineup on the platform of the station and greet the children. Mymum's sister Myra (Davies) ended up marrying an evacuee.

George Mitchell really took to life in Wales and decided tostay after the war was over.Fri Oct 5 13:09:49 2007

Merfyn JonesIn 1943 I worked in Dolgellau, driving a Priestmanexcavator, digging out the river just under the bridge,Localsused to spend hours watching and photographing the workgoing on. Wonder if any one has any snaps left. I am now80 years old.Fri Jan 5 09:37:33 2007

Mike A Bowyer, Kingston Tasmania AustraliaI wish to thank all the people who have taken the trouble tosend in comments on my two stories. It is very gratifying toknow that the stories were enjoyed. Thank you all, and theBBC again for the opportunity to tell all about wonderfulNorth Wales. Fri Jun 23 09:48:17 2006

Blanche Farley LiverpoolHello Mike, My great grandmother and auntie wereevacuated to Dolgellau in the 1940s and last year I foundher old cottage, just as it was getting demolished. I wasthrilled as I remember going there a few times as a child.Formany years me and my husband looked for it to no avail, Ijust could not remeber the spot. Till last year a very kindlady saw us by 'Pennybank,' were they last lived and weasked her if she knew Mrs Scott and Mrs Herring and shedid! Also she very kindly gave me a necklace which mygreat grandmother had given her. I was thrilled to bits ather kindness a! nd having something belonging to myfamily. We were able to drive right up to the cottage. I haveenjoyed reading every word of your experience and life inWales. We we enjoy the place so much amnd try to visitthere when we go yo Wales. How hard it was in those yearsI remember my great grandmother taking me to the well forwater.Is it any wonder they stayed and lived there all theirlife.It is such a beautiful place.I am sure there was notmany Scousers in Dolgellau, maybe you remembered them?Thu Jun 8 11:35:43 2006

Gareth Roberts - Rhoslefain, TywynHi Mike, Just a quick add on to say that my Grandmotherused to live at Dol-y-clochydd as a child. Would have beenabout 90 yrs ago. She used to walk to school in Llanfachrethover the hill! She was called Sarah Lewis.Tue Jun 6 09:35:57 2006

Diane Ferraro (Riches) Toronto CanadaThis is a beautiful description of how beautiful the simplethings can be in Wales. From the colours that surround youto the slate roofs of the old farmhouses which are stillstanding to this day. When I was growing up in Dolgellau Iused to spend many a Sunday pm exploring the countrysideand fishing. You said it perfectly Mike.Fri Mar 10 13:45:44 2006


BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin




It was very cold inside thehouse, during both winter andsummer, as the only methodof heating was the wood-firedrange and paraffin heaters.But there was always amplefuel for the fire provided bythe river when it flooded. Wenever came from the bus stophalf a mile away without

collecting either some dried furze bush for kindling, or in mycase, a long limb of a tree, which I would balance upon myshoulders. I was a fairly big lump of a lad for my age, andbeing a show-off, as most young boys are, I used to pick upthe longest and heaviest log that I could manage on myshoulder. After a few yards the weight of the log wouldbecome almost unmanageable, my shoulder would sag andpain would set in, but pride would not allow me to put thelog down until I had reached the saw trestle in the yard.

I am sure that my foolish pride in those days has resulted inthe bad arthritis that I now experience in my left shoulder.

The saw trestle used to support the logs while they weresawn into manageable lengths, was right alongside thefarmhouse. I used a two-handed cross cut, usually single-handed, or a bow saw with the smaller diameter logs. Thereis an art in using either of these saws, and farmer JohnWilliams even taught me how to sharpen the teeth. It wasoften so cold that my hand would become frozen to eitherthe steel of the axe-head or the saw, and the only way torelease my hand was to blow on the steel of hold axe andhand under my armpit. To try and pull my hand off, usuallyresulted in the skin tearing, leaving quite a sore and painfulwound.

We had no real amenities on the farm, as there was notelephone or electricity, and lighting was provided by paraffinlamps with glass chimneys. The quality of illumination varieda great deal, according to the cleanliness of the glass and thestate of the wick. We soon discovered how to trim and shapethe cotton wick to obtain a suitable flame, as well as using asheet of newspaper to clean the glass. Unfortunately theseglass chimneys would crack without warning, usually whenexposed to a cold draught, and unless we had a spare, wewould have to resort to using candles.

At that time of my life I was an avid reader. I read almostanything that I could get my hands on, from cowboys andIndians, The Saint, autobiographies - if it was in print then Ihave possibly read it. These books were from the locallibrary, or bought with pocket money. Whenever we went intotown we usually visited the library and always carried agallon tin for paraffin which we purchased at Roberts theIronmongers.

Washing the old-fashioned way...





Email A Friend


In PicturesSlideshowsOur A-Z takes in everythingfrom aerial views to zoos.

FunBrain-teaserReality or illusion? Try anonline psychological test.

EntertainmentDays and nights outFind events for all ages,indoors and out, all yearround.

Tai HanesyddolO blastai crand i ffermyddgwledig, camwch drosdrothwy rhai o dai mwyaf

hanesyddol yr ardal

16 March 2012Accessibility helpText only


BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin




There was no town water and our drinking water came froma small spring a couple of hundred yards away across themeadow. The water was carried in two enamel buckets, andusually there were at least three trips a day, with the waterbeing kept in the dairy. We boys had to make sure when wescooped up the water from the spring, that we did notinclude frogspawn or tadpoles or water boatmen or any otherform of aquatic life, because our mum and her sister wouldhave fits at the sight of these harmless creatures.

There was also a rain water barrel near the back door, andthis water was used for personal washing and then as a lastresort water from the river. However, it usually contained alarge population of mosquito larvae wriggling around and alsooff-putting to mother and her sister. These days the verypresence of all these aquatic creatures is usually recognisedas an indication of purity of the water.

There was not even a septic sewerage system, and theactual toilet was not only something to be experienced, butalso very difficult to come to grips with. It was about 50yards from the main building and was housed in one side of asmall building of dry stone wall construction with a slate tiledroof, with no actual lining or ceiling; the other half being thepigsty. The "throne" consisted of a hinged wooden bench topwith a hole cut in it. Underneath was an ordinary galvanizedbucket, the type with a handle. When the bucket was full,the lucky "emptier" would lift the bench top and fish for thehandle with a piece of fencing wire with a hook fashioned atone end. The bucket was lifted out and carried at arms lengthto the river some 30 yards away. This, I might add, was avery hazardous and difficult manoeuvre when there was snowon the ground. On reaching the river bank, the mess wasthrown into the river, the bucket swilled clean and thenreturned to its place in the toilet.

There were no rolls of nice soft friendly toilet paper; onlysheets of newspaper or glossy magazines. These served thedual purpose of providing one with reading matter in thesummer, but not in the winter when the cold winds swirledthrough the gaps between the granite rocks which formedthe walls. At that time of the year the "throne" was not theplace to linger at all.

When one sat upon the throne, the pigs in the next door pencould be seen peering through the gaps in the dry stone wall,snorting and grunting. This was all very disconcerting to saythe least. It was quite a common occurrence to discover aclucky hen sitting on a batch of eggs at the other end of thetimber bench.

Meet the Williams's...Back to the beginning.





Email A Friend



HistoryThe RomansFind out what the empire-building legions got up to.

NatureGoing wildGet under the skin ofSnowdonia wildlife andhabitats.





BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin




Where the farmhouse was and still islocated, the valley floor was not verywide, probably about two to threehundred yards at the most, and themountains on each side rose up to1,000 feet or more. Mr and Mrs JohnWilliams lived there and farmed thesurrounding land and part of themountainside. They were a wonderful,hard working couple, living a verySpartan lifestyle. They had threegrown-up children - the son, Trevor,lived away from home and worked withthe forestry, while Elsie and Betty, their

two daughters, lived at home and worked in nearbyDolgellau.

The Williams ran a small herd of sheep, possibly about 100 intotal, half a dozen milk cows, two pigs, a huge carthorsenamed Lion, and some 30 or so chickens. These chickenswould lay eggs all over the place, sometimes in the outdoortoilet, but mostly in the barn among the hay. To locate thesehidden eggs we would, as soon as we heard the hensbroadcasting to the world that they had laid an egg, rush tothe spot and commence a yard by yard search until the nestwas located.

There were also two working sheepdogs, Blacken the oldest,and Megan the younger. We were later to be amazed at howmuch work these two dogs did on the farm - should we sayhow much work Megan did, as Blacken was old and artful andknew when to hide away when he recognised that he wasabout to be called upon to run up the mountainside.

Both dogs knew where the bran and flour were kept in hugewooden chests in the barn, and Blacken had very cleverlydiscovered that by inserting his nose under the rim of theprojecting timber lid, he could lift the lid and obtain access tothe contents, which he would eat like there was notomorrow! During this process his muzzle or nose would becovered in the bran or whatever it was that he was eating.This was a dead giveaway, and unless we kids cleaned himup before he was spotted by the farmer, he would get abeating.

Mice get in the cooking... Back to the beginning.





Email A Friend


In PicturesSlideshowsOur A-Z takes in everythingfrom aerial views to zoos.

NatureGoing wildGet under the skin ofSnowdonia wildlife andhabitats.

Your SayTalking pointsShare your views, gripesand passions and make yourvoice heard.


hanesyddol yr ardal



BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin




On the flat land between the river and the mountainsidewheat was grown, as well as potatoes and grass hay. MrsWilliams had a small vegetable garden alongside the house,two plum trees and a sloe tree, the fruit of which she madeinto jam. It was quite bitter as the plum stones were left in,supposedly to improve the taste. I can assure you this didnot work at all!

There was a large hand-driven churn in the dairy in whichshe made a creamy, salty butter, which she sold at market.The butter, from memory, was quite nice when one becameused to the saltiness; however the part that worried us wasthat mice used to drown in the large earthenware pots inwhich the buttermilk was stored prior to churning day. MrsWilliams would just scoop the corpse out, but never discardedthe buttermilk.

The wooden churn shaped like a beer barrel, and almost asbig, required quite a lot of effort to turn the handle and thusrotate the churn. There was a sight glass in the lid of thechurn and this was frequently inspected to discover when theparticles of butter had formed. The lid was then unbolted andthe butter was removed, salted and patted with woodenpaddles into shape. A design was then impressed into theblock of butter with a wooden stamp.

In a wood-fired oven built into the wall of the kitchen, MrsWilliams also made bread once a week. The process was thata log fire was built in the oven and allowed to burn while thebread was prepared. The loaves in their tins were placed infront of the kitchen fire to rise, and then covered with a chaffsack until the oven was hot enough. It was a nice whitebread, very basic, but filling, and the only thing wrong with itwas that it contained mice dirt.

The flour was stored in a wooden chest, the lid of which wasnot a good seal, allowing mice to enter at will. When we werefirst introduced to this bread we thought the black bits werecurrants, although we soon discovered our mistake.

Hanging from the oak beams in the kitchen was a huge ham,blackened with smoke and with a greenish tinge. In a sort oflocker in the barn, potatoes were stored covered with hay,and outside on the edge of the cornfield the main supply wasstored in a clamp. This consisted of a trench lined with hayon which the potatoes were bedded and covered with driedbracken fern, with two vents made of long straw and thewhole covered in earth. In this clamp the potatoes stayed ingood condition until they were required.

Each evening a galvanized bucket was filled with potatoesand set on the edge of the fireplace to boil; then two orthree of the best were selected for the evening meal, whilethe remainder were mashed with bran and wheat for feedingto the pigs and chickens, as well as the dogs.

John Williams had a wonderful sense of humour, and





Email A Friend


NewsletterSign up for weekly updatesto find out what's new onthe site.

MusicGet in tuneTell us about your band,join a choir or find a gigyou fancy.



hanesyddol yr ardal


sometimes he would come up to us and drop a furry livemole down the open neck of our shirts. He would then laughhis head off at our antics to remove the scratching creaturefrom within our clothing. To catch these moles, he wouldstand very still in the meadow, watching until he sawmovement below the stubble. He would then quickly drive hisheel into the soil along the line of the mole's tunnel. Thiswould seal off its escape so that he could then dig into thetunnel with his fingers and catch the mole. Special mole trapswere also used in an effort to keep the moles in check asthey did a lot of damage to pastures with their tunnelling.

Life at a new school...

your comments

Brenda Turner Auckland New ZealandVery evocative of my experiences, only later, in the early50s on my grandparents' farm in Dyffryn Ardudwy. Thecatching of the mole, delivering of the milk and the otheritems listed, still existed in my childhood. This is true socialhistory worthy of recording in this fast paced and ever-changing technological age. Life was hard but very satisfyingas there was much to appreciate and the hard work paidback in kind.Thu Feb 9 08:20:38 2006


BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin



Starting schoolLast updated: 17 January 2008

When we went to live on Dol-y-clochydd Farm, we wereenrolled at the GanllwydPrimary School, locatedapproximately two miles northof the farm.

From the farm there was afoot path along the edge of

the river and meadow where wheat, hay, and potatoes weregrown in rotation with the other two meadows on the otherside of the farm house.

At the end of the meadow a wooden gate and some steps inthe hedgerow of hazel nut trees and dry stone wall gaveaccess to another pathway, down a tree covered slope. Itwas then about three hundred yards to a dry tributary riverbed which looped away from the main river.

When the Mawddach was in flood, this normally dry tributarywould also flood to about two feet deep, and our motherwould walk this far with us in order that she could piggy backacross the water, so that our shoes and socks remained dry.

We would then cross the small marian and the cable swingbridge into the front garden of Garygarw onto the road wherethe bus, usually on-time, would pick us up.

In very bad weather, such as heavy snow, the bus would notarrive so we would walk to school.

In those days the Primary School was a two teacher school,Mr Roberts being the head teacher and Mrs Thomas teachingthe very young ones. There was only the one largeclassroom, and from memory I think that there were only atotal of twenty five to thirty pupils. They ranged from aboutfive or six year olds to eleven year olds.

The school furniture was the usual small desk with an inkwelland a hard wooden bench and one feature, my favourite, wasa number of the very familiar, yellow covered GeographicMagazines along the window sill. These books were doled outto us older pupils, when Mr Roberts had other duties.

From where I sat, in the second row from the window I couldsee through the window along the road and I must admit todaydreaming a lot about the articles in the magazine onAustralia. Never realising that one day, in the not too distantfuture I would travel there to live.

First dayI clearly remember our first day at this school, firstly becauselessons were mainly conducted in Welsh, a language whichneither of us could understand, let alone speak. When theclass had settled down, MrRoberts introduced us to the otherpupils. Most of the pupils clapped and made us welcome,however, some didn't seem all that friendly.





Email A Friend


Towns & VillagesYour patchHave your say or find outmore about community lifepast and present.

Your SayTalking pointsShare your views, gripesand passions and make yourvoice heard.





As we sat down for a first class, Mr Roberts pointed to meand said, in Welsh, "Bowyer, agor y drws." At the same timepointing to the closed classroom door. Putting two and twotogether as well as a bit of guesswork, I reasoned that hemust want me to open the door. Taking a chance, I went tothe door and opened it and returned to my desk.. . The classpolitely clapped me, and I felt quite proud of myself.

However singling me out again, Mr Roberts pointing oncemore to the door said, "Bowyer, cau y drws." So this time Igot to my feet, all embarrassed, and closed the door to moreapplause. Mr Roberts then said "Diolch yn fawr, Bowyer,which, translated, means "Thank you Bowyer."

It was in this manner that gradually I learnt a number ofgeneral conversational Welsh phrases, although I was neverfluent by all means. Possibly I understood more than I couldspeak and I was never able to read or write the language.

Mr Roberts's language lessons used to come, out of the blue,when least expected, however they proved to be a quiteeffective way of learning some of the more commonly usedphrases. At morning lunch break we would have to stay inthe school grounds, however at mid-day we were allowed toleave and immediately the bell rang, if it was a fine day, andthen there would be a mass exodus into the woods oppositethe school gates. Here the ground sloped down to the river,and many of the boys retrieved lengths of fishing lines, whichwound onto small sticks they had hidden in the tree roots.

There would be a scramble to dig worms, and before long.Trout, mostly undersized would be flapping on the bank.

Some pupils dug up the roots of a small plant; I am unableto recall its name, although I do remember that it had littlebulbs along the roots which were very nutty and nice to eat.

Back-breaking work on the farm...


BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin



Back-breaking workLast updated: 17 January 2008

Living as we did on anoperational farm, there wasalways something of interestto do. We became involved inplanting and harvestingpotatoes by hand, a reallyback breaking job even for usyoungsters. Hay making washard work in the sun but still

very enjoyable, raking the hay into wind rows, andpitchforking it up onto the top of the pile on the horse drawnsledge.

Sometimes the snow caused problems, especially at lambingtime. While every effort was made to have the lambing occuron the valley floor, near the farm, there were times when asudden heavy fall of snow would catch sheep up on themountain side.

John Williams, I am sure, knew every one of his sheep byname, and he knew immediately if one was missing. Duringnormal weather he would send the two dogs up the mountainside to bring the sheep down through the maze of smallholes in the dry stone walls. This was really amazing towatch, as the commands to the dogs were mainly bywhistling, and a bit of shouting in Welsh. Sometimes, aftersnow, he would tell us that a sheep was missing, and ask usto help him find the stray. I recall on one occasion finding asheep and her lamb, high up the mountain, almost buried ina snow drift against one of the wonderful dry stone walls thatare built all over the mountains. This sheep could hardly walkdue to the snow and ice on her wool, so I put the sheep onmy back, holding her forelegs around my neck, and carriedthe lamb with the other hand.

It was very difficult negotiating the scree slopes, and patchesof snow below Precipice Walk, but I managed it with only afew tumbles along the way. Not bad for a twelve year oldboy.

On another occasion MrWilliams told us that he was going tofell a tree as he needed some fence posts and would we liketo help. Of course we said yes, and we set off riding on atimber sledge, pulled along by Lion the farm carthorse, amagnificent animal. Selecting a tall oak tree with a straighttrunk of some thirty feet, MrWilliams felled it by use of anaxe and a one man cross cut saw. After trimming the smallbranches, he then cut the trunk into about four equal lengthswhich we rolled a short distance down the mountain to wherethe horse and sledge were waiting on the road.

By the use of timber wedges and a sledge hammer the logswere soon split into four fence posts.

Many years later, in Australia, I needed a fence and withwhat I had learned from Mr Williams was able to not only fellmy timber, but also make the posts as well Although instead





Email A Friend


SportEye on the ballFind out where you canwatch or get involved insport.


About this siteNewsletterKeep up-to-date withchanges on the websiteevery week.


hanesyddol yr ardal


of a horse and cart, I had an old truck for hauling the logs,and steel wedges for the splitting.

After nearly three years on the farm we moved into Dolgellauitself, before another move to Pantyllwyfog above Llanelltyd,and then to Kinmel Bay, near Rhyl. But living on that farmwas one of the most wonderful childhoods that could beimagined, and together with the education that I received atGanllwyd School and at Dolgellau Grammar School helpedshape my life to some degree, especially my love of thecountry or bush as it is called in Australia and my love of Flyfishing.

Most importantly, both my brother and I had developed afeeling for North Wales, and neither of us has ever forgottenit. My brother has been fortunate enough to have revisitedDolgellau a number of times, and while I would dearly love tomake the trip, I doubt that I will ever have the opportunity.

Goodbye Dolgellau, hello Kinmel Bay...


BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin



Life in Kinmel BayLast updated: 17 January 2008

Towards the end of 1944 we were living in a convertedrailway carriage on a small holiday park in Morfa Road,Kinmel Bay operated by a very nice elderly couple fromYorkshire, Alice and Will Tobin.

Alice could be a little unconventional at times, especiallywhen RAF aeroplanes, usually Beaufighters, flew very lowoverhead, heading out to sea firing their guns at practicetargets. It some times seemed as if they were aware ofAlice's dislike of their manoeuvres, as they would appear toglide in very quietly until they were overhead, and then opentheir throttles with a huge roar.

The sandy beach was approximately five hundred yards away,and as they passed over the sea front they would commencefiring their machine guns and cannons. Alice wouldimmediately appear on the deck in front of her home, andpointing towards the seafront would call out to the aircraft,"Out to sea, out to sea!" Her husband Will, a very dourYorkshire man would sit in a deck chair, unperturbed, readinghis daily newspaper. Occasionally he would tell his wife to"Sit down Missus they can't hear you."

The park or holiday camp was in the form of a triangle. Onone side was a hedge along the Morfa Road, which wasunsealed in those days. On the other side, was a tall graniteblock wall of a road bridge over the railway line and theother boundary was the railway line itself.

The holiday buildings consisted of five converted railwaycarriages, a conventional house on tall piers with a largetimber deck, and three dry toilets. At each end of the railwaycarriage was a small conventional timber clad bedroom, and,crammed between a bedroom and the carriage was a smallkitchen/bathroom. In the living or central section, a smallcoal stove was used for heating.

There was no sewerage system to the park, so the toiletsconsisted of three timber sentry box-type buildingsconstructed over deep holes in the ground. On hot days thesmell from the toilets was quite awful despite the fact thatWill shovelled in lime each week. Also, the toilets werelocated right along side the Chester to Holyhead railway line,and if one was sitting on the toilet as a train thunderedthrough, it was very disconcerting, as the whole toilet wouldvibrate and shake so much, that we would find ourselvesgripping onto the wooden seat, fearful of being precipitatedinto the deep hole beneath. I swear that some of the traindrivers of these steam trains knew that someone could besitting on the throne, because, as they thundered past, theywould sound the engine's whistle very loudly!





Email A Friend


Useful linksLet us guide youThe web at a glance forGwynedd, Conwy andAnglesey.

Towns & VillagesYour patchHave your say or find outmore about community lifepast and present.



hanesyddol yr ardal

22 February 2012Accessibility helpText only

The forbidden beach...

your comments

June matthews edinburghI indeed have some very old photographs of my own oldrailway carriage, which is situated in Peebles, "40 minutesfrom Edinburgh", and has been there since long before thewar, and is over one hundred years old.It has no plumbingor electricty and we use it every weekend, and love it.Mon Mar 3 12:29:19 2008

Chris Holmes from ManchesterIn the 1950s and 60s our families holidayed twice a year inTowyn. My brother John and I were only speaking todayabout the converted railway carriages used as holidayhomes. As children it seemed to us an exciting place to stay.We remember playing on the camp, and that smell from thetoilets never leaves the memory! We stayed on Owenscamp, in the wooden bungalows at first, then a smallcaravan with a separate wooden kitchen and chemical toilet.Surely someone must have pictures of the railway carriagesand the crossing at Sandbank Road onto the beach. Like theformer writer, I too remember the trains flying past on theirway to Llandudno.Mon Aug 13 10:55:31 2007

Francis Roberts from CanadaAs a small boy I lived in Dolclochydd, that was in the late40s. My parents rented rooms from the owners. Whetherthey were the Williamses, I don't know, but they did have ason called Ceiriog who at that time was probably in his 20s.A rather wild boy as I recall. Whilst I lived at Dolclochydd Isaw the first and only steam lorry, rattling along the roadon the other side of the river. I too went to Ganllwydprimary school and remember Miss Morris, but Mr Robertswas before my time. Walter Williams probably took the placeof Mr Roberts. I started at Ganllwyd school in probably 1946.

Fri Jun 23 09:46:36 2006


BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin



The forbidden beachLast updated: 17 January 2008

In this particular area of Kinmel Bay, mostly alongside thebeach, were a number of holiday camps frequented mostly bythe workers from the Yorkshire and Lancashire fabric mills ontheir annual holidays.

In those days all along the sandy beach were concrete antitank pyramids and a fence of coils of barbed wire. Every fiftyyards or so, on the beach itself, out as far as the low tidemark, were planted tall timber posts, say about six inches indiameter and approximately fifteen feet in height. The objectof these posts was to prevent gliders landing on the smoothsandy beach.

Some tides were, I seemed to recall as high as thirty feet.The general public was not supposed to have access to thisbeach, which we were told was mined in places, and alsobecause of the danger from the occasional sea-mine that waswashed up. However the barbed wire did not stop us, asopenings would appear daily in the fence, just as fast as thearmy engineers would repair them. In the end, the openingswere no longer being repaired.

On this beautiful stretch of sand, I would dig for lug wormsto bait my long lines, which were fifty yards in length, withup to fifty hooks. To obtain the lug worms it was necessaryto look for their spiral casts on the sand. Then, with a spadeI would dig down as fast as possible until I located the largehairy worm, which was usually in the process of trying toescape downwards through the wet sand. Seizing the end ofthe worm, it would be a gentle tug of war to pull it from itstunnel with out breaking it in half. Its insides were squeezedout by running its length through my fingers, This processalways resulted in my fingers being stained iodine colour.

This was so much like a smoker's nicotine stain that theteachers gave me a bad time of it until my father wrote thema letter confirming what the stain was. Even then I am surethat they still suspected me of smoking cigarettes.

The lines were tied, low down, between two anti aircraftposts, After baiting the hooks I would place a loose handful ofsand over the bait to prevent it being eaten by the hungrysea gulls, or being washed off by the incoming tide. I wouldthen stay around until the line and hooks were covered by atleast a couple of feet of water. This was to prevent someunsuspecting holiday maker from becoming impaled on a fishhook while wading in the water.

I would return to the beach, long before the catch wasexposed by the receding tide, as both sea gulls and holidaymakers would steal the fish off the lines. This of coursenecessitated getting out of bed at all hours to attend to thelines and I was often on the beach, with a torch during thesmall hours.

I caught many fish, mainly Flounder, Plaice, Sole, Cod, andother types, the names of which I am unable to remember. I





Email A Friend



Food & DrinkFull of flavourIs your favourite localproduce or recipe in ourguide?

Hall of FamePublic lifeMeet heroes and historicfigures raised in the region.




would thread a piece of cord through the gills of the fish andcarry them home in this manner. Sometimes the fish werestill alive when I returned home, and I used to have a goodlaugh when my mother screamed out as one would flap asshe cut its head off.

On many occasions, holiday makers would stop me to look atthe fish and I would give some away. How they had themcooked, I don't know as they were fed in large mess halls.

There were many hazards on the beach at that time inaddition to the sea mines and all kinds of war time flotsamfrom torpedoed ships. Not the least of these hazards beingthe Beau fighters flying low over head as they fired theirguns at targets out at sea. On many occasions twentymillimetre cannon shell cases would rain down on me while Iwas either digging worms or setting my lines during daylighthours. It was almost as if the pilots had decided to give us abit of a hurry up, as they seemed to open fire a long wayfrom the targets.

We, on the beach would shake our fists in their direction andthe planes wings would be waggled in response.

The end of the war is nye...


BBC Local

North West Wales

Things to do

People & Places

Nature & Outdoors

History

Religion & Ethics

Arts & Culture

Music

TV & Radio

Local BBC SitesNews

Sport

Weather

Travel


North East Wales


Cymru

Gogledd Orllewin



The end of the war is nighLast updated: 17 January 2008

At that time my father was aBattery Sergeant Major atKinmel Park Army Camp,which was a driver trainingregiment. He had been postedthere on his being invalidedhome from Malta where hehad been stationed for theduration of the siege.

My mother was employed at a factory located over the otherside of the railway line, where they built wings for Wellingtonbombers. The fabric used was very similar to a cotton oilcloth; it was camouflaged and was stitched with strong beeswaxed cotton thread.

In those days I was fishing mad, and some sixty years later Istill am. Another location where I often fished was on thebank of the Clwyd River where there was an iron bridge, nearRhyl. At low tide there was a wide sandy bank alongside theriver, and among the rocks I would gather the aptly namedRag worms for bait. I would then sit on an adjacent concretewall on the Rhyll side of the river and commence fishing asthe tide came in. Here, I would catch mostly flounder, plaiceand sole.

My brother and I attendedPendyffryn House School inRhyl, a place that I did notreally enjoy. As a consequenceI am unable to recall thenames of any of the teachersor even what they looked like.

However there were two pupilswho have stuck in my mind to this day. One was a small ladwith tight curly hair. I think that his name was Simmonds,and he was a brilliant and very talented musician. I recallone time listening to him at a school concert when he playedon the piano a piece of music that was all about an air-raid.It was a very clever piece as the sounds of the air raidwarning siren and falling bombs were produced through out. Ioften wonder what happened to him.

There was another lad, a Donald Ashworth who carved, fromwood, the most wonderful accurate models of all the warplanes in the air at that time. Again I wonder where he isnow.

When the war ended we returned to Dolgellau to live atGarygarw for a while, while Dad was a river bailiff with myuncle Alex Barr. My brother and I returned to DolgellauGrammar School as it was then known. Shortly afterwards weretuned to Surrey to live.

Back to the beginning.





Email A Friend


WeirdStrange sightsSpotted anything strange inyour neighbourhood lately?

SportEye on the ballFind out where you canwatch or get involved insport.





goodes01

Typewritten Text

Archive Terms of Use This document is made available for archival or reference purposes and should only be used for private (non-commercial) purposes. These pages may contain materials or content which do not belong to the BBC and in particular materials or content which belong to members of the public whose identities may or may not be known. Whilst the BBC had the necessary rights, permissions and clearances to include and publish them as part of the former 'Where I Live' BBC website, the BBC may not have the right to allow users to use, copy or exploit them or to distribute them to others. No such usage is permitted and the BBC cannot process requests for permission to do so. For more information about deleted or discontinued web pages on the BBC, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/help/web/mothballing/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/help/web/mothballing/

Documents

BBC Homepage Life at Dol-y-clochydddownloads.bbc.co.uk/wales/archive/bbc-north-west-wales...Life at Dol-y-clochydd Last updated: 17 January 2008 Life on a 1940s Dolgellau farm had