Message Board 2010/11

Just click here to email me with your message ..

Message

I have found you site on my hunting for my Nan and Grandad.They are from Cwmbran and their names are Peter and June Jones. I
am finding it ever so hard to find them was hoping you maybe able to put a message up? on the off chance somebody may see it and pass it on..
 
If you need any more info don`t hesitate to ask.
 
Many kind regards
Kaliegh June Jones

  • Date:28th September 2011

  • Name:  Tom Absalom

  • Email: tom.absalom@ntlworld.com

Message

Les Gardner, Sam beard Eddie….. the`Stokoe`  family all worked in the core finishing shop. (G.K.N) Where are they now? I have heard that Charlie Evans has passed away but where are the rest of you?

  • Date:24th September 2011

  • Name:  Eugene Wheelwright

  • Email: euge_wheelright@yahoo.co.uk

Message

We have just been reading about a memory recorded on your site 7th Match 2007, written by Malcolm Howlett. He had included a photograph of a steam engine called 'Whitehead' which had worked at Whitehead & Hill Wireworks, Cwmbran. He also named one of the 2 people in the photograph as Jack Treherne, an uncle of his.

 
We have owned 'Whitehead' since 1982 and we would be interested in any information we could find out about it and the people who worked with it.

  • Date:13th June 2011

  • Name:  Wilf Folwell

  • Email: wilf_harry@yahoo.com

     Message

I would like to ask everyone who visits this website, if they know of the location of any photographs of `Our Lady of the Angels` catholic schools from the 1960`s . .. any help would be appreciated

  • Date: 1st May 2011

  • Name:  Melody Legge

  • Email:  veradivinyl@hotmail.com

     Message

Hi everyone, what a great website this is!

I am tracing relatives and trying to locate Sarah-Jane Jones (I believe she called herself Sally)

Sarah-Jane was born in 1965, her Mum’s name is Christine Jones and her Nan was called Doreen Pearce.  The families lived in the Pontnewydd area.  I believe Sarah-Jane became a teacher and may have lived or taught in the Newport area.I would love to contact Sarah-Jane to complete another branch of our family tree. Hope someone can help.

Cheers from `downunder`

Melody Legge

  • Date: 1st May 2011

  • Name:  Tom Absalom

  • Email: click here

     Message

Hi, does anyone have any memories of a guy called Charley Evans  that used to frequent the old club? He worked at G.K.N. Clomendy road in the 1960`s

But after that ……..

 

  • Date: 1st May 2011

  • Name:  Alison and Ian Wicks

  • Email: click here

     Message

Hi, we live next door to the Terrace pub in Pontrhydyrun and are interested in the history of the pub and of the surrounding streets. We wondered if anyone has any stories about Pontrhydyrun pre St. Andrews Close and particularly if anyone has photos of the original Terrace pub sign or knows what it looked like.
                                                      

  • Date:29th April 2011

  • Name: Janet Wilson

  • Email: janwilson03@hotmail.co.uk

     Message

Hi my name is Janet Wilson, I worked at Kibbys supermarket for years, I first started  there when Kibbys was on the corner where McDonald's is now , I used to work on the butchery and cold meats departments, I remember Julie, Derrick Purcel, Caroline  on the `tills`, then the shop moved to the bigger one by the `In Shops`, it had  great meals served upstairs in the `Rainbow Rooms`, Mr. Williams was the butcher there and most of his family, his dad, and his son. they made fresh faggots every Saturday morning and the smell was so good all over the shop, they didn't take long to sell, my mum use to work on the tills there, Eillen Wilson, my dad worked at G.K.N. for many years, Dick Wilson, until his kidneys stopped working and he had to go on a machine 3 days a week, we lived all over Cwmbran Abbey road the little cottages up the side of the gully, Cedar walk, No. 20, Godfrey road, River Row Pontrhydyrun, and my dad built the 2 bungalows on top of Mount Pleasant they were the first bungalows to be built there as you went down Ty Trappa they were in a field on the right, I remember my dad, mum and me digging the first few holes to start it all off, my uncle Charlie was the Lock keepers son on the canal bank, auntie Mary, worked as an usherette in the White Rose picture house, i was only about 9 years old and I would go to her to be looked after until my mum finished work, me eating a sandwich while watching `Hound of the Baskervilles`, don't know how I managed it frightened me to death,

I also worked for Saterlight Eng a small factory on Avondale road, I was there until I joined the army in 1978, Ken Norris, Maureen, Julie, Val Bradshaw, and so many more that time has lost, it would be great to hear from anyone, if you remember me or my Mam and Dad 

  • Date:13th April 2011

  • Name: Graham (Ianto) Skuse

  • Email: Click here

     Message

Looking at the picture of Two Locks road and the little shop that sold sweets, can anyone remember if it was a family by the name of 'Salter that ran it?
The Salters were part of the Skuse family and I seem to remember going into there with my Dad, perhaps the first name was 'Eric Salter' out of interest if anyone can help me I would be grateful. .... Formerly of Cwmbran, now residing on the beautiful Isle of Guernsey.

Andrew Cruickshank responds: When I lived on Two Locks Road the shop was owned and run by George Waters. He also ran the shop next to the bridge over the canal. I believe he was related to the Salters as his Grand Children were the nephews of Mrs. Salter, who was a teacher in Oakfield Junior School when I was there in the 1960's.

  • Date:22nd March 2011

  • Name: Christian Treadwell

  • Email: Click here

     Message

 Just wondering if anyone has any information on Timothy Butler? We was good mates when we was growing up in Charston, Greenmeadow.....He moved to America with his mom, Shirley around 1980/1981ish....I also don't think his name is Butler anymore; he also had family around New Inn area and Sebastapol....any help or info would be fantastic....thanks...

  • Date:23rd February 2011

     Message

Hi Old Cwmbran Folk,

With my wife at choir practise and bible study this old heathen was left alone last night with a glass of good malt and no football of any real meaning on the television when he was suddenly hit with a brainwave, and he thought lets write a book on old Cwmbran tales of our generation
We are all growing older by the day and sometimes the mind wanderers to times gone by, we remember the stories but will our children and theirs also, I doubt it.
I am quite happy to compile the stories and see what I can do with the printing etc. but I need stories to compile, the lists are almost endless, schooldays, girlfriends, and boys of course, picnics, laughs and sometime tears, the mountain, the pubs, dance halls, swimming holes, the way Cwmbran was in the fifties I could go on and on.
Lets have your contributions sent to me at skusey@cwgsy.net and I will try to do something with them, remember there is not always a tomorrow so lets put our yesterdays into print.
Graham (Ianto) Skuse    Formerly of Cwmbran but now residing on the beautiful island of Guernsey

  • Date:31st January 2011

  • Name: Carol Shepherd

  • Email: Click here

     Message

Hello Nigel

Still looking for Nolan .....  Forge Hammer Row. John - William - Mary - Henry Townsend in their care.
All four grandchildren placed in Roman Catholic boarding schools 1890.
1901 in Sussex My grandfather Henrys Guardian was Mary Brice Miller who placed him with Xavarians in Mayfield who seem to have some records in University of Notre Dame. USA.

Any one out there with any clues much appreciated.

         Message

My name Marie Plant. I am looking for a Greg Hopper that was in Mandurah, Australia back in 1997. He used to live in Beddingfield Road.  Near the church house.
I would love to catch up if possible?

        Message

I have just been looking at the pics on this website, thank you for taking the time to post them and provide so many wonderful memories especially for people like myself who have moved away from the area and have lost all contact.
My photograph features a couple of times (Juliet Jones) as do those of a few friends that I have tried to contact for many years.
I know you are not running a reunion service but I wonder if there was any way of contacting Brenda Hopkins?  I lost contact with her when I went to Secondary School. I note that Adele Rowlands provided some photographs, she was in the same year as Brenda and myself and could provide a clue.

        Message

To Whom It May Interest:
 
My name is James Melvin Farr and my family is from a small town in Pennsylvania called Wilmerding. My grandparents Thomas Edward Farr and his wife Melissa always told us that our descendants came from Nanticoke Pennsylvania. I had an uncle on the Farr side whose name was Albert who would have been over 100 years old who moved to Maine, Dover Foxcroft to be exact, and became a painter I think.
 
I am an Architect who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. I just returned from two weeks in Wales!!!! I never looked at any sites that had my name as a reference, as most of them were quite boring. I have worked in the New Orleans area all of my adult life and graduated from Tulane University with a Masters Degree in Architecture. The name Edward seems to have been used a lot by my family as is the name Thomas. I had an Uncle named Edward who lived in Washington, D.C., who if he is still alive, is quite old, I'd say about 85.
 
I had hoped of looking up some of the `Farrs` when I was in Wales, but didn't have any information except that most of the family were coal miners, I believe. My grandfather used to tell us that he was the first generation "out of the mine". My grandfather died in 1973 at the age of 76, which would have made his birth date 1897. His wife's name was Melissa Davis and she was born a year later. Grandma lived to be almost 100 and died in 1997.
 
Both of my parents are dead, and my adopted brother Barry Stephen, died about 5 years ago. I am the only living member of my immediate family. It's nice to know that there are `Farrs` out there somewhere. I have a small successful practice in New Orleans and plan to retire in about 6 years or so.
 
James Melvin Farr
P.O. Box 52722
New Orleans, Louisiana 70152

        Message

My name is Kim Jackson and I am currently researching my family tree.  I am led to believe that my Great Great Grandmother was once the head mistress at Upper Cwmbran school.  However I have no name for her and not even a year in which she was born. Once married her surname was Stokes but unfortunately I do not know if she was married at the time of her post or not.  I was hoping that perhaps someone would be able to point me in the right direction of where the information regarding previous teachers may be contained. 

        Message

I used to live in Barnfield place  and I remember that there was a wall next to a play area  but I have noticed on Google earth that its no longer there  …..does anyone know  when it was demolished and why?

        Message

Hello,  does anyone remember Jackie Gunning  Her dad was Ted Gunning  and she used to live in Pontnewydd . Please email me if you do.  It would be nice to chat over old times Does anyone remember me from Pontnewydd  in the  1956 - 1966 time scale?

        Message

A while back I sent in a question concerning the name of Belle Vue Road, my Grand Parents used to live at number 21 and I have a census form of theirs and it gives the name of Belle Vue Road as Bettws Street, the census is of England and Wales 1911. I wonder if anyone can confirm that this was the original name of Belle Vue Road? If you need any more information and I can help please feel free to ask.

Update: Query answered on the Old Cwmbran webpage

        Message

I found your website and it has given me a great deal of information about my Great Great Grandfather Henry Parfitt, which I would otherwise not have known. Thank you.

I would like to ask if there are any related Parfitts still living in the area, would like to get in touch with me? I would love to glean any more information that I can about the family. Many Thanks in anticipation.

        Message

Cwmbran Memories of the 1960`s

Lets get our thinking caps on  and see who was around in 1960’s   It was a Good Time. I'm already chatting to my old mate  Ian Spencer  who now resides in Canada of all places

Can you imagine leaving  Pontnewydd for Canada  ...?

Does any one remember Jackie Gunning?,her father was Ted Gunning .... Would be nice to chat old times with her again.

In fact is there anyone who remembers me from Pontnewydd  in the  1956 - 1966 time scale?

        Message

I hope you can help me to fill in a few details about my Grandfather who spent some time in Cwmbran in the late nineteen-thirties, early Nineteen Forties.  I think he worked building the biscuit factory but can find no details of when the factory was built to check if this is reasonable. If it is I would love to have a photo of the building to put in my
file.  As he got married at the Registry office at Caerleon in 1938 I need a photo of that too.  I would be very grateful if anyone could help.

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