Ex Pats

Date: 24th May 2007

Name: Judith Bidgood (nee Parrish)

Email: [email protected]

Hi there, I moved to Canada along with my family, Colin, Sarah, Thomas and Hannah Bidgood in 1987 from Cwmbran. I first moved to Cwmbran when I was 4 in 1960. My husband lived in Croesyceiliog and we both went to Croesyceiliog Secondary and then Comprehensive at the same time. My maiden name was Parrish, and I still have family living in the area as does my husband.

We both love this site, and visit it on a regular basis. We live in a small town on the shores of Lake Huron called Kincardine. The town has a huge and long heritage with Scotland, and every Saturday night in the Summer we have a Pipe Band that marches down the high street and back up, with lots of people marching behind it. This band has been together for a long time, and has a huge following.

Colin goes home every year to visit his Mother who still lives in Croesyceiliog, and I try to go back every two years to visit with my Brother and Sisters, and to see as many friends as the time there will allow. It's never enough time, and I always miss out a few people.

I miss the mountains as here in Ontario we don't have any; the daffodils don't come out until May here as we still have snow on the ground in March, so it feels like we are always two or three months behind.

The shopping centre in Cwmbran is great, and I love to go there, even though it's always busy, I still love to walk around it and try to find a face I might recognise from my past. So far no luck......

The only thing I don't miss is the weather, Ha Ha Ha  here in the Summer it's hot.. sometimes too hot, the fall (Autumn) is wonderfull with all the different colours that the leaves change as they fall from the trees. The Winter is a different story, much too much snow for our liking. When the children were small it was fun as we would go out and play, but now they are all grown up, all it means to us is cold, grey days with snow and snow and more snow. Still al least we know that when the Summer gets here we do get a Summer.

The cost of living in the U.K. is much higher than here, and I just can't imagine how people manage to live with the price of petrol being so high.

My children were very small when we moved here, but we have both made it clear to them that they were born in Wales, and have a long and interesting heritage, and that they should never forget where they were born. We have tried to teach them about the history of their home land, and I hope that they will always remember their roots. Both my husband and I will never forget our home land. Even though we left and choose to live here we will always remember we are Welsh first and Canadian second.

Keep up the good work, and hope you like the pictures of our place.

.. My husband Colin ..

.. Our Home ..

.. The Marina - Kincardine ..

.. Colin and I would like to let you folks back home know, that the best coffee in Canada, in our opinion is `Tim Horton's `..

.. ..

.. Jill and her Mum ..

Date: 19th February 2007

Name: Jill Coutts (nee Honing)

Email: [email protected]

My family left Cwmbran in July 1957 to come to Melbourne. My mother was Marjorie Honing (nee Lewis) and we lived above my grandparents (Maud and Will Lewis) shop at 11 Victoria Street Cwmbran. We used to sell tobacco and confectionery. My grandparents lived at 34 Abbey Road Cwmbran where my Aunt, Polly Rowland ran a grocery shop. Even though I was 12 at the time we left, Cwmbran and Wales have always remained very important to me. Your site is one I visit often and get a great amount of pleasure from � thank you.

My sister Jane and I attended St Dials and then went to St Joseph�s Convent - Jane to Cardiff and myself to Newport. My mother is turning 90 years old next week, still plays a mean piano has a wonderful singing voice and is in the church choir. She has an amazing zest for life and is in very good health.

My memories of old Cwmbran:- St Gabriel's Hall for ballet lesson, my grandparents at 34 Abbey Road on a Sunday for the mid day roast and then walking to Sunday school at the Ebenezer Baptist Chapel at Two Locks, collection money in our gloves, the canal behind our shop in Abbey Road icing over in winter and tentatively walking and sliding over it, putting on plays and musicals in our cellar using empty fish boxes from Lewis� fish shop two doors down from us in Victoria Street. Lovely to be young again.

Keep up the good work!
(webmaster) Jill, lives in a lovely cottage in Hampton, which is 20 minutes from Melbourne, the beach is two minutes away from her front door and outside her back gate she can access a fantastic shopping centre with over forty restaurants and coffee shops.



.. Nana with grandchildren Noa and Nini ..

Name: Gill Morris

Date: 5th February 2007

Email: [email protected]

I left Oakfield Park Estate in 1960, and am now living in Varennes Vauzelles, France. I went to St. Dial's school and then Llantarnam Secondary. My dad, William Morris was the local free-lance reporter and the kids called him 'scoop'.......Dear Wales, I miss you so much. I must really get back for a holiday this year. I bought my bakestone at Tothill and Bodinhams in the village....I have six French grandchildren and they love bakestones, or should I say Welsh cakes.

Carol McGuire, lived with her parents at the Forgehammer hotel, (Forgehammer) for 5 years, then moved to Griffithstown, Pontypool and from there emigrated to Australia in 1974.

.. Carol McGuire (right), eldest daughter, Tania (centre) and Tania's partner, Richard (left) ..

.. Carol lives in Mandurah, Western Australia ..

"Mandurah, is a city that is located on the coast approximately 80km south of the City of Perth. It is a well known holiday destination although in the last 10 years the permanent resident growth has doubled. We have some lovely beaches and the inlet has many prawns and crabs which are caught by the locals from either small boats or the walkways under the bridges. There are many new cafe's and restaurants appearing on the foreshore; and a feature in Mandurah is homes built beside purpose built canals, allowing boats etc to be parked at their back door. These homes are of course quite expensive and have attracted many professionals to the area to have their holiday or retirement homes built next to these canals, river, estuary and beaches".

"The pictures of the beach are only a 5 minute drive from my house, and the foreshore is just at the end of my street. Included in the photo's, you will see the 'Old Bridge', which is a famous spot for fishing, prawning and crabbing, and is well known by all who visit Mandurah".



Carol's other daughter Zoe, (then aged 10yrs),wrote a poem in November1992, after returning `home` entitled ...

My Holiday in South Wales UK

.. Click here to read it ..

.. David, Janine and their Grand kids, Charlotte and Lachlan - Twins! ..

David Plant (Formerly of The Birches, West Pontnewydd ) Emigrated in 1972 ...We live in Adelaide, South Australia. We used to have the Grand Prix until the Victorians stole it. It's a good place to live. We're 20 minutes to the beach and 2 minutes to the hills.

.. Paul and Alyson Mahagan ..

G'day from Oz, my name is Paul Mahagan now living in Bouvard, Mandurah, West Australia. I used to live in Trinity Road, West Pontnewydd. emigrated out to Oz in 1988, came back to visit for the first time in May/June 2005, had a great time catching up with old friends and re visiting a few old haunts, loved seeing the GREEN country side and narrow lanes. We live on an acreage block which is drying out rapidly now we're into our summer.