22 Sep 12
You will be familiar, then, with Pentre. My grandparents lived on Hillside Street, number 19, to be exact. I have a vivid memory of gransha walking up the very steep garden path carrying two huge buckets of coal on a very icy day. I was in awe of a man who could do that with a false right leg, having had it blown off at the Somme!
Tom Harris was his name, and he went on to father a dozen kids!
22 Sep 12
1 edit
Originally posted by michael liddleSalutes to an exceptionally patriotic, salt of the earth family.
You will be familiar, then, with Pentre. My grandparents lived on Hillside Street, number 19, to be exact. I have a vivid memory of gransha walking up the very steep garden path carrying two huge buckets of coal on a very icy day. I was in awe of a man who could do that with a false right leg, having had it blown off at the Somme!
Tom Harris was his name, and he went on to father a dozen kids!
22 Sep 12
The post that was quoted here has been removedNo, I never lived in Wales. My elder two sisters did but I was born in Wanstead, Essex in 1953.
A few years ago a sister was in Cardiff and decided to visit Pentre to see if Hillside Street still existed. She was amazed to find that the street had had a transformation and the original houses had undergone a major overhaul. Whilst she was taking some photos outside no19, the lady of the house came out, had a chat and then invited sis in for a cup of tea. She spent a few hours there, I believe. (No sign of the tin bath by the fire, she said!).
My dad was born in Treherbert, btw. During WW2 mum worked in Polikoffs, making army uniforms.