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Swansea in the past........

Discussion in 'Swansea City' started by Victor, Sep 16, 2020.

  1. Victor

    Victor Well-Known Member

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    i wonder how many of you on here remember parts of the old Swansea and its district ?
    When I was a youngster. I never thought that so much would change. ....... We had The South Wales electricity board then, what is it called now? ....... We had The Steel Company Of Wales then, .. it has had a few take over and name changes since. ....... We had two public transport bus companies then , The Red buses of South Wales transport, .... And the blue and white of the United Welsh buses
    We had the World famous and oldest railway in the World. THE MUMBLES RAILWAY ............ and probably one of the worst councils to go with it.... We had a railroad then that ran from Victoria Station in Swansea all the way to Gorseinon, through to Pontarddulais. ............... The streets of Swansea then were alive with Austin, Morris, Triumph, M.G., Jags And many other British made cars, including the Police
    Cars which were Wolsey. ........ Then we had all those famous motor bikes, B.S.A. Norton, Ariel, Matchless, to name a few. Then the push bikes, Only one sticks out in my mind,.....?.........My Mother who was a widow had saved up to purchase a bike for me on my Birthday,.... we travelled by bus to Swansea, and she bought me a gold coloured drop handled. HERCULES KESTRAL . Not so much traffic on the roads then, and I rode it all the way home and got a puncture outside the Fountain Inn. near home. That is the only make I remember as a few months later, I crashed and broke my wrist. ............. some of you may be able to educate me on other makes....... ..... Boundy does e lot of cycling.
    Anyway Who remembers the Plaza, the Empire, and of course the Albert Hall. ........ any way. I bet nobody remembers. .... THE VETCH With the most famous toilets. ? ? ? ? ?

    Anyway I will leave it there, you guys can add a lot to that I expect. ..... hope you were not too bored,
    I only posted it as it was a little quiet on here .
     
    #1
  2. azzuriswan

    azzuriswan Well-Known Member

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    I remember N and C coaches which were brown luxury coaches that ran from Swansea to Cardiff via Neath etc.
    The north bank toilets always smelt nice for one game after a pre season paint job.
    Corner shops and pubs all over Swansea and then the advent of Tesco’s and their family of large sell everything stores.
    Before the onset of those large stores shops were shut on Sundays though there were some corner shops open for papers, fags and convenience stuff....
     
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  3. Matthew Bound Still Lurks

    Matthew Bound Still Lurks Well-Known Member

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    Its never quiet when you post Victor , keep em coming
     
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  4. Matthew Bound Still Lurks

    Matthew Bound Still Lurks Well-Known Member

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    Number 24 bus into Neath , DMU trains , when Neath Road was the main route into town from Morriston. Jersey Road then the main route into town from Winch wen.
    The ammo dump near the Half Way in Winch Wen , The railway station .Social Club which originally was two storeys , The Vale works . The Travellers pub where Dylan Thomas restaurant stands today , all gone and all in Llansamlet .The Albert the Prince pubs in Morriston. The Bridgend Inn in Birchgrove on Boxing day watching the fox hunt meet , drinking in the Terrace Inn and the social club on Parc Y Helig ( where I met the wife ) I remember when Birchgrove road was tree lined with Elm trees but were all cut down due to dutch elm disease in the mid sixties. School desks with the flip up lids and yes ink wells , having a kip on green canvas beds in nursery where i met my best mate over 55 years ago . 1/3 pint milk where it was an honour to be the milk monitor and cadging the surplus milk at the end of the day but regretting it after it had turned during the day. Being a school prefect for a short while until I was caught singing the wrong words to a Christmas carol alongside my said mate. Lots of happy memories of my childhood and the place I love to call home.
    Taken tonight on my bike ride towards Mumbles

    Tonight JPG.JPG
     
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  5. Taffvalerowdy

    Taffvalerowdy Well-Known Member

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    Some of the things I remember:

    Jenkins buses
    Merlyn’s coaches
    Creamline buses
    Neath Grammar School
    BP Llandarcy
    BP Llandarcy Club where I spent many a great day
    Weavers Flour Mill
    Struels Warehouse
    Talk of the Abbey in Neath (where I met my wife 41 years ago yesterday)
    Fletchers of Swansea
    CK Andrews (on the Kingsway)
     
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  6. Matthew Bound Still Lurks

    Matthew Bound Still Lurks Well-Known Member

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    Jenkins buses The sign for Jenkins Coaches was still there recently
    Merlyn’s coaches On Siding Terrace ?
    Creamline buses ?
    Neath Grammar School by the old bridge going into Neath ?
    BP Llandarcy I had temporary a job there to tide me over whilst I was waiting to join up ( cleaning the washrooms) I was fascinated by the boot cleaning machine in the entrance foyer , I was on the same wage as my Dad then a rude awakening on enlisting
    BP Llandarcy Club , never went there
    Weavers Flour Mill, Should have preserved it
    Struels Warehouse ??
    Talk of the Abbey in Neath (where I met my wife 41 years ago yesterday)
    Fletchers of Swansea On Carmarthen road up from where Trainers is now
    CK Andrews (on the Kingsway) ??
     
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  7. Taffvalerowdy

    Taffvalerowdy Well-Known Member

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    CK Andrews was a car showroom - is it a Wetherspoons now?
     
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  8. glamexile

    glamexile Well-Known Member

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    Nostalgia time again

    That daily walk to Neath Grammar past the pickle factory by the bridge. Not a pleasant smell on a Monday morning :emoticon-0100-smile

    The Windsor Cinema in Neath - so many memories from Saturday morning films as a young boy through to somewhere you would take a girl on a night out. I remember it was 1/3 in the cheap seats, 1/6 and 1/9 in the balcony. Talk of the Abbey opened just before I left Neath for the bright lights of London so only went there a couple of times.
    large.jpeg
     
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  9. Taffvalerowdy

    Taffvalerowdy Well-Known Member

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    Yes - The Windsor was where many of us took girls to ‘watch films’ - then it morphed into the Talk of the Abbey. I was a regular there - played football in the afternoon (Welsh League or Neath League) then a few bevies in town before the Talk of the Abbey, after that a curry on Alfred Street, then the walk home passing Neath Grammar/Dwr y Felin on the way ...
     
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  10. glamexile

    glamexile Well-Known Member

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    We used to go for a late night curry at the top of Windsor Road just before Alfred Street. I seem to remember a Chinese restaurant in Alfred Street. I took the opposite way home from you Taff. Up past the Gardens then up Gnoll Park Road past the rugby ground.
     
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  11. azzuriswan

    azzuriswan Well-Known Member

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    Lived in pubs for twenty years so didn’t have to go far for a pint whether I was working or having a night off.....
     
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  12. swantastic

    swantastic Well-Known Member

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    20200917_095617.png A rather full Mumbles Train. 1920's.
    Screenshot_20200917-095142.png
    Screenshot_20200917-095310.png
     
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  13. swantastic

    swantastic Well-Known Member

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    High Street. 1950s?

    Screenshot_20200917-095759.png
     
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  14. Matthew Bound Still Lurks

    Matthew Bound Still Lurks Well-Known Member

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    I cycled up the hill from the arcade last night , I don't suppose it was any easier back then <laugh>
     
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  15. Matthew Bound Still Lurks

    Matthew Bound Still Lurks Well-Known Member

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    The Windsor became bingo hall I'm not sure if its still there . I watched the Kubrick film "A Clockwork Orange" there ,weird
     
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  16. nicewelshlumberjack

    nicewelshlumberjack Well-Known Member

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    The best things I remember are the rivalries and the camaraderie! We had a football team on our street that played against the next street down in Blaen-y-maes - then we would form a team between us to play against the Penlan team on Clwyd rugby pitch - we bought the same coloured t-shirts - the controversy when I moved from Blaen-y-maes to across the road from Clwyd but wouldn't play for the Penlan team!! We'd steal each other's bonfires and then when they were lit , gather around the last one alight - maybe throw on a potato - cooked best in between the rings of wire from the tyres! Then we'd all traipse down to Cadle mill (not pub) or through 'the woods' to 'the lake'
    Then 'IT' would happen - the olympic games where each street had their team - two lamposts for the 110 yards - once around the garages for the 440 - the right size brick for shot putt - bamboo for javelin and then the relays! Almost break a leg doing the long jump and to cap it all off the football final!
     
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  17. glamexile

    glamexile Well-Known Member

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    I bet there wasn’t a queue for the pole vault <laugh>
     
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  18. daimungeezer

    daimungeezer Well-Known Member

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    I went to Clwyd and Penlan schools!
     
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  19. 55282

    55282 Well-Known Member

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    Buccaneer Bar
    No10
    Bellis chippy
    Criterion
    Dillwyn Arms
    The Vetch Field
    Rays cafe by the Grand
    Ten Hong
    Si kong
     
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  20. Matthew Bound Still Lurks

    Matthew Bound Still Lurks Well-Known Member

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    Mine was just approved
     
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