The Garw Gleanings appeared in the Glamorgan Gazette for many years. They were written under the name of Lloffwr Arall and were a mixture of news and comedy items that were regarded as being true. The names of the people in the stories were never written in the newspaper though most of the community would have soon known their identities as these items were regularly discussed throughout the valley. Here are some of the amusing items that appeared in the column during the 1914-1918 War, and shows how life on the home front went on as normal, despite the momentous outside events.
Time for Work?
Who was the Blaengarw Colliery worker who woke up thinking he had slept late for work? He dressed as quickly as he could and left his house without having his breakfast and went as fast as he could to the colliery. When he arrived at the pit he found out the time was 2:30 in the morning. All except one found the episode very amusing. He tried to explain matters by saying the hands of the clock had fallen down.
Terror at the Cinema?
A realistic moving picture of lions that was shown at the Hippodrome the other evening gave one young lady in the audience such a terrible fright that she clasped the young man next to her in a tight embrace.
The Germans Have Arrived!
A young man had such a fright at three o’clock in the morning that he was heard to shout loudly, “The Germans have arrived.” What happened was that the legs of his bedstead had given way and he was left in the middle of the room with the bed having turned turtle.