Charity No. 1187117
From earliest times sheep have been a prominent feature of the landscape of the Garw Valley. The Cistercians who were settled in the abbey of Margam under the Normans in the 12th century held vast estates, or granges, in the uplands around Llangeinor, and along with the monks at Tintern, were the richest wool producers in South Wales….
by Ron Davies
The big difference between now and then – the war years and just after – is that Christmas never lasted so long as it seems to these days.
Bonfire night took much longer and had much more going for it: the excitement of collecting and storage, the fear that rivals might steal your best stuff, the incredible tension of lying on top of mounds of combustible rubbish listening for sounds of approaching marauders while the valley winds whistled through the many cracks of wall and roof.
The Garw Valley Heritage Society are proud to present a story by Roy Davies, remembering his early days in the Garw. In the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, we are printing one part per week. The following is an account of the author’s boyhood in the Garw Valley when gangs of boys collected anything…
There weren’t many articles and materials that could be burnt which remained inside people’s homes and gardens in the weeks leading up to bonfire night. Up and down the valley groups of boys – and some girls – scoured the mountainside tips for anything which would burn and which could be manhandled to the open space at the top of their street. In the weeks since they had been back at school they had knocked all the doors in that area of the valley begging ‘anything for the bomfire?’ and like some army of ants they had carried off in sacks or on their backs the materials people had decided could finally be disposed of.
The Garw Valley Heritage Society are proud to present a story by Roy Davies, remembering his early days in the Garw.
In the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, we are printing one part per week.
The following is an account of the author’s boyhood in the Garw Valley when gangs of boys collected anything and everything months in advance to build their bonfires for November 5th.
“Sshh……” the voice hissed in the darkness.