I do now remember the Bennetts shop & Mrs Harris’s. I think there was another cobbler in North Road – on the left from the High Street, just past the shop – might have been attached to the rear of the shop?

John Pope was my best friend for a few years as Les’s shop was almost opposite my grandparents house at No. 88 North Road, & John was just a few months older. I think there were a few years between John & his brother, David, who – I believe – now lives on the Broadway, & John lives in Cwmbran.

I began to lose touch with John when Les took over the shop on the High Street – also partly because, tho’ John was only a few months older, his birthday was August (I think) & mine October, so we ended up in different school years, classes at Town School.

There was a Graham “Lofty” Newman, who was my age & I believe he lived in Gwent Street or Haden Street, but dont know if he was related. Didnt know or can’t recall any other Newmans.

Our back garden in Brynwern used to back on to “Jasper’s orchard” (Mr Jarvis’s allotment/garden.
My father had built a very large workshed between the two gardens and as kids, we’d climb over that shed to get to those beautiful apples (And strawberries) but sneakily, we would remove a few of the panels at the back/bottom of the shed before “going over the top”.
This gave us the very necessary element of a surprisingly rapid escape from “Jasper”. He was as fit as a fiddle and he would chase us for miles. Even though he was probably three or four times our ages, he always caught at least one of us and when he did, boy, could he swing a dap!

Throughout my early years I, like many others, was absolutely terrified of “Jasper” and it wasn’t until I had matured a little that I realised that although he was very firm, he was scrupolously fair.
Mr Jarvis and his wife were truly “beautiful people” once you got to know them.

The shop at the junction of High Street/Moreton Street was “Honeybun’s” or later, “Gwen’s”. Lower down High Street was Huntingdon’s fish shop and Trevor Morgan’s, the cobbler. Outside The Colliers was Cornfield’s “green shed” shop.
Somewhere in between was the front entrance to Grey’s (?), later to become Mick Jones’s garage.

Higher up was Brown’s (Later “Billy Evans’s”), Wigley’s (Bennett’s to many) and another one who’s name escapes me (Mrs Harris’s?). I’ll never forget the geese she kept at tne backof te shop.

Les moved his business into the corner of High Street and The Coedcae. Brian Wotley later took over until the premises saw it’s final commercial use as a PO.

Edgar may be interested that there is a “reunion group” mainly of O.B.s from the 1940s, 50s & 60s who, organised by Mr Jack Russell, get together about once every two years. I think in that group they are a no. who remember young Anthony as a very quiet lad.

Incidentally, Mrs “Ma” Mosely stayed at West Mon until 1959 when she got a post at the Girls County. Alan “Long Tom” Rosser then moved up to teaching A-level – I think he concentrated on botany with Les “Basher” Bennet doing zoology. Brian (Ba) Jones, a former boarder, then joined the school to teach biology up to O-level, but only remained a couple of years or so before going to Usk Agricultural College. I believe he died (quite young) not long afterwards.

We did occasionally have a female teacher – I remember, in particular, Miss Barnes, who taught English, but they usually stayed no longer than a year, perhaps only a term or two. Of course, things changed in the 80s when the school became a comprehensive & admitted girls.

The only one of these masters I remember was Frank Whitty. I think he was one of those who was demobbed fairly soon after the war ended. I remember the staff v boys cricket matches were resumed at that time and West Mon returned to normal. The last mistress to teach there I think was Mrs Mosely the biology teacher whose husband was a master at the school. I think both he and Frank Whitty played cricket for Trevethin Cricket Club.

Regards,

David.