I have just received a photograph (printed below) from Leslie Chisholm of Toronto. She has sent me a photograph of Class 1A at Cwmffrwdoer Infant School taken in or about 1910. Her mother is in the photograph. I estimate that there must be at least 33 children in the class, possibly more. I wonder how many infants teachers today would like to teach a class of that size. The little girl in the front row proudly holding up her slate board has the name of the class written on it.
I found the photograph wonderfully evocative; it is, of course, over 100 years old but some of the items I remember from my own school days in the 1930s, such items as the tortoiseshell stove and the wooden black “slates” both of which I’ve referred to elsewhere in this blog.
Leslie is planning a visit to the area in April and wants to take some photographs. I understand that a new school has been built on the site. If anyone has any information, especially names, of anyone in this photograph or has any information or photographs of the old or new school, please either email me or make a comment on this blog. Any information I receive by email I shall pass on to Leslie.
Cwmffrwdoer Infants School class 1A
Reminiscences of Old Pontypool 
March 1, 2015 at 4:28 pm |
What a lovely post especially as the mother of one of our followers is in the photograph.Incidentally during my time at New Inn I was rarely in a class of less than 33
Robert Pearce
March 1, 2015 at 8:18 pm |
If this is the same School as Cwmffrwdoer Junior School (which I attended in the late 70’s) All were moved to a new built school, which I spent my last year before comprehensive school at, located on Waunddu. The old school was used for some years as a community centre before being demolished and built on with new houses. If you search google maps for Cwmffrwdoer Primary school you will find its location on there if you look to the right of Waunddu you will see a road labeled Old School Pl (off Chapel Rd) this was the site of Cwmffrwdoer Junior school
March 1, 2015 at 8:29 pm |
The Infant School building is still standing it is now called Zion Hill Community Centre. The junior school which was situated on school road has been demolished and is now a housing estate. Both the schools closed approximately 1983 and was both amalgamated on a new site at Waunddu. Kath King
March 2, 2015 at 12:46 am |
How nice to hear from all of you. I will be sure to check out both the Zion Hill Community Centre and Old School Pl. My mother could very well have attended the Cwmffrwdoer Junior School as well as the Infant School. I really appreciate this information.
March 25, 2015 at 4:37 pm |
My late Mum attended this school around 1910. She would have been 8 years old so don’t think she would have been in the Infants photograph. Her name was Sarah Webb and she was born in No. 13 Buller Street, Cwmffrwdoer..
March 25, 2015 at 9:05 pm |
My mother, Marjorie Brown, was living in Llanwrtdd Wells at the time of the census on 2 April 1911. She was 5 1/2 years old at the time. Judging from her appearance in the school photo, I am inclined to think that she may have been 6 when she attended Cwmffrwdoer Infant School. It would have been fun to think that she and Sarah had been chums. Am I correct in thinking that the Infant School would go up to 7 years of age? Would the language of instruction have been English at that time? I never thought to ask my mother if she had learned to speak Welsh.