Author Topic: Pen Morfa Cottages  (Read 42612 times)

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Offline SAJ

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #105 on: August 10, 2019, 05:59:57 pm »
It was the same for dad. He talked about swimming in the sea from April until the end of October, exploring on the Orme and of hitching a lift to school on the milk cart. He frequently recited bits of poems that he had learned at school and, like Uncle Peris, was a decent singer. I was astonished to learn that he had been in a production of "The Mikado". Don't know the details but that would be a photo I'd like to see!

I'll have to come and explore the Archives at some stage to see what I can discover about the family generally.

Love the story about your Uncle Bob, the conger eel and Uncle Peris!

I've posted a couple of photos in the "People" album today. More to follow soon.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #106 on: August 10, 2019, 06:29:05 pm »
I've a very distant memory of going with Spud to Bangor.  His father Merfyn would have taken us there and I can still picture the house that we went to but I suppose that would have been Merfyn's family as I don't know where Nain Thomas came from originally.

I drove past the Archives in Conwy on Wednesday and the new building is coming along nicely, it will have a cafe there which is a bonus but I'll probably spend more time in the cafe rather than in the Archives itself

I'll have a look at those photos in the People album and see if I can recognise them.   Just had a quick look but can't recognise anyone from the school photo.    Was the Dad and the two other Thomas' related?


Offline SAJ

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #107 on: August 10, 2019, 07:22:45 pm »
Uncle Merf was born in Bangor. I checked the 1939 Register and he was living with his parents and working as a postman. Did you go in Uncle Merf's mini? I remember when he bought it and my dad looking it over.

As mentioned, Nain grew up in Maenan but was born in Cerrigydrudion.

The new Archives building will be a bit of a change from visiting Denbighshire Archives in the old Ruthin Gaol. An ancestor on Nain's maternal side was locked up there in 1859 for bankruptcy. 

I'm definitely on that school photo. I'm seated with hair in bunches and my ears sticking out! The names of most of the class are written on the back of the photo but would take a lot of typing in. Some of the "less ordinary" surnames are - Hanson, Stokes, Rodgers, Algieri, Whittaker, Kerridge, Roughsedge and Dibble.

I'm not entirely sure as to whether dad was related to the other Thomases. Taid was one of nine children and I've not managed to trace them all down. His twin sister, Margaret married Thomas Jones and their son was John Arthur Jones, photographer. Another son, Thomas Edward, "Eddie" lived with Nain and Taid at Cwm Place for some time. I think I recall my mother referring to Dick Thomas as dad's cousin. I'll need to do more digging as there were numerous members of the Thomas clan all born in the Mochdre area.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #108 on: August 11, 2019, 10:52:16 am »
I can't remember what car we went in as I must have been about 7-10  years old then, it's just the house I can remember.    When I went to work in Bangor in 1985 it was one of the first houses I saw and it instantly brought back the memory of my visit there.

Nain Thomas must have had a lot of the family living there at some time, I remember the name Eddie but can't remember what he looked like.  One of the clearest memories I have is of your cousin Dougie Williams and his wife Gloria living there.   Dougie was such a lovely guy and it was so sad when he died at such a young age

Some of those names you have mentioned that are in the photo I've heard of and in fact there is a thread on here about the Kerridge Family which has been quite interesting.

Offline Helig

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #109 on: August 11, 2019, 11:26:38 am »
The mention of the name Kerridge caught my attention. Do you know which Kerridge it was please? Otherwise what year was the photo taken? I might be able to work out from that. Is there any chance you could post it on here?

The name Algieri seems familiar, does anyone know this family?

Helig.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #110 on: August 12, 2019, 11:03:19 am »
There were some Algieri's who were builders but I never knew the family although I have some memory of Maria and Lucia Algieri who I think lived at the top of Conway Road in Llandudno ( the Queens Road end by the roundabout )

Offline SAJ

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #111 on: August 12, 2019, 04:14:54 pm »
Hi Hugo, I'll have a look at the Kerridge thread when I get a minute. Vincent Algieri was in my class and I think they did live in Conway Road somewhere near members of the Forte family. Angela Forte was also in my class as was Susan Mott (missing from the photo) whose dad was the band leader Roland Mott.

Hi Helig, Peter Kerridge was in my class at Craig y Don School. I'm fairly sure that the photo was taken in 1961/2 when we would all have been around 8/9 years old. I've posted it in the "People" album in the Gallery. Tried unsuccessfully to attach it here. Peter is seated on the left-hand side of the row of girls.

Offline lizcj

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #112 on: August 13, 2019, 09:14:58 pm »
Hi Hugo, yes, the person you spoke to before was me and I am SAJ's daughter. I have fond memories of The Floral too and even though they moved from there when I was 6 or 7.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #113 on: August 14, 2019, 09:41:04 am »
Hi Lizcj,  a group of us, mainly from Cwm Place and the estate went to the cafe every Sunday for a meal and a game of cards and really enjoyed it there.   Most of the time it was your Nain that we would see there but sometimes your Taid would be there too.
When the Penmorfa Cottages were demolished at least three families that I know of from the cottages moved to Cwm Place.   The Hughes at No 33,  the Thomas' at No 34 and the Robinson's at No 29

Offline Helig

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #114 on: August 14, 2019, 11:08:06 am »
I think a cousin of mine was friends with some of the Algieri family. She knew one of the Lazar daughters well and they were often round to see her. The names ring a bell from the past.

Peter Kerridge is a relative of mine. The last I heard he was living in Llanrhos area. He has been living there for some years now. His mother died in 2017. I have viewed the photo in the gallery. It is great!

Helig

Offline Hugo

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #115 on: August 14, 2019, 12:27:26 pm »
Another name mentioned by SAJ was the surname Dibble.      I wonder if that person was the child of the late Kenneth Dibble who wrote so many books about the areas of Nant Y Gamar,  Bodafon and Penrhynside etc
Those booklets can be seen in the Conwy Archives and are well worth a read      $good$

Offline nessasmum

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Re: Pen Morfa Cottages
« Reply #116 on: February 09, 2021, 02:00:34 pm »
Hello Barbiroli. Six months late, but the answer to your question is yes. Sara was/is a most beautiful singer and a beautiful woman. I rate her jazz singing as amongst the best I've ever heard. She used to sing with us when we had jam sessions in the North Western, St Georges (I think), Washington and Imperial - Glyn Dryhurst, Glyn Lewis, Norman (1066) Fields, self, etc. Sara then sang with our band Rhythm Machine when we were resident at the Stage Door on the Pier (1975 and 6). Friend Martin Peel tells me she now lives Llandulas way. Megan Jones, Sara's mother was a lovely person (still is as far as I know) and was a regular at the Navy Club.

Heddwch.

Mike.

Hi, I just came across this and popped it on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193882828718 - let me know if you (or any of Rhythm Machine) would like it though and I'll pull it off auction and pop it into the post  :)