South Llandudno

[Trojan]

The building bottom left with the rusty corrugated iron roof was the piggery at the foot of Bryniau or Cwm Mountain. The pig farmer would visit nearby schools and establishments in his van to pick up left-over food to be used as pigswill. It took some time to stop heaving everytime food was scraped into the school pigswill bucket, but I eventually broke down and regurgitated all over my Clarkes Commando shoes, after taking a peek in the back of the pigswill van.  :puke2:

On a still night the pigs could be heard squealing all over the neighbourhood, and would squeal especially loud after rocks from Bryniau quarry were thrown onto the piggery roof.  :twoface:

To the right of the piggery behind the Bodnant Road red brick terraced houses can be seen the riding stables, which were run by the Walker family. Horses were frequently ridden down from the stables through the surrounding streets and they frequently deposited manure in the process. Locals could often be seen emerging into the roadway, shovel in hand, when the horses had passed. ( )
Timothy Walker, one of the owner's sons was an especially skillful horse-rider who would often be seen riding bareback without a saddle.

Coming back to the red brick terraced houses in Bodnant Road, Peter Jones' house named Anfield always springs to mind. Peter, Links Hotel barman and Liverpool FC fanatic, could be heard squealing louder than the nearby pigs, when Manchester United beat Liverpool in the 1977 FA Cup final, ending their Treble hopes once and for all.  

Stella Maris Roman Catholic Primary School (now Blessed William Davies School) can be seen centre of picture. Joey Jones, the ex-Wrexham, Liverpool, Huddersfield Town, Chelsea and Wales footballer attended this school, as did Eddie Niedzwiecki, the ex-Wrexham and Chelsea goalkeeper.  

The fields surrounding the school have now been developed with housing.

[Bri Roberts]

Cwm Place, forum member Mike Cox's Celestial City on a cold winters evening.

Liddell Park is never lit up that well. 

[Hugo]

The grass verge on the West side of Cwm Road (marked red) is where the line used to run:

Apparently however, it wasn't at street level, but approximately twelve feet below an embankment along that area.

It wasn't below the embankment Trojan, in fact it was slightly above street level on top of the embankment.  

[Hugo]

From Cwm Road the line curved slightly to reach the main line at Llandudno.    After it started curving it went between two green corrugated buildings (Electric Laundry was one)  in what is now Council Street West and reappeared in Builder Street before going over to the main line.
There was no Health and Safety in those days, no traffic lights, warning signs etc you just had ti rely on your hearing when you were crossing these lines.   The train driver couldn't see a thing as he was coming out from the buildings so he must have sounded the horn before entering the streets.
One unfortunate person who drove past the opening when a train was coming was an Undertaker who was driving a hearse that had allegedly just picked up a dead body at the hospital. The train hit the hearse and in doing so was derailed. The matter was hushed up but I've seen a photo of the incident that happened.

[Quiggs]

The site, opposite the Scrap Yard, in the earlier Photo, where the line terminated, was the Coke/gas proccesing site. When the Coke was brought out of the ovens, on an overhead rail,it was glowing red hot. The driver of the overhead rail lowered the coke into a tank of water to quench it, the resulting steam often obscurred the roadway outside and the traffic came to a halt until it cleared away. This occured several times a day. The rail line was at street level along Cwm Rd. We used to push the rail wagons along the track. On one occasion a youngster had his hand on the Buffer trying to push the wagon, when behind him others had started to push another wagon along, I spotted the lads hand just in time and grabbed his arm and pulled his hand away, just as the buffers were coming together, it was so close he had rust matks and scratches to both sides of his hand as I pulled it out. I think this taught us a lesson as we stopped playing with them afterwards.   

[Yorkie]

You should have stuck to "00" guage and under!    WWW

[Trojan]

The grass verge on the West side of Cwm Road (marked red) is where the line used to run:

Apparently however, it wasn't at street level, but approximately twelve feet below an embankment along that area.

It wasn't below the embankment Trojan, in fact it was slightly above street level on top of the embankment.  

Thanks Hugo (and Quiggs). I called the person who told me the info today and he explained that he meant the area where the Welsh school is today where the line ran through the fields.

Another interesting story he mentioned was 'The gas chamber'  He remembers taking his dog along to the gas works with his Father in order for them to 'put it down'. He remembers a gas works employee taking the dog by it's lead, then walking away with it and he said he felt quite sad afterwards.
He said they used to gas unwanted and sick animals. He remembers dead horses being removed from the 'gas chamber' on carts.
They probably incinerated the carcass afterwards.

[Nemesis]

OMG that's 'orrible--- can you imagine todays H&S laws allowing it now?

[Hugo]

Thanks Hugo (and Quiggs). I called the person who told me the info today and he explained that he meant the area where the Welsh school is today where the line ran through the fields.

The line never went into the fields Trojan, it followed a straight line down Cwm Road and went directly into the Gasworks veering to the right of the tall chimney. There was a ditch and a small spiked fence that separated the Gasworks from the field and the trains entered and left the Gasworks the same way.

[Trojan]

The line never went into the fields Trojan, it followed a straight line down Cwm Road and went directly into the Gasworks veering to the right of the tall chimney. There was a ditch and a small spiked fence that separated the Gasworks from the field and the trains entered and left the Gasworks the same way.

That's probably what he meant then Hugo, thanks. (He was talking early 1950's) The siding was before my time unfortunately. When he told me about the wagon de-railment, he said the crane tipped over into the field.

If vehicles nedded to get in/out of Hywel Place, then they would have had to cross the lines then?

[DaveR]

Yes, but there were so few cars about then that it wasnt a problem.

[SDQ]

ALSO   I don't think there would be many trains making that particular journey to be honest.

[Micox]

In the photo from Trojan, timescale 1954, the building behind the gas holder was our Wales Gas Board stores and workshop for: a) the distribution section which was responsible for installing and and maintaining mains and services (the pipe from the gas main into the premises served) - Joe and Charlie Delacoe, Henry Sutton, Ned Wrexham, Iori (can't remember his surname) and Mim Evans; and b) the gas fitters - Davy Jones (Mowbray Road), Ronnie Meaby (Colwyn Bay, I think), Gwyn Evans (Alex Road), Norman Griffiths (Northcliffe Hotel on the prom) Sammy Price (the small 1930s close, isolated between the Oval and Trinity Avenue) and little me (the apprentice from the Celestial City over the Road.

To the left of the building as you look at it, there was an external staircase, wooden when I first knew it but replaced by a steel one not much later. Upstairs we had the stores with Phil Huxley in charge (a lovely man) and, a little later, Eric Jones (Eric Sam) his assistant. Over the workshop was the supervisors office Freddie Jones (Deganway - that was the spelling then) at first and after his retirement, Mr Cox (Council Street - can't remember his first name). Later, Norman Griffiths became an estimator and Cox's assistant.

The first house you can see on the straight bit facing you in Cwm Place, is where we lived in the upstairs flat. Downstairs lived an elderly lady, Mrs Williams and her actively schizophrenic daughter, Lucitania May (later there we had Alun Jones (YrOgo - Ted's brother, Megan and their daughter Miriam - lovely young girl). In the mornings I used to roll out of bed late, run, with my breakfast in my hand (sometimes chased by Lucy) through the little entry at the apex of the curve, over the road and over the wall - virtually straight into the workshop. first job was to make tea for everyone that could be used as a substitute for marine varnish.

We had one van -Gwyn Evans' 'property' attempts for anyone else to drive it resulted in a lynching! So one of my early jobs was to trundle any material needed though the streets on the Gas Board handcart!!! Good old days.   
 

[Haulfre]

The grass verge on the West side of Cwm Road (marked red) is where the line used to run:

Apparently however, it wasn't at street level, but approximately twelve feet below an embankment along that area.

It wasn't below the embankment Trojan, in fact it was slightly above street level on top of the embankment.   

Thanks Hugo (and Quiggs). I called the person who told me the info today and he explained that he meant the area where the Welsh school is today where the line ran through the fields.

Another interesting story he mentioned was 'The gas chamber'  He remembers taking his dog along to the gas works with his Father in order for them to 'put it down'. He remembers a gas works employee taking the dog by it's lead, then walking away with it and he said he felt quite sad afterwards.
He said they used to gas unwanted and sick animals. He remembers dead horses being removed from the 'gas chamber' on carts.
They probably incinerated the carcass afterwards.

When i was a small child i remember my nana`s elderly dog being taken to the gas works. It sounds awful-i know,but he was much loved and it was acceptable in those days.

[Yorkie]

Hitler did something similar, if I remember correctly!