Memories of Oakdale - Barbara Sleeman

The village of Oakdale was a wonderful place in which to be born and brought up. It was a new village built when the mine was opened. Some houses had electricity and most had a bath. In many cases, the bath was in the kitchen with a moveable board over the top. It made a wonderful stage for children who loved performing. The kitchen was a very warm room because there was always a big coal fire burning to heat the water and the oven, but one day a gas stove was put in, the height of luxury!

I remember coming home from school one lunchtime to hear music in the front room; it was our first radio - Dick Barton, Children's Hour and all that. That was a really exciting day.

The village of was built in the shape of a horseshoe, with Aberconway Gardens and The Square in the centre. Around The Square were all the shops needed. There was the Co-op and Co-op Butcher, Step hens' the Butcher; Wanklyn's the Newsagent and Hairdresser, haberdashery, the Chemist, a Green Grocer and Bolwell's where they sold toys amongst other things. I must make a special mention of Jones' the Fish Shop and Conti's with its cafe, sweets and ice cream. I remember when I really thought I was 'it' when I could see over the very high fish shop counter. Conti's sold the best ice cream in the country. You could have a cornet or a wafer, but I remember being sent up with a basin to buy so much ice cream as a special treat. Then there was Brace the bakers. Brace's had their bakery in Oakdale at that time. We can now buy Brace's bread in our local supermarket in Cardiff. Hill Stores was a grocers where my Aunty Gwen was manager and I occasionally helped.

I was born in Ashville but we moved a few times to different houses in the village, but most of the time we were in 6, Central Ave. We were three doors down from the Institute, with its library, reading room, billiard hall and upstairs dance and concert hall. It was in that hall that Tom and I had our wedding reception (we are now in St Fagans History Museum). Across the road was the Hotel and in front of that, the bus stop.

It was a good place to live. We were able, in the early days, to play on the roads disturbed only by a Braces' van or a double decker bus. If you were travelling to Blackwood by bus, you would stand in the queue early in order to get a seat, or even to get on! As teenagers, we often walked.

Behind the Institute was the cinema where Saturday morning matinees were full of children, cheering on the goodies and booing the baddies. Every Boxing Day after a special matinee, we were given an orange as we left the cinema. As we got older, we outgrew the matinees and went in the evenings, gradually moving up to the back row with our boy/girl friend. Some fi Ims we were unable to see unless accompanied by an adult, so we would stand outside the cinema and ask an adult to take us in, and they did! A mining village is very much a community minded village. There is a camaraderie amongst the men working on the colliery and that spills over into the community.

Although a colliery village, the colliery couldn't be seen from the village. The entrance was a tree lined drive with a rose garden at the bottom. I remember the exciting day when the pit head baths were opened and the men came home clean instead of covered in coal dust. I had to present a bouquet to the opener and my mother told me what I should say, but I was so nervous, I couldn't say a word. Needless to say, she wasn't very pleased with me!

Although the colliery was out of sight, the corners of the school playground were covered in smuts, which, when the wind blew, got into your hair. School days were happy days for me and many of the teachers who taught me as a chi Id were still there when I returned later as a teacher myself, to teach P.E. with Des J ones.

There were many activities available: a band, men's and ladies' choir, drama society and various sports. We had good rugby, tennis and cricket teams and there was even a quoits pitch. I wonder if quoits are played anywhere today. All these sports were played on the recreation ground where we played as children. Mr Holland was the keeper of the 'Rec'. He knew us all and was quick to tell us off if we misbehaved but we all respected and liked him.

1947 was the year of the big snow, which meant no school for many weeks. In Maes y Garn, the snow was up to the bedroom windows and it was solid enough to walk on. Down in the rec, in the snowdrifts against the walls, we were able to dig out rooms large enough to sit in. Mr Roberts brought his milk around on a sleigh instead of his usual horse and cart. No milk bottles then, but milk churns and jugs. Oakdale often had snow and icy roads. One icy morning, we were being taken to school by bus, some to Pontllanfraith Station for Hengoed and some to Pont Grammar, when we came to the bridge at the top of Woodfield side, the bus did a complete turn around and slid backwards down the hill. Nobody was hurt but the journey had to be continued on foot.

The churches were very strong and active. In our church, the Methodist, we had a very strong youth club J led by Mrs Moore and her helper Mrs Sleeman (my mother, who was also the church organist). The youth club was the centre of our social and spiritual activities (many marriages resulted from there). I remember the Sunday School outings when we went to Barry Island by train from the bottom of the Ivy Bush. Later we had a stream of coaches because all the churches went on the same day. Later we also had our Youth Club outings to Barry and Porthcawl and Whit Tuesday to the Wye Valley for a walk and tea in the local church followed by a servi ce.

Whit Monday was a special day for all the churches. We all congregated on the Square with the church choir leading each particular church and we processed round the village singing as we went, pausing to sing outside the hospital and the homes where we knew people were ill. Tea in the church followed, then sports down the rec, where we competed against each other. I sprained my ankle on one occasion as I took the baton!

Every church had an annual Sunday School anniversary where children and adults performed songs, recitations and choir pieces. The churches were always full to the door. I remember on many occasions, chairs being taken from my grandmother's house to help cater for the crowds. She lived across the road from the church (Mr and Mrs Organ). They were great occasions. We all had new dresses for the girls and shirts and trousers for the boys. I often had a row from my mother because I would have scratches on my legs that showed between my new dress and my socks. It was the chance of the year to show off, either with a song or recitation (unless you forgot the words) or a new dress. Many hours were given up for rehearsals.

The village was surrounded by countryside, so we were able to play in the woods and the fields. We would take our bottle of water and sandwiches and stay out all day. A favourite place was the Cherry Tree on the way up to Pen y Fan pond, where there was a wonderful cold spring of water. Wonderful on a hot day, when you were walking up to the pond. It was all country then. Unfortunately, as the mine continued to work, the waste was dumped as slag heaps on part of the Cherry Tree fields and streams.

As children, we weren't very affected by the war. The nearest bomb was when they tried to bomb Crumlin viaduct. They missed. It landed in a field. If the air raid siren sounded when we were in school, we had to run to our designated house near the school, but eventually we just ran home as we knew we weren't in danger.

During the war, most of the men remained to work on the pit, but we did have soldiers, Bevan Boys and evacuees billeted in the village. As an only child, I wanted an evacuee, but we took in soldiers. They were Scottish and it took a few weeks to understand each other.

In 1957, my husband, Tom (Tommy) Davies and I, left the village for Yorkshire. A few of our friends remained in Oakdale but most of us are now scattered all over the country with some abroad. When we do meet up with our friends, the words most used are, "Do you remember...?"

The horseshoe shape is still there but surrounding the horseshoe are many new houses, schools, businesses and a golf course, so it has changed, but the memories are sti 11 there.

Congratulations Oakdale on reaching your Centenary!

Barbara Davies (formerly Sleeman)

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