Sorry, I type like a secretary, so there is little effort for me in typing a lot of garbage or history – take your pick!
But since this thread is about family …
I always regret not getting a photo of four generations of my family - with nana and Grandpa, my mother, at least one sibling (grandchildren) and at least one of their children (great-grandchildren).
My grandparents ran the Conservative Club (stewards) in Bedwas for many years and after that ran the White Heart Inn (part of a large brewery chain) also in Bedwas; some of my most favourite childhood memories are of running around the rooms in the White Heart Inn and playing out in the back-yard; I spent long holidays there when my mother was having babies. My grandfather was from Llanbradach and I think my nana was from the Trethomas area (at least that is where many of my relatives still live), if memory serves me correctly, my Nana had 8 brothers and 3 sisters. Nana and Grandpa died respectively in a hospital and nursing home near Ystrad Mynach in South Wales.
One of my Nana’s sisters (Aunty Francis) married someone (who became my “Uncle Ivor”) who is, as I understand it, directly descended from the Black Prince, John of Gaunt; from what I understand Uncle Ivor’s ancestors came over with William the Conqueror. Some of Uncle Ivor descendents are related to Chaucer who wrote Canterbury Tales and another was a sister of a Plantagenet King. Uncle Ivor had an ancient look about him; he was very tall and looked like a living statue. He had no fear of heights and became a highly paid foreman rigger putting up scaffolding. He was employed all over the UK to help with difficult scaffolding jobs. If history had come out different I guess Uncle Ivor could have been part of modern day royalty instead of an expert rigger.
Engineering and science seems to run between alternative generations of my family, my great or great great grandfather built bridges to carry the coal trucks (coal trains) from the Valleys down to the South Wales coastline – I think he must have been quite a character in Bedwas, I have an old framed picture of him standing next to his own horse driven buggy right in front of the Fishermen’s Rest in Bedwas. As I understand it, since he built bridges to carry “coal trucks” he worked directly or indirectly for a big coal field owner or business man, the Marquis of Bute.
I did my science research PhD in Glasgow University, not many people know that Glasgow University and Cardiff (including Cardiff University) share a great heritage as evidenced by the Marquis of Bute’s generosity to Cardiff by giving up much of Cathays for building City Hall, the Temple of Peace, the National Museum and Gallery of Wales and land on which much of Cardiff University was built (there was some kind of stipulation about height and the character of the buildings that could be built on the donated land so Cardiff University ended up with the fantastic ornate main College Building on Park Place in Cardiff), and the Marquis of Bute was a great friend of Glasgow University, I learnt from an exhibit in the Hunterian Museum inside Glasgow University that the Marquis of Bute gave money to help build Bute Hall at Glasgow University – a truly beautiful piece of architecture. Disclaimer: I might be biased as I am an alumnus of both Cardiff and Glasgow Universities (both members of The Russell Group of twenty top UK research based universities).
Christmas is coming, The goose is getting fat. Please put a penny in P. Hain's hat. If you don't have a penny a ha'penny will do. If you don't have a ha'penny then God help you.
I don't think pensioners should make any donations to Peter Hain's hat - because it will lead to embarrassment after he is found not to have declared them properly.
7 comments:
that is more than cute Glyn that is a christmas card.
I think you ar really enjoyin this ickle one :>)
VM - Know you would like it. I'm going to put another up today -- of three generations finishing the 4 mile Santa Run in Newtown.
Sorry, I type like a secretary, so there is little effort for me in typing a lot of garbage or history – take your pick!
But since this thread is about family …
I always regret not getting a photo of four generations of my family - with nana and Grandpa, my mother, at least one sibling (grandchildren) and at least one of their children (great-grandchildren).
My grandparents ran the Conservative Club (stewards) in Bedwas for many years and after that ran the White Heart Inn (part of a large brewery chain) also in Bedwas; some of my most favourite childhood memories are of running around the rooms in the White Heart Inn and playing out in the back-yard; I spent long holidays there when my mother was having babies. My grandfather was from Llanbradach and I think my nana was from the Trethomas area (at least that is where many of my relatives still live), if memory serves me correctly, my Nana had 8 brothers and 3 sisters. Nana and Grandpa died respectively in a hospital and nursing home near Ystrad Mynach in South Wales.
One of my Nana’s sisters (Aunty Francis) married someone (who became my “Uncle Ivor”) who is, as I understand it, directly descended from the Black Prince, John of Gaunt; from what I understand Uncle Ivor’s ancestors came over with William the Conqueror. Some of Uncle Ivor descendents are related to Chaucer who wrote Canterbury Tales and another was a sister of a Plantagenet King. Uncle Ivor had an ancient look about him; he was very tall and looked like a living statue. He had no fear of heights and became a highly paid foreman rigger putting up scaffolding. He was employed all over the UK to help with difficult scaffolding jobs. If history had come out different I guess Uncle Ivor could have been part of modern day royalty instead of an expert rigger.
Engineering and science seems to run between alternative generations of my family, my great or great great grandfather built bridges to carry the coal trucks (coal trains) from the Valleys down to the South Wales coastline – I think he must have been quite a character in Bedwas, I have an old framed picture of him standing next to his own horse driven buggy right in front of the Fishermen’s Rest in Bedwas. As I understand it, since he built bridges to carry “coal trucks” he worked directly or indirectly for a big coal field owner or business man, the Marquis of Bute.
I did my science research PhD in Glasgow University, not many people know that Glasgow University and Cardiff (including Cardiff University) share a great heritage as evidenced by the Marquis of Bute’s generosity to Cardiff by giving up much of Cathays for building City Hall, the Temple of Peace, the National Museum and Gallery of Wales and land on which much of Cardiff University was built (there was some kind of stipulation about height and the character of the buildings that could be built on the donated land so Cardiff University ended up with the fantastic ornate main College Building on Park Place in Cardiff), and the Marquis of Bute was a great friend of Glasgow University, I learnt from an exhibit in the Hunterian Museum inside Glasgow University that the Marquis of Bute gave money to help build Bute Hall at Glasgow University – a truly beautiful piece of architecture. Disclaimer: I might be biased as I am an alumnus of both Cardiff and Glasgow Universities (both members of The Russell Group of twenty top UK research based universities).
Christmas is coming,
The goose is getting fat.
Please put a penny in P. Hain's hat.
If you don't have a penny a ha'penny will do.
If you don't have a ha'penny then God help you.
A ditty for British pensioners!
I don't think pensioners should make any donations to Peter Hain's hat - because it will lead to embarrassment after he is found not to have declared them properly.
;-)
Alan - making more sense than usual!!
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