Welsh Journals

Nain was attentive to John Morgan. Did she provide the real affection in the household? All the children were given a moral and religious ideal and faith was instilled with rigour and by discipline, as befitted a clerical household of the time. It wasn't long before I saw that the whole family went to Church every morning at twenty minutes to eight, to take part in Morning Prayer and that Service was our 'Family Prayer'. I got to know the Canticles, the Creed, the prayers by heart: and I remember quite well that there was one part of the Service about which for some years I could do very little until I learned to read and so to read the Psalms.Nain was a dear old woman, over eighty years old, and she used to wear a lace cap on her head. It was a special favour when I was allowed to sit with her during the Welsh Service on Sunday morning, and carry her huge Prayerbook to and from the Church. But whenever I fell from grace, I had to go to the English service at St George's. The three younger ones of us used to ring the bell, each in turn, before the daily service. It was not all routine and drudge. He was all boy, exploring every cave, hole and corner on the Great Orme and enjoying crab-hunting, playing pirates and smugglers with his brother, who was eight years older, and bringing home the seashore spoils. He took risks, walking and balancing on the highest walls and pinching apples, even when he was given to understand that his father knew exactly how many apples were on every tree. At dinner time on Saturdays, we got a penny, and later two pence. In those days you could buy a large quantity of 'sweets' for a penny in Ferrari's shop in the market. Then on Saturday afternoon, we would get together to listen to Perry and Allen's Nigger Minstrels in the Happy Valley: the programme was always good. The other penny went into the Niggers' collecting bag. Sometimes we went instead to the Promenade to watch Ferrari's performing birds or Codman's Punch and Judy. His mother had taught him to play the piano and harmonium. He attended the infants school (The National School) close by the rectory. He joined the church choir. He needed little coaching for he had a superb singing voice which earned him a scholar's place at Llandaff Cathedral School where he boarded and became joint soloist in the cathedral choir. 'Even now, when occasionally I hear a glorious voice, there's a certain amount of dampness that bubbles up in my eyes.' Morgan went on to Llandovery College at fourteen. He had been a