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the high-class grocer (with restaurant), in Castle Square. You could go the other way for a tea dance at the Baltic Lounge, or cross Castle Street to the famous Kardomah, and the chance of meeting Dylan Thomas and his friends in animated discussion.3 But let us consider the employees. Marjorie Davies of Llangyfelach Street worked in Taylors in the thirties, 8.30 until 6.00, six days, for 9/4 a week. Elaine Bladen worked in Ben's, and remembered its size, magnificence and reputation, but commented, most ordinary people couldn't afford to go in and when she married an airman in January 1941, she was sacked!4 John James Jones of Manselton roasted the coffee at the Kardomah as a 14 year old, and delivered from there with a hand truck 'Some houses would have just a quarter of tea delivered' .5 The old market in Oxford Street is remembered with great affection an enclosed village full of happy, friendly people. The dear old horses patiently drew the carts along a lane of cobblestones .6 The stallholders themselves have reminisced about the wonderful spirit of the place, but were well aware too of the very long working days, the hard physical work, and the cold. They also knew the bare-foot ragged children, and connived at their stealing cabbages at the end of the day.7 For the thirties was the time of the Depression, and while Swansea was blessed with a range of industries which cushioned the economy from its worst effects, copper was no longer being refined, most collieries had closed, and tinplate never regained its prosperity of 40 years before. In 1936, 8,980 men were unemployed in a population of about 165,000.8 In these circumstances, class deference was not universal. Harry Stratton was a taxi driver working from High Street Station 'I remembered how much I resented it when, soon after I started on the job, I had to take home a Swansea dentist who returned home from a continental holiday with a huge load of luggage he just stood and watched while I unloaded the luggage and carried it to his front door'. 'Why should taxi drivers have to wear a chauffeur's cap?' 'Some people owned large houses, had servants. But why shouldn't they have to do the work themselves? If that was the case they wouldn't want such big houses'.9 As a Communist Party member who fought in the Spanish Civil War, he was not typical, but he was far from unique. Socialism was strong. The Labour Party took control of the Council for the first time in 1933. Old assumptions were questioned. Even so, while there were divisions, Swansea society had its unifying elements, and there is something that feels right, rings true, in what Mark Watts wrote in the Evening Postin 1983