Welsh Journals

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official hut was provided on Walterstone Common where the postman could wait if he was early, light a coke fire, and clear the letter box at the correct time. Then back to Walterstone Church to empty the letter box there, and then home to Pandy, but on the way back had to make a detour to call at Trewyn Manor to collect their mail which was placed in their own leather bag and locked. A duplicate key at the Post Office. Delivery in the mornings was the same, but that was done by a part- timer where as I was a full-timer. Pandy Post Office was run by Mr. & Mrs. Parry, but their daughter Blanche did all the work. She used to invite me to arrive early in the mornings to have a cup of cocoa with her-father and mother still in bed-and she was my first introduction to love! The end of the 1914-18 war brought to an end my job as postman as the regular holder (Mr. Meredith) returned from the Forces, and I was out of work for the first time. I did various odd jobs to earn a few shil- lings; one that I remember best was that of digging anyone's garden, regardless of size) for eight shillings. Some were easy money, some took even up to two or three days to complete, and the great snag was that you were constantly under the supervision of people who knew how the job should be done, and saw to it that you did it properly! Some time in the early summer of 1919 I went and saw Mr. Cory Goddard at the Depot at Llanvihangel Station, and he gave me a job as clerk. The only other office worker at that time was Mr. Hill, who later became in charge of the Depot, so Mr. Goddard and myself did practically all the office work at that time. Now back to schooldays. They were I suppose uneventful judging by to-day's standard, but to me they were wonderful, both then and in my memory now. There were about 90-100 pupils. One small classroom for the infants, a larger room for Standards 1, 2 & 3 under one teacher (Miss Parry) and Standards 4. 5 & 6 under the Head. There was no dividing partition in this large room and I can remember trying to listen to both teachers at once, absorbing neither properly. Two playgrounds, one for girls and one for boys, with a drinking tap and lavatories in each. The school was locked up during the dinner time 12 to 1.30 and if the weather was very wet, then all the school crowded into the porch; just room to stand up only. In the infants' room was one small fireplace, and a slightly larger one in the 'big room'. On very cold days six children were allowed to come and stand for five minutes around the guard in front of the fire, to thaw out a bit, and then another half dozen took their place, and so on, until all were partially thawed out. The desks were long ones with inkwells at varying points, and it was a great game to try and tip the desk up if it could be done surreptitiously, and without being caught. Many children brought their mid-day sandwiches with them, washed down with a drink from the tap, but I was lucky in that we lived near enough for me to go home to dinner each day. Great joy when on a few occasions the school was closed owing to some epidemic or other- measles, chicken pox and other childish ailments, and although I enjoyed the additional holiday, I was fortunate enough never to have suffered from any of the complaints, so that made it a real holiday. No organised