Joe Swift...
I have been looking at and reading your site for quite a few weeks now I find it very interesting and today while reading your characters page I wondered if any of your readers remember my uncle Joe Swift who lived in Gaen Street, he worked at Cwmtillery Pit all his life mainly in the Ambulance Room. While at home many a time there would be a knock on the door and someone would be there with someone who had cut or wounded themselves, and Uncle Joe would tend to them bandage there wound, and send them on there way. He would also be called out to people who had accidents in the house. I have a book at home that he entered names and addresses of the people who he had tended. This book goes as far back as 1940's and up to the 1960's. He was also a member of the St. Johns ambulance for many, many years. Sadly Uncle Joe passed away 20 years ago.

.Nurse Solaway
Nurse Solaway (Ivy) was the village Midwife; she never married and lived with her sister Netta, at the top of Crook Hill and then, Woodland Terrace, across from the Top Hat. Her reign extended from the late 40s, into the early 60s, and as one of her hundreds of customers to put it, she was the best around. She was rarely seen out in the village without her uniform on, and her little black bag at her side. Some say she walked, some say she had a bike (progress over the years perhaps), but you would always find her talking to people as she made her way from patient to patient. She knew all of the kids by their first names after all; she brought most of them into the world. The younger kids thought that she carried the babies with her in her bag. In the days before phones were so common, if an emergency arose during a delivery, she was the person who had to deal with it. So many people had her to thank for delivering them into this world when things could have gone the opposite way. "I'm not having this baby without Ivy" and Quick send someone for Nurse Solaway" would echo in many households, as this Angel of a women and her commitment to the village was required. Some people say that the birth rate actually dropped after she passed away. I don't know about that but I'm sure that the well being of the village was greatly reduced by this. Nurse Solaway, ambassador to midwifery wherever you may be, Thank You.

Dai Holmes (Senior)
Dai Holmes the Senior was a Bass singer of distinction in the valley. He was a familiar figure on a Saturday or Sunday evening in his Dinner jacket and bow tie when he would be off to a concert. His favourite rendering was always The Fishermen of England. To hear him sing was an experience. For a person who did not have any formal voice training he did a fine job. Dai was also very vocal when he was working at the Mine. Some said that it helped to make the shift go more quickly. I remember as a child, peering in through the window of the Old Top Hat Club with some other children when Dai was singing his usual Fisherman song. In those days, there was no telephone so it entertained the kids as well as the grownups.

George the Barber
Another consideration for characters of Cwmtillery, though this one could be classified as Abertillery, and that would be George the Barber who had a shop on the bottom of Tillery Street, about twenty meters up from the Foundry Bridge, opposite what became Deasy's Fish &Chip shop. I didn't really don't know his name, but only as George the Barber and he cut hair as his primary business, but had a window full of the most delightful things that any child could want. You could buy Itching Powder, sugar spoons with holes in the middle, bloody finger bandages, amputated rubber thumbs, Ink blots, stink bombs, false moustaches, and many more things, but my favourite was a contraption of a thin layer of rubber which was superimposed between two pieces of Tin-plate, the idea being that you placed it in the roof of your mouth, pushed it into a shape with your tongue and if you spoke through the diaphragm t you would become an instant ventriloquist. Well that was the theory, but did not necessarily work out in practice, I know my mother was not convinced that our cat was asking to be fed. As children we would very often go down to George's, just to look at what was in the window. I don't know if anyone of today would consider this type of shop desirable, but in the 1940's it was a veritable treasure trove to me and many other children of my time, and I consider it to be truly delightful, that in those most austere times, one man had the vision to make a lot of children happy whether it was by accident or business design. I would be curious if anyone else remembers this shop.

Joe Wallace
Joe lived alone at Blaentillery Farm. He seldom came into the village but when he did, you could hear him coming a long time before you could see him. You could hear the chug, chug, chug of his tractor coming down the Church Lane. The kids would stand at the side of the road and wave at him. He always waved back. His dog would always be running behind the tractor with tail wagging and tongue hanging out almost licking the ground. Joe would sometimes visit the Winnett Farm during his infrequent trips and also get some groceries and presumably tractor fuel. He lived off the land most of the time and if the tractor broke down he was able to fix it himself. Joe was one of a kind.

Joe Wallace
Born at Blaentillery farm in 1885, at that time the farm was kept by his father Morgan Wallace (it was at this time not a working farm I might add). Joe's life was the farm and always said his life was one long holiday as he was doing exactly what he wanted to do. At the farms peak 2,000 sheep would roam the mountain tops between Blaentillery and the Ty-Arthur farms.
When finally the farm was sold (late 1960s), Robert McAlpine bought it for a tennant farm and sold it on to Arthur Jones.
I have read that Crawshay Bailey was once the owner of Blaentillery Farm and it was a hunting lodge with kennels.

Billy Martin
Does anyone remember a little bloke that used to do the clubs and pubs he was only about 5ft tall he was a comedian and he was great the things he did and the jokes he told he brought many a tear of happiness to a lot of people in Abertillery and where ever he was performing. The only thing is I'm not sure of his name i think it was Martin but maybe someone can remember his name. as i think he was worthy of a mention in your remembrance page.

Harvey Parry
Harvey, was a tough bird in his younger days. He played rugby for Blaenau Gwent for years. His handshake was like a grip of steel. He dressed up as Gorgeous Gussy in the Carnival one time and got his self thrown in the lake. It was all in a days fun for Harvey. Another time he dressed up as Santa Claus for the kids Christmas Party in the old Ambulance Hall in Six Bells. All the kids had a great time. We guessed that it was Harvey, his handshake gave him away.

Harvey Parrywithout a doubt his trademark was the handshake, you would only accept his hand once, the second time it would hello, or good morning, but I must say it was all in good clean fun He worked in Cwmtillery for over 30 years, and had the respected of everyone he came in contact with. His job, he was boss of the fitting gang and worked mostly underground, repairing the Engines, Cutters, Conveyers well just about anything. A Quote " If Harvey was up to his eyes in it he was happy".

Alf Young
In pursuit of the theme characters of Cwmtillery contribute two more people who I think worthy of remembrance would be Alf Young. A man that shaped the sporting future of a good many young kids in the early '50s. Alf was ably assisted by his wife Fran, who while not participating in the physical development would always encourage you to do better and to fulfil your potential. Alf ran a gymnastic type class at the Blaentillery School in the evenings and among those that attended were Desmond Young, Ruby Merrifield, and Rita Hayward??? My involvement was the indoor training for the newly formed Cwmtillery Youth Rugby Club where Alf kindly helped to give us some kind of physical fitness for our Saturday game. We would always attend earlier than required because while we admired the prowess of Des Youngs gymnastic ability, the real draw card was Ruby and Rita, about 18 red-blooded youth players would eagerly follow their every move with intense interest. Alf Young was a character within himself, an ex R.A.F. man he looked the complete part, with Handlebar Moustache and Tweed jacket, Alf could look every bit the Flying Officer Kite type of person, but underneath he was a man of the valley. I think I would be correct in saying that Alf worked for the local Electricity board and must have visited every home in Cwmtillery as a result of his job and many people would remember his cheerful greeting.

Blind John
The next person I would suggest, would not be known to many, but was seen on a daily basis so therefore was like the furniture, if you didn't see him, you missed him, he would be Blind John as much as I remember he was a gaunt featured man and with a perpetual grey stubble, a flat hat a long Raglan type raincoat, the mandatory dark glasses, and his white walking stick. It was the stick that I guess was his trademark, for whenever he was approaching there was always the tap tap of the stick on the ground. John lived on the bend of the road between Bryn Morgan Terrace and Alma Street and would often be seen walking in this area. The uncanny thing about John, though blind if you spoke to him he would always answer you by name, and as a young lad I was not fully convinced of his disability, and like all youngsters I decided to test my theory. My first attempt was to poke my tongue out, after I had spoken to him, but there was no response to my idiotic behaviour, so therefore I thought I would try something different. The next time I cavorted wildly in front of him without saying a word. John in his resolute way just kept coming towards me tap tap tap, tap went the stick, and I'm sure that he would have walked right up my chest if I had stayed in front of him. I was then fully convinced of his disability, and would always show him the utmost courtesy for the rest of the time that I knew him. John was known by many, and was a local identity in the wartime years, and therefore would be on my list of characters of Cwmtillery.

Jockey Herd
I don't know his full name, and I'm not sure where he lived, but as a youngster I remember seeing him walking about Cwmtillery and Penybont. In fact you couldn't really miss him, for he was always dressed as what I would imagine a jockey would be dressed, when not riding. He always wore jodhpurs, black shiny leggings, and Boots, and this was topped off by a waistcoat over the top of his shirt and riding type Jacket, flat hat and carried a riding crop. I believe that he was involved in horseracing for he was always ready to discuss horses, or horseracing. He was not a flamboyant character, as one would imagine, from his dress, but rather quiet man that just went around his business, I guess that he was just unusual in a community that supported Mining and Miners and whose sartorial elegance does not amount to looking like the local Gentry.

Mr. George Fairclough who was the local undertaker.
Mr. Fairclough always dressed and looked as an undertaker should look, Pinstripe trousers, black long tailed jacket, white starched shirt black shiny shoes, greying hair and slightly balding. That severe description belied a man with a wicked sense of humour,. Extremely witty, and gentlemen to boot. In my younger days at Cwmtillery I played rugby for the town and Mr. Fairclough would discuss the Saturday forthcoming game at the park. Any Saturday morning if it was fine you could meet him near the foundry bridge, a conversation would take place something like this. Good morning Mr. Fairclough a beautiful morning isn't it, Good morning Michael yes it is, and smile would break on the corner of his mouth, and he would quietly reply, not much good for business though, and then say how are you keeping Michael? Are you well? his eyes would twinkle, and you knew that you were having your leg pulled. I always believed it was a pleasure, and a privilege, to have known Mr. Fairclough and memories of this Dylan Thomas type character are embedded in my mind forever.

Sergeant Jim Parsons
A man that could run like a deer and box your ears at the same time. (It was called instant justice)
Sergeant Parsons had a nose for youngsters who were getting into trouble. If your were doing something that you were not supposed to, you could guarantee that he would show up. Then the wrath of god would fall on you.

Jim Taylor
Jim was a self appointed conductor on the bus service that travelled from town, around the lakes and back, Jim also used to pump the organ at St. Paul's Church.
Jim Taylor was liked by everyone. He had a good spirit and just to meet him on the street was an experience. It was very difficult to break away once he started talking about whatever was the topic for the day.