By Mr Thomas.
My Nan’s name is Lorraine (Loshi) Livesey (Davies) and she started in Penygloddfa School in 1946. She was in the Infant school until 1948, when she was sent to the board school, before returning when she was eleven to the secondary modern school (11 plus) on our site. She remembers some of the teachers in the infants, such as Miss Byers and Miss Owen. Her headteacher was called Mr ‘Pop’ Rowlands. Loshi thinks there were about 30 children in each class when she came to Penygloddfa. She went home for her dinner, which wasn’t far because she lived at number 3 Bryn Street!
Loshi said that the school has changed a great deal from when she was here: She was in the old Victorian building on our site. She remembers the entrance was small and the classrooms were all next to each other and there wasn’t the space that we have now. There were prefab classrooms at the bottom of the school where the secondary modern was situated.
In 1946 Penygloddfa children did not go on school trips but they used to go on nature walks to the Frydd brook to look for sticklebacks. During play times Loshi would play skipping, hopscotch, ball, leapfrog and marbles. She loved playing marbles and she says that she was a good player! She also had free milk from mugs at play time. Loshi did not wear a uniform, she would wear the same shoes all year long. In her early years in Penygloddfa Loshi played, sung songs and learnt how to read and write. She looked forward to sports, especially throwing beanbags with her heels!
Loshi’s brothers and sisters attended Penygloddfa School, here is one memory of hers about her mum having a disagreement with the head teacher!
Whilst I was interviewing my Nan, she asked her neighbour to come around who also went to Penygloddfa School. She told me about her time in school too. Her name is Gaynor Jones and she went to Penygloddfa during the war. She remembers being excited because she had to take her own Mickey Mouse gas mask to school with her.
Gaynor remembers other teachers, Miss Beddoes, Miss Andrews, Mrs Humphreys and Miss ‘Stump’ Humphreys. She says the teachers were strict and would slap your hands if you misbehaved. She also remembers a teacher called Mr Evans who had a wonky eye so all of the class stood up when he shouted because they didn’t know who he was shouting at!
Gaynor really enjoyed being in Penygloddfa School. She recalls being asked to dig the weeds out of the garden but she didn’t really know what she was doing and she dug up all of the flowers instead!
Gaynor has very kindly offered to find her old photos of Penygloddfa School so we will add them to the site soon.
This is a photo of Loshi when she was in the secondary modern school in Penygloddfa.