Glanamman

One of my playgrounds.

From this picture - you can see where a lot of the terraced houses in Cwmamman Road got their bulding material from!! Those terraced houses will probably last until doomsday - solid and well built, with Welsh slate roofs... many a family was brought up in those cosy, warm homes. (Even with the 'Ty Bach' at the bottom of the garden...) again,Happy Memories!

No - I never did catch a fish - too impatient...

Posted: April 7th 2008 by David Jones.
Contributed by First name Last name

Seventy plus years ago!

My brother Elwyn and myself were born in Nant-y-glyn, Penybont on 18th March 1931.  We were twins. We lived at 18 Tabernacle Road from when we were about three years old.  We left in 1953 to teach in Birmingham.  Glanaman was a lovely place to be brought up.  It was a real Welsh village, Welsh being spoken everywhere.  My father worked at the Gelli Ceidrim coal mine.  When I visited some years back I was disappointed at the amount of English spoken but impressed at the signs of affluence, very different to my days.  This view brings back happy memories when we used to fish in the river, play in the surrounding fields.  I remember that the bridge on many occasions ...read more here
Contributed by Eifion Goss

Doctors House and Surgery. (?)

This was where the Doctor moved to (I think) from High Street, Glanamman.

Opposite this house was 'Show Sam', a picture house (cinema these days..). I spent time in there watching films from all over the world - and the newsreels as well...

Further on - is where I would play and try to catch fish, in the river...near to the small marshalling yards, where the coal would be loaded, from several drift mines in the area.

Fascinating place for a small boy...

Posted: April 7th 2008 by David Jones.
Contributed by First name Last name

Are you sure?

I believe this photo is not of the square. I think this photo is further up, maybe the old co-op? I have being doing a lot of family research on my ancestors from the area which is why I think that this is not the square. My great grandfather used to own the bakery, and my great great grandfather built the building next door to the bakery that later on was owned by the Carpanini family. There is only 1 first floor window on the Carpanini buliding.

Just an observation, but I think I'm right.
Contributed by Mike Lewis

Ice Cream Shop

The shop on the left - with the awning down - was known as 'Capanini's' (spelling?) and obviously Italian. They sold the most wonderful ice-ceams, sodas and coffees as well as tea. I remember the daughter there - her name was Bella, and she was a fiery one too, older than me, and by all accounts, typically Italian (as in temper..). Last heard of in Florida somewhere - if info was correct - as family had all died and she was the owner of the shop and the house next door. Opposite, and further up, was the Billiards and Snooker Hall - which in my day had the local barber in there as well - so you could play a game ...read more here
Contributed by First name Last name

Capel 'Dadcu'

I recently found a photograph of this chapel among some old family photos and have only today discovered its identity. For many years we were told as children that our grandfather John Davies (also known as Dadcu Ffynnon Lwyd) had been the master craftsman who did the  interior wood work of a chapel in the Glanamman/ Brynamman area. The photograph has prompted me to investigate further as to whether this is 'Capel Dadcu'. He lived in Brynmargam Glanamman in 1913 and was a student at the School of Architecture (although I don't know where that was). I have discovered that the chapel was built in 1909 -1910, that the organ pipes were added in 1911, and that the builder was a ...read more here
Contributed by Amelia Davies

Capel Bryn Seion, Glanamman

My name is David Jones, and I remember this street well - opposite & to the right (out of pic) was the local dairyman, who used to deliver milk from the back of a dog-cart..
Further behind the Capel was the Workmans & Mechanics Institute (just see the side in pic)
Grandfather's name was 'Evan Nathaniel Jones', an ex miner from Gelliceidrim Drift mine, (to the left of the front of the Capel) as well as an ex farmer in 'Llwyncelyn Farm', Heol Grenig.
Miners coming off shift would squat/sit down in front of the gates, waiting for the James (?)bus to take them to Bettws and Ammanford, smoking and talking.
Peaceful and quiet in those days, as the Forest in ...read more here
Contributed by First name Last name