Residential Home workshops
Throughout June and July 2013, Patrick Jones visited Ty Clyd, Bargoed and Pentre House, Ton Pentre as part of one of the newly identified key projects with residential homes for the South Wales Literature Project.
Ty Clyd, owned by Caerphilly County Borough Council is a 30 bedded residential home, providing accommodation for long and short stays. It is a single storey building set on the outskirts of Bargoed, overlooking the Rhymney Valley from an elevated position. Pentre House, owned by Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council is a 29 bedded residential home providing accommodation for longer stay. It is purpose built, has a landscaped garden and is situated in Ton Pentre
Residents enjoyed relaxed poetry workshops and conversations during a two hour session. The poems have been compiled as a booklet and distributed as a celebration of the work produced.
Poems:
PENTRE HOUSE
In my pocket
nothing in my pocket
couldn’t afford it
half a penny for a cigarette
not much in my pocket
a picnic
beetroot sandwiches down the park
Saturday 12 noon
down the pictures
used to sneak in
my mother with me
on the tram
and
we’d bring our sandwiches
I remember my mother cooking
no swearing mind you
I’m still with my mother now
in my pocket
baked potatoes
no butter mind you
still lovely
in my pocket
where everyone looked out for each other
families friends communities
helping each other
in times of need
MEMORY
A girl I knew married a fella
they went to london
he sang a song
‘my wild Irish rose’
he was a singer
I can remember it now
I used to walk across the Rhigos
with my mother
to see family
lovely walk in the sun
I worked in Bridgend Mental Hospital
for years
then
managed to get a job up the valley
in the factory
it was closer
a lot of the girls did the same
My mother died when I was 4 months old
my dad worked
so my sister brought me and my 10 brothers and sisters up
must have been hard work but as long as I could go out
I was ok, I was happy
‘fresh air didn’t kill anybody’
an uncle would give us a penny when he was bothered like
we would go up the mountains 3 am
and pinch potatoes from the farmer’s field!
And swedes and greens
I remember 1926
the strike
and we had to go to the chapel for food
everyone would be there
I would go and deliver bread for the baker
and
when I had finished
he’d give me a piece of hot bread and jam
ooh it was bloody lovely
We would go to Malvern
to visit my grandmother
and
for our holiday
I loved it there
I never wanted to come back home
never had a holiday
I remember going to Barry Island
with a trip organised by the Bethany Chapel
They would give each child 6 pence
and we would go on the bus
it was very exciting
sandcastles/wooden bucket no spade
and fish n chips
it was done by word of mouth
everyone went
lovely days
HOW TO LIVE
You have to work to get on
no work no roof
no food on the table
Know how to be have
control yourself
If you can’t do good
don’t do bad
Don’t let people stand on you
work hard
get rid of all the government’s expenses
be constant
be firm
don’t line your own pockets
consider us as good as you
knowledge is power
be careful with money
help out at home
self-sacrifice is important
help others
enjoy life
Memories
Soap was always important to us
Couldn’t afford coal tar soap
we would use the same soap for washing as for bathing
We had to have what we had
We would cut the bar of soap in half
half for bath
half for wash
We would have a bath once a week
all share it
boil the water on the fire
carbolic soap
lifebuoy soap
I can still smell it now
I loved washing and cleaning
and soap reminds me of that
I love the smell of perfume
Angel
it was a special treat to have
loved it
The smell of dinner cooking a hearty stew aaarrrrhhhh
my mother’s cooking- a rabbit stew- delicious
waste not want now
I used to love wash day
it was a routine of life
and held things together
hands scrubbing – dolly tub
washing board
school days
happy days
times table
my brother was late coming home from school
we went to find him
couldn’t see him
heard a knocking in the classroom
and he was in the cupboard the teacher had put him in the cupboard
as he had fought back after the other kids had
called him welsh rarebit
and he had pee’d all over them!!!
I remember a teacher 6ft 2” huge fella- Tom Harry- you wouldn’t mess with him
He’d give you a slap with his hands across the head
some teachers were cruel
What we did for entertainment
hopscotch
hide and seek
Drs and nurses
play shop
play house
skipping handball
hook and reel
scooters
wheelbarrows
football in the street
and
marbles
created by Ada Mary Dennis Phyllis Mary Megan Rene
Ty CLYD
(Bargoed)
MY FAVOURITE THINGS
A Washing line
sails in the breeze
dolly pegs
clean and freeze
‘my mother doesn’t think you’re washing the clothes clean’
I was 9 or 10
when it rained my mother would hang the clothes in side
I loved cleaning and polishing
loved cleaning the house
scrubbing brushes
in soapy warm water
scrubbing the front step
I also used to love doing the washing
on the washing board
with ‘lifebuoy’ soap
still use it now my granddaughter brings it up to me
I loved to have everything spic and span
had a tiled front
lovely posh Victorian tiles
I enjoyed sweeping it
and cooking a big Sunday roast dinner
can smell it now!!
HOW A SMELL SPARKS A THOUSAND MEMORIES
peppermint drifts through the air
it’s nice
I smell toffees
it reminds me of the Emporium
the mannequin parade
we would save our money
treat ourselves to a new dress
A smell I like
is that of
a school
on a rainy day
all in school
comforting
rain on coats
the smell of fire
rainy macs
used to like that –
I remember my mother making stew
a huge pot cooking on the stove
with veg from the allotment
it was lovely
I love the smell of cut grass
reminds me
of
our mountain at home
we used to have picnics on the grass
up the mountain
when the strike was on
people stood together helped one another
we would go up the ‘tump’
and have a picnic
sandwiches pop homemade cakes lovely food and company
Trishan Lap
a fruit cake. Beautiful
and of course Bara Brith
I remember
my mother cooking
corned beef stew
we didn’t have much
but
none of us starved
though we were poor
our mother always made sure we would be fed
SCHOOL
no uniforms
used to use the cane
slap upon cold hands
I remember having a haircut
nearly bald
the school would cut our hair
I remember my teacher catching me chewing gum
and she made me walk to the back of the classroom
and put it into the roaring fire
I was embarrassed
A PIECE OF WOOD
lights the fire of memory
My father worked as an undertaker
I remember polishing the brass edges of the coffins
and the smell always stays with me to this day
Reminded of the trees over the fence where we would
go and dig for coal to light our fire
we would use bits of stick to rummage in the soil
I had a lovely laurel hedge
and in my garden pansies and hydrangeas
we used to climb anything
and have fun out playing
IN MY POCKET
Is my father’s pipe and tobacco
that smell in the house was comforting
as I knew they would be there,
liquorice paper for rollies
A clay pipe toffee apples toffee dabs
a bus trip to Barry Island
In my pocket
is my father’s book ‘of nails’
a workman’s book but
I used to love to flick through the pages
we didn’t have many books
and I used to spend hours looking at it
How I loved ‘little women’ I got it from the library
Oh I loved that book
Meg was my favourite
such a lovely person
sort of sister to everyone you could confide in
In my pocket
are sticky toffees in chapel
lemon sherbets
things that shouldn’t be
pinched swedes and carrots
dinner money about 4 pennies
Spanish root
In my pocket is Llandudno, Punch and Judy, a pebbled beach,
Benidorm, Torquay, Australia, the church hall dance, the fields
a hole in my pocket
a skipping rope
a mystery trip on the bus
walking by the sea
a newly bought racket playing against the wall
early in the morning
skipping hopscotch marbles
and a sweet coupon
In my pocket
my mind is alive
my heart survives
by Doris, Muriel, Catherine, June, Sally, Bessie, Margaret, Peter, Delma
