That reminds me of Sunday School, Charles Street and boxing says Jeff Dunn

"Hi Jeff... it must be satisfying to write your column each week, knowing there'll be hundreds of people out there saying: "I wonder what he'll have for us this time." Well, I couldn't let this week's TRM go by without a response. Lovely to read another 'Mike' (Walters) anecdote; so easy to picture the tree across his shoulders. The bit that brought me to the computer, though, was the mention of the Priory Rd and Hakin Point Methodist Church Year Book. All the names immediately conjured up the people, and the influence so many of them had on our young lives through chapel and Sunday School. Mr Lloyd was TJ by the way, not JT. I've just checked the labels in my Sunday School prize books, which bear his signature. Mr Lloyd would greet us each week from his table by the door as we went into Sunday School at 2.30pm on a Sunday afternoon, and we'd hand over our 'star card' so he'd confirm our attendance by stamping it with a little purple 'flower.' His ink pad was always purple. During the week he'd be found at Milford Station as stationmaster. Interesting that this week's paper has an article about the 'vision' for the station. Back in the day it had proper buildings, waiting room... What changed all that?

I remember Mr Scott (Bernard, I think) as church organist. Mr T A Jones puzzled me. Mr Jones was from Trafalgar Rd was always known as 'Harry.' Mr Fred Fairclough and his wife moved to Milford from the north of England. I remember that all of 'us youngsters' would go carol singing each year. No idea what time we used to set out but our last call of the evening was always to the Fairclough household, where we rounded off the singing with a 'glass of Uncle Fred's Ginger Wine,' so we went home warm. I remember the Hakin Point Chapel folks too. We'd walk across to attend their Sunday School anniversary service each year (and they ours). Imagine a crowd of lively children crossing the lock gates and none falling in. I won't reminisce on Hakin Point folk except to say that I think Miss M Walters was Mike's aunt (she was.) An interesting list of business sponsors, too.

"I've often thought of asking you this, Jeff. You remember the part of Charles Street that had a kind of platform, opposite side of the street from Woolworths. You had to climb three or four steps, and on the top level were two greengrocers' shops: one was Heath's and the other I think was Oaks'. There may have been another shop, but I only remember these two. Also, when you went to Charles Street, did you call it 'going down street ?' ( I still do, Christine).

"Something else I've wondered about. A while ago, Tenby was advertising the job of taking the readings at the weather station on Castle Hill. It made me think of Graham Clarke and Stanley Jones who dealt with the weather station at school. Was it just a school thing or did the information go elsewhere? I'd love to know the answer."

Thanks Christine... I've got a feeling we may get the answer directly from Graham, meanwhile here's an oldie of Charles Street showing the steps.

Someone who liked the recent TRM photo of Milford Central School Staff was John Gillespie, who said: "The photograph once again evoked memories of days gone by. Not least because my cousin, Glanville Cole, is second right in the back row. He sadly died some years ago but he was a larger than life character with a great big smile and a booming laugh. Keep up the good work."

Cheers John, I'll keep trying 'til I get it right!

And that same photograph reminded St Ishmael's Gerald 'Jets' Llewellyn of the day he 'wished the earth would open up and swallow him.'

It was in the mid-1950s, and as usual Jets was on the morning bus travelling to school. On the way the bus broke down... brake trouble, and to avoid a calamity, the driver was forced to steer the vehicle into the hedge to stop. The sliding doors were opened and the pupils clambered out into a field. Jets, with his pals, immediately sped back home to Tish for a 'day off.'

The following morning, in the school assembly, headmaster 'Pop' Phillips addressed the school, and called for all the Tish boys to join him on the stage, which, said Jets, they did, rather sheepishly.

And then the 'demon' headmaster spent the next few minutes describing the previous day's actions of 'the brave young St Ishmael boys, who'd deserted the girls, leaving them alone to wait for the replacement bus.' Jets said he'd never felt more ashamed and embarrassed in all his life!

Thanks for the memory Jets, reminds me of that old proverb... A day off school is worth two in the bush!

"I've had a call from a Mr Brian Jones re the pic of Pop Phillips handing a prize over to a lady in the Astoria. Brian recalls she'd won around £50,000 on the pools, and 'Pop' was presenting her with the cheque but has no idea who the lady was."

Now here's another snippet from Plymouth's Bob Barnes' recollections of his days growing up in Trecwn.

"Back at school I left at 14, not before the head's wife, also a teacher, gave me a fierce smack with a ruler... to this day I don't know why. No qualifications, don't remember sitting exams. A job was lined up for me at the depot as a plumber's mate. No apprenticeship, but not allowed to work in armaments depot until 15. I don't know why, but I had a job at Jones, the butcher in Fishguard. I used to cycle there and back, five miles each day. They were very good to me, and I was learning to drive an Austin seven van. One thing that will live with me forever was on D-Day landings they had the dreaded telegram that their son had been killed in that action. The crying and screaming from his mother and relations was terrible. Mr Jones shut up the shop for a while.

"Then I joined the Army Cadets which opened in the village, with quality instructors. I learned how to box and was taken to Haverfordwest on the back of a dispatch rider's motorbike for the County Championship, which I won. I was presented a medal by Jack Peterson, former British Heavyweight Champion, who was a Major. I weighed in at 11 stone. I lost to a cadet from Carmarthen in the Welsh Final. I came home with a bloody vest and mother stopped me from boxing again."

And here's a news cutting re the boxing... "Trecwn boy wins Regimental Championship.

No7 (Fishguard) Battery's only contestant, Cadet A R Barnes, Trecwn, put up a grand performance to beat Cadet Carrington, No2 (Milford Battery) Carrington, a hard-hitting boy, was inclined to rush matters, but Barnes boxed cleverly to gain a well merited decision. Both cadets weighed in at 11 stone."

There's still a little more of Bob's story still to come, and we'll return to it another time.

Our second TRM photo is from 1939, it's the then recently-opened Bethel, in Charles Street, built as a Mission House for the Welfare of Seamen, and I'm delighted that next week I'll be including a tribute to the late Skipper 'Dick' Page, who was its highly acclaimed manager.

Now for our teasers. The answer to last week's (Find a number less than 100 that is increased by one-fifth of its value when its digits are reversed) was 45, successfully calculated by John Gillespie, Elinor Jones, Joyce Layton, Les Haynes and John Glover.

Try this one... How can 8+8=4?

Like so many others, I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Milford's Elaine Yeomans. Elaine, husband Jimmy, with Manderwood Engineering, have, for many years, helped me greatly with my charity fundraising events, often sponsoring my books and shows. Also a fervent TRM follower, Elaine once combined with me to include the story of her beloved dad, the late Owen John, in a Milford Mercury TRM.

Always full of fun and life, Elaine will be missed by so many, and our heartfelt condolences go to Jimmy and the family.

That's it from me. See you next time.