Written by Pat Mindt from Clydach

"In 1941, the local grammar school in Swansea was bombed. I had passed a scholarship to go to the school that year but there was no place for me in a grammar school in Swansea so the education authority found some places for some of us in Cardigan County School. We were given the opportunity of going there and we stayed in a hostel.

Our parents had to sign that we were there for two years and the Swansea authority promised us a place in the grammar school in Swansea after two years at Cardigan. I was 11 when I went to Cardigan but there were 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th formers. We all stayed in the Ty Mawr hostel and had all our food in a hospital up the road called Hidebury.

Our fares to Cardigan were provided by Swansea County Council but if we wanted to come home on holiday, our parents had to pay the rail fare. We came home at Christmas, Easter and for the summer holidays.

We had a lovely time at Cardigan County School. For me, it was like going to Boarding School. I used to read comics like The Girls Crystal and The School Friend, and I felt I was living that life. All the girls I have met since have said they too thoroughly enjoyed it.

We never celebrated Halloween in this country before the war but we did when we were in Cardigan. The teacher who was with us, Miss Griffiths, encouraged us to dress up and we used to bob for apples in the cellars of the house we were in. We also had special cakes and drinks for Halloween. Miss Griffiths always gave us things to do, and organised something for us to look forward to and to remember, so we would not be worrying about our families. You must remember we were only 11.

When we had our meals up in Hidebury, there were about eight to a table. We used to have a loaf of bread and a patter of butter, which we had to divide equally between us. The person who cut the bread and butter into pieces for us was the last person to choose. Everybody else decided which piece of bread and part of butter they would have, and the person who cut it was always left with what was left, so she would always make sure that each piece was equal. We used to say grace before each meal and the grace we said was; "We thank you God for the food we eat we also thank the British Fleet."

When I retired in 1991, I wondered where all these girls were. There were 40 altogether who I had lived with for the two years, so I ran a little letter in the Evening Post, saying - "Swansea Girls where are you now?" (we were always known as the Swansea Girls in Cardigan). I had 32 replies over two years so I decided to have a reunion.

The first year, I had around 20 replies and we had a reunion in the Dragon, Swansea. The second year, I had more replies, because this piece in the Evening Post was read and sent to sisters and cousins in Cardigan. Long after the reunion I was getting telephone calls, saying 'Let us know when you're having the next reunion.' So I contacted them and 32 out of the 40 evacuated to Cardigan contacted me.

At the first reunion in 1991, the girls said, why don't we have a trip to Cardigan? I got in touch with the Mayor of Cardigan and asked if she was interested. She was and said that she would arrange lunch for us.

We went to Cardigan and had an official meeting with the Mayor. We had our lunch at Hidebury, which was the hostel we had our food during our stay at Cardigan County School. It was now a hotel. Friendships were renewed and we still meet every year."

Written by Pat Mindt from Clydach