Born in New Tredegar
In a place called Phillipstown
When I was five to school I went
I never let mam down
She'd hold my hand then walk me
She'd take me into school
The kids all laughed and teased me
Some called me a fool

When playtime came we went outside
Into that cold playground
I'd stand out by the iron fence
Our mam would sneak around
She'd bring me sweets and chocolates
Still I wanted to go home
She'd let me suck my dummy
I no longer felt alone
She'd wipe my nose and dry my eyes
She'd kiss me through the fence
The bell would ring we'd march back in
I'd be all by myself

We moved to Alexandra
Near Cwmsifiog school
It was a change it all seemed strange
My friends they all were new
Miss Cooper our infants' teacher
Like my mother she was kind
She loved us little children
Some kids thought she was blind
Then we went down to the big school
Boy we had a shock
They caned us just for talking
Being Welsh we talked a lot

Then our world became exciting
They told us we're at war
They gave us all a gas mask each
We didn't know what for
One day out in the play ground
Big bombers filled the sky
Then some boy shouted "Germans!"
And we all thought we would die
They came over Brithdir mountain
They turned the blue sky black
We hid inside the outside toilets
In case they all came back

Much older now we were transferred
Down to the central school
Our headmaster was Mr Luke
Mr Luke knew how to rule
They said he trained in Germany
Could inflict the utmost pain
We misbehaved deliberately
Addicted to his cane

The memory that I carry most
Was in the woodwork class
The day I drilled a one eighth hole
That hole became the last
Amesbury the woodwork teacher
I can see that moment still
He's coming shouted some kid
In panic I snapped his drill
He came charging up to me
Like he could read my mind
"Don't you know that there's a war on lad"
Then treated me unkind

With arms just like a blacksmith
Picked me up by my hair
He saw the tears in my eyes
I could see he didn't care
Then he realised he'd gone to far
"Like to make us teachers tea!"
So I handed him his kettle
I'd had no where else to pee!!!
Then he tried to bribe me
"Roy, best tea we've ever had"
I said thank you Mr Amesbury
You've really made me glad

I left school with no O levels
I was just a miner's son
Looking back through all my school days now
That's when my life began

Roy Phillips - Hengoed - 2007