As a boy I used to be a member of the Adamsdown gospel hall which was situated near the black bridge.
I used to attend sunday school at 2.30 where we were taught the scriptures.
Sadly I cannot remember many of the teachers, but there was one teacher I remember who worked as a coal man. He was a big man and had hands like a shovel. Although he was very smart man, his hands were engrained with coal.
On a whitmonday we used to gather at about 10am and we were loaded on to the back of a lorry along with tents and camping equipment
There were no sideboards or tail boards - we just used to sit with our legs dangling over the edge.
We always went to the same place - Hillsnook Parc. We used to unload the lorry then proceed with sports day.
As part of the Whitsun treat, we always had a new pair of plimsoles whitch were known as daps. We used to have a sack race and a three legged race where two people were tied together by the ankles.
Sometimes in the Gospel Hall baptisms used to take place. To do this they used to take the floorboards up which revealed a pool of about 8 ft by 8ft.
There was a great sense of excitement - it was a magic place.
your comments
Glyn Williams, of Perth, Australia
I grew up with Dave Hainsworth's mother, Doreen, a smiling, lively girl. As young boys we went to the Gospel Hall for the magic lantern, a slide show of religious or Biblical scenes. We had to sing hymns, one being 'The Best Book to Read Is the Bible', though irreverently we used to substitute a boys' weekly, the Wizard, Rover or Champion for the Bible, to glares from the hall hierarchy. On reflection, I am sure God would not have minded boys having a bit of fun.
Stan Phillips
I also went to the Gospel Hall. The coalman's name was Ron Burton. He lived in Moorland Road. I also remember the Baptisms when the floorboards were removed. Every year we boys would go on summer camp - all the gospel halls in Cardiff and Penarth went, to Lavernock and then to Rest Bay. We spent a (sometimes) suntanned two weeks under canvas. All meals, and fun, for £1 2/6. Happy memories of a long gone time.
