your comments
Caroline Barr from Caerau
My grandmother moved into Cwrt-yr-ala Road sometime in the 50's ... I lived next door to my gran which was up the top end of the street across from the lodge. I loved living here and only moved around the corner into Heol Poyston. My uncle Bernard died 1998 but he used to have a pottery on the land next to Woodlands Park Drive. This land is now being sold to build houses on - the present owner must not remember how much hard work his late father put into that land and if my memory is correct I'm sure it was only ever to be used for agriculture. Hope everyone who overlooks this land makes sure that they object to any sort of buildings being built. Why not donate it to the people who would like to have allotments or something like that?
Aidan Ryan, Cardiff
I was brought up in the ghetto of Ghana, then was luckily enough to move to Hilfort Close Brap, then moved to Caerau Park Crescent where I fancied Emily Walker my beloved next door neighbour
David Morgan
Re your letter from Peter Smith about his old address in Heol Trelai, I can recall a pair of semis close by the junction of Heol Trelai and Cwrt-yr-Ala Road one of which housed a young lady called Necia who was and still is a friend of my sister Jean. My walking route to Windsor Clive was by the shortest route possible up the gulliesto Highbury Road into Wilsons and across the Avenue, incidently passed Harry Jennings hairdressers up all them stairs, ha ha, we called him Harry the Barber and the forty fleas. It was outside that shop in around 1952 someone pinched a load of dangerous drugs I think Pheno-Barbitone, so we had a lot of police activity over that. Some were put in the ink wells at school but I don't think anyone came to any harm. People may remember the snowball fights with St Francis School - there was a lot of rivalry then but it was fun, and no malice because they had a seperate school. They were just looked on as different by us, that's all.
Peter Smith, London
Re David Morgan - I too lived in Cwrt-Yr-Ala Road. You must remember the pair of semidetached houses I lived in - the one called Stells Maris. Went to Windsor Clive - often wondered how far it was to get to school. Just think - my address translated was Star of the Sea by the Court of Swans at Saints Well.
Mary Simpson from Cardiff
I would just like to say to David Morgan from Peacehaven that some of us went to St Francis Catholic school which was next door to Windsor Clive school. Does he remember Harry Jennings barbers in Wilson Road?
Michael James
I live in Caerau Lane - what a nice place to live but the traffic coming from the Culver is getting bad. Make Caerau a one way street.
Moira
Mervyn asks about Sweldon Farm - I can remember buying pears and apples from the farmer's wife for a few pence. The farm is gone now - another housing estate there called Farmhouse Way. But there's a street called Sweldon nearby too. Happy days, weren't they?
Dave from Peacehaven
Re Mervyn T enquiry about SWELTON Cottage - should this be SWELDON cottage? This area was close to Caerau - can't remember it but I do remember a pretty cottage at the entrance to Cwrt-yr-Ala estate West of Caerau Lane. Hope this helps.
Mervyn T from Devon
Would anyone know the location of Swelton Cottage, somewhere in Caerau. Probably it is gone by now but if anyone has any knowledge of it I would be grateful.
David Morgan from Peacehaven
I lived in Cwrt-yr-Ala Road (re-named Heol Trelai in later years). We moved there from Pendine Road Ely in 1949. The road was just a country lane then and was filled in when the new road was built. Opposite our house was a large market garden, now a huge housing estate. At the Cowbridge Road end was Cyntwell Church and behind the church was the allotments where they looked for an unexploded bomb (was an old well). In this area we had a massive bonfire every year and on one occasion we were given a lorry load of empty mortar bomb cases to burn, one of which contained a bomb which altered the shape of our bonfire a little, no one was hurt so we carried on. I used to work for our local milkman Arthur Hunt - the milk came from Emmersons Farm and we bottled it straight from the cows milking that morning. I started work at 5.30am and finished at 1pm and got paid a pound for the weekend, with which I bought a new Anglo Continental racing bike for £23. The local shop was Abletts with a chip shop alongside. Prior to that the building was derelict and was once struck by lightning when I was sheltering from the rain with a pal. This area of Cardiff was a great place - we all went to Windsor Clive School so I had many friends. I wonder where they all are today.
Teresa Cornock
I was raised in Caerau Park Crescent. Got married and had three gorgous daughters. Then they started to grow to little girls, then all of a sudden they were young women. The thing is they were pretty and popular. I spent most of those years, if not worrying about them, looking for them cos they were late coming home again. Then my darkest fear came true. My 15 year old was seriously sexually assualted. These last couple of years we've moved house twice. Now we're settled and that 15 yr old is coming up to 18, and has been hairdressing for two yrs. I'm so so proud.
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