DEVELOPMENT
Sorry to go on at some length about such a small matter, but the explanation seemed necessary; one major problem that occurs is that most people these days seems to have the pocket "Collins Gem" dictionary, which is fine as a quick pocketable item for youngsters, but far from being an exhaustive work on usage. Similar things occur with "glas" in all the Celtic languages so don't think Welsh is insane here! It's only an idiom. I have seen it used poetically to mean "silver" as well! Great fun when trying to translate, as you know what the writer means but can be totally wrong-footed in the English version.
On to other matters: My mother and her six sisters were cousins to the Cumpstone boys, which made me a first cousin, once removed. We were respectful to our elders in those days, so they were always referred to as "uncle". I have very clear memories of riding proudly on the back of "Friar" the stallion, as he with the mare "Brownie" pulled Uncle Bert's coalcart up Aelybryn and into Moore's Row. Sadly, Friar lost a leg whilst grazing on the railway embankment and had to be shot. He was replaced by a huge Shire mare, "Blossom" and things were never the same again for me. Unlike the mares, Friar had a placid temperament.
Both you and Peter Price refer several times to "Rhas Las"; the name we always used was "Rhos Las", which we shortened from "Llyn Rhos Las". Rhos Las means Blue Heath; I have no idea what Rhas might mean but suspect the "a" has crept in by attraction from "Glas". My aunt Beryl Ballard (died 2010 aged 99) married Islwyn Davies, son of Mr and Mrs Davies of Brook Cottage (Dafys y Nant) and brother to Cleirwyn Davies on whom you have a page and also of Garfield Davies, mentioned as having been injured in a motorcycle accident. The last time I saw Garfield was at Islwyn's funeral in 1995. I mention allthis here as the first time I went to Rhos Las was on one of "Uncle Cleir's" visits to Fochriw during the war. My Aunt Beryl with her son John was staying at my grandfather's, voluntary refugees from the bombs of London. Islwyn was with the Metropolitan Police. So Cleir Davies took John and myself to Rhos Las for an outing on one occasion. I was to wander there often in ensuing months and years.
It might be as well at this point to name the Ballard girls in order, so that you may see where I link in:
Elizabeth (Bess), Lydia, Ceinwen, Ann and Margaret (twins), Beryl, Mona - that is from eldest to youngest. All are now deceased. Bess, Margaret and Mona never married. Lydia married Griffith Thomas of Pontlottyn. They had one son, my cousin Huw Ballard Thomas, mentioned in your pages .
Ceinwen married William Henry Oliver, born in Acrefair (pr. Akreh-Vayr) near Wrexham and brought up in Pontypridd. I am their son and my sister Elise lives in Devon. Please note - the name is ELISE and NOT Elsie....she goes mad if ...Elise is in touch with Peter Price and Bert Cumpstone, Jnr. She also had some contact with Emlyn Evans during his period at the National Museum.
Ann married Charles Hulme of Lancashire; their twins were stillborn and are buried at Pentwyn; they adopted a daughter Barbara. The family grave at Pentwyn holds the twins and my grandparents.
Beryl, as I have said, married Islwyn Davies (y Nant); their two sons are John ( a retired M.D.) and Geraint (Solicitor, semi-retired).
My sister and I are both retired teachers. I live in Essex and have done so for about 50 years now. I left Wales to work as a teacher in Essex and have lived here ever since!
When we lived in Moore's Row the people living there were:
1: Tom Ballard (tadcu) and Aunt Bess
2: Us; we left Fochriw for Barry soon after the war
3: Tom Evans and family; the two sons were Emlyn (featured in your pages) and Glyn, who was in the R.N. during the war and on "HMS Ark Royal" when she was sunk. He did survive. There was also a daughter, whose name escapes me for the moment but I do remember that she was a nurse. "Uncle Tom" as I knew him, was killed underground when coming off shift a few weeks before his retirement. Aunt Bess and I were in Bargoed at the time and were walking to the Bus Stop to return to Fochriw when we heard the colliery siren sound. On our return we learned what had happened. I was staying with her for a week to renew my links with Fochriw.
4: I believe the family there were Mr and Mrs Phillips. I note that this is now a Post Office. When I lived there the Post Office was in Station Terrace. In fact it had been a shop from very early on; a glance at the 1901 Census reveals that it was in use as such even then. My grandparents lived in the same terrace, but the census was taken just before the birth of my Aunt Bess in that year, so she does not appear.
1: Tom Ballard (tadcu) and Aunt Bess
2: Us; we left Fochriw for Barry soon after the war
3: Tom Evans and family; the two sons were Emlyn (featured in your pages) and Glyn, who was in the R.N. during the war and on "HMS Ark Royal" when she was sunk. He did survive. There was also a daughter, whose name escapes me for the moment but I do remember that she was a nurse. "Uncle Tom" as I knew him, was killed underground when coming off shift a few weeks before his retirement. Aunt Bess and I were in Bargoed at the time and were walking to the Bus Stop to return to Fochriw when we heard the colliery siren sound. On our return we learned what had happened. I was staying with her for a week to renew my links with Fochriw.
4: I believe the family there were Mr and Mrs Phillips. I note that this is now a Post Office. When I lived there the Post Office was in Station Terrace. In fact it had been a shop from very early on; a glance at the 1901 Census reveals that it was in use as such even then. My grandparents lived in the same terrace, but the census was taken just before the birth of my Aunt Bess in that year, so she does not appear.