WELL, here we go with another blast from the past.
Last week's TRM included a request from Helen Reeves, and, in reply, this response came from Janet Bowen.
"Hi Jeff, reading your page today, and questions about Bridge Street.
“I remember Eric White telling me, when I was working on the Hakin Books, that the three roads met at the end of Lower Hill Street and Point Street.
“Bridge remained after Point Street was demolished. Plaque on the wall of the Heart of Oak, Tim Caddy's pub, tells of the demolishing, verse written by my late husband, Terry. So, near the dock gates, there were gents toilets and stocks. I remember visiting Jessie Knight in her cottage, not sure was it the first or second. There are still a few cottages there, and latterly, one was a picture framing business. Obviously, there is no through road there now, and what the future will be for the remaining cottages, who knows?
“Story and picture in Hakin Book 1…Pages 15-20 available in library reference, or the records office in Haverfordwest. I also found my notes about Bridge Street and 1861 Census reveals about 25 houses, but no names that were mentioned in your article. Pubs and tradespeople are listed as in Point Street too. I have some pictures of the house whose extension went on fire, and the story of the occupants, but at this point in time, I can't remember who gave me the story.
“Hope this helps the lady."
Thank you so much Janet, I have already passed your info on to Helen, and she was absolutely delighted.
I also had a phone call from Betty Shinner, who, as well as confirming much of Janet's gen, added that her own mum had been born in Bridge Street in 1911.
Cheers Betty.
Now we're returning to the wonderful reminiscences of Doug Joyce, about his Army Cadet Force Days. We left it at the time of the 1974 reorganisation.
"We were now Dyfed Army Cadet Force, with one colonel, John Green, who was promoted from Lt Col; two lt colonels and three company commanders, myself being one...I had by this time risen to the rank of Major.
“The county headquarters were at Picton Barracks, Carmarthen. Also, we had lost a few of our adults by this time, due to many things…retirement, death, or just leaving for other reasons. The make-up of the regiment was three companies, Nos 1, 2 and 3, headed by company commanders, who were majors. Each had an administration officer with the rank of captain, also a training officer with the same rank.
“The RSM of the regiment was H. Kelly. Our administration officer was Capt Brian Coombs, who was a first-class officer liked by all the cadets. But sadly, after he had retired for a short time, he died.
“Each company had about eight to 10 detachments and each had an officer, a sgt major and a few sergeants, plus as many cadets as you could get. In the 50s and 60s the larger towns had about 100-plus, and the small towns around 20 to 30.
“But as the years moved on, the numbers started to fall. National Service had stopped, and I think this had a lot to do with the fall in numbers. So our first camp together was at Beckingham, near Newark, Lincs. A small camp that could only just accommodate us, as we had now grown quite big. Still, we managed. The training area was not very large, but they did have a very good firing range, the first electronic one we had fired on. After a few days, the lads seemed to mix OK. I think now, with amalgamation, there was a lot of Welsh being spoken, and the Pembs boys were fascinated with the language. And by the end of camp, quite a lot of Welsh was learnt by all.
“1975 brought a great deal of change to the ACF certificate...the tests were harder and invariably the cadet went on a special training course run by the Army, or to the ACF training school at Frimley Park, which was run by Army officers and NCO's. Any cadet passing his four star, was considered equal to a regular soldier passing his requisite course.
“Also incorporating into this training was The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, of which the county did quite well over the years.
“This year found us at Penally Camp, near Tenby. This was too close to home I thought, but, as things turned out, I was proved wrong, and the two weeks went very well indeed.
“At our camp concert, I managed to persuade two ex-cadets to entertain us, they were known as Knight and Day…otherwise Roger Arnold and Brian Jobson. They made the night for the lads, and later on in the year entertained the adults at the Pembs ACF annual dance in the Masonic Hall. Of course, the cadets always took part in all the activities in Milford, and by now I had taken over the duties of the Town Parade Marshal from Lt Commander Woodruff, who had retired from the Sea Cadet Corps as their CO.
“It was my job to organise and to command the various parades in the town.”
The next instalment of Doug's ‘My story of the Pembs and Dyfed Army Cadet Force’ will be the final one for us. Meanwhile, here's a pic of the two ‘lads’ who entertained the camp...Knight and Day.
Now for our teaser. Last week's answer was...NONE. A hole is…a hole...and was easily dug up by Joyce Layton, David Spriggs, Linda Frampton, Joan Earles, Anne and Jets Llewellyn, Margaret and Phil Jones, Elinor Jones, Vernon Gwilliam, and John Glover.
Thanks to everyone who got in touch.
No teaser this time...next TRM in two weeks.
In our nautical corner it's time to take another at the ships that were broken up at Wards Yard, as described in the excellent collection of my old Pill pal, Ivor Day.
This one arrived at the yard in the year that the Dunn family moved from Robert Street to their brand new, steel council house in Vicary Crescent.
It's HMS Loyal. 1,920 tons. 363' long. She was mined off the Italian coast in 1944. She was so badly damaged, in 1946 she was towed to Malta, then, in 1948, to the UK…and in the August of that year, arrived in Milford.
I'm grateful to my old school chum, John McCarthy, who's lent me the official souvenir programme of the Queen and Duke's visit to Pembroke in 1955, which also contains a full list of ships built at the Pembroke Dockyard. I'm sure we'll be able to find one or two things of interest to mull over.
That's it from me…time to get dressed and do some work.
As someone used to say (it might have been Al Read)..."Where's me shirt?"
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