LAST week's TRM stirred up a few responses, always welcome, starting with the listed recollections of old Milford shops.

Betty Jenkins, from Neyland, rang to say that she remembered three that hadn't been included, they were…Star Supplies, the Maypole and Melias.

I did say the list wasn't a comprehensive one. Thanks Betty.

Then Ann Marvelly (nee McIntosh) got in touch on behalf of her sister, Mary Greaves, and provided me with another list of old Milford shops not included last week.

I'll keep that until next time and see if I can dig up a few photos to go with it. Ann also gave me two old school photos to use in TRM sometime.

Many thanks to both Ann and Mary.

I was also delighted to hear from Dom Todaro, a regular TRM reader, who had this to say…"Happy New Year Jeff, I love your stories about your childhood days on the Gunkle. Of course, we all had our own version of the Gunkle, we lived in St Peters Rd when I was a child…our Gunkle was the cliff you can see facing Tesco, from the Torch to the gasworks.

“I belonged to the fearsome St Peters Rd gang. Our leader was John Evans, grandson of Harold Williams, who had the corner shop, where Scurlocks is now. We made him leader mainly because he had the most toys!

“In the 50s and 60s, that area wasn't as overgrown as it is now.

“My dad had allotments there, and there was a secret path that took you down to the railway lines. We spent many happy hours playing cowboys and Indians.

“We built our bonfires there, which were closely guarded from rival gangs, like the Preseli Place gang, and the dreaded Hakin gangs!

“I enclose a photo of the gang when we went on an adventure to Milford Beach. Can anyone name them? There are a few missing.

“We didn't get as far as the Gunkle…we'd heard frightening stories about the dreaded Pill gang!

“If anyone has any stories relating to the gang, please let me have them, with any photos, and I'll try to put them all together in a short book."

Cheers Dom, that sounds like a great idea...maybe you could call it…Giggles round the Gasworks!

A short while ago, on Facebook, I posted this old Robert Street…Buck and Wareing snap, which prompted Diane Edwards to get in touch.

Milford Mercury:

And I'm delighted to say that Diane has now sent me this.

"Hi Jeff…I have tried to find out more info about the building in Robert Street, with little success. My elder brother, who still lives in Milford, has a vague idea it might have been used before BUCK-WAREING as a paint shop or similar.

“What I do know is that my father George trained as a painter/decorator in his home town of Preston, Lancs. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Navy which was how he visited Milford and married Phyllis.

“They moved to Preston for a while, but ended up back in Milford, where George went into partnership with Jimmy Buck. For many years they carried out their business from the old building in Robert Street, where they sold glass, did signwriting and took on painting and decorating work.

“A great attraction was the pet monkey Annabel who was dressed up and would often be sat on the back of a docile Alsatian.

“In the 1960s the workshop was moved to Greville Road.

“Several years later the partnership was dissolved.

“I've added a photo…Jimmy Buck on the left, George Wareing on the right."

Milford Mercury:

Thank you so much Diane, that was perfect TRM sharing.

Teaser time. Inexplicably, I received quite a few incorrect answers to last week's poser. The correct solution was 4,100, and our perfect adders are…Margaret Lloyd, Louise from Todaro's H/west, Joan Earles, Les Haynes, John Glover, Larry Robinson, Charles Weatherall, Phil Jones, Margaret Jones, Anne and Jets Llewellyn, Tricia and Alan Hawthorn.

Many thanks to all who got in touch.

No TRM next week so you'll have some relief from all the head-scratching.

And that is yet another column done and dusted. Thanks, once again, for your indulgence, and if you feel inclined to follow up any TRM topic, please get in touch, I'd love to hear from you.

Mind how you go.