Monday, 15 October 2007

The Whites

My Mum comes from a big family. There were 8 of them altogether. 5 gilrs and 3 boys. They were born in Caerau, nr Maesteg in South Wales. They were born and grew up in Margam Street, very close to the Duffryn pit, therefore most of the men in the family were miners.

Often during the 6 weeks school holidays, me and my sister, Linda, went to Wales and usually ended up staying there for the duration. I had lots of cousins to play with and as there are 28 of them too many to name. Mostly I used to stay with my Auntie Liz, but sometimes I got to stay with my Aunt Sheila, who at the time, lived in the same house they were born in. My Aunt Sheila had 4 kids, my Aunt Glenys who lived opposite had 4 kids and my Uncle Ronnie, who lived further up had 6. Further up still by Caerau park, lived Geoffy who had 3 kids so all in all I had plenty of other kids to play with.

We would often go up the mountain to play. My Uncle Geoffy's house was right next to the mountain and if I stayed there, I would look out of the front window in the morning and see that the sheep from the mountain had come down and got in his front garden. He never complained, quite honestly I think it saved him from getting a lawn mower! He was always teasing one of us, and his pet name for me was fattie, sounding a lot like 'Fartie' with his Welsh accent. To get to his house, we often walked up the railway line, which wasn't used very often as it stopped at a tunnel not far from the park. Close to him was another uncle, Stanley, he had 5 kids.

Granny White lived in Bridgend with my Aunt Liz. She was blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, but she would lift her glasses and peer closely at the paper reading it to my Aunt Liz, who was unable to read. She loved her plants, and in her 'best parlour' she had lots of them. After tending them, she would stand at the window or go to her front door and most of the people passing by would give her a greeting of 'Hello Gran'. On her 80th birthday she received over a 100 cards, all from family and friends but a majority from the passers by. It seemed everyone in Coity Road knew my Gran and Aunt Lizzie

Aunt Liz had a son, Keith, he was her only son, and they all lived in the house together. She was very protective of Gran and Keith. If he came home late from the pub, boy she used to let him have it!! Often when she took me into town, she would make sure I held her hand as we crossed the road. Great when I was little, but not so great as I became a teenager!! When I stayed, I would have to share the bed with her and she would snuggle me up to her and say 'come on, cooch up' Most of the time she seemed really stern, but really she had a very kind heart. My Gran lived with her until Liz died, then she moved to Scotland with the last of my Aunts, Lavinia.

I remember my Aunt Sheila as always being glamorous. She wore high heels and used to paint her lips dark red. Aunt Glenys wasn't so glamorous but she had the biggest heart. She was the one I could talk to and she would never judge. She had a bit of a rebellious streak in her. Her house wasn't always tidy, but it was always full of love.

Nowadays, I rarely see my cousins. Both my Aunt Liz and Aunt Glenys have died and so has my Uncle Geoffy and my Gran, but most of the time I did enjoy my Welsh holidays.

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