A stroll around Wartime Mumbles by John Wright
When the war started in September 1939 the economy had largely recovered from the depression of the 20s and shops were generally well stocked. This position was to change dramatically over the next year or so.
Walking down New Well Lane to Mumbles, we pass Brooklyn Terrace, where Westfa Private Infants School was housed in the first house, proprietor Mr. Oliver. Shortly afterwards, we pass Callencroft on the left, the site of the Guide Loft. Nearing the Baptist Church, we come to the Mumbles ‘Doctor’s quarter’: one of the houses on the left was Dr Kyle’s surgery followed on the corner by that of Dr Lloyd Jones Senior, whilst Dr Marks (later Dr James) was on Langland Road almost opposite Queens Road.
At the bottom end of Underhill Park, opposite the Baptist Chapel, a large open reservoir was created during the war as an Emergency Water Supply. During the blitz many water mains were destroyed, leaving the firemen without water to fight the fire. Hence the EWS reservoirs created here and elsewhere in the borough.
There were two council-owned schools in Mumbles: Oystermouth School or ‘The Board’ School (1878), which still exists, fronted Newton Road at the top of Castleton and Mumbles School. ‘The Church’ School stood above the Library in Dunns Lane. This latter school was opened in 1907 to replace an earlier school in Southend in the building now used by the Motor Boat & Fishing Club.
I attended Oystermouth School from 1937 to 1943. The infants’ department occupied the smaller building at the back, bordering Castle Road. The ‘big’ school occupied the larger central building, with a playground in front bordering Newton Road. The block adjoining Newton Road had not then been built. The yard in the corner opposite the Baptist Chapel was the boys’ playground. Behind that in the adjoining field was the domestic science building presided over by Miss Trick. School dinners came to Oystermouth late in 1942, so a hut was built in the corner of the boys’ yard.
In the infants school Miss Oriel was Headmistress. My teachers were Miss Brightman, reception class, Miss Cox, Miss Jones and Miss Sanders. Moving to the junior school, the Headmaster was Mr. A I Davies and my teachers were Miss Cox (again), Miss Lang, Miss Robinson and Mr. Evan Davies, who taught the ‘scholarship’ class i.e. those aiming for the scholarship exam to the Grammar or Secondary schools. Mr. Bradshaw taught the non-scholarship class before he was called up to the army, whilst Mr. Gibbs and Miss Owen taught boys and girls respectively in standard 7, those waiting to leave school at 14.
A few houses down from the Baptist chapel lived the Fergusons, who ran a coal merchants business and whom I particularly remember for the grey Bedford lorry, which they bought soon after the war, one of the first post-war vehicles to be seen in Mumbles and which they always kept beautifully clean.
Unlike today, there were only a few shops at the top of Castleton Hill. The Star Supply Stores, a small Welsh chain of grocers occupied the present DIY shop. George’s ran a corner shop (later Selwyn Shute and now the Hair Centre) which also functioned as the school tuck shop, except that during the war they had very little to sell the children. I remember that they used to sell raw carrots as a substitute for sweets. I can also remember buying some waterslide transfers of regimental badges, which the boys used to decorate their bodies. Further down on the left was The Gift Shop which again had very little to sell. Castle News was then called The Book Shop. On the other side was Johns,’ a shoe shop.
On Castleton Hill, the building where the Building Society is now, was opened after the war by Vics, the electrical store, although I do not believe that it was used as a shop during the war. The present chip shop was Jack Jones, the baker, the present British Legion was the local ARP HQ. and Newberry’s Pharmacy was owned by Edwin G Varley, father of the late John Varley.
The majority of shops in Mumbles were located on Newton Road at the bottom of Castleton, in The Dunns and along towards the Tivoli. There were a few in Queens Road, out towards Southend and as neighbourhood shops. I will just mention the shops that I remember, mostly because we patronised them sometime or another. At the bottom of Castleton on the left hand side, the shop next to the telephone exchange was Greenslades the grocer (later Turgoose). Harry Davies the greengrocer was next, above The Regent Cinema. It was there that I saw my first ever film, the Coronation of George VI (1937). It was in technicolor, I think, or was that just my imagination? Just before the war the Regent was closed, to be reopened as The Casino Dance Hall after the War.
Going on down the left hand side of Castleton there were many shops of which I have no distinct memories. I do remember O’Neils, the electrical shop and contractor. Next above the Midland Bank corner and below the walkway to Castle Crescent was Dan Morgan, probably the premier toyshop in Swansea, they came to Mumbles for a year or so after they were bombed out of their Oxford street shop.
Returning now to the right hand side of Castleton, Beynon’s, the plumber and building contractor who built many Mumbles properties had the shop on the corner of Walters Crescent. A couple of doors away, was The Maypole, a branch of a national chain of grocers owned by Unilever, the soap people. My mother used this shop sometimes because they had a much wider range of goods than the normal corner grocery shop. Further down was Cash Hardware recently taken over from Sydney Brick, the local ironmonger and hardware merchant. Tuckers (The Mumbles Press), Bowen (Grocer), Griffin (Hay, corn etc), Withy’s (florist). On the corner between Newton Road and The Dunns (now part of the White Rose) was Sander’s the greengrocer with its entrance right on the corner.
Round the Bank corner towards Swansea on the seaward side was John Jones’ Mumbles Dairy, on what is now the short stay carpark. The Dairy was the main supplier of milk in the Mumbles area. This was I believe, pasteurised and supplied in bottles unlike the local farmers’ milk.
The Dunns was a very narrow street with narrow pavements, shops on both sides and barely enough room for two trucks to pass. Just before the war, it was decided to demolish the shops on the seaward side in order to widen the road. My future father-in-law had a shop there and he was always very bitter that when given notice to quit, he was required to rewire the shop and replace any fittings removed during his tenure – and this just for the shops to be demolished. In fact demolition was stayed for the duration and it was about 1970 before the shops were finally demolished.
On the landward side of the Dunns, just round from Sanders, was a shed where Ted Priddy the barber practiced. He was just about the only barber left in Mumbles, the others all having been called up. A trip to the barbers was always a major outing because of the inevitable queues. Two or three of us from Newton used to go together on a Saturday morning. We caught the 8.15 bus and it was usually after 10.00 by the time we emerged.
Further on was Thomas the draper where the Co-op is now. On the corner of Dunns Lane was Taylor’s the grocer, a branch of a small Welsh chain of grocers. I think that it was Thomas‘s, which was always fascinated me by the way you paid for your purchases. The cashier was housed in a booth in the centre of the shop. High-level wires stretched out from there to every serving point. When you had chosen your goods from the assistant she wrote out the bill in a duplicate book. She took your money and the two copies of the bill and put them into a small cup, which was fitted into a trolley sitting on the overhead wire. She pulled a trigger and the trolley sped along the wire to the cashier. In due course, your receipted bill and any change came winging back across the shop to the assistant.
There were shops all the way along the seaward side of The Dunns. One that I do remember was Harry Libby’s agency. Harry was one of Mumbles’ great characters. Having worked for some years in a shipping office Harry decided to set up a travel agency in the Mumbles. During the war, there was not much call for a travel agency, but Libby’s were agents for all sorts of things and you could pay your bills for gas, coal etc there. As already mentioned, household durables were in very short supply so Libby’s became a place to buy second-hand furniture, prams etc. Harry was also very involved in editing and supplying a local newsletter and comforts to all the local boys serving in the forces.
The last shop on the Dunns was Forte’s ice cream parlour, a corner shop with huge windows curving right round from The Dunns into the Station Square. For most of the war period, manufacture of ice cream was banned, so Forte’s mostly only sold coffee and biscuits. The shop had for many years been an ironmonger, but had been transformed during the 30s to an ice cream parlour.
Dunns Lane and Queens Road had very few shops mostly neighbourhood shops. Walking up Dunns Lane, we pass the recently-built Mumbles Library. Fulfords general store was on the corner opposite Gloucester Place. The shop now used by Taffy’s was not used as a shop, but for the repair of bicycles. I believe it was a Mr. Kostromin, who was a full time firefighter. It was from him that I had my first proper bike, a Raleigh Roadster, probably for my 10th birthday in 1942.
Before reaching Woodville Road, we pass Tom Williams grocery on the corner of William Street and a butcher at the bottom of Woodville Road. Opposite the butcher was a corner shop in Chapel Street, with Johnnie’s chip shop next door. On the upper corner of Woodville Road was Frizzell’s corner shop. The last group of shops in Queens Road was on the corner of King’s Road: Pressdee’s bakery and grocery with a ladies’ hairdresser opposite, while Opposite Pressdee’s on the corner of Stanley Street was Steddiford’s general shop.
The final group of shops in Central Mumbles was on the seaward side between Boots and the Tivoli cinema. There were no shops on the other side where the Post Office is now, only houses. Boots had taken over Lowther’s chemist on the corner of Station Square in the later 30s. Next was Arthur Strawford’s bakery, pastrycook and cafe where CJs is now. I have several memories of this shop in wartime days as after going to the barber, we used to adjourn here for a penny bun (or 1½d with synthetic cream if we felt rich).
The Post Office was next door, then Kemp’s the outfitters with a large shop (now Somerfield). The Tivoli cinema was refurbished in the 30s and during the war and early post war years, was extremely popular especially with courting couples. There were new programmes every Monday and Thursday, usually comprising the main film with a ‘B’ supporting film, Pathe News and some adverts. They ran a continuous programme from early afternoon to around 10pm.
There were a few shops at Southend: I particularly remember Ceaton’s general store just beyond Mumbles Rugby club and nearing Southend Station, Orrin’s Post Office.
I can also remember being served in Strawford’s, with what was probably my last ice cream before it was banned for some years. I was served by the daughter of the house, whom I recognised from School as Shirley Strawford. I had no idea then that some years later we were to become very happily married.
John Wright
4th March 2005