Memories of Baglan Primary School Over the Years

Mrs Judith Rees 1944-1946 (Baglan Church School)

"I can remember that not all the pupils were the same age even though they were in the same class. There were a mixture of ages. I can remember older pupils being in the same class as me.

I can remember having to take something into school for Christmas to decorate. I took a piece of cardboard to school and made a wall decoration."

Desne Richards 1961-1967

I was at Baglan primary school from 1961- 1967. I have some lovely memories of being very happy there. Even the school dinners were lush. In summer we took our desks onto the terraces outside the classrooms, went for nature walks and sat at the bottom of the yard where we used to plait the reeds and make daisy chains. The teaching was great and we were taught with enthusiasm, interesting lessons by inspiring role models.

I do remember at one time we had a school photo when we all had very badly cut short hair due to an outbreak of nits! The school nurse had been around, fondly known as nitty Norah.

Martyn Morris 1966-1972

On hot summer days we used to move our desks outside the classroom onto the patio area overlooking the field and had our lessons outdoors.

Once a week we would have a bus that transported us to the Afan Lido for swimming classes.

I recall that during the Coal Strike in the early 1970s a period that frequently saw power cuts and blackouts. To conserve energy, Baglan primary school closed and all pupils transported to and from Baglan to Tremorfa primary school for lessons every day.

I can remember jumping over the fence with my friends to play football on the school field after school. We had to be careful that the school caretaker did not see us!

Caroline Amphlett 1968- 1975

I was at Baglan Infants starting in 1968. Miss Pollard was the head mistress and my teachers were Miss Evans and Mrs Davies. There was a slide in the hall which we were allowed to use only as a reward. I Junior school I remember Miss Mescall who taught us cross stitch and knitting in addition to the usual subjects. Mr Morgan who loved art and Mr Lloyd who loved geography and wold get us to trace maps.

Darran Prosser 1967 - 1973

One thing I’ll never forget is the smell of Mr Hill’s pipe. You could smell it at the bottom of the stairs and if you ever had to go in his office you had to fight your way through the smoke.

I can remember Mr Morgan asking the class a question.

“I have two coins in my hand that add up to 7p and one of them IS NOT a 2p coin. What are they?”

Everyone was stumped. After about 30 minutes he asked if everyone had given up.

He then gave the answer; a 5p coin and a 2p coin.

There was uproar in the class with everyone shouting “you said one wasn’t a 2p coin.”

He then answered, “I know, I said one of them wasn’t a 2p coin. One of them wasn’t, but one of them was.”

Deborah Booth 1972- 1977

Mrs Meskill rewarded me with a bag of wool when I did not bite my nails for a whole month…she knew I lived knitting!

Mark Thomas 1979- 1986

I was very fortunate to have been a pupil in David’s class. Between Margaret Bailey, David and Eirlys Rees I was very fortunate to have teachers who inspired, and were steadfast in their support. I wasn’t fortunate enough to be taught by Ralph David (I was “too young” in my year group), but have nothing but the fondest memories of my time at Baglan Primary.

Mr Alun Bedford ws the head teacher for most of my time, he was a superb head teacher. A real inspiration. He always had time for pupils, knew everyone by name, just seemed a fantastic chap.

He initiated a school competition for the final year of Junior school students, called Mastermind (based on the TV show). I won the inaugural competition in ’86 which was a feather in the cap for our teacher Mr Rees (who was hugely supportive of myself and other pupils who were ‘carried over’ into the year group below because of class sizes). We made the Mastermind final and finished as the top three.

Sandra Cook

I seem to remember daring each other to go down into the boiler room which was pitch black and frightening with each other with what was hidden down there. Wonderful memories. I started in the Infants with Miss Pollard, Mrs Gray Davies, Mrs Lloyd and then Mrs Bragg. In the Juniors with Mrs Moss, Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Davies and lastly Mr Lloyd. Christmas parties where we all contributed food and being turned off by the blancmange because the colour had run from the smarties into the blancmange. The summers always seemed hot and snow in the winter. Halcyon days.