Pre-war Sunday School days
by Doris Clewett Price (nee Davies)
I was born in the 1930's at 5 Castle Villas - that later was renamed 4 Glenville Road. We were led to believe that there were plans for the road to be extended to join the Mumbles Road — but of course this never happened. Our next door neighbour was Mrs Melba Beard, who was an excellent pianist and played the organ and the piano in the Tabernacle Chapel on the corner of Chapel Street, where Mr. Thomas was the Minister.
As children, my sister Joyce, brother Dick and I went to Sunday school there. Our Sunday School Superintendent was Mr. Martin and my Sunday Schoolteacher was Miss Joyce Evans who lived in Coltshill House at the Lime kilns (photo).Every Sunday we were each given a Bible picture with a story on the other side.
My favourite one was of the Easter Morning. I passed several Scripture examinations and was taught by a lady who had been a missionary in China.
There were several highlights in the year. In the summer, we joined in a Carnival in the Castle grounds and I remember practicing my marching steps as a tin soldier.
In the autumn there was a Concert for Harvest festival and I remember having stage-fright and repeating the first verse of my poem three times, as I could not remember the second and third verses.
Mrs Gates Williams, a large lady who wore her hair in a bun and lived in Langland Road, used to organise concerts from time to time. I recollect as a small girl singing in a group clutching our dolls as we sang ‘Oh my baby, my curly headed baby’. Unfortunately I had lost my doll's shawl and was given a boy's pullover to use in its place. On one occasion we gave a concert in the Paraclete Hall in Newton and my sister and three other girls danced a sedately minuet and Mrs Oates-Williams played the piano. Unfortunately, someone had misplaced the breeches my sister had to wear. In desperation she was given a pair of trousers, the legs of which were held up with some garters! The dance commenced with due decorum but, as it progressed, the garter on one leg began to slip, causing the trouser leg to fall, necessitating her to rush to the side of the stage to have the costume corrected. This, of course produced peals of laughter from the audience, much to the consternation and annoyance of Mrs. Oates-Williams.
Perhaps the happiest memories of these prewar days were the August Sunday School outings organised by Mr. Martin who was also a Superintendent for the South Wales Buses. On the day, three double-decker buses would appear in Chapel Street. We would all climb aboard and be taken to Gower—first to Port Eynon for races on the sands, and then to a large hall for tea in Parkmill, where a long trestle table with benches either side was waiting, covered with plates of food — including lots of cream buns!
It was always a lovely day and we would sing merrily all the way home in the buses. Sadly the war came and life changed for ever.
Doris now lives in Bishops Stortford, 2003