Ystalyfera History

Excerpts from the Memoirs of David Blethyn Davies

By Val Trevallion

Excerpts from the memoirs of David Blethyn Davies: With grateful thanks to his daughter Mrs Mayers for donating them and the photographs.


Grammar School

Clothing had to comply with school uniform regulations. (Compulsory): White cotton shirt Light and dark blue striped tie Navy blue blazer with school emblem on breast pocket Grey trousers Navy blue peaked cap with school emblem on the front IYS (Ystalyfera Intermediate School)

When the 1939/45 war started, the school clothing regulations were suspended (clothes were rationed) .


Midday meals had to be paid for (not expensive) but were free for subsequent children. Thus Maldwyn had to pay but my dinner was free.

School Motto: "Nid Da Lle Gellir Gwell" - Nothing is good enough but the best



Maldwyn

My brother Maldwyn passed his 11+ exam, and started at Ystalyfera Intermediate School, when I started at Craig Cefn Parc Infants School.

I seem to remember him mentioning the names of a number of his friends at school, David Price, Trevor Walters, Dai? The father of Iolo Williams, who does a lot of nature programs on TV etc. His greatest friend was David (Dai) Jenkins. His uncle was one of the Ystalyfera School governors.

I don't know much about Maldwyn's life at Ystalyfera School. However, I do know he was well thought of. After leaving school and joining the Royal Navy I know he did correspond, by letter, with his old Chemistry Master. I have a letter from Maldwyn, giving me a 'Right Old Telling Off' for not working hard enough at school: (Chemistry Master telling tales?!!)


I also remember doing rather badly in one of my end of term Physics exams (I can't remember which year it was) and the Physics Master (John Morgan - son of a farmer) telling me I wasn't good enough to polish my brother's shoes!!!

In his last year at Ystalyfera, Maldwyn worked as a Chemistry Laboratory Assistant during his lunch breaks. He helped the Chemistry Master lay out equipment on the benches, in preparation for the afternoon Chemistry Practical work. He was paid a little pocket money for this work. I found out much later that the Chemistry Master chose a student, whom he thought was good enough, to fill this position. However, the interesting thing is that he chose someone whose family were not well off financially!! When I reached this stage myself, the same Chemistry Master, in a very roundabout way, made it clear to me that he hadn't chosen me because there was another boy whose family were worse off than mine!!!

Maldwyn was a very active and keen sportsman. The school, sports wise, was divided into 4 houses - Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. They also had names -Tawe, Twrch (?) Amman and Darren: which was which, I can't remember. Maldwyn became the captain of the Blue House, whereas I, in due course, became captain of the Red House. Maldwyn played Rugby for the school (scrum half) but he was never the captain. He also played cricket for the school. In the last year he was the Vice-Captain. To my knowledge he did not take part in Athletics, probably because this clashed with Cricket - the other summer sport. He was also an exceptionally good gymnast and in the final year he was awarded the 'Victor Ludorum' medal, as the best gymnast of the year. (My eyesight prevented me from playing Cricket, but I was the School Sprint Champion for a number of years and also the Athletics captain for 3 years. I became the second best gymnast of my year, so therefore no medal!!) Maldwyn was also a good football player (soccer). He used to play Rugby for the school on a Saturday morning and football for the Village team in the afternoon. (Parc Rovers) He was a centre forward. I never played soccer.

In his final year at Ystalyfera, Maldwyn became the Head Prefect - as did I.

Maldwyn took Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics as his subjects for his higher school certificate. He failed the exam on his first attempt, but passed it the second time.



David Blethyn Davies

I was not asked whether I wanted to sit the 11 plus examination, my brother Maldwyn had done so, and I was automatically expected to follow. This exam was not solely a test of one's academic ability. Luck played a big part!! The number of children who sat the exam varied from year to year, as were the number of vacant positions in the two Grammar Schools available to us.

Wyndham, another boy from Craig Cefn Parc School, and I passed the 11 plus examination at the same time and went to Ystalyfera Intermediate School (Grammar). Two girls from Craig Cefn Parc School passed the exam at the same time. They came, 1st and 2nd and also went to the Ystalyfera School. Wyndham and I came 3rd and 4th in the results.

There were three entrance classes at the Ystalyfera Grammar School. They were labelled 2B, 2G and 2M (why the 2 and not 1, since it was the first year, I never knew.) 2B were all boys, 2G were all girls and 2M were mixed. Which class you were in depended on the choice of languages you wished to study. English was a compulsory language. You had to choose two other languages out of three - Welsh, French and Latin. If you chose Welsh as one of your languages you went to 2B or 2G, depending on your sex. The second choice you made did not matter. If on the other hand you did not choose Welsh you were placed in 2M (mixed) I chose Welsh (naturally) and Latin. Why? For the simple reason that this was the choice that Maldwyn had made in his day, and I had no choice to make but to follow his example.

In due course (standard 5), I sat my GCE (General Certificate of Education) exam and passed. This meant that I could proceed to the 6th form and prepare for my Senior Certificate of Education (HCE - now A level) if I so wished!! No decision required, follow the lead set by Maldwyn. If someone had asked me "what alternative did I have?" I wouldn't have had a clue, because I wouldn't have given it any thought. Incidentally, in those days, to enter University you would have had to pass what was called Matriculation Exam. However, if you attained a 'Credit' in the required subjects in the GCE exam, you automatically qualified (that is, there was no need to sit a Matriculation Exam.) Unfortunately I only acquired a pass (not a credit) in the English Grammar paper. I re sat this particular paper the following year and obtained the necessary credit. Most students did not do well enough at this stage to proceed, so they left to seek employment. Some of course, like Wyndham, had other careers in mind, which were practical in nature and did not require a great deal of further academic achievement. A large proportion of the girls went to Barry Teacher Training College, with a view to becoming Primary School Teachers.

The next decision that had to be made was what subjects I was going to study in the 6th form. Again, no decision was required of me - I was expected to follow in my brother's footsteps! As it happened, I wasn't keen, not good enough, to carry on with the Arts subjects (languages, Art, History - what I had failed at in GCE anyway, as I did Latin.) The choice was to do Physics and Double Maths, or Chemistry, Physics and Single Maths. Maldwyn did the latter so no prizes for guessing which subjects I took! No real decision required.

At the end of my first year in the 6th form I didn't do well enough in the end of year exams to be allowed into the second year. What was I to do? I hadn't a clue. Maldwyn advised me to go back and do the 1st year again. The alternative would have been to leave - what would I do then? I wouldn't have had a clue! Did I work any harder? I don't think so, but I did well enough to manage this time to be allowed to proceed into the 2nd 6th! A year went by and I sat my Higher Certificate Exam and I failed!

Maldwyn advised me to go and see the Headmaster at the Ystalyfera School and ask if I could return to school, for another attempt at the HSC (A level) exam. This would have two advantages - I might pass the exam and it would provide time to consider what to do if I failed again! The Headmaster agreed to let me return and re-sit the exam. I believe in retrospect that the Headmaster approved of my character and my non-academic behaviour and achievements over the previous year. This time I passed the exam.

In my first day at the school, we were all sitting in the classroom whilst the class master - a Mr W R G Bell, - was compiling the register. (He was, incidentally, the junior Chemistry Master. Although he had an M.Sc, whereas the senior Chemistry Master had no degree at all, the Senior Master, 'Bill Chem' was by far the best teacher.) When he came to me, he asked me my name and I said David Blethyn: He paused, and then said "You're Blethyn." There were probably too many David's around?!! From then on, everyone called me Blethyn or Bleth for short. To this day, people who knew me at Ystalyfera and other associates in the village of Craig Cefn Parc refer to me as Blethyn (or Bleddyn, which is the correct Welsh name).



In our first year, we took a large variety of subjects, some of which we dropped off before reaching the General School Certificate Exam period: 'O' Level today. For example, in our first year we had a woodworking class one afternoon a week. We were taught how to use a saw and plane. We made a wooden toothbrush rack!!

In later years we dropped subjects such as Art and Architecture and Geography. As already stated, I failed my English Language Paper and had to re sit the exam a year later. This was a subject we had to pass in order to proceed with our academic studies.





David Blethyn Davies, 1948

David Blethyn Davies, 25th May 1948




School Prefects

David Blethyn Davies standing on extreme right with glasses. The photograph also includes D J Bevan, Philip Pearce, Geoffrey Daniels, Olive Williams, Melora Rees, Hettie Jones (Head Girl), D Lyn Evans (Head Boy), and Conrad G Jenkins.




Sport

In my years in the sixth form (the years between the GCSE and the HSC exams (General Certificate of School Education and Higher Certificate of School Education) nowadays referred to as 'O' and 'A' levels.) I became very active in Gymnastics, Rugby and Athletics. I was the house Captain for about 3 years and School Athletics Captain for 2 years. I was the School Rugby Captain in my last year. I was also, as already stated, the Head Prefect in this last year, having been a prefect for the previous two years. I was not as agile as my brother Maldwyn, but I was more muscular. I was the School Sprint Champion for about 3 years and competed in the Glamorgan Annual School Championships.

At the beginning of my last but one year at School, I was chosen as a 'reserve' for the School Rugby Team. I was not impressed because it meant I had to turn up for every Saturday game and as no one ever dropped out of the Team, there would never be a chance of me getting a game.

Our first game of every season was against our other local Intermediate School - Pontardawe. One year it would be a home game, the next year an away game. We were a much bigger school and always won. In the year in question, we were playing at home. Pontardawe turned up with one man short. I was told by Mac to play for them. I played in the centre (I had always played on the wing) and Pontardawe lost, as usual.

The next Saturday, our season started in earnest. We were to play away against Swansea Grammar School. They were a much bigger school than we were, and we usually lost against them. As usual we were told to turn up half an hour before kick-off. We had to catch a bus into Swansea, and then another bus, up 'Town Hill' to the school playing fields. About a quarter of an hour before kick-off, Mac went around to check that all was well and that we were all present. He found that one of our players was missing - a chap named Owen Jones, who played in the second row of the scrum. On enquiring, Mac was told that Owen had gone down to the College to take some books for his brother Noah, who was studying there. About ten minutes before kick-off, Mac told me to get changed, as I was playing. Part of me was delighted, and part of me was apprehensive as I had never played in the scrum before, and I wouldn't know what to do!!! Five minutes later Owen turned up, but Mac refused to let him play!! On our left wing, we had a chap called Frank Simmons. He was bigger than I was and he was very fit - he lived in Clydach. Before the game started, Mac told Frank that he would be playing in the scrum, instead of Owen, and I was to play on the left wing!!! I was over the moon!!! We lost the match by 14 points to 9 (3 tries at 3 points each) and I had scored all three tries!!!! How did I achieve this? Well, as already stated, I was a school sprint champion and was very quick 'off-the-mark'. Also, although short in stature, I was physically well built, very robust and had no fear of 'crashing through' anyone in the way. On each occasion I carried two or three opponents over the 'try' line!! After this, for the next 2 years, I played in every game!! Poor Frank Simmons never played again.

Another Rugby story: In the years I've been dealing with above, the Vardre Rugby Club used to hold a seven-a-side tournament, at the end of each season. One year (1948?) my school friend Conrad Jenkins (who had earned a school-boy rugby cap and who lived in Alltwen) suggested that we should put a team into the Vardre competition. Some of us had doubts about this as we would be up against strong mature rugby players, and anyway Mac would never allow it as he would be afraid we would get injured. Conrad countered by saying that we would be much fitter than our opponents and they would never be able to catch us to do us any damage. He also said there was no need for us to tell Mac!!! We entered a team and reached the semi-finals, having won our first and second round games!! Our opponents were Brynamman Rugby Club 1st team (They had 2 teams in the competition.) We held them to a pointless draw. We then had to play extra time, and the first team to score would be declared the winner and would go through to the final. Brynamman scored first, in the second half of extra time. Swansea College won the other semi-final and therefore the final was to be between them and the Brynamman 1st team.

After our game we were sitting in the changing room, sitting and trying to get our breath back - we felt absolutely whacked. Shortly afterwards, the captain of the Swansea College team came in and told us NOT to get changed as we were going to play them in the Final and whoever won, the College team were going to present us with the cup!! We said we were whacked. He said take your time, there is no hurry at all. We asked what about Brynamman, he said we had run them into the ground and they were refusing to play. We were stunned and pondering the situation, when he came back to say that Brynamman were going to play after all, but only after the College had agreed they could call on as many of their second team players as they wished. They in fact played four fresh players. The College team thrashed them!!!!

When we went into school the following Monday, everyone was agog with our achievement. What none of us anticipated was that we would do so well that we would receive special mention in the Evening Post Newspaper, which recorded the event the following Monday. The Mac was annoyed that we hadn't told him, and he said that if he had known, he'd have been there to support us. We said that we were afraid that had he known, he would have stopped us. The Headmaster was delighted and insisted on us having a Team Photograph taken: with him sitting in the middle (I have the photo in my archives). We only put forward 7 players - we had no reserves.




Rugby Team

Ystalyfera School Rugby Team, with David Blethyn Davies on extreme left sitting down next to Sports Master Mr McLeod Jones




School Boy cap

Conrad, 1946-47, School Boy Cap