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Turn of the Century Ton

Front cover of a book called, "Turn of the Century Ton"

I’ve acquired a collection of books over the years but I haven’t written about any of them. I’m going to start with one of my favourite items by Roger L Brown. Roger Brown was the vicar of St Michael’s Church from 1979 to 1993 and a keen historian. He retired and moved away from the … more…

Postcards from Tongwynlais – Part 18

This instalment in the series is an assortment of postcards from my collection. I normally feature one postcard and do some research into the subject but I thought I’d share these unusual examples for a change. I don’t know much about these cards but they have some interesting images. The River Taff This photo of … more…

The Ghosts of Greenmeadow

An old mansion with stormy sky, bats and full moon.

The Ghosts of Greenmeadow are documented in the book, “Old Whitchurch – The Story of a Glamorgan Parish” by Edgar L. Chappell. This fantastic book was first published in 1945. The stories are also recounted by Roger Brown in, “Turn of the Century Ton – Something about the history of Tongwynlais” from 1982. The stories … more…

Tongwynlais Village Then and Now – Part 5

I’m delighted to bring you another instalment of “Tongwynlais Village Then and Now”. The images I’ve unearthed aren’t that old but they show a unique view of Merthyr Road in the 1980s. I reached out to my regular contributors and they’ve provided some information about Bennett’s garage and Parry’s store. Bennetts of Tongwynlais Bennett’s garage … more…

Postcards from Tongwynlais – Part 17

Black and white postcard of Tongwynlais from 1907.

This instalment of “Postcards from Tongwynlais” features a wonderful photo of the village looking north towards the Taff Valley. It shows the Walnut Tree Viaduct and the old school building on Ironbridge Road. The postcard was produced by “Hardings’ (Bristol & Cardiff)” and part of their “Progress Series”. I’ve got a few other cards by … more…

Fireworks at Greenmeadow

Greenmeadow House in Tongwynlais from 1910

This news story was published on 13th March 1863 in The Cardiff Times. The village celebrated the wedding of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Here an interesting seen was presented on the 10th inst., in honour of the marriage of the Prince of Wales. The members of the Sunday School … more…