Letter 2 | February 28 2K

I read with great interest the letter about childhood in Nantyglo. I was born in Blaina. It is now many years since I left my home town. It was always known as Nantyglo and Blaina. Why (!) has the small town Blaina been left out? It too played a big part in the production of coal.

Nantyglo was recognized in the production of iron and steel. Both of the small towns suffered the humiliation of the Great Depression. My father didn't work for ten years. We children were the victims of that era.

The local tips were our playgrounds, sliding down on an old shovel. Arriving home with cuts and bruises, our mothers marched us around to the local surgery. Mr Manley, who worked in the Dispensary, took one look at the damage we had done; out would come the bottle of iodine and cotton wool. The first assualts on the wounds were the worst...trying to be brave, yet the tears would flow. Vowing never to go up the tip again, it would be better to play in the street and play whip and top, or skipping and annoy the neighbours.

Put Blaina back with Nantyglo; they belong to each other.

Gwenllian O'Neill, nee Williams

Webmaster's note: You're the first to get this point to me. I work on the website from California, based on one visit only to the Ebbw Fach Valley. I'll try to put Blaina in its rightful place of prominence in the page. —jon

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