Interview with Selwyn Edwards by Jill Jones

Description

Interview with Sewlyn Edwards [SE], born in 1940 in Minera, about his memories of growing up and working in Minera, Wrexham area.

[00:00:39] Background and Family:
Talks of his parents and grandparents’ backgrounds, long history of working in quarries and mines in the family. Talks of his father’s occupation history, included Plas Power colliery, Cae Llo brickworks, silica quarry Nant-y-Ffrith, Brymbo steelworks. Discusses the quarrying industry in the Wrexham area and various other employment opportunities in his father time. Talks about farming, story of people buying a row of potatoes on a farm. Discusses history of the community life, ‘hand to mouth’ and communal buildings and facilities. Bakers that use to operate in the area are listed.

[00:13:35] Schooling and employment:
Penygelli Primary School, first day at school, discusses his experience on not being able to speak English at the start. Secondary school ‘top school’ on Tabor Hill then worked for a builder in Coedpoeth. Talks of his early employment – builders in Coedpoeth, Apprentice bricklayer, and wholesalers in Wrexham, driving furniture vans, soft furnishing, later with the British Insulated Callender's Cables (BICC) for 30 years. Gives details of his experience with Astons furniture and the furniture trade in North and Mid Wales. Talks of his work at the BICC, allocated to the general cable factory, marks on the work for the Channel Tunnel and the fire damage. Remarks on his redundancy and brief retirement, experience at the Job Office and employment opportunities in the area.

[00:30:15] Time during the Second World War:
Describes witnessing the air raids over Liverpool, and bombs landing near the quarries in Gwynfryn. Anecdotes to the community during war. Talks of working with a German ‘flyer’ prisoner of war (POW). Describes wartime veterans he had worked with and their stories, including a Hungarian and Italian soldier. Remarks on the Italian community in Wrexham and his time working at the Polish Hospital in Penley.

[00:39:00] Childhood experiences:
Talks about his youth, playing at the white sands ‘lead mines’, anecdotes on making dens, playing on pushbikes, bonfire on the commons. Sale time in the furniture shop: describes a shop list being kept on punched tape [ticket tape], and Hollerith [computer] reader used in the furniture store.

[00:46:40] Caving in his youth:
Describes his experiences with the caving association in his youth, going down Nant-y-Ffrith, gives description of his explorations, remark on the interest in the Minera mountain caves. Remarks on the geology of the area and some history of the caves in the area.

[00:55:00] General discussion about local area and its history:
Discussion on the name of Gwynfryn village, taking its name from the Church and its historical name of Pentre'r-bais. Remarks on regional Welsh accents. Remarks on the wider mining and other heavy industry – changes over the years. Remarks on local livestock markets and some anecdotes of the characters there. Talks about his home and the pigsty - remarks on pig slaughter time. Further description of the house and the renovations made over the years, with some remarks on domestic work. Rearks on local blacksmithing