There were five Welsh-language junior schools Llwyncelyn and Bronllwyn, Bodringallt and Llyn y Forwyn in Ferndale, as well as Ynyswen and a big Comprehensive in Cymmer. There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them. Llwynypia was over 80% Welsh speaking in the 1890 census. - and was attended by ex-pupils from all over the country with extra messages and letters to be read out after lunch from those who couldn't attend - including some now living abroad. On Sunday, October 8, a group of these 1956 first-formers met for lunch in the Heritage Park Hotel in Trehafod, followed by a trip to the school premises, now part of Porth Community School. It sent off those children to careers around the UK and the world. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Publisher: ISBN: Category : Broadband communication systems Languages : en Pages : 180 View Jones was born in Llwynypia. After all, Id been born in Llwynypia, been brought up in Penygraig, lived in Tylacelyn, gone to school in Hendrecafn, played in Penmaesglas, on Craig-yr-Eos and Carncelyn. Christine attended Porth County grammar school for girls before graduating from Swansea University with a BA in French. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Porth County had an enviable reputation for academic excellence, along with a very strict regime for discipline. She will be particularly remembered by alumni of that period for her participation in Debates. Its an epic poem, all about the Rhondda, by local minister Rhydwen Williams a kaleidoscope of the Valleys long history, coal mines and boxing booths, chip shops and sarsaparilla fountains, chapels and the Holy Well at Penrhys, all done by a chorus of voices speaking proper Rhondda Welsh, with a sprinkling of English phrases thrown in, naturally. A lively member of the staff room, Christine became head of modern languages at Ellen Wilkinson, and had a reputation for getting the best out of her pupils, as well as for having a positive influence on their lives outside of school. Since retirement in 1984 he has written many books on Rhondda including Porth County: The School and Its Boys and William Evans: The Prince of Porth. He wrote the foreword and edited A Rhondda Boy by Ivor Howells and the foreword to books of Rhondda photographs by David Carpenter. The former pupils of that intake have been meeting in October for the past three. 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Its architect was Rowland Lloyd Jones, who also designed most of the other Caernarvonshire schools. Let us know. . Promoted to studio director in 1963, when I first met him in the news department, Richard worked on innovative news programmes including Wales Today and the first Welsh-language magazine programme, Heddiw. Conventional school discipline wasnt really his thing. Jammy to be born in the Rhondda where education was valued. Once a year, a Trio of stiff classical musicians were summoned up from Cardiff to bring us the delights of Mozart and Beethoven. He obtained his first BA honours degree in History at Cardiff University, to be followed by two other degrees, a BSc Econ and an M.Ed. A report on Porth Community School November 2019 1 About Porth Community School Porth Community School is an English-medium all-age (3-16) comprehensive school in Porth, Rhondda. Many of his Porth County past pupils attended his funeral last week including Dr Kelvin Roberts, head of Pirtek Group of Companies, who gave a eulogy. the kitchen cafe brewster, ma menu. In recent years she suffered a series of health issues, but bore them all without complaint. At the time the vast majority of children in the Rhondda were born into poverty. The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girls and Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir.Porth is now described as a good school and the previous Porth Infants . I could have signed for the club when I was 17, but I was in Porth County Grammar School and I'd completed the first year of sixth form so I . He was given the affectionate nickname of Santos because of his black, curly hair and moustache. Porth Community School is located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. But the great thing about working in television is that people are willing to do the daftest things if theyre going to be filmed. Then between 1946 and 1947, the name of the school was changed to Porth Secondary Grammar School. The film posed the question: which was the greater outrage, the blast itself, or the flooding of Tryweryn valley? The group is for ex pupils to get in touch with fellow pupils and share memories Private Only members can see who's in the group and what they post. We had a grand Premiere just like Hollywood in that grand Rhondda auditorium, the Park and Dare, in Treorchy. Its fair to say that many Rhondda people thought that sending your child to Rhydfelen was posh, and a bit snobby. Porth Community Schoolis a Community Schoollocated in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. [13] Steve Bowden (the school headteacher at the time) commented: "It is becoming more apparent now. It was known as The Ranch. Or, you can request a quotation for a copy to be sent to you. Something went wrong, please try again later. All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018. Porth Community School is a Community School located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. This is still recent folk memory, Connect with Nation.Cymru on Facebook and Twitter. Who will create the wealth and pay the taxes, and how? He was also a mentor for many young people joining the corporation at that time. All Im saying is that I was jammy. When the schools closed during the pandemic, many Rhondda parents told me that they began to appreciate for the first time what these institutions do for children it turns out its far more than reading, writing and arithmetic. Between lessons, when the teachers retreated to the Staff Room, it could be bedlam. Born in Wales from mining and shop-keeping stock, he was encouraged to read Classics at University by his school, Porth County Grammar School for Boys. So for those of us who werent sporty scientists, it was a relief when the Boys school merged with the Girls Grammar in 1972, in preparation for going Comprehensive a year later. View the catalogue description for. The film made a bit of a splash at the time. In fact pay has decreased since then and we pay more for a lot lessfood, fuel, clotheseverything. Shwmae? privacy policy, county secondary LEA 357, 551, 557, 559, 574/40004169, Need more context? l For further information on this annual event please ring Pearl (nee Jenkins) McCabe (01834 871733) or Diane (nee Davies) Coombs (01443 227148). And when the Ynyswen children got to secondary school age, to continue their lessons in Welsh they had to be bussed out of the valley down to Rhydfelen, beyond Pontypridd. [17], Along with eleven other schools (three secondary and eight primary schools) in the surrounding areas, 'Porth County Community School' could face closure. Christine retired from Ellen Wilkinson owing to ill health in 1993, but then spent many happy years as companion to her mother, travelling across Europe in search of new opera productions. Of course, it would have been different if Id been at the Welsh School the Welsh School its an odd phrase, isnt it? Did you go to the Welsh School? Sian Assiratti. Eton and Harrow, Charterhouse and Winchester all the elite, fee-paying public schools of Olde England: Porth County gave your boys one hell of a beating! [7][8] The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girls and Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir. The golf club and the Rotary beckoned you as you smoothly travelled in you new Austin Tourer from your detached house in a pleasant village in the vale of Glamorgan. Detention. In Porth, we were given the choice of two languages to learn Welsh or French. Family History And Search. But we gave him a few short lines, and he had such presence on the screen that he became a really big character, the retired miner who represents the very spirit of the Rhondda. But more was gained, for more pupils, across the whole of the Rhondda, by treating everyone as though they had the right to the best that school could offer, by refusing to make anyone think they might be second best for life just because they hadnt excelled in a certain sort of test when they were 11. [16] During his visit, Michael Sheen spoke with the pupils and told them that he was "saddened" by the lack of funding for drama schools and clubs throughout Wales. He is survived by his wife, Bethan (nee Pierce), a teacher, whom he married in 1964, their three children, Elen, Sin and Gwenllian, and six grandchildren. Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Glamorgan, Wales. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. After a tour of the school, the ceremony was performed by Mr W. E. Thomas (the chairman of the Rhondda Education Committee) in the absence of Mr W. G. Howell (the Director of Education) due to ill-health. In 1974, Richard, or Dic, as he was known to colleagues, was made head of documentaries and features, and began to make an impact beyond Wales. The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girls and Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir. Jammy to pass the Eleven Plus. Continuing our series by John Geraint, author of The Great Welsh Auntie Novel, and one of Waless most experienced documentary-makers. The Process of making this has already starting at the start of 2017 and should be finished mid 2018. There were lots of jobs for grammar-school boys - and we were all boys - and no one worried about the future. At the same time the school was merged with the Pupil Teachers College, where once a week students would take turns in teaching their peers. Want the latest Rhondda news sent straight to your inbox? The family of Owen Vernon Jones, former headmaster of Porth County Grammar School for Boys and later of Porth County Comprehensive School, paid tribute to a treasure of a man. Delwyn Jones, former head of Gelli Primary School, read one of Vernons own poems called County Ties as part of the celebration of a remarkable life. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, BD - Records created or inherited by the Welsh Office and the Wales Office, Division within BD - Records of the Education divisions, BD 50 - Welsh Office and predecessors: HM Inspectorate of Schools: Unregistered Papers, About our He retired in 1997 to write poetry and spend more time with his family. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Printed Multiview Postcard Trearddur Bay ( Wales ) at the best online prices at eBay! But, like Santos, Porth was a school with something of a split personality. privacy policy, Need more context? [10][11] He retired from the school in 1984, and after retiring, he wrote a number of books about Porth, including one about his experiences as headmaster at 'Porth County'. Upcoming Lectures; Lecture Archive; Projects . Christine attended Porth County grammar school for girls before graduating from Swansea University with a BA in French. Catalogue description Porth county school for girls, Rhondda Mid Glamorgan Ordering and viewing options This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded. During lessons, it was a crammer: the masters dictated, and the pupils filled their notebooks with the formulae and theorems that would secure outstanding grades from the WJEC. I was lucky in Porth County: I had a succession of brilliant and committed Welsh teachers Berian Davies and Delyth John, Olwen Peters and Eleanor Aubrey. But back then there was only one Junior School in the whole Rhondda that taught in Welsh Ysgol Gymraeg Ynyswen. And rightly so: a preparation for life needs to be about more than academic hothousing. becoming a Swan. The classmates you despised. It was thejobs which were on offer when you left. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In the pauses between pieces, Santos might make a show of chastising the boys with a swish of his cane. Catalogue description Glamorgan: Porth County Grammar School Ordering and viewing options This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded. John On The Rhondda is based on John Geraints popular Rhondda Radio talks and podcasts. But Santos was mightily persistent. Support our Nation today - please donate here. On the first Monday in September, 1956, fifty or so scholarship girls travelled from all over the Rhondda (on the red Rhondda Transport buses) to attend their first day at Rhondda County Grammar School for Girls (known as Porth County). Jammy to be gifted an education which was the match and more, as weve seen! Her first teaching posts were in the private sector, at Wycombe Abbey school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and then at the City of London school for girls in central London. But I was a contrary so-and-so. We need cutting-edge industrial research and a national strategy to support our best companies as they take on the world. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. The 1891 and 1901 census show William and Sarah living at Lake Street in Ferndale. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Born in Aberdare, south Wales, she was the first child of Graham, a mining engineer, and Joyce (nee Young), a biology teacher. His collaboration with writers continued with William Nicholson, on the Bafta-winning, original television film Shadowlands, in 1985. At the time, so its pupils boasted, with schoolboy exaggeration, there were only three such computers in the whole world in the Kremlin, the Pentagon and Porth County. I have not seen any improvement to our way of life in North Wales since the early 70s. The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girls and Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir. Santos was determined that his school was going places. The fights, the boredom, the worry. Keep up to date with the latest stories with our WalesOnline newsletter. Who will be the employers in a globalised world, which increasingly relies on automation of blue-andwhite-collar roles. Now it became an even more rounded, more fully human place to learn. And when up on the big screen those hundreds of children, all of them Welsh speakers, stood in front of the statue on Penrhys, up above the Spring and the Holy Well, and they began to chant the poems most famous line, Maer ffynhonnaun fyw! (The mountain springs are alive!), it really did feel like we were all part of something vital and thriving; and that Welsh, too, was a language of the future right there in the Rhondda. China Entrepreneur Voices Of Experience From 40 Business Pioneers Paperback . Card schools got going on the back benches. You can order records in advance to be ready for you when you visit Kew. [7][8] The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girls and Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir. So almost all of my class decided to try to parler franais. Year after year, exceptional candidates with exceptional results were rejected out of hand. He was initially an English and History teacher at the school, then head of the History department, and eventually headmaster of the school. The poor musicians, clutching their instruments like shields, sat there with fixed grins, their vocation to bring music to the masses reduced to a penance. There was a row of big sliding, folding windows that could fully open on the south side of the building. Porth County proved it! 15 out of 212 secondary schools in Wales (as of 2014). 63, 523, 2011 issn: eissn: doi: construccin con tierra en el siglo xxi earthen construction in He adored his own boys his grandsons, Greg, Alex and Owen and his great-grandchildren Rowan, Sadie, Sebastian and Poppy. [9] Jones was headmaster from 1961 to 1984, and saw the amalgamation of the 'Porth County Girls' and 'Porth County Boys' grammar schools (along with the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir) into what is now known as 'Porth County Community School'. My sister, Christine Llewelyn, who has died aged 72, was a popular French teacher who inspired pupils with her enthusiasm both for the subject she taught and for life in general. I chose Cymraeg. If you provide contact details, we will be in touch about your request within 10 working days. Children of various ages attend the school, ranging from 316 years old. Tom John (editor of the Rhondda Leader and the first Welshman to become president of the National Union of Teachers) said that "there was a laborious effort made by several speakers at the meeting [the opening ceremony] to dissipate the fear that this splendid institution would work serious opposition and injury to the county school nearby". When I got to my O level year, the set poem for group recital in the Urdd Eisteddfod turned out to be Y Ffynhonnau. Betws-y-coed school was planned in 1913 but the First World War delayed construction until 1924. Welsh was popular now, not posh. Catcalls and sniggers. Eventually, thanks to them, and a summer spent working on a couple of farms in Carmarthenshire, I became fluent in Welsh well, fluent enough to make TV programmes in the language anyway. Admissions Tutors at Oxford and Cambridge werent minded to admit that any good thing could come out of a Welsh mining valley. Bridgend Grammar Technical School ended up as Brynteg Comprehensive when it was merged with Heol Gam, the nearest secondary modern school. Miners put pennies aside, built schools for their sons and daughters, and when universal secondary education became a right, the Rhondda Borough Council invested heavily in it. Sometime between 1951 and 1954 the name of the school was changed again to Porth County Grammar Mixed School. Chances are, if youre from the Rhondda, and depending on your age, you might have been with us, or your nieces and nephews were, or little Gareth or Sian from down the street, whore all grown up by now. Born in Llwynypia, the son of Daniel Thomas and Violet, with a younger brother Norman, Vernon attended Tonypandy Grammar School. If you would like to donate to help keep Nation.Cymru running then you just need to click on the box below, it will open a pop up window that will allow you to pay using your credit / debit card or paypal. But then people said that too about where I went, Porth County Grammar School, so who am I to talk? Location. This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Your search results for obituary: 11 newspaper articles contained information about obituary filtered by: Date from: 1st Jan 1948 - Date to: 1st Jan 1948 Homework, tests, exams, reports. A DISTINGUISHED and much loved former headteacher has passed away at the age of 90. My friend Richard Lewis, who has died aged 78, was a distinguished television producer and director, who worked for BBC Wales for more than 25 years. So the education I experienced gave a phenomenal boost for the careers of a fewanda good boost to many because of the range of middle-class jobs on offer. The careers fair in the school hall had jobs with such prospects on offer at the National Coal Board and in steel. Author: United States.Congress. Can anyone help me. Porth County Grammar School, Mid Glamorgan, Wales 1970- 1976 View Wayne's full profile See who you know in common Get introduced Contact Wayne directly Join to view full profile Looking for. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. For me, because poems and plays were my thing, that last piece of luck was the best of all: because I fell under the spell of someone who would never have taught me otherwise, one of the Girls School staff: an inspirational English teacher who knew how to conjure life out of words on a page, how to spark magic on stage, how to work the alchemy that brings poetry alive in young minds. He was said to have courted his wife by galloping on horseback up to her house on the steep slopes of Blaenclydach. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. We need more thanThe Pride of Miss Jean Brodie. 04-06-08 Good Morning Porth. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Let us know. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hugely interesting! When they visited the school, a very emotional experience for most, the 'old girls' commented on the many changes and differences in the premises - but the welcoming, or otherwise, odour of the ChemLab, near the old staff entrance, was still discernible to everyone, although the area is now used for other purposes! You need to sign in to tag. Community school in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. [15] Porth County Community School is part of 'Filmclub' along with schools in the Tonypandy and Treorchy areas, and it is implemented through the schools "E3 after-school projects". At some point in time the grammar school was split in two sections, one half being known as Porth County Girls and the other half being known as Porth County Boys. I particularly miss the pink custard with the chocolate pudding and the cigaretteon the cross country "run". He obtained his first BA honours degree in history at Cardiff University (to be followed by two other degrees, a BSc Econ and an MEd), and did his teachers training at 'Porth County Grammar School for Boys'. Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Glamorgan, Wales. We want your child to enjoy their learning and the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available whilst being challenged and supported to reach their full potential." More. After leaving she worked in Montreal, Canada for a year before returning and settling back in South Wales. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. She is survived by her siblings, Myra and me, and by a large extended family of nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.