An interesting picture of Pennant during the
Second World War has been provided by
Mrs Marian Balcomb (nee Jones).
My father was born and brought up in Pennant.
I myself was evacuated there during the Second World War and with
my two great-aunts
lived in a little cottage called "Park Cottage".This
was located along the lane next
to "Ty Heter", which was occupied by a Miss Jones. Next
door to "Park Cottage" was
"Ty Newydd" which was occupied by a local butcher. I
will find out his name for you
later, but his brother was another butcher called Lewis Lloyd
who had a place down
by the river near the "Ship Inn" where he prepared the
meat. When he died he left
his business to Ianto, his brothers boy and he continued the business
for several
years, but he then went to work for Mansel, who had converted
some of the land owned
by his mother, adjacent to "Blaencwm" into a garage
and petrol station, which is
there to this day. "Blaencwm" was the village shop until
Mari, Mansel's mother died.
Another of my great-aunts kept the Chapel House for many years,
and her daughter
kept another shop, in what is known as "Pennant Isa"
opposite the chapel.
My great -grand father and great -grandmother are buried in the
graveyard, as are my
great-uncle Evan, who died of pneumonia in the first world war,
my father and mother
and various other relatives. I can boast that I can stand by my
parents grave and be
surrounded by graves of those to whom I am connected by either
blood or marriage.
I went to the village school during the war, and at that time
it was divided into
"Ysgol Fawr" and "Ysgol Fach". Both school-mistresses
were called Jones. Miss Jones
Ysgol Fach and Miss Jones C.M. We wrote on slates and the toilets
were out in the
yard.
The museum in Aberystwyth has a stuffed dog called Clip that belonged
to the family.
It was donated to the museum by Jack's brother Arwyn, and my father
used to ride on
his back from Pant-y-Petris to school at Pennant.
My grandmother used to live in Tal-y-Bont House, on the other
side of the river from
the chapel, and my aunt Marged-Mary and uncle Johnnie in Talbont
Stores across the
road from the chapel. Johnny had the only electricity in the village,
run by a
dynamo run by the water from the water meadows. He also had a
big green house where
he raised tomatoes and grapes. He was a good carpenter and carved
many walking
sticks and also made some coffins. He was the commander of the
Home Guard in Pennant
during the war.
During the Second World War the village sheltered
official evacuees from Liverpool
and London besides those who were privately evacuated. The official
evacues were:-
Among these were David Thomas, his brother John
and sisters Connie, Mary and Jean.
This photograph was taken about 1942 standing
in front of Pencwm where they stayed
during the war. David is holding their Corgi