Oral History collection: Ivor Watkins (born 29 June 1898) interviewed by E.C. Williams and K.R. Morgan about History of Sketty and his experiences living there.

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 216 TH 61
  • Dates of Creation
      15 Mar. 1978
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      1 audio recording

Scope and Content

Track 1. [00:01:40] Community: Description of a walk around the streets of Sketty. [00:02:10] Community: Suggestions as to the origin of the name of Sketty. [00:04:43] Community: In 1600's, Sketty was a rural farming communiy and very Welsh. [00:05:00] Community: Names farms in the area all with Welsh names. [00:07:12] Community: Streams in Sketty that divided the farms. [00:09:01] Community: Toll gate at Cae Glas Road. [00:00:00] Community: "To livewith ones memories is to live twice". [00:10:10] Community: No place of worship in Sketty in 1600s. [00:11:03] Community: Services wereheld on the farms, because there was an Act that persecuted people for holding services behind closed doors. [00:12:01] Community: The Act of Toleration after William of orange landed in Torbay. [00:13:09] Community: Chapels that were built after the Act. [00:13:40] Community: Building of Providence in Bishopston for worship. [00:14:36] Community: Opening of Sketty day school. [00:15:11] Community: Miss Rosser, questioned cardiff preacher about new sketty chapel and he said he could not see congregation wholly. So they knocked chapel down and rebuilt it!. [00:16:12] Community: Description and recall of cahpels built from 1600's. [00:17:20] Community: Names prominent Swansea families who built mansions in sketty. [00:18:35] Community: St Pauls Church Sketty built with school. [00:19:30] Community: 1913 Baptist church after John Wesley visited area. [00:21:30] Community: Market Gardens in Sketty listed. [00:22:33] Community: Transport into Swansea from Sketty, livery stables. [00:23:30] Community: Description of tourist walks around Sketty and to Derwen fawr to see famous tree. [00:24:30] Community: Shops in Sketty. [00:25:00] Community: Granny Rotts shop sold everything!. [00:25:59] Community: Mrs Preece the newsagent. [00:26:05] Community: Names all shops and owners with anecdotes. [00:27:54] Community: Social Activity in Sketty, Sketty Fair on Boxing Dy on Sketty Cross, agriultural fair, pig sale. Vivian Arms yard open. [00:30:01] Community: Boys would hold horses for owners for payment, usually all day!. [00:31:30] Community: Description of concerts, teas and parties in Sketty. [00:32:31] Community: 1905, churches and villagers collected to build a parish hall. Oened in 1906. [00:33:32] Community: Used as a hospitalduring the war. [00:34:00] Community: Sold that hall and used the money to build Stewart Hall. [00:35:02] Community: 1909 New school built in Carnglass Road, separate classroom, heating etc. [00:36:01] Community: Description of theold school, head teacher and the board man. [00:38:08] Community: 1908 Trams came to Sketty. [00:38:44] Community: Tramways parcels express for posting parcels. [00:39:15] Community: In Winter, ponds would freezefor a month, out to Fairwood to ice skate on pond. [00:39:28] Community: Wandering minstrels. [00:40:35] Community: Summer trips to Gower passed through Sketty, horses had to have load lightened to get carriages up Skety hill, so passengers went into Vivian Armsand caught up with horse at top of hill. [00:41:50] Community: The Wyndham Walk from Wyndham pub, no one finished, all stoped in Black Boy. [00:42:42] Community: Band of Hope, Autumn teas. [00:43:16] Community: Characters of Sketty, Daniel James, Harry Bulldog, George Blundell, MrsCrowe Richardson. [00:44:40] Community: The Blue Ribbon League (anti drinking society). [00:45:40] Community: Mr Baker would leave his rake outside The Bush and stay there all day. [00:47:00] Community: Continues naming Sketty characters. [00:48:35] Community: Dog in a case in the Vivian Arms, on display, said to be a Dingo from Fairwood common. [00:51:02] Community: More Sketty characters and the Sketty Fire Brigade. [00:52:45] Community: Changes in Sketty after the war and change of social activity. [00:53:40] Community: New estates being built solated the farming communities. [00:55:12] Community: Progress has made neighbourly help disappear, the cause is getting further away from nature.

Track 2. [00:00:30] Community: Lamenting the absence of birdsong and the love of nature. [00:02:13] Community: Being called a square as he does not conform. Belief that nature will kick back. [00:04:20] Community: Reflection on his life, poetry reading, memories that flit into his mind and bring a smile to him. [00:06:37] Community: The mellowness of Sketty grew on you, sufficient in GlanyrAfon, did not need the town. [00:07:30] Community: Description of Mayors Mace Bearer. [00:08:45] Community: Separate areas or hamles within Sketty, GlanyrAfan, Penyrheol, Caerglas etc. [00:09:52] Community: Parliamentary boundary was stream that roseby Cockett Inn andwent down to Sketty. [00:10:53] Community: The only farm still standing today is Cwm farm by St georges playing fields. [00:11:50] Community: Description of a farm. [00:12:39] Community: Two thatched houses inPenyrHeol, when thatch went they put corrugated sheets instead. [00:13:30] Community: Most of the farmers spoke Welsh, influx of english from Swansea. [00:14:53] Community: Farming community was the only occupation.