Oral History collection: Glyn Richards (born 1909, Rhossili, rocket apparatus crewman) interviewed by J. Mansel Thomas about Gower life

Track 1. [00:00:36] Family: Born 1909. [00:00:56] Family: Cousins were in the war. [00:01:04] Gower: Rhossili born in the houses next door to the post office lived there 2 years, moved to what was then Jack Bevan's land(Jack Bevan bus driver) Gordon Davies used to live there at the time of this recording. He lived there with his family when he was little before Gordon Davies and they lived like gypsies. Father was working in Beynons at Pitton, had his own farm in Pilton (where Harried are living) lived there 3 years then his dad passed away. The family moved to a cottage by John Buttons, came there in 1936 age 27. [00:03:23] Education: Went to school in Rhossili. Earnest and George in Swansea. Stayed with Sid 1934 until 1936. [00:04:36] Farming: Farm labourer, keep at farming milk and market gardening. [00:05:12] Sport: Football was the biggest sport, no cricket in the village as such Quoits was another game regularly played. [00:05:24] Sport: Quoits game was great and draughts were played in winter. Quoits game described in detail, how the pitch was made and the sizing along with the number of players and weights. [00:09:39] Sport: Rhossili had a very good Quoits team the same team of players as draughts. [00:10:14] Sport: Players names: Alf Bevan, Sid Bevan, Enoch Beynon. [00:10:36] Sport: Game player called 'Marry me single' Game was played by married couples and single people. Annie Gibbs was single and a great player with lots of luck so people squabbled over who would play her. Local saying derived from this card game is " you've got Annie Gibbs's hand" if you held an Ace, King and Queen. [00:12:26] Sport: Horses Head game, digging up of a dead horse and using the skull to play a game and earn money for charity. [00:16:23] Community: Shows in the local hall. [00:16:24] Community: Rocket Crew all volunteers. [00:17:53] Community: Idea of the Rocket Crew and what they did. [00:20:46] Gower: Roche Castle 1937 a boat found lodged on the rocks in thick fog. Tale told of the rescue that took place. Board of trade wreck shield given for this rescue Track 2. [00:00:14] Gower: Discussion about the Ministry of Health and requests for water samples from areas. Swansea water is one of the softest waters. High teeth decay in Swansea at time even though water is soft and full of Calcium. [00:01:40] Gower: Direction of pumped water once the system was set up. Port Eynon to Horton, Horton to Oxwich, Oxwych to Reynoldston. This system stretched the supply too far afield. [00:02:32] Gower: Water pumpig scheme was designed to supply Horton, Porteynon and Rhosilli being as they stretched to Oxwych and Reynoldston it puts strain on the system especially in summer time when there are holiday makers and the water supply is then in higher demand. WAater would be swithed off between 7PM and7AM for conservation. [00:04:13] Gower: Water reserve would be built up in reservoir whilst the water ban was on for 12 hours. [00:04:40] Gower: Summer time a temporary well was places below the post office in Reynoldston to help with water demand. The local Fire Service would pump the mains in August from the temporary supply. [00:05:25] Gower: Pumping Station in Park Mill was extended from Park Mill to Reynoldston, Rhosilli was paired with Oxwych. Park Mill was linked with Swansea so it had soft water own. [00:07:18] Gower: Planning department decided on the water pumping stations. Glyn who is being interviewed works for Gower Council at the time of this recording. [00:07:29] Gower: Pumping station at Park Mill and Cefn Bryn short supply. 1 million gallons of water ru nning away from Cefn Bryn into Thiree Cliffs Bay every day. [00:08:06] Gower: Discussion over pumps and the size of the reservoir. [00:08:49] Gower: The Old Mill was dependant on the water up by the Mill itself. [00:09:05] Industry: Electric Pump installed at the Old Mill to tap into water flow. The pump took half of the Mills water then eventually a decision was passed to take all of the water supply there. [00:09:40] Gower: Now the area that Glyn lives in is linked in with Swansea there has been no issues with the supply and no restrictions since the linking. [00:10:21] Gower: The scheme was based on the 'Village usage' and the villagers there, Visitors were not counted into the calculations. [00:11:10] Gower: Water Supply and pipe laying discussed, Glyn worked laying the pipes and talks about his time doing this. [00:11:29] Gower: After pipe laying the job cycle turns into maintenance of the pipes. [00:11:58] Gower: Springs and the locations of some springs Glyn knows of. 1947 was a very bad winter when everything froze over. The springs temperatures didn't vary throughout this time, the temprature was constant. Discussion about a local spring that was a very good and appreciated spring. [00:13:31] family: Mention of Jack Bevan parsonage water is very cold ad was mainly used to wash the sheep. The parsonage would have large tubs of water fiulled and left to warm in the sun light of the day. [00:14:28] Gower: Rhossili water not very good, discussion about treatment of the water and the different tastes of waters from different springs. [00:15:28] Industry: Discussion about flushing of the water mains as if water was left in the pipes too long the taste of chlorine becomes apparent. [00:16:04] Industry: Flushing of the mains took place once a month, bottom of Oxwych, Porteynon and Rhossili