Oral History collection: Miss Alice Taylor (born 1881, Horton, postmistress) interviewed by J. Mansel Thomas about Gower life

Track 1. [00:01:54] Gower: Speakers father was a cobbler. His parents lived by Miss Williams he had a workshop but was most hand work completed. [00:02:43] Gower: Machine for sewing used. Talk about foreign imports and shoes. [00:03:41] Gower: Her house always been here. Her grandfather, her father and herself born in the house she is 93 nearly 94. [00:04:26] Gower: Talk about her father marrying. Her fathers grandfather was a seaman. [00:04:52] Gower: Father was a sea captain travelling to the West Indies with Copper Ore on a small vessel. French soldiers rescued his boat and her father gained a souvenir. [00:06:33] Gower: Talk about the community in Horton and everyone knowing everyone. [00:07:03] Gower: About 7 old families in the area, Norman Tucker, Roberts Family, George Tucker. [00:07:26] Gower: Horse Bus ad getting to Swansea and back on a Saturday morning. [00:08:44] Gower: Discussing an old photo on the wall in the room they are taking in. Horse bus in the photo. [00:09:13] Gower: Brian the bank bus house. [00:09:50] Gower: Cost of travelling on the bus and some families not being able to afford to go into Swansea. [00:10:36] Gower: Helping with early holiday makers. Running of the post office for 38 years and being the only shop at the time. [00:11:25] Gower: The shop was on the same land as the house in 1919 and kept it going until 1954. [00:11:50] Gower: Mrs Beynon passed away and the Post Office and shop she ran was then stopped and the speaker started up hers. Mr Turner the Minister encouraged her to open this as he didn't want to travel to get his stamps. [00:13:50] Gower: Post Office was the centre of gossip in the village. [00:14:43] Gower: George Tucker wanted to take over the shop from the speaker but ended up taking on the Post Office as well. [00:14:55] Gower: The Post Office held the only telephone in the area until the phone box/ kiosk was installed. [00:15:45] Gower: Hollies and Sea Beach employed the speaker to help run what would now be called a guest house. [00:16:40] Gower: Visitors were often from Oxford and the higher class until the colliers started coming into the area. [00:16:56] Gower: Speaker earned a shilling a week for laying tables, carrying food and doing bedrooms. [00:17:38] Gower: Speaker remembers when the Hollies and Sea Beach was built there was only Mrs Morgans cottage called Tinto Cottage. [00:18:02] Gower: Generally visitors would stay for a month at a time and during World War One they wanted t rent for three months. [00:18:43] Gower: Some visitors would rent out the whole house and the owners would move out whilst the came to stay. [00:19:29] Gower: There was not much Welsh language in the area at the time. [00:20:38] Gower: Recently a lot more visitors are Welsh speaking. [00:20:54] Gower: Discussion about what visitors would do to occupy themselves during their stay. Picnics exploring and bathing. [00:21:23] Gower: 3 Girls drowned in the current at Port Eynon. 1 girl was a visitors cook and was found at Oxwich point. [00:23:00] Gower: Mr George school in Port Eynon was run by the Rector/Vicar who set it up. George Tucker used to go to the same school. Discussion about Mr George being a very good school master and solely boys would learn Geography. [00:23:59] Gower: Speakers father was very fond of Geography and stayed in school until he was 18 year old. Her father was supposed to be getting a job at sea and he fell ill and couldn't go. He taught geography to the speaker. [00:25:20] Gower: The speaker talks about her life in service in Llandaff and East Easthead. Her mum died age 29 leaving behind 4 kids. Eldest sister and father couldn't get along and the sister went to Oxford on holiday and wouldn't come back. [00:28:10] Gower: Speaker said she herself was very delicate and never bothered about being married as she wasn't the marrying sort. She chose to look after her dad who was a very quiet man. [00:29:09] Gower: Her happiest times in life was when she had the shop. 1907 her brother died suddenly so returned from service to Horton and in 1916 Mrs Bynon died. [00:30:00] Gower: Chat about hang gliders in Rhosilli and the first time she saw one