Pen y Bryn

[Gopher]

3 hours ago, phil.c said:

Pentecostal chapel, 11:00am to 12:00 then Sunday school 2:00 to 3:00, then 7:00 to 8:00 unless the preacher got carried away for another half hour! But stuck in your best clothed all day was no fun!

As a painter in the pit, I sometimes had to go to the managers house which was overlooking the pit to work, the pit has now been replaced by a country park and I now live in that managers house

No fun at all.  Funny where life takes you, I bet you never thought you would end up living in the managers house.   

 

I think people were more scared of their local Chapel minister than the police.  Most of them scared me to death as a kid.     

[MrWolf]

30 minutes ago, Gopher said:

My attendance at Sunday school did not last long.  My memory of the evening services as a child is my father falling asleep whilst the minister droned on.  Luckily I did not go to many.  

 

Mine lasted from about five to about thirteen. Joined the army cadets so weekends were often taken up.

[phil.c]

Chapel ministers or the "elders" were a law unto themselves, some frowned deeply on watching tv and going to the pictures, unless there was a religious film on of course like The Ten Commandments

[MrWolf]

The ministers were absolutely fine, usually rather eccentric and always seemed to be publishing either a humourous book or one on local history. It was more the straight laced senior chapel folk who were scary. Worse though were the ever increasing number of happy clappies who were busy trying to poach the bored youngsters. I really didn't like them at all. I have a friend whose parents went from being Jehovah's witnesses to born agains and despite never going to church herself, is still adamant that Harry Potter was encouraging children to dabble in black magic, our pre Christian beliefs were Satanism ( even though I told her that Satan is her bogeyman) and if I jokingly tell her to play records backwards..... 

she freaks out and says "I know!!"

There's nothing wrong with faith, we should probably all have a little more.

Faith is questions that may never be answered. 

Religion is a set of answers that you may never question.

 

[phil.c]

Talking of chapels, when I was building the colliers houses, I couldn't figure out what would work at the bottom of the street, here's a test with adding a chapel in Photoshop, I did this many years ago, it was dumped for the garage and Nissen hut cafe cameo that I posted recently.

 

[MrWolf]

For all my grumbling about it, there was something very homely and familiar about going down to the chapel (they had a youth club there too) and one of the first things I noticed going to Wales to visit relatives was the number of chapels and their particular architecture. This is the one we went to, about 50 years previous. 

[MrWolf]

2 minutes ago, phil.c said:

Talking of chapels, when I was building the colliers houses, I couldn't figure out what would work at the bottom of the street, here's a test with adding a chapel in Photoshop, I did this many years ago, it was dumped for the garage and Nissen hut cafe cameo that I posted recently.

 

 

They always seem to be at the top of the street, or nearest the centre of the development, as a community focal point. That's a splendid building, but your choice of sheds for the site is more prototypical. I can't stop seeing another interesting detail every time you post a picture!

[Gopher]

14 hours ago, MrWolf said:

For all my grumbling about it, there was something very homely and familiar about going down to the chapel (they had a youth club there too) and one of the first things I noticed going to Wales to visit relatives was the number of chapels and their particular architecture. This is the one we went to, about 50 years previous. 

They were a huge part of valley's society back in the day.   From memory within about 3/4 of a mile of my Auntie's houses - there were 4 to 5 chapels of different denominations, and that was just the top end of town.  There were more at the bottom end.  I can remember Sunday evenings where every chapel seemed to hold a service and you could hear the congregations singing Welsh hymns.   Most have long since closed, and become ruins or knocked down for housing.  

 

Another memory from my child hood is my Uncle's funeral.  He was a miner.  I can remember the hearse travelling down to the  grave yard followed by a huge cortege of miners, and other folk.  I was not allowed to attend (too young).  Very close communities back then, who looked out for each other.         

 

   

[phil.c]

The chapel that I attended and got married in is still there and is still a chapel, another one fifty yards down the road is now a house, the other chapels have been knocked down, the Church burned down in the 60's.

I also remember the Sunday School outings, GWR would put on a special train which was usually full, this went mostly to Barry Island.

[CEINEWYDD]

Currently failing to build a 'Valley's' based layout, so I am hugely impressed by this layout.  (And how dare anyone say it drizzled in Rhondda - a liquid heat haze would be more accurate.  That or tipping it down like it did on my first day at Cowbridge.)

[MrWolf]

Cowbridge is really nice on a hot sunny day. They do happen, I was there!

[phil.c]

14 hours ago, CEINEWYDD said:

Currently failing to build a 'Valley's' based layout, so I am hugely impressed by this layout.  (And how dare anyone say it drizzled in Rhondda - a liquid heat haze would be more accurate.  That or tipping it down like it did on my first day at Cowbridge.)

A colliery maybe?

[Gopher]

14 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Cowbridge is really nice on a hot sunny day. They do happen, I was there!

I went to school in Cowbridge - you do get the odd sunny day.  I still have memories of waiting for the school bus in pouring rain though 

[phil.c]

A bunch of empties heading for the colliery.

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by phil.c

[phil.c]

[phil.c]

Pen-y-

 

Bryn goods yard and colliery.

[MrWolf]

Brilliant scene. You have captured a slice of time there. It's strange to think that everything in that picture (if it were real ) would be swept away by now.

I do like that goods shed, particularly the colouring of the stonework. I think that it would give @chuffinghell some inspiration and encouragement too.

[phil.c]

Coal loading area under the washery.

[phil.c]

A couple of shots taken of Pen-y-Bryn by Chris Nevard about six years ago.

 

 

 

[phil.c]

Pen-y-Bryn South Signal box with new figures.

 

 

[phil.c]

Some more pictures of the signal box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ponthir28]

Lovely modelling. 

[phil.c]

61xx with empties on the way to Pen-y-Bryn Colliery.

 

 

 

 

[phil.c]

61xx with empties passing the garages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[phil.c]

Here's a long shot.

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by phil.c