In light of the current corona virus pandemic, a decision has been taken to cancel the Society’s programme of talks held at Carnegie Hall, Evelyn Road, until January 2021.
The situation will be reviewed continually and members will be contacted by telephone if there are any changes. Continue to check our Facebook page and this website for the latest information.
Look forward to meeting again in 2021.
The residents of Graham’s Terrace are shown celebrating VE Day in 1945.
Do you have any photographs of Skewen taken on May 8th, 1945? If so, please share them with us so that they may be archived for future generations to look at and use for research.
If there are any celebrations in your street this year to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and it is safe to do so, please take some photos and send them to us.
Here are the first photographs we have received for VE Day in 2020 – showing how the residents of Pant y Sais, Jersey Marine celebrated, and how Picton Terrace, Wern and Winifred Roads decorated their houses. Do you have photographs to share?
The Society has a number of “mystery” photographs – photographs with no information about them at all. It would help us if you would look at the photographs that will be posted in the coming weeks and if you have any information about them please get in touch. Keep scrolling down – new photographs are posted at the end.
1.
Photograph 1: first name might be Howard and may be related to the Thomas family, Highland Farm, Skewen.
Photograph 2: Skewen Ladies’ Choir
Photograph 2 has now been identified as a Skewen Ladies’ choir. Some names have been supplied via Facebook – can you name anyone – email and let us know.
Photograph 3 Dance
Photograph 3 was taken at the Llandarcy Institute. If you can name anyone – get in touch. Some names have been supplied.
Photograph 4.
Photograph 4
Who is this little boy? The shot was taken outside what became Knoyle’s Cafe and is now part of Zafran Indian restaurant. Date would be c. 1900.
Photograph 5
We have now been able to establish that this is a group of poppy sellers, probably photographed in Evelyn Road. Names have been provided except for number 2, and still no surname for number 5. Can you help?
Photograph 5 1. Lena Richards 2. ? 3. Glenys Rees 4. Morfydd Griffiths 5. Muriel ?
Photographs 6 and 6A: Bill Bevan Cottages. Who was Bill Bevan and where were these cottages located?
This mystery has been solved – thanks to Facebook followers. This is Rose Cottage part of the Gwernllwyncwyth House estate in Llansamlet. At one time Bill Beavan lived here with his wife Phoebe.
Photograph 7
This is another unknown group. What are they celebrating who are they?
We have now been able to identify several of the people but still do not know the occasion – so do you know?
Photograph 7
Photograph 8: where is it? Who is the man walking in the bottom left of the photo- back view only so difficult to identify?
This cottage has now been identified as Coed Saeson Cottage in Llansmlet.
Photograph 8
Photograph 9: A holiday group – (in Blackpool?). Can you name anyone?
We still don’t know the occasion, but several names have been supplied. But who are numbers 7,12 and 13?
Photograph 9: Holiday group
Photograph 10: It’s a plan for a house in Lon Las – but which house? The answer is Lon Las House.
Photograph 11: An unknown group of women, possibly a committee in World War II taken in the grounds of Brynderwyn House. Some names have now been supplied for this group but we still have more to be identified, and still do not know the occasion.
Photograph 12: Possibly a group of Neath Abbey W.I. members celebrating St David’s Day. We only have the names for two of the group – can you supply more please?
Photograph 13: Unknown group of young women taken in 1939. Who are they?
Photograph 13: Who are these young girls?
PHOTOGRAPH 14: what is this building and where is it? A suggestion is that this was the cricket ground near Cwrt y Betws Farm.
Photograph 14: Where / what is this building?
PHOTOGRAPH 15: We know that this is a photograph of the Skewen Snooker Club but only have three names – 2 Arthur Lewis 5 Sid Morgans 7 Bert Coram and 8 George Brown. Can you name the other members of the team?
Photograph 15: Skewen Snooker Club
PHOTOGRAPH 16: A family group – are they named Sully and did the father work as a registrar in Neath?
Photograph 16: Is this the Sully family, what are their names?
PHOTOGRAPH 17: We have the names for numbers 1 to 5 in this group, but who are 6 to 9 and was it a special occasion?
Photograph 17: can you provide the names for numbers 6 to 9?
Here are some photographs that were sent of the clapping on 9th April and 16th April. Residents of Pant y Sais, Jersey Marine managed to combine the Thursday night clap with Easter bonnets on the 9th and balloons on the 16th.
Here they are on the April 23rd clapping photos and a resident on Hill Road, Neath Abbey has a novel way of thanking the NHS and care workers.
More photographs from Pant y Sais for Thursday, May 7th and 14th.
The society asked you to send in your photographs of Skewen in Lockdown and here are the results:-
We are delighted to confirm that the Society has been awarded a £1000 grant under the Tesco ‘Bags of Help ’ community funding scheme. Many thanks to all those who contributed to this success by choosing to vote for Skewen & District Historical Society with their blue shopping tokens.
The award will be used for the benefit of members – more details to follow.
The Society would like to thank Tesco for its inclusion in the scheme.
With many of us facing a long period at home, perhaps now is the time to sort through those little used drawers, cupboards and boxes to see if you find anything of interest for local historians. It may be a photograph, document, map etc. which you could scan and send to us now, or if you don’t have the capability to do that, just put the item to one side and pass it to any member of the Society when it is safe to make contact.
If sending photographs, please add as much information as you can – date, names of people shown, location, event.
Many people have traced their family history – do you have an interesting story you would like to share – we can publish it in our newsletter “Hanes”.
So search those drawers and cupboards and see what you find.
Having closed at the New Road location on February 22nd, the library finally reopened in the Carnegie Hall this morning, 9th March.
Skewen Library is moving from its present location on New Road to the Carnegie Hall on Evelyn Road. Today, Saturday 22nd February, was its last day at the New Road location. Here are some photographs to mark the occasion:
Committee member Sandra Davies is working on a special edition of “Hanes” based on the history and use of the Carnegie Hall on Evelyn Road. If you have any anecdotes, special memories – anything, about the building or the library that was housed there in the past, or any other activities that have taken place in the hall, please get in touch via this website, our Facebook page, or simply use snail mail or the telephone to contact any of the committee members. Don’t let your reminiscence be lost.
