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BBC Homepage Wales Home Memories from Bont more from this section Last updated: 24 November 2005 My Story In March 2004, the last A Week in Westminster doctor's surgery in the village Abigail's Orang-utans Back into the big bad world... of Pontrhydfendigaid closed its Bah! Humbug! doors for the last time. For Beard and Booze BBC Local some of the villages oldest Belonging Mid Wales residents like Tom Lloyd Rees, Brinsley Schwarz Things to do Calendar Girl it marked the end of an era. Class of '53 People & Places Don't cry for me Aberaeron Nature & Outdoors God Bless the Cambrian News! History "The front parlour of my parents' shop and home became the History Hunter Internet Innovators Religion & Ethics local doctor's surgery back in the 1930s. The family only really used this room at Christmas and very special occasions Jim's Story Arts & Culture Keeping Butterflies so it was empty most of the time and it made sense for it to Music Learner of the Year be used for another purpose. TV & Radio Led Zeppelin Leila's Long Walk Local BBC Sites Dr Davies was the doctor - or "Dr Birchill" as he was known. Llanidloes Fancy Dress News He was a qualified surgeon and had been awarded an MC for Martin's Memories Sport Memories from Bont his service during the Second World War. He'd hold his Motherhood - My View Weather surgery twice a week on a Tuesday and a Friday evening My West Side Story Travel from 4pm until 7pm. Observations of a Sea-Side Town. Painting with Pammy Neighbouring Sites Prom Days North East Wales Patients would queue up in the Retraining, Recycling North West Wales passageway of our house. If they Storm Chasing South East Wales needed medicine, Dr Davies would Student Life make up the prescription in the front Superstar DJ South West Wales The Great Storm parlour. He kept everything in a large Related BBC Sites The Illustrator Wales medicine cabinet which we still have but The Warden which is just used for storage these The storm of 1937 Cymru days. We'd also have to provide him Thousand Mile Walk Canolbarth with a table and a large jug of water Whitbread Writer Young Carer which he'd use to make up the Young playwright medicine. Ask a Local Digital Stories You didn't need an appointment then Poetry and house calls were made to those Talking Points who couldn't make the trip to the surgery. Your Stories
As a young boy, I'd go with the doctor in his car as he made his house calls. It was my job to open up the gates along the way.
The roads weren't very good at the time. Only four or five people in the village had cars. There was only a cart track to get to some outlying farms and it was impossible to reach some by car. If that was the case, Dr Davies would get out of his car and finish his journey on the back of a pony.
Dr Davies was here until the 1940s. Then his nephew Dr Alun took over. There were three surgeries altogether in the village at the time - the one in our front parlour as well as Dr Anderson's and Dr Williams.
Now the last one is closing and it's a sad day, especially for those who can't drive. The nearest surgery will be Tregaron about six miles away but you can only get a bus there on a Tuesday and a Friday. Even then, the times aren't always convenient so we will miss the service." Tom Lloyd Rees
More memories of Bont in days gone by 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Memories from Bont more from this section Last updated: 24 November 2005 My Story Today, the village of A Week in Westminster Pontrhydfendigaid in Abigail's Orang-utans Back into the big bad world... Ceredigion has only one shop. Bah! Humbug! Tom Lloyd Rees remembers Beard and Booze BBC Local the days when the place had Belonging Mid Wales eight local grocers as well as Brinsley Schwarz Things to do Calendar Girl several other stores... Class of '53 People & Places Don't cry for me Aberaeron Nature & Outdoors God Bless the Cambrian News! History Read Tom's memories on this page or click through his History Hunter Internet Innovators Religion & Ethics photo tour of memorabilia. Jim's Story Arts & Culture Keeping Butterflies Music "My family had a shop in the village from 1885 until 1985. Learner of the Year TV & Radio My father and mother started the business. They sold clothes Led Zeppelin Leila's Long Walk - and just about everything else. My father used to say "I'm Local BBC Sites Llanidloes Fancy Dress News selling everything but glue to repair broken hearts!". Martin's Memories Sport Memories from Bont Motherhood - My View Weather There were four of us in the shop and we were very busy all day - from eight o'clock in the morning until eight o'clock at My West Side Story Travel Observations of a Sea-Side Town. night. Painting with Pammy Neighbouring Sites Prom Days North East Wales In those days, there wasn't any self-service. Anything the Retraining, Recycling North West Wales customer wanted, we would go and fetch it - and we'd also Storm Chasing South East Wales Student Life try and push other goods too! Superstar DJ South West Wales The Great Storm Related BBC Sites Nothing came in packets before the war. If you wanted a The Illustrator Wales pound of sugar, we'd weigh it for you. The same was true for The Warden The storm of 1937 Cymru tea, butter, lard, and flour. Thousand Mile Walk Canolbarth Whitbread Writer We'd buy big round cheese in 90 pound boxes and my job as Young Carer
a young boy was to take off the wax. We always said the Young playwright best cheese came from Canada, called Belleville Brockville. Ask a Local The only currants my dad would buy were Greek Vostissas - Digital Stories they were large juicy currants, the best. Poetry Talking Points Your Stories In the 1930s, the goods would often arrive by steamer. They ships would come in from Liverpool to Aberystwyth harbour. From there, they'd be taken by steam train to Strata Florida where they'd be met by a horse and cart for the final leg of the journey to Bont. Lorries came later.
A half a side of pig would be carried in a hessian sack on the train and we'd hang it in the back to be sold as ham or bacon. We'd put pepper on it in the summer to keep the flies away.
Butter would be delivered every fortnight. We didn't have refrigerators for many years but we never seemed to have any problems.
At one time, there were eight grocer shops in the village as well as two blacksmiths, three cobblers, two petrol stations, two bakeries...you could buy anything you wanted here - we were quite self-sufficient as a village. Our shop closed when we retired in 1985 and today, there's just the one shop left in the village." By Tom Lloyd Rees 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other more from this section local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on BBC Local My Story his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. A Week in Westminster Mid Wales Abigail's Orang-utans Things to do Back into the big bad world... Bah! Humbug! People & Places Beard and Booze Nature & Outdoors Belonging History Brinsley Schwarz Religion & Ethics Calendar Girl Class of '53 Arts & Culture Don't cry for me Aberaeron Music God Bless the Cambrian News! TV & Radio History Hunter Internet Innovators Local BBC Sites Jim's Story News Keeping Butterflies Sport Learner of the Year Led Zeppelin Weather Leila's Long Walk Travel Llanidloes Fancy Dress Martin's Memories Neighbouring Sites Memories from Bont North East Wales Motherhood - My View North West Wales My West Side Story South East Wales Tom Lloyd Rees at the counter of the shop in Observations of a Sea-Side Town. Pontrhydfendigaid which his family ran from 1885 - Painting with Pammy South West Wales 1985. Prom Days 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Related BBC Sites Retraining, Recycling Wales Storm Chasing Student Life Cymru Read Tom's memories of Bont in days gone by Superstar DJ Canolbarth The Great Storm "My family had a shop in the village from 1885 until 1985. The Illustrator My father and mother started the business. They sold The Warden clothes - and just about everything else. My father used to The storm of 1937 say "I'm selling everything but glue to repair broken Thousand Mile Walk Whitbread Writer hearts!". More... Young Carer Young playwright
Ask a Local Digital Stories your comments Poetry Talking Points Your Stories Mary Williams, Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn Lovely to read all your comments - Dad loved them. He passed away in 2008. Victoria is right - the shop was open until 1999 - an error on the website it seems. Thu Feb 11 10:05:22 2010
helena meredith you used to babysit me and i have a lovely photo of your father with me in his arms when my great gran was alive sadly all the family are dead now they used to lived in strata house you look so much like your father tom lloyd Fri Apr 25 15:47:30 2008
Joanne Davies Ffair-Rhos I came to live in Bont in 1983, when I was only 16! Very fond memories of 'Siop Tom Lloyds' Always a warm welcome, a very sociable place! Many a good 'chat fach' to be had! Keep well and thank you Tom and Eirwen for all your years if service Thu May 31 09:33:56 2007
Victoria Curtis, Milton Keynes I am sure they ran that shop in 1988. Tom used to tell me stories of delivering groceries on his bike as a child to the miners. It looks like the same Tom I remember when I was 10 yrs old. I adored them and they help me learn Welsh every time we visit their store. We lived at Bryn Eithinog up in the hills. I would love to hear from them again as I have many fond memories of them and its great to see their photos. Mon May 14 09:41:42 2007
Alan Brown from Aberdeen As a child I used to visit Bont with my mother, Elizabeth Brown (ne Rogers)the daughter of David Rogers. My mother was born and brought up in Bont until the age of 16/17 when she went to live in London. My grandfather, David (Dai) seemed to be a jack of all trades, working in the pits, a jobbing carpenter, mechanic and whatever other skills were needed in the village he seemed able to be of help. As a child I remember being heatrtily greeted by Tom Lloyd at the shop which was very close to the old whitewashed cottage where My grandfather lived with my step grandmother "Jeno" who I found rather frightening as a child as she could speak no Enlish. Mon Feb 12 10:03:23 2007
Gwen Peacock from Buckley I am David Morgan Evan's sister. Brought up in Bont and I have very many happy memories of shopping at Tom Lloyd and Eirwen's shop and of course before that his father and mother's shop. Mam would send us to buy things from the shop regulary, which was always busy. I have a lot of memories of it and happy ones. Thu Feb 16 13:40:29 2006
Liz Bilson from Fife We spent Summer holidays in the fifties and sixties in Bont staying with my grandfather,David Roderick. We would visit Shop Dick for provisions. My father would call at the house door if we arrived from England after the shop was shut and Dick {Tom's father} would give us what we needed. I remember big square fruit cake and a slab would be cut from it and the clear plastic cover replaced. Thu Oct 6 16:22:20 2005
This site is now closed and cannot accept new comments. 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other more from this section local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on BBC Local My Story his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. A Week in Westminster Mid Wales Abigail's Orang-utans Things to do Back into the big bad world... Bah! Humbug! People & Places Beard and Booze Nature & Outdoors Belonging History Brinsley Schwarz Religion & Ethics Calendar Girl Class of '53 Arts & Culture Don't cry for me Aberaeron Music God Bless the Cambrian News! TV & Radio History Hunter Internet Innovators Local BBC Sites Jim's Story News Keeping Butterflies Sport Learner of the Year Led Zeppelin Weather Leila's Long Walk Travel Llanidloes Fancy Dress Martin's Memories Neighbouring Sites Memories from Bont North East Wales Motherhood - My View North West Wales All goods would be sold loose and weighed on these My West Side Story scales - there was no pre-packaging in those days South East Wales Observations of a Sea-Side Town. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Painting with Pammy South West Wales Prom Days Related BBC Sites Retraining, Recycling Wales Storm Chasing Student Life Cymru Superstar DJ Canolbarth The Great Storm The Illustrator The Warden The storm of 1937 Thousand Mile Walk Whitbread Writer Young Carer Young playwright
Ask a Local Digital Stories Poetry Talking Points Your Stories 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other more from this section local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on BBC Local My Story his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. A Week in Westminster Mid Wales Abigail's Orang-utans Things to do Back into the big bad world... Bah! Humbug! People & Places Beard and Booze Nature & Outdoors Belonging History Brinsley Schwarz Religion & Ethics Calendar Girl Class of '53 Arts & Culture Don't cry for me Aberaeron Music God Bless the Cambrian News! TV & Radio History Hunter Internet Innovators Local BBC Sites Jim's Story News Keeping Butterflies Sport Learner of the Year Led Zeppelin Weather Leila's Long Walk Travel Llanidloes Fancy Dress Martin's Memories Neighbouring Sites Memories from Bont North East Wales Motherhood - My View North West Wales Cheese would arrive in 90lb boxes like this one from My West Side Story Canada South East Wales Observations of a Sea-Side Town. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Painting with Pammy South West Wales Prom Days Related BBC Sites Retraining, Recycling Wales Storm Chasing Student Life Cymru Superstar DJ Canolbarth The Great Storm The Illustrator The Warden The storm of 1937 Thousand Mile Walk Whitbread Writer Young Carer Young playwright
Ask a Local Digital Stories Poetry Talking Points Your Stories 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other more from this section local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on BBC Local My Story his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. A Week in Westminster Mid Wales Abigail's Orang-utans Things to do Back into the big bad world... Bah! Humbug! People & Places Beard and Booze Nature & Outdoors Belonging History Brinsley Schwarz Religion & Ethics Calendar Girl Class of '53 Arts & Culture Don't cry for me Aberaeron Music God Bless the Cambrian News! TV & Radio History Hunter Internet Innovators Local BBC Sites Jim's Story News Keeping Butterflies Sport Learner of the Year Led Zeppelin Weather Leila's Long Walk Travel Llanidloes Fancy Dress Martin's Memories Neighbouring Sites Memories from Bont North East Wales Motherhood - My View North West Wales There were no tea bags in those days. Tea would be My West Side Story stored loose in large tin caddies and sold by weight South East Wales Observations of a Sea-Side Town. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Painting with Pammy South West Wales Prom Days Related BBC Sites Retraining, Recycling Wales Storm Chasing Student Life Cymru Superstar DJ Canolbarth The Great Storm The Illustrator The Warden The storm of 1937 Thousand Mile Walk Whitbread Writer Young Carer Young playwright
Ask a Local Digital Stories Poetry Talking Points Your Stories 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. BBC Local Mid Wales Things to do People & Places Nature & Outdoors History Religion & Ethics Arts & Culture Music TV & Radio
Local BBC Sites News Sport Weather Travel
Neighbouring Sites North East Wales Bananas would arrive in wooden crates like this, often North West Wales after a journey by sea, rail and road. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 South East Wales South West Wales
Related BBC Sites Wales Cymru Canolbarth
8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other more from this section local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on BBC Local My Story his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. A Week in Westminster Mid Wales Abigail's Orang-utans Things to do Back into the big bad world... Bah! Humbug! People & Places Beard and Booze Nature & Outdoors Belonging History Brinsley Schwarz Religion & Ethics Calendar Girl Class of '53 Arts & Culture Don't cry for me Aberaeron Music God Bless the Cambrian News! TV & Radio History Hunter Internet Innovators Local BBC Sites Jim's Story News Keeping Butterflies Sport Learner of the Year Led Zeppelin Weather Leila's Long Walk Travel Llanidloes Fancy Dress Martin's Memories Neighbouring Sites Memories from Bont North East Wales Motherhood - My View North West Wales Royal Primrose Soap claimed to be 'prescribed by My West Side Story doctors and nurses for the washing of younger children' South East Wales Observations of a Sea-Side Town. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Painting with Pammy South West Wales Prom Days Related BBC Sites Retraining, Recycling Wales Storm Chasing Student Life Cymru Superstar DJ Canolbarth The Great Storm The Illustrator The Warden The storm of 1937 Thousand Mile Walk Whitbread Writer Young Carer Young playwright
Ask a Local Digital Stories Poetry Talking Points Your Stories 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other more from this section local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on BBC Local My Story his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. A Week in Westminster Mid Wales Abigail's Orang-utans Things to do Back into the big bad world... Bah! Humbug! People & Places Beard and Booze Nature & Outdoors Belonging History Brinsley Schwarz Religion & Ethics Calendar Girl Class of '53 Arts & Culture Don't cry for me Aberaeron Music God Bless the Cambrian News! TV & Radio History Hunter Internet Innovators Local BBC Sites Jim's Story News Keeping Butterflies Sport Learner of the Year Led Zeppelin Weather Leila's Long Walk Travel Llanidloes Fancy Dress Martin's Memories Neighbouring Sites Memories from Bont North East Wales Motherhood - My View North West Wales The shop used to sell everything from socks to salt My West Side Story South East Wales Observations of a Sea-Side Town. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Painting with Pammy South West Wales Prom Days Related BBC Sites Retraining, Recycling Wales Storm Chasing Student Life Cymru Superstar DJ Canolbarth The Great Storm The Illustrator The Warden The storm of 1937 Thousand Mile Walk Whitbread Writer Young Carer Young playwright
Ask a Local Digital Stories Poetry Talking Points Your Stories 8 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only
BBC Homepage Wales Home Bont Shop Slideshow Last updated: 24 November 2005 From 1885 - 1985, Tom Lloyd Rees' family ran a busy village store in the centre of Pontrhydfendigaid. Like many other more from this section local businesses, the shop has now closed but Tom still has many items to remind him of the way things were so click on BBC Local My Story his photo tour and take a trip down memory lane. A Week in Westminster Mid Wales Abigail's Orang-utans Things to do Back into the big bad world... Bah! Humbug! People & Places Beard and Booze Nature & Outdoors Belonging History Brinsley Schwarz Religion & Ethics Calendar Girl Class of '53 Arts & Culture Don't cry for me Aberaeron Music God Bless the Cambrian News! TV & Radio History Hunter Internet Innovators Local BBC Sites Jim's Story News Keeping Butterflies Sport Learner of the Year Led Zeppelin Weather Leila's Long Walk Travel Llanidloes Fancy Dress Martin's Memories Neighbouring Sites Memories from Bont North East Wales Motherhood - My View North West Wales Tom and his wife Eirwen closed the shop when they My West Side Story retired in 1985. South East Wales Observations of a Sea-Side Town. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Painting with Pammy South West Wales Prom Days Related BBC Sites Retraining, Recycling Wales Storm Chasing Student Life Cymru Superstar DJ Canolbarth The Great Storm The Illustrator The Warden The storm of 1937 Thousand Mile Walk Whitbread Writer Young Carer Young playwright
Ask a Local Digital Stories Poetry Talking Points Your Stories