I remember Vic Rees , he was our coalman and he delivered coal into our house (it was kept under the stairs) until what was left of our Anderson Shelter was converted into a coalhouse in the early 1950's.
I found a cutting of an article written about him by Bernard Lloyd in the South Wales Evening Post in some papers that my mother had kept.
She had known him for years, living as she did on Chemical Road. Indeed the photograph accompanying the article was taken outside our house No. 43 then, 77 now and shows his horse and cart which suggests it must have been taken in early 1940s.
I know this is a few years after the original messages but I am Victor and Bronwen Rees's grandson. If you'd like to get in touch please drop me an email.
Well.. thanks to everyone who has replied to the thread I posted back in 2011. I must sincerely apologise for my silence but living in Christchurch, NZ, we went through a terrible time of earthquakes which disrupted lives terribly. I now live in Sydney, Australia and finally back on-line permanently.
I also hadn't realised that I hadn't ticked the 'notify me by email' option so was unaware of any responses until tonight.
I'm grateful to everyone for their posts and the interesting information provided and most especially happy to report that a family connection, Owen, has surfaced.
apologies for the apparent silence to your last posting on the forum advising you had found the newspaper article but i didn't receive any notification that you made posted a reply sorry.
I'd be very grateful to receive a copy of the article -- my email is
Hi, was looking online for any history regarding the house I’m currently in, found a link to this forum, I don’t seem to be able to find out when these cottages were built, and if indeed they were at one time one original ‘House’ and later split? The actual address comes up in different ways, Railway Cottages, Great Western House, Great Western Terrace etc. Don’t have any old pics of the houses but could take current ones if anyone is interested? The trains run by bottom of garden quite frequently, can be heard & sometimes felt as they pass by! I’m told some are passenger trains but mostly others used for transport of heavier freight? I’m not sure if this is true.
If you are referring to the road opposite to what was Ebeneezer Chapel, I can find no evidence of it nor the railway line in the 1876 survey map. There is road and property however in the 1896 revision but no railway line. The railway line appears in the 1913 map.
According to Wikipedia the Swansea and District Line was built in 1912. I believe it is possible to travel on some passenger trains going to Fishguard which bypass Swansea. I think it is possible to board the train in Port Talbot.