He retired in 1997 to write poetry and spend more time with his family. After a tour of the school, the ceremony was performed by Mr W. E. Thomas (the chairman of the Rhondda Education Committee) in the absence of Mr W. G. Howell (the Director of Education) due to ill-health. Many of them excelled, too, on the rugby pitch. Card schools got going on the back benches. It means something like The Mountain Springs, I suppose. Mention schooldays and suddenly our minds are flooded with memories. And when up on the big screen those hundreds of children, all of them Welsh speakers, stood in front of the statue on Penrhys, up above the Spring and the Holy Well, and they began to chant the poems most famous line, Maer ffynhonnaun fyw! (The mountain springs are alive!), it really did feel like we were all part of something vital and thriving; and that Welsh, too, was a language of the future right there in the Rhondda. I was lucky in Porth County: I had a succession of brilliant and committed Welsh teachers Berian Davies and Delyth John, Olwen Peters and Eleanor Aubrey. This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Porth County Community School, and is written by contributors. Chances are, if youre from the Rhondda, and depending on your age, you might have been with us, or your nieces and nephews were, or little Gareth or Sian from down the street, whore all grown up by now. Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Glamorgan, Wales. He was one of a new breed of broadcasting professionals who grasped the opportunity presented by still-rudimentary television in the 1960s, and made it into a medium by which the Welsh nation could become better known to its neighbours, and to itself. If we are to stand a chance in a post-Brexit world we need an education system that is part of this, with a real future for clever kids from any background to do good jobs with prospects. If we think of this group as also-rans, we are headed for disaster. Gill Rowlands has died at a hospice near her home in Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire. At that time there were about 400 girls attending the girls-only school - strictly segregated from the boys at their school next door! Porth Community School is a Community School located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. 5 Tips about schematic wiring diagram You Can Use Tod. He is survived by his wife, Bethan (nee Pierce), a teacher, whom he married in 1964, their three children, Elen, Sin and Gwenllian, and six grandchildren. [11], After six to seven weeks of preparation, a demolition team reduced parts of the 'upper school' to a pile of rubble during the weekend of 31 May to 1 June 2003, with site clearance taking place within the subsequent weeks following the demolition.[12]. French was a proper modern language, a language with a future, the Common Market and all of that. History. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. So almost all of my class decided to try to parler franais. On Sunday, October 8, a group of these 1956 first-formers met for lunch in the Heritage Park Hotel in Trehafod, followed by a trip to the school premises, now part of Porth Community School. Jammy that our time happened to be the very time when the Boys began to meet the Girls in class as well outside of school. Delwyn Jones, former head of Gelli Primary School, read one of Vernons own poems called County Ties as part of the celebration of a remarkable life. Porth Community School is a Community School located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The whole school was assembled and forced to listen, with no context, to music that instinct said was desperately boring and fuddy-duddy. I saw it when I looked at a copy of the school magazine from the 1960s. This means thinking way beyond school and university to the economy as a whole. Nothing to do with the above school, entirely different schools in different areas. So, despite all the agonies of school life, real and imagined, Ill always be grateful for my time in Porth County: that it was there, and that it was then. At the time the vast majority of children in the Rhondda were born into poverty. But its not just in retrospect that our eyes can be opened to the worth of education. You need to sign in to tag. This can't be a separate issue. The curse of every childs life. Find the perfect girls cricket england stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Rachel Evans (the schools former English teacher and 'Filmclub' co-ordinator) said that "it ('Filmclub') gives the pupils a chance to discuss the films they watch". Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. However, she then moved to a state school Ellen Wilkinson school for girls in Ealing, west London and thereafter was committed to comprehensive education. At the time, so its pupils boasted, with schoolboy exaggeration, there were only three such computers in the whole world in the Kremlin, the Pentagon and Porth County. Professor of English Literature and Literary Studies at the University of Greenwich and, since 2019, President of the Victorian Popular Fiction Association. SPOKANE, WASH. CITY PLAN BOARD I 1.) You will need a reader's ticket to do this. Corpus Christi, Oxford had quite a few students from the Rhondda because of that school, and even Nasa drew on talent from Porth County. Community school in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. But I was a contrary so-and-so. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The former pupils of that intake have been meeting in October for the past three years and, while the organisers have managed to track down most of their fellow pupils, some are still missing. Theresa May has also said Britain needs an industrial strategy and to be a world leader in trade. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. She is survived by her siblings, Myra and me, and by a large extended family of nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. This local democracy/ Senedd is not working.Read more , Rhondda in the early 1800s had a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the most Welsh speaking parts of Gwynedd. Cilla recalled telling Ringo to "post the [wedding] bands in 48 hours and I'll do it". Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Richard Lewis worked on innovative news programmes including Wales Today and the first Welsh-language magazine programme, Heddiw. I particularly miss the pink custard with the chocolate pudding and the cigaretteon the cross country "run". Porth Community School is a Community School located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Sian is passionate . In the pauses between pieces, Santos might make a show of chastising the boys with a swish of his cane. I bet someone you know is. [7][8]The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girlsand Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schoolsof Llwyncelyn, Trealawand Ynyshir. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Enter your email address to receive instant notifications of new articles. Vernon was also a Justice of the Peace and a member of the Court of University College, Cardiff, and a Governor of the Rhondda College of Further Education. The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girls and Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir.Porth is now described as a good school and the previous Porth Infants . The secondary modern boys wore plain jumpers and would try to throw stones at you, but you knew you were the superior race. After senior house officer posts at Cardiff and Sully hospitals he joined the Hammersmith Hospital, where he was registrar under Ralph Shackman and Geoff Chisholm. Continuing our series by John Geraint, author of The Great Welsh Auntie Novel, and one of Waless most experienced documentary-makers. Of course, it would have been different if Id been at the Welsh School the Welsh School its an odd phrase, isnt it? Porth County Porth County Grammar School for Boys Porth Grammar School. If you don't have an account please register. It was thejobs which were on offer when you left. Her enthusiasm for world cinema and opera were also transmitted to friends of all ages. Shwmae? But Santos was mightily persistent. He was also a mentor for many young people joining the corporation at that time. John On The Rhondda is based on John Geraints popular Rhondda Radio talks and podcasts. If you provide contact details, we will be in touch about your request within 10 working days. This behaviour must stop, Santos scolded us. Conventional school discipline wasnt really his thing. The 1891 and 1901 census show William and Sarah living at Lake Street in Ferndale. The visit, by kind permission of the head, Steve Bowden, was hosted by Melanie Griffiths. More disturbingly, The Guardian discovered that the use of steroids was "spreading" from the gym to the playground. Llwynypia was over 80% Welsh speaking in the 1890 census. Duw, dont talk twp, myn, and gis an ansh of your apple.. privacy policy, county secondary LEA 357, 551, 557, 559, 574/40004169, Need more context? The careers fair in the school hall had jobs with such prospects on offer at the National Coal Board and in steel. This superb school selected from the finest minds in the Rhondda, despite the lack of affluence amongmany of its pupils. Curt on. Born in the Rhondda, Sian attended Porth County Grammar school for girls. Your search results for obituary: 11 newspaper articles contained information about obituary filtered by: Date from: 1st Jan 1948 - Date to: 1st Jan 1948 On St. Davids Day, the girls would get dressed up in Welsh hats and shawls, the boys might wear a small cloth leek, wed have a short Concert and sing Calon Lan maybe, and then wed dash out of school for our half-day off and that would be that, as far as Welshness was concerned, for the rest of the year. For too long the UK has separated education into a world of class and possibility. The results were predictable. Christine attended Porth County grammar school for girls before graduating from Swansea University with a BA in French. The school was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two leading grammar schools, Porth County Girls and Porth County Boys, along with the amalgamation of the Secondary Modern Schools of Llwyncelyn, Trealaw and Ynyshir. One year, it all got so bad, that he felt he had to intervene just as the Trio were getting into their stride mid-Movement. The people who benefitted most from the old educational system are those who got jobs that either no longer exist now or which today you need a degree to have any chance of getting into. Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. [16] During his visit, Michael Sheen spoke with the pupils and told them that he was "saddened" by the lack of funding for drama schools and clubs throughout Wales. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. The hours, the days, the weeks, the whole terms when you were sick and tired of it, simply ached for it to be over, for the summer holidays to be here. We want your child to enjoy their learning and the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available whilst being challenged and supported to reach their full potential." More. Porth County was a girls grammar school that served the whole of the Rhondda valleys from Blaenrhondda to Maerdy. [1], The origins of the school dates back to the creation of Porth Higher Elementary School in 1904. Vernon had also recently prepared for publication his own collection of poems entitled Rhondda Recalled in Rhyme, an account of what he describes as our often forgotten precious past.. Children of various ages attend the school, ranging from 316 years old. There was a row of big sliding, folding windows that could fully open on the south side of the building. The school catered for 240 pupils under the headmaster ship of John Stradling Grant. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, As head of modern languages at Ellen Wilkinson school for girls in Ealing, west London, Christine Llewelyn had a reputation for getting the best out of her pupils. More like this History Projects Local History Steep South Wales Auntie Lineup Parents April Wedding Photography April 1961. What does that mean for the future? of any that money could buy. John On The Rhondda is based on John Geraints popular Rhondda Radio talks and podcasts. Porth County Grammar School badge and report card images by John Geraint The Ranch But, like Santos, Porth was a school with something of a split personality. Get this The Spokesman-Review page for free from Thursday, May 15, 1919 SMAN-REVIEW. Who will be the employers in a globalised world, which increasingly relies on automation of blue-andwhite-collar roles. You need to sign in to tag. Tom John (editor of the Rhondda Leader and the first Welshman to become president of the National Union of Teachers) said that "there was a laborious effort made by several speakers at the meeting [the opening ceremony] to dissipate the fear that this splendid institution would work serious opposition and injury to the county school nearby". Wrestling matches broke out. May 23, 2015 - Porth County Grammar School 1st XV rugby team 1968/69. And that is the real point, isn't it? To be clear Im a sucker for nostalgia but Im not arguing for a return to the good old days of Grammar Schools. Sian Assiratti. 04-06-08 Good Morning Porth. Bridgend Grammar Technical School ended up as Brynteg Comprehensive when it was merged with Heol Gam, the nearest secondary modern school. In recent years she suffered a series of health issues, but bore them all without complaint. He said that using cannabis 'actually really did help me', This week's lucky Welsh winners in the People's Postcode Lottery, People queue for three hours to buy clothes from sisters who built a multi-million pound business from their shed, The two sisters held a sample sale that was described as 'bonkers', BBC The Apprentice: Why Bradley Johnson didn't leave in a taxi despite being fired, Bradley Johnson and Avi Sharma were chosen as the next candidates to leave Lord Sugar's boardroom, Young Wales international now working on a building site after rugby's turmoil leaves him unemployed, This time last term his career in professional rugby appeared to be taking off, but fate wasn't to be kind to the lad from west Wales, Cardiff 20-42 Ulster: Welsh club's URC play-off hopes take massive dent, The Blue and Blacks will have to do things the hard way to make the last eight now, ITV Starstruck viewers cant unsee Jon Bon Jovis contestants resemblance to comedian, Lee, Jon and Ash transformed into Jon Bon Jovi but viewers thought that one of them looked more like Rob Beckett, Dragons 20-22 Connacht: 14-men Dragons fail to sign off at home for season with win after late missed drop-goals, The Dragons had opportunities to win their final home game of the season, but ultimately fell short, The 50 best restaurants in Cardiff in 2023: The best places to eat in the city, With some high profile new entries on the list, its a great time to eat out in Cardiff, London Welsh choir wows Britain's Got Talent judge on Saturday Kitchen, London Welsh Rugby Club Male Choir were back on Saturday Kitchen to celebrate St David's Day after a two-year break, Wales rugby star in tears as he pays tribute to team-mate amid family difficulties, The Cardiff team-mates are more like brothers, and it has been a difficult time, Locked Up: The criminals justice caught up with in February and what happened to them, These 73 people have all been locked up for the most serious crimes bought before the courts in Wales, Swansea City defeat ends in chaos as manager sent off and escorted from pitch, The Swans slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Kenilworth Road, with Martin being dismissed late on, Saturday Night Takeaway viewers say new segment is spoiling their enjoyment of ITV show, The second episode of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway saw the return of 'Ring My Bell', Minister leading roads freeze has claimed for nearly 12,000 miles of car journeys but only three train trips, Welsh Government deputy minister Lee Waters wants people to take public transport instead of driving, First look at Pasture's new small plates restaurant and speakeasy bar Parallel, Parallel can be found next door to Pasture on Cardiff's High Street, Man who infamously taunted police while on the run sent back behind bars, Matthew Maynard once sent his local paper a 'better' picture of himself because he didn't like the wanted mugshot police had issued.