Interview with Patricia Mahe, aged 77, by Year 5 pupils at Ysgol Carreg Hir primary School, 18th March 2024, who shares her memories

Summary of Oral History Interview with Patricia Mahe (March 18, 2024)

00:00:00 - 00:00:28
Patricia Mahe, 77, has lived in Briton Ferry her entire life.

00:00:32 - 00:01:27
She recalls spending time at the park, particularly the shelter and bandstand where the Silver Band played on Sundays.

00:01:40 - 00:02:24
Discusses Briton Ferry’s cinemas, the Kinema and the Lodge, where children watched films for sixpence or ninepence, explaining the old currency system.

00:02:56 - 00:03:42
Describes prepaid electricity meters requiring pennies and reminisces about gas-powered cooking.

00:03:42 - 00:04:24
Mentions the public hall, which housed a theater, ballet school, snooker hall, and ice-skating rink, now replaced by Tesco.

00:04:24 - 00:05:23
Details the railway transporting coal from the mountain to the station for worldwide distribution.

00:05:23 - 00:06:43
Talks about using coal fires for heating and cooking, bathing in a tin bath by the fire, and washing hair weekly.

00:06:59 - 00:09:10
Describes childhood activities like skipping, hopscotch, knitting, and relying on radio and outdoor play before television.

00:09:14 - 00:10:46
Discusses Briton Ferry’s strong community, local shops, three post offices, and a railway station removed under Beeching’s cuts.

00:10:46 - 00:12:08
Mentions local landmarks, including the mill, Saint Mary’s Church, and fairs at ‘’Sam and Tin Park [Regent Street].

00:17:45 - 00:18:03
Recalls spending school holidays outdoors, taking packed lunches, and playing in the park all day.

00:18:03 - 00:18:26
Describes teatime meals and how her aunt, who played a major role in her upbringing, taught her to cook, sew, and embroider.

00:18:40 - 00:19:13
Her mother worked as a caretaker, so her aunt acted as a maternal figure, ensuring she always had food and clothes.

00:19:13 - 00:19:41
Recalls using an outdoor toilet with a candle at night and repurposing cut-up paper before toilet rolls became common.

00:19:41 - 00:20:16
Describes a high-tank flush toilet and a scrubbing board used for laundry. Sometimes, she locked herself in the toilet to read.

00:20:16 - 00:20:32
Family holidays were spent in caravans at Porthcawl, Fontygary, and Newton in the Gower Peninsula.

00:20:35 - 00:21:14
Remembers long, hot summers spent playing outside until late and watching migrating birds from Canada.

00:21:16 - 00:21:51
Attended a local school but deliberately avoided passing the grammar school exam to stay with her friends.

00:21:51 - 00:22:29
Left school early to work but later regretted not completing her exams. Eventually returned to education as an adult.

00:22:33 - 00:23:10
Studied humanities at university at age 50 to prove to herself that she could do it.

00:23:10 - 00:23:36
Encourages completing education, emphasizing modern opportunities for women. She became a nurse, retired, and now receives a pension.

00:23:36 - 00:23:47
Speaker 3 commends Patricia’s perseverance, summarizing her story as a lesson in resilience: "Never give up."