Bethel before WWI - and then later

All of these photographs were provided by Cyril and Barbara Jones of Fron. Many thanks.

 

Photographs taken at the junction between what we now know as the B4422 and the road down to Trefdraeth. The first of these is clearly labelled 1st September 1908.

As you go through these pictures keep an eye on that telegraph pole and its array of crossbars. The telephone exchange at that time was on the road down towards the station, so this pole was carrying phone lines away from the exchange. As more people got telephones, the number of crossbars had to grow. It seems to start with 6 subscribers and expand to 10!

Bryn Melir 1908
Bryn Meilir Shop ( J E Jones Grocers, Drapers). The next photograph was taken about the same time:

 

Cefn Trefelir
Cefn Trefeilir and the Old School. Note the grass traffic island at the T junction; is this because there was no law telling us to drive on the left? The row of houses you can see in the background is no longer standing - you can read about that in the next article!.

Nearly the same view but later - the tree next to the terrace has been cut down, and the children's clothes are more modern.

Old School
Old school

 

The next two photographs were probably taken between the wars.

Iorwerth Terrace
Iorwerth Terrace, Bryn Meilir, Cefn Trefeilir.
Bryn Meilir Shop and Iorwerth Terrace
Bryn Meilir Shop and Iorwerth Terrace. It looks as if the shop is now on the telephone! Note the group gossiping outside the terrace.

 

These next two pictures are really the same. but the second one is an enlargement of the two horse-drawn carts.

Longer view
A longer view towards Bryn Meilir stores

 

Carts
Enlarged image of the horse and carts
Pictures and Stories, Past and Present