Recollections from the past in Swansea By Jimmy Prosser

Thanks to Susan Davies for sharing this with us.

Article Jimmy is now 91 and in good health with a sharp memory, so it would be a shame for him not to share his early memories about Swansea.

As a boy Jimmy lived in Plasmarl with his sister and parents. It was a smoky industrial area of Swansea. A weekend treat would be to take the bus either the 77 or 71 bus, to the beach front.  The air on the beach was clean and fresh, if often a bit on the breezy side.  At that time in 1930’S there were rides available on the beach front.  Children could ride on swing boats and there was a roundabout to delight. There were a couple of cafes nearby on the beach, one was on stilts, if you wanted the best views you took your coffee on the top floor. 

After a couple of hours playing on the beach the day would move to Singleton Park and a walk up to Swiss Cottage for a parental cup of tea and an ice cream treat for the kids, after enjoying home-made sandwiches eaten near Swiss Cottage on the grass. There was a drop down service flap at the cottage and tables and chairs to the side. The building was decorated with baskets and window boxes. Ducks on the lake would be treated to any sandwich leftovers.

During the war Jimmy recalled the American troops billeted in the Park. This meant that access to the park was limited for security. They were a popular presence and Jimmy would ask them if they had ‘Any Gum Chum.’  Jimmy remembers there were American troops also based at Penlan and Clasemont. There were 3 fish and chip shops in Plasmarl and Jimmy did a good deal arranging fish and chips for the troops locally, especially after the dances held at Plasmarl Parish Hall.  In fact, I think he was Deliveroo before the idea had been conceived. The one area Jimmy was uncomfortable with was the racial segregation amongst the Am ericans and if a black service man approached a white one on the pavement, there was only one person who had to step into the road.  That seemed wrong to Jimmy. 

Before D day Swansea Bay was filled with military boats and the the very next day everyone was gone and the bay empty having been deployed to Normandy. 

Jimmy left school aged 14 he started an apprenticeship in sign writing from 1946 to 1950, when he joined the army  aged 18 for post war National Service.

Aged 16 Jimmy played football in the park.  It was just in front of Bishop Gore, there were no changing rooms and there was frantic changing on the pitch side in the open air, there were no niceties. Cricket was played near the Ornamental Gardens boundary.  It was a bit of a sloping pitch. There were no changing facilities there either.  Beverages were bought from Swiss Cottage, just a bit of a walk.   

Jimmy had no overseas posting as his skills as a sign writer or draughtsman were used in the forces to smarten up their signs. Jimmy said he learnt a lot working single handed then. Jimmy continued with signwriting, he worked for the longest time in the Steel Company of Wales.  In 1989 he was made redundant. He continued by himself but later, he was to find it was difficult to compete with graphic designers who could cut and paste ideas and eliminate the hand painting with vinyl cut outs. 

Back in 1969 when Swansea received its City status there was a push to celebrate with floral tributes and all the 20 local  flower societies got to together  to put on a show . This was initially in Victoria Park and the Patti Pavillion, and then it moved to Singleton Park.  He does remember one year when down at the bottom lacrosse field there was an unseasonal storm, the ground flooded and the marquees were blown down overnight. It seems that the drainage in that area has been problematic for quite a while. There were events nearly every bank holiday in Singleton and he remembers 20, 000 people attending the fete and gala. However, due to money saving requirements the council ceased supporting the flower show in the early 2000’s.

There was a time in 1973 that there was a Swansea Chrysanthemum Society. Jimmy was quite soon Chair of this event and Swansea won for the next 18 years.  The Society used to provide a bed of Chrysanthemums for the botanic gardens, a single species display.  Jimmy recalls clearly when Home Farm was a Dogs Home, of course now it is a council vehicle depot.  Home Farm ceased farming in 1957.

Jimmy stopped going up ladders when he was 74 and he retired only to take up another form of painting, this time it was watercolours and Jimmy is an accomplished artist.  I came to meet him when he had designed a calendar for this year and he was displaying them in Sketty Park Community Centre Fair. Jimmy is a star and has so much to share. 

It was a pleasurable afternoon chatting with Jimmy.  I wonder if his stories prompt any other memories of what life was like? Please do share them.