Car's Blog

 In May 2014 I gave an interview to the South Wales Argus regarding the experiences of my ancestors during WW1.  An article was published and I was also invited to the launch of the Torfaen at War exhibition.  This is a copy of the article - "A WOMAN has spoken of her shock at finding out that her great great uncle was a part of the WWI Christmas Day truce - where a copy of the Argus' sister paper The Free Press was used as a make shift flag. Carol Lewis, 45, a member of Cwmbran Writers Group, started researching her relatives who fought in the war and has collected their stories into a book entitled Tell Them of Us. One of the stories is of her great great uncle, William Jones, who was born in Blackwood in 1879, but lived in George Street, Pontypool from 1900. Mr Jones was a rugby player and member of Pontypool RFC, going by the name of Blackwood Jones. During her research, which took around ten years to complete using books and websites, she discovered her great great u...

 On 29 June 2017 the Lost Souls Paranormal Group carried out an investigation at the White Hart, Pontypool  I was asked if I could find some history about the building for them. The first mention I found came from the Monmouthshire Merlin in 1829. In November of that year it was advertised that new houses and buildings for business were being let at the upper end of George Street, one of which had a garden attached to it. It is possible the building with the garden is the White Hart as this garden is mentioned again in a news article from the Pontypool Free Press in June 1867.  It concerned a collier from Pontnewynydd, Isaac Osbourne, who was charged with assaulting Sarah Ann Madley on 23 May.  Sarah was a servant at the White Hart and at midnight her mistress had told her to go and shut the door that led to the skittle alley.  When Sarah got there she found two men lying down there.  One of them was Isaac Osbourne who grabbed her by the neck from be...

Awake again at 3 am North wind howling through the trees I turn and touch an empty space So in love but sick with fear You've only been gone a little while But my soul feels ripped in two How did I become a helpless child Unable to function without you Every second of the ticking clock Sends a chill through my heart While my spirit cries silent tears Because we're so far apart I lie exhausted from the need To be held tightly in your arms Feel your breath fall on my face And hear the beating of your heart I fill my day as best I can Your presence haunts me to the core I just want to be one with you Now and forevermore carol ann lewis 2021

 This is the story of my first cousin (twice removed),  Ivor Levi Frederick Boden. He was born on 16th January 1915 at Lower Mill Row to parents William Alfred Boden and Sarah Jane Baddeley.  He was born with what may have been a hormonal growth problem, today we call it Dwarfism, back then he would have been called a midget or something far worse. He was born into a large family.  He had three brothers - William, Isaiah and Alfred.  He also had four sisters - Ann, Sarah, Olive and Iris.  Another sister Ruth died before her first birthday. By the time of the 1939 register the family had moved to 47 Woodfield Road, New Inn. Job opportunities would have been very limited for Ivor.  Many people with dwarfism ended up in the circuses or theatres.  This is exactly what happened to him. By the 1939 register, Ivor had moved to Brighton and was living at a place called Pantzer Mansion with nine other 'midgets' as part of the Willie Pantzer Troupe of ...

 The first landlord of the Cwmffrwdoer Inn appears to have been my 3 x Great Grandfather, Thomas Jones.  There is little mention of the inn in newspapers prior to 1872 when the  Pride of the Valley Lodge, number 110 of the Loyal Order of Alfreds, celebrated their fourth anniversary.  Their meetings were held at the home of Mr T Jones of the Cwmffrwdoer Inn and it seems to have been quite a spectacle.  A procession left the inn at eleven o clock one morning in July 1872.  A brass band of the 3rd Mon., Newport headed the procession and behind followed King Alfred and two courtiers, on horses and in full costume.  The procession headed off to their sister lodge at the Railway Inn and onward to other neighbouring lodges. A year before this event, the 1871 census shows Thomas Jones living at no 3 Cwmffrwdoer Road with his wife Mariah.  Thomas had two occupations, that of a collier and a licensed victualler.  In 1871, he had three children, Margar...

 Tonight's the night! I cannot wait It's almost as if I have a date Getting my hair done Short skirt on Applying the make up Singing their songs Tonight's the night I can see them once more And dance all night On a crowded dance floor Just like I did Before lockdowns began Will they remember me? Their number one fan The singer's good looking His voice is divine Whenever he sees me He always gives me a smile So the taxi's here My heels are on Just finish this Gin And I'll be gone! carol ann lewis 2021

 My man has gone to the Dark Side It's not good at all His eyes are glowing red and His face is just like Darth Maul! When he walks into the room I hear the Imperial March playing And imagine him as Darth Vader With a long black cloak swaying His face is very grumpy And he's acting oh so mean I wish I could find Han Solo To fly me to Tatooine He's making my world feel like Hoth The planet of snow and ice If only he would thaw out a bit Its like he's frozen in carbonite I wish he'd tell me what I've done What's making him so mean As he growls with menace and hisses Like Emperor Palpatine He's been a week on the Dark Side Away in a galaxy so far I cant get through to reach him So I'm trapped on the Death Star! carol ann lewis 2021 Picture from Pixabay free images

The Upper New Inn was built in the mid 1830's.  It was mentioned in the Monmouthshire Merlin of 23 April 1836 - "To be sold at the Full Moon Inn, Pontypool on 30th April.  A new house called the Upper New Inn with stable and an excellent garden containing a quarter of an acre and in the occupation of the widow of Mr George Prosser.  Situated on Turnpike Road and being on a great thoroughfare, might be continued as a public house or would suit a retired tradesman or farmer as a private residence". The Upper New Inn was mentioned again in the Monmouthshire Merlin of 18th August 1838 when a coach accident occurred on the road outside.  A packet coach being driven by Mr Rowberry was travelling to meet the Newport Steam packet.  There were ten passengers plus luggage on board.  Road works were taking place by the Upper New Inn, the hills were being levelled up and the road had become narrower.  Mr Rowberry was driving too fast, the coach overturned and ca...

 I must have been a witch In a previous life Always being blamed For everyone's troubles and strife If your hens stopped laying eggs If you were sick from too much cake It must be Car's fault they'd cry Let's burn her at the stake Rainy days and hail storms She'd be the cause of it all And I bet she could conjure up A forty foot snowfall Death, disease and destruction She was probably behind it all It was she who started the Black Death Even though she wasn't born Who began the fire of London Who killed the Russian Tsar Who went and sunk the Titanic It was probably Car! So if you are sick with lurgy Or you've broken your big toe Don't wallow in self pity Give blaming Car a go. If your computer catches a virus If the cat shits in your shoe If you got sacked from your job Now you know what to do If you've been out and got pissed And don't know where you are Don't struggle for explanations Just blame it all on Car! I...

 One day it happens You wake up The pink foggy love cloud lifts And you see it for what it is As he yells the millionth time Over Nothing, about Nothing And he takes that little Cupid Rips him all to shreds. You yearn for things he wont give A bit of affection and respect From once loving eyes Blindly staring, now dead There was a time you believed He'd never harm a hair on your head Now he lets you cry In a cold empty bed. You wonder what he wanted from you To be a mute, obedient doll? Guess that's when you realise He never loved you at all carol ann lewis 2021

 Sometimes I am lured off my path To a strange world they call romance Where everyone is pretty and the perfect size Their days filled with music and dance I wander around with the wrong colour hair With chubby bits in the wrong place Too short, too fat, too this, too that And no one sees beyond a face I bring with me loyalty and devotion But people walk by and laugh What use is a lifetime of love When you don't have the right sized arse Bands of gold fly out of reach Wedding bells ring but never for me Broken dreams take me by the hand Lead me back to my destiny Back to my own little winding path Taking me where I am meant to be With my shadow faithfully by my side And the only hero I have is me My strength comes from walking alone Tho days are sometimes lonely and sad But life never keeps me down for long Because it cant take what I never had carol ann lewis 2021

 Under a harsh winter moon Rumours fly out of the blue Someone's done something, we know not who But you seem likely, we'll pick on you. Accusations they swoop around Not a shred of evidence to be found Only hearsay and paranoia Just enough to destroy her A cold wind blew the fateful night Her persecutors took her life How she cried to be saved But took her innocence to a shallow grave. See it was her! We knew we were right The villagers danced and laughed with delight But Karma wasn't quite finished yet Sick with guilt the real culprit confessed Be careful, you can't turn the clock back around Once an innocent body lies dead in the ground So always remember the witches rede What you give out comes back times three carol ann lewis 2021

Eerie Sundays Autumn, Sunday teatime The veil is wearing thin Scents from the past Slowly meander in Stealthily they creep Upon the fragile air I look around and half expect To see you standing there Among the shadows and dying light In the place that was your home A sense of presence fills the air A touch so slight and cold They say I ought to be afraid Having spirits in my home But I quite like these eerie Sundays When you stop by to say hello copyright carol ann lewis 2020

  Ode to my Cupcake You came to me from Greggs The bakery in town Dressed in a silver paper case With sponge so soft and brown Your icing, lovingly swirled Raspberry, pink and vanilla. I bite you, a strawberry melts I sit, I smile and savour. Your delicious mouth-watering frosting Crumbling sponge melts on my tongue. Then when your gone, I sit I remember and I wish That I'd bought another one carol ann lewis2021