This is a copy of a letter received from the late Mr Tecwyn Jones, 8 Heol Dewi, Bangor Ucha, Bangor, reminiscing about the tidal wave when he was a 9-year-old boy at the time. Many thanks to him for getting in touch.
Seeing on television, and reading in the Press about the Towyn disaster, Abergele, brought back memories of a night in Talsarnau Village in the year 1927.
A stormy, tempestuous night. My father worked in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and had to stay in accommodation all week, so mum was home with the five of us. I was nine years old, and the other four were twelve, eleven,eight and six years old. It was bread baking day, when we five have been making our own mini bread as would be the norm. My mum would give us some of the dough so we could help. A happy evening.
We lived in the cellar at 7 High Street, no electricity of course and like every other winter night before, we went to bed and mum went to the bedrooms to light the candles. Suddenly the outside door opened, and water floooded in, the furniture was being moved and we were shouting for mum. A large setle was stuck across the bottom of the stairs, so we had to climb over it soaking wet to mother's hand and safety on the first floor. This moved, as the water in the cellar was eight feet high, but I was safe. Swimming on the surface of the water was the fate of the bread, our clothes and food.
We went to the home of the late Mrs Humphrey Williams to warm up and change from our wet clothes. She was very concerned herself for her husband, her son Bobi, and her son-in-law, the late Tom Jones, as they had gone down to the Morfa before the sea came over the tidal bank, to move the animals. In the morning he found the good news that they were safe, on top of a haystack in the water. The school caretaker was also caught up in the school, Mr J Jones, Cambrian. He rang the bell a signal that he was safe. Good news for us children of course that there was water in the school.
It was good to go to bed that night, get up in the morning and see the Morfa covered in water, like living on the seashore, but no food or clothes, all in the water in the cellar. Mrs Maggie Gwyneth Jones, across the road sharing her children's food and clothes with us, such kindness in very poor times.
I have to admit that I break out in a sweat when I remember the experience, and realise how close we were to having been drowned. It was the night Mary Mordon was bron in the Ynys.
Remembering seeing a haysyack carried on the surface of the water into the village, from the direction of the station. Getting a boat from Caerffynnon to take food to Draenogau Mawr a Draenogau Bach, and to the station. Mr Hugh Owen, Bryn Street (old sailor) was the captain of the boat, we the children were delighted to get in the boat with him.
But such a mess – the Ship Aground cattle drowned, and sheep and cattle burned near the trees of Cae Bran. The rails away from the track for three miles, trees down in Gelli and on the road by the school, and I have a slight memory of a big crane that came to move large things in the station like big transformers to the Maentwrog powerhouse. I wonder if anyone remembers the name of the machine? The Normandy Box.
We had to help at home of course to get the water cleared up. Chopping trees in Gelli for heat, and remembering mum washing and drying the clothes on the railings in the village.
The memories of a nine-year-old boy at the time, became very vivid on hearing of the Towyn disaster, in Abergele, he said, and there is great sympathy for the residents. Thankfully they have assistance to ease the pain a bit, there was nothing of the sort in 1927.
R. Tecwyn Jones, Bangor.