We’re all used to seeing pictures of the past in stark black and white but now for the first time there’s a chance to see how the past really looked. Our new series takes applies a colourisation process to some familiar scenes in towns in Wales and the borders and transforms them in to glorious colour.
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BACK in the day, and we’re talking the 1950s and 60s here folks, there was a strong Youth Hostel Association (YHA) in Abergavenny. The YHA's charitable objective was stated as, “To help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love, and care of the countryside, particularly by providing hostels or other simple accommodation for them in their travels, and thus to promote their health, rest and education.” The group was very informal and organised by Joe and Kate Dyer (pictured), better known as Uncle Joe and Aunty Kate, who was also well known for their supervision of Abergavenny’s open-air swimming pool. (Pic supplied )
Take a long, hard peek at this posse of players from all our yesterdays. A healthy abundance of Dai caps, well-cut suits, sharp hair, and slightly menacing and contemptuous scowls make this lovely lot look like the cast of Peaky Blinders. But in truth, there’s not a bombastic Brummie in sight. It’s the Llanfoist FC lot from the 1910-11 season. And even though they may look like they have a collective capacity for causal violence it’s probably all a pose. One of the more jovial-looking chaps, sitting third from right in the front row was named George Williams. George left Abergavenny for France during the First World War and was sadly killed in action. There was no body to bury and his name has since been added to the many on Menin Gate.It’s tempting to ask how many of the other lads featured in this picture met with such a tragic end. But for now let’s remember George and the millions like him, who over a hundred years ago, had everything to live for. (Pic supplied)
Smile please gentlemen you're on camera! This surly gang doesn't exactly look like the types to keep an active Instagram page, and why would they? They were too busy getting their hands dirty and breaking a sweat underground to worry about their social media profiles and botox appointments. The picture was snapped on Christmas Day 1965, which explained the suits and fetching jumpers. It was a sad occasion for the boys who worked in the Northern United Colliery in Cinderford because history was being made. The last deep mine in the Forest of Dean was closing its doors for good. (Pic supplied )