I was born in the Sandfields area of Swansea (then town now city).
In the summer holidays a crowd of children were taken to the beach which was just three streets away. We were given drinks in a bottle and banana or jam sandwiches and one or two of the parents would sit with us.
My mother worked in one of the little shops on the beach which sold ice cream.
There were swing boats and horse rides on the beach. A few other little huts sold buckets and spades. The buckets and spades were made of tin at that time. We were allowed a ride on the swing boats or a horse ride down to the sea and back once a week.
We played games of shop which we made ourselves by collecting stones‚ old brown bags. We shoveled the sand into the bags and sold them as flour or sugar‚ paying with the little stones or shells. These games kept us amused for hours. There was very little falling out amongst a crowd of children as there was little competition.
None of us had money and we all had the same type of bathing costumes‚ buckets spades‚ balls.
On the weekend we were taken to Caswell Bay close to the Gower. A huge circle of adults and children all sat together. We swam‚ ate our sandwiches and enjoyed making the sandcastles‚ walking over the other end of the bay where the Salvation Army played their songs. We loved it.
None of us had a car and we either walked to the Mumbles where we would use the Mumbles Train or caught a bus although the buses were full to breaking point.
On Whitsun Sunday all the children would visit family and neighbours and display our new clothes. Each person would give us money. This we were allowed to spend on the local fair which parked on the Recreation Ground in Mumbles Road (and still parks there). Our mothers would play bingo and we would ride on the bumpers and carousels. Very little money was spent but we had the time of our lives.
Submitted by: Ginnylll
Story Location: Swansea
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