The
History of Nasareth Shop
I have no information about the shop before 1936 – only that Ann Jones kept it.
Ann was the granddaughter of John Jones, Bryngwyn and
a sister of my grandfather William Jones, Bodychain.
In 1936, Ann’s health failed and my mother and father
went to help for a month or two. But the month or two
became six years- up until 1942.
The business grew to be very successful, even in the early years of World War
Two. The shelves were always full of stock. Morris & Jones were the chief supplier and I remember well their lorry – with a picture
of a dark-skinned boy advertising “Black Boy Tea” (perhaps
this would be considered racist nowadays?) If you were
a smoker, there was a good choice for you – Amlwch
Tobacco, Shag, Tom Long, Golden Flake and cigarettes
like Players, Capstan, Craven A, Woodbine two pence
etc.
Apart from the usual grocer’s foodstuffs, it was necessary to stock sufficient
washing-powder, not forgetting the Blue Bag.
Another important item was lamp oil, and also replacement lamp-glasses. Esso
would send the oil supply and transfer it into a capacious
tank in the shop, behind a screen on the left. Of course
you had to bring your own oil-can in order to take
it home.
I remember well the blue sign from Esso outside the shop “White Rose Oil”
On the right side of the shop was the Post Office and also the telephone, before
the days of a phonebox outside. If you wanted to use
it to call a number (say Liverpool) you had to first
call the exchange in Penygroes by turning the handle
on the instrument. Then you gave the details to the
operator, and he would then connect to the next exchange
and the next until the number was contacted.
It was impossible to have a private conversation because everyone in the shop
could hear everything!
The local postman, John Owen, Brynmawr was attached to the Post in Nasareth,
He would deliver letters on foot to places such as
Caerau, Cwmbrân, Llwynbedw, Pennant, Cae Grasbil, Pen
yr Yrfa, and Bryn Melyn, and then return to the office
in the shop. A posrman from Penygroes would take the
letters to the shop by bike, and then he would continue
to Nebo, delivering as he went, then down to Pont Lloc
and back along Ffordd Pen Chwarel to Penygroes.
I have no memory of the sale of animal feedstuffs from the warehouse round the
back, but we, as children, were very familiar with
this cheeky little verse:
Mae yn siop Nasareth, dau ful dall,
Yn cario blawd allan i'r hwn a'r llall,
Yn cario rhan fwyaf i dŷ Mr. Green,
A hwnnw fel cacwn a'i fys yn ei din.
In 1942, Mr & Mrs Alwyn Morris came to run the shop.
Does anyone remember who
the unfortunate Mr Green was?
Many thanks to Richard
Jones, (Dic Dalar Deg Penygroes) for sending some
of the history of Nasareth Shop
to us.
If anyone else has more recollections like
this,
please contact post@nantlle.com
The last customers at Nasareth Shop
The doors of Nasareth Shop closed for the last time
in April 2008. Here are some of the village residents
who were among the last customers:
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