Eighty years ago our family escaped from bomb ravaged London for a new home in Cardiff. It was a real homecoming for Mum, who had lived in 20 Bushey Road, West Ham, since just after the First World War when she met Dad, recently demobbed from the army.
After months of air raids and living night after night in our Anderson shelter in the garden of 6 St Annes Hill, Wandsworth we moved into 31 Malefant Street Cathays, Cardiff. It was a relief, but not as peaceful as we had hoped.
The Luftwaffe followed us and we had many disturbed nights. On one night, a string of bombs fell in a line over our house. Luckily they were small, fifty pounders that caused little damage.
We were even more lucky when a landline - a bomb on a parachute - fell in the Cathays cemetery a hundred yards away, shattering our windows, hurting no-one
Malefant Street was so convenient, with many shops in Crwys Road, on the tram route into town (route number 2 of the 4). It took me to Cardiff High School.
I spent 11 happy years at 31 Malefant Street, marred by Dad’s sudden death from a heart attack in December 1942.
I left on 23 August 1952, to be driven with my best man, reporter Peter Parry~Jones, to Christchurch, Penarth to marry Rosemary.
After a few months living at Rosemary’s home, 15 Grove Place Penarth, we moved into a flat above a shop, 50 Cardiff Road, Caerphilly’s main Street, my new South Wales Argus office.
I am writing this in Sunrise Cardiff in Cyncoed, my 11th home which I describe in my family history, Home to Home.
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