Candleston Brook [7]

"Come on boys, get your coats, we're off to the sand dunes; if you've got wellington boots, wear them please!"

 

Well, that's what I would have instructed my young charges at the Jane Hodge Holiday Home one fine day back in 1974. Merthyr Mawr sand dunes is a vast area of natural dune and scrubland and on the eastern edge runs a little stream which originates near the A48 to the south-west of the village of Laleston and then runs down a little vale known as Cwm Cwintin. For much of the year the stream soaks into the sand and doesn't flow, but in the winter and spring time running water with large pools can be seen which inevitably attracts children, of all ages!

 

My photographs from this particular day in March mostly centre around the stream so I have chosen a selection of them to display here on flickr. Although usually most of the youngsters in our temporary care were disabled, occasionally we would have periods when more ambulant children would be staying with us, and these photographs show some of those kids enjoying playing in the stream and its environs. Inevitably some of the photos have been set-up for the camera, but nevertheless I hope they convey the spirit of an enjoyable time at Nant Cwintin on Merthyr Mawr dunes.

 

Doing what all kids like to do, seeing how deep you can go without getting a bootfull. William and David watching safely from the bank with Andrew climbing out and Paula watching her progress through the pool.

 

From 1968 to 1974 I worked at the Jane Hodge Holiday Home at Trerhyngyll in the Vale of Glamorgan. The home was dedicated to providing short term "holidays" or respite care for disabled children of all abilities. Some of the youngsters were severely disabled, others not so, indeed sometimes it was hard to tell they had any form of disability at all. During my time at the home I took over 400 colour slide photographs and have about three times that number of black and white negatives as well as some 8mm ciné film.

 

You might also like to read my blog about the last days of the Holiday Home: opobs.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/another-friday-13th/

 

This image is the copyright of © Michael John Stokes; Any users, found to replicate, reproduce, circulate, distribute, download, manipulate or otherwise use my images without my written consent will be in breach of copyright laws. Please contact me at mjs@opobs.co.uk for permission to use any of my photographs.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Before adding any of my photographs to your 'Favorites", please check out my policy on this issue on my profile.

Done