At the start of the century, the quarries were in their prime, with a lot of workers going through the entrance shown below on their way to make their living in the quarries.

Quarry's Entrance

After distributing the letters and parcels in the morning, the postman used to stay at the hut shown below to collect the afternoon post before taking the letters and so on down to Betws-y-Coed on a bike.

The hut was situated in "Ddôl Cwm". Today there is nothing to see where the hut once stood.

Postman's Hut

This was once known as Tom Pierce's butcher shop, opening once a week on Fridays. The shop was later taken over by Nellie Williams who sold small goods. Even further on, James Hughes came here as a shoemaker. I remember the shoemaker going to Swch River to soak the leather, keeping it down with large stones.

Meat Shop

This shop was Cwm Penmachno's first Post Office. It was taken over by the Co-op. A Dividend was paid twice a year, and this was very popular with the inhabitants of Cwm. The Co-op sold everything, for example food, clothes and shoes.

Cwm Penmachno's First Post Office

By the way, the first Co-op in Cwm was not opened here. The first Co-op in Cwm was opened in Swch, in the office of the quarry. Dic the shoemakers' shop (Rich Richards) took up one of the old buildings of the quarry. He would repair shoes and would make different types of Coco Matting. Richard Evans from Blaen-y-Cwm and Robert Hughes from Carrog would go there at night and open the shop after working all day in the quarry. This is where Swch quarry used to be.

Quarry's Office

In "Blaen Cwm", the butchers of Cwm would kill and treat animals. They would go around Cwm in vans to sell the meat. The two people who ran this business were Evan Roberts and Emlyn Evans.

I remember one cow which smelt the stench of the building and tried to escape, followed by us children. I didn't consider at the time how dangerous this was - the cow could have attacked us at any point.

Cwm's Abattoir

In the first house on the left, Harriet Jones ran a shop in her parlour selling sweets, tobacco, cigarettes and a little bit of food. When I started working in the quarry, after having a cup of tea at nine o' clock, I would escape down to the shop to get cigarettes for the workers.

There was a water tap nearby which was very handy for having a gulp of water when needed. I remember one Guy Fawkes night when a rocket went off in the hand of one of my friends, burning his face and hands. Luckily enough this happened near the water tap, and my friend ran to the tap to ease his pain and injuries.

Rhos Goch

My father Hugh Evans kept this shop, "Siop Barin". He used to sell fruits, sweets and other foods. In one part of the shop a room was used to cut people's hair. At one time the local football team used the shop as a changing room. Harriet Jones kept the shop for a while before moving to a house, and used the parlour as a shop.

Hugh Evans' Shop

Further on from Hugh Evans' shop was a zinc hut. Here, Robert Davies the cobbler would repair and make shoes. Also, in Rhos Goch, Jennie Jones would make Fish, Chips and Peas twice a week, and would also go around the village selling fish.

In the picture below we can see Morris Griffiths from Llys Ifor, Penmachno, unloading his cart near Rhos Goch, Cwm.

Morris Griffiths

At this place stood the entrance to Rhiw Fachno quarry. At one time there used to be a public house in Tan Rhiw, a blacksmith and also a street of houses. I remember Mr. Tomi Griffiths keeping pigs in a hut at the bottom of the slate tip.

A great deal of change has taken place since this picture was taken - no one from the period would recognise the place as it is today.

Tan Rhiw Turn

It was Mrs. E. Edwards who kept the shop below, selling clothes, shoes, food, materials and clothes for quarrymen and farmers. After the shop closed, the shop was transformed into a house by the butcher Mr. Evan Roberts.

The shop stood on top of Rhiwbach Terrace where the bus stop was. I used to use the bus frequently to go down the valley towards Llanrwst.

E. Edwards' Shop

Dafydd Evans' shop was one of the busiest in Cwm, selling everything from flour to fruits and vegetables - and opening until late at night. The first owner of the shop was Ann Evans, followed by her son Dafydd Evans and family. Dafydd Evans was a baker, and he used to bake bread to sell in the shop. He also used to go around the villages in a van to sell his goods, which doubled as a minibus. He kept cars as well, also for use as part of the taxi service. One of the cars was an Austin 7, and I remember going to see my Aunt in Brymbo in this car.

Dafydd Evans' Shop

I was very lucky to be able to live in Cwm during this period. It was a close and friendly community even though life was hard, working in the quarries.

It was a blow to the community when the quarries were closed. The majority of families had to move from Cwm to find work. Today, not one shop is open in Cwm. Many a person still goes up to Cwm to remember things as they were, and to walk over the mountain to Blaenau Ffestiniog.