Aberdare Boys’ Grammar School

Sporting Activities

School photos from the late 1940s

from Brian Berry

Brian was at the school in the 1940s and left at the end of his final year sixth in 1947. He was particularly keen on athletics, especially hurdling, and represented the school at many athletics meetings. Some of the pictures below record these events.

Click on each of the pictures to see the original in a new window.

This first photo shows Brian with a close school friend, Duncan Evans,
beside the drinking fountain in the Park opposite the school.
This was taken in about 1945, when they had just started in the first year sixth form.

This picture shows the school relay team in 1945 with a cup that they had won, but Brian doesn't remember the details of the event. The team are in the school colours of amber shirt and black shorts. The relay races were normally 110/220/110/440 yards and Brian ran the 220 yards leg. Throughout this year they were highly successful, in that they were unbeaten across Glamorgan. Because of this they were invited to represent Glamorgan in the inter-counties schools athletic meeting that year.
Back row: Gwyn Beynon, Gwilym Howells, Brian Berry. Front: Tom Jones.

Here's a photo of Brian in a hurdling event at the Mountain Ash school in about 1946.
This was the athletic event he most loved and in which he was beaten (as far as he remembers)
only once, towards the end of the 1947 season.
He thinks he was beaten by Malcolm Lloyd whose own memories are included elsewhere on this site.

Glamorgan Sports 1946 showing on the right Gwyn Beynon handing the baton to Brian Berry.
The team to the left were possibly from Bridgend.

This is the certificate that Brian received for 100 yards hurdles at the
Glamorgan Schools AAA championship meeting in 1947.