Aberdare Boys’ Grammar School

At various times during the last 100 years, The Past Student Association has enjoyed bursts of activity.

There was one such resurgence at some point in the 1960s. Bob Matthews remembers a meeting in “The Star and Railway” that rekindled the Past Students Association when a temporary committee was set up to “get things moving”, He was one of those chosen to play a part. Others included D.R. (Dai) Owen,Tom Cochlin, Jack Bowen, Phil Walters, and Keith Rowlands to name but a few. The pub has now been demolished and a roundabout sits at its previous location. On the night that the meeting took place everyone was taken aback by the numbers that turned up and the interest shown.

For those who cannot remember, the "Star and Railway" was just beyond the High Level railway bridge at the bottom of Abernant Road, a little further on, past the entrance to the original station approach. In fact probably where the roundabout  that takes you to Robertstown, Abernant, and Cwmbach is situated now.

Bob’s PSA tie
sold by Tom Griffiths at the
West End Shop in Trecynon
in 1962

On the left is a close-up of the school badge which is embroidered on the tie opposite. It is the full version of the school badge that also appears at the head of the two War Memorial Plaques which still hang in the School Hall (2011). The extra feature, additional to the version of the badge which appeared on our exercise books, is the red dragon at the rear, with the smaller badge surrounded by its wings.

Membership cards were printed and the dates of the organised activities were listed inside.