Aberdare Boys’ Grammar School
Athletics
Newspaper Report of 1946 Sports Day
from Elfed Davies
The text below is a transcript of the report from The Aberdare Leader published in June 1946. An image of the original article can be seen using the link at the bottom of this page.
Bridge Street can be seen in the background. The spelling of the photographer’s
name is wrong – he
was W.D. Towler the physics master.
Boys’ County School Sports
Thrills
ABERDARE WIN RELAY
ABERDARE Boys’ County (Grammar) School triumphantly carried off the inter-school Relay Cup on Thursday in the annual sports at Robertstown Field when they met Pontypridd (last year’s winners), Mountain Ash, Porth, and Pengam County (Grammar) School.
Although closely challenged at times, Aberdare maintained their lead through most of the race after an advantage had been gained for them by T.J. Jones in the early stages and won an easy victory to the great delight of the crowd.
This thrilling race was just part of the day’s programme, and the glorious weather, the first of holiday week, helped considerably in keeping the meeting going at a good pace, and the lively interest and enthusiasm of the spectators was rewarded by the fine display given by the athletes.
The fine weather was a great asset, contrasting greatly with the difficulties experienced in the rain-spoiled Glamorgan Secondary School sports recently, and helped the boys to put up fine times.
The results of the events were :—
100 yards Middle School: 1 H. Manning;
2 D. Thomas; 3 H. Davies.
High Jump (Form1): 1 A. Pascoe and R. Davies (tie); 3 A. Richards.
100 yards Senior: 1 T.J. Jones; 2 G. Beynon;
3 G. Howells; (11 secs.).
Throwing the Javelin, Middle School: 1 J.H. Thomas; 2 H. Manning; 3 G. Walters (110-ft. 7-ins.).
High Jump, Senior: 1 T.J. Jones; 2 N. Reynolds; 3 D.T. Edwards (4-ft. 10-ins.).
Long Jump (Junior): 1 G. Jenkins; 2 D. Green; 3 J. Powell (13-ft. 3½-ins.).
Putting the Shot, Middle School: 1 J.H. Thomas; 2 A.S. Davies; 3 H. Manning (39-ft. 4-ins.).
Hurling the Discus, Senior: 1 D.T. Edwards;
2 E. Williams; 3 M. Barnes (110-ft.)
Junior High Jump: 1 J. Maclean; 2 G.H. Davies; 3 D.W. James (4-ft. 2½-ins.).
Middle School Long Jump: 1 M.B. Lloyd;
2 H. Davies; 3 B. Berryman (17-ft. 10-ins.).
Throwing the Javelin, Senior: 1 G. Howells;
2 J. Thomas; 3 E. Williams (121-ft. 6-ins.).
Junior 100 yards: 1 W.J. Williams; 2 J.A. Davies; 3 R. Erasmus (11 4-5ths secs.).
Form I 80 yards: 1 R. Magness; 2 J.T. Morgan; 3 D. Davies (11 2-5th secs.).
Putting the Shot, Senior: 1 W. Llewellyn; 2 J.D. Evans; 3 D.H. Thomas (31-ft. 2-ins.).
Hurling the Discus, Middle School: 1 A.S. Davies; 2 J.H. Thomas; 3 D.H. Thomas (96-ft. 6-ins.).
110 yards Hurdles, Senior: 1 B. Berry; 2 D.J. Jones; 3 B.J. Evans (17½ secs.).
Middle School 100 yards Hurdles: 1 M.B. Lloyd; 2 M. Williams; 3 J.F. Edwards (14 secs.).
High Jump Middle School: 1 M.B. Lloyd; 2 H. Davies; 3 G. Angell 4-ft. 7½-ins.).
Long Jump Senior: 1 B.T. Hinks; 2 D.T. Edwards; 3 J.D. Evans (27-ft.).
220 yards, Form I: 1 B. Holt; 2 B. Lloyd; 3 G. Lewis.
220 yards, Senior: 1 T.J. Jones; 2 L. Harries; 3 B. Berry (25 secs.).
220 yards, Middle School: A.S. Davies; 2 B. Griffin (25 secs.).
Junior 220 yards: 1 D.A. Owen and W. Williams (tie): 3 J.A. Davies (29 secs.).
Long Jump, Form I: 1 J.C. Morgan; 2 D. Price; 3 D. Lewis.
440 yards, Middle School: 1 H. Manning; 2 M.B. Lloyd; 3 H. Davies (61 3-5ths secs.).
440 Senior: 1 L. Harries; 2 D. Berry; 3 D.J. Evans (61 secs.).
House Relay Race, Middle School: 1 Tudor; 2 Llewellyn; 3 Dewi; 4 Penri.
75 yards Hurdles, Junior: 1 J.A. Davies; 2 R.T. Erasmus; 3 J. Condon.
House Relay Race, Form I: 1 Tudor; 2 Penri; 3 Dewi; 4 Llewellyn.
880 yards Open Handicap: 1 A.S. Davies; 2 G. Howells; 3 J.F. Edwards (2 min. 14 1-5th secs.).
House Relay Race, Junior: 1 Dewi; 2 Llewellyn; 3 Tudor; 4 Penri (35 secs.).
Senior House Relay: 1 Dewi; 2 Tudor; 3 Llewellyn; 4 Penri.
These results (together with some points gained for standards before the sports day), brought Tudor up to a fine lead with 215½ points. Llewellyn came second with 155½ points; Dewi a close third with 150½ points, and Penri came into the first place with 119½ points.
WELSH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Aberdare and Mountain Ash County School boys also won notable successes in the 13th annual Welsh A.A.A. junior and youths’ championships held at Penarth on Saturday, when there was a record entry of over 250.
M. Lloyd (Aberdare) won the youths’ long jump (17-ft. 10½-ins.), and the hop, step and jump (27-ft. 11-ins.), and A. Smith (Mountain Ash), won the youths’ half-mile walk (3 min. 49.8 secs.).
Notes on some of the competitors. You will also find
some of these boys in the Former Pupils section, or
in the photographs of team sports such as those of the rugby teams.
T.J. Jones was Thomas John Jones from Rhigos
G. Beynon was Gwyn Beynon from King St Cwmdare
G. Howells was Gwilym Howells from Llwydcoed
B.T. Hinks was almost certainly Brinley T. Hicks of Aberaman
A.S. Davies is probably Aeron S. Davies
M.B. Lloyd was Malcolm Lloyd well known for his hurdling skills, he also played cricket and rugby. Malcolm has lived in the USA for many years.
W.B. Llewellyn was William Burgess Llewellyn who was also an accomplished rugby player. Bill studied Classics at Cardiff University and Music at Oxford, where he was an Organ Scholar at Balliol College, and then joined the common room at King’s College Junior School Wimbledon in 1956. He remained at King’s until his retirement in 1991. He died in 2018.
G. Beynon was Gwynfryn Beynon of Cwmdare. He went into H.M. Forces after leaving school.
H. Manning was Haydn Manning who returned to the school as sports master when Mr Excell retired in 1958.
J. Maclean was Jeffrey Graeme Maclean. He joined the RAF after leaving school.
B. Berry was Brian Lendon Berry, one of the three Berry brothers who attended the school in the 1940s. Their great grandfather was the well known Aberdare photographer Joseph Lendon Berry.
A. Thomas may be Arthur Colin Thomas.
D.T. Edwards was Donald Trevor Edwards from David Price Street.
L. Harries is Lyndon Harries, now of Park Lane, Trecynon.
Three of these athletes met up again in 2009 and can be seen here.
Document image reproduced with permission of Rhondda Cynon Tâf
Library Service