ANOTHER Torfaen school memory comes from former Councillor Mary Barnett's father William Islwyn Hughes' (aka 'Bunny Hughes') memoirs.

Bunny was born and lived in the Valley all his life, mostly in Pontnewydd and worked as a painter and decorator.

Although as a young boy he lived in Pontnewydd where there was an Infants & Primary School, as a Baptist family, Bunny and his seven siblings went a mile up the road to the Upper Cwmbran Board School.

William 'Bunny' Hughes enjoyed many happy years at school there and also a woodwork class that he and his fellow pupils had to walk to attend at St Dials.

However, also vivid are his recollections of treats: "...a halfpenny bottle of pop from Granny Moore's shop in Tranter Terrace, behind the school; trips to Twm Barlwm with our own food and a bottle of water; a train journey to Caerleon to see the Roman encampment and the Museum - we paid our own admission fee of 3d.

"We also had our own 'lido' behind the school when the Nant Brook was dammed by Mr Harwood of Ty Pwca Farm for his sheep dipping."

But most vivid of all his memories was the fact that the day before the start of the First World War on August 3, 1914.

"A great event occurred in the village, which probably had a greater effect on my education than all my school books and lessons - the opening of the White Rose Cinema."

Nostalgia is provided by Torfaen Museum.