A RECENT donation to the Torfaen Museum collections is this hand-made spinning wheel, which was made by the late Nelson Morton, a carpenter from Griffithstown.

Mr Morton passed away in 2021, aged 101. 

Mr Morton was born on October 22, 1919, and at the age of 11 went to Naval College to hopefully follow in his family tradition. 

At 16, he signed up for the Merchant Navy and as a young man, with his ship RMS Ascania (of the Cunard Line), he travelled between the UK and the USA. 

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Mr Morton undertook a carpentry apprenticeship and then worked in a reserved occupation building Mosquito aeroplane tail sections.

After the war he returned home to Griffithstown and worked as a carpenter at Richard Thomas and Baldwins Steelworks in Panteg.   

During his retirement, his hobby became making musical instruments and other items of interest, including the spinning wheel donated to the museum. 

Many of Mr Morton’s musical instruments have also been donated by his family to a local school. 

Nostalgia is provided by Torfaen Museum.