Evans’ Emporium near Clydach Brook was everything to everyman and stocked the very best in spats

Miss Watkins, Rugby Road displayed a window of fashionable ladies coats, dresses and hats

If money was short and you needed anything for the house or maybe an outfit for the Whitsun Tea

Mr Marvin, the Cooperative with his ‘mutuality cheques’ was the person that you would see

From the 60s to the 90s a familiar face around Resolven was Mr Neville Jones, Insurance

Collecting weekly instalments for the ‘Pearl’ which provided a ‘saving’ reassurance

There was Siriol and Trevor the barbers, later Grantleys, with plenty of moustaches and beards to trim

And a walk over to visit Tommy Place and daughter Ann in the Farmers cheered you if you felt a bit grim

      

Well dressed Willy Ffaldre had a sweet shop and wore white gloves to serve, it is said

But if you could have seen the big holes in his socks, my, would his face have been red!

 

The Salvation Army building is still used today but is a Community Centre now

And the Ambulance Hall next to Sardis gave you first aid knowledge and know how

A green tin shed, top of Railway Terrace was a surgery for the memorable and Irish Dr Forde

Old Dr Davies and son Dr John had a Surgery on the Square and lived at Number 14 Neath Road

Dr Coch, a lady doctor arrived in the village, who came all the way from Vienna

She settled down with Mr Idris Morgan who was a well known charismatic tenor

Arthur Bobby the butcher owned a race horse named ‘Air Queen’ and liked more than a little bet

Along with his friend ‘Reesie’ Place they must have been like a modern day ‘jet set’

The horse called ‘Air Queen’, it is said, acquired extra white markings every now and a-gain

One can only wonder if those markings faded when it started to rain!

Bill Carey was one of their chosen jockeys at that special racing time

And he rode ‘Air Queen’ in Pentreclwydau when he was young and in his prime

There’s a hair-raising tale told about Trevor ‘the Barber’ who, one day accepted a bet on the side

When a glitteringly well dressed, fierce looking Lion Tamer visited, from a Circus that travelled far and wide

He bet Trevor a Guinea to shave him inside the lion’s cage whilst the lion roamed freely all around

Trevor rose to the challenge, won the bet, became Resolven’s local hero and to this day his family are still very proud

Two West Indian Gentlemen arrived in the village, maybe to get away from the Caribbean tropical heat

Mr ‘Bootie’ Beazer and Mr Jabus Wiggins decided to settle in Company and Cory Street

As newcomers to the village, they were accepted without question, it is said

Even though they were different from Resolven’s ‘born and bred’

Bethania Chapel has long gone now and also Bethel which was snug and small

And there’s a modern new version built on the site where we saw the Old Tabernacle fall