Stop & Call

Llun 2 –  Mr Syd Walters yn Stop & Call ym 1918, gyferbyn â’r siop. Tua 1980, ysgrifennodd ei atgofion o ardal Wdig pan oedd yn blentyn. Dyma rai manylion am Stop & Call.

“A minnau’n Gymro glân, rydw i wastad wedi pwslo am shwt we enw fel ‘Stop & Call’ ar fy nhystysgrif geni. Pam y galwyd y pentre y fath enw, pwy sy’n gwbod, ond rwy’n siwr, yn fy marn i mai yr enw cywir, efallai, yw “Penfeidre”.

Cyn mynd i Ysgol Wdig dwi’n cofio chwarae’n aml iawn yn y nant tu ôl i’r tai. Roedd y ffrwd hon bob amser yn glir iawn ac yn gorffen mewn “Pistill” ar y ffordd fowr. Roedd fy mrawd Ieuan (7 mlynedd yn hŷn na fi) yn arfer chwarae yno gyda’i ffrindiau Dai Evans a Jimmy Tudor. Wen i bob amser yn dwli ar un o’u gemau. Roedd yn ras i weld cwch papur pwy hwyliau bellaf, ac roedd gan y nant sawl rhaeadr fach. Pan oedd y nant dan ddŵr byddai y bechgyn yn rasio eu cychod pren tegan.

Ni allwn ddeall am flynyddoedd lawer pam yr oedd angen i mi gael fy nghario adref yn wlyb socian un diwrnod. Flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach, ces yr esboniad  bod y Cwch Achub lleol yn Abergwaun ac Wdig wedi cael medalau, ac, roedd fy mrawd John yn awyddus iawn i gael medal hefyd. Nawr, oherwydd hyn, dwi’n cofio cael y fraint o gael fy nghymryd gan fy mrawd hŷn Ivor i wylio Llusern Hud yng Nghapel Ebeneser. Mae’n rhaid mai hyn oedd fy iawndal am gael fy “nhaflu” i’r nant pan fu fy mrawd yn ddigon caredig i “achub” i.

Drws nesa i’n tŷ ni, roedd y teulu Tudor yn byw. Wrth ymyl y Siop roedd peipen ddŵr lle roedd pawb yn llanw i fyny. Yn agos roedd bwthyn bach lle roedd Miss Young yn byw. Rwy’n cofio bod yn gyfeillgar iawn gyda Miss Young, person hollol ddall, o oedran aeddfed, a oedd yn byw yn y bwthyn hwn gyda’i chwaer. Roedd hi’n arfer gwerthu nwyddau gwlân a ‘dafe gwau. Roedd hi ei hun yn arfer gwneud sanau gwlân, ac, roeddwn i’n arfer eistedd am oriau o dan ei bwrdd yn siarad â hi ac yn codi’r nodwyddau oedd wedi  llithro oddi ar y peiriant. Rwy’n synnu hyd heddiw sut roedd hi’n arfer trafod y lliwiau gyda phobl, a sut roedd hi’n gwybod ble roedd y drws a’r dodrefn wedi’u lleoli. Cofiaf pan wnes i alw arni yn ddirybudd, blynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach i gyflwyno fy narpar wraig iddi, a rhedodd ei bysedd dros fy wyneb a gwybod mai fi oedd yno.”

Photo 2 – Mr Syd Walters was born at Stop & Call in 1918, opposite the shop. Around 1980, he wrote his memories of the Goodwick area when he was a child. Here are some details about Stop & Call.

“Being a true Welshman I have always been very perturbed to find such a name as ‘Stop & Call’ entered on my birth certificate. I do not know why it has ever been called such a name, neither do I care very much, because I am certain in my own opinion that the correct name may be “Penfeidre”.

Before going to the Goodwick School I remember playing very often in the stream behind the houses. This stream was always very clear and ended in a “Pistill” on the main road. My brother Ieuan (7 years older than I) used to play there with his pals Dai Evans and Jimmy Tudor. I was always enthralled with one of their games. It was a race to see whose paper boat went the furthest, the stream had several little waterfalls. When the stream was in flood the boys raced their toy wooden boats.

I could not understand for many years why I needed to be carried home soaking wet one day. Years later, the explanation given was that the local Fishguard and Goodwick Lifeboatmen had been given medals, and, my brother John was very keen to get a medal too. No doubt now, because of this I remember being privileged being taken by my older brother Ivor to a Magic Lantern Show in the Ebenezer  Chapel. It must have been my compensation for being “thrown” into the stream when my brother kindly “saved” me.

Next door to our home lived the Tudors. Next to the Shop was a stand pipe where everyone had their water. Then came a little cottage where Miss Young lived. I remember being very friendly with Miss Young, a totally blind person of mature age who lived in this cottage with her sister. She used to sell woollen goods and knitting yarns. She herself used to make woollen socks, and, I used to sit for hours under her table talking with her and picking up the needles when they slipped off the machine. It has amazed me to this day how she used to discuss the colours with people, and how she knew where the door and the furniture were located. What a wonderful experience when I called upon her unannounced many lears later to introduce my future wife to her, she ran her fingers over my face and she knew it was me.”