The Awesome Lives of Tommy Twicer: Part 3

About the Author

Steve Juke was born in the 1950s to a Polish father and Welsh mother, He grew up in the model village of Oakdale in the Sirhowy Valley in South Wales. He is now a grandfather and has three children and six grandchildren plus three step grandchildren.

He was a policeman for thirty years before trying his hand at being a driving instructor when times were tight and gave that up despite a good success rate. He then took up writing the stories he used to tell his children as bed time stories and started on Tales from Abercwmzoo but as he wanted a start to show how Abercwmzoo came to exist in the Sirhowy Valley it changed from a children’s story and became The Awesome Lives of Tommy Twicer incorporating his father’s birth place Tuchola in Poland and his family’s home Oakdale.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mother and father Hazel and Alozy (George) who were the greatest influences on me and my brothers lives and contributed to parts of the story.

Also to Professor Mundy and his excellent team at the University College London Hospital whose surgery made me whole again after my nasty accident and to the staff at the Aneurin Bevan Heath Authorities Hospials, The Royal Gwent Hospital Newport, Ystrad Mynach Hospital and not forgetting the District Nurses and care workers who visited my home to look after me. THANKYOU.

Copyright Information ©

Steve Juke 2023

The right of Steve Juke to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035805075 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035805082 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

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Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

To Marilyn Venn who kindly proof-read Part 3 as I was writing it and helped a lot with tidying up a lot of grammatical errors and also on occasion enhancing the story line. Thank you Marilyn.

To my wife Gail and daughter Hannah in supplying me with a new up to date lap top which I am still learning how to use but it does appear to be more compatible with the publishers up to date system.

And to my friends and former colleagues whose names I have used as Characters in the story. Thank you.

Foreword

Tomas and Anastasia have made themselves a new life in South East Wales. Tomas has assumed the new identity of Thomas and Anastasia is now his wife Anne Thomas.

They have not forgotten their origins and Anastasia still worries about the future of her Mother Russia but they both agree that their future lies in Wales.

They are co-owners of a Circus known as Tommy Twicer’s Amazing Animal Dance Circus and they live in Oakdale which is in the Sirhowy Valley. Thomas is Tommy Twicer and Anne is a star of the Circus known as Annie Rider.

They have both embraced their lives in Oakdale and have been accepted by the villagers and made a good friend in the local blacksmith named Mervyn who is really the Welsh Magician Merlin. Yes, the very same Merlin who mentored King Arthur at Camelot.

They have settled in so well and fallen in love with the village and Wales that they now consider themselves to be Welsh and Tommy is accepted as an Oakdale Boy and Anne an Oakdale Girl.

And to cap it all, Anne is expecting a baby which meant that an Oakdale boy or girl would be an heir to the Throne of Russia though they wouldn’t dream of announcing it.

But their idyllic life in Oakdale is about to be threatened.

Stalin and the K. K.K. have wind of them so now, it is time to find out what happens next.

Chapter 1

A New Day, a New Decade and an

Innovative Birthday Present

As you can imagine, neither Thomas nor Anne slept much that night. Both tossed and turned, their heads full of different thoughts.

Thomas dreamt about being a father and wondering if it would be a boy or a girl and dreamt of both scenarios but it was a happy dream.

That was not the case for Anne though as she could not sleep.

Anne now had something else to worry about. She was just 18 years old and the prospect of having a baby at such an early age was a lot to take in and she wondered if she was ready to be a mother and looked on her pregnancy with trepidation.

Now on top she worried about having to meet Albert, the Duke of York, who was her cousin, though they had never met.

She was happy with her new life in Oakdale and the execution of her own Royal family in Russia had scarred her mentally. She did not look forward to meeting Albert as she saw it as an unwanted reminder of her previous life.

Anne was first up, which was unusual, as Thomas was used to getting up before the crack of dawn from his days on the farm back home at Tuchola.

Thomas found Anne at the kitchen table holding a lukewarm cup of tea in both hands staring vacantly into space. She appeared to be deep in thought and miles away from home. Thomas thought that although her body was sat there in front of him her mind was somewhere else.

Thomas approached her quietly and respectfully as he could see that something was obviously worrying her as she seemed to have a lot on her mind.

He consciously coughed quietly to announce his presence without alarming her and she returned back to the land of the living. She bade him good morning and wished him a happy birthday.

Thomas responded by saying, Dobrah yeh ootrah moya printsessa, which is how you would say good morning my princess, in Russian.

Anne admonished him saying, Say it in English or Welsh, Thomas we are now Welsh, Russia is behind us and we will not be going back.

Thomas apologised and said, Bore da fy ntywysoges, which is Good morning my Princess, in Welsh and you need to be a Welsh speaker to pronounce ntywysoges because I haven’t a clue.

That’s better, replied Anne, I have picked up a little Welsh, Bore da fy arwr, which is Good morning my hero.

She poured him a cup of tea from the pot, she had made, which was perched on the table under an embroidered tea cosy, which ironically had a Russian design of a babushka.

Then she produced a box wrapped in decorated paper which she gave to Thomas. It was his birthday present and she wished him a happy birthday again as Thomas was now 20 years of age.

Although gifts were a well-established tradition for birthdays, designed special wrapping paper was a new thing and again an idea developed by the American Hallmark Company who before 1919 just produced greeting cards. They began producing wrapping paper in 1919. They began by developing coloured wrapping paper and they became the largest supplier, it was much later when they started to develop designed wrapping paper. Before 1919, people usually wrapped presents in either tissue or brown paper.

Thomas took it off her and asked her what it was.

She replied, Open it and see, I hope you like it, it took a lot of thought and I think you will be pleased.

He eagerly unwrapped the present being careful not to damage the expensive looking wrapping paper and stared agog at the boxed contraption that was inside.

Is it what I think it is? he asked Anne.

If you think it is a Kodak Brownie 2 Model E camera, you would be correct, she replied.

Does it come with film? he asked.

Film, I didn’t think of that, she said solemnly watching his elated expression drop.

She then burst out laughing and said, Of course it does there’s a 120 roll of film with it.

Thomas was overcome with emotion and he gave Anne the warmest cwtch the world had ever seen and kissed her passionately.

When Anne finally pushed him away saying, That is enough of that for now, we have animals to take care of.

Thomas reluctantly agreed and asked her what made her think of a camera as a present and she told him that she had the idea from one of Nurse Webb’s magazines and she had asked her about how to get hold of one. Mervyn had helped because he had maintained links with Harry Houdini and with Houdini’s help had got hold of one and sent it to Mervyn in time for his birthday.

In fact, it had arrived in time for Christmas but she thought it would be better as a birthday present and Mervyn had kept it hidden and brought it over on New Year’s Eve and she had hidden it there.

The commercial camera was the domain of the Eastman Kodak Company who revolutionised the development of the camera for personal use.

The Company was founded by George Eastman an American who was born in 1854. He developed the Box Brownie camera which was intended for use by children which made it easy to use and to load with film. He coined the phrase, You press the button we do the rest, as he set up places to develop the film and the photographer sent the film to one of his outlets to develop.

Thomas said, Before we see to the animals let me take a photograph to mark my 20th birthday and our new life in Oakdale and he opened the box and took the camera out clumsily. He pointed the camera towards Anne and tried to take her picture.

Anne smiled and said, You have to load the film first, Mervyn has gone over the instructions with me and I will show you how to load it and how to take a picture. It’s easy, a child could do it. Well it was designed to be used by children.

Anne showed Thomas how to load the film and how to operate the camera and told him to pose for the first photograph which he did proudly standing with his arm resting on the kitchen fireplace mantel and a broad smile on his face.

Anne told him to say, Cheese which he did and she took the photograph.

There all done! she said with an equally broad smile on her face.

The first of many, said Thomas and he took the camera off her and took her photo.

They did not take a selfie as Brownie box cameras were not designed for ‘selfies’ because that feature was unheard of back in 1920.

They then had breakfast put on their warm hats and coats and went out to feed the animals and of course take their photographs.

Chapter 2

The Photo Shoot and a Word of Advice

It was cold outside, but not as cold as the previous years, in fact it was milder than they had expected.

In the past, Wales had had cold winters with lots of snow and minus temperatures; remember in the past there have been winters when it was so cold in Britain that the River Thames had frozen over and recently so too has part of Penyfan Pond. The climate has changed naturally throughout time even before carbon emissions.

Wales had also had warm winters and certainly the winters that Thomas and Anne encountered in Oakdale were mild compared to those they had seen in Poland and Russia.

Weather, as Mrs Gump would say, is like a box of chocolate you never really know what you are going to get from one hour to the next as we all know from living in Wales.

Since 1920 Wales has had a diverse range of winters, some cold, some wet, some dry and some even warm. Penyfan Pond has frozen and only a few years ago some idiots, and there are a lot of them about, videoed themselves driving their car over the ice on the Pond.

Have you seen the film Idiocracy in which Luke Wilson plays an army librarian named Joe who is handpicked to be a participant of an experiment to put a human being into a state of deep hibernation. He was picked because he was of average intelligence and just an ordinary Joe. Well it all goes awry and he wakes up well into the future (500 years) and finds that due to the dumbing down of education he has become the world’s most intelligent man and the population of the future were literally as thick as a brick!

I think that that is what is happening today as children’s education is no longer comprehensive but is politically defined, with political correctness tantamount. Little minds are being controlled and moulded at an early age and they are being taught a limited curriculum steeped in how they are supposed to think.

George Orwell, aka Eric Arthur Blair, summed it all up in his classic book 1984 "and to some extent in Animal Farm. He describes a negative Utopia where thought is controlled and free speech is denied.

Sound familiar! Can we think of examples today?"

I bet some of you can and in some countries if you speak out or do not comply to the establishment’s way of living and thinking will you be sent for re-education in a state managed camp. It happens! Just look at the rise in the Gagging Orders and Non-Disclosure clauses but it is not a new concept and has been around a long, long time. It’s all propaganda, false information, lies and even torture. It has now evolved into brainwashing which is just another deeper form of mind control.

In Germany in the 1930s, students with Nazi ideology began a campaign of burning books they believed to be subversive and so began the end of freedom of speech in Nazi Germany.

In the 1940s, during World War 2, they set up Concentration camps where they sent those they considered inferior. Hitler and the Nazis considered themselves the Master Race or Aryan Race as they called themselves. They considered Aryans to be of pure Germanic or Nordic stock which included some North European tribes.

Those not meeting the required standard like the Jews, Gypsies, Poles, Slavs and anybody who fell below or did not comply to Hitler’s idea of the perfect Aryan could find themselves in a Concentration Camp hence many thousands of Gay men ended up in Concentration Camps where they were exterminated.

Many went under the misapprehension that they were being sent to labour camps and ironically many had the Slogan Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Makes One Free or Work sets one free) on the entrance gates to the camps. See for yourself when you visit Auschwitz!

But remember, the Nazis did not invent the concept of Concentration Camps. The British used them in the Boer War. The Nazis merely took them to a new level and then on some as they developed them into extermination camps as Auschwitz-Birkenau became.

It is vitally important that children have a properly balanced education with access to all knowledge, not just what certain people want them to have. The past must not be airbrushed and must be told as it was otherwise how will people learn from their mistakes and in the past many mistakes have been made. If we hi light them as mistakes, then children can see for themselves what is right and what is wrong.

Anyway back to January 1st 1920. It was cold but not too cold that morning. There was no frost on the ground and the animals were in a happy mood. They were not cold in their warm barn, though Taff still wore his bobble hat and scarf even though Leona had told him that he would not feel the benefit when he went out into the real cold.

Thomas and Anne walked into the Barn and commenced to take photographs of all the animals in groups. He had Anne pose in all of them.

He wanted to take photographs of Anne, not only to catalogue her pregnancy but also to capture the joy as they looked forward to the birth of their first child.

He took a photo of Anne with Jerzy, Irena and Wolf, the three bears Dinsky, Minsky and Tinsky, Mr and Mrs Trumperov and Hippotomas and Hippolena, the zebra and the three little pigs but when he came to the monkeys he had his work cut out as they would not stay still for the shot. Every time he tried to get them all in some of them would have other ideas and move out of shot. That made him angry and he shouted at the mischievous little chimps who he thought were intent on ruining his photo shoot.

Mervyn, who had heard the commotion on his way up to visit them with a further present for Thomas walked into the barn and laughed. He said, Hello and told Thomas to try again and this time say, Freeze! not Cheese! when he was ready to take the photo.

Thomas told the monkeys in his sternest voice to stand still for the photograph and lined them all up in the frame. Thomas began to say Freeze and Mervyn saw that Ras and Cal were about to move so just as Thomas said, Freeze! he cast a spell on the monkeys and they were all frozen for the split second as Thomas took the shot.

Mervyn was pleased, Still got it, always pays to practice. He thought to himself and laughed.

Thomas laughed too when he took a family photograph of the Lion family which consisted of Leon and Leona standing either side of Brion with his tie on and glasses and Taff in his bobble hat and scarf with Anne behind them.

I will look forward to seeing that one when it is developed, Mervyn said as he walked into the barn carrying a further present for Thomas. It was another roll of film and a Photograph Album he had conjured up which he told them would be perfect to hold the photos which he would develop himself for them having embraced the idea of developing film himself.

He gave Thomas the album and said, There’s something missing in all these photographs, he told them, and that something is you Thomas.

Bruce coughed, Oh and of course you Bruce! he added laughing.

Now let me take some photos there are still a few left on the roll of film (The 120 roll film had 12 exposures) and I can get you all on them. He added.

He took a photograph of Thomas and Anne cwtching up together. Thomas and Bruce (not cwtching) and then one of Thomas with Jerzy and Irena his faithful sheepdogs who had started out on their adventure together and of course Ivan who had become one of the family.

The last photograph he took was of them all. The whole of Tommy Twicer’s Amazing Animal Dance Circus and it is now mounted on the wall of the village hall in Abercwmzoo.

When they came to the end of the roll, they were satisfied with the result and Mervyn took the film out of the camera making sure not to overexpose the negatives. Cameras were not as sophisticated as today and films could be ruined by overexposure different from today’s digital images.

Thomas said, What about you Mervyn, let me take a photograph of you.

Sorry Thomas. No film left. He replied. He was not sorry though he didn’t like having his photograph taken and there is not one photograph of him in existence as one has never been taken.

Thomas, Anne and Mervyn left the barn followed by Bruce and the two sheepdogs and returned to the Cottage where Anne put the kettle back on.

They sat down for a cup of tea Bruce having one as well.

Mervyn caught them by surprise saying, I heard you’ve had some news.

Thomas and Anne looked at each other alarmed wondering if their news was all around the village.

Anne is going to have a baby, I’m going to be a father. Said Thomas excitedly.

Anne replied, I may be pregnant Thomas, Nurse Webb and Colleen think so but it is not definite. She blurted indignantly not wanting it to be broadcast news.

Mervyn was taken aback he had not expected that.

He looked at her and said, I am not a medical man but I have tended pregnant animals and although you look radiant and may well be pregnant I would not bank on it just yet.

Anne sighed a sigh of relief which caught Thomas unawares.

Mervyn carried on not letting them respond, That’s not the news I had heard, though it was more secret than the news I heard. It has come to my attention that the Duke of York is to visit Oakdale this month and that he wants to meet the famous Tommy Twicer and his beautiful stunt rider Annie Rider. Is that going to be a problem for you considering that you may have been rumbled by the Bolsheviks and the Montgomerys?

Thomas and Anne looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They had not discussed what to do though each had different views on the matter.

Thomas answered first, I know that there is danger all around but I am a Showman and hiding in the shadows is not the life I want. I want excitement and I know Anne feels the same we will be bored staying hidden and so will the animals.

Anne nodded in agreement, as did Bruce. Jerzy and Irena barked in agreement.

Mervyn replied, Then what are your plans?

Thomas said, We have no plans but I want to get back on the road and go even further afield. It’s my destiny so meeting the Duke will be good for publicity.

What about you Anne? asked Mervyn.

Thomas is right, the Circus is our life and we have animals to look after. I know the dangers but there is danger everywhere in life but if we are careful and can keep our identities covered I think we will be alright. However meeting the Duke of York could pose a problem. You know he is my cousin though we have never met I fear he may recognise who I am! she said with a worried tone in her voice.

Mervyn agreed knowing that the British and Russian Royal families were cousins being descendants of Queen Victoria.

He asked her what made her think that the Duke of York would recognise her.

Anne was also apprehensive about meeting the Duke, she felt resentful that King George had not helped her family escape the Bolsheviks from Russia and that her anger could get the better of her.

Anne told him that she had visited Britain with her family ten years ago in August 1909, (in the Gregorian calendar) before the War.

Tsar Nicholas had brought his family to Britain to visit his uncle King Edward V11 and his cousin George, the then Prince of Wales, so it was not the first time she had come to Britain.

They had sailed to Britain in her father’s yacht, the Standart which was the largest Imperial yacht of its time (it was built in 1893) and Nicholas was keen to show it off at the annual British Royal Regatta at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. They had stayed on board the yacht during their stay but had visited the British Royal family at Osborne House which had been their grandmother’s, Queen Victoria’s, favourite holiday destination.

Queen Victoria and Her consort Prince Albert her husband, he did not have the title king, loved Osborne House which though not an Imperial Palace is quite Palatial. Queen Victoria is quoted to have said, It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot, and Albert loved the views across the Solent which he likened to the Bay of Naples. (But, not as hot!)

The Regatta was an Annual event dating back well over a 100 years before it became a racing competition in 1826. King Edward V11 was a keen sailor, as was George and the King’s yacht Britannia was the fastest sleekest yacht of the time (it too was constructed in 1893) and they too were very proud of it, so they too were keen to show it off to Nicholas. The Britannia, however, was a Cutter, strictly a racing sail yacht and was the world’s fastest racing yacht for many years. George loved it so much that it was scuttled in deep water in the Solent after his death in July 1936. It was his dying wish that his beloved Britannia followed him to the grave.

So the visit could have been construed as a Bragging rights competition i.e. who has the best yacht. The Standart was much more impressive than its British counterpart, the Victoria and Albert, which the British Royal family used as their Royal yacht and had come in. However Edward and George’s pride and joy was Britannia so they had two completely different classes of yacht to brag about therefore it was not a real contest.

The families were close though and it was a friendly visit with both families visiting each other and enjoying the Regatta they did not spend much time together because of the security issues as together were two of the leading Royal families in Europe, The British Saxe Coburg and Gotha line and the Russian Romanovs.

Before 1917, remember. The British monarchs had no real family name they were named after their house line like the Plantagenets who reigned after 1154 and were a Royal house from France they in turn split into the House of York and House of Lancaster. There have been the Tudors, the Stuarts, William of Orange and then the Hanoverians who were the House of Brunswick-Luneburg and then Saxe Coburg and Gotha of whom Edward V11 was a descendant. They were of German descent.

During W.W.1, as we know the then King George V changed the royal House name to the House of Windsor for patriotic reasons to make the royals appear to be true British Royals as George was born British and proud to be British. Like all British citizens we are all of mixed race.

The visit only lasted four days from August 2nd to August 6th and the Tsar had a busy schedule for it was a State visit and he had official duties to perform as well as meeting his family. He met the British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary who at that time were Asquith and Grey.

Anne had not met her cousin Albert who was now the Duke of York, however, because he had contracted whooping cough and was kept away from the Romanovs as a precaution so as not to pass it on to them. Remember Alexei was a haemophiliac and any serious illness would be more life threatening to him.

So when she met the British Royal family on board the Standart Albert had not accompanied them hence they had never met. She had however seen photographs of him and she was certain that he had seen photographs of her.

Apart from that there was a family resemblance.

Mervyn countered, Not that much of a resemblance that I can see and I have remarkable eye sight, so don’t worry on that count.

Thomas said, You’ve never met him and the visit was ten years ago. You’ll be fine.

Mervyn agreed and Anne felt a little better but said, What about Bruce it will also bring attention to him and he could also be in trouble.

Bruce looked at her and muttered in his brusque kangaroo speak, Trouble is my middle name, which both Thomas and Mervyn understood as they could both speak Kangaroo.

Anne also understood and said, But what about the K.K.K.?

Like Stalin if they are committed to finding Bruce they will, so we have to come up with a contingency plan whether you meet the Duke and resume travelling with the Circus or not. Mervyn chipped in.

Thomas and Bruce nodded and Anne agreed saying, And we had better brief all the animals as their safety is also in question.

Yes, replied Thomas. We are not just a circus we are family.

So they went back to the barn and put their dilemma to a full circus forum and when the choice was taken they unanimously voted to resume performing and that afternoon they all went for a walk to Penyfan Pond.

Chapter 3

The Industrial Prince Visits Oakdale

The Duke of York visited Oakdale on January 16th and Thomas assumed that David Lloyd George would be coming with him.

Thomas was longing to meet Lloyd George and thank him for his aid in helping them escape Russia but Lloyd George had his hands full with what he called all the problems of not just State but the world.

Lloyd George had elevated himself to World Statesman and had not only the problems of post war Britain to resolve but all the problems of the world. It was a tough ask but he believed he was up to the job and visiting Oakdale though it would be nice, would distract him from his work.

Besides he was now enjoying the Good Life and celebrity his status brought and he left a lot of the day to day running of the country to his cabinet without taking overall control.

1920 was a time of great hardship for many. Thousands of ex-servicemen had returned home from the battlefields of Europe and been demobbed. The New decade had started and many had not been able to find work. Many who had had jobs during the War were now unemployed as their war time jobs were no longer there in peace time.

It’s like Catch 22 the World War in Britain fuelled the economy, created jobs and gave the British population a sense of purpose but when the war ended the economy slumped. Jobs disappeared and there was a sense of unrest throughout Britain.

Catch 22 is a satirical war story written by Joseph Heller in 1953 (The year my Bampy was born) and is well worth a read.

Home rule became fashionable in the whole of Britain not just Ireland and David Lloyd George was in favour as long as the Union was upheld. Communism was on the rise and Communist party M.Ps were elected and sitting in Parliament. Lloyd George was a Liberal and favoured the central ground. He championed Home rule for the Irish as long as they retained British Sovereignty and remained inside the Union.

The problem was however, how to please all factions in Ireland. The Republicans like De Valera wanted complete independence for Ireland. Others wanted independence but were happy to remain within the Union as long as they had their own governance. Then you had the Unionists of Northern Ireland who were opposed to home rule all together. They were the Protestant minority who populated the six Northern Irish Counties known as Ulster. They saw Home rule as Rome Rule and wanted no part of it as they would always be in the minority.

There is never a time when you can please everybody so Lloyd George and his working party had to come up with a solution. A compromise agreeable to all had to be found and the solution was at the very top of his priority list.

As he pondered the Irish problem he left the governance of the turmoil and terrorism in Ireland to Winston Churchill that well known politician who was known for his heavy handed approach to problems rather than tact and diplomacy.

At home, unemployment and civil unrest were a concern as well and Lloyd George and his cabinet worked on trying to solve the problem of turning the post war economy into a vibrant peace time economy.

They were not alone in their concern for the welfare of the Nation. The newly formed Labour Party were calling for reform and workers’ rights and called for a program of Nationalisation for all industries in the public interest as were the Communists whose agenda as we all know is for a one party state and all that entails. (A virtual dictatorship)

Then there were the voluntary organisations and charitable institutions who aimed to improve conditions not only for those unfortunates who were unemployed but also to improve working conditions for those lucky enough to be in employment.

There was no Welfare State in those days and the poor were still dependant on either the Work House, charitable donations or the proceeds of crime.

One such charity was the Boys Welfare Association which had been created by the Reverend Robert Hyde in 1918. Its goal was to help the plight of the young boys who were still forced to work in dangerous and unsavoury conditions by unscrupulous, uncaring employers.

However it was not only boys that suffered and in 1919 the goal posts were raised and the Industrial Welfare Society evolved and it was championed by the Duke of York, Prince Albert, who became its President.

Albert was a good Royal and he embraced the new family name of Windsor and did his utmost to promote the Royal family and distance it from its German ancestry. He felt happier being a Windsor than a Saxe Coburg and Gotha and he made it is goal to promote the Royal family as true Brits which he felt he was.

Albert put his heart and soul into campaigning for better working conditions for all employees and one of his pet projects was to see the Industrial owners supply proper restrooms and canteens for all their employees. He was dubbed the Industrial Prince by the Press and gained the nickname the Foreman within the Royal Family and he certainly put a lot of effort into his good work.

He certainly improved the standing of the Royal Family with the British people.

Albert like Anne shared a love of motorcycles and he had his own Douglas 350cc motorcycle which he loved to ride. He also sponsored his own motorcycle racing team and his chauffeur S.E. Wood was a formidable racer who rode a Trump Anzani 994cc motorcycle to many victories. He was a true enthusiast, so when he heard of Tommy Twicer’s Circus and its star motorcycle stunt woman Annie Rider, and that she hailed from Oakdale. Albert was determined to meet her.

He could kill two birds with one stone. Visit the model village and the Colliery and see for himself the standard that the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company had set and then meet Annie Rider and her husband who he heard had been dubbed the new Welsh wonder winger and Circus impresario whose Circus was attracting rave reviews.

He was really looking forward to his visit to Oakdale.

He visited Oakdale on January 16th and arrived in Oakdale to a warm welcome though there were a few dissenters who were kept well back by Sergeant Dave Llewellyn, who had replaced Sergeant Roper at Blackwood as he had been moved to Newbridge, and his village constable P.C. Roger Tucker and two special constables. He no longer had P.C. Evans who was now the Chief Constable’s batman.

The Duke, who had his own security detail of Metropolitan special branch officers, was met by Mr Tallis, his manager Major Hepburn and a delegation from the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. They met in the village square by the Institute and the first thing he asked was, Where is the Colliery? He wanted to see the colliery first.

Like everyone else who visited Oakdale he had not seen it as he had entered the village and he wondered how such a big thing like a coal mine could be hidden from view.

Mr Tallis and Major Hepburn escorted him to the colliery from the Square down past the Hospital which he said was specifically built for the welfare of the miners. It was what is known as a Cottage Hospital.

The Duke was impressed and told him he would like to see inside it after his visit to the colliery.

Mr Tallis took him to the Colliery gates at the top of the Rhiw and the beginning of Rhiw Syr Dafydd. They walked past the village school and the duke asked what Rhiw Syr Dafyd meant as the school was named Rhiw Syr Dafyd Junior and Primary School. Remember Rhiw means hill and Rhiw syr Dafydd means St David’s Hill. He was impressed.

Even at the Colliery gates the colliery could not be seen, because when he looked down the hill and the road to where the colliery stood all he could see were trees, the road was not straight and it bent around the trees so as to completely hide the colliery.

Albert said to Mr Tallis as they walked through the gates, How far is this colliery? It must be some way away, should we have brought transport?

Mr Tallis replied, Not necessary Your Royal Highness, the colliery is just around the bend.

As they rounded the first bend they saw the first building, which was the first aid hut and Fireman’s quarters. Firemen were probably the bravest of all the colliers. They had the most important and dangerous job of all the miners and were held in high regard and esteem. They were the miners who inspected the shafts and chambers underground for traces of gas of which many were flammable and known as firedamp mainly methane or coal gas. These gases could cause explosions such as the one in Senghennydd on the 14th October 1913 just a few years earlier.

The Duke stopped to talk to one of the Fireman, a newly appointed Horace Waters, and asked him what his job entailed.

Horace told him that it was his and his colleagues’ responsibility to make sure that the mine was safe at all times so that the colliers could safely extract the coal from the coal face.

The Duke asked him how they did it and he replied that they regularly inspected the coal face and oversaw the sinking of new shafts and supervised any explosions that were carried out to reveal any new faces. It was very important as nobody wanted another disaster like the one in Senghennydd.

The Duke asked if that was the fault of the Mine owners or human error and Horace said that gas can seep in at any time as it is always present in mines and all colliers must be mindful of its danger and be vigilant.

The Duke asked him if it was safe for him to see the coal face and Horace replied, We have just carried out a safety inspection and it is all clear at present. My supervisor Warren Holly is down at the coal face now making sure that it is safe for you if you wish to see the coal face.

Mr Tallis butted in, Warren is my best fireman and a good Second row in our rugby team. Major Hepburn asked him to be underground when you visited just in case you asked to go down to see what the conditions were like for our colliers.

The Duke replied, I had thought about it but my special branch officers here had advised against it. I don’t think they have the stomach for it, he laughed.

He then turned to Horace and asked him if it would be safe and what qualifications he needed to be a fireman.

Horace told him that he had to have five years’ experience as a miner and be over 25 years of age. He also had to learn his trade as lives were dependant on him and his colleagues and pass an exam to receive the newly created Certificate of Qualification of Fireman or Deputy as they were also known