Brian Cole

Born in Liverpool in 1938. My Welsh mother evacuated us to North Wales when WW2 started. As a consequence, I spoke Welsh before I spoke English. However., after my father was conscripted, and still only four years old, fearful that I would have problems with the language when I returned to England when the war was over, I was sent to an English boarding school at Maenan Manor, near Llanrwst. Later I was transferred to Dulwhich College Preparatory School which had been evacuated to The Royal Oak Hotel, in Betws y Coed. After a year, or so, it was decided that I had a sufficient grasp of English; so my mother and I moved. to her family farm, Plas Belle, in Fourcrosses (as it was then known), Whilst there, I attended the infant's school and the Congregational Chapel, Salem, in the village. and I continued to live in Plas Belle for about two years before returning to Liver[pool after the war was over. Subsequently, most of my summer holidays were spent at Plas Belle; and I often travelled from Liverpool in the South Caernarfonshire Creameries milk tankers which took milk to a large dairy in Liverpool every day. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I returned to England before we were taught how to read and write in Welsh. So, unfortunately., although I speak the language quite well, I'm not very good a reading and writing Welsh.