Friday, 2 September 2011

355. Welsh idiosyncrasies - Nickname Series (29)

I used to live in a street called the Bush Houses, in Clydach Vale, Rhondda.  There was a wonderful character there, a chap known as Harry Penny (né Francis).  He owned a donkey and cart, and each morning he would travel to Tonypandy Railway station, to meet the cockles and mussels train that would arrive at 4:30 a.m. from West Wales.  He's take his collection home to be washed before going out on th streets to sell his product.  He would sell the mussels and cockles in a pint jar, for a penny - and that's how Harry got his name.  It was thought that Harry sired 22 children, most of whom I knew!

Gregory Glyndwr

-oOo-

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