A fairly recent 'telephoto' photograph of Fields Park, as seen from the top of the coal tip above Newbridge. The railway that led to Treowen Halt and eventually to the Crumlin Viaduct ran from left to right, just at the top of the wooded area below Fields Park. Towards the bottom right, the roofs of houses at Homeleigh can be seen, poking above the greenery.
The farm behind Fields Park (top right) was for many years worked by Rhys Collins and his family.  © Kelvin Thorne 2005

Fields Park as seen from the bridge over the by-pass at the top of Hill Street, 2011 © Dory Buck

  Fields Park Athletic AFC, possibly 1950's (?) Colin Mustoe is standing on the left with the bag and 
Joseph Smith is on the right in the suit, but any more information would be welcome. 
Courtesy of Kelvin Thorne / Fields Park Athletic AFC Archive  

More photographs of Fields Park Athletic AFC can be seen in the 'Sports' sub-section of 'Newbridge'. 

 

 
A shot of Fields Park in the late 1960's from the mountainside above Eugene Lucas's bungalow; note how most of the houses are still burning coal. © Ken Buck.





The waterfall near 'The Rock' above Fields Park; a rite of passage for Fields Park boys was jumping off The Rock and over the stream to the path on the other side.
An enchanting place to grow up. © Ken Buck.




A gathering of the residents of Fields Park, possibly during the celebrations for the Festival of Britain in 1951, on 'the common' at the top of the street, where the bonfire was traditionally made - from left to right, Mr Griffiths, Mrs Mustoe, Phyllis Mustoe, the evil eye of a man in a hat, Mabs Watkins, lady in front unknown, Melva Morgan (at back), Alice McCann, Dilys Watkins (later Cooper), Mrs Williams, Gaynor Williams (later Webb) and Betty Watkins. Of the small group of three ladies to the right, two are unknown, but one is Laura Prosser. Photograph supplied by Brian Selway.




Less people are recognised on this photo; left to right - Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Mustoe, Mabs Watkins, lady unknown, Betty Watkins. The man at the back between the two old gentlemen holding their caps is Gaynor's dad, Mr Williams, and finally, the old gent three in from the right is Will Mustoe. The young lad biting a dog's tail while simultaneously pointing his bottom at the photographer is unknown, but could well be Brian Jones. Photograph supplied by Brian Selway.




A wonderfully evocative photograph of Fields Park Road, with no pebble-dash or cladding in site.... all red brick, as nature intended! And only one car; how times have changed. The two children in the distance could possibly be Heather and Colin Dixon, which could date this around the early 1950's. Photograph supplied by Brian Selway 












A photograph of a party held in the British Legion building on Windsor Avenue Park; on the right is Fields Park resident Will Mustoe, and sat next to him is Nellie Webb and her husband Ivor, who ran the shop at Fields Park for many years - Ivor sold everything in that shop, and it always had sticky 'fly-paper' hanging from the ceiling in Summer, along with jam jars filled with water for catching wasps. You could get your vinegar bottles refilled, spend your pocket money, buy stamps and get bacon cut.....  Fields Park's version of Arkwright, without the stammer. Photograph supplied by Brian Selway. 




"Was it something I said?"At the same function, Nellie and Ivor Webb have now deserted Will Mustoe, but Mrs Mustoe is approaching from the right, hatted head bowed, to give Will someone to talk to. Photograph supplied by Brian Selway.






























The two photographs above are from the Carnival held in Newbridge in 1953, to celebrate the Coronation of  Queen Elizabeth II - these show the Fields Park float, the subject of which was 'Modern Elizabethan', to emphasise the optimism generated by the new monarch. The float was decorated in red, white and blue, and some of the local Fields Park girls on the float are Neen Ross, Dilys Watkins, June Davies, Christine Hodges and Sylvia Jones. The photos have been supplied by Neen Buck (née Ross). 

The lane up to Rhys Collins' farm, at the back of Fields Park, November 2018 © Dory Buck 














The four photographs above show the old Fields Park railway bridge, just prior to it being filled in and covered to widen the access road to Fields Park; you can see kids having one last play under the arches, as Fields Park kids had done for years, especially on wet Sunday afternoons. The bulk of the bridge is still in situ, just buried where it was. © Dory Buck 








The above two photographs are of long-time Fields Park resident, Dick Ross, having a final look around the South Celynen site, just prior to its demolition. Dick had started work at the South on his 14th birthday in October 1925, and finished 51 years later on his 65th birthday in October 1976, by which time he had attained the position of Senior Overman. Dick died on Boxing Day, 1999. © Dory Buck.