Received a letter this morning from Ellis Thomas, aged 85 who was in Craig-y-nos during the 20s. He enclosed a copy of a letter he received a few years ago from Vernon Evans.
"Like you I have only met one peson who has been a patient at Craig-y-nos, a local man who entered just after me, he also was cured, and he must have been alright, having passed his medical exam and served in the Navy during the war. I was turned down and they told me they didn't want lame ducks in the fighting forces.
"I well remember Dr Grant and her assistant Dr Walker. I'm glad that there are the likes of you who understand what we went through as a lot of people think we are exaggerating at the treatment we received.
I suppose you remember the gentry and the doctors having their shooting parties on a Tuesday, and we the patients lived on rabbit meat and stews for a few days. I found the food wasn't too bad, until I found a slug on my Brussel sprouts, which put me off them for life.
I was born in 1919 the tenth child of fourteen children, 7 boys and 7 girls, so you can imagine the struggle my parents had to make ends, although I lacked for nothing through the kindness of relatives and friends. I started work in the family bakery business becoming a master baker , and served 53 years before retiring. I spent some time as a lecturer in Bakery and Confectionery at Bridgend College. I now write a weekly column in the Glamorgan Gazette about the happenings in the Llynfi Valley."
Sadly Vernon died seven years ago.
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