Maesgeirchen
is situated on the outskirts of the City of Bangor, Gwynedd, North
Wales, UK. It is noted as the 2nd biggest housing estate in North
Wales and has in the region of 3000 people plus living here. There
are approx 1000 dwellings on the estate with approx 220 of those
being owner/occupier.
Maesgeirchen
was originally conceived out of an idea to take up the overspill
of Bangor before the outbreak of World War 2. It was the council's
re-development programme to rehouse families from condemned and
overcrowded properties in the town. Ffordd Castell was among the
first streets finished in December 1937; shortly after, the first
tenants moved in.
A
total of 304 houses were built on the estate before the outbreak
of the 2nd World War with a further 274 houses and flats being built,
plus 234 at Tan-y-Bryn after the war. The houses were constructed
at an average cost of £390.00 each and tenants were charged
a rent of 7s.6p a week.
Maesgeirchen
did not escape untouched during World War 2. On the evening of Friday
October 24th 1941 at 8.38 the drone of enemy aircraft was heard
overhead. Minutes later two stray parachute mines landed at each
end of Maesgerchen - one at the top of the hill leading to Penrhyn
Ave the other on the old road at Lon-y-Felin, near the 15th green
of the golf course. Emergency services arrived to find a 26ft crater
(diameter) and 10ft deep; one house was completely demolished (No.1
Penrhyn Ave); 29 severely damaged and another 190 slightly damaged.
Three people were killed - Jack Lewis, a Post Office engineer and
former Bangor City footballer who had rushed outside on hearing
a loud noise only to receive the full blast of the bomb; Mrs Ann
Roberts who was staying with her daughter at No.1 Penrhyn Ave; and
Charles Walters, a BBC chauffeur who was driving up the hill and
who, ironically, had been evacuated to Bangor with his employers
in order to escape the Bristol bombing. Fourteen injured people
were taken to the C & A infirmary, 11 of whom were detained,
being in a serious condition.
Seventy people were rendered homeless, furniture that could be salvaged
was stored in the old Woolworth building at 297 High St, Bangor
and schoolrooms at Horeb Chapel, Hirael. Accommodation was found
for the 70 homeless and meals were provided for them at Robert's
Cafe at weekends and on subsequent days emergency feeding arrangements
were made by the WVS. The victims of the bombing were treated badly
by the authorities; the amount of compensation was a disgrace. Mrs
Lewis having lost her husband and possessions received a paltry
£42 damages from the War Damages Commission.
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