Number 1 Vale Road later to become number 15 Mort Street, so what you ask? Well, that was the last house before the Vale Bridge - this was the family home where brother Bill and I were raised. Over the bridge and you enter the Vale.. looking back everyone who grew up in that area was blessed to have had the experience of day to day living in what was the most close-knit community of all time. Every day after school there was a rush by every kid to get changed and get to the Vale Park, the cricket pitch or Ramsay Street for cricket, soccer, rugby league or just hang out at the Vale Hall on the verandah. Kids from all ages made friends with people of their own age, it was likely there would be a cricket game going on supervised by a parent involving kids under 10, teenagers of school age, young people who had left school and joined the workforce and parents at times with their friends who had arrived for a visit. Everyone joined in and had fun, everyone was looked after and we were totally safe. The community hall opened in 1947, it became a valued asset for the whole district. READ MORE: Active Kids rebate release second voucher for year-round sporting costs The Vale ladies formed and still hold their functions today. Their fundraising efforts have reached unbelievable levels over the years. Let us walk past the hall, past the Vale Pub to the corner of Saywell Street and Vale Road. Saywell Street would be the main street of the area, it was the social hub and gathering place for all of us, from there all things seem to get started, some of those things started are best forgotten. Characters of all types and ages were a feature of this area, laughing was a common happening for all of us. On the corner was the Vale Pub, this place provided entertainment for all types old and young, the older ones in the pub and and the young ones chocking cars with house bricks or fixing cans to the bumper bars or potatoes up the exhaust pipe. I remember a time when bungers were rolled under the door, it caused quite a panic. We did get spoken to by Publican Toby Williams. Everyone knows Tom Barry, he was the one who rolled the bungers. That would not surprise anyone. On the opposite corner to the hotel was a semi detached house, at the rear of the one occupied by Jim Hart, in a ramshackle old brick shed, there was a SP bookie operating on Saturdays. The amount of people visiting this establishment was amazing. School holidays were spent on bikes, billy carts and sleds. Never an idle moment and the word bored totally banned from this area. Another activity on wet days was to spend time at the Vale Co-op store. We were allowed to weigh up sugar, flour, clean up or just pretend we were being useful. Many managers passed through the Co-op and the tradition of kids on wet days continued for many years. Saywell Street Eastern side, heading towards the Gap, the Kerrs Shop (Parkers), Grays, Olives, Slaven's, Field, Humphries, McLean, Palfreys, Darcy, Burnett's, Leakes, Ryan, King's, Ambrose, Pilatik, Browns, Oloman's, Cross, Kelly, Cainey, Tearle.. there are a lot of kids among that lot. When the families from the other side of the street are added including the Mayers, Keoghs, Gormans Rowes, Barrys.. they were just some of the families I can think of without kids. There would be plenty more but my memory can't store it all - the young population was large. If you were to go the other way in Saywell Street and walk past the Vale Co-op, a totally similar experience awaits you as to what happens on the topside, kids everywhere always something to do. The Blackwell's, the Fitzgerald's, the Palmer's, the McPhail's and the Young's, and throw in Allan Merrick - could always see to that. READ MORE: Wangi remembers the Vietnam war death of Lieutenant Peter Hines who was killed the moment man walked on the moon At the end of Saywell Street there is a little Methodist church where a lot of us visited for Sunday School on Sunday mornings. During the year quite a few social gatherings were conducted by the church, kids of all religions were invited and a great time was had by all. Next to the church there was a theme park, not really a theme park - it was the brickwork's and the old Vale of Clwydd Colliery. It was easy to spend hours between these two places, just hiding in the brick kilns could take up a heap of time. Ramsay Street ran parallel to Saywell Street, Redgate Street ran parallel to Ramsay Street. This area was the gateway to yet another theme park. On a vacant block of land between Ramsay and Redgate was the gathering point for unlimited activity. Roy Kelly father of John, Jim, Brian and Frank became the coach and organiser of soccer and cricket games on this site. Later he organised a soccer team to play in the local junior competition - the team was 'Terry's Colts' sponsored by Terry's Brewery. As well as the Kelly gang, other names like Stockton, Jenkins, Bowen, berry's, Macleay, Simpson and Hayley's come to mind as members of the group. At the top of Ramsay Street another activity experience became popular. Berry's Blue Bird Busline treated us to unlimited travel on Saturday. It was fun, the drivers were happy to have company and a diversion of their every day grind. We were also allowed to help wash the buses but this practice was ceased when the drivers were attacked with hoses, brooms and buckets. Names like Jack Pearce and Zane Garner come to mind as two of the drivers. Jack Berry himself was never afraid to join in. This was also the site of the two popular billy cart venues - Little Leakys and Big Leakys. The names came from the family who lived in a large house at the junction of the two hills. The little hill was a gentle hill for beginners and the big hill was for more experienced riders. A spotter was positioned at the bottom of the hill to direct traffic so as not hinder the progress of the speeding cart. This area was full of entertainment for growing boys, sledge tracks down most hills, visiting the workshop local car racing icon Phil Palmer, there was a character. Phil had a horse Silver - for years it just roamed around the area, nobody could get near it. Phil would jump on its back no bridle, no saddle and the horse would just jog home as gentle as a lamb. He would dismount and the horse would instantly take off again. Between Ramsay and Saywell Street there was a canal that became a tunnel under the yard of Mick Mayers, although we were told in no uncertain terms by Mick that this tunnel was out of bounds - it became a place of entertainment. Those bungers again caused trouble, as the crackers exploded so did Mick. He must have chased us for miles or that's what it seemed through paddocks, through yards and finally up through Evan's gully to the mountain behind. We distanced Mick and felt very cocky. Two hours later Mick made a visit to all our home to inform our parents for our adventure. From the Vale Park to the top of Browns Gap the Vale Creek flowed gently through a series of flat paddocks that were included in activities of growing boys, at one stage Sunday school picnics were held in one of these paddocks. One of the disappointments was the loss of the Vale cricket field, a natural paddock with a concrete pitch and a brick shed. I don't know the history of this facility but it was an asset to the area. Many hours were spent watching senior cricket at weekends and as we got older, enjoying time there ourselves. The field was regularly used for the junior cricket competition, it seemed such a pity when the land was sold and the pitch was removed. That Vale Bridge was hit by vehicles so many times - it seemed like a weekly occurrence. Fortunately I don't recall anyone being hurt, the same could be said about the telegraph poles on the town side of the bridge. Many times from my bed the sound of the vehicles hitting one or the other would awaken you from a deep sleep. Often the next noise was a vehicle with the fan hitting the radiator, restarting and continuing on its way. It was surprising at times to see these vehicles parked along the road damaged beyond belief the next morning. It was also surprising who owned these vehicles. There was no such thing as random breath testing in those days. READ MORE: Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley guests to learn significance of land In this era Lithgow had several coal mines operating in the valley. A shunting engine, a small steam unit ran between all the mines and the coal stage with coal for transfer to the many steam locos operating from Lithgow. This was before the electrification of the of the Western line. At the time it became a mystery as to why at times this loco would blow the whistle as it approached, the engine would sit in the siding for ages, then go back to work. Years later we found out that the amount of times the whistle blew represented how many people had hitched a ride on the engine and how many schooners to have ready on the bar at the Vale. There were so many group activities taken on, bonfires were a prime example with adults helping the young ones build the fire source. There were a few sites in the area who all tried to out build each other. The bonfire in Saywell Street near the site of the Vale of Clwydd Colliery was nearly always the biggest and burned the longest. Late every bonfire night when all activities had ceased, a huge bang was heard. One stick of gelignite supplied by the manager of the pit would sound the end of activities for another year. As I think back the thoughts and memories just keep coming, everything written is totally from memory alone so if there are any non-factual references made it is not intentional. I have been blessed to have grown up in such a great area, the friendships made and the experiences gained will last forever. Peter Henry