Nostalgia - What made the news in South Wales this week in 1983

Pictured at the BBC Wales Llandaff, after the recording of the television programme showing 60 years anniversary of BBC Wales are Tessie O'Shea and Mary Hopkin.

60th anniversary celebration for the BBC in Wales

Flamboyant Cardiff-born Two-Ton Tessie O’Shea and the ever-wistful Welsh singer Mary Hopkin were pictured, taking a break, right, from rehearsals at the BBC studios in Llandaff for a television show to be screened to celebrate the 60th anniversary of broadcasting in Wales.

Ukelele-playing comedienne and singer Tessie, who was then living in America, was being recorded belting out wartime and music hall songs.

Mary Hopkin, who had been in semi-retirement for 10 years while bringing up her two children, sang a Welsh folk song and We’ll Keep A Welcome.

Others taking part in the diamond jubilee concert were Max Boyce, Wynford Vaughan Thomas, Philip Madoc – who introduced Richard Burton clips from the film Under Milk Wood – and singer Maureen Evans.

Roll out the barrel, but it’s not much fun...

The Fraser family rolled out the barrel when they needed a drop of fresh water – and found a steady stream on tap. Much to the envy of their neighbours in Long Acre, North Cornelly – one of the areas in South Wales where houses had no water supply – Mr Ian Fraser needed to make just one visit up the hill to a standpipe each day.

While other families in Long Acre made up to 20 journeys during a day, the Frasers were able to sit back with their ample 24-hour supply. But patience was growing thin along the rest of the road. Families had been without water for almost three weeks and were tiring of continual trips to two standpipes.

They were among some of the unluckiest people in South Wales. A minor fault in the supply pipes had cut off water to their homes. Normally the fault would be repaired in a day, but the water workers voted to strike – and 300 or so residents had been “dry” ever since.

Mr Fraser’s barrel, left, was one way to beat the standpipe. There was enough in the barrel to meet all their needs – including baths for daughters Tanya, aged 10, and Lisa, aged nine.

‘Threat’ in chain letters

A chain letter containing a veiled threat of death was circulating in Cardiff. It said one man who threw the letter away died nine days later “for no apparent reason, apart from breaking the chain”.

The letter, which was posted in the city, instructed the receiver to make 20 copies to send to friends and associates. No money was involved.

And it gave instances when people had received between £10,000 and £775,000 after sending the letter on.

One of the letters was received by Philip Warren, aged 24, who worked as a messenger at the South Wales Echo.

“It came through the post on Wednesday, it was posted in Cardiff, but I don’t know who by,” said Mr Warren of Arabella Street, Roath, adding: “The letter is threatening... there is no way I am sending it on.”

The letter said it had been passed around the world nine times. A police spokesman said the letter should be ignored.

The Eglwys Wen UFO files

Spaceships and monsters weren’t just kids’ stuff to one group of Cardiff children. With a little bit of imagination, they transformed a UFO they saw into a colourful class project.

Eglwys Wen Primary School in Whitchurch took great interest in a mysterious flying object which had haunted the South Wales coastline.

“So many people had seen the UFO with their parents that I did a little census around the school,” said teacher, Mrs Helen Williams, whose class of six and seven-year-olds were most active on the project.

“We found that 22 children and 29 parents had spotted the UFO, and so we decided to make a frieze with a picture of what they saw, and compile a folder with drawings and descriptions.

“It was an unusual and topical subject for a project,” said Mrs Williams.

Booze found on school buses

Pupils have been drinking lager on school buses in Merthyr, it had been revealed.

Council busmen said empty cans of lager had been discovered on a bus, and transport chiefs had drawn up a file on incidents of misbehaviour and abuse by youngsters using school buses.

Hand-wringer set to clean up on prize

The Hoover hunt for the oldest single-tub washing machine still doing the family wash in Wales was under way – with a vengeance.

It seemed that some 200 of the old faithfuls were still going strong, and it was going to be a race against time to get the winner sorted out before St David’s Day.

The March 1 deadline was the date of the celebration planned to mark the 35th anniversary of the opening of the Hoover factory at Pentrebach, Merthyr.

That was when the owner of the oldest working model would be invited to visit the factory for an anniversary event.