The children of Mumbles played no little part in adding to that excitement and hullabaloo. The battle for places on the Swansea Town Council, in those days, was a far more colourful and demonstrative affair than the rather apathetic, decorous process experienced today, spilling over onto streets of the community in dramatic and clamorous fashion. Swansea Council Chamber in the Guildhall.
To me, and my grubby cronies, it was the Local Elections that had the appeal and it was these that did leave a lasting impression. I suppose that the odd General Election came and went but left no lasting impression. Until the next time.Īs a boy in the thirties, I was barely aware of the machinations of national politics, even though those were very turbulent times. Then, whoever wins can vanish into the shaded, oaken cloisters of Westminster’s subsidised oblivion. Yes! Election time is upon us! Suddenly, we, the rank and file, have become important, and, will remain so, until the last vote is cast. A list of society ills is included with a heartfelt pledge to heal them all, but never, how, (only the boys propping up the bar in the White Rose have all those answers).
Alongside this disturbing portrait is a text which supplies such information as to committee memberships, academic qualifications (eg eleven plus, joined-up-writing, BA (Expenses) Oxon, et al) and, the love of the simple family life, never missing “Coronation Street”. This photograph, of the candidate, can win or lose a thousand votes and therefore, much time and expense is lavished upon it, in an attempt to get that critical image of honesty, patrician sincerity and-I-am-only-doing-this-for-you-not-me look. This is one of a series of assaults upon the mind of the voter. Each pamphlet will carry a name, political party alignment, some written matter and, a rather frightening photograph.
In the not too distant future, multi-coloured pamphlets will be cascading through everybody’s letter box with all the heavy delivery fruttle of a Christmas load. Grafton Maggs recalls an election in Mumbles in the 1930s
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