Caerphilly Tech Association ~ Mr Bryn John

A Brief History of Our Past President Mr Bryn John M.B.E. B.Sc.

Mr Bryn John was elected to the Post of President of the Caerphilly Tech Association in November 1992, a position he held until his recent death.

He was born the youngest of three brothers on the 26th of August 1905. For the first few months after leaving school he was an errand boy for a local greengrocer. Then following a family friend having a word with the Colliery Engineer at Bedwas he was engaged as a member in the Fitting Shop. Fifteen months later he was transferred to the Electrical Department and given an apprenticeship. At eighteen he was in charge of one of the three shifts, so he arranged with the two other shift men to work nights regular, so he would be able to attend evening classes. As a reward for his determination and commitment he won a scholarship to the University of Wales College in Cardiff where he successfully obtained his B.Sc. Having proved to be an excellent pupil he was awarded the PAGE Prize as the best student of the year 1933. Bryn also obtained an element of success by taking additional courses in Mathematics, Physics and Hydraulics.

Upon leaving University he applied for and gained the position of an assistant Master at the Caerphilly Boys Technical School, a post he took up on the 24th April 1934. Apart from a short spell at the Treforest School of Mines during the war, he taught continually at the 'Tech' until its amalgamation with the Boys Grammar School in 1953. During his spell at the newly named Grammar Technical School between 1953 and his retirement in 1968 he had been promoted to be the Head of the Engineering Department. However upon retirement he was not lost to the education fraternity as he became a part time lecturer at the Quakers Yard Mining and Technical Institute. Bryn John was in good company with his two brothers who also aspired to academic success. His eldest brother Emlyn John B.Sc., was Principal at Quakers Yard and Willie John B.A. was an English lecturer at Wigan Technical College, Lancashire.

Bryn had three life long passions away from teaching, and the first of those was politics. Although at heart a staunch Welsh Nationalist he was elected in his mid-forties to the Caerphilly Urban District Council as an Independent and stood again successfully a further eight times. In the year he was the Council Chairman 1958 -1959 he was awarded the M.B.E. With the reorganisation of the Council he became a Community Councillor representing Plaid Cymru.

Mr Bryn John M.B.E. B.Sc.
1905 - 2001

Another passion was devotion to the Chapel. He and his wife Dilys, married in 1937, were both members of the Tonyfelin. His wife was baptised into the Chapel from the Church of Wales and dedicated her life to it. Bryn was Secretary of the Tonyfelin Welsh Baptist Chapel for 25 years and also controlled its finances. As a result of his overall generosity including help, guidance and time he turned a Chapel in deficit into one on a good sound financial foundation, establishing a Trust Fund in 1974 and the introduction in 1954 of Covenanting.

His third passion was for travel. He travelled widely touring Spain, Italy, Greece, Sicily, the Far East, Romania and Bulgaria. To celebrate his Golden Wedding he and his wife took a boat trip along 500 miles of the river Rhine. The culmination of his wanderlust was a tour coast to coast across Canada at the age of 90 years young.

Bryn John was held in great esteem by many people and especially by those to whom he imparted his knowledge. This was truly reflected at his funeral service when more than 40 "Old Boys" mainly from the Caerphilly Tech Association gathered to show their lasting respect and gratitude.

Bryn John, Born 26th August 1905, died 22nd December 2001. Sadly missed, never to be forgotten.