This picture was taken in Llanidloes when the local coalman (known as Billy Doodle !) used a cart pulled by two donkeys to deliver bags of coal to his customers !
It was probably taken around 1900 in Smithfield Street, which was on the southern edge of the town at that time.
The houses in the background were old weavers cottages, with large windows upstairs so that they could work at making cloth as long as possible using daylight.

The Llanidloes National School, which opened in 1845, was also in Smithfield Street near these cottages.
There are many entries from the diaries of the National School on the schools pages in this part of our website.

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