My parents were the last licensees of The Clive Arms Hotel. We lived there from 1965 to 1971, when it was demolished to make way for Tesco. Whitbread, the brewery, had made a corporate decision to get rid of all their hotels and only retain their pubs. There was, naturally, an outcry by locals, but in vain. Years later my mother later spoke to one of the men who had made the decision and he said he regretted it. They didn’t know what they had in terms of historical and architectural interest. I was lucky enough to have a bedroom above the entrance hall with a great view of the castle opposite. I remember my time there for the music and the famous people who seemed to stay there quite regularly. There was a ballroom and I recall concerts being held there, but there were often musicians, both Welsh and international, who would play in the bar downstairs. Groups like Freddie and The Dreamers and Herman’s Hermits stayed with us, and famous actors like Sean Connery. For me, meeting The Flowerpot Men, hippies from California with their long hair and afghan jackets, was a highlight. Getting Jimmy Savile’s autograph now less so. It was strange coming down for breakfast and finding a famous singer at the dining table in our accommodation because he preferred it to the residents’ dining room. Then I’d go off to school and no-one would believe me. I saw a picture of The Clive on another site and there was my father’s car parked outside, which was a strange feeling. I was sad to leave and even now I believe the town lost far more than it gained with a supermarket. Especially since Carrefour turned up shortly afterwards. Years later we returned to Caerphilly, to run The Castle Hotel.
