MONKEY BUSINESS
Locals recall one of landlord’s unusual regulars at village pub
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HE White Mill Inn in Carmarthenshire has had many landlords and landladies over the years, serving countless locals who have made the pub what it is today.
But back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the pub – between Carmarthen and Nantgaredig – had more than just people in it.
As well as drinkers and revellers, the inn was home to a pet monkey named Billy.
That wasn’t the only animal that was known to prop up the bar either, as the landlord of the time had a passion for keeping different pets, both inside and outside his beloved pub.
His name was David John Evans, but he was known to all as Dai Felinwen. He ran the pub for years and locals would call in for a pint and be entertained by the monkey, who would sit in the corner of the bar.
Myfanwy Evans, now in her 80s, remembers how her father-in-law came to own Billy.
“When my husband Max was a youngster he went away to work in Harrods in London, and in those days you could get all sorts of animals from there,” she said.
“His father Dai absolutely loved animals, and had even owned a monkey before. After that monkey died, he always wanted another one, so Max said he would bring him one back from Harrods. I remember when Max came back, Dai was so excited to see this monkey.”
Mrs Evans recalled that, every time she saw Billy, he would be in his cage in the corner of the pub.
Others tell tales of how Billy would be allowed out to sit in the bar and have a roam around.
It’s a difficult sight to fathom for people of the current generation. Workers from the village, after a hard day’s slog on the farm or at the factory, heading to the local pub for a few pints and a few cigarettes, next to a monkey. It was a different time.
“Dai Felinwen at that time had a lot of animals in a garage next to the pub,” explained pub local Derek Lewis.
“He had chickens and a fox and they all used to get on well. I think Dai wanted the animals to draw people in, especially the monkey, because it was so unusual.
“There were three pubs open in the village back then. They would have big crowds there. Even though it’s only a small village, there was no problem keeping the three pubs running because people would come from everywhere to West Wales for their holidays.
“I was much younger then, of course, but my father would go into the White Mill for a pint, and I remember seeing the monkey from outside the pub, which has changed so much over the years. He would be tied outside, but he was allowed to go in and sit in the bar.
“I’ve never seen anything before or since.” like it
As much as Billy the monkey used to enthrall some of the locals, Mrs Evans was never the biggest fan of her father-in-law’s beloved pet. “I hated him!” she said. “He would smell the whole pub out.”
Many stories have been told over the years about what happened to Billy and how his stay at the White Mill Inn came to an end.
One tale suggests he saw his own reflection in a barrel of water and the shock of catching a glimpse of his own face on the surface led him to fall in and drown. Others claimed his propensity for killing neighbourhood chickens finally caught up with him, and that he was shot for being a menace.
The truth, explained Mrs Evans, was different, and involved a desperate attempt to save Billy’s life inside the pub itself.
“He got loose one day and made off through the fields, ending up in the Peniel area,” she said.
“Everybody was out looking for him and chasing him. When he was found, he had been struck on the head by something or someone, and was brought back to the pub.
“Two doctors who were in having a drink at the time did all they could to save him, but there was nothing they could do. He was dead, and for years after he passed away his skull was actually kept on the mantelpiece in the bar.”
It was a sad ending for Billy, who had been “one of the locals down the pub” ever since he was brought to West Wales from London.
He was loved by Dai Felinwen, and by the men who would call in to see him for a pint after a hard day’s graft in rural Carmarthenshire.
“Dai was a very nice man, and he absolutely loved animals,” recalled Mrs Evans.
“He used to breed dogs and he would go to shows with them, as well as having a fox and a badger. There was a stable attached to the pub and that’s where he would keep all these animals.
“I guess he was trying to attract customers with Billy, which he did. People would come from all around just to see him – there weren’t many monkeys around this way!”
While Billy was not loved by all in the White Mill Inn, he enthralled enough locals to secure his legendary status in this part of the world.
Forget walls – if monkeys could talk, old Billy would certainly have had some tales to tell of a golden generation for Welsh country pubs.