History of Parrog Stores

Parrog Stores has been owned by the Rees family since 1922 and was originally a grocery shop until 1990. Prior to this, the property was originally a coach house and stables. It was utilised to serve the larger properties to the west. It is not known when the property was first used as a residence but it is believed to be towards the end of the 19th century. The first floor was added at this time and the property was named Glamorgan House. The name was changed in 1922 when Mr and Mrs Thomas Rees purchased the property and opened Parrog Stores for business.

Thomas Rees was originally from Maesteg, South Wales but May his wife came from a local family. They set the shop up together with their first child Valmai. They began by serving the local community of Parrog, and after a short time, they began to supply goods to households in Newport and eventually on the mountainside. Thomas delivered his goods on foot using a handcart, he was very well known in the area.

In 1927 their second child Vernon was born, he also played a day to day role in the running of the shop alongside his parents and sister. He later served in the Navy and worked at Lloyd’s of London whilst Valmai remained at home with her parents running the business.

After Thomas’s death in 1957 Vernon returned home to take over the family business whilst Valmai married Mr Julian Prosyck and moved to a cottage on the mountain known as Grug y Mynydd.

In 1962 Vernon married Jean Summers, they both worked together to supply the Parrog, Newport and a great deal of the local farming community with supplies.

Vernon and Jean raised their two children Glyn and Glenda whilst running the shop until their well-deserved retirement in 1990. Glyn and Glenda remained in the Newport community and Glyn returned to Parrog Stores in 2000 with his wife Jenny and children Amy-Jean, Catrin and Thomas.

Glyn, Jenny and the family are still the proud owners of Parrog Stores today and hope that by renting the holiday cottage during the tourist season, that it will allow people to appreciate and enjoy the house, Parrog and surrounding area, just as they have for many years.