Jeannette Plant

Jeannette Plant known as Netty to family and friends was born on June 13th, 1964 in Beddau, near Llantrisant, the child of Phyllis and Bill Jones. She was raised with her siblings wendy, Peter, Paul and Brian in Castell-Y-Mynach and attended Bryncelynog Secondary School. She left at 16 to pursue a YTC scheme in Car Mechanics, but after just a few months she decided that it was not for her. From there she took work at Tesco, working the night shift, before taking a cleaning job at Miskin Manor…leaving there when she got married. Netty later returned to the workforce, working for Doug James coaches, as a chaperone for young children, on the school run. However, having undergone a double heart bypass at the age of just 42, Netty gave up work on the grounds of ill-health. As a young girl growing up, Netty loved nothing more than being outdoors with her brother Brian and their friends, playing in the streets and surrounding areas near their home. Netty was always a little wild and a bit of a tomboy…getting up to all sorts of mischief. As a young teenager, she would love to visit her older sister Wendy, in Cwmbach, which is where she first met William…the pair becoming young sweethearts. At the weekend, Netty liked to socialise with her friend Mairwen, both going out to dances on the weekend as well as going out to a few pubs, meeting up with their other friends over a few drinks. Netty had always loved her music and had quite an eclectic taste…her favourite eras being the 70s and 80s, listening to artists such as Abba, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, UB40 and Tina Turner, and more recently enjoyed the music of Olly Murs and Ed Sheeran. One of her most favourite things to do was to sing Karaoke. Most Friday nights, she’d love to go over to The Rock, with her friends, as well as Becky her daughter and her niece Tammy…in fact anyone who would agree to sing with her. One of her favourite songs to sing being, Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’…but in fact, anything. She also enjoyed going to a few concerts with her daughter Becky and granddaughter Lillie…David her son in law ferrying them to and from Birmingham where they saw The Back Street Boys…she had loved their music for years, since having come on the scene in the 90s. Netty loved fun and nonsense, with her favourite time of year being Christmas. It was a time when she could go all out…One year, she accompanied Becky, David, her grandson Thomas and granddaughter Lillie to The Celtic Manor, where they saw Santa. Netty decided to flirt outrageously with him and truly believed…whole-heartedly that she had in fact ‘pulled’ Santa…utterly convinced that he fancied her. Living in Cwmbach and being the big kid she undoubtedly was, Netty loved children and would have all the kids gravitating towards her…almost like a second mam…they all loved her, mostly because she had time for everyone. Netty was a female version of Peter Pan…the kid that never grew up. Being around children kept her young. Netty was also a passionate cat lover and would regularly bring all the cats in to feed…so generous and giving. Now and again, in her spare time, Netty would go out for a game of Bingo…travelling over to the Castle Bingo in Merthyr. Other times, she’d enjoy meeting up with friends at The Afon Dar Café, in Aberdare, where she knew everyone and everyone knew her. Even if you couldn’t see her …you’d hear her. ‘Even her whispers were loud. As for TV, Netty was a big devotee of all the soaps, Eastenders, Coronation Street, Casualty and her all time favourite, Emmerdale. She would tell all her family not to ring her when that was on, but her daughter would ring anyway for devilment, her mother saying, ‘I told you not to ring when Emmerdale is on, yet you do it every time’. Netty met William in Cwmbach, courting for a while before living together, later marrying on William’s birthday. Following their divorce, Netty went to live in Brodeg. Together, the couple raised their two wonderful children, Becky and Christopher, who she’d do anything for. Her children were her life, as were her grandchildren Thomas and Lillie when they came along. She always put her family first. Netty couldn’t have been prouder of her family and got on so well with Becky’s husband David, both of whom loved to wind each other up. Holidays when the family were young were taken in a caravan in Porthcawl, before later travelling abroad to Benidorm and Magalluf. Netty also liked to join Becky, David and the family down at their caravan in Weston. Netty was blessed with two beautiful grandchildren, Thomas and Lillie, whom she idolised. From the day they were born, their Nanny Netty always had to sleep over with them, in their bed, on the night before their birthday…so that she could wake up with them on their special day. She adored them both so much…and they her…yet again loving all the fun and nonsense, she could share with them. Living so near to her older sister Wendy, they were always so close…in fact they were glued at the hip. If Wendy had a tissue, then Netty would have to have one. If Wendy had a headache…Netty would have one too. She had always looked up to her big sister, having lost her parents so young. Wendy played a pivotal role in her life…she was not only her sister, but her mother, best friend and confidante, all rolled into one. Netty loved every one of her siblings equally, but there was no-one she was closer to than Wendy. Netty was the kindest most fun-loving, outgoing, sociable, ‘mental’, family-orientated, loving, warm, colourful character. Everyone knew her and she was loved by all…just so well respected…’A Cwmbach Legend!!’ Netty certainly loved life and lived it to the full…she loved everyone and everything in her life…and embraced every second of it. Her family all have so many wonderful memories of her and miss her so much.