THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARDl
The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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Pictured above is the Vickers Armstrong VA-3-001 the world’s first hovercoach, which arrived in Rhyl just a few days after the Beatles first played in the town in July 1962. The hovercoach was based here for trials between July and September and had great novelty appeal; the hovering was due to downward-pointing fans which held the craft aloft over land and sea.
The hovercoach proved capable of ferrying passengers and mail from Rhyl to Wallasey in 32 minutes, but fate decreed that 40 of the scheduled operating days would be too windy, and on one occasion it blew off its moorings and had to be rescued by Rhyl lifeboat.
A few years later, the luckless VA-3-001 was reported to be lying at the bottom of the sea near Southampton having been badly damaged by optimists trying to find out whether it could withstand the impact of exploding mines.
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