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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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Where High Street, Wellington Road and Russell Road meet used to be known as The Cross. The two photographs above were taken from there.
The first is an Edwardian-looking scene with boys wearing knickerbockers, baggy knee trousers popular in the early 20th century. We are looking from High Street down Wellington Road. There are trees outside the Town Hall! The picture was supplied to me by Coun Michael Espley of Foryd ward (thanks, Mike) and in 2008 it was touched up and restored by photographer Geoff Abbott.
The other photo was taken a quarter of a century later I would guess, looking up High Street towards the sea. In the foreground left, above the Wellington Road sign is an advert on the side of M. Evans’ Clwydian Restaurant which was in business a long time. I can remember climbing the stairs to Evans’ Cafe (as we called it) decades later and the lovely smell of bread and cakes baked on the premises.
Opposite is Maypole dairy and grocer's shop, and passing by is what looks to be a White Rose open-topped charabanc. The White Rose Garage was in East Parade, just round the corner from High Street; the present day White Rose Centre carries its name.
Facing the top of High Street in a position where today we would expect to see the clock tower, is a drinking fountain on the promenade.
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SAT 18th MAR 2017 UPDATE: The following picture was taken from The Cross in between the images above; it is card postmarked 1914. The delivery boy's bike advertises M. Evans, confectioner. That refers to bakers' confectionery, i.e. sweet pastries and cakes not candies and sweets.
Threading his way through the shoppers on your left is a man wearing a sandwich board advertising boys' jerseys.
At the time of writing, shops at two of the four corners of The Cross are unoccupied.
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