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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Recent mention of Royal Alexandra Hospital, Marine Drive, on this blog brought a reminder of the picture postcard above; this shows the hospital (background, right) a year or two after it officially opened.
In the foreground is a Gorsedd stone circle laid in 1903 in advance of the arrival of National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1904. The Proclamation Ceremony and other Bardic ceremonies were held inside the circle which remained there until the late 1940s.
The National Eisteddfod has been here four times: in 1892, 1904, 1953 and 1985.
An A5-size booklet titled ‘Rhyl’s National Eisteddfods – A Valuable Heritage’ by Harry Thomas was published by Countryside Publications just before the 1985 visit. This 36-page illustrated booklet is bilingual; the Welsh translation is by Dafydd Timothy of Siop y Morfa.
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SUN 3rd APR 2015 UPDATE: Here is a postcard of the Gorsedd circle, not included in Harry’s book. This would relate to the 1903 visit (picture colourised at a later date). Look how undeveloped East Parade is!
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TUE 24th JAN 2017 UPDATE: A battered but rare item has come to hand.
Click on the image to see a bigger version.
" Presenting the Arch Druid with the Horn of Plenty at the Stones Rhyl Sept 1904."
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