Tuesday 9 February 2010

FORYD SCENES

Foryd Harbour The postcard of a night scene at Foryd Harbour (TOP) is undated. The colours seem rough and improbable but the card has some charm; the old Pavilion (far left) looks handsome lit up. The other card is from late 1950s/early ‘60s. Beyond the harbour you can see Ocean Beach Fun Fair with two big wheels; Ritz Ballroom was between them.

The small picture is by G. Burnell and is from the web site of BBC North East Wales. It shows what’s left of the sailing ship ‘City of Ottawa’. The ship was built in Canada in 1860 and abandoned at the Foryd after being damaged in a storm in 1906. If you go down the harbour end of the promenade and stick your head over the sea wall you can see it.

Veteran fisherman John Povah says that around 1930 there was an attempt to blow up ‘City of Ottawa’ to clear space for constructing the present Foryd Bridge which opened in 1932. The explosion had a negligible impact on the wreck but it spattered with mud quite a few buildings in West Parade and beyond.

I hope householders in the vicinity were warned to take in their washing beforehand.

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