These pictures are from George Owen.At the top is a mid 1950s shot of the bus station in High Street (where Jobcentre is now). It brings to mind the rush from the Regal Cinema across the road (where Co-op is now) as the show was ending and
God Save The Queen was playing.
The colour photo is 1950s and shows W. H. Smith in same location as today; on right is Tudor Cafe (snack bar). WHS may have been the last High Street shop to retain its original canopy. The canopies tended to encourage all-weather shopping; they were a customer-friendly idea like having the street number on the door, a clock on the premises and somewhere for customers to sit while waiting to be served.
The nearest picture shows the top of High Street in March 1954 just before the Royal Cafe on the left was demolished to make way for the Woolworths building (now B&M). Part of the Royal Cafe building had been Rhyl’s first purpose-built cinema, Cinema Royal (1920 - 1939).
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