Care homes, residential homes, nursing homes - whatever you like to call them - are part of the fabric of Rhyl whether run by council, charities or private companies. They provide accommodation for people who are not able to live independently, and they create jobs.
Horror stories emerge from such places from time to time, but I believe here in Rhyl our care homes on average deliver a high standard of care.
St. David's Residential Home in East Parade, for instance, did a good job of looking after my father in the last few years of his life.
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In Victorian and Edward times, William & John Jones were Wrexham brothers who were successful in business and made charitable donations and bequests including the founding of a convalescent home in 1913 in Rhyl, which operated until 1970:
Horror stories emerge from such places from time to time, but I believe here in Rhyl our care homes on average deliver a high standard of care.
St. David's Residential Home in East Parade, for instance, did a good job of looking after my father in the last few years of his life.
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In Victorian and Edward times, William & John Jones were Wrexham brothers who were successful in business and made charitable donations and bequests including the founding of a convalescent home in 1913 in Rhyl, which operated until 1970:
Bill Ellis and Shirley Quinn report that William & John Jones Convalescent Home (formerly Claremont Hydro, Brighton Road) later became Y Gorlan care home which was eventually demolished to make way for the present housing estate Y Gorlan.
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The Men’s Convalescent Home was in Bedford Street. The building is still there in other uses. The exterior has not changed much since this old photo was taken:
Here are some likely lads under the beady eye of the matron:
Click on any image to see a bigger version.
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The Women's Convalescent Home was in Morfa Hall (and presumably in the smaller Morfa Lodge to your right in the picture below). The home was run mainly by voluntary subscriptions and donations; the residents/patients paid a small weekly amount:
Morfa Hall and Lodge still exist at the rear of Rhyl Library.
They were originally private residences and then became the Parade Hotel for a while. Nothing stood between there and the sea until Westminster Hotel was built in between and spoiled the view.
Eventually they became the convalescent home, and in more recent times the first location of Ysgol Dewi Sant the Welsh primary school that is now in Rhuddlan Road, and currently as a base for various public services.
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WED 15th APR 2015 UPDATE: A note from the files of the late Glyn Rees indicates that in 1872 there was a Women’s Convalescent Home and Cottage Hospital located at 2, Elwy Street, Rhyl.
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In the caption, HARDING, RHYL refers to photographer J.A. Harding who - for a while at least - was based at Magnet Studio which was in High Street just to your left of Boots Chemist.
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