Bae Colwyn aka Colwyn Bay is approximately 11 miles oh all right 17 kilometres to the west of Rhyl and there has been a lot of cross-fertilization of residents and visitors.
If the planned merger of counties Conwy and Denbighshire goes ahead the resorts of Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay & Llandudno would be in the same local authority area - a sensible move.
History of Colwyn Bay is well covered elsewhere, notably by authors Graham Roberts and Cindy Lowe. Here are some of my favourite pix chosen at random:
Above: Old Colwyn, Fairy Glen card posted 1907 and Old Village card posted 1918.
Click on any picture to see a bigger version.
Below: the entrance to Colwyn Bay pier, followed by the entertainment venue Catlin's Arcadia:
You would find more about promoter Will Catlin of Arcadia in Bill Ellis' book 'Entertainment In Rhyl And North Wales'. Will's real surname was Fox. His daughter Gladys Fox married Billie Manders whose Quaintesques played season after season at Rhyl's Amphitheatre.
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Below: Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay, on a card postmarked 1905, and part of Eirias Park on card posted in 1930s:
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Here are shots of The Bay looking eastwards. First is a view from Bryn Euryn on a card postmarked 1917; the more recent photo is (1960s?):
According to reliable sources there is still plenty going on in Colwyn Bay.
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Colin Jones / email: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk
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