FLASHBACK #31

Many readers would remember Charles Jones timber merchants at Foryd Harbour. In days of yore the harbour was a hive of activity. According to the postcard / business card below, the Charles Jones company was established in 1870. (It closed down in 1988.)

"From SHIP to RAIL"
This would refer to nearby Foryd Railway Station aka Kinmel Bay Halt about which you can read on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foryd_railway_station

"RHYL HARBOUR"
This was a name in common use for Foryd Harbour even though most of it is in Kinmel Bay. Foryd is an old name for Kinmel Bay.

This part of the card's text is repeated here for indexing purposes:

Archangel Reds, Floorings, Bathurst Spruce, Mobile Pitchpine & English Cement.

Vessels discharging at Messrs. Charles Jones and Sons, Ltd.,

Timber Importers & Sawmill Proprietors, Foryd & Rhyl.

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A reader got in touch to say she had searched Rhyl Life for an old picture of St. John's Church, Wellington Road, and failed to find one. What? Can this be true? Hereby I make amends:

St. John's, a Grade II listed building, held religious services from 1887 to 1997 and is now a private residence named Churchill House.

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FRI 16 NOV 2018 UPDATE: Mike Theaker reports that Churchill House is now a Bed and Breakfast business. See Trip Advisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g616283-d2077168

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QUIZ ANSWER # 195

Last Sunday I said that in the late 1950s this entertainer topped the bill at a Sunday concert in Rhyl Pavilion. The question: What is her name?

The answer: Jill Day.
She was Brighton-born, mainly a singer, tried her hand at acting. She was popular on TV before most of us had a TV. As a song stylist she was knocked out of the game by the advent of rock 'n' roll. She died in 1990.

The photo is from Bill Ellis who says her Sunday concert in Rhyl Pavilion was in 1958. This information helped me to date the following, one of my own pix in which Jill Day poster is centre left.

Wow, the roller skating rink looks busy!

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Also I said that in the early 1970s the entertainer below topped the bill at a Sunday concert in Rhyl Pavilion. The question: What is his name?

The answer: Jimmy Tarbuck.

Like other Liverpool comedians, JT played Rhyl more than once. The Sunday concert in question was 1971.

Below: A recent picture of yer man with his wife Pauline after they had been married for 50 years.

Daily Mirror / Getty Images

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RHYL SCORES TWICE
Daily Post has chosen 13 of the best places to get a Sunday roast in Denbighshire. Rhyl is there with Barratt's at Ty'n Rhyl, 167 Vale Road (Tel: 01745 344138) and The Bistro Restaurant, 215 Wellington Road - corner of Westbourne Avenue (01745 344333).
Click here if you wish to see the full list:
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/best-sunday-roast-lunch-denbighshire-13875288

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THU 8th FEB 2018 UPDATE: In a Daily Post list of best Chinese restaurants and takeaways in North Wales, Rhyl scores twice again with Laughing Buddha, 88-90 Rhyl Coast Road (Tel: 01745 332163) and Yeung Sing, 133 Wellington Road (01745 350773).
Also listed are one in Rhuddlan and one in Prestatyn.
The full list:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/chinese-restaurants-takeaway-north-wales-12517341

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FLASHBACK #30

The old toll bridge that preceded the present Foryd Bridge is always an item of interest. The image below tells us little or nothing about the bridge but it has a certain charm. Views from downriver looking northwards to the harbour are quite rare.

The image has been re-shaped slightly Yours Truly. It is from a card postmarked 1916. Printed on the back of the card is a copyright notice by
A. Netherwood, Conway. Arthur Netherwood was an English artist who travelled in Wales. He died in 1930.

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Well boys, we men seem to be boxed into a corner: no longer able to take hold of children and – thanks to predatory film producers and the like – no longer able to take hold of women either. We’ll have to learn to hug each other.

A long way from the dark side is this depiction of a young lady landing in Rhyl and being pursued by interested parties while a policeman looks on. Women would send this kind of card to each other.

This is postmarked 1903. It is intended to be humorous and I hope most sincerely that it offends nobody.

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MON 15th OCT 2018 UPDATE: Ditto the following item, a card postmarked 1910.

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Colin Jones / email: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

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QUIZ QUESTION # 195

In the late 1950s this entertainer topped the bill at a Sunday concert in Rhyl Pavilion.
The question: What is her name?

In the early 1970s the entertainer below topped the bill at a Sunday concert in Rhyl Pavilion.
The question: What is his name?

No need to send me an email - just check your answers against mine on Sunday 26th November 2017 after 12 noon.

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I note with glee that Scottish Government has overcome legal objections and is to impose a minimum price per unit of alcohol. Welsh Government is poised to follow suit.
The alcoholic drinks industry is pernicious; more action is needed against it. Imagine how much less our social services, NHS and policing would cost if alcohol consumption in general were cut back drastically.
The Chief Medical Officer for Wales and Chief Constable of North Wales Police are both on record as supporting the idea of a minimum price per unit of alcohol, so it's time for everybody – including the legions of local daily drinkers of the stuff – to realise that it has been dangerously cheap for too long.

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RHYL SEAFRONT

In October last year I mentioned an A5-size booklet of fourteen arty black-and-white photos by Stephen Clarke titled 'Ocean Beach Rhyl' (published 2014) in a limited edition of 150.

Recently a companion volume turned up – the covers are shown above. ‘Rhyl Seafront’ (published 2015) is in same format and this too is limited edition of 150. Its fifteen images show parts of West Parade and the promenade.

Cover shot of Gaiety Theatre would be 1980s (it was demolished 1991). Presumably the other pictures are from the ‘80s as well. The text gives no clue as to the date or any other information because there is no text.

Clwyd Cream Ices' kiosk is featured and so is the Information Centre in a unit on the prom before it moved to Children’s Village. Also we have the arcades Stardust, Mint and Ronald Seldon's Sands; and Bumper Boats. The booklet is a time capsule.

To see the post about photographer Stephen Clarke’s 'Ocean Beach Rhyl' please click here:

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/fun-on-cusp_6.html

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The following refs are added here for indexing purposes: Cafe Royal Books, Craig Atkinson editor.

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Colin Jones / email: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

See my Rhyl videos on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/RhylTime

Only the videos marked RhylTime are mine!

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QUIZ ANSWER # 194

Last Sunday I listed some Rhyl places with every other letter removed.
The question: What are the full names of the places?

The example given:

-e-l-n-t-n / -o-d = Wellington Road

The answers:

1) -u-l-n-t-n / -r-s-e-t = Burlington Crescent

2) -a-n-l-a / -o-r- = Magnolia Court

3) -a-d-w-r-h / -r-s-e-t = Handsworth Crescent

4) -l-s / -o-i- / G-c- = Llys Robin Goch

5) -a-f-r- / A-e-u- = Walford Avenue

Did you get them all right?
Of course you did!

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Alas, Daily Post reports that Rhyl has become North Wales' most crime-ridden railway station:
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/revealed-north-wales-most-crime-13861680

Criminals continue to make a bee-line for Rhyl because they have family/ friends/associates here, and they know the town is an easy place to get drugs, and policing is weak.
As far as I can see, little or nothing is being done to deter these people from coming. On the contrary they are welcomed by publicly-funded support projects including housing services.
Your taxes, dear readers, are being used to help Rhyl gain and keep a bad reputation.

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AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION

These amateur snaphots from the early 1930s relate to AA Box. No. 263 named ‘Rhuddlan Cross-Roads’. The telephone number was Rhuddlan 235. At the crossroads it was on the B. 5532 (now A5151 to Bodrhyddan Hall, Dyserth and Trelawnyd.)

Whenever passing I see the ghost of the AA Box in Rhuddlan and the one at Trefnant, Doctor.

Does anybody know who the patrolman is?

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Colin Jones / email: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

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UP AND OVER

Here are a couple of aerial shots; the guesstimated date is August 2010. Thanks to 'L' for sending these.

Above: Looking westwards across Towyn. Tir Prince is on your left.

Click on an image to see a bigger version.

Below: Looking eastwards across Towyn & Kinmel Bay towards Rhyl.

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Colin Jones / email: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

Don't forget my YouTube channel featuring Rhyl videos and slideshows. The channel is named RhylTime. Click here to see RhylTime's Top Ten:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7BKgZiQNRSaVpnyTl8PgEpPusmd3dl_z

Only YouTube items labelled RhylTime are mine.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 194

Here are some Rhyl places with every other letter removed.
The question: What are the full names of the places?

Example:

-e-l-n-t-n / -o-d = Wellington Road

Now try these–

1) -u-l-n-t-n / -r-s-e-t

2) -a-n-l-a / -o-r-

3) -a-d-w-r-h / -r-s-e-t

4) -l-s / -o-i- / G-c-

5) -a-f-r- / A-e-u-

No need to send me an email - just check your answers against mine on Sunday 12th November 2017 after 12 noon.

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