Most of my favourite old Rhyl images are already on Rhyl Life except the following which have been lying around waiting for a context. Before the blog closes to new posts, I present these images for no better reason than
I would hate to see them left out.
In this blog there have been already a couple of references to Professor Miller / Millar who operated Rhyl's first Punch and Judy booth on the prom opposite Queens Hotel. Here is the good professor up a ladder with a ventriloquist's doll:
The Queen's Palace dome dates the image as 1902-1907. A point of interest far left is a sign for 'Queens Mews' –
haven't noticed that before.
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From a 2018 Internet auction: a rare and unaffordable postcard of putting greens at Botanical Gardens, undated, certainly before WW2 -
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The family snaps below are from a 1930s album belonging to George Robert Eden of Birmingham. Our 'continental' basket chairs, the pier, deckchairs - and a sandcastle - made very good props.
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Around 1960 at Ocean Beach Fun Fair there were two Big Wheels as shown below. This image is artificially coloured; the shed-like building shown with dark green roof is the Playland arcade/cafe, and next door with brown roof is Ritz Ballroom:
I think the Big Wheel nearest to camera arrived first and departed first; it was a 'ferris wheel' made by Eli Bridge Company of USA and operated by Billy Williams. The wheel further away looks smaller but was in fact bigger and was owned by Rhyl Amusements Ltd.
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Here is a picture of the promenade paddling pool which had been built in 1920s as the Children's Lake for nippers to splash around in, sail toy boats and get cramp if the weather wasn't warm enough.
Some years ago in newspaper archives I found a reader's letter scorning "that montrosity they are building on the prom". The year was 1908 and he was referring to Rhyl Pavilion as shown above.
[I wouldn't go along with term "monstrosity" but it has to be said that the Pavilion was highly photogenic and looked better in postcard images than in reality.]
The summer show being advertised is 'A Night At The Varieties'. That happened to be the Pavilion's final show and therefore the date is 1972. The building was demolished in 1974.
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MON 9th APR 2018 UPDATE: In his book ‘Rhyl The Town And Its People’ (1970) the author J.W. Jones says of the Pavilion, “It isn’t beautiful – I have heard it described as more the design of an engineer than an architect – but neither is it ugly. Perhaps its best description is one which I have already used, ‘striking’.
“I have seen it against a moonlit sky when it had some aesthetic appeal, but in the cold light of day one has to admit that it looks ‘heavy’, for want of a more descriptive word.”
Mr. Jones goes on to list some of the stars that appeared in concert there, including the following whose visits have not been mentioned previously in this blog:
Madame Melba (Dame Nellie Melba) -
Paderewski -
Jose Collins -
Dance band leader/clarinettist Harry Roy; Forces' Sweetheart Vera Lynn and Shirley Bassey.
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