PANTO DRAWS ON

These recent acquisitions are postcards bearing bottom right the printed signature of Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard and the date 1912. On the back they carry the following message: "BROMESQUE" REAL PHOTOGRAPH by RAE PICKARD, RHYL. PRINTED IN RHYL.

The cards bear no further details. Mr. Pickard ranged far and wide in North Wales, so there is no guarantee that this production of 'Cinderella' was actually staged in Rhyl. Nevertheless I suspect we are looking at girls from our St. Mary's Convent School in Russell Road which was up and running by then.

Kinmel Bay-based cartoonist/singer/comedian Roy Lance clocked up a few pantos in his time, such as this one:

Roy is on your right as Simple Simon with Trevor Moreton as Dame in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' 1968-69 at Swansea Grand Theatre. Jack was played by pop singer Wayne Fontana; the cast included The Harmon Brothers (later known as The Chuckle Brothers).

If I have identified the wrong production I will go and stand in the corner.

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This year at Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, we have 'Sleeping Beauty':

Pavilion Theatre says, "The cast is headed by Vicky Entwistle, perhaps best known as Coronation Streeet’s Janice Batterby who plays the Bad Fairy Cararabosse. She is joined by Channel 5’s Milkshake presenter, Amy Thompson as Sleeping Beauty, Princess Briar Rose, and Hollyoaks’ Kathy Barnes, Sarah Jane Buckley, as the Good Fairy.

"The Queen of pantomime dames, Charles Burden, plays Nanny Glucose, and back by popular demand is Wales’ very own Sean Jones as Silly Billy who returns for his 6th consecutive pantomime at the Pavilion.

"There is a full supporting cast which includes two local talented dance schools, The Gay Harris Dancers and The North Wales School of Dance. Sleeping Beauty runs from Wednesday 13th December to Saturday 6th January, tickets are priced from just £9.50."

Website: http://www.rhylpavilion.co.uk/sleeping-beauty/

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FAWLTY CONNECTIONS

Incidentally, recent works by Denbighshire County Council at the Pavilion Theatre include the creation of a new restaurant area which has been given the name ‘1891’ because somebody thinks that’s when the Pavilion first opened. There are faults in this reasoning.

The present Pavilion Theatre which opened in 1991 could be described as a belated replacement for the famous domed Rhyl Pavilion (demolished 1974, opened 1908) but there is no connection that I know of between those two council-owned venues and the Grand Pavilion (destroyed by fire 1901, opened 1891).

The Grand Pavilion, about which I published a book in 2002, was a concert hall built at the shore end of our Victoria Pier by a private company which owned the pier at that particular time. It was not the start of a Pavilion dynasty so ‘1891’ is not an appropriate name for the restaurant.

If the link between the three disparate venues is simply the word Pavilion, then the restaurant might as well be named '1867' which was the date that the Bijou Pavilion opened halfway along the pier. Does all this matter? Well, there is already enough misinformation about Rhyl history out there without Denbighshire Council adding to it.

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ECCLESIASTICS

The two pictures above of the Parish Church of St. Thomas, Rhyl (organ and exterior) are from the 1900-1910 period, and the interior below is on a card postmarked 1916:

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

The above portrait of the ladies of Church Army Crusaders Group No.2 is undated and is the work of photographer J.A. Harding of Rhyl.
Below: gentlemen of Church Army Pilgrimage Salisbury To Rhyl 1928 posing outside a church. I wonder what church.

Church Army should not be confused with Salvation Army. They are not the same. See Wikipedia:
Church Army -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Army
Salvation Army -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salvation_Army

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The original Catholic Church in Wellington Road, Rhyl, was known as St. Mary's but actually named Our Lady Of The Assumption (same applies to the present one).
The original's interior was far more elaborate and decorative as shown on this card postmarked 1916:

Here are two rare snapshots of the old church being demolished after the present one had been built behind it. The new church opened in 1975.

The following segment has been moved to here from an older post:

Rev. Father Patrick Collins (later Canon) was based at St. Mary's from early 1950s to early '70s. He was a well known figure on a bicycle visiting parishioners who were in hospital or housebound.
In 1971 he was presented with a motor scooter. Standing left to right in the image below are Mayor of Rhyl Dan Roberts, Les Slee (from whose book ‘The Catholic Church In Rhyl 1854-2005’ the photo was uplifted) and Councillor Herbert Weston.

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TUE 16th MAY 2017 UPDATE: Regarding the photo of Church Army Pilgrimage Salisbury To Rhyl 1928. The Great Gareth and I have been puzzling over the church in background; it may not be a Rhyl church.
The photo might have been taken in Salisbury before starting out.

Same consideration applies to image below of Church Army Pilgrimage Nottingham to Rhyl. This is a card postmarked 1937.

[Taking pictures of pilgrims before they set out for Rhyl seems a good idea - in case they don't return.]

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COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS 2017

Plaid Cymru retained overall control of Gwynedd County Council – that means Plaid has more councillors there than other parties put together. Plaid won a total of 202 county council seats in Wales as a whole (33 more than last time).

Here in Denbighshire the biggest party had been Labour but with no overall control. NOW the biggest party are the Conservatives with no overall control.

County residents are unlikely to notice much difference because unelected officers rule the roost anyway.

In Rhyl all our county and town councillors had been Labour but their stranglehold has been loosened slightly. NOW 2 of Rhyl’s 11 county councillors are not Labour and 5 of Rhyl’s 22 town councillors are not Labour.

Town residents are not likely to notice much difference because town council has no powers worth mentioning.

I note with satisfaction that the election left Wales without any UKIP councillors. UKIP is the nastiest, most racist and most untruthful party. We are better off without them in our council chambers.

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

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TEAM SPIRITS

Roger Jones of Dyserth, an ex-Rhylite from Arfon Grove and South Avenue, has sent these photographs of 1961-62 sports teams at the Catholic primary school Ysgol Mair in St. Margaret's Drive, Rhyl.

In the soccer team above, the footballers are . . . 

Floor: Graham Black (left) and David Nevitt.
Front row (Left to Right): Michael Bewick, Timothy Kingston, Stephen Manfredi, Roger Jones himself and Don’t know.
Back row (L to R): Don’t know, Don’t know, Kevin Walton, Don’t know, Don’t know and (Robert Dennis?)

The adult common to both photographs is the headmaster Fred Jemmett. The other adult is Harry Richards (Sports Master).

Click on any photo to see a bigger version.

The cricketers are . . .
Front row (Left to Right): John Bebbington, Graham Black, Timothy Kingston, Roger Jones in person, Stephen Manfredi and (Robert Dennis?)
Back Row (L-R): John Furneaux, Martin Dowling, Michael Bewick, (Peter Marshall?), Malcolm Dunn and Philip Furneaux.

[Come on, Ysgol Mair girls, let's be having your pix! - Ed.]

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For good measure Roger Jones also sent the old black-and-white image below left, showing Alpha Villa in Elwy Street. He says,
"In the 1911 census the house is occupied by Joseph Denton Davies, brother of Thomas Davies, a partner in Rhydwen Jones & Davies the furnishers. My paternal grandparents, originally from Ruthin, lived there from late 1930s until the house passed out of family possession in 1973 following the death of their daughter, my Aunt."

The house is next door to your left of the dentists, and is now plain No.9 Elwy Street as in the colour photo taken a couple of days ago by Yours Truly. "I can well remember visiting Charles Hubbard the dentist next door," says Roger.

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

See my Rhyl videos on YouTube:

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

Only the videos marked RhylTime are mine!

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MESSAGE FROM MARGARET

This blog has many Rhyl Convent School fans among its readers, and they may be pleased to see the following card posted in 1903 to May Conolly of Deganwy from a convent girl named Margaret:

 

Margaret says, "Dear May. Thank you for your nice P.P.C. (Picture post card - Ed.) I think this is a very good view of the Convent & Drive. We saw Mother yesterday (Saturday) & had great fun. Tessa & Cissie got some big sun hats & trimmed them with muslin (Lightweight cotton cloth in a plain weave - Ed.) I must close now. I remain yr ever loving Margaret."

What a charming find!

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Rhyl Life has a lot about local soccer but not much about rugby, observes one reader. Truth is, I haven't got much rugby stuff on file. How about this 1911 photograph of Rhyl Rugby Team? A fine body of men!

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Please email your Rhyl sports and Rhyl schools photos to:
Colin Jones / email: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

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WORLD TOUR OF ABERGELE # 1

The little town of Abergele is more or less half way between Rhyl and Colwyn Bay. It is many centuries older than Rhyl, and seems to have a slightly more Welsh flavour. The picture above of Market Street, Abergele, is a card postmarked 1915.

The following card of County School is postmarked 1911. The school opened in 1899, became Abergele Grammar in 1945 [and was absorbed the present comprehensive Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan in 1967]:

Below is a 1930s picture of the Roman Catholic Church, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, still a cornerstone of Abergele:

This church also takes care of Christ The King, Gors Road, Towyn.

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I visited the Luxor Cinema, Abergele, in early 1960s with school pal Peter Hollis. We went to see an Army comedy 'On The Fiddle' aka 'Operation Snafu' starring Alfred Lynch and Sean Connery, and were underwhelmed.

The Luxor changed name to the Glynn Cinema before closing down. Comparatively recently Pete became a resident of Llanfair Talhaiarn (Llanfair T.H.) high up to the south of Abergele. Part of it looked like this circa 1907 and probably still does:

This Llanfair T.H. postcard of Williams "The At Home" Tea Rooms is undated:

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

Here are a couple of other Abergele villages: Dolwen undated at the top, and then St. George circa World War 1:

The St. George picture is detailed and impressive enough to be the work of Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard (unsigned).

By way of contrast here is a 1950s/'60s shot of council houses and a butcher's shop at Llanddulas:

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MON 20th MAR 2017 UPDATE: Below are more old/vintage images of various Abergele villages.

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

Belgrano - The Bell Stores (undated)

Betws yn Rhos - card postmarked 1969

Llanddulas - card posted 1904

Rhyd-y-Foel as seen from Llanddulas

Rhyd-y-Foel card postmarked 1913

Rhyd-y-Foel (undated)

St. George - Kinmel Arms card posted 1907

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CONVENT RARITIES

One of the most popular subjects in this blog is the former St. Mary’s Convent, Russell Road, best remembered as a school for girls.

Recently five postcards turned up for sale in Belgium, posted from Rhyl by a Convent pupil whose handwriting is lovely except for her signature. Her name may be Jeanne.

She posted the cards in 1906 written in French language to her friend Mme. Suzette van Espen of Bruxelles / Brussells. The following images are derived from copies:

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

The original cards are in sepia tones. They are not in my ownership and may still be for sale.

It says a lot for the reputation of the Convent that a pupil should be sent such a long way to attend the school. Ex-Convent girls tell me it was a happy place to be.

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

See my Rhyl videos on YouTube:

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

Only the videos marked RhylTime are mine! 

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MORE OLD ADVERTS

The advert above is from Issue No.2 of the newsletter Catholic Life sold at St. Mary's Church (Our Lady Of The Assumption), Wellington Road, Rhyl, in December 1957 when Canon Collins was Parish Priest assisted by Father Breen and Father Brennan, 

The following ad for J.B. Worrall, Bodfor Street, is from same newsletter:

Presumably Mr. Worrall was a member of the congregation. His shop was next to the Bee, where Station News is now:

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The following advert for Jay's Cafe, Market Street, is from a souvenir booklet of the Royal Floral Hall early 1970s.

Click on any item to see a bigger version.

Jay's Cafe is still marching on but not: "until 11 p.m."

[Generally, these days catering places in Rhyl close early. My pal Jill and I have found even 4 p.m. is too late to get a cuppa in some of 'em!]

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From the same Floral Hall booklet comes this advert for Mival's Garden Centre, Rhuddlan Rd, and their shop at town end of Wellington Rd:

Their Rhuddlan Road site has gone. The Wellington Rd premises are still owned by the Mival family and currently occupied by Sassy (clothes and accessories):

From same Floral Hall booklet , and still on subject of horticulture, here is an advert for William Roberts Ltd whose Rhyl shop was in High Street with a branch in Prestatyn:

On the William Roberts corner now is The Games Exchange selling computer games, DVDs and CDs.
Oops, sorry Officer I didn't see you coming!

The colour photos in this post were taken last month by Yours Truly.

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

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MON 11th JAN 2016 UPDATE: David Thomas reports that earlier this month the shop Sassy closed down and moved out.

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THU 11th JAN 2018 UPDATE: Regarding William Roberts (Rhyl) Limited, a photo of the company's registration form dated 1925.
Click on it to see more clearly.

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