TUCK IN

London-based publishers Raphael Tuck & Sons started producing picture postcards in 1900 and continued for more than half a century. The Tuck company lost a lot of its original material during World War 2 and merged with other companies in 1959.

The following are Rhyl examples of Tuck cards - Foryd harbour, the pier, Open Air Bathing Pool ('The Baths') and sandhills opposite East Parade. The photos would have been taken circa 1950.

From the same source and of a similar date are these shots of Palin's Ideal Holiday Camp, Towyn near Abergele:

The camp certainly looks a lot different now and has been renamed Palin's Holiday Park:
http://www.palinsholidaypark.co.uk/

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WED 26th JUL 2017 UPDATE:  Here is a rare aerial shot of Palin's:

And for good measure, an undated postcard of Cambria Holiday Camp in Towyn, with intriguing reference to Radio Cycles bottom left:

This camp is still operating as Cambria Caravan Park:
http://cambriacaravanpark.com/

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HANDFUL OF MYSTERIES

Here at Jones Towers are quite a few pictures marked 'Maybe Rhyl', 'Possibly Rhyl', 'Probably Rhyl'. or simply 'Unknown'. Nothing is known about this one - a large group of males of various ages:

The above is presumed to be a Rhyl picture because it is by photographer Wills Jones who, in that era of straw boater hats, operated from the Magnet Studio in High Street, Rhyl.
[The Magnet Studio was upstairs to your left of Boots chemist until Boots expanded and swallowed it.]

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

The above is dated 1941 (during World War 2) and labelled 'Rhyl district'. There is no obvious pointer to why these people are being photographed together.
Standing in the back row (left to right): Don't know, Nellie Hall, Rosie Powell, ---- Whittaker, Elsie Woods, V. Gratton and Don't know.
Sitting in the front row (l to r): Kitty Harris, Rene Mac, Vera Whitworth, Don't know and Lottie Jones.

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I am not 100 per cent convinced that the following is Rhyl but, if it is, we might be looking at businesses that were replaced by the long gone Regal Cinema which was in turn replaced by the retail building at 97 High Street recently vacated by the Co-op.

On your left in the picture is Pozzi's Restaurant & Tea Rooms at No.97. 
On your right is 'Ye Olde Britannia' Fish &  Chip Saloon, which may well have been the remnant of the Britannia Forge pub  - a hotbed of illegal gambling - originally the Britannia Inn.
On the other hand, the picture may not be Rhyl at all.
Hey ho.
Motor car enthusiasts may be able to guess the date.

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In this Rhyl promenade pic, probably late 1950s, on your left is the Pier Amphitheatre ('The Amphi') and on your right is Prince's Water Phantasy at the Open Air Bathing Pool ('The Baths'). All well and good but what is the tall tower centre right?

Would it part of the illuminations perhaps?

Your thoughts on any of today's mysteries would be most welcome.

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

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MON 12th JUN 2017 UPDATE: Of the first picture above, Robert Jones of Dyserth writes:

"The location of the men and boys is the old Merseyside Holiday Camp in Dyserth. The Allt y Graig railway bridge is at the top left, and the wall to the right going to Lady’s Wood is visible. 

The camp was sited on Lletty Mwyn (Place of Minerals), next to the Clive Engine; you can see undulating ground due to the mine waste.

There are lots of pictures of those tents from 1909 onwards, including soldiers in WW1, until wooden huts replaced them in the 1920s. 

The most interesting thing about the photo is the unusual mixture of the classes posing together."

Thank you, Robert!

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LITTLE ACORNS

"Mighty oaks from little acorns grow." - Proverb

Recently when passing Lyons Robin Hood Camp I mean Holiday Park on Rhyl Coast Road I was reminded of what a big spread it has become.

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

The pix below from earlier eras capture a couple of stages in development.

1930s - Lyons Camp

1950s - Lyons Camp

For present day details of this and other Lyons Holiday Parks (including Winkups in Towyn near Abergele, and Lido Beach Prestatyn) see web:

http://www.lyonsholidayparks.co.uk/caravan-parks-north-wales

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MON 19th JUN 2017 UPDATE: These two cards of Lyons Holiday Camp were published by Raphael Tuck and are dated 1935. Already, comparatively cheap camping holidays were the seeds of destruction of Rhyl's boarding houses!

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TUE 22nd AUG 2017 UPDATE: An image of Winkup's on a card postmarked 1937.

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TUE 10th JUL 2018 UPDATE: In early July it was revealed that Lyons Holiday Park Limited, Denbighshire LL18, was one of many companies that failed a check on whether the law on minimum wage was being complied with. Lyons owed a total of £7,321.01 to 12 workers.
See WalesOnline:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/top-welsh-restaurant-holiday-park-14870183

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6720. Additional image added in July 2020:

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LIFE GOES ON: FEB 2017

Rhyl Life's all-time number of pageviews has now exceeded 448,000. During February 2017, ten old posts were updated. They are as follows:

David Trehearn -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/song-of-david.html 

Glanmorfa/YMCA -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/wellington-and-kings.html

Grand Theatre -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/grand-times.html

Hovercraft -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/back-to-drawing-board-2.html

Rae Pickard -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/mr-pickard-is-out_17.html

Rhuddlan foundry/ iron works -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/take-five-rhuddlan.html

Sea paddlers -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-paddlers_27.html

Unknown shops -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/dont-know-everything-yet.html

White Lion Hotel -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/grand-times.html

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This amateur snapshot would be hard to beat for nostalgia. Dated 1949 it shows visitors in West Parade crossing Water Street. A note on the back says they were staying at Edwards Camp.

Edwards Camp may have been an earlier edition of the present Edwards Leisure Park in Towyn near Abergele:
http://edwardsleisurepark.co.uk/

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The following references are added here for indexing purposes: Red & White Milk Bars, Parker's ice cream.

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NEW YEAR QUIZ (# 181) ANSWERS

On Tuesday 3rd January I posted eight Rhyl questions to get your brainbox working after the Christmas/New Year break.

Question 1 was about a photo of the trough/fountain on the promenade. The question: What is hidden behind the red dots?
The answer: 1963.
Here is the photo without dots. The inscription in full reads: "Presented by Mrs William Jenkins Birmingham 1963."

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Question 2 was based on a 1950 photo of Rhyl councillors and staff.
The question: What is the occasion?
The answer:Routine visit to/inspection of Rhyl Waterworks.
Many familiar faces here. Easily discernible sitting in front row, 2nd from left with hat on knees, is Coun P.T. Trehearn. In the first row of standing figures, 3rd from right is Coun Glyn Vaughan.

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Question 3 concerned a recent shot showing part of a block of flats.
The question: What is the English name of the building?
The answer: New Horizon.
The block is usually known by its Welsh name Gorwel Newydd; it is on corner of West Parade and Butterton Road.

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Question 4. In this image of a religious gathering, what was the nearest theatre?

The answer: Rhyl Pavilion.
The clue in the far background is the white statue of an unknown soldier in Boer War campaign dress, facing the sea.
The gathering is most likely to be the annual Children's Mission c.1890. The event comprised meetings, preachings and processions.

In its two subsequent positions along the prom the statue has faced the opposite way. Incidentally, the designer/sculptor was Herbert Chatham who created the Boer War figure that stands in the shopping centre at Winsford, Cheshire.

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Question 5. Here is a flyer for Celebrity's night club. In what hotel was Celebrity's?

The answer: Marina Hotel
I have a note saying that the hotel was closed following a police raid in 2012. Not long afterwards the hotel was converted to flats (Marina Apartments).

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Question 6. Below: pomp and ceremony draws a crowd. Where were they standing?

The answer: Rhyl Railway Station.
The event is a visit in 1920 by The Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught & Strathearn (1850–1942) representing the monarch at the time, George V.
At first glance I thought that would be the far left of the station building but a photo I took a few days ago says no - it doesn't match:

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Question 7. This building's name is hidden by a cluster of black dots. What is it?
The answer: Rhyl Bowling Club.
The building is in Seabank Road. Here is the picture without dots:

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Question 8. The following roofs (rooves if you like) are where?

The answer: Marine Holiday Park aka Marine Caravan Park,
The business is located in Cefndy Road opposite Rhyl College and is owned by Hoseasons.

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So, how many did you get right out of eight?
Six or more = splendid.
Four or five = OK.
Less than four = Go and stand in the corner!

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SUN 4th FEB 2018 UPDATE: Regarding the visit by the Duke of Connaught & Strathearn, the date was 1920 and the location was indeed Rhyl Railway Station. The Duke had been in St. Asaph attending the enthronement of the Bishop of St. Asaph as first Archbishop of Wales.

The Duke's appearance in Rhyl was brief and took place on a temporary stage outside the railway station in front of a large crowd. This was caught on film by the Shannon Brothers, new owners of the Market Street cinema once operated by Arthur Cheetham.

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KINMEL BAY TOP-UP

According to Wikipedia, Kinmel Bay is a suburb of Rhyl. Kinmel Bay was originally called Foryd, and Foryd was the name of its former railway station.

The following Kinmel Bay oddity is an advert inviting investment in a poultry farm which may or may not have existed.

The card below is captioned The Camping Fields, Kinmel Bay, and is believed to be from late 1930s/early 1940s:

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The following beach shot may be late 1940s/early 1950s. I like the windsock and would love to know what was written on it:

Here is Sunnyvale Camp's swimming pool on a card postmarked 1955 from Pat to her workmates I mean colleagues at the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance in Coventry:

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

Kinmel Bay multiview card postmarked 1964

Vintage card of Bettws Private Hotel, Kinmel Bay

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Additional image added in July 2020:

Oakfield Camp, Rhyl, is now called Oakfield Caravan Park. It is in Morfa Avenue, Kinmel Bay and is owned by Hoseasons.

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TOWYN TOP-UP

Towyn is part of the postal district of Abergele but shares a community council with Kinmel Bay; the combined population is about 8,000.

Art enthusiasts may like this picture titled 'The Sands of Towyn, North Wales' by B.W. Leader A.R.A. (Associate of the Royal Academy):

Benjamin Williams Leader (1831-1923) was a landscape artist from the English midlands; he spent quite a lot of time in North Wales. I like the way he turned his name around from Benjamin Leader Williams so as not to disappear in a tide of Williamses.

The following postcard is undated, looks to be 1930s. Underneath it is a detail from the big picture.

Here is another card; this one is postmarked 1955. It carries a message from Rose to her Aunt, Mrs M. Williams of Harborne, Birmingham:

Until recently I had not heard of Howison's Holiday Camp, Towyn, as featured on the multiview card below.

Howison's was a forerunner of the present Whitehouse Leisure Park:
http://www.whitehouseleisurepark.com/

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MON 19th JUN 2017 UPDATE: These two Towyn cards were published by Raphael Tuck and date from the late 1930s.

Wilcock's Holiday Camp is a valuable addition to Rhyl Life - the camp has not been mentioned previously herein.

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6720. Additional image added in July 2020:

I keep passing this church in Towyn but have never been inside. The photo looks to be a Rae Pickard even though his logo is not on it.

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THE SINGING CARTOONIST

Roy Lance (Gordon Roylance) and his cartoons from the Rhyl Leader newspaper have featured previously in this blog. Recently, via his grand-daughter Dawn Brown, I made contact with his daughter Antoinette known as Toni who has supplied the material in this post.

Roy was born in 1922 in Padgate near Warrington. He left school aged 15, went to work for The Warrington Guardian as a cub reporter and started to draw cartoons for the paper. This developed into an act and he was known locally as ‘The Boy Wonder Singing Cartoonist’. With the money he earned he put himself through art school.

Roy and his wife Irene (née Thompson) met as young teens – she was also from Warrington. During World War 2 Roy was based at RAF Cosford. He wasn’t able to fly because of his colour blindness so he did art work at the base and was put in charge of entertainment. Irene was a dancer and choreographer. The couple married after the war ended.

Here is Roy (sporting a fashionable but temporary moustache) with Irene in 1950:

Toni says, “They had their honeymoon in a bungalow at Sandy Cove in Kinmel Bay, and liked the area so much they subsequently bought a bungalow in Foryd Road, which is where I was born, and in 1961 they had a house built on a plot of land further up the road in Moelwyn Avenue North where they lived until my dad died in 2006.”

In addition to doing cartoons and art work, Roy became a variety artist who did summer seasons and pantomimes in many places. Toni says, “He was a great comedian. He did a wonderful Charlie Chaplin impersonation and sang too as he drew his cartoons on stage.”

In Rhyl, Roy did several summer seasons at the Coliseum on the prom (before and after it was roofed) and several more in 1960s at Derbyshire Miners’ camp in Marsh Road, sometimes working evenings at the Robin Hood camp as well.

As a versatile performer he was a good choice for parts in pantomimes – including Dame.

Roy spent two years as the resident comedian/compère at The Cabaret Club in Manchester, and in the late 60s he did regular summer variety shows in Llandudno where he was very popular:

Over the decades, Roy’s other venues for summer seasons and pantos included Bridlington, Cleveleys, Filey, Morecambe, New Brighton, Pwlleli, Scarborough, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea, Swinton near Manchester, Westcliff-on-Sea and Whitby, to name just a few.

Toni says, “He had many friends in show business, working with many of them over the years - people such as Bruce Forsyth, Frankie Howerd and Ken Dodd. When Morecambe and Wise made their only Rhyl appearance in the mid ‘60s my Dad compèred the show.”

So there he is. The late, great Roy Lance – cartoonist, caricaturist, singer, impressionist, comedian, joke writer, compère, performer and producer. Thanks for the information Toni, I was wondering about Roy and I’m much the wiser now.

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The following names are added here for indexing purposes:

Robinson Cleaver, Clive Stock, Norma Hughes, Willie Wyse, The Mintings, Roy Minting, Andrea Wardale, Paul Leonard, Vince Rita Starr, Bernadette Corlett, Lesley Anne Riding, Jimmy Webster, Albert Tinkler, Brian Elliot.

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MON 16th JUL 2018 UPDATE: Recently auctioned on Internet was a programme for the Morecambe and Wise appearance at Rhyl Pavilion.
Brian Pendleton told me that he was there that night and the theatre was only half full even though M&W had a TV series at the time.
On the bill were Fred & Audrey Atkins (ventriloquism), Burden and Moran (magic) and the Petter Sisters about whom I can find no info.
Roy Lance is listed as "our resident compere" and certainly earned his money that night – he trod the boards four times.
The auction item failed to fetch much more than £20, perhaps because of the dodgy-looking signature and the fact that Morecambe is spelled wrongly throughout.

Click on the image to see a bigger version.

Ernie Morcambe and Eric Wise, eh? I wonder if that double blooper was mentioned in their act that night – or in Roy's!

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