LIFE GOES ON: NOV 2018

Above: 1956 advert for Prince's Water Phantasy at the council-owned Open-Air Bathing Pool ('The Baths') on the prom, featuring exhibition divers, swimmers and novelty acts: Tarzan and his mate, The Famous Lambert Trio, Prince Zahoor the 'brilliant Indian balancing star', and The Water Phantasettes.
When these performers were out of the way you could go and have a dip. The location was roughly where the Events Arena is now.

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During November 2018 the following posts were updated:

Electrip Records, letter from Italy -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2015/11/quiz-answer-115.html

Grand Theatre, ‘A Little Bit Of Fluff’ -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2016/10/grand-times.html

Gronant, more old pix -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2016/05/quiz-answer-135.html

Hovercraft, another pic -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/02/back-to-drawing-board-2.html

J.A. Elliott-Jones, artist -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2016/02/quiz-answer-127.html

Jasper Maskelyne in Rhyl -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/10/cinderella-49.html

Monorail 1980 -
https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/03/monorail.html

Pont y Ddraig aka Dragon Bridge, Foryd -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2015/08/quiz-answer-105_23.html

Promenade ‘walking photos’, another pic -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/07/toms-story.html

Rhuddlan, vintage pic of High Street -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2017/10/rhuddlan-request.html

St. John’s Church, Wellington Road -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2017/11/flashback-31.html

Westcliffe Hotel, West Parade -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/06/western-front.html

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RECAP ON THE QUEENS

Earlier this month, Denbighshire County Council announced a £5 million redevelopment plan that targets the run-down Queens Indoor Market which has entrances in West Parade, High Street and Sussex Street.

Queens Market (established 1960) was previously Queens Ballroom which was established in 1920s. The splendid dance floor was taken up and sold at the time of conversion. Queens Theatre upstairs closed shortly after the ballroom.

Queens Theatre & Ballroom were preceded by the Grand Theatre upstairs with indoor roller skating rink below. Early film shows started at the rink and then moved upstairs to the theatre which operated off-season under the name Futurist Cinema.

Grand Theatre and the skating rink comprised a redevelopment of the Queen's Palace i.e. palace of varieties, which included theatre, ballroom, exhibitions and novelty sideshows. Queen's Palace opened in 1902, was open only in summer seasons, and closed down after a fire in 1907.

[Note for romantics: For two or three seasons Queen's Palace had in its basement a 'Little Venice' exhibition which included a gondola ride. This was taken out a couple of years before the fire and was nothing special in that day and age.]

A lot of genuine history is associated with the building and, up to 5 or 6 years ago, I would have thought it worth preserving if enough public money could be found. But since then the town centre has nose-dived and is in urgent need of something new.

At this point in its history Rhyl needs something new more than it needs something old.

Also in the proposed new scheme is Queens Market's next-door neighbour in West Parade, the Savoy Enterprises' building at Nos. 7-13. For a long time until fairly recently this was owned by the Trehearn family and operated under the name Vern's Amusements.
Readers may remember its corner of Queen Street as The Bistro night club (originally Savoy Cafe).

At present Denbighshire Council is seeking match-funding from Welsh Government for the proposed scheme and has not yet announced what it would intend to create on these sites.

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Above: I like the idea of a tobacconist named Mr. Stubbs . . . and indeed a sprinter named Mr. Bolt!

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

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FOR ST DAVID'S DAY

In 1993 after a long absence I returned to the Vale of Clwyd where born and raised. My mother and her mother being Rhylites, I had known the town all my life and was shocked to see how much it had changed.

Since then I have been involved with community groups in Rhyl, and from early 1990s onwards with the resort’s history. One way or another I have been thinking about Rhyl on a daily basis for a quarter of a century.

It’s time I thought about something else.

Rhyl Life therefore is closing today, but the existing posts will continue to be updated, and ‘Life Goes On’ bulletins about these updates should appear occasionally.

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I've had my say about the inadequacies of local politics and about the 2016 referendum on UK's membership of the European Union having produced the wrong result for Wales.

In my 72nd year I feel unhappy about the bigger picture but could never feel pessimistic about Rhyl – it has as much potential as ever. It is a young town with far more of a future than a past. 

Rhyl Life has operated on-and-off for ten years. Many early posts were of a temporary nature and have been deleted. At the time of writing there are 1,220 posts and an estimated 3,000 images.

At its height, the site attracted about 10,000 pageviews a month. A large part of this success was due to the contributors who generously supplied material for inclusion.

With a final word of thanks to the contributors, I sign off here and wish all readers the best of health and happiness.


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

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CHEETHAM BOOKED

Arthur Cheetham the Rhyl-based movie pioneer and businessman is the subject of a new book by Philip Lloyd whose previous work 'Glorious Rhyl: a peep at its past' was published in 2002 and well received.

Of the new book, which is titled 'Silvograph, Arthur Cheetham 1865-1937, pioneer film maker', Philip writes, "Arthur Cheetham arrived in Rhyl in 1889 and set up in business as a phrenologist, ‘medical electrician’ (offering ‘treatment’ for a variety of ailments with his ‘electro-curative battery’), printer, publisher and photographer.

"But he is best known as the town’s pioneer film maker. Between 1898 and 1912 Cheetham shot at least 47 films, depicting aspects of contemporary entertainment, sport, industry, transport etc, well over half of them in Rhyl, including the arrival of the first through Euston/Rhyl summer-service train."

The new book will be on sale on Thursday 22nd March 2018 at Rhyl Library. The author will be available to sign copies between 9.30 am and 5 pm and will screen a selection of Cheetham films at 2 pm.
Most of the films came from the collection of the late Eric Foulkes of Foulkes' Bar, High Street, Rhyl.

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EARLY ROYAL VISITS

Although television executives seem to believe we are all royalists, they can include me out. The bestowing of massive privileges on one particular family for hereditary reasons seems to me an outdated and offensive idea.

Nevertheless I have a soft spot for Alexandra of Denmark (shown below) patron of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl. We had Alexandra Hotel and still have Alexandra Bridge i.e. the Vale Road Bridge.

She was Princess of Wales and wife of Edward, Prince of Wales, who became King Edward V11. Alexandra visited Rhyl in 1894 for laying the foundation stone of the hospital, and in 1902 to open the hospital. On the second occasion her husband was with her in his coronation year.

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A later Prince of Wales was to become King Edward V111 for less than 12 months. He abdicated (gave up the throne) in order to marry his lover, a divorced American woman. I always admired this Edward for flying in the face of convention.

Here he is, in his days as Prince of Wales, opening the War Memorial Hospital, Grange Road, Rhyl (now Hafan Deg Day Centre and War Memorial Court):

This was taken on the same occasion:

Click on the image to see a bigger version.

[Strangely, considering how brief his rule, we have a miniature train at Marine Lake named Edward V111.]

All very well, but the only king that really interests me is The Wire King who used to bend wire into novelties at a booth on the prom in Rhyl, and of course our May Queens & Rose Queens and – who said Johnny Dallas! Go and stand in the corner!

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The following references are added here for indexing purposes:

Duke of Windsor, Buckley Jones, Hughes Jones, G.J. Evans.

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ALL IS FAIR

Film maker Mike Theaker has dug into his archives and come up with footage of Rhyl fairground in 1959. At that time we had the old fun fair at Marine Lake and a newer one at Ocean Beach.

The shots are brief, the video’s total running time is less than 3-and-a-half minutes, but the material has not been viewed publicly before. Click on the link below to see on my YouTube channel.

Thanks, Mike!

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=GVw9JKqGg8A

Only videos marked RhylTime are mine. Don't blame me for the others.

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QUIZ ANSWER # 193

Last Sunday I said that in late 1940s this family appeared in a one-off Sunday show at Queens Theatre, Rhyl. The little girl became a big international star. The question: What is her name?
The answer: Julie Andrews.
Pictured above with Julie are mother Barbara and stepfather Ted Andrews. They were at the Queens on July 25th 1948 when Julie was 12 years old.

Interesting to note that on this kind of engagement the biggest names did not necessarily appear on stage last. Position on the bill would suit their travelling arrangements.
If you never seen Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins (1964), The Sound Of Music (1965) or Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) do try to catch up!
Ms Andrews is 82 years of age and still working.

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The following acts are added here for indexing purposes:
Tommy Casserley, Mabel Somers, Mark Rivers comic, Ian Glen magician, Tattersall and Jerry.

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Also I said that in late 1950s this popular singer topped the bill in a Sunday show at the Queens. The question: What is her name?

The answer: Anne Shelton.
To be precise I could have said mid 1950s, but either you recognised her or you jolly well didn't . . .

Anne Shelton had a strong clear voice ideal for theatres. Click here to see her singing on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIJoUqPjv1s

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RHYL 1969: A FAMILY ON HOLIDAY

On my YouTube channel RhylTime you would find some home movies taken mainly in the 1960s in Rhyl. This week I added another video of this kind; it came my way as a reel of cine film in a box marked ‘Rhyl 1969’.

It is fairly typical family holiday footage (family unknown) comprising a series of short sequences shot in Rhyl and places nearby. The emphasis is on flowers and birds. Pity our seagulls, so loved at that time, are now despised by the eat-in-the-street generation.

In the video, our Floral Hall is in evidence and so are a lion, tiger and other zoo animals in cages. Biggest surprise is a scene of elephants bathing in the sea near Rhyl Pavilion whose resident circus had gone long before 1969.

See what you make of it all, and remember – only YouTube videos marked RhylTime are mine!

Please click on the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4PCOcOKW0Y

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MINSTRELS, PIERROTS AND JOLLY BOYS

This being Red Nose Day, let’s salute early Rhyl entertainers in whose acts comedy played a big part. These images are all new to this blog:

The above is from the 1880s. Tom Wood's Merry Men was the first troupe at our council-owned 'minstrel pitch' on the sands. Minstrel shows were a combination of music & comedy. Tom Wood was a professional comedian who died aged 27.

Merry had given way to Merrie by the time E.H. Williams & his Merrie Men took over from Tom Wood at the pitch. Mr. Williams was a canny self-publicist well known in Rhyl.

A few routines by E.H. & his M.M. who are shown above on the minstrel pitch, were captured by Rhyl film maker Arthur Cheetham. These included the 1899 knockabout sketch illustrated below. The still is from the book 'Wales And Cinema' by David Berry:

Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

Above is a card postmarked 1907 - Adeler & Sutton's Pierrots at a kiosk on the pier. Halfway up the ladder is Arthur Sutcliffe. The lady at the foot of the ladder is no lady, it's female impersonator Bert Erroll.

Below is a 1907 photo of Adeler & Sutton's Gay River Company posing opposite East Parade near sandhills. Front centre is Frank Dunlop who has been described by Bill Ellis as the company's leading man, and on your right of him is - yes - Bert Erroll again.

Finally an item from Easter 1912 or '13: Jolly Boys visiting the ornamental fountain opposite West Parade to render the song 'By The Fountain' which was generally popular at the time.
Later the name Jolly Boys was used in 1920s by Billy Churchill's resident troupe at the Coliseum on the prom. Perhaps it was a generic term for this kind of daftness.

[Incidentally, the song 'By The Fountain' had words by F.E. Weatherly and music by Stephen Adams who was a Liverpool-born composer of mainly religious songs. Stephen Adams and his brother James have both been suspected of being Jack the Ripper - and that's no joke.]

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FRI 21st APR 2017 UPDATE: Speaking of Jolly Boys, what do you make of this Jolly Boys Football Club card postmarked 1911?

Names of the personnel illustrated, who appear to be younger than the entertainers of same name, are listed here for indexing purposes:
B, Craighill, J. Lamb, T. Burns, C. Manley, R. Jones, W. Jones, W. Davies, H. Lloyd, T.A. Williams (Captain), H. Jones (Chairman), G. Simcock, J.E. Pritchard (Vice Captain), T. Roberts.

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ROBESON IN RHYL

Rhyl in the 1930s played host to many stars but few as internationally famous as American bass baritone singer Paul Robeson whose one-off performance at the Pavilion in 1934 was a very big event.

The late Jack Griffiths, ex-councillor and author of a history of the Parish of Rhyl and the Parish Church, was a boy usher at the theatre that night. Jack told me, "It was sensational. I've never seen so many people on Rhyl promenade. Huge crowds waited just to catch sight of him."

After his appearance in Rhyl, Paul Robeson made the films 'Sanders Of The River' (1935) and 'Showboat' (1936). Hear him sing his famous song Ol' Man River from 'Showboat' on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyJtGNk9iEU

He returned to Wales to make the 'The Proud Valley' (1940) in which he played a coal miner – his favourite film:

The late Paul Robeson is held in esteem and affection in Wales to this day. Read about his achievements and his political activism in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Robeson

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The following references are added here for indexing purposes:
Harold Holt agent promoter, Lawrence Brown piano, Julian Shelley Trio.

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Paul Robeson's performance in Rhyl was planned to coincide with the town's hosting of Co-operative Congress, the annual meeting of the UK Co-operative movement which takes place at a differing location each year. The organisation has links with The Labour Party and is still operating.

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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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MILITARIANISM #1

Blessed are the peace makers and not the war makers. The image above is captioned Denbighshire T.Y. RHYL 1912 "Church Parade". Abbreviation T.Y. may stand for Territorial Youth. On the other hand, it may not.

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

The Rhyl district, a comparatively safe place, has been ideal for military training camps. Here is a picture captioned The Lancashire Hussars Camp at Rhyl 1909:

The following is Western Signal Camp, Royal Engineers Camp at RHYL 1913 (the year before The Great War aka World War 1 began):

Below: Taking a break at Denbighshire Hussars Camp Rhyl 1914.

Recently the next item was for sale on Internet, hence the seller's logo. The accompanying description said DRUM MAJOR PALMER 1st RHONDDA BATT WELSH REGIMENT BAND POSE RHYL 1914:

The letters R.B.B. above must stand for Rhondda Battalion Band. I wonder why soldiers from South Wales were up here.

The next was taken at Kinmel Park Camp, Bodelwyddan, in 1916 by which time the war was half over. It is in the form of a postcard addressed to John Evans Esq of Kensington, Liverpool. 

The postcard bears the following message on the reverse: "Waiting for a word from you. I have blood poison in my right hand & be home very soon. Your friend, Dick."

The card below reflects the toxic combination of patriotism and emotional blackmail that led an estimated 744,000 young Britons to their deaths in that dreadful conflict.

For more statistics about the extent of casualties see Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties

Recommended film: Oh! What A Lovely War (1969) directed by Richard Attenborough, from an epic stage musical created by Joan Littlewood's ensemble at Stratford, London, in 1963.

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

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THU 23rd NOV 2017 UPDATE: A dramatic shot of Denbighshire T.Y. galloping on the sands near their Rhyl camp in 1912:

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