HELLO, GOODBYE

This afternoon out for a stroll (a Sunday constitutional) I witnessed Burton / Dorothy Perkins in the process of clearing out. Inside the shop were rails of clothes marked for transfer to other branches, nearest being Llandudno and Broughton.

The building at 48-50 High Street is one of few left from Rhyl's art deco period. It began life in 1930 simply as Burton the tailor. In recent years: Burton menswear on the 1st floor, Dorothy Perkins womens' fashions on ground floor.

Just in case the building undergoes radical change, here is  a record of its exterior wall plaques.

The following is on front of the building, to the right of Dorothy Perkins' window at a height of roughly 10-12 feet. It commemorates The Beatles 1962 appearance at Regent Dansette which used to be on 2nd floor: 

This cornerstone is at ground level beneath The Beatles plaque: 

Round the corner of Burton's window is a disused side door with plaques at ground level on each side:

Left:

 Right:

The photographs above are by Yours Truly.

You could read a short history of the company in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_(retailer)

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TUE 9th JAN 2018 UPDATE: Ex-Rhylite Nigel Kerry of Clun writes, “Misspent youth. Burton’s also had a very popular snooker hall upstairs as lots of Burton’s branches had.”

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WED 24th JAN 2018 UPDATE:  Rhyl's percentage of empty shops has increased from 17.3 per cent in 2015 to 21.6 in 2016, and to 24.7 in 2017. What a rate of decline. It's hard to believe Rhyl was once THE regional shopping centre in Vale of Clwyd.

See Daily Post:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/town-centre-one-worst-wales-14193941#ICID=IYA

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MARK HAMBOURG

Mark Hamourg
portrait by F.W. Schmidt, Manchester

Mark Hambourg (1879-1960) was a Russian-born, naturalised British pianist of international repute. He played at Rhyl Pavilion on Sunday October 10th 1943, presumably as part of a concerted effort to keep the collective pecker up during World War 2.

Mr. Hambourg was accompanied by the Bournemouth Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by William Rees. The dodgy acoustics at the old Pavilion would have done them no favours but it was by all accounts a  rattling good concert, a big success!

This reference is added here for indexing purposes:
Summit Enterprises Limited London.

You can see Mark Hambourg on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD2IoVbOUpc

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WED 7th MAR 2018 UPDATE: From one pianist to two! On April 2nd 1945 (five months before World War 2 ended) the Pavilion presented piano duettists Marjan Rawicz and Walter Landauer.
Here is the complete programme:

 

 

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

These are added here for indexing purposes:
Harold Fielding agent promoter, Mary Denise singer vocalist, Mannucci cello cellist , Joseph Saxby piano pianist, Keith Prowse old advert.

You can see Rawicz & Landauer on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i82tN2f1t4w&list=RDi82tN2f1t4w&t=2

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FRI 3rd AUG 2018 UPDATE: An eminent visitor to Rhyl Pavilion the year before Mark Hambourg was the Russian/Ukranian naturalised British concert pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch who was given a CBE in 1946 for performing hundreds of recitals to servicemen and charities during WW2.

These are added here for indexing purposes:
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Henry Holst, Louis Cohen.

The Grand Repertory Ball reference in the flyer was a fundraising event by (and possibly for) Manchester Repertory Company who were resident at the Pavilion at that time.

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NIGHT LIFE

The following information about night clubs has been moved here from a 2017 post that had become over-long and unwieldy:

Celebrity's was in Marina Hotel, or Hotel Marina if you prefer, in Marine Drive Rhyl. The hotel was closed following a police raid in 2012. Not long afterwards the hotel was converted to flats (Marina Apartments).

On the back of the above flyer, these Celebrity's disc jockeys are listed:
DJ Welly, Pleasuredome Farnworth / DJ Stubby, Mix Factory / Sequins, Blackpool / Banshee, Manchester / M.C. Sack, Legendary 2ForJoy Revenge / DJ Rodge The Dodge & Co, London.

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Here is a 1996 flyer from the Downtown in West Parade (near Ocean Beach Fun Fair).
Click on it to read small print.

Front of flyer:

Steam 2 rave tour

Back of flyer:

Downtown Club residents:

DJ 3.D.O.M, DJ Dolphin, DJ/M.C. Eazy, M.C. Delicious, M.C. Eternal.

DJ Scorpio, DJ Producer, DJ HMS, DJ Loftgroover, DJ Brisk,

M.C. Squidgy B.

Visitors and others:

DJ Nicky B, DJ FDA, DJ Destroyer, DJ Vortex.

DJ Clarkee, DJ Mastervibe, DJ Menace, DJ Psycho 9.

DJ Jay Prescott, DJ Smarti, DJ Sass, DJ Frantic, DJ Macca, DJ Tox.

DJ Mark E.G., DJ Aggressor.

DJ Freak, DJ Jack Hammer, DJ A/Trax.

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Here is another club flyer. This one is from 1992 – 
Click on it to read small print.

References on the flyer:
Clash Promotions, Rhyl Fridays, DJ Symon M, DJ Rob Tissara, PSI Division, DJ Sami B, Sunset Radio 102 FM, DJ Nipper, DJ Slipmatt, DJ Stu Allen, DJ Dave Angel, DJ Kenny Ken, DJ Mike E-Bloc.

The location is not specified exactly but the following clues are in the text "OPEN AIR CHILL OUT DANCE BALCONY OVERLOOKING THE SEA" and "Next door to the fun fair on the seafront" and therefore the finger of suspicion points to the Downtown Club again.

The telephone number is a clue. Was that the Downtown's number?

Additional image added here in June 2020:

Above: This compliment slip shows the telephone number of Downtown Club as 0745 51861.
In due course the first part became 01745 and the second part 351 861.

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

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SUN 19th AUG 2018 UPDATE: A flyer for Saturday 27th Sep 1997 at Club Zinc, Queens Buildings, West Parade, Rhyl.
Click on it to read small print.

References on the flyer:
Music promoter North aka North Radical Technology, music promoter Helter Skelter,

music event All The Fun Of The Fair, music event Spectrum  Night,

DJ 3.D.O.M, DJ M-Zone, DJ Sharkey, DJ Dolphin, DJ Jay Prescott,

[B2B means 2 DJs on stage together back-to-back]

DJ Mark EG, DJ Scorpio, DJ Producer,

M.C. Eazy, M.C. Squidgy B, M.C. Ribbs,

DJ Dare, Wigless Wigy as The Fat Controller,

3rd Planet Records (record shop), 4 Russell Road, Rhyl.

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Two additional images added here in July 2020:

Who remembers The Orange Peel? The entrance was under the big red dot in the photo below.

Other references in the two images:
Acid, trance, techno, dosseposse, trancemission.
Palace hotel, Neptune's Bar, Swinging Sporran Bar, William Younger Ales, Sandringham Avenue.

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LIFE GOES ON: NOV 2017

The town's brass band in 1908 outside Rhyl Pavilion

During November 2017 the following posts were updated:

Albert Barnes, founder of Rhyl’s fun fair -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/flashback-8.html

Denbighshire T.Y. -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/militarianism.html

Exhibition diving at The Baths -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/in-swim-2.html

Gordon Hemm, another drawing -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/gordon-hemm.html

Grand Theatre again -

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

Plaid Cymru & Catalonia -
http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/plaid-on-display.html

Remembrance Sunday, old photo -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/in-honour.html

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Cards such as the one below postmarked 1905 (sent from Camberley to Miss Earp of Bayham Gardens, Lamberhurst, Kent) are common enough but not written in shorthand!

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BEST WISHES TO NEARLY EVERYBODY FOR A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

During the month of December this blog shall be paused while the year's posts are double checked and possibly re-edited. The next post will be on Monday 1st January 2018.

Rhyl Life has been chosen for preservation by National Library of Wales for researchers in the future. Been thinking of offering photos and/or info but haven't got round to it yet? Best do it soon.

Remember, your items don't have to be old to be interesting!

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

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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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LIFE GOES ON: OCT 2017

Erdington Children's Homes Band in Rhyl. They were fundraising in the 1920s
and early '30s for the War Memorial Hospital, Grange Road

During October 2017 the following old posts were updated:

Former Co-op premises, High Street (2 updates) -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/regal-1.html

Foryd Bridge -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/toll-bridge.html

High Street, Polkinghorne’s Series -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/foot-notes-2.html

Pleasure Boats / Gangways on beach -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/something-cool.html

Pleasure / Fishing Boats near harbour -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/for-sea-dogs.html

May Queen 1941 -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/may-queen-who.html

Sun Centre -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/new-water-park.html

Universal Credit in Rhyl -

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/income.html

STOP PRESS! Bodycare is moving from High Street to White Rose Centre.
ALDI is moving from Wellington Rd to Marina Quay (was Ocean Beach).

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chicagotribune.com

MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

October 2017 was a classic month for quotes about Republican President Donald Trump:

Republican Senator Jeff Flake said,
“We must never meekly accept the daily sundering of our country - the personal attacks, the threats against principles, freedoms, and institutions, the flagrant disregard for truth or decency, the reckless provocations.”

Republican Senator Bob Corker said,
"At the end of the day, when his term is over, I think the debasing of our nation, the constant non-truth telling, just the name-calling ... I think the debasement of our nation will be what he'll be remembered most for, and that's regretful."

American Professor of Economics Jeffrey Sachs said,
"I believe that at an individual level he is profoundly psychologically ill. He is a malignant narcissist and a sociopath."

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MON 30 OCT 2017 – Ex-Trump election campaign adviser George Papadopoulos has admitting lying to the FBI about connections between individuals associated with the campaign and the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.

MON 30 OCT 2017 AGAIN – Ex-Trump election campaign adviser Paul Manafort & his business associate Richard ‘Rick’ Gates, have been charged on 12 counts, including conspiracy against United States, making false statements and conspiracy to launder money.

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THE BEATLES AT THE RITZ

gottahaverockandroll.com

A message has arrived here at Jones Towers from Jan Gammie who says:

I am working as the researcher on a book being written by an old colleague of mine, Dafydd Rees, about The Beatles in 1963. We worked together in the press office at Decca back in the day, and have kept in touch over the years. He has been writing music books for over 40 years (if you google "dafydd rees author" you should find some previous publications on his Amazon page).

The latest project (well, I say "latest", but we have been on it for 5 years now!) is "1963 - A Year In The Life Of The Beatles". It essentially covers each day of that pivotal year, with a short narrative from the group's perspective, accompanied by a memoir from someone who encountered them in some way.

We have stories from musicians who played on the same bill, fans who saw them in concert, waitresses who served them in restaurants, and try though I may, I just haven't been able to find someone to share a memoir from when they appeared at The Ritz Ballroom in Rhyl on the 19th/20th July of that year. 

I wonder if you know anyone who saw them on either of these two dates, and who would be happy to share their memories of the evening, and growing up in Rhyl in the early '60s - was there much to do for young people/local music shops/coffee bars, etc. 

Over to you, dear readers. Did you see The Beatles at the Ritz? If so, send an email to me in the first instance and I will forward it to Jan.

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

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SAT 10th FEB 2018 UPDATE: The following two photos of The Beatles at the Ritz were auctioned recently on Internet together as one lot. They sold for £280.

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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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QUIZ ANSWER # 192

On Thursday 21st September 2017 I posted this 2-page spread from Rhyl's tourist guide book 1959. The advert was out-of-date by 1959.

The question: How might you have known the advert was out of date?

The answer: Alhambra Cafe (bottom right):

The Alhambra was a concert hall/dance hall and 1,100-seater restaurant built in the 1920s, long before the Ocean Beach site became a fun fair. In the early 1950s, as the fun fair was being developed, the Alhambra was divided into two units.

By 1959 when the advert was published, the part illustrated had been renamed Playland arcade/cafe, and the part to your right of it had become Ritz Ballroom. The name Alhambra had disappeared.

The image above appears in book 'Rhyl Music In The Ritz Years 1955-1968' by Yours Truly. It is from the Harry Thomas Archive.
Thanks, Harry!

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Readers report that some images have disappeared from Rhyl Life and other Google blogspot sites, leaving empty spaces.
I believe Google employs people whose job is to change things for the sake of change and fix things that ain't broke.
Perhaps the situation will right itself in due course.

--
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 # 191

Last Sunday I posted this photo of a slice of Rhyl townscape. The question: What might you have found here in the 1960s?

The answer is a hotel.

The photo shows corner of Kinmel Street and Elwy Street where Mrs. B.C. Black presided over 'The Central' hotel/guest house/B&B. Her description of the place as being two minutes from the prom and sea might have been a tad optimistic - but that's how landladies tended to be.

[Grammatical note – I tend to write ‘a hotel’ rather than the more correct ‘an hotel’ because the latter now seems archaic. For the same reason I write ‘will’ where ‘’shall’ would be appropriate. Learn the rules then ride roughshod over them, that’s my motto.]

That rounded corner is rather nice. It helps to compensate a little for the angular inelegance of the new-ish medical centre nearby:

Like many small towns in Wales, Rhyl is a remarkably inelegant place. Perhaps this is because - as a poor nation - we can afford only the cheapest and nastiest architects.
Rhyl has also become very prosaic; if you have any poetry in your soul Rhyl would kill it stone dead.

The town is sinking under the weight of people who arrive here already deprived and lacking in spending power.
The latest big name retailer to announce closure of their Rhyl branch is Burton / Dorothy Perkins whose High Street premises are due to close in January 2018.

Top floor of the building in the 1950s & '60s was the Regent Ballroom dance hall. Click here if you wish to read previous posts about this:
http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=Regent+Ballroom

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QUIZ ANSWER # 189

On Monday 31st July 2017, Question 1 was: What do these two buildings have in common?

The answer: They were both music shops.
At the top is the part of North Wales Women's Centre, Water Street, that used to be Price Evans Music Shop which sold sheet music, musical instruments and records. I bought my first jazz records there in the very early 1960s and recall the husband-and-wife team behind the counter and their daughter T(h)eresa, a wild child around my own age. I wonder what happened to her.
Previously the building was named Harmony House, home of the music shop Box & Co. (originally Box & Stansfield) operated by bandleader and saxophone/clarinet/guitar player Albert Williams. In the book 'Rhyl Music In The Ritz Years 1955-1968' I described Water Street as the Tin Pan Alley of Rhyl. Dance band musicians looking for gigs would hang out next door in Ellis' Bar.
These days it seems unlikely that Jobcentre Plus would accept that as looking for work.

The other picture shows Chilli Pink Express at 42 Queen Street, a food take- away & delivery service. To an older generation of Rhylites the building will always be Greaves Record Shop.

Bill Ellis says that Greaves was previously in Market Street where R.K.M. wool shop is now. Bill remembers queuing outside with guitarist Dennis Rothwell to buy ‘Apache’ by The Shadows. That would have been 1960.

[Going further back in time, ex-Musicians' Union branch secretary Morgan Borthwick remembers the Gold Charm jewellery shop in Market Street on corner of Glanglasfor as a record shop named R.G. Jones, and sheet music was sold at Alan Edwards’ sports shop on corner of High Street & Russell Road where Detour clothes shop is now. Thanks, Morgan.]

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Question 2: How are the following people connected with Rhyl?
a) Albert Cronshaw
b) Mrs. Blake and Miss Grimwood.

The answers: 

Albert Cronshaw was a well known character at Marine Lake Fun Fair. The following is from 'Rhyl At The Fun Fair' by Eric Hughes:
"In the 1930s as a visitor to Marine Lake Fun Fair I saw lightning artist Albert Cronshaw who could paint up to 100 complete pictures in one day. [Wouldn't I love to find one of those! - Ed.] 
Eric continues, "Albert Cronshaw also operated Spider and the Fly (or Spider Racing Game). This was a competitive game for a number of players: a large spider's web was depicted on a back wall, by turning a handle you sent a spider creeping towards the centre of the web where a fly was revolving. If your spider was first to stop the fly, you won a prize. It was not a straight- forward speed game, the handle was fitted with a clutch device that slipped if you turned too fast."

Mrs. Blake and Miss Grimwood were in a news story retold in 'Rhyl In The Second World War' by Yours Truly:
"In Rhyl on April 12th 1945, tragedy struck in a spare room in Brighton Road. Two middle-aged ladies, Mrs. Frances Gertrude Blake and her companion Miss Muriel Elsie Grimwood, committed suicide. They were overwrought after experiencing difficulties in finding suitable accommodation. The ladies were financially secure but said to be mentally unsound. They were found in bed facing each other with hands clasped. An inquest the following month found that Mrs. Blake and Miss Grimwood had died of poisoning caused by an overdose of sleeping pills."

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SAT 19th AUG 2017 UPDATE: Although Eric Hughes refers to Albert Cronshaw more than once by that name, the following image is captioned Photo by Cronkshaw. 

Were Albert Cronshaw and Cronkshaw the same person and, if so, which spelling would be correct I wonder.

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SUN 21st JAN 2018 UPDATE: In the book ‘Strange Requests And Comic Tales From Record Shops’ by Graham Jones (published in 2013)
a former sales rep named Martin Palmer says,“The most unusual shop I visited was Greaves Records in Rhyl. The owner maintained a shrine to Elvis in a corner at the back of the shop; yes, a proper shrine! It didn’t do much for the atmosphere of the shop, in fact they should have renamed it Graves!”

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SUN 13th MAY 2018 UPDATE: In Rhyl, homage to Elvis continues in the shape of a model outside Millie's Fish & Chips Diner, 57 Water Street near junction with Crescent Road.

What was that song? Ah yes, 'There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis' by Kirsty MacColl. All the elements of a good quiz question there!

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QUIZ QUESTION # 189

The above photos were taken yesterday in Rhyl by Yours Truly.
Question 1: What do these two buildings have in common?

Question 2: How are the following people connected with Rhyl?
a) Albert Cronshaw
b) Mrs. Blake and Miss Grimwood.

No need to send me an email - just check your answers against mine on Tuesday 8th August 2017 after 12 noon.

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Nigel Kerry, now resident in Clun, Shropshire, is hoping for a picture of the Roma Coffee Bar, West Parade, late 1950s/early '60s. 
Here is an advert for the Roma mentioning Ray Rowlands and His Band; Ray was a drummer from St. Asaph.
This is from 1958 and appears in 'Rhyl Music In The Ritz Years 1955-1968' by Yours Truly.
Click on it to read small print.

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TUE 22nd MAY 2018 UPDATE: Being auctioned on Internet this week is the following amateur snapshot of the Roma's exterior without the seller's big blue logo -

The snap is dated 1954 and shows that the design was very modern for the time, more like the '60s.

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