LIFE GOES ON: JUL 2018

Vintage photo by Rae Pickard – Pendyffryn Road, Rhyl

Photo by Rae Pickard – West Parade, Rhyl

By Rae Pickard – Marine Lake Fun Fair, Rhyl. In the foreground is
a lethal-sounding 'Electric' Fishing Pond.

During July 2018 the following posts were updated:

Alcohol minimum pricing in Wales -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/12/tread-softly.html

Circus: Uncle Sam’s Great American Circus in Rhyl -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/05/sands-of-time.html

Colet House boys school / Rae Pickard -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/04/boys-will-be-boys.html

Gaming: One arm bandit fruit machine -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2015/12/rhyl-gift-suggestions.html

Lyons Holiday Park Limited -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2017/03/little-acorns.html

Morecambe & Wise in Rhyl -
https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-singing-cartoonist.html

Promenade Gardens -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2016/02/seafront-west.html

Promenade ‘ walking photos ‘ -

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

Royal Alexandra Hospital / Rae Pickard -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/02/alex.html

Victoria Pier / Belvoir Hotel -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/02/for-heavens-sake.html

YMCA Cinema, Kinmel Park Camp -

https://rhyl-life.blogspot.com/2009/08/jones-swan.html

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THE EASTERN FRONT
Further to last month's 'Life Goes On' I can report that the eastern prom is now home to a skateboard park.
Looking left to right, we see the skateboard park followed by Garden Of Remembrance, the Sun Verge pub/restaurant (still under construction), Travelodge (under construction), and recently face-lifted Pavilion Theatre.

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IT’S NOT COMING HOME

This month I felt relieved to hear that England’s hopes of a FIFA World Cup win had ended. I was around in 1966 when England actually did win and I’ve had to live with continuous reminders ever since. The prospect of another win was more than I could bear.

At World Cup time the English in Wales behave badly, waving their red cross flag under our noses and going large. But what really astounds me is the emotional frenzy surrounding big sporting events. If only that passion could be directed at something more important! 

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TRUMP VISIT TO UK

The biggest blight on our summer has been an official visit by the appalling Donald Trump, America’s biggest mistake. Among Mr. Trump’s fans are the arrogant Nigel Farage and clownish Boris Johnson who are almost as much liars and fantasists as he is.

Mr. Trump’s delusional tendencies were on show again recently when he said of the UK, “I think they love me there.” 

Photo of anti-Trump demo in London © Hollywood Life

Having to do trade deals with the likes of Donald Trump and the world’s other hucksters and shysters is a very good reason for us to remain safely within the European Union.
The BBC News website has an interesting article about his activities in Scotland:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/Trump_and_Scotland

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TUE 21 AUG 2018 UPDATE: Two of Mr. Trump's sleazebag associates are heading for jail.
Paul Manafort, ex-Trump election campaign chief, has been found guilty on eight charges of tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose foreign banks accounts.
Michael Cohen, Mr. Trump's former lawyer, has been found guilty on eight counts, including violating election campaign finance laws, tax evasion and bank fraud.

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TUE 18th DEC 2018 UPDATE: Attorney General of New York State, Barbara Underwood, has announced that Donald Trump’s dodgy charity ‘The Trump Foundation’ is to be shut down.
She has accused Mr. Trump and his three eldest children of using it for private and political gain. In a statement, she said there had been "a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful co-ordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and wilful self-dealing, and much more.
"We'll continue to move our suit forward to ensure the Trump Foundation and its directors are held to account for their clear and repeated violations of state and federal law."

Hmmmm, Donald Trump is looking more and more like the crook I have always suspected him to be.

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

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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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INTERESTING TIMES # 4

Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia ©The Last Refuge

US President Donald Trump has appeared on TV selling billions of dollars-worth of killing machines and associated mongery to the Muslim dictators of Saudi Arabia, thereby dismaying racists and peaceniks alike.

Mr. Trump's zig-zagging political strategies remind me of a fun fair ride we used to have in Rhyl, the Mad Mouse. At first his antics seemed almost comical but now they are scary, especially his dangerous messing around with environmental regulations.

I hope our American cousins find a way of removing this ignorant man from office before he damages the reputation of the United States beyond repair.

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In the UK General Election 2017 campaign, the Labour Party's policies are winning public approval. A Labour Government no longer seems like an impossibility. 

In the Conservative campaign so far, Theresa May is hogging the limelight. Mrs. May has a touch of Head Girl about her – not to mention Brown Owl – and when she says she would make the best Prime Minister she probably believes it.

Theresa May in Wrexham ©Reuters

To vote Conservative because of Mrs. May could be a mistake. After the General Election there would be nothing to prevent the Tories from replacing her with a new leader who would automatically become new Prime Minister.

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My vote goes to Plaid Cymru because - whichever big party wins - Plaid must gain a substantial percentage of votes if Wales is to have a credible voice in the Westminster Parliament.

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

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MAY DOES A TRUMP

Photo: ITV.com

We are used to US President Donald Trump saying the opposite of what he used to say, now his hand-holding friend UK Prime Minister Theresa May has followed suit.

Mrs. May insisted that there would be no General Election until 2020 and then announced there would be a General Election only five weeks after local council elections 2017.

She hopes to see her Conservative Party returned with more MPs so that she and her Brextremist colleagues could force through Parliament some iffy parts of her Brexit strategy.

Mrs. May says that “the British people” voted to leave the European Union. This is not true. More than 48 per cent of us voted to remain in the EU. We believe that leaving would be a silly and unnecessary upheaval.

Come on Plaid Cymru, Scottish Nationalists, Greens, Lib Dems & Labour. Get a grip on the General Election campaign, take enough seats to stop this Brexit bandwagon in its tracks, and then concentrate on the three Hs: housing, health and heducation.

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THU 27th APR 2017 UPDATE: Latest poll by The Times newspaper and YouGov reports the tide has officially turned against Brexit. For the first time since the referendum, a majority of people are saying Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU. [Regrexit!]

• Thank you the reader who wrote to tell me that a group is being formed already to campaign for a return to EU if the Government takes us out.

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INTERESTING TIMES # 3

Photo by Chris Pedota / The Record

I was pleased to see US President Donald Trump defeated in his bid to replace President Obama’s Affordable Care Act with some half-baked scheme of his own. Millions more Americans would have been denied proper health care if he had succeeded.

Mr. Trump has not managed to get his travel ban through either – and I hope in due course the authorities will tell him where he can shove his idea for a proposed wall across the Mexican border.

There is growing support for the idea that Michelle Obama should stand against him at the next Presidential Election in 2020.

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BREXOMIME - THE STORY CONTINUES

Picture from The Guardian newspaper

On Wednesday this week Prime Minister Theresa May gave the European Union formal notice of the not-very-United Kingdom's decision to leave.

According to United Nations statistics published in December 2016, the EU as a whole is the largest economy in the world. If it is damaged by UK withdrawal, the principal beneficiary would be the second largest economy in the world – the US – with whom we have a 'special relationship'.

Oh, I see.

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FUEHRERS

When people talk in terms of making a country great again, I am never sure to what historical period they are referring.

In the case of US President Donald Trump does he mean the period when North American whites were killing Indians and stealing their land, or killing Mexicans and stealing their land, or using captive Africans as slave labour, or what?

What is greatness?

There are disturbing parallels between the rise of Donald Trump in the 21st century and the rise of Adolf Hitler in the 20th. They both used populist rabble-rousing speeches to get into power; both used unpopular religions as scapegoats (Jews in the case of Hitler, Moslems in the case of Trump) and both attacked the freedom of the press.

They both thought that the path to glory lay in building up a huge arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. In Hitler’s case the idea backfired and destroyed him and - temporarily - his country. In Trump’s case we have to wait and see.

It is good for British people to be on friendly terms with American people but the thought of a 'special relationship' between the UK Government and this particular President makes my blood run cold.

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INTERESTING TIMES # 2

DUMPING DONALD?

US President Donald Trump continues to embarrass the ‘free world’ with talk of banning people and building walls. Internationally, he seems to be talking himself into a war without being sure who with.

It shows the folly of electing non­-politicians such as Mr. Trump to high political office. Businessman he may be, and media personality he may be, but politician he is certainly not.

His connections with Russia, real and imaginary, are causing alarm in the US and already there are mutterings about pressuring him to resign or removing (impeaching) him.

In my seven decades I can never remember an American President being so thoroughly disliked for so many reasons.

A list of Anti-Trump demonstrations appears in Wikipedia: https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_protests_against_Donald_Trump

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DUMPING BREXIT?

Extreme right-wingers within the Conservative Party, and the ‘hate’ newspapers such as Daily Mail, are trying to railroad us out of the European Union before full implications of leaving are understood by the British public.

This Brexit idea is undermining the value of the pound and eventually might destabilise our economy. Two thirds of exports from Wales go to the EU. It’s time to say, “Hell no, we refuse to leave!”

Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair (not one of my favourite politicians) has at least had the guts to speak out against Leavites and try to provide a new focus for those of us who wish to remain in the EU.

We should not be conned into thinking that leaving is inevitable. People who voted Leave have a right to change their minds.

Photo of Tony Blair © The News Tribune

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SUN 5th MAR 2017 UPDATE: Mrs. Petra Williams who is doing media studies says Daily Express is even more of a ‘hate’ newspaper than Daily Mail. She has got to read both of these and other rags as part of her coursework.
“After a while the relentless foreigner-bashing goes in one eye and out the other,” says Petra. "Another known offender is The Sun. Luckily I don't have to read that one as well, let us all be thankful for small mercies!"

Yes indeed, yes indeed . . .

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YEAR OF THE DEAD DOG

The Brexit bandwagon rolls on. Formal ‘leaving’ negotiations between UK and the rest of EU may now begin thanks to the Labour Party rolling over and playing dead dog instead of fighting to stop the process starting.

Government is stuck with the result of last year’s public referendum and feels obliged to try and leave even though leaving is a bad idea. Prime Minister Mrs. May has to find a way of leaving without actually leaving.

In recent Parliamentary debates much was said about our need to leave EU to restore our sovereignty. [Don't be fooled. That would make the British Government more powerful, not make the British public any better off.]

There is an even bigger farce on the other side of the Atlantic where Mrs. May’s ‘special friend’ President Trump has managed in a remarkably short time to aggravate half the world and bring the US and its allies (including the UK) into disrepute.

Following Mr. Trump’s antics is like watching a Family Guy special where Peter Griffin becomes the President. American houses of government are rolling over and playing dead dog instead of reining him in.

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INTERESTING TIMES # 1

The placard, ‘No human being is illegal’ refers to US President Trump’s proposed wall to keep out Mexicans.

Very large chunks of the southern US (including five complete states) used to be part of Mexico anyway. Previous attempts to seal the border have proved to be more expensive than letting Mexicans in.

A recent visit to US by UK Prime Minister Theresa May put the two leaders on hand-holding terms. Mrs. May is driving the Brexit process that could take us out of the European Union and put an end to decades of peace, prosperity and stability.

Only the Labour Party, by joining forces with smaller parties, could stop the Brexit bandwagon – but Labour leader Mr. Corbyn (a fine man in many ways) appears to be saying, Leaving the EU is a bad idea but we support it.

Eh?

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NOT HIS DAY

President Donald Trump of the United States is said to be upset about photos of anti-Trump demonstrations appearing in the media. Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

Women in particular seem incensed that his electoral opponent Hillary Clinton won nearly three million more votes than him but - because of the way the system works - she lost.

Mr. Trump is a whopping egotist and is bigoted against different opinions. Ten months ago in this blog I described him as seriously weird and unstable.

Nevertheless, our desperate government ministers seem keen to sup with him if and when the UK leaves EU. I hope they remember to use long spoons – and count them afterwards.

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DWYNWEN: SANTES CARIADON CYMRU

DWYNWEN: WELSH PATRON SAINT OF LOVERS

Next Wednesday (25th Jan) is St. Dwynwen's Day. To put you in romantic and sentimental mood here is Forget-Me-Not, A Soldier's Verse-Letter sent from Ernest at Kinmel Park Camp around a hundred years ago:

Awww, I hope Ernest survived.

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BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

This week Donald Trump proved that if you bellow your nonsense loudly enough and brand your opponent a criminal, you can become President of the United States.

The election result has parallels with our EU referendum result in that they reflect an upsurge in anti-establishment feeling and could lead to long periods of instability.

Mr. Trump is said to be an admirer of Vladimir Putin and believes that US and Russia should work closer together. Now this is interesting.

For the seven decades of my lifetime the US has been eyeing Russian natural resources – notably oil and gas – and for strategic reasons has been trying to undermine Russia and vilify its leaders.

[This propaganda war ought to come to an end. Russia is geographically a European country and should be brought in from the cold.]

As for Mr. Trump, he is a businessman with little knowledge of politics. His learning curve starts now.

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I SHOULD COCOA

Recently on Internet this coin-shaped token came up for sale. It appears to be made of a soft material such as cardboard. The face bears the name Rhyl Cocoa House Company Limited, and the back bears the number 1.

According to Rhyl History Club's Maggi Blythin there were two cocoa houses under different ownership. The first was in High Street (opened 1878) and the second was on a corner of Bodfor Street and Kinmel Street (opened 1885).

That corner may have been 34 Bodfor Street where the Imperial Hotel is now, because the location has a track record in catering. Before the Imp there was a cafe run by the Bracchi family who may well have utilised former Cocoa House premises.

The cocoa would have been a type of drinking chocolate. Not long ago an offshoot of the Cadbury company tried unsuccessfully to revive the idea of cocoa houses. See Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadbury_Cocoa_House

As for the token, what was it for? A loyalty token? A gaming chip? Your guess would be as good as mine.

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While on subject of catering, here is another 1930s view of the art deco style cafe at Open Air Swimming Pool ('The Baths') on prom:

The cafe is sometimes referred to as Osborne's.

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FUNNY GAME, POLITICS

If you have never thought there might be something creepy about Nigel Farage, this picture of him with US Presidential candidate Donald Trump would be a good place to start. They have in common that they wish to destroy the way we live.

As for the EU referendum, I see that our right-wing newspapers are trying to justify the Leave vote by saying that the predicted big fall in the UK economy has not happened. Of course it hasn’t. We have not left.

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FLASHBACK #17

Included here for its rarity value is this blurry 1960-ish shot of Terfyn Pella caravan camp which was and still is on Rhyl Coast Road, far side of Lyons Robin Hood camp – nearly on the Prestatyn boundary. The phrase terfyn pella translates as 'furthest limit'.

Now renamed Terfyn Pella Caravan Park, the business was started by Lionel and Sarah Anne Burton in 1947; it is currently run by daughter Anne and her son Stewart and daughter Diane. Good luck to them for the coming season.

http://terfynpellacaravans.co.uk/

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WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

Brussels is the latest European capital to experience a terrorist incident and be reminded that joining American oil wars in Arab countries can be dangerous. 

European countries get drawn into supporting US state terrorism and military violence because of the EU's membership of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

We need to quit NATO, especially if US voters elect as President the seriously weird Donald Trump whose hotel & casino businesses declared bankruptcy four times between 1991 and 2009.

He is unstable.

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