PARTING SHOTS

Most of my favourite old Rhyl images are already on Rhyl Life except the following which have been lying around waiting for a context. Before the blog closes to new posts, I present these images for no better reason than
I would hate to see them left out.

In this blog there have been already a couple of references to Professor Miller / Millar who operated Rhyl's first Punch and Judy booth on the prom opposite Queens Hotel. Here is the good professor up a ladder with a ventriloquist's doll:

The Queen's Palace dome dates the image as 1902-1907. A point of interest far left is a sign for 'Queens Mews' – haven't noticed that before.

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From a 2018 Internet auction: a rare and unaffordable postcard of putting greens at Botanical Gardens, undated, certainly before WW2 -

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The family snaps below are from a 1930s album belonging to George Robert Eden of Birmingham. Our 'continental' basket chairs, the pier, deckchairs - and a sandcastle - made very good props.

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Around 1960 at Ocean Beach Fun Fair there were two Big Wheels as shown below. This image is artificially coloured; the shed-like building shown with dark green  roof is the Playland arcade/cafe, and next door with brown roof is Ritz Ballroom:

I think the Big Wheel nearest to camera arrived first and departed first; it was a 'ferris wheel' made by Eli Bridge Company of USA and operated by Billy Williams. The wheel further away looks smaller but was in fact bigger and was owned by Rhyl Amusements Ltd.

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Here is a picture of the promenade paddling pool which had been built in 1920s as the Children's Lake for nippers to splash around in, sail toy boats and get cramp if the weather wasn't warm enough.

Some years ago in newspaper archives I found a reader's letter scorning "that montrosity they are building on the prom". The year was 1908 and he was referring to Rhyl Pavilion as shown above.

[I wouldn't go along with term "monstrosity" but it has to be said that the Pavilion was highly photogenic and looked better in postcard images than in reality.]

The summer show being advertised is 'A Night At The Varieties'. That happened to be the Pavilion's final show and therefore the date is 1972. The building was demolished in 1974.

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MON 9th APR 2018 UPDATE: In his book ‘Rhyl The Town And Its People’ (1970) the author J.W. Jones says of the Pavilion, “It isn’t beautiful – I have heard it described as more the design of an engineer than an architect – but neither is it ugly. Perhaps its best description is one which I have already used, ‘striking’.

“I have seen it against a moonlit sky when it had some aesthetic appeal, but in the cold light of day one has to admit that it looks ‘heavy’, for want of a more descriptive word.”

Mr. Jones goes on to list some of the stars that appeared in concert there, including the following whose visits have not been mentioned previously in this blog:

Madame Melba (Dame Nellie Melba) -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melba

Paderewski -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacy_Jan_Paderewski

Jose Collins -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Collins

Dance band leader/clarinettist Harry Roy; Forces' Sweetheart Vera Lynn and Shirley Bassey.

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FLASHBACK #32

These two photos were taken on the Dyserth branch line that operated 1869-1973 from Prestatyn to Meliden to Dyserth for the quarries.

Ah yes, the quarries. As a schoolboy on the Dyserth side of Rhuddlan I used to hear a warning siren followed by eerie silence, and then big boom accompanied by a chorus of dogs barking.

The mountain looked as if a giant’s spoon had removed a portion to eat. We took the disfiguring of the landscape by heavy industry for granted.

On visits to Wrexham area I joined the children playing on ‘spoil tips’ from the collieries until 1966 when a big one collapsed on houses and a school at Aberfan in South Wales and killed 28 adults and 116 children.

Our industrial past is less than glorious.

You can read about the Dyserth branch line, most of which is now a footpath, in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyserth_branch_line

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Mr. Gerald Turner, now of Canada, thought he saw a picture of Yours Truly and my pal Jill on this blog ages ago – and he has spent a long time trying to find it again. He didn't say what for!

Well Gerry, the pic was taken in 2015 by Lynn Roberts outside The Piazza Restaurant, High Street, Rhyl. It appeared as part of a temporary post and got deleted. Here 'tis.

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

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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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CARLTON CAFE

Keith Boyle has written from Queensland, Australia. Keith is grappling with family history and has raised a query about the location of Carlton Café, Rhyl (above left).

The café was at 15 Queen Street before World War 2 but the street has been renumbered at least once since then. The names Bell and Felton have been associated with the premises, and so has footballer Harry Hampton who figures in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hampton_(footballer,_born_1885)

The point is, where was the café? Keith regards the current Victory Club, 60 Queen Street, as the most likely place. My thanks to Peter Trehearn and Roger & Sue Handley for thoughts on this matter.

Now what we need is somebody to confirm absolutely that the Victory Club was indeed the Carlton Café.
Over to you, dear readers . . .  

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

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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Care home are big business in Rhyl, bringing money into the town and creating jobs. A 2017 report by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) found no reason to be concerned about any Rhyl homes. Only one in Denbighshire failed to pass muster and that was in Llangollen. Phew!

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FLASHBACK #31

Many readers would remember Charles Jones timber merchants at Foryd Harbour. In days of yore the harbour was a hive of activity. According to the postcard / business card below, the Charles Jones company was established in 1870. (It closed down in 1988.)

"From SHIP to RAIL"
This would refer to nearby Foryd Railway Station aka Kinmel Bay Halt about which you can read on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foryd_railway_station

"RHYL HARBOUR"
This was a name in common use for Foryd Harbour even though most of it is in Kinmel Bay. Foryd is an old name for Kinmel Bay.

This part of the card's text is repeated here for indexing purposes:

Archangel Reds, Floorings, Bathurst Spruce, Mobile Pitchpine & English Cement.

Vessels discharging at Messrs. Charles Jones and Sons, Ltd.,

Timber Importers & Sawmill Proprietors, Foryd & Rhyl.

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A reader got in touch to say she had searched Rhyl Life for an old picture of St. John's Church, Wellington Road, and failed to find one. What? Can this be true? Hereby I make amends:

St. John's, a Grade II listed building, held religious services from 1887 to 1997 and is now a private residence named Churchill House.

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FRI 16 NOV 2018 UPDATE: Mike Theaker reports that Churchill House is now a Bed and Breakfast business. See Trip Advisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g616283-d2077168

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PROFESSOR OLIPHANT

Marcus Laurence Elwin "Mark" Oliphant

If I had asked, What is the connection between Rhyl and Hiroshima? you might have sent a sarcastic reply – but a link has been established by journalist/author Andrew Ramsay of Adelaide, South Australia. This morning I received an email from Andrew saying:

“I am currently in the UK . . . conducting research into an historic biography I have been commissioned to write on Sir Mark Oliphant, an eminent Australian nuclear physicist who was integrally involved in the development of the atomic bomb while he was working at Cambridge and Birmingham Universities from 1928-1950.

“My interest in Rhyl stems from the discovery that Sir Mark (then Professor Oliphant) was on holiday in Rhyl with his wife and two young children on the day that he learned the bomb he had helped to develop was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

“. . . I am very keen to gain an historical snapshot of what daily life in Rhyl might have looked like at that time (August 6, 1945)."

My reply was as follows:

Rhyl is generally busy in August, and in 1945 the Queens entertainment complex in West Parade was fully operational with dancing nightly at the Queens Ballroom on the ground floor and variety shows at the Queens Theatre on the first floor.

At Rhyl Pavilion (a big domed building on the promenade) the Manchester Repertory Company, which had been resident there during most of the war years, presented a play every week. The Pavilion had Sunday concerts by visiting orchestras (dance bands).

At the open air Coliseum theatre on the prom there was a show titled Stars In The Air by the resident Will Parkin troupe featuring Frank Formby (George's brother). At the Pier Amphitheatre there was a regular concert party, Billie Manders - a female impersonator - and his Quaintesques.

On the prom near the pier the Open Air Bathing Pool ('The Baths') presented swimming displays by Miss Sunny Lowry the English Channel swimmer.

Wartime canteens were still open and there would have been plenty of 'squaddies' around because the Army's base at nearby Kinmel Park Camp was still training young soldiers. Among the public there must have been a certain amount of euphoria at the end of the war in Europe and a huge sense of relief.

Here in Rhyl we had the usual victory parties and 'Welcome Home' parties for military personnel returning from overseas. The local business community continued to hold fundraising events to help alleviate severe cases of hardship but - generally speaking - Rhyl had a good war. The Army and/or Civil Service had requisitioned lots of hotels and boarding houses and many businesses such as garages and workshops, and the Government had paid all the bills.

The future for businesses looked considerably less certain. So underneath the veneer of celebration and fun there was an undercurrent of unease and a creeping awareness that the war had changed everything.

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While Andrew Ramsay carries on researching for his book, you would find some basic information about Mark Oliphant in Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Oliphant

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OTHER WORLDS

A surprisingly large amount of info and pix received here at Jones Towers is not about Rhyl but about towns and villages nearby.

Above: Bodfari railway station (opened in 1869). This shot dates from 1961, a year before the station closed down and is taken looking westwards towards Denbigh. Station buildings on your right were on the Chester bound platform. Last I heard the station was a private residence.

Below: An old image of  the present Tafarn Yr Heliwr/Sportsman's Arms on Denbigh Moors. The pub is in Bylchau near Denbigh or Llansannan according to whose directions you take. "You can't miss it," I suppose.

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Above: A lofty view of part of Dyserth village on a card postmarked 1937.

Below: In Dyserth Parish Church aka St. Bridget's Church – the 15th century Jesse Window photographed circa 1930.

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Above: Found in a batch of Prestatyn pictures, an image captioned Old Pigeon House, Talacre. I'm glad about the caption, otherwise I wouldn't have known what the hell it was.

Below: Fforddlas in Prestatyn. What shall we say – 1950s?  Fforddlas in Prestatyn is one word whereas Ffordd Las in Rhyl is two words often written mistakenly as one.

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Above: Multiview card of Towyn near Abergele, postmarked 1955. The church bottom right is (Grade II listed) St. Mary's consecrated in 1873.

Below: This is a memorial at St. Michael's Church, 1 Peel Street, Abergele. The inscription reads: "Sacred to the memory of 33 persons who names are inscribed on this monument. They perished in the railway accident near Abergele on the 20th of August 1868 and their remains are deposited within this enclosure."
Click on the image to see bigger version.

The family names are (top to bottom left):- Farnham, Chinnery, Berwick, Aylmer, Franks, Askin, Cripps, Edwards, Farrell, Holmes;
(top to bottom right):- Ingram, Kellett, Lea, Lund, Owen, Outen, Parkinson, Roe, Scovell, Smith, Stearn, Strafford, Symes.

For details of the accident see Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abergele_rail_disaster

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Recently I've had meetings with film maker Mike Theaker who is planning a new Rhyl project. Mike co-produced the most popular video on my YouTube channel where it is titled Rhyl 1960s: A Tale Of Two Seasons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7l8SIqHvsw

Only the videos marked RhylTime are mine!

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

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QUIZ ANSWER # 190

On 31st August a recent photo appeared with a place name blanked out.

The question: What is the missing name?

The answer: Llys Catrin.

Here is the original photo. Click on it to see the restored name.

Also a badge was posted from a campaign by The Visitor newspaper.
The question: What was the campaign about?
The answer: Point Of Ayr Colliery.
Here is the badge with the message restored.

The campaign was part of a struggle to keep Point Of Ayr Colliery in use before its eventual closure in 1996.
You can read about the colliery and Point of Ayr in general in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_Ayr

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MON 5th MAR 2018 UPDATE: On the subject of coal, this large china plate is a collector's item. It commemorates the North Wales pits and gives the opening date of Point of Ayr Colliery as 1874.
Click on it to see a bigger version.

The following references are added here for indexing purposes:
National Union of Mineworkers N.U.M. North Wales Miners Association.

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QUIZ ANSWER # 187

On Wednesday 31st May 2017 I posted three images. The question: How many of the images are Rhyl pictures?
The answer: Two.

The first IS a Rhyl picture - the maritime scene shown below has its caption restored.

Pleasure trips came and went from the far end of the pier and occasionally collided with the edifice. The steam packets 'St. Olaf' and 'The Fawn' did considerable damage to the pier and so did the schooner 'Lady Stewart' before them.
Fire and storm damage took their toll as well. Metal was taken from the far end for repairs so the pier grew shorter and shorter.

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The second IS a Rhyl picture - Claude Lane tram in 1954 on miniature track at Marine Lake.

You can read more about Mr. Lane's trams in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaton_Tramway

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The third IS NOT a Rhyl picture - it's a Kinmel Bay card postmarked 1959, shown below with caption restored.

• If you got the right answer Two for the right reasons, count yourself a winner.
• If you got the right answer for the wrong reasons, count yourself lucky.

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MILITARIANISM # 2

A post on 8th January this year, now titled MILITARIANISM #1, featured some local military camp pictures from the World War 1 era. These drew a considerable amount of interest so here are more of the same.

I present these as items of social history and would not wish to condone or glorify military conflict in any way. In my lifetime I have not supported the UK's involvement in any war. Peacenik, that's me.

The following images are dated.
Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

1908 - Cheshire Regiment at Rhyl

1914 - North Wales Comrades training at Rhyl
(not to be confused with North Wales "Pals")

1914 - North Wales Comrades training at Rhyl (2)

1915 - Service Batt. Welsh Regt. (Carmarthenshire)
outside Rhyl Pavilion

1916 - Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Kinmel Park Camp near Bodelwyddan
Aber. Hut (Aber Where,  I wonder)

The following images are undated but from same period.
Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

 Church Lads' Brigade - Morning wash at Rhyl Camp No.7
(Magic Lantern slide)

 Royal Welsh Fusiliers - Church Parade at Rhyl Camp

Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Kinmel Park Camp

Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Kinmel Park Camp (2)

To round off this post, here is a rare snapshot of WW1 soldiers in Rhyl, marching down High Street and about to cross the Alexandra Bridge which these days is called Vale Road Bridge:

Furthest right is a tantalising glimpse of the building that was demolished in the 1930s to make way for Odeon Cinema (now Apollo Bingo).
In centre of the picture is William Roberts' corner shop, and to your left of the shop is a hotel; I have it on good authority that the hotel's rooms still exist on the upper floors.

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MON 11 SEP 2017 UPDATE: Another image of Church Lads' Brigade. Here they are marching along the prom in Rhyl. This pic is presumably from World War 1 period.

You can find out more about the Church Lads' Brigade and Church Girls' Brigade in Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Lads%27_and_Church_Girls%27_Brigade

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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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