LLANELWY / ST. ASAPH # 2

Not long ago my pal Jill emigrated from Rhyl to St. Asaph. To mark the event here are a few more pix. The first is a shot of my alma mater Ysgol Ramadeg Llanelwy / St.  Asaph Grammar School on the Upper Denbigh Road, circa 1920 (now Ysgol Glan Clwyd):

No, indeed I would not support the return of grammar schools – not that there is even a remote chance of that happening in Wales.

Further up the Upper Denbigh Road, set back in several acres of grounds is Bryn Asaph built in 1830, a six-bedroom property used at times as a convalescent home. This card was posted in 1976:

Cards of St. Asaph Cathedral are not rare but the following is collectible because the inset shows Bishop Alfred George Edwards (1848-1937) a Bishop of St. Asaph who became the first Archbishop of Wales:

That monument like a little tower on your left is a memorial of the translation of The Bible into Welsh by an earlier Bishop of St. Asaph, William Morgan, who translated it from Greek and Hebrew.

Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

Here is a magic lantern slide of Cathedral nave looking East circa 1900:

The High Street looked like this around 1930 . . .

. . . and like this in early 1960s:

Here is a battered old pic of Y Llew Goch / The Red Lion in Gemig Street which long ago ceased to be a pub:

The Old Deanery in Dean's Walk was never just a pub. Around 1910 when the following was taken, it was a rather swish hotel with waiters in penguin suits etc. These days it is a care home:

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Pictured above is Bodlonfa Hall in Rhuallt, which used to be operated by Merseyside Youth Hostels Ltd. The card is postmarked 1953. Bodlonfa Hall is now a B&B.

Below is Brynbella in Tremeirchion, a 1790s villa with lovely gardens. The name Brynbella is an odd fusion of Welsh and Italian words. The pic is from a Sotheby's auction in 1994:

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To see all posts about St. Asaph, including recent updates about Cefn and Llanerch, please click here:
http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Z%20-%20ST.%20ASAPH

QUIZ ANSWER # 154

Last Sunday I posted part of a photo taken a few days before in Rhyl by Yours Truly. The question: Where was I standing?

The answer: Paradise Street or Clwyd Street.

I was in Paradise Street but with a touch a zoom I could have taken the same shot from Clwyd Street. Here is complete photo with St. Thomas' Church and other details restored:

Also I posted the following picture of a badge. The question: What is unusual about it?

The answer: The National Eisteddfod was not here in 1974.

Eisteddfod Yr Urdd is the youth version of the event and it has a separate itinerary. The adult version of National Eisteddfod Of Wales came to Rhyl in 1892, 1904, 1953 and 1985.

Both correct answers were needed to score 1 win. Everybody got the street but nobody got the badge. No winners!

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More badges: a poppy styled emblem of the Junior Tradesmen's Regiment (Kinmel Park Camp, Bodelwyddan) 1962-1974, and Rhyl & District Motor Club car badge / Model Train Exhibition Rhyl, and gold-coloured badge (style of lettering indicates it's quite an old one) / Rhyl Football Club badge by Mark Parr, and Rhyl Delta F.C. who played in Welsh Alliance League from 1998 to 2000:

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WED 1st MAR 2017 UPDATE: Further to the Junior Tradesmen’s Regiment (Kinmel Park Camp) emblem shown above, here is a sew-on badge and a belt:

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THU 4th JAN 2018 UPDATE: Further to the Rhyl & District Motor Club car badge shown above, here is an enamel coat badge of completely different design:

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QUIZ ANSWER # 145

Last Sunday I posted this picture of the old Pavilion. The question: What is the nearest date - 1913, 1923, 1933 or 1943?

The answer 1933.

If you clicked on the image to see a bigger version you might have noticed the name Syd Seymour over the main entrance:

Mr. Seymour and his Mad Hatters Band played a number of seaside resorts in that year and Rhyl was one of them. The show was broadcast on BBC Radio; the following is from BBC Archives:

Funny to think there was a comedian named Lenny Henry long ago! The Ten Hazel Hastings Girls were a resident act at the Pavilion, not part of the touring show.

If you are wondering what the crazy Mad Hatters Band was like, you could see them on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB3zvlgZJoU

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Also I posted the following 1970s photos of Rhyl buses. The buses are NOT in Rhyl and NOT in the same other place. Question: Where are they?

The answer: St. Asaph (upper photo) and Denbigh.
Many times I stood at that bus stop in Lenten Pool after visiting my parents who used to live in Denbigh, Bryn Garth at first and then Bryn Seion.

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Scoring 1 win for 1933 and/or 1 win for the two buses: Richard & Ceri Swinney 2, Sue Handley 1, The Great Gareth 2, Jane Shuttle 1.

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The following references are added here for indexing purposes:
Leonard Henry, Jaqueline piano, Billy Rawson, Alfred Grant singer, Leslie Glenroy, Norah Savage, Ten Hazel Hastings Girls, Ed W Jones producer.

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SIR Y FFLINT / FLINTSHIRE

Rhyl was part of Flintshire from the very beginning of the town until the mid-1970s. This book was compiled by staff at Flintshire Record Office (Hawarden) and published in 1996.

The 10 chapter headings are: Flint, Mold, Buckley, Prestatyn, Rhyl, St. Asaph, Hawarden, Holywell, Industrial Deeside, Flintshire Villages.

The Rhyl chapter runs to 12 pages containing 20 illustrations, of which the following is my favourite.
Click on it to see a bigger version.

Pictured is White Lion Hotel in High Street, Rhyl, c.1900. The White Lion was replaced by a Crosville Bus Station (whose fuel smells linger in the memory) and then by the present Jobcentre Plus.

This book's text has inaccuracies as in the companion volume about Denbighshire, but the pictures can be enjoyed for what they are. You would find both books in local libraries.

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These references are added here for indexing purposes: T Parry publican, Roberts bakery.

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MON 20th FEB 2017 UPDATE: Just arrived here at Jones Towers is this 1903 photo of White Lion Hotel's stable and coach yard.
Seems reasonable to suppose that the yard was in what we now call St. Helens Place and that we looking towards High Street:

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QUIZ ANSWER # 125

Last Sunday I posted this picture of a derelict bus that used to belong to Gold Star buses of St. Asaph. On the side is a Rhyl attraction advertised as The Dom Bier Keller. The question: When the bierkeller closed what replaced it?

The answer: Breaks.

In the 1970s when First Leisure Corporation were running Ocean Beach and the fun fair's satellite businesses, they had a Dolphinarium there and this was replaced by the bierkeller.
Eric Hughes, First Leisure's Director of Technical Services, takes up the story in the book Rhyl At The Fun Fair published in 2001:
"The Dom Bierkeller was a huge success but, after we experienced behavioural problems among some customers and difficulty in finding suitable entertainment, it was closed and replaced by the present Breaks Snooker Club and Sports Bar."

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Also I posted the photo below taken on New Year's Day 2016 in Rhyl by Fred Burns. A place name has been blanked out. The question: What is the missing name?

The answer: Eleri Close.

Eleri is a lovely Welsh female name of uncertain origin. Very near is Owen Close. I wonder whether Eleri & Owen are names of the builder’s children. Readers who know please tell me.

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Scoring 1 win for the bierkeller question and 1 win for Eleri Close:

The Great Gareth 2, Jane Shuttle 2.

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Writing this post brought to mind the year 2000 when I visited Eric Hughes several times at his home in Ffordd Derwen, Rhyl.

Eric told me his story of Marine Lake and Ocean Beach Fun Fairs and I wrote everything down, edited & published the manuscript in 2001 using community facilities. (Eric had been manager of both sites and therefore he was expert on the subject).

The resulting book, Rhyl At The Fun Fair by Eric Hughes, is a true classic and worth seeking out; Denbighshire libraries should have it.

Eric was a nice gentleman, very kind to me in my role as a novice writer about Rhyl history. He passed away in 2011, and I miss him.

On your left at top of this page you would find BOOK LIST, an attempt to compile a complete list of books about Rhyl. If you know a book that ought to be there and isn’t, please let me know:

rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

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GARETH'S ADVERTS

Gareth Morris has sent in the mid-1960s adverts shown in this post. Thanks, Gareth! 

Starting in Bodfor Street, above the premises now occupied by Domino's the pizza place, was Ansdell Business Training College (Mollie Ansdell Brown) teaching shorthand and other office skills . . . 

. . . and on ground floor beneath Ansdell's was the car showroom Grosvenor Motors, part of Automobile Palace Group of Llandudno:

Click on any item to see a bigger version.

The Strand Salon, High Street (above right) was established by Councillor R. L. Davies who a couple of decades earlier had donated the clock tower that stands currently at top of street.

Now at the Strand Salon address is Bodycare trading in health and beauty products:

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The children's clothes & school uniforms shop B .& G. Stores, Queen Street (above left) brings memories.

The street has been renumbered since the mid-1960s. If the shop were there today it would be part of Home Elegance furniture store - the part beneath the fascia:

[Interesting to see alongside the B. &. G. advert a reminder of the Chance-Pilkington glass factory I mean optical works in St. Asaph, a big employer at the time.]

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The premises of G. Wyn Jones the chemist in Wellington Road, are now split into two: Crazy Cards on your left, Oldhams Bakery on right, in a run of shops opposite the former Post Office on corner of Water Street.

The colour photos in this post were taken a few days ago by Yours Truly.


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

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These references are added here for indexing purposes:
Greggs, Age Cymru,
St Asaph Grammar, Rhyl Grammar, Fairholme St Asaph, Ysgol Glan Clwyd in Rhyl at the time, Glyndwr School, Clawdd Offa Prestatyn, Ysgol Llywelyn, Christ Church School, Ysgol Dewi Sant in Morfa Hall Rhyl at the time, Ysgol Mair, Ysgol Emmanuel,
Tudor Buildings, Fuller Monty Cafe, Barnetts domestic appliance shop.

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6720. Additional image added in July 2020:

I know not whether this Grosvenor Garage was a forerunner of the Grosvenor Motors of Bodfor Street (mentioned above) but I do like this little old advert.

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RHYL FOR A START

Published this year and definitely worth a fiver is the slim paperback titled ‘A Victorian Tour of North Wales: Rhyl to Llandudno’.

The author Andrew Gill says, “This booklet reproduces relevant parts of Black’s Guide, published in 1897, and thirty five photographs, most of which were taken between 1880 and 1920, owned by the Keasbury-Gordon Photograph Archive.”

The text describes Rhyl as the Margate of North Wales and refers to our broad sands and safe bathing and remarkably favourable winter climate. The description of Rhyl includes a reference to the unbeautiful Pavilion. That would have been the Grand Pavilion concert hall at the shore end of the pier.

The book refers to Rhyl having an Operetta House which I take to be Lyric Hall in Market Street. Lyric Hall became Central Hall where Mr. Cheetham had his Silvograph Cinema. The building is the row of shops between Wilkinsons and The Lorne. The 'Hall' part was upstairs.

The Rhyl chapter is not very long and there are only four old photos – fascinating nevertheless. From there we go to Rhuddlan, Dyserth, St. Asaph and other places in the Vale of Clwyd.

Next town to get a substantial share of the book is Colwyn Bay. The front cover photo of a fisherman and his friend was taken in Colwyn Bay.

Llandudno gets the biggest chapter and then there is a Victorian guide to the Welsh alphabet and a glossary of some Welsh terms. What’s more, the author has produced a companion volume titled ‘A Victorian Tour Of North Wales: Conwy to Caernarfon via Anglesey’.

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Mr. Gill has similar publications about other parts of UK. See this list:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-Gill/e/B00VS3ZFHG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1440669657&sr=1-2-ent

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RURAL CHARMS

In recognition of the fact that Rhyl's surrounding countryside is an important part of the resort's appeal to visitors, above are more old
views of villages nearby.
Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

From the top:
BODELWYDDAN by Rae Pickard of 12 Queen Street, Rhyl;
CEFN near St. Asaph: nice old card of Pont-yr-Allt-Goch;
DYSERTH card postmarked 1905;
RHUDDLAN railway station on the Vale of Clwyd line which closed to passengers in 1955;
TREMEIRCHION near St. Asaph: Church of Corpus Christi.

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LLANELWY / ST. ASAPH # 1

Mr. Terry Williams, presently residing in Newcastle upon Tyne, would like to know why there isn’t a site like Rhyl Life dedicated to St. Asaph. Search me, Terry. Above are a few old pix by way of consolation.

They are undated, alas. You will find among them a view from the Cathedral tower and a rare shot of the railway station which used to be in Chester Street. The station was part of the Vale of Clwyd line (Rhyl to Denbigh). For further info about the line please click here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vale_of_Clwyd_Railway

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6720. Additional image of St. Asaph Railway Station added here in June 2020:

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MON 6th JUL 2015 UPDATE: More St. Asaph! The image of Old Pont Dafydd is undated, and the Cathedral picture is circa 1905:

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QUIZ ANSWER # 52

The questions referred to villages in the wider Rhyl district.

The old postcard at the top has a caption beginning with RHYL. The question was: Where was the picture taken?
and
The other postcard appears without its caption and shows a pub which for a while had been the home of Victorian explorer H.M. Stanley. The question was: Where was the picture taken?

The answers are:
Cefn. The caption says RHYL CEFN CAVE although nearer St. Asaph. Note the singular form; usually we say ‘caves’.
and
Glascoed. The caption says: Cross Foxes Inn, Glascoed near Bodelwyddan Church (old home of Stanley the Explorer). T. EASTHAM PROPRIETOR.

The winner is:
Peter Trehearn, his first win. Peter believes that what brings visitors to Rhyl are sea, sand and scenery - making the most of our natural assets would be the best way to promote the resort.

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MON 26th SEP 2016 UPDATE: Just arrived here at Jones Towers – a card posted 1908 showing Cefn Rocks and Post Office, and a magic lantern slide labelled 47 Cefn Rocks. J.V.

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