SIT DOWN PROTEST

This picture of High Street, Rhyl, was taken probably in the 1990s and already it conjures up feelings of nostalgia. The round sheltered benches - such as the one on the left - were handy places during rain showers and ideal for pausing in while sorting shopping bags.

Workers would take a break there and have a chat and a ciggy; visitors with time to stop and stare enjoyed sitting in them, The shelters were unique locally and they gave Rhyl the special feeling of a being a resort rather than just an ordinary town.

Rhuddlan Borough Council had placed the benches but in the spring of 2004 the successor authority, Denbighshire County Council, ripped them out. Denbighshire painted the remaining benches black - perhaps under the impression that was a suitable colour for a seaside town.

Eventually Denbighshire installed coffin-shaped slabs for us to sit on, unsheltered of course - and black of course. The coffins quickly became dented on the top and held pools of water long after a shower. Soon but not soon enough these rubbishy items were done away with.

What have we got now? The best that could be said for the new benches is that they are not black:

After all the talk about how to "re-socialise" High Street the county authority has introduced benches with evil metal dividers in case we try to cuddle up. They are about as inviting as those spiteful narrow seats in the bus station.

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COMPTON HOUSE

I have been asked by Ms. Sue Edwards (currently residing in Canada) where in High Street Compton House was. The answer is number 57. Compton House is the old name for the building now occupied by Holland & Barrett health foods shop:

Originally it was same colour and texture as Betfred to your left - but with smaller bricks. One of Compton House's earlier incarnations was as a ladies’ hat shop I mean milliners. The following advert is circa 1905:

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These references are added here for indexing purposes: Rhyl W H Smith, Evans ladies clothes, M J Edwards milliner.

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THE TOWN HALL

This illustration is from a publication named 'The Builder' dated 26th December 1874. It shows an advance drawing of the present Rhyl Town Hall (opened 1876) by architects Wood & Turner. Note how the clock tower at the front isn't leaning forwards!

Years ago somebody told me the first town hall was in High Street and made of wood, later replaced by the brick-built Town Assembly Rooms now No. 78 High Street.

No. 78 became a pub named the Old Town Hall and eventually a shop named Old Town Hall Stores (picture from Rhyl History Club):

The building still exists. That distinctive circle on the gable is still there. But I have never been convinced that this was really a town hall. More likely it was just a place for public meetings.

No, our municipal offices were on the present town hall site and behind them a market. These were swept away by Wood & Turner's Town Hall with a more formal Market Hall at the rear.

The text below from 'The Builder' provides additional points of interest.
Please click on it to see more clearly:

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These references are added here for indexing purposes: Rhyl market, fish market, soup kitchen, fire station, Town Hall bazaar, Eyrton Denbigh, North South Wales Bank, corn exchange, Denbigh stone, Penmaenmawr stone, Wrexham stone, J Rhydwen Jones.

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6720. Additional image added in July 2020:

This amateur snapshot shows that the Old Town Hall Stores was in the 1990s called the High Street Food Hall.
At present (2020) it is Mark Webber's betting shop and amusement arcade.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 123

Above is a face on the exterior of a building - not to be confused with the face in Question # 113 about the corner of High St and Wellington Rd.

The question: Where in Rhyl would you find three identical faces like this?

You would score 1 win for the correct answer.

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Below is a card showing the promenade west of Rhyl Pavilion. The white building just left of centre is Coliseum Theatre; the picture was taken before it was roofed in 1960.

The question: What is the name of the street at bottom right of the pic?

Street could mean avenue, road, street, whatever.

You would score 1 win for the correct answer.

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So with 2 wins on offer this week, you have until the end of Saturday 23rd January 2016 to send your entry. Second tries not accepted!

The result will be published on Sunday 24th Jan 2016 around Midday.

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

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QUIZ ANSWER # 122

Last Sunday I posted the above photo taken in Dec 2015 by Yours Truly.
The question: Where in Rhyl would you find this building?

The answer: Brighton Road.

That failed to fool regular players. I had forgotten that the alley in which I was standing is a shortcut to Morley Road car park which many of you use. Hard being a quizmaster sometimes.

The building in question is No.1 Brighton Road which was a martial arts school not many moons ago. It is opposite Apollo Bingo.

Scoring a win for the correct answer are: Dilys Bagnall, Sue Handley, Jane Shuttle, The Great Gareth, and Richard & Ceri Swinney.

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Mon Jan 25th is Dydd Santes Dwynwen aka Saint Dwynwen's Day.
Dwynwen (pronounced Dwin-wen) is the Welsh patron saint of love and romance. You can read about here:
http://gwalia-stores.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/who-was-st-dwynwen.html

Daily Post has suggestions for what to do on Dwynwen's Day:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/13-things-santes-dwynwen-day-10738821?ptnr_rid=381515&icid=EM_DailyPost_Nletter_WhatsOn_smallteaser_Text_Story1

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Copyright in the image of Dwynwen belongs to Tracy L. Christianson:
http://www.portraitsofsaints.com

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PUB TALK

The Liverpool Arms in Wellington Road (to your left of Sidoli's ice cream parlour) had been closed for a while until it was re-opened this month and renamed the Wellington:

Welsh Government has been putting public money (our money) into re-opening pubs in various places including Rhyl disregarding the fact that alcohol kills about 1,000 people every year in Wales and makes many thousands more ill enough to require NHS treatment.

Whether this particular re-opening was subsidised I know not - but, in any case, there are three other pubs operating on opposite side of Wellington Road. They are: The North (formerly North Wales Inn), The Sun Inn and The Royal Oak:

The photos above were taken on dull, cold and rainy New Year's Day 2016 by Fred Burns the frozen photographer.

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New research shows any amount of alcohol can increase the risk of cancer - there is no such thing as a safe level of drinking the stuff. That is the opinion of the UK's health chiefs. You have been warned!

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NOTTINGHAM ARMS

Recently I received an email from Mr. K. Parry asking where in Wellington Road the Nottingham Arms was. My guess would be Nos.48-54 where UC Bed Bargains store is now, nearly opposite the junction with Elwy Street.

Photo by Yours Truly:

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FRI 29th JAN 2016 UPDATE: The Prince Of Wales pub on corner of Vale Road and Albert Street has undergone a change of colour and career. It is now 'Lifestyle Express Prince Of Wales Convenience Store' comprising off licence and grocery shop.
Photo by Yours Truly:

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TUE 21st JUN 2016 UPDATE: Today I noted that the convenience store had gone and the premises were occupied by 'Clockwork Tattoos & Body Piercing'.

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THE GREAT WAR REVISITED

The Great War, later known as First World War/World War 1, was fought overseas. Around here local people would not have known what a forlorn and muddy bloodbath it was. Young men were urged to join up and fight; those who had moral objections were branded as cowards.

Nearest army training camp to Rhyl (during WW1 and WW2) was Kinmel Park Camp near Bodelwyddan. The above photo of the camp was taken by Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard presumably before, during or after WW1.

The camp looks a pleasant sort of place but conditions were not exactly comfortable if we are to believe the following:
Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

This half-joking card would have been for sale in various locations in UK with the name of the camp changed to suit - worth Tommy's penny for a good larf.

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The card below is dated June 1916 and shows a group at the Red Cross Hospital (aka Men's Convalescent Home) in Bedford Street, Rhyl:

Here is the back of the card:

It is from Grace Brown (presumably a nurse) writing home. She says that the card cost 3d (three pennies) which probably went to Red Cross funds. 
"Dear Mama, What do you think of this? I think it has only just lately been taken because Frank is not on it - Can you find Stiff Neck, Scotty and Flying Boy - We have just had a very nice sergeant about sending stuff to Kinmel. Love Grace."

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Here is a photo hand-dated 1917 of Rhyl County School Cadet Corps. The County School was forerunner of Rhyl Grammar School now Rhyl High:

And below is a rarity that was on sale last year on Internet - hence the seller's logo across the middle. It shows some Belgian refugees being welcomed to Rhyl in 1914:

As we saw recently in Syria, war displaces large numbers of people who uproot themselves and search for a safer place. Drought, famine, war, persecution, failing economies – the history of the world is the history of mass movements of refugees.

No doubt that is how we all came to be where we are.

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This reference is added here for indexing purposes: Brown Attleborough Nuneaton.

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SUN 1th FEB 2016 UPDATE: More bad press for Kinmel Park Camp, this time in the form of a sarcastic poem titled ‘A Little Bit of Heaven’ written by G.W.D. (M.T., A.S.C.)

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SUN 13th AUG 2017 UPDATE: However grim the circumstances, there's always time for laughter. This card is designed by Reg Carter:

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Below: an Internet auction item in 2018 – a folding card!

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QUIZ QUESTION # 122

Above is a photo taken in December 2015 by Yours Truly.

The question: Where in Rhyl would you find this building?

You have until the end of Saturday 16th January 2016 to send your entry.
Second tries not accepted.
The result will be published on Sunday 17th Jan 2016 around Midday.

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

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