PANTO DRAWS ON

These recent acquisitions are postcards bearing bottom right the printed signature of Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard and the date 1912. On the back they carry the following message: "BROMESQUE" REAL PHOTOGRAPH by RAE PICKARD, RHYL. PRINTED IN RHYL.

The cards bear no further details. Mr. Pickard ranged far and wide in North Wales, so there is no guarantee that this production of 'Cinderella' was actually staged in Rhyl. Nevertheless I suspect we are looking at girls from our St. Mary's Convent School in Russell Road which was up and running by then.

Kinmel Bay-based cartoonist/singer/comedian Roy Lance clocked up a few pantos in his time, such as this one:

Roy is on your right as Simple Simon with Trevor Moreton as Dame in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' 1968-69 at Swansea Grand Theatre. Jack was played by pop singer Wayne Fontana; the cast included The Harmon Brothers (later known as The Chuckle Brothers).

If I have identified the wrong production I will go and stand in the corner.

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This year at Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, we have 'Sleeping Beauty':

Pavilion Theatre says, "The cast is headed by Vicky Entwistle, perhaps best known as Coronation Streeet’s Janice Batterby who plays the Bad Fairy Cararabosse. She is joined by Channel 5’s Milkshake presenter, Amy Thompson as Sleeping Beauty, Princess Briar Rose, and Hollyoaks’ Kathy Barnes, Sarah Jane Buckley, as the Good Fairy.

"The Queen of pantomime dames, Charles Burden, plays Nanny Glucose, and back by popular demand is Wales’ very own Sean Jones as Silly Billy who returns for his 6th consecutive pantomime at the Pavilion.

"There is a full supporting cast which includes two local talented dance schools, The Gay Harris Dancers and The North Wales School of Dance. Sleeping Beauty runs from Wednesday 13th December to Saturday 6th January, tickets are priced from just £9.50."

Website: http://www.rhylpavilion.co.uk/sleeping-beauty/

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FAWLTY CONNECTIONS

Incidentally, recent works by Denbighshire County Council at the Pavilion Theatre include the creation of a new restaurant area which has been given the name ‘1891’ because somebody thinks that’s when the Pavilion first opened. There are faults in this reasoning.

The present Pavilion Theatre which opened in 1991 could be described as a belated replacement for the famous domed Rhyl Pavilion (demolished 1974, opened 1908) but there is no connection that I know of between those two council-owned venues and the Grand Pavilion (destroyed by fire 1901, opened 1891).

The Grand Pavilion, about which I published a book in 2002, was a concert hall built at the shore end of our Victoria Pier by a private company which owned the pier at that particular time. It was not the start of a Pavilion dynasty so ‘1891’ is not an appropriate name for the restaurant.

If the link between the three disparate venues is simply the word Pavilion, then the restaurant might as well be named '1867' which was the date that the Bijou Pavilion opened halfway along the pier. Does all this matter? Well, there is already enough misinformation about Rhyl history out there without Denbighshire Council adding to it.

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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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PLAID ON DISPLAY

As Labour enjoys popularity and the Conservatives descend into disarray yet again over Europe, Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales - holds its own very well as a pressure group within the Welsh Assembly. Its four MPs and MEP are hard at work too.

Last Friday at the party's annual conference, at Galeri in Caernarfon (pictured above), Plaid's leader Leanne Wood expressed support for Catalonian independence and condemned the violence by Spanish state police that shocked us all in television news reports.

Plaid’s position on Brexit is same as Labour’s. Both parties believe that leaving the European Union is a bad idea but they are going along with it anyway as long as leaving the EU (a political institution) does not mean having to leave the single market and customs union as well.

Hmmmm.

Plaid wishes to see the establishing of a Welsh Government fund to help businesses across any transition period, and an end to the scapegoating of migrants who came to UK lawfully and in good faith and have contributed a lot to strengthening the economy.

Leanne moved on to talk about the need to expand rail transport within Wales (including electrification of the North Wales Coast line) and about Education being the route out of poverty, and Community Action being an antidote to deprivation and budget cuts.

The speech touched on other issues but avoided controversies within the party such as arguments for and against legalising drugs, and for or against banning the sale of council & housing association properties.

Certain elements within Plaid would prefer to have a new leader before the next National Assembly for Wales election in 2021. Why they feel that way is a mystery; they are anonymous and therefore cannot be questioned about the matter.

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THU 30th NOV 2017 UPDATE: Photo from the latest edition of Plaid Cymru’s publication The Welsh Nation – a delegation from Plaid’s youth wing Plaid Ifanc showing solidarity with campaigners for independence in Catalonia (Catalunya).

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MON 1st OCT 2018 UPDATE: Plaid Cymru holds a leadership election every two years. Leanne Wood lost last month after a hat trick of wins, and the new leader is Adam Price.

Adam Price AM - Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Leanne Wood is often quoted as saying, "I will always be a European" (to which I would respond, "Me, too!").

You can read about Adam Price in The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/28/new-plaid-cymru-leader-adam-price-leanne-wood-wales-independence

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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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RHUDDLAN REQUEST

A request has flooded in from John W. Davies for additional Rhuddlan pix. As a Rhuddlan boy myself, Mr. Davies, I am only too delighted to present a few more images including Parliament House:

The image above dates from before World War 1. Exterior plaque says:

This Fragment

Is the Remains of the Building

Where King Edward the first

Held his Parliament

A.D. 1283

In which was passed the Statute of Rhuddlan

Securing

To the Principality of Wales

Its Judicial Rights

And Independence

The plaque has been renewed since then. The words remain the same but their layout is more straightforward.

Below: This Raphael Tuck postcard published in 1930 is captioned Bridge End, Rhuddlan, which makes me wonder what the other end of the bridge was called.

On the far side is Gittins' Garage and Marsh Hotel, Lower High Street which became Marsh Warden, Station Road (demolished in 2014).

The following photo was taken from the opposite direction. It is on a card postmarked 1961:

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Above: Nice example of an image created in a studio for use far and wide with the name of the location superimposed. Somebody must have thought Rhuddlan was a seaside resort. This is a card postmarked 1934.

Below: Hylas Lane, Rhuddlan, in late 1960s/early '70s. The white cottage on your right is Hylas Bach which may be associated with (or a downsized version of) Hylas-fawr which appears on old maps.

Round the corner on same side of road is Rhuddlan Primary School which opened in 1935, expanded to include infants in 1954 and changed name to Ysgol y Castell in 1972.

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Above: Eisteddfod Genedlaethol = National Eisteddfod of Wales. The 1985 event is listed as having been in Rhyl.
This modest paperweight is a reminder that - not for first time - it was actually in Rhuddlan at The Showfield aka Brookes' Field, south of the Rhyl town boundary.
Y Rhyl a'r Cyffiniau = Rhyl and surrounding area.

Below: Despite the black-and-white format, this image of The Parish Church of St. Mary, Rhuddlan, is probably less than 20 years old. The church was founded way back in the 13th century, i.e. 500-600 years before the town of Rhyl was invented.

Doan forget, Rhuddlan Local History Society has its own website:
http://www.rhuddlan-history.com/The-Society.html

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MON 5th MAR 2018 UPDATE: On the subject of National Eisteddfod 1985, this china commemorative mug is a collector's item:

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SUN 4th NOV 2018 UPDATE: Another vintage pic of Rhuddlan. The photo below is dated 1907. It was taken in High Street near junction with Princes Road. You will see on your left that the Black Hotel offers good stabling; the hotel was a forerunner of the present Kings Head.

This is a postcard in the Harry Thomas Collection published by Gwasg Helygain, Rhyl – a series worth collecting.

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SUNNY RHYL WELCOMES YOU

Here is a rare set of advertisements from a 1938 housing brochure, sent in by ex-Rhylite Robert Jones of Dyserth.
Thanks, Robert!

Click on any part to see a bigger version.

In the above the "five up-to-date Picture Houses" would be Plaza, Regal and Odeon - all built in the 1930s in High Street - and the older Cinema Royal also in High Street but this had probably closed down by the time the brochure was circulated; the fifth would be Queens Theatre which showed cinema films off-season.

Click on any part to see a bigger version.

This last one is a reminder that Rhyl Urban District Council ran the gas supply and other utilities before World War 2.

Price guide: £1,000 in 1938 would be about £60,000 in today's money. Not much for a new house!

The following references are added here for indexing purposes:
Botanical Gardens, Halifax Building Society, Harold Smith accountant agent, Burns Drive, Kinard Park Estate (2 refs), London and Lancashire Insurance Company Ltd, Tom Edwards insurance, Barnett & Soans of Prestatyn, Griffiths Farm Tre-Llewelyn Trellewelyn, Astons Furniture.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 193

Above: In the 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?

Below: In the late 1950s this popular singer topped the bill in a Sunday show at the Queens.
The question: What is her name?

No need to send me an email - just check your answers against mine on Sunday 22nd October 2017 after 12 noon.

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