MORTICIA RULES

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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Having taken half the seats out of Rhyl's High Street and removed the canopies that we shoppers found so useful, Denbighshire County Council now delivers a masterstroke: the remaining seats are being painted a wonderfully unseasidey black. At least fans of The Addams Family should like it; I expect to hear them giving their customary double-click of the fingers in appreciation as they pass by.

H.R. Owens the decorators would have been only following orders.

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FLASHBACK #12

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
l
The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

Here is an early image of the top end of High Street as seen from the junction with Wellington Road. The picture is undated but the scene looks Edwardian i.e. during the reign of the avuncular, bearded King Edward VII (1901-1910). Motor cars were manufactured in Britain from the 1890s onwards; only one is in sight here and it’s not moving fast enough to scatter the shoppers!

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SAT 4th JUL 2015 UPDATE: From generally the same time in history, here is a picture taken from opposite side of the road, the junction with Russell Road. In the centre of this one you can see the dark green wall sign of the Lorne Hotel, later renamed simply as The Lorne:

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This reference is added here for indexing purposes: Worthington brewery.

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THE GREAT NAVAJO

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
l
The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

Prompted by an enquiry from Nick Bourne of BBC North East Wales, here is a picture of Marine Lake Fun Fair’s self-styled Great Navajo whose name was Parney Warner. He wore a feathered head-dress and full Red Indian regalia and told fortunes. Parney was from Coventry and was half-German. He retired in 1939 and sold his fortune telling rights to a "Spaniard" by the name of Jack Crisp.

The picture is from Rhyl Library and the information is from the book ‘Rhyl At The Fun Fair’ by Eric Hughes (now out of print).

There's a lot of discussion about the town’s past and present on BBC North East Wales web site: www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast

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SPITFIRE

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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This unusual photograph was provided by Mrs. Gaynor Williams of the shop ‘Aquarius’ in Market Street for inclusion in my book ‘Rhyl In The Second World War’ (now out of print). The picture may have been taken during fundraising events for the Spitfire Fund in 1940. Rhyl was part of Flintshire then, and the county raised enough money to donate two Spitfire fighter aircraft to the war effort.

The photographer was standing on the prom near the top of High Street looking westwards. The crowd seems to having a jolly good time, war or no war. Top left is the Queens Theatre/Ballroom entrance. Opposite, in Queens Gardens - where there was usually cycling - a Spitfire is on display. In the far distance is the familiar dome of the original Pavilion.

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LIFEBOAT DAY

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
l
The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

The photograph above shows Rhyl lifeboat Caroline Richardson II being towed into position by the Clayton tractor for a fundraising day on the prom, near the Conway drinking fountain which was opposite High Street.

Caroline Richardson II served from 1897 to 1939. Judging by styles of dress I would date the picture as being before the 1920s. A version of it appears in the book: ‘Rhyl Lifeboats 1852-2002: 150 years of gallantry’ by Jeff Morris, published in 2002.

The book may be on sale at the RNLI shop at the Lifeboat House near the Crown Green Bowling Centre on the eastern promenade. If planning a special journey there please phone to check the shop’s opening hours (01745) 350956.

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WED 15th APR 2015 UPDATE: A note from the files of the late Glyn Rees indicates that the Conway drinking fountain was erected in 1862 to commemorate the coming of age of one of Rowley-Conwy family of Bodrhyddan Hall near Rhuddlan. The fountain fell into disrepair and was removed not long after WW2.

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THU 11th MAY 2017 UPDATE: Just arrived here at Jones Towers is this rare pic of the banana-shaped Caroline Richardson II in Edwardian times on the sands at Rhyl.

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THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
l
The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

The postcard above is postmarked 1905 and shows part of the promenade walkway as it would have looked if you had been standing with your back to High Street. The crowd is watching a performance by the Merrie Men on an open stage known as the minstrel pitch (centre left) which had artistes’ changing rooms behind.

One of the three buildings on the right may have been a donkey shed. Nearby and not in the picture were a camera obscura (inside which there was a projected mirror image of the scenery outside) and a rifle range. The white building on the pier was a small theatre originally named Bijou Pavilion, and near the end of the pier was a bandstand.

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SAT 11th APR 2015 UPDATE: Another card from the same period:

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DECORUM

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
l
The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

I like the above photo of Edwardian paddlers in Rhyl: the ladies in long dresses and wearing little hats, and the gentlemen in suits and trilbies. Ah yes, they knew how to dress in those days – even when standing in the sea!

Below: Edwardian schoolgirls building a sandcastle in Rhyl.

The sandhills in the background indicate that they were at the east end of the beach.

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