THE MELO-MAIDS

Rhyl Life proudly presents the Internet debut of 1960s sensation The Melo-Maids, left to right: right: June Turner (soprano), Margaret McMinn (mezzo soprano) and Gillian Phillips (contralto). June and Margaret were stalwarts of Rita Landi’s Ladies Choir, and Gillian popped up here last month in a photograph of Rhyl Liberty Players’ Christmas Party c.1957. All three were members of the Operatic Society and were lead singers their own right.

The Melo-Maids were formed in early '60s and operated for a couple of years as a cabaret act when the Operatic Society put on concerts and shows for charities or held their own dinner dances. In the photo above (TOP) the maids are doing the Frank Loesser song ‘Take Back Your Mink’ from the show ‘Guys and Dolls’, which they performed at their first ever appearance.

They learned songs that the Kaye Sisters and Beverly Sisters performed such as ‘Mr. Wonderful’ and ‘Sisters’. Their accompanist was the late Mrs. Howard of Butterton Road. They played at the Amphitheatre (Gaiety), Derbyshire Miners’ Club, Queens Ballroom and at Rhyl Pavilion with star names. “We were busy young mums at the time, so going professional was not really an option. It was just for charity and fun,” says June.

--

DIVIDING LINE

The colour photograph at the top was taken yesterday by Yours Truly showing the junction of Crescent Road, John Street and Wellington Road. The matching old photo was taken about 1900 and is from the collection of Gaynor Williams.

The enlarged detail offers a closer view of advertising boards that used to be where the Drill Hall is now, and Rhydwen Jones & Davies' furniture / upholstery workshop where a kiddies’ playground is now.

In town council terms the junction is the diving line between the Foryd ward (west end) to your left and the Bodfor ward (town centre) to your right. The two together comprise the county council ward of Rhyl West.

--
Further to the advertising boards above, the photo below shows the office of BEECH BROS, RHYL BILL POSTERS with quite a display on side of the building including an advert for Blackpool (reminds me that sometimes Rhyl itself was described a mini-Blackpool).

The curved pavement and alley ought to be clues, but I can't quite place the location. Can you?

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

--

TRAMPOLINES

Among PROM SCENES posted on Friday 8 January 2010 was a postcard showing trampolines and I said that the picture was probably 1990s. This caused a flurry of correspondence from readers who did not remember trampolines. Well, neither did I.

Here is another card showing the trampolines and it's postmarked 1997 zealously enough to penetrate the picture. Top left, beyond a white fence and beneath a sign saying ‘Learn here’ there are people sitting in deck chairs watching something – I wonder what it could be. If you have any information please send email to:
rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

--

SAT 14th FEB 2015 UPDATE: Stuart Mortimer has written to explain that the picture could not have been taken later than the 1970s, and the people in deck chairs would have been watching roller skating. The roller skating rink wasn't shortened at any time before it closed down.

--

FURTHER UP THE GARDENS

Further to the last Thursday’s post about Botanical Gardens, Grange Road, the items above were sent by George Owen (President) and Eric C. Black MBE (Treasurer) of the voluntary group that looks after the gardens.

George says, “The gardens opened in 1928 during a period of serious unemployment, the year before the Wall Street Crash and the slump of the 1930s.” The sepia postcard is from the 1930s and shows the pergola top left, so it was there at a very early stage – possibly from the beginning.

Eric sent the colour photos showing a metal-framed replacement pergola which was installed in 2006 (left) and another walkway in the gardens. Improvements are ongoing. More info about the voluntary group here: http://www.rhylbotanicalgardens.co.uk/index.php/history/historyassociation

--

I TALK TO NO TREES

The Denbighshire County Council ward of Rhyl West, which comprises the town centre and west end, is still high on the list of most deprived places in Wales. Compounding the misery and poverty is the lack of green space and absence of trees. Last year the residents successfully opposed an attempt by contractors working on behalf of the county council to remove trees from Gordon Avenue.

Other streets were not so lucky and at least half a dozen trees were destroyed. Taking up the case, Rhyl Environmental Association discovered that Denbighshire had no set procedures relating to the care and replacement of trees. At present the council is drafting a clear policy and eventually it will go to public consultation.

Please click on the following link for further information about the work of Rhyl Environmental Association: http://www.rhylea.org.uk/

--

SAT 20th FEB 2010 UPDATE: A little bird told me that the county council staff recently working on Morley Road car park in Rhyl West with a plan requiring the removal of one tree, had decided to remove all five.

--

AUNTIE'S FINEST HOUR

George Owen, a frequent contributor to this site, sent this photo of his Auntie Maude, Mrs. Maude Hughes of Maes Emlyn, Rhyl.

In 1944, during World War 2, the young Maude was sent to Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire and worked as part of a team deciphering German military codes. The team's breaking of the Nazi's 'Enigma' code may have shortened the war by up to two years and saved tens of thousands of lives.

George says, “Until a few years ago when the activities at Bletchley Park were made public, Auntie Maude hadn’t told anyone about her part in them - not even her husband! She told me, “Well I’d signed the Secrets Act and that was that as far as I was concerned”.

A couple of months ago Mrs. Hughes received from the Prime Minister a certificate of honour and commemorative medal for her work at Bletchley Park. Mrs. Valerie Knowles of F. Knowles the newsagent, tobacconist and sweet shop in Bodfor Street, was engaged in other work there although the two ladies did not know each other at the time.

--

SLIDES AND RIDES

These pictures of Marine Lake Fun Fair are from the collection of Rhyl Library, Church Street. They appeared in the book ‘Rhyl At The Fun Fair’ by Eric Hughes, which was published in 2001 and is out of print but can be seen in the library’s reference department.

The photograph at the top was taken in the 1930s on the Oakland Avenue side of the lake and looking towards the sea. The Bowlslide was built by engineer Albert Barnes, the originator of Rhyl's fun fairs. Eric says, "Customers ascended in chairs and then descended on mats down a one-a-half-turn helter skelter ending in a bowl.” The slide further away on the left edge of the photo is Shooting The Rapids (another mat slide).

The lower photo was taken in the 1940s looking in the opposite direction towards the mainline railway. The ride partially in view bottom right is Leaping Lena. Eric says this was a round ride of jeep-like cars; two wheels on each were eccentric causing the car to jump up and down. Foreground left is a kiddies’ ride named The Chariot which had miniature ‘horse-drawn’ chariots on a slowly revolving platform.

The big white structure looming large in both pictures is the Figure Eight Rollercoaster built in 1920 by Mr. Barnes where it stood, and there it stayed until the fun fair was moved off the Marine Lake site at the end of the 1960s.

--