Gareth Morris, who is a dab hand at the quiz, kindly loaned the larger image above (TOP). It is one of his photographs of the demolition of Rhyl Pavilion in 1974. He was working in Rhyl at the time and took the photos himself.
Rhyl Pavilion had opened in 1908 on the promenade in the vicinity of the present Skytower. The lower picture - an undated postcard - shows the building within a few years of the opening.
The Pavilion was built by the county council (Flintshire at the time) and managed by Rhyl Urban District Council. It was the town’s principal theatre; some of the biggest star performers appeared there. In early 1930s the building underwent internal alterations to become a theatre with ballroom and cabaret.
In the evenings the big white dome used to light up and change colours. During World War 2 the dome was camouflaged as an air-raid safety precaution. After the war, big shows continued at the Pavilion but public tastes were changing, audience numbers were falling and maintenance costs were rising.
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