QUIZ QUESTION # 58

The photograph above (TOP) was taken in early 1950s in Rhyl. Pictured is a small push and pull train which ran a shuttle service between Rhyl and Llandudno. On the front of the engine is a board bearing the name of the train. The first word is THE, and the rest has been obliterated by your crafty blogger. The question is:
What was the name of the train?

The White Rose bus photos are from the 1920s, the one on left was sent by John Powell – thanks John. The question is:
What family name was associated with the White Rose bus company?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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THINKING ALOUD

There is nearly another week of radio and television coverage before the General Election. The media milk the story for all it’s worth and – as usual – try to make out that it will be a close run thing. Having determined not to vote in this election, I can take a detached view.

When I first became a voter in the 1960s, it seemed straightforward: if you were more selfish than spiteful you would vote Conservative, and if you were more spiteful than selfish you would vote Labour. Most people fell into one category or the other.

Now it seems that, just as county councils are run to a large extent by staff rather than councillors, governments are run principally by the civil service so there is no point in spending a lot of time choosing elected representatives.

The way we do politics in this country is an exasperating sham, so I have to keep reminding myself of the words of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965): “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

Photograph by Yours Truly.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 57

The photo at the top was taken recently.
On the prom opposite Mr. B’s (formerly Samuel Henry’s) from 1892 until WW2, there was something rather special. The question is:
What was it and why was it removed?

The lower picture is a postcard sent to pals in Wallasey from Harold and Lil who were staying at the Wendover Hotel where there was a roof garden – sounds jolly nice. The question is:
Was the picture on the card taken before or after 1959, and how can you tell by looking at it?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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INTERMISSION

Having a liking for pre-WW2 films, I was sitting watching actress/
dancer/singer Jessie Matthews who was as cute as a button, in the 1933 film ‘The Good Companions’. The film has a sequence where a concert party (troupe of performers) is touring seaside resorts. One resort is Rhyl as the poster shows, but we never had a theatre called the Pergola.

Now I’ve said that, somebody is bound to send an email saying that we did.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 56

On this blog are pictures of the roller skating rink that was on the promenade more than 40 years, but it wasn’t the first rink in Rhyl.
The question is:
Where was the roller skating in the colour postcard above?

The other picture shows a Rhyl lifeboat. It was on station from 1968 to 1990 and saved 28 lives. The question is:
Was the lifeboat’s name Har-Lil, Mary Gabriel or Lil Cunningham?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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QUIZ QUESTION # 55

This photograph above (TOP) was sent by George Owen and shows a building under construction in the spring of 1926 in Wellington Road, Rhyl. The question is:
What business occupies the building today?

The lower photograph shows a rail accident; a train that had been shunted onto the wrong line hit the footbridge near Ffynnongroew Road, Rhyl. The question is:
Was the accident in 1964, 1973 or 1982?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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QUIZ QUESTION # 54

The photograph above (TOP) is from a Rhyl event of the late 1920s. The gang of people in party mood are in front of the Savoy Cafe. The question:
Where was the Savoy Cafe?

The other photo shows a dance band at the Alhambra Restaurant, Rhyl. At a guess I would say it was roughly from the same period. The question:
Where was the Alhambra Restaurant?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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ELWY STREET BLUES

These photographs were taken today by Yours Truly.
Click on a picture to see a bigger version.

The photo at the top shows the ‘railway end’ of Elwy Street. The new structure near middle of picture will be a medical centre. Whether the centre brings new medical services to the area, or just the same old ones brought together under one roof, is not yet clear. Either way, it seems a pity that we had to lose daylight in order to get it.

In Victorian times it was recognised that daylight is an important element of the environment. For example, corner buildings at the prom end of Rhyl High Street were single-storey to keep the street suitably light and cheerful. Eventually one was replaced by the Woolworths (now B&M) building whose developers were obliged to set it way back from the kerb so that no daylight was lost.

The lower photo shows the ‘Wellington Road end’ of Elwy Street where Rhyl Youth Action Group (RYAG) is in the process of destroying another single-storey corner by building on top of it. RYAG has already caused disquiet among some residents in the area by creating new flats in Wellington Road then letting NACRO have them to house young offenders.

Make no mistake, Rhyl is a better place with projects such as RYAG than without, but I would appeal to friends there, and the massed ranks of public representatives and permission-givers, to pay closer attention to the needs of residents in Elwy Street, Wellington Road and round about. We need fewer offenders and more daylight, not vice versa.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 53

These are pictures of attractions at Marine Lake Fun Fair.

The pony ride was a favourite of many residents and visitors, and it was successful enough to be duplicated for a while at Ocean Beach Fun Fair. The question is:
What was the name of the ride?
(You are looking for a 4-word answer.)

The cafe was built on decking over the water and was an ideal place for afternoon teas and ice cream. Who remembers Snow Goose ice cream? The question is:
What was the name of the cafe?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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QUIZ QUESTION # 52

Today’s questions refer to villages in the wider Rhyl district.

At the top is a postcard more than a hundred years old. It has a caption beginning with RHYL (other words have been obliterated by your crafty blogger).
The question is: Where was the picture taken?

The other postcard appears here without its caption, showing a pub which had been previously the home of Victorian explorer H.M. Stanley.
The question is: Where was the picture taken?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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FAIRHOLME SCHOOL

A few days ago a query was received from a contact named Andy who grew up in Fairfield Avenue, Rhyl, in a house thought to have been a girls' school before WW2.

Perhaps it was Fairholme at No. 12, halfway along the west side. The house, photographed yesterday by Yours Truly, still bears the name Fairholme and the occupier (who has been there fifty years) has confirmed that it was a girls' school.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 51

The photograph at the top was taken a few months ago. It shows Williams Estates, 17-19 Kinmel Street, Rhyl, an estate agents office with flats above. In days of yore on that corner stood a big hotel.
The question is: What was the name of the hotel?

The other photo was taken a couple of weeks ago. It shows new art work brightening up a derelict building that used to be a hotel.
The question is: What was the name of the hotel?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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QUIZ QUESTION # 50

Here are a couple of notable Rhyl chaps. The one at the top was born in Bramley, Leeds, and is no longer with us. The other was born in Rhyl and is alive and kicking. They share the same first name. The questions are:
Who is the man in the black-and-white picture?
and
Who is the man in the colour photo?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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QUIZ QUESTION # 49

This is the first of ten days of questions with a history aspect.

The photograph above (TOP) was taken a couple of years ago by George Owen; it shows a fireplace. The question is:
Where in Rhyl was the photo taken?

The other photograph was sent by Diana Davies [née Nicholas] who lives in Canada. It’s a picture of a Rhyl school hat badge. The question is:
What was the name of the school?

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Please send your answers by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

The closing date is Saturday 8th May 2010 at midday. During the following week there will be a separate draw for each day of the quiz. Get one of today's answers right and you’ll go in the draw for today; get both right and you’ll go in twice!

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DONKEYS AT WORK

Among my acquaintances there is a donkey fan who, on more than one occasion, has pointed to the need for more donkey pictures on this blog. Well, here goes. At the top is one from my own collection and it's a card postmarked 1925.

The other items are from Ann Hayes of Ruthin, the third one down being a family snapshot taken around 1956. The colour card at the bottom is postmarked 1954; Ann fought me for it on eBay – a fact that I will never let her forget.

Please be aware there is a charity organisation called The Donkey Sanctuary working for the welfare of donkeys and mules in UK and Ireland. If you wish to see their web site, please click here:
http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

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6720. Additional image added in July 2020:

 

Postcard by Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard with a baby donkey in view.

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FLYING HERO

Mr. Charles Leach writes, “I have been researching the story of Flight Lieutenant Norman Carter Macqueen DFC RAFVR (1920-1942). Originally his was a Midlands family. He and his brothers went to Southlawn School in Brighton Road, Rhyl. Their father, Dr. Joseph Gordon Macqueen, was a GP at Clarence House Surgery in Russell Road, from 1930-1959.”

When World War 2 began, young Norman (pictured above) joined the RAF and served gallantly for nearly three years. He was killed in action on May 4th 1942 and buried in Kilkara Cemetery, Malta.

The colour photo was taken a couple of days ago by Yours Truly and shows the former Southlawn School. The building is 57 Brighton Road opposite the entrance to Y Gorlan; at present it is being converted into flats.

At some time Southlawn School had been a girls' school, and it is believed to have been located in West Parade before Brighton Road.

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FRI 27th AUG 2010 UPDATE: Mr. Leach has undertaken further research and written to say that Lieutenant Macqueen did not attend Southlawn School, Rhyl, he went to prep school in Edinburgh.
Hey-ho, Mr Leach.

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FRI 14th SEP 2018: The following picture postcard of Southlawn School is likely to be from the 1930s:

The card is addressed to Miss J. (Joan) Fry of a house named Glan Aber in Pendyffryn Road, Rhyl. The sender is P. Mansfield whose handwriting suggests another female of the species; she may have been a music teacher at Southlawn School.
Whether in this context the phrase band practise should be spelt as band practice is a matter upon which you can reflect in idle moments.

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6720. Two additional images added here in June 2020 (front and rear of same postcard):

Names to note on this 1931 item: Miss Beales and (Miss Mansfield again).

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RHYL LABOUR CLUB

Less than a year ago, Rhyl Labour Club gave up its premises at 13-15 Bodfor Street (upper picture) and moved into the former RAFA Club, 17 Windsor Street (lower picture). Now the Rhyl & District Labour & Social Club Ltd seems to be winding up its affairs altogether; there'll be a meeting of creditors on Tuesday 27th April 2010, 2.30pm at Windsor Street.

I could make a cheap joke about the Labour Party having been bankrupt for years, but I shall refrain from doing so at such a politically sensitive time.

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KEITH ON THE BALL # 1

Sandra Williams has been tracing her husband Keith’s soccer activities. Keith was/is the goalkeeping son of goalkeeper David Williams who featured in a previous post about Rhyl Corinthians.

The photo at the top was taken in 1952/53 in Coronation Gardens, now known as the Coronation Garden (King George V) Playing Field, Vale Road, Rhyl. Tom McKillop, a star player of Rhyl Football Club at the time, is kneeling on the right. In the front are unidentified pupils of Clwyd Street School.

The boys in back row are from Christ Church School, Vaughan Street, and they are (left to right): Elwyn Samuels, Ian Ferguson, Don’t know, Dave Griffiths, Keith Williams, John Davies and Don’t know the rest. The dark-haired chap standing at the back is Mr. Walter Douglas Jones who was a teacher at Christ Church School.

The lower picture is a press cutting from the same period.

Here and in the next post there are many unidentified boys. Who can supply some missing names and/or other info? Please send email to:
rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

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SAT 5th JUN 2010 UPDATE: With reference to the upper picture featuring Tom McKillop, the team member John Davies has written to fill in gaps. Christ Church boys standing (left to right): David ‘Dai’ Davies, Elwyn Samuels, Ian Ferguson, Michael Barrowdale, Philip Trehearn, David Williams, David Griffiths, Keith Williams, John Davies and Ronald Evans. The 11th team member is first left in the front row, Philip Hammond.
The Christ Church School boys were wearing red jerseys; not long after the photo was taken these were replaced by a new strip in school colours, black and gold quarters. The Clwyd Street team were in sky blue shirts.

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[These references are added here for indexing purposes: Hardwick shield, D T Jones, David Cross, Peter Jones, Stephen Parry, Leonard Evans, John Williams, Frank Bracchi, David Lloyd.]

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KEITH ON THE BALL # 2

The photograph above (top) is of Glyndwr School football team 1957.
Left to right:
Front row: A. Roberts, P. Williams, R. Bracchi the Captain; Barry Rees, P. Jones. Back row: Mr. Brierly the Sports teacher, J. Hughes, A. Pike, Keith Williams, B. Thomas, J. Owen, J. Weston; Mr. Matthew Jones the Headmaster.

The lower picture shows Flintshire Schoolboys team of 1957. Front row: Barry Rees, Peter Bramwell, David Hughes, Don’t know, Don’t know.
Back row: Don’t know, Don’t know, Bobby Griffiths, Keith Williams, Don’t know, John Winder.

By the way, Sandra Williams who sent these pictures is studying family history (Roose family) and would like old photos of Hope Place and Mona Terrace. If you can help, please send her an email:
keisan@talktalk.net

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QUIZ ANSWER # 48

Last Wednesday I posted a larger version of the image at the top and said, “This photograph was taken last week in Rhyl. In the photo, foreground left,  there is a street sign blanked out.
The question: What is the missing name?”

The answer is Henafon Road; I was standing in Trellewelyn Road looking northeast towards Pen y Maes Avenue and Dyserth Road. Pictured above drawing the winner from hat is The Great Gareth (Gareth Morris) who leads the field so far with seven wins.

Pauline Hammans is this week’s winner. It’s a second win for Pauline who is an ex-Rhylite residing in Australia with her husband Craig and three daughters. The final photo above was taken a couple of months ago in Sunny Oz and shows Pauline with her mum Dorothy Jones of Rhyl.

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GWRYCH CASTLE

Gwrych Castle near Abergele was a popular destination for trippers from Rhyl. Gwrych is more of a mansion that a castle; the Grade 1 listed building dates from early and mid 1800s. It went through periods of residential and commercial use, but by the 1990s it had fallen into a state of neglect.

Recently a company showed interest in turning Gwrych into a five-star hotel (and started work on the project) but fell foul of the present economic recession. The future of the building is now uncertain. For books about Gwrych Castle, the author to look for is Mark Baker.

The colour pictures above are postcards from my own collection. The one at the top is postmarked 1905. The black-and-white photo was sent by Diana Davies [née Nicholas]. It was taken c.1950 and shows girls from St. Mary’s Convent School, Russell Road, Rhyl, left to right: Gail Milner-Jones, Angela Cummings, Barbara Corson, Diana Nicholas and Anne Clementson.

Diana says, These are the dreaded Panama 'ats being modelled on the little train at Gwrych Castle. Not sure why we were there and seem to think we ended up at the Art Exhibition at Plas Mawr where the guide frightened the life out me by telling us about Dr. Dick and his hauntings, not to mention the dead mother and child – the baby lying on "that very window-sill". I didn't sleep for nights on end after that!

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WED 8th JUL 2015 UPDATE: Here are a couple of 2015 shots of Gwrych Castle, published by Daily Post. The castle is now owned by EPM UK, and it has been partially-restored by Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust:

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IN THE SWIM # 1

The black-and-white pictures above are from Gaynor Williams. They show 'Rhyl Swimming Bath' otherwise known as Sussex Street Baths. This facility opened in 1905 for public bathing in tepid sea water. It was a small place with rather basic facilities and became less popular after the Open-Air Bathing Pool opened on the prom in 1930.

Sussex Street Baths closed in 1939 and the building was used as a storage place by the Army during WW2. After the war it reopened as an indoor market which eventually became known as The Old Market to distinguish it from the newer Queens Market across the road.

The colour photo was taken in 2009 by Yours Truly and shows the present use of the site: the shops Savers and Peacocks.

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MON 5th FEB 2018 UPDATE: Recently to hand is this postcard of a kind that is believed to have been sold to customers on the premises at Sussex Street Baths:

The postmark is indistinct but could be 1922. The illustration seems to me to be rather good. Sadly, the artist/cartoonist is not identified. The caption Alfred Huxley Walsall refers to the company that built the baths.

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SUN 8th APR 2018 UPDATE: Indoor baths had been quite a fad in Victorian times. A popular one in mid to late 1800s in Rhyl was Vaughan's at 15 High Street where a gent could get a haircut and shave as well as an invigorating dip in hot or cold water.
Presuming High Street has not been renumbered, Vaughan's was probably the rear part of the former Goldsmiths jewellers shop opposite McDonalds.
     Another notable baths of the period was Astle's, Queen Street (now the Victory Club).

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