If you were to ask When was the heyday of Rhyl? many people would
say it was when they were children or teenagers or young marrieds. They confuse
their own heyday with the history of the town.
In real Rhyl the period from early 1890s to end of 1930s was the
heyday that saw the biggest crowds of summer visitors - and not just day
trippers.
There was a slow downward trajectory from the 1940s, the closures of
previously-important attractions and businesses started at the end of the 1950s
and continued until the 1970s.
Up to that point the rise and fall of Rhyl as a resort had been 'organic'.
Rhyl did well when it was a fashionable to place to visit and then less well as other kinds of holidays became more fashionable.
That is the way of the world.
The resurgence of Rhyl in the 1980s was not organic, not driven by public
demand , but created by a large injection of European grant aid. It was an
artificial boom.
And after a boom comes a bust.
So what’s next for Rhyl? I will let you know in due course. Here in Jones Towers a couple of scientists are working on a plan:
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The vintage seaside cards are by Donald McGill. They are postmarked 1922.
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