BOWING OUT

On Saturday 29th April 2017, The Co-operative Bwyd (Food) shop at 97 High Street, Rhyl, will close down. The Co-op stands on part of the site previously occupied by the Regal Cinema and originally by Britannia Inn.

Some years ago I went to the Co-op to take part in a meeting of regular customers. There we were told by an Area Manager that the branch would be changing status from supermarket to convenience store so that it could be open longer hours.

At the meeting I mentioned that the derelict offices above, which had been occupied by The Visitor newspaper, had become spattered by seagulls and other feathered friends and the windows needed cleaning. Soon they were cleaned and have not looked that bad again – yet.

In recent years the security staff have been laid off and sales staff reduced in number. The Co-op has two doors in High Street and a goods entrance in Clwyd Street near a day centre for substance abusers (ask your elected representatives why it has to be there).

Shoplifting is said to have been a factor in the shop's closure but I have not been able to get official confirmation of this.

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Roy Turner (pictured above with wife June) passed away at end of March in Spain at age 88. Roy and June were helpful to me a dozen years ago when I was writing about the local music scene – and several times since. Roy’s knowledge and understanding of Rhyl were impressive and so was the clarity of his memory.

Roy had been amongst other things a local businessman and councillor. I used to think of him as one of the few remaining – if not the last – of the great Rhyl councillors dating back to the days of Rhyl Urban District Council which was a more powerful body than the present town council.

Despite his advancing years and many changes in landscape of the town, Roy stayed in tune with Rhyl and ready to offer information and advice. My impression is that if we could have given Rhyl to Roy he would have sorted everything out. How many other people could you say that about? He was a remarkable man.

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Photographs in this blog post are by Yours Truly.

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

Don't forget my YouTube channel featuring Rhyl videos and slideshows. The channel is named RhylTime. Click here to see RhylTime's Top Ten:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7BKgZiQNRSaVpnyTl8PgEpPusmd3dl_z

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