FOR SEA DOGS

As far as I can tell, none of the following nautical images has appeared previously in Rhyl Life.

Perversely we start with an item that may not be Rhyl. Certainly we had plenty of pleasure boats like this 'City of Birmingham', I'm just not sure the pier is Rhyl's. Anyway, the postcard is circa 1900:

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

Above is a card postmarked 1905. The painting is by Warren Williams (1863-1918); far right would be the toll bridge that preceded the present Foryd Bridge.
Mr. Williams produced work elsewhere in North Wales including Conwy, Llandudno and Snowdonia.

These two show in the foreground the remains of the ship 'City of Ottawa' which came aground before World War 1. The colour card is postmarked 1906, the other is from early 1930s:

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Above is the PS (paddle steamer) Rhosneigr previously named Prince Leopold. The Rhosneigr paddled cheerfully in and out of Rhyl during the 1906-1907-1908 summer seasons until wrecked near Rhos-on-Sea and the Little Orme on 20th July 1908.

Now for a couple of rare shots of Rhyl harbour and estuary from 1920s -

L. S. Lowry made this sketch of the harbour in 1925 -

Here, a night shot of the present Foryd Bridge in its pre-blue days:

Below: an amateur snapshot from the 1960s:

Next is an unposted card. What shall we say for this – 1980s?  

A comparatively recent composition by Rhyl photographer Jo Jenner:

Foryd Harbour is where the township of Rhyl began and where the present wave of regeneration started in 2013 with Pont y Ddraig, the new swing bridge for cyclists and pedestrians.

Copyright in the following photo belongs to cyclingnorthwales.co.uk:

Regeneration continues at long last across the road from the harbour, on the former Ocean Beach Fun Fair site. Further east our Sun Centre is being replaced by something more up-to-date.

The harbour and promenade must be kept shipshape. The seafront, as far as the outside world is concerned, is Rhyl.

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THU 12th OCT 2017 UPDATE: Just arrived here at Jones Towers - an undated shot of boats for pleasure/fishing near the harbour.

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FLASHBACK #15

Above is another beautifully detailed interior shot by Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard taken probably in the 1920s. This one shows the dining room of the Monica Hotel which stood on the corner of Water Street and West Parade (the Rosy O'Grady's/Honey Club corner).

[The dining room may have outlived the hotel and been the forerunner of the Esplanade Restaurant - one of West Parade's upstairs eateries.]

The entire building has been demolished to make way for an announced, and re-announced and re-announced, long-awaited hotel. The following photo of the corner was taken a couple of weeks ago by Yours Truly:

On the same day the former Ocean Beach Fun Fair site (currently named Marina Quay) was still in a similar state of limbo despite the announced, and re-announced and re-announced, long-awaited development.

This week over in East Parade the remains of the burnt-out Grange Hotel have been cleared. Round the corner in St. Asaph Street the Grange's rather nice archway has survived - so far.

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Recently on Internet this signed drawing by L.S. Lowry was up for auction. We know Lowry holidayed in Rhyl with his Mum more than once but this drawing of the Pavilion is not well known.

There were clearly doubts about its authenticity; after 12 bids it sold for £588. Rhyl artist Judith Samuel commented, "If it is genuine then it's really cheap. If not then it's really expensive!"

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EDWARD HENRY STREET

Here are pictures taken from the elbow of Edward Henry Street looking towards the sea, about 100 years apart.

The older image is from the collection of Ann Hayes; it shows guest houses like the one where the painter L.S. Lowry (‘matchstick men’) stayed with his Mum in the 1920s and ‘30s. Lowry drew Edward Henry Street and sketched Foryd Harbour. The photo appears to have been taken from the middle of the road – far too precarious an angle these days!

The colour picture was taken today by Yours Truly standing safely on the pavement outside what used to be No.14 which has been demolished to make a car park for the refurbished Nos. 16-18 (front left of photo). The refurbished houses are for starter business units and a community facility. Nearly all the other buildings in the street belong to Clwyd Alyn Housing Association.

Over the years I’ve heard differing versions of why the street is named after someone called Edward Henry. The truth is out there somewhere . . .

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MON 30th MAR 2015 UPDATE: The following Lowry drawing shows Edward Henry Street as observed from the West Parade end (1929):

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Below is an example of a Lowry drawing/sketch of Foryd Harbour, titled Boats At Rhyl (1926):

WED 7th DEC 2016 UPDATE: The following Lowry is labelled 'pencil drawing Rhyl Harbour (1924)'

At the time of the above two drawings of the harbour Mr. Lowry would have looked rather as in the image below. It is a self portrait in oils, dated 1925 when he was 37. I can easily imagine him walking around in Rhyl:

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