Rhyl Life: PICKARD: RAE

THE EASTERN FRONT
Further to last month's 'Life Goes On' I can report that the eastern prom is now home to a skateboard park.
Looking left to right, we see the skateboard park followed by Garden Of Remembrance, the Sun Verge pub/restaurant (still under construction), Travelodge (under construction), and recently face-lifted Pavilion Theatre.

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IT’S NOT COMING HOME

This month I felt relieved to hear that England’s hopes of a FIFA World Cup win had ended. I was around in 1966 when England actually did win and I’ve had to live with continuous reminders ever since. The prospect of another win was more than I could bear.

At World Cup time the English in Wales behave badly, waving their red cross flag under our noses and going large. But what really astounds me is the emotional frenzy surrounding big sporting events. If only that passion could be directed at something more important!

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TRUMP VISIT TO UK

The biggest blight on our summer has been an official visit by the appalling Donald Trump, America’s biggest mistake. Among Mr. Trump’s fans are the arrogant Nigel Farage and clownish Boris Johnson who are almost as much liars and fantasists as he is.

Mr. Trump’s delusional tendencies were on show again recently when he said of the UK, “I think they love me there.”

Photo of anti-Trump demo in London © Hollywood Life

Having to do trade deals with the likes of Donald Trump and the world’s other hucksters and shysters is a very good reason for us to remain safely within the European Union.
The BBC News website has an interesting article about his activities in Scotland:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/Trump_and_Scotland

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TUE 21 AUG 2018 UPDATE: Two of Mr. Trump's sleazebag associates are heading for jail.
Paul Manafort, ex-Trump election campaign chief, has been found guilty on eight charges of tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose foreign banks accounts.
Michael Cohen, Mr. Trump's former lawyer, has been found guilty on eight counts, including violating election campaign finance laws, tax evasion and bank fraud.

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TUE 18th DEC 2018 UPDATE: Attorney General of New York State, Barbara Underwood, has announced that Donald Trump’s dodgy charity ‘The Trump Foundation’ is to be shut down.
She has accused Mr. Trump and his three eldest children of using it for private and political gain. In a statement, she said there had been "a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful co-ordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and wilful self-dealing, and much more.
"We'll continue to move our suit forward to ensure the Trump Foundation and its directors are held to account for their clear and repeated violations of state and federal law."

Hmmmm, Donald Trump is looking more and more like the crook I have always suspected him to be.

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

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Saturday, 28 October 2017

PANTO DRAWS ON

These recent acquisitions are postcards bearing bottom right the printed signature of Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard and the date 1912. On the back they carry the following message: "BROMESQUE" REAL PHOTOGRAPH by RAE PICKARD, RHYL. PRINTED IN RHYL.

The cards bear no further details. Mr. Pickard ranged far and wide in North Wales, so there is no guarantee that this production of 'Cinderella' was actually staged in Rhyl. Nevertheless I suspect we are looking at girls from our St. Mary's Convent School in Russell Road which was up and running by then.

Kinmel Bay-based cartoonist/singer/comedian Roy Lance clocked up a few pantos in his time, such as this one:

Roy is on your right as Simple Simon with Trevor Moreton as Dame in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' 1968-69 at Swansea Grand Theatre. Jack was played by pop singer Wayne Fontana; the cast included The Harmon Brothers (later known as The Chuckle Brothers).

If I have identified the wrong production I will go and stand in the corner.

This year at Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, we have 'Sleeping Beauty':

Pavilion Theatre says, "The cast is headed by Vicky Entwistle, perhaps best known as Coronation Streeet’s Janice Batterby who plays the Bad Fairy Cararabosse. She is joined by Channel 5’s Milkshake presenter, Amy Thompson as Sleeping Beauty, Princess Briar Rose, and Hollyoaks’ Kathy Barnes, Sarah Jane Buckley, as the Good Fairy.

"The Queen of pantomime dames, Charles Burden, plays Nanny Glucose, and back by popular demand is Wales’ very own Sean Jones as Silly Billy who returns for his 6th consecutive pantomime at the Pavilion.

"There is a full supporting cast which includes two local talented dance schools, The Gay Harris Dancers and The North Wales School of Dance. Sleeping Beauty runs from Wednesday 13th December to Saturday 6th January, tickets are priced from just £9.50."

Website: http://www.rhylpavilion.co.uk/sleeping-beauty/

FAWLTY CONNECTIONS

Incidentally, recent works by Denbighshire County Council at the Pavilion Theatre include the creation of a new restaurant area which has been given the name ‘1891’ because somebody thinks that’s when the Pavilion first opened. There are faults in this reasoning.

The present Pavilion Theatre which opened in 1991 could be described as a belated replacement for the famous domed Rhyl Pavilion (demolished 1974, opened 1908) but there is no connection that I know of between those two council-owned venues and the Grand Pavilion (destroyed by fire 1901, opened 1891).

The Grand Pavilion, about which I published a book in 2002, was a concert hall built at the shore end of our Victoria Pier by a private company which owned the pier at that particular time. It was not the start of a Pavilion dynasty so ‘1891’ is not an appropriate name for the restaurant.

If the link between the three disparate venues is simply the word Pavilion, then the restaurant might as well be named '1867' which was the date that the Bijou Pavilion opened halfway along the pier. Does all this matter? Well, there is already enough misinformation about Rhyl history out there without Denbighshire Council adding to it.

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Monday, 14 August 2017

RHYL MINIATURE RAILWAY

Last month a bumper crop of Rhyl Miniature Railway (Marine Lake) postcards came up for sale on Internet, unused and therefore undated. Below are examples that have not appeared previously in this blog.

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

'Atlantic' Type Locomotive by Bassett-Lowke

Miniature Railway & Marine Rifle Range
Foryd Hall top left

Central Station & Funland Arcade

By Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard

No. 101 - 'Joan'

No. 105 - 'Michael'

No.44 'Clara' - built in USA

To see all posts relating to Marine Lake please click here:

http://rhyl-life.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/MARINE%20LAKE

Wednesday, 5 July 2017

SPORTING LIFE

Recently the first photo below was on sale on Internet, hence the seller's logo. It shows Rhyl Pickwicks football / soccer team 1899-1900. Chances are, this was a team that played for charities – because the top-hatted gent on your right is E.H. Williams the leader of Rhyl's 'Merrie Men' minstrel troupe; he was involved in fundraising activities.

For indexing purposes the names above are repeated here.
Back row (left to right): E.D. Davies, B. Smith, F. Mudd, E.H. Williams.
Middle row: EL. Jones, J. Fell, Tom Moore, H.H. Davies, J. Brookes.
Front row: R. Salt, E. Nelson, R. Newing, T. Keene, T. Roberts.
Name of the original owner of the photo is given as John Nickels, 14 Vale Park, off Victoria Road, Rhyl.

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The next item is captioned Rhyl Snooker Hall 1911. The location of the hall is not given. The group in the photo would be staff.

Here, a walking race in East Parade, Rhyl, presumably dating from before World War 1:

The following shot of Rhyl Bowling Green, Seabank Road, is undated and looks like the work of Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard but I've no evidence that it was taken by him:

From 1947-48 here is a medallion inscribed for the Rhyl & District T.T.L (Table Tennis League) Youth Singles Winner. First mention of table tennis in this blog!

Wrestling is a Rhyl favourite and continues this summer at the town hall. Here are the centre pages from a programme of wrestling at Gaiety Theatre (formerly Pier Amphitheatre) on the prom, dated 1964.

For indexing purposes the names above are repeated here.
Wryton Wrestling, Count Bartelli, Alf Rough-house Cadman Bury, Ted Hannon Scotland, Frank Riley Wigan, Bert Royal Bolton, Vic Faulkner Bolton, Martin Conroy referee, Terry Nylands Rochdale, Dennis Wade St. Helens, Seamus Donlevy Ireland, Mike Donlevy Ireland, Francis Gregory, Reg Williams.
Master of Ceremonies is our very own, recently deceased, Roy Turner.

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A seaside resort is not a place you would expect to find a gun shop for field sports, but we have one in Elwy Street where until a few years ago the proprietor was the late Reg Gizzi (airman and ex-musician).
This photo was taken earlier in 2017. Last I heard, a few weeks ago, the business was up for sale.

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FRI 7th SEP 2018 UPDATE: Just arrived here at Jones Towers - an advert for the gun shop, dated 1985:

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My YouTube channel featuring Rhyl videos and slideshows goes by the name of RhylTime. Click on the following link if you would like to see RhylTime's Top Ten:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7BKgZiQNRSaVpnyTl8PgEpPusmd3dl_z

Only YouTube items labelled RhylTime are mine.

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Wednesday, 19 October 2016

TOWYN TOP-UP

Towyn is part of the postal district of Abergele but shares a community council with Kinmel Bay; the combined population is about 8,000.

Art enthusiasts may like this picture titled 'The Sands of Towyn, North Wales' by B.W. Leader A.R.A. (Associate of the Royal Academy):

Benjamin Williams Leader (1831-1923) was a landscape artist from the English midlands; he spent quite a lot of time in North Wales. I like the way he turned his name around from Benjamin Leader Williams so as not to disappear in a tide of Williamses.

The following postcard is undated, looks to be 1930s. Underneath it is a detail from the big picture.

Here is another card; this one is postmarked 1955. It carries a message from Rose to her Aunt, Mrs M. Williams of Harborne, Birmingham:

Until recently I had not heard of Howison's Holiday Camp, Towyn, as featured on the multiview card below.

Howison's was a forerunner of the present Whitehouse Leisure Park:
http://www.whitehouseleisurepark.com/

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MON 19th JUN 2017 UPDATE: These two Towyn cards were published by Raphael Tuck and date from the late 1930s.

Wilcock's Holiday Camp is a valuable addition to Rhyl Life - the camp has not been mentioned previously herein.

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6720. Additional image added in July 2020:

I keep passing this church in Towyn but have never been inside. The photo looks to be a Rae Pickard even though his logo is not on it.

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Wednesday, 17 August 2016

TIME AND TIDE

Old paddling pix reflect innocence, charm and the enduring fun of looking at your feet under water - what will you step on next! These three have not appeared before in Rhyl Life:

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

The one in the middle is circa 1910. The final pic is a 1923 shot by Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard showing paddlers with the lifeboat Caroline Richardson II.

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NO USE BLAMING THE BIRDS

The photo below taken recently by Yours Truly shows the spattered state of the derelict post office in Water Street. Pity the cabbies in the rank opposite who have to look the mess every working day. Owners of private property – which this is – owe it to the community to keep their premises looking clean and tidy.

Birds are being encouraged by cafes, pubs and restaurants that provide outdoor seating for customers, and by take-aways. These businesses (and their permission-givers) fuel the problem. The solution is not killing birds, who have as much right to be here as we do, but educating people to do their eating indoors.

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SUN 13th MAY UPDATE: Pleased to report the derelict post office is being demolished. The following photos were taken today by Yours Truly.
This one is the view from Town Hall -

- and this is a rear view through the fence:

The building was not a pretty sight. The replacement is to be a short stay car park which may not be pretty either, but at least it will be useful.
All is not entirely well at the small, privately owned replacement post office in High Street. Customers have been grumbling to me about queuing times and the staff's lack of courtesy.

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

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Sunday, 17 July 2016

QUIZ ANSWER # 146

Last Sunday I posted this: an unusual sight above a shop in Rhyl town centre. The question: What is the name of the shop?
The answer: Kavick's Bazaar.
The shop sells discounted household goods at 15 Wellington Road, photographed this year on a dull day by Yours Truly:

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Also I posted the following photo taken this year of a house in Rhyl. The question: What is currently the name of the house?

The answer: Canterbury House.
Residential care home and nursing home at 77 Dyserth Road, photographed by Fred Burns who was standing in Cae Gruffydd to confuse you.

Scoring 1 win for Kavick's Bazaar and/or 1 win for Canterbury House:
The Great Gareth 1, Dilys Bagnall 1, Jane Shuttle 1 and Sue Handley 1.

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The following references are added here for indexing purposes: YMCA Rhyl, William Hill Wellington Road.

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PRINCES STREET

No good for a quiz picture, got to be Princes Street. The item is a postcard dated 1913 from E. Davies who had recently taken up residence at No. 26 (marked with an X) advising Mr. H. Harris of Wolverhampton of the new address. I would love to see one of these cards in good condition – it’s a Rae Pickard photograph!

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MON 11th JUN 2018 UPDATE: On the subject of Canterbury House, this week it is the subject of bad publicity. See Daily Post:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/residents-ate-soap-care-home-14766261

Sunday, 26 June 2016

QUIZ ANSWER # 143

Last Sunday I posted this picture from Rhuddlan Borough Council days showing a land train at Marine Lake. In the land train's name, your crafty blogger covered one word with black dots. The question: What is the missing word?
The answer: Rocket.
Here is the Rhyl Rocket picture in full. Note the lake site's temporary name The Marine Leisure Park:

Also posted was the following vintage photo by Rhyl photographer Rae Pickard, showing a corner of Marine Lake. The question: What corner is it - North East, North West, South East or South West?
The answer: South West.

You needed both correct answers for 1 win, and the only winner is Sue Handley. Well done, Sue!

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Below is a Rae Pickard business card. The address is 63 High Street which must have been demolished to make way for Marks & Spencer; the address of Marks' successor Poundland is 61-71 High Street:

Here is a reminder that in the early days of the lake a business was based there. It is an advert circa 1905 for W. Hudson boat builder:

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Saturday, 28 July 2018

LIFE GOES ON: JUL 2018