MRS. HARVEY

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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Recent mention on this blog of the ‘mummy in the cupboard’ mystery of 1960 brought a reader’s request for a reminder of some details.

While Mrs. Sarah Jane Harvey (pictured above) of 35 West Kinmel Street, Rhyl, was in hospital for observations, her grown-up son Leslie decided to do some decorating in her house. Leslie opened a cupboard which he believed to hold belongings of Frances Knight, a disabled lady who some years before had been a lodger in Mrs. Harvey’s house.

What he found turned out to be the mummified corpse of Frances Knight whose weekly benefits Mrs. Harvey had continued to collect.

Mrs. Harvey was charged with murder and intent to defraud. She was not convicted of murder because there was insufficient evidence that she had been actually responsible for the death, but she served a prison sentence for obtaining money by deception and thereafter died in an old people’s home.

These notes are from a longer article by Harry Thomas in his book ‘Memory Lane Volume 1’ borrowed from Rhyl Library. The book was published in 2003 by Gwasg Helygain, Rhyl, tel (01745) 331411, email: info@gwasg.com

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'X' MARKS THE SPOT

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

Some parts of the seafront have changed radically in more than a century but the scene above has not altered beyond recognition.

(TOP) is a photograph I took yesterday looking down the promenade from the harbour end. The other picture is a card postmarked August 1907 from SJ in Rhyl to a Master L Robinson of Wolverhampton. It says, ‘My dear L, We have had a very jolly holiday, I return home tomorrow all the better for the change.’

The writer adds, ‘Our digs are where the X is.’

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THE WESTERN FRONT

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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These derelict hotels in West Parade (near the junction with Sandringham Avenue) are an embarrassment. They have been purchased by Welsh Assembly Government as part of Rhyl’s regeneration strategy. Let’s hope that they disappear soon.

Just for the record, the one on your right is the former Westcliffe Hotel.

Rumours persist that all is not well with Modus Properties' proposed Ocean Plaza development of the nearby Ocean Beach Fun Fair site as 200 flats plus shops and whatever else. A necessity for flood defence work - and the credit crunch - may be delaying the project.

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Note: The proposed Ocean Plaza development has been replaced by the Marina Quay development.

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MON 6th NOV 2018 UPDATE: The above matters were sorted and Marina Quay is a retail park. Meanwhile, a welcome reminder of happier times at Westcliffe Hotel has arrived here at Jones Towers in the form of the following card postmarked 1963:

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QUIZ QUESTION # 4

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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Just three or four streets from Rhyl Town Hall you would find this
ivy-covered lamp post. So what street is the lamp post in?

The answer will appear on this blog a week today, i.e. Wednesday 10th June 2009.

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QUIZ ANSWER # 3

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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Last Wednesday on this blog I posted the following photo and asked where in Rhyl is this emblem of Rhuddlan Borough Council.

The emblem is on an arch over the entrance to Glanglasfor, between Abbey bank/building society on left and Burton-Dorothy Perkins on right:

The first person to tell me the right answer was Jacqui Bell the master florist at Hidden Passion, which is at 18 Water Street (on a corner of Bedford Street). I received lots of correct answers, so the next question won't be so easy!

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THE RITZ

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

Ritz Ballroom stood on the Ocean Beach Fun Fair site facing the sea. It was a dance hall created in a part of the old Alhambra Restaurant. It was given the name Ritz Ballroom in 1955 and had a resident orchestra led by drummer Laurie Williams, then by drummer Ken Bailey and eventually by trumpeter Duke Gordon.

The pictures above have been captured from a DVD of an old home movie. That’s got to be Ben Hagin singing. Does anybody know the other faces? My email address is: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk

Guest stars at the Ritz included Matt Monro, Helen Shapiro, Rolf Harris, The Springfields starring Dusty Springfield, John Barry Seven and The Beatles, as well as local bands The Javelins, Kon-Tiki Three, The Informers, Teena and the Knightbirds and others. The Ritz was destroyed by fire in 1968 - there is no trace of it now.

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6720. Two additional images added in July 2020:

Ben(ny) Hagin turns up in this earlier item, a 1955 programme of Queens Theatre, Rhyl. On the bill are Johnny Kennealey and his Orchestra (the resident band downstairs in the Queens Ballroom), Lynn Martine vocalist, Stuart and Dorene Gillespie miming stars, and big-name singer Alma Cogan who died of cancer in 1966 at the tragically early age of 34.

Alma Cogan with those cheeky young upstarts The Beatles. I wonder if the picture has something to do with their song ' I Wanna Hold Your Hand'.

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WINTER GARDENS

THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
l

The Winter Gardens opened in 1876 between Butterton Road (which was in existence) and Sandringham Avenue (which wasn’t). It ran from the seafront down to Wellington Road and encompassed what we know today as North Avenue, South Avenue, Lake Avenue and Palace Avenue. The names Lake and Palace refer to places in the Gardens.

Indoor and outdoor exhibitions took place on the site, also cricket, football, hockey and tennis. There was a switchback railway, a seal pond and a monkey house. The 1878 summer programme included archery, bowls, a brass band contest and even performing fleas - which I presume were kept well away from the monkey house.

The Winter Gardens was an ambitious private development. You could have invested by going into Rhyl Town Hall and buying shares like this:

Click on the certificate to see a bigger version.

From a business point of view the Winter Gardens was not a great success. As the years passed it changed name to Rhyl Palace and Summer Gardens, and then the Old Gardens, before being sold off for residential development in the 1890s.

The Palace part was in Wellington Road, and the building remained a few years longer. The Palace also known as Rhyl Palace was a theatre suitable for public meetings, shows and music events; this came in handy during the visit of National Eisteddfod in 1904.

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The following references are added here for indexing purposes:
Rhyl Winter Gardens Aquarium Land & Building Co Ltd, John Smith of Bures St Mary, Greenhalgh, William Ashton.

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