WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION

May 1, 2016, 3:58 am

Rhyl Life and the YouTube channel RhylTime support

MAIR ROWLANDS (Plaid Cymru)

Polling Day: Thursday 5th May 2016.

On 5th May - or sooner if you vote by post - you will receive two ballot papers for Welsh Assembly Election; this is because of our proportional representation system.

The first ballot paper is a list of local Vale of Clwyd candidates such as Mair Rowlands and you have only one vote. The second is a list of regional North Wales parties and individuals; here again you have only one vote.

In addition you will receive a ballot paper to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner whose job is to secure efficient & effective policing of the North Wales Police area. You can read about the candidates by going through on this link and then scrolling down:
https://1rbena1k2rviaenzl3kexmgl-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2905161-North-Wales_EN-PCCE-2nd.pdf

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MORE ADDING

May 4, 2016, 7:16 am

≫ Next: WHAT'S A BUCKET LIST?

≪ Previous: WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION

These days television commercial breaks seem so agonizingly long that I forget what the programme is, but in the future these TV adverts may be of interest to somebody.

Here are some printed adverts from circa 1900 of definite Rhyl interest provided by Dave Williams - thanks Dave!

Click on any item to see a bigger version and read small print.

And these 1920s items are from another source:

The following references are added here for indexing purposes: John Owen baker grocer Rhyl Llanrwst, Pen y Don boarding house Strevett, John H Ellis Glenlivet whiskey whisky Red Dragon, David Pritchard upholsterer french polisher Edward Henry Street, Bov Rhyl concert party, John Brookes.

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

See my Rhyl videos on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/RhylTime

Only the videos marked RhylTime are mine!

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WHAT'S A BUCKET LIST?

May 4, 2016, 7:16 am

≫ Next: WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION

≪ Previous: MORE ADDING

Daily Post has published The North Wales Bucket List: 30 things to do in the region before you die. The sole Rhyl idea is to sample the fish ‘n’ chips at Les & Rita’s (Wellington Road) which I do happily from time to time.

Real buttered toast at Sidoli’s and/or a bag of chips from Les & Rita’s is a feelgood cure for the blues, believe me.

To see the whole Daily Post list please click here:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/north-wales-bucket-list-50-11238360?ptnr_rid=381515&icid=EM_DailyPost_Nletter_WhatsOn_smallteaser_Image_Story

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WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION

May 4, 2016, 7:17 am

≫ Next: QUIZ ANSWER # 136

≪ Previous: WHAT'S A BUCKET LIST?

Rhyl Life and the YouTube channel RhylTime support

MAIR ROWLANDS (Plaid Cymru)

Polling Day: Thursday 5th May 2016.

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QUIZ ANSWER # 136

May 8, 2016, 3:58 am

≫ Next: QUIZ QUESTION # 137

≪ Previous: WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION

Last Sunday I posted this photo which was taken recently and has a place name blanked out. The question: What is the missing name?
The answer: Molineaux Road.
Looking towards Rhyl Coast Road.

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Also I posted the advert below which is from Edwardian times and refers to Free Trade Hall in Rhyl. The building still exists. The question: Where in High Street is the building?

The answer: No.90.
The shell of building as shown in the following photo has not changed greatly (the distinctive row of round-topped windows has been there since the beginning). I took this photo last month and noticed yesterday that Dragons Mini Mart, the convenience store next to Reeds Rains estate agents, has become a wedding dress shop.

Scoring 1 win for Molineaux Road and 1 win for Free Trade Hall:
Sue Handley 2, Dilys Bagnall 2, Jane Shuttle 2, Richard & Ceri Swinney 2 and The Great Gareth 2.

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Re: the advert: At the same time as Lunt & Griffiths the drapers were at Free Trade Hall in Rhyl there was a company Lunt & Roberts the drapers at Free Trade Hall in Mold.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 137

May 8, 2016, 4:00 am

≫ Next: DINBYCH / DENBIGH

≪ Previous: QUIZ ANSWER # 136

Below are images of four persons of Rhyl interest. Who are they?
You would score 1 win for each correct name.

You have until the end of Saturday 14th May 2016 to send your entry. The result will appear on this blog next day around noon.

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

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DINBYCH / DENBIGH

May 11, 2016, 5:30 am

≫ Next: QUIZ ANSWER # 137

≪ Previous: QUIZ QUESTION # 137

The town of Denbigh, 10 miles or about 16km to the south of Rhyl, must be one of the oldest settlements around here - it dates back to the 1200s. Denbigh Castle is not the most photogenic monument but this undated aerial view is worth a look:

Here is an old picture of High Street (looking towards the public library and Vale Street). This is followed by a 1930s postcard of Crown Square looking towards the town hall - in foreground is the 'Winged Peace' war memorial, just one of Denbigh's interesting statues:

Click on any image to see a bigger version.

Denbigh had a fine railway station building (near what became Kwik Save) with busy lines to Rhyl, Chester, Mold and Ruthin. The station closed in the early 1960s.

Transport fans go here: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/denbigh/

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Howell's School in Peake's Lane, was a private school for girls. Below in the lower photo Howell's girls in the 1920s are doing the sort of jive that Rhyl convent girls used to do:

Howell's School died in 2013 but the corpse is twitching - apparently a new buyer has been found and the establishment renamed Myddelton College. Further info here:
http://www.myddeltoncollege.com/about-myddelton/

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The above photo shows North Wales Hospital (known as Denbigh Mental or "the asylum") which was built in the 1840s and operated until the 1990s. Not long ago the building was bought by Denbighshire County Council by Compulsory Purchase Order against private owners who had failed to keep the site in a good state of repair.

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The following references are added here for indexing purposes:
T A Roberts grocer, Dicks shop, Crown Hotel, Worthington brewery, Star Supply Shop, Hepworth tailor.

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Here in Rhyl I am disconcerted by the recent closure of the Cookbook Cafe, a place with a range of herbal teas and homemade cakes, attached to Rhyl Library I mean One Stop Shop.

Thanks to Lynn Roberts for alerting me to this catastrophe. The cafe was a special place.

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

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QUIZ ANSWER # 137

May 15, 2016, 3:59 am

≫ Next: QUIZ QUESTION # 138

≪ Previous: DINBYCH / DENBIGH

Last Sunday I posted these images of four persons of Rhyl interest and asked who they were:

Above is Don Splendlove, Rhyl Football Club's incomparable goal scorer of the late 1940s and 1950s. Mr. Spendlove was also a plumber:

The Spendlove items were supplied by Dave Williams. Thanks, Dave!

Below is G. Mervyn Williams who was a teacher at Christ Church School, Vaughan Street in the 1950s. Mr. Williams left in 1957 to be headmaster of the C. of E. School in Garston, Lancs.

Above is Linda Trehearn in her 'flipping burgers' days at the snack bar in the family's arcade, Vern's Amusements in West Parade. Last I heard of Linda she was working in a care home in Rhyl.

Below is Mohammed Mehmet who has been the Chief Executive of Denbighshire County Council for the last 7 years. Recently I saw him on TV in his role of Chief Returning Officer announcing an election result in English and Welsh.

Scoring 1 win for each correct name: The Great Gareth 2, Jane Shuttle 2, Dilys Bagnall 1, Sue Handley 2.

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Earlier this month there was an election of Police & Crime Commissioner for North Wales. The winner was the Plaid Cymru candidate Owain Arfon Jones who is an ex-police inspector and a Wrexham councillor.

Click here to read about Mr. Jones' plans and priorities in Daily Post:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/new-north-wales-crime-tsar-11314190?ptnr_rid=381515&icid=EM_DailyPost_Nletter_News_smallteaser_Image_Story2

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QUIZ QUESTION # 138

May 15, 2016, 4:01 am

≫ Next: HARMONY

≪ Previous: QUIZ ANSWER # 137

Above is an undated photograph, clearly not very old.
The question: Where in Rhyl is the bus?
The correct answer would score 1 win.

Below is a postcard of an Edwardian scene on the sands. At centre-right of the picture is a white tent-shaped structure.
The question: What is it?
(and don't say, "It's a white tent-shaped structure!")
The correct answer would score 1 win.

You have until the end of Saturday 21st May 2016 to send your entry. The result will appear on this blog next day around noon.

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

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HARMONY

May 16, 2016, 1:53 am

≫ Next: RETURN TO VAL'S

≪ Previous: QUIZ QUESTION # 138

Above: Members of the European Union Youth Orchestra.

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I have never believed that leaving the European Union is a serious option. Anti-EU crusaders want big public support at next month’s referendum so that the UK’s terms of membership could be renegotiated from a position of more strength.

Meanwhile, voters are being led by the nose to believe that our exit from EU is an absolute possibility, and exit would mean an end to immigration (it wouldn’t) and alternative markets would welcome us with open arms and no strings (unproven).

In next month’s referendum a majority of voters are not likely to favour leaving EU, but even if they did it would not mean automatic exit. An ‘exit’ Bill would go before Members of Parliament whose job is to do what is best for the UK regardless of referenda.

My guess is that the Bill would be debated, defeated and kicked into the long grass while the Government continued to renegotiate.

The Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund have warned of a shock to the UK economy if Britain were actually to leave EU. Jobs and wages, investments and savings, private pensions and mortgages could be affected adversely, directly or indirectly.

There is no guarantee that we would be any better off for leaving, so it makes no sense to take the risk. The economy of Wales in particular is not robust enough to withstand a lot of turbulence.

We are Europeans. We need to come to terms with who and where we are in wider sense, and put the ‘Little Britain’ brigade back into their box for another thirty years.

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RETURN TO VAL'S

May 19, 2016, 12:54 am

≫ Next: DOWN TO EARTH

≪ Previous: HARMONY

Last week in the company of my pal Diane Heirene I made a return visit to Val Adams, widow of Peter Adams who collected old Rhyl pictures. Some that I borrowed are in this post; others will pop up later as quiz questions.

This pic was taken in the wake of a big fire that damaged a large part of Market Street in 1903. The photographer had his back to High Street looking towards Queen Street where a large number of people are peering over a barrier at the wreckage.

Further away in the photo is Rhyl Town Hall and its separate Market Hall. Just visible through the gap between these two buildings is a Water Street business named (W.N.?) Martin.

Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

Below is a advertising card of Grosvenor Saddlery Works, Rhyl. I wonder where that was.

The lower item is a 1930s snap of a shop, C.W. Evans, greengrocer, florist and fruiterer, which may have been in the Grange Road area:

Above: a mix of local councillors and Rhyl Football Club personnel at a double cup event presumed to be circa 1950. In the back row, 2nd from left is Councillor Glyn(ne) Vaughan, and that may be Don Spendlove further along in a fetching three-piece striped suit.

Unmistakeable in foreground, centre-right is footballer Tom McKillop holding one end of a trophy at the other end of which is Councillor P.T. (Phil) Trehearn. Is that Bill Russell the team manager furthest right?

Do send me your corrections, errors and omissions.

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Above: An undated and rather charming shot of Elwy Street in the snow. Would make a nice Christmas card!

Below: Rhyl lifeboat. Copyright belongs to Philip Micheu. The late Peter Adams, our picture collector, is standing in the foreground (furthest left). Further details may be added in due course . . .

Paul Frost MBE, Deputy 2nd Coxswain & Press Officer, Rhyl RNLI says, “Peter is shown inside the canopy of the ‘Har-Lil’ Oakley-class lifeboat, on station 1969 to 1990. Pete is sat in the mechanic’s seat in front of the long range medium-frequency radio. I sat on the other side as radio operator and assistant mechanic. The photo was taken from the coxswain’s position looking towards the front of the boat, probably in the mid-1970s.”

Thanks Paul, and this seems an ideal moment to urge Rhyl Life readers to give generously to the lifeboat whenever the opportunity arises. These men risk their own lives to save others.

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

See my Rhyl videos on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/RhylTime

Only the videos marked RhylTime are mine!

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DOWN TO EARTH

May 20, 2016, 11:17 am

≫ Next: QUIZ ANSWER # 138

≪ Previous: RETURN TO VAL'S

Part of Rhyl life is Rhyl death. Recently I had to arrange my own funeral and hoped to be buried in a Denbighshire woodland cemetery, pay off my funeral director, and then forget about it.

But Denbighshire County Council does not allow the purchase of plots in advance. Therefore I could not be guaranteed a place at the cemetery of my choice,and nor could I 'pay and forget' because I have to keep an eye on the council's price for a plot and make topup payments to my funeral plan accordingly.

The council's policy of not allowing the purchase of plots in advance has made a complete mess of my arrangements and introduced elements of worry into what is already a delicate and difficult matter. My enquiries about the situation continue.

Meanwhile, a High Street worker tells me that her father is buried in a Denbighshire graveyard and her mother – still in good health – expressed a wish to have the plot next to him. The family were told they could not buy it in advance and therefore the mother’s choice of a final resting place was thwarted. What a disgrace!

Denbighshire council is an authority with a dubious sense of what is important to the public.

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QUIZ ANSWER # 138

May 22, 2016, 3:51 am

≫ Next: QUIZ QUESTION # 139

≪ Previous: DOWN TO EARTH

Last Sunday I posted this undated photograph. The question: Where in Rhyl is the bus?
The answer: High Street.
The tall building in the far background is the Woolworth/B&M building. The unit occupied by Crossleys the cleaners was until recently a shoe shop named Soled Out which currently is changing into a mixed goods shop which has no name yet:

Also I posted a picture of an Edwardian scene on the sands. At centre-right is a white tent-shaped structure. The question: What is it?
The answer: Camera Obscura.
Here is the undoctored original with the name restored:

The structure had a rotating angled mirror on the roof, projecting an image of the landscape onto a horizontal surface inside - fascinating bit of hi-tech at the time!

Nudging into view far right is the minstrel pitch.

The pic is from the collection of the late Peter Adams.

Scoring 1 win for High Street and/or 1 win for Camera Obscura: Dilys Bagnall 2, The Great Gareth 2, Jane Shuttle 2, Sue Handley 1.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 139

May 22, 2016, 3:56 am

≫ Next: HERE COMES SUMMER

≪ Previous: QUIZ ANSWER # 138

Above is a card; the postmark seems to be 1913. The picture shows a Rhyl scene after snow.
The question: In what street was the photographer standing?
The correct answer would score 1 win.

Below is a photo taken in April this year of a Rhyl scene with a place name blanked out.
The question: What is the connection between the missing place name and a railway?
The correct answer would score 1 win.

You have until the end of Saturday 28th May 2016 to send your entry. The result will appear on this blog next day around noon.

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

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HERE COMES SUMMER

May 25, 2016, 11:00 am

≫ Next: QUIZ ANSWER # 139

≪ Previous: QUIZ QUESTION # 139

This season Rhyl’s seafront is compromised once again by three large development sites where little or nothing seems to be happening. The photos in this post were taken on Monday 23rd May 2016 by Yours Truly.

At the former Ocean Beach Fun Fair in West Parade the familiar dark blue fence has given way to wire netting and a little bit of grassing. A cabbie tells me that seats appeared on there for a while and then disappeared. The fun fair closed down in 2007 – nine years ago:

The former Grange Hotel in East Parade has been demolished but nothing else seems to be going on. The fire that damaged the hotel beyond repair was in 2008:

In the space where the Honey Club used to be in West Parade there is still nothing to dance about. The club closed down in 2010 or earlier:

The above sites are of special concern because of their high visibility during summer season but we have other ‘stagnant spaces’ such as this one at 57 Russell Road - not far from St. Thomas' Church:

This was the location of Northgate School, a private day school for 4-11 year old boys and girls. I think it became a play school or day care centre for a while before demolition, but for many years the site has been unused.

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/watch?v=B7l8SIqHvsw&list=PL7BKgZiQNRSaVpnyTl8PgEpPusmd3dl_z

Only YouTube items labelled RhylTime are mine.

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QUIZ ANSWER # 139

May 29, 2016, 3:52 am

≫ Next: QUIZ QUESTION # 140

≪ Previous: HERE COMES SUMMER

Last Sunday I posted the above card; the postmark seems to be 1913. The picture shows a Rhyl scene after snow. The question: In what road/street was the photographer standing?
The answer: Wellington Road.
Prominent on your right is what was then called North Wales Hotel, later North Wales Inn, and now just The North. The pillar box on your left is on corner of Water Street where the post office was built eventually.

[Pic from the collection of the late Peter Adams.]

Also posted was the photo below taken in April this year of a Rhyl scene with a place name blanked out. The question: What is the connection between the missing place name and a railway?

The answer: Llys Yr Wyddfa = Snowdon Court = Snowdon Mountain Railway.
[Photo by Fred Burns.]

Scoring 1 win for Wellington Road and 1 win for Snowdon: Sue Handley 2, The Great Gareth 2, Jane Shuttle 2.

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The photo below of a notice in the former Rhyl & District Labour & Social Club, Bodfor Street, was sent in by Dave Williams who says it was on a wall facing you when you went through the foyer:

I wonder how many patrons paused to read it on their way to the bar.

Thanks, Dave!

The following references are added here for indexing purposes:

Rhyl Labour Club, Joseph Tym, George Evans, W H Grice, T Norman Jones, E Harrison, A S Jones, Roger Thomas, D H Durkin, W D Ellis, Jack Teague, Frank Hughes, A C Tong, Glyn Owen, R E Davies, F H Arthur architect, T Anwyl builders.

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QUIZ QUESTION # 140

May 29, 2016, 3:53 am

≫ Next: EU REFERENDUM

≪ Previous: QUIZ ANSWER # 139

The photo above was taken a few days ago in Rhyl while I was testing an iPad camera. (How good is it? Not bad!)

The question: If you were to walk down this alley what would be the first road/street you would come to?

Below is an edited version of a Rhyl school concert programme.

The question: What is the name of the school?

You have until the end of Saturday 4th June 2016 to send your entry. The result will appear on this blog next day around noon.

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

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EU REFERENDUM

May 29, 2016, 3:56 am

≫ Next: ONE PROGRAMME

≪ Previous: QUIZ QUESTION # 140

Yesterday, being a postal voter, I received an EU referendum ballot paper and voted in favour of remaining in Europe. The arguments in favour of leaving are not convincing.

What is the use of knowing that EU membership costs us £350 million a week if you don’t know how much profit we make from selling goods and services there?

If we left we could still sell to EU but as a non-member country we might have to pay a levy/surcharge which would make our goods and services more expensive and less attractive.

Consider the effect on jobs.

As for immigration, where is the evidence that it harms an economy? In recent years Germany has taken the most migrant workers (& refugees) and yet the German economy is booming.

Migration is not a one-way street.

Hundreds of thousands of British people are living, working and visiting regularly in continental countries. If we left, their status might be changed for the worse.

Polling Day is Thursday 23rd June.

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ONE PROGRAMME

June 1, 2016, 11:15 am

≫ Next: QUIZ ANSWER # 140

≪ Previous: EU REFERENDUM

Despite brainwashing by TV, radio and newspapers, I do not accept that celebrities are important in the great sweep of universal time especially not members of royal families or football managers.

Soccer programmes are items of interest, though - even to an unbeliever such as I - because of the adverts. Recently the following programme from pre-decimal days came my way:

F.A. Cup (First Round) Rhyl v. Oldham Athletic, Saturday Nov 5th, 1960.

Rhyl's regular players at the time were Vince McBride (goalkeeper), Phil Spruce (right back), Bill Johnson (left back), Harry Chadwick (right half), George Ashfield (centre half), Jimmy Anderson (left half), Ken Reynolds (wing half), Brian Loughnane (outside right), Norman Bullock (inside forward), Don Spendlove (centre forward), Peter Higham (centre forward in this particular game), Harry Kirtley (inside left), Idris Pryce (outside left). Manager: Mr. P.S. Turner.

Who won the match? Doan ask, let's just do the adverts. Here are some:

Click on any advert to see a bigger version.

The following references are added here for indexing purposes: Rhyl Football Club, Greenall Whitley brewery, Glyn H Roberts, Bernards, The Vac Shop Monty Roberts, Lightbown, Taxis Crescent Road, C S Finnigan, Westcliffe Garage, Windsor Hotel, Bass brewery, Vale Radio, Roger W Jones, W M Thomas, Lakes General Stores, Horesh tailor, Albert Hotel, Ind Coope brewery, Turners Do It Yourself, Brookes Bros, Vickers & Son.

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Incidentally, I have been asked about the wooden floorboards in Queens Market. Were they the dance floor in the former Queens Ballroom? Nope. The dance floor was made of maple wood which was taken up and sold when the ballroom became a market. What you see now was underneath.

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QUIZ ANSWER # 140

June 5, 2016, 3:59 am

≫ Next: QUIZ QUESTION # 141

≪ Previous: ONE PROGRAMME

Last Sunday I posted the above photo taken a few days beforehand in Rhyl. The question: If you were to walk down this alley what would be the first road/street you would come to?

The answer: Sussex Street.

The photo was taken from Town Hall Square. Christ Church is on your left and Lloyd's Bank on your right.

Also posted was an edited version of the following 1978 school concert programme. The question: What is the name of the school?

The answer: Ysgol Llewelyn.

Here is the item with the banner restored:

Click on any picture to see a bigger version.

The item was sent in by Dave Williams. Here is the back page of four, giving details of the concert's Act III 'The Story Of The Nativity' starring Third Year pupils:

The names are added here for indexing purposes:

Lynda Scott, Mark Hughes, Rachel Keates, Colin Batterbee, Matthew Espley, Kelvin Hall, Wayne Williams, David Diskin, Robert Greaves, Peter Robins, Timothy Jones,Jason Vogelsberger, Craig McGregor, David Robinson, Simon Wallis, Colin Roberts, Heidi Christian, Victoria Williams (Dave's daughter Vicky!), Karin Thompson, Julie Flanagan, Emma Wilkinson, Lesley Town, Nicola Ralph, Sarah Walker, Carl Jones, Matthew Barry, Lee Evans, Gareth Gregson, Paul Lewis, Martin Jones,Thomas Robertson, Georgina Bannister, Pebelope Bannister, Jonathan Puleston-Jones, Hayley Stones, Peter Anderson, Sarah Higgs, Tanya Williams, Darren Roberts, Nicola Field, Alan Williams, Stephen Frodsham, Jason Welsman, Samantha Larder, Julie Owens, Sarah Bower, Tracey Cartlidge, Alison Jones, Angela Davies, Dawn Hollingworth, Sally Littlehales, Julie Drummey, Michael Greenhalgh, Carl Hughes, Darren Byrne, Philip Smith, David Ford, Mark Dolan, Leslie Church, Barry Picton, Ian Horton, Andrew Cope, Ian Tait, Ingrid Mason, Amanda Thomas, Karen Hyland, Melanie Jones, Stephen Hinds, Lisa Kinsella, Lisa Stringer, Marie Shackleton.

Scoring 1 win for Sussex Street and 1 win for Ysgol Llewelyn: Sue Handley 2, The Great Gareth 2, Jane Shuttle 2.

By the way, did you know there's a Rhyl Primary School in London?

http://www.rhylprim.camden.sch.uk/

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