Author Topic: Winter Gardens Memories  (Read 1827 times)

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Offline Rolli

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Winter Gardens Memories
« on: August 15, 2021, 02:10:04 pm »

What's your memories of the Winter Gardens?.
Mine are those of going to The Clarence first for a couple of pints of Tartan having come on the Cymru Coastliner from Bangor. Then entering the Winter Gardens for the night. The Group that played there in 67/68 was the Sumners ( I think??). Same name as Peggy Blakeley's famous restaurant and confectioners on Mostyn Street. They played /sang the Beach Boys really well,  Frankie Valli and others. I only missed one of the two Cymru Coastliners at midnight once to return home. Once was enough to walk back to Bangor grateful of a full moon's light

Offline SAJ

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Re: Winter Gardens Memories
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2021, 03:37:14 pm »
My first experience of the Winter Gardens was in 1969 and it was a Big Night Out. I seem to recall that there was a “traditional” band early on in the evening and they seemed to attract a slightly older audience. I don’t remember any band names but liked the fact that in addition to the bar, there was the snack bar where energy levels could be topped up with a ham sandwich and glass of ice cold milk. I also remember the odd rumpus amongst those waiting for their coach home. Hope that wasn’t you Rolli!


Offline DVT

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Re: Winter Gardens Memories
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2021, 04:03:32 pm »
I used to go there in 1969 as well!  Not one to dance, so it was an evening watching the girls, and trying to cop off with one later in the evening!

Offline Hugo

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Re: Winter Gardens Memories
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2021, 04:07:36 pm »
I didn't go there very often but in about 1963/64 there was Roland Mott playing there according to a friend of mine

Offline SAJ

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Re: Winter Gardens Memories
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2021, 04:09:17 pm »
That would be right Hugo. His daughter was in my year at CYD primary school.

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Winter Gardens Memories
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2021, 05:07:50 am »
That makes sense as the Mott family lived in Balfour Road.

By coincidence, I was also a patron in 1969 and seem to remember a popular group called the Silverstone Sect from Wrexham appearing there.

I was also there when the famous Rubettes appeared.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Winter Gardens Memories
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2022, 10:26:27 am »
Very interesting. I had not been aware of this piece of local history................

The Winter Gardens

It began when the Brierley family came to Llandudno in the early 1900's for their extended holidays. They rented a whole house on each visit and the son, Zachery Jnr, fell in love with Llandudno. 

As a young man, in the days of  horse-drawn transport, he had an immediate interest in the new motors cars.   He persuaded his father, Zachery Snr. to motorise his fleet of delivery vans and became very interested in motor engines.

In 1914 Zachary Jnr. was conscripted into the Army, and by good fortune became  a despatch rider in central London; later becoming Acting Sergeant charge of an army workshop. After the war, not having crossed the Channel, he returned to Rochdale and bought a motor coach or Charabanc, and soon had a fleet of twenty! A depot was opened  and  a service between the Lancashire cotton towns and North Wales seaside resorts was established.

story continues https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/john-lawson-reay-the-pork-pie-makers-who-built-the-winter-gardens/



Offline Cambrian

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Re: Winter Gardens Memories
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2022, 03:41:12 pm »
Interesting story.  Zachry Brierley JR (later Sir Zachry MBE) published an autobiography called "Following in footsteps" which traces the history of the Brierley Brothers' involvement in the area as well as his own business and political career.  The Winter Gardens was designed by local architect, Arthur Hewitt, who also designed the Savoy and Palladium cinemas.  In the later photo, the Creams Coaches office can be seen.  Creams was one of Brierley Bros companies originally so they must have kept that part of the frontage when the building was sold to the Odeon group.

"Following in footsteps" was privately printed, presented to Sir Zachry's friends and acquaintances so not sold generally.  The Conway Road garage was eventually taken over by GPO Telephones as their motor vehicle servicing depot.  The houses now on the site are called "Llys Brierley" to commemorate the history.