Author Topic: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay  (Read 218744 times)

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Offline Trojan

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #30 on: September 27, 2010, 06:25:16 am »
Excellent pics Dave. Do you still have the ones of the old John Garstang depot and the brewery distribution depot in Everard Road......Westwells I seem to remember?

Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #31 on: September 29, 2010, 08:49:12 pm »
Excellent pics Dave. Do you still have the ones of the old John Garstang depot and the brewery distribution depot in Everard Road......Westwells I seem to remember?
I do, mate, and here they are....

Think they were contributed to the old Colwyn Bay Forum by a Dave Jones - Dave, if you read this, please come and join us here!  8)
« Last Edit: September 29, 2010, 08:55:41 pm by DaveR »


Offline Michael

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #32 on: October 02, 2010, 09:24:47 pm »
I've never seen these photos before.  If my late Mother and Father had seen the second one they would have been LIVID with rage. As I've told you, I grew up in the flat above Barclays. On the photo there is scaffolding around what looks like a chimney abuting on to the bank wall. The chimney to its left, I remember it well. It released smoke created by a form of heating oil to provide hotwater for the bottle washers. But the chimney frequently became blocked with a type of soot. A local sweep was called in, but he couldnt get his rods and brushes up the chimney because the boiler had been erected very close to the outside wall.  So, what did they do? They knocked a small hole in the outside wall and pushed the rods first of all outside, and then back inside up the chimney. The only trouble was the bank flat had a nice secluded garden, virtually surrounded by walls. A nice suntrap. My Mother was sat on a deckchair in complete privacy. That was---until all of a sudden a sooty pole appeared out of the wall nearly knocking her off the chair. Needless to say, Mum and Dad didnt think much of Westwells.

Offline white rabbit

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #33 on: October 03, 2010, 07:34:40 pm »
I remember Westwells in Everard Rd. very well also Garstangs - happy memories!!

Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #34 on: October 10, 2010, 09:59:21 pm »
Fester wanted to see a photo of Rhos Pier, so here it is:
[smg id=747]

Offline Fester

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #35 on: October 11, 2010, 12:18:58 am »
Fester wanted to see a photo of Rhos Pier, so here it is:
[smg id=747]

Thanks Dave,
I never knew one existed at Rhos, until you took me to see the still visible cast iron remnants.
It looks a bit sparse from that angle,  does anyone recall what buildings (if any) existed at the end?
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #36 on: October 11, 2010, 05:37:52 pm »
I think it was designed to jumpstart the growth of Rhos as a tourist area, with its main purpose being to allow steamers to dock rather than as a pleasure pier. I originally believed it had been bought from the isle of Man but...

It was originally thought that this pier was originally built at Douglas in the Isle of Man and later bought by a group of North Wales businessmen in 1895/6, dismantled and re-erected at Rhos-on-Sea.

However, in the book 'Piers of Wales' written by Martin Easdown and Darlah Thomas, it has been conclusively proved that the Douglas Iron Pier never went to Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn Bay. The Douglas pier was closed in 1891 and acquired by the the council who offered it for scrap as they wanted to widen the promenade at the foot of Broadway.

A number of resorts (such as Penarth and Abergele) had a look at the pier with a view to re-erecting it at their resorts (it was up for sale at £1,300) but that failed to happen. In the early part of 1894 demolition of the pier began by a Manchester scrap metal merchant, which was completed by May.

So the pier was never re-erected at Rhos. This wrong information came about because one author claimed it happened in a book published in 1952 and everyone took his word for it.

Rhos-on-Sea pier was much longer than Colwyn Bay Pier and serviced pleasure boats between Liverpool, Rhyl, and Conwy. It was sectioned during World War II for defence reasons.

It was damaged by fire and was pulled down in 1954. One of the tollbooths survives as a souvenir shop. It has a basement that is advertised as the 'Smallest Museum in Wales'.


Info from: http://www.piers.org.uk/pierpages/NPSrhos.html

Rare shot from the end of Rhos Pier, looking back at Rhos on Sea in 1911:

[smg id=754]
« Last Edit: October 11, 2010, 06:49:28 pm by DaveR »

Offline Barbiroli

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #37 on: October 11, 2010, 07:09:22 pm »
Does anyone remember a kiosk selling sweets and ice cream right at the Colwyn Bay end of the promenade? Would have been in the 50`s or am i just making it up?

Offline white rabbit

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #38 on: October 11, 2010, 07:37:37 pm »
Thanks for the photo of Rhos Pier - I thought I must have been the only who remembered It!!

Offline white rabbit

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #39 on: October 11, 2010, 07:40:17 pm »
I'm sure I remember a kiosk selling sweets and ice cream Barbirolli

Offline Michael

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #40 on: October 11, 2010, 09:21:19 pm »
In reply to Fester, yes, there was a small building at the end of Rhos pier---as far as I can recall it just had a few seats and a bit of shelter from the rain.  But, I do remember much better a fortune teller in a booth half way along. She sat outside saying (more or less) Come along, come inside and I will tell you the future---enjoy yourselves---there will be no war.   That was in the summer of 1939.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #41 on: October 11, 2010, 09:34:47 pm »
Does anyone remember a kiosk selling sweets and ice cream right at the Colwyn Bay end of the promenade? Would have been in the 50`s or am i just making it up?
Whereabouts are you thinking of?

Offline Barbiroli

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #42 on: October 11, 2010, 10:15:46 pm »
Right at the far end of the prom at OLD Colwyn, by the arches.

Offline Fester

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #43 on: October 11, 2010, 11:54:47 pm »
That picture of Rhos Pier from the end, looking landward is utterly fascinating.

Just look at the fine condition the ironwork was in.  Beautiful to behold.

Judging by the angle the picture is taken at, it would seem that there was quite a wide Pier Head?
If that is true, I would imagine buildings would have existed there.

I would wager that less than 5% of local inhabitants realise that a Pier ever existed at Rhos,  and that is a terrible shame.


Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Ian

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Re: Rhos On Sea
« Reply #44 on: October 12, 2010, 08:04:49 am »
It seems almost every British seaside town had its pier, at one time or another.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.