News sheets and papers of old

[Llechwedd]

Before helping to found the Llandudno Advertiser with Zulu Smith G.R.Thompson who was a master printer apparently printed a penny sheet in a room in the hotel next to his shop by the Carlton.  Anyone know where there might be any of those sheets if they survived?  None in the Archive.  When he had 19 Mostyn Street he wrote news on a blackboard for farmers coming for their monthly hair cut - he employed a barber as well as being a news agent.  needs some of that creative thinking now I think!

[Trojan]

What's a penny sheet? Would this be a sheet of penny stamps?

[DaveR]

A single page of news, a bit like a photocopied sheet.

I would be surprised if any of them had survived, but you never know!

19 Mostyn Street is now the Italian World shop next to the Kings Arms.

[Llechwedd]

Oh Trojan!  It was a news sheet which he sold for a penny.  Apparently he rented a room in the hotel next to the top of Ty Isa Road.  I can't remember it's name. ? Marlborough or Clovely?  Anyway he was one of the first customers at the National Provincial bank and asked for a loan . They told him to come back in six months, obviously testing him to see if he would make a go of it.  He did and they gave him a loan.  He moved to 63a Mostyn St. which is now the Coffee Centre and then bought the South Parade , Marlborough Housewhich is next to the Carlton.

[Trojan]

Oh Trojan!  It was a news sheet which he sold for a penny.

Ah, the penny has dropped!

Here's the great man himself. 

[Trojan]

and then bought the South Parade , Marlborough House which is next to the Carlton.

It was Montpelier next to the Carlton

[Trojan]

He moved to 63a Mostyn St. which is now the Coffee Centre

You can see it here next to Marks & Spencers. 

[Trojan]

He also had a shop in Deganwy and, I am led to believe a shop in Lower Mostyn Street opposite Bog Island.

It was called the Postcard Palace. It can be just seen in the lower left of this picture.

[Llechwedd]

No he didn't have the shop in Deganwy a common mistake.  He died in 1927 and the shop was taken on by his son Frank in the 40's and run by his step brother George the shop wasn't a success and was dropped in the 50's.

His first shop at 19 where Morgans' the ladies clothing shop is now, not the Italian shop, was where the barbers was.  He then moved to book corner.
Then 63a farming out his older children who were in their 20's to Somerset street. Then to South Parafde where there was more room.  He argued with Woolworths and made them put those white tiles up at the back as the light was being taken from his rooms.  They agreed and the tiles are still there!

[Trojan]

No he didn't have the shop in Deganwy a common mistake.  He died in 1927 and the shop was taken on by his son Frank in the 40's and run by his step brother George the shop wasn't a success and was dropped in the 50's.

Thanks for that, I thought Thompson's in Deganwy was started by George Robert Thompson. I didn't know his step brother was called George also. 

[Llechwedd]

Sorry my bad English.  Frank's step brother was George.

[DaveR]

Lots of good info that I'd not heard before.  You're not a member of the family are you, Llechwedd?

[Trojan]

No he didn't have the shop in Deganwy a common mistake.  He died in 1927 and the shop was taken on by his son Frank in the 40's and run by his step brother George the shop wasn't a success and was dropped in the 50's.

His first shop at 19 where Morgans' the ladies clothing shop is now, not the Italian shop, was where the barbers was.  He then moved to book corner.
Then 63a farming out his older children who were in their 20's to Somerset street. Then to South Parafde where there was more room.  He argued with Woolworths and made them put those white tiles up at the back as the light was being taken from his rooms.  They agreed and the tiles are still there!

So how about The Post Card Palace? Did he indeed own/run that also? Or where his postcards simply stocked there?

I found a better pic of the place. Underneath the Post Card Palace sign is another which reads County Auction Mart.

[Llechwedd]

Yes I'm one of the family and am writing a book about GRT but don't hold your breath as I have to visit Penrith and Beverley archives yet.

As to the Postcard Palace - Jim Roberts asked me about this years ago.  Luckily older members of the family were still alive and none of them had heard of it.  Without exception they all said that he moved from 19 to Book Corner. I'm not sure why as it is about the same size.

Possible that a competitor wanted to set up in opposition to the Postcard King or maybe we are all wrong.  Think I'll have to visit the Mostyn archive at Hawarden again.

[DaveR]

Do you know what happened to all the original photos that were used for the postcards etc, must have been quite a library.