Three Towns Forum
The Local => Times Past => Topic started by: DaveR on March 16, 2011, 06:43:28 pm
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I am going to try and pull out of the old Forum all of the posts relating to local characters. They are not going to be in the right order but it will be better than nothing. $walesflag$
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Share your memories of local characters here! Who remembers the likes of ''Billy Bennett'' also known as ''Mrs Bennett''? Billy late of Alex Munro''s Happy Valley & Pier Pavilion shows. Used to be seen regularly pushing a big old pram around town with dolls in whom he called his babies. Also Robin Gubay (of Oriental Stores in Lower Mostyn Street) who was related to the 'Kwiksave Gubays''. Or how about Charlie Payne of Paynes Cafe Royal & Winter Gardens fame. Gwen Overton & Clive Stock (stars of stage). Stan Ryder (Alex Munro's Pianist/Organist). Donald Ball (Auctioneer & lifetime friend of 'The Bishop' Jess Yates). Mrs Creese Parsons- ex manager of Grand Theatre Bessy and her stables years ago on Conway Road
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"Our Historian Richard Sutton remembers the proprietor of Sandbach's her name was Barbara Sandbach she was the boss. When you walked in through the day you was met by a beautiful smell of cocoa and chocolate. Barbara used to have some of the most wonderful sweets, many specially made for her shop even homemade, it was highly unlikely these sweets would have been found anywhere else other than here. As you passed through the sweetshop and giftshop, you would climb upstairs to the cafe which was almost set back in the victorian era which played much part of the cafe's unique charm, even the waitresses would play their part in uniform. You could relax over a pot of tea and a traditional english or welsh cake such as (bara brith). Barbara lives in Craigside and was a very good friend of my mother Edna Sutton. Barbara has since retired, however the memories of this unique cafe live on."
"My grandmother Nelly Roberts worked in the sweetshop until 1975 just before she died. She would always buy me some chocolate buttons, making sure I watched her take her money out of her purse to pay for them. I remember going into the basement where two ladies showed me how they hand dipped all the chocolates in copper vats. All the chocolates were set out on waxed paper in glass cases in the shop, they would be placed into white drawstring bags with a pair of tongs and weighed on a little scale. My favourites were the coffee fudge and the Violet creams. Two of her customers were Wyn Calvin, a local entertainer who would tell her his latest jokes, e.g. What is the difference between Roast Beef and Pea Soup? (guess the answer!) and Canon Pozzi from the Catholic Church who would call in for his pep pills (Crystallised Ginger!)"
"Its a shame the shop seems to have been amalgamated with the one next door, as it was an amazing building, like the tardis it looked small from the outside but quite large on the inside. I don't think there's anywhere in Llandudno now where you can get a proper afternoon tea with a three tier cake stand and a collection of different cakes and dainty little sandwiches."
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"Our historian Richard Sutton tells me Paynes Cafe Royal was owned by Charles Payne. he also owned Paynes Bakery (based in Builders Street West), also Paynes Disco in situ of Paynes Cafe Royal, Paynes Tea Rooms on the opposite corner of Carltons Bar on Upper Mostyn Street on the left hand side. Richard met Charles Payne on several occasions as Charles was a man who had his fingers in lots of pies, in particular he had an interest in 'Hi Hat Ice Cream' on builders street, James Payne pulled his money out of 'Hi Hat Ice Cream' which soon went bust afterward. The Paynes family were very wealthy indeed, and Charles Payne was well acquainted with TV stars such as Jess Yates and Hughie Green."
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Memories of Llandudno Pier and its Characters:
"Who remembers... 'Mr Llandudno' known as Tony Boyle I think, playing his 'gay' organ tunes on the Pier in front of crowds of retired folk, he also had a stand where he sold his recordings on tape."
"Here are some more 'characters of the pier' c1960's.70's which one of our fellow enthusiasts would like to share, who remembers? Vaughan Turner (the Pier Harbour Master)... Richard Sutton (Pier Crew Member) also managed the pier entertainments in those days there was the 'Ghost Train', 'Round the World Tour' and more... Eric Potter with his saying 'theres no continuity' he ran 'the Aquarium' situated at the front side of the Pier Head Pavilion, he also helped back stage at the Pavilion. Perhaps you remember having your photo taken by the Pie's very own photographer and sales booth. Also the was the photo flics machines lined along the pier fence, a favourite of mine was 'what the butler saw through the key hole'. Occasionally old pennies would accidentally slip through peoples hands when using the machines and drop onto the girders below, young children would climb along and collect them, some would fall to the shore floor, and when the tide goes out the pennies shone up like gold. One year a local lad who was collecting pennies from underneath the pier fell to the ground and was tragically killed."
"Our Historian Richard Sutton recalls some more of his memories of the Pier Pavilion. The pavilion was grandly lit on the outside by hundreds if not thousands of light bulbs, Richard played his part in changing these under instruction of the chief electrician (Eric Potter) those who read these forums may know of him personally and his eccentric saying 'Theres no continuity'. Part of the maintenance programme was to repair cracks which appeared in the roof, this was routinely done by painting over the cracks with aluminium silver paint, the roof was made out of a zinc sheet. We had our own maintenance workshop which was located in the old swimming pool beneath the building, once part of the Baths Hotel where the Grand Hotel now stands. Near our basement workshop, there was a blocked off tunnel system, which at one time adjoined to the Grand Hotel. Near Richard also assumed control from time to time of the (super trooper) which was located at the back of the main pavilion hall near the ceiling in a dainty wooden box (inside there was inscriptions carved into the wood by the many other operators before me), from here I watched many famous stars peform under the spotlight including the 'Beverley Sisters', 'Hughie Green', 'Ivor Emmanual', and 'Alex Munro'."
"I have attached a Pier Company advertising brochure from our Archives dated 1971, the attractions included as mentioned the 'Vintage Car World Tours', The Aquarium which was where the Pier Cafe is now, Ghost Train (beneath the pavilion), the Golden Goose amusments arcade, Orchestral Concerts at the Pier-End pavilion and Pier Entrance Pavilion which hosted renowned Sir Malcolm Sergeant and John Morava. Celebrity Concerts where nameless counts of fame performed at the Pier-Entrance pavilion. Regular Steamer sailings were also made from the Pier-Head landing stage. Please feel free to share your memories of any of these attractions."
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"That's very interesting, thanks for posting. I take it that the Vintage Car World Tour and the Ghost Train were both underneath the Pavilion, in the left and right hand parts of the basement respectively? I'm wondering where the Pier cafe was back then, if that building was an Aquarium? Reason I ask is, after watching the Alex Munro video, I noticed that the Pier Head Pavilion was partitioned halfway down its length - what was in the other half? I have this vague recollection when I started work on the Pier of someone telling me that the Aquarium was actually in there? Also interesting to see in that video that entrance onto the Pier neck was by toll back then, with a little kiosk and tollgate."
"Yes sorry apologies on that, your absolutely correct the Aquarian was in fact in a partition in the Pier Head pavilion (confusing myself), this is in fact seen in the Alex Munro film, where half was used for a theatre/orchestra the other for the Aquarium. The Cafe and Pub on the pier end literally sit on top of the pier and i've some exclusive shots next year in our 'Characters of the Pier' article of them being lifted off the ground in the 70's with young men jumping across open planks during maintenance. The toilets were used for the Pier Harbour master as a staff room, there was also walkways beneath the Pier Head pavilion and a long gangway which at one time led visitors to the steamers. Also beneath the Pier Head Pavilion on the Northern end are two doors which lead into a room beneath the orchestral platform in which useful items for the Pier Company crew members were kept like ropes, torches that kind of thing. Here one of our OLLE historians 'Richard Sutton' tells how Pier Company crew members would sit in here and have a cup of tea whilst listening to the likes of John Morava and his Pier Orchestra. You also mentioned about the Kiosk at the Half Way toll, it is interesting to mention the kiosk was in fact at some point in time the small building at the half way entrance, a partitioned section to the right hand side facing the entrance itself there is a small door and there was a window which has now been filled in my historian recalls. During the late 50's/60's. He tells how as a boy he used to crawl low to the floor sneaking passed the toll booth window to evade paying, he was fortunately never caught."
'I've been along the walkways underneath the pierhead pavilion - the old cast-iron entrance turnstiles from the pier gates are still stored there. I've also been into the room underneath the orchestral platform many times. You can barely stand up in most of it. When I was there, it was full of lots of rusty old massive bolts, ropes, lightbulbs etc and was also used for storing the Aquaboats (childrens boats used on a pool outside the southern end of the pierhead pavilion) during the 1990s."
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It would seem that "Bugsy" has earned the right to a mention on this thread!
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See here and other posts on Policing Matters
http://threetownsforum.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg20210#msg20210 (http://threetownsforum.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg20210#msg20210)
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It would seem that "Bugsy" has earned the right to a mention on this thread!
I was thinking exactly the same Paddy.
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I always remember Billy Bennett "atttack" a confused couple of visitors outside Woolies. He was wearing a voluminous plastic mac and danced round them singing Save the last dance for me the Humperdink song. with quick blasts on his mouth organ it was hilarious and their faces were a picture. We don't seem to have any characters now. Do we?
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Who's the guy that spends all day riding his bike from Llandudno to Junction & back whilst singing and shouting?
He seems to fit the bill of a local 'Character'
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Johnny "Pondo" but can't just remember his surname. We did have him on the old Forum and he was featured in the NWWN some time ago. He has been doing his "exercise" for a number of years now and certainly can be be classified as a character.
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A quick search shows I did make reference to Johnny "Pondo" on page 2 of "Everything to do with Llandudno Junction" some time ago.
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johnny pondo williams and he was a very talented footballer in his day
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There was a wrestler called 'Mad Man Pondo', who specialised in extreme matches. Here's a video...but its not for the squeamish...
Jun Kasai vs Mad Man Pondo Electrified Lighttubes 2/2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDI2Dpg2YJQ#)
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Makes Mick McMannus and Jackie Pallo look very tame. ZXZ
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SDQ, welcome to the Forum...
This wrestler... Big Daddy would have kicked his ass...
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This wrestler... Big Daddy would have kicked his ass...
When he wasn't floored underneath Giant Haystacks! >>>
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The young lad who fell from the pier girders was a friend of mine, his name was Michael TYRER, we used to get quite a lot of pennies, a few tanners and the occasional half crown, I never had the bottle to do the girders though. Used to spend ages cleaning up the pennies, if I remember rightly we used to boil rhubarb, stick the coins in and leave for an hour or so. Coins would be O.K. but never fancied any rhubarb crumble though.
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i went to mostyn secondary with michael tyrer and the first class we were in was 2b.the teacher was holy ben,at the time we had old fashioned dual desks and michael sat beside me.he also lived behind me,and it was sad to return to school in the september and find i was sitting alone.my father was very strict and would not let us go were we pleased,if he was not this way the same might have happened to me.i remember his father who used to work in the county club above nat west bank as head waiter his mother was a waitress in one of the local cafes.its a coincidence that i was talking to colin cureton in the legion on saturday night about our time in 2b. and we talked about michael,he also had a younger brother, russel but i dont know if he is still local or moved on
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My first class was 2b with Holy Ben, I don't remember too much about 2b because I went up to 2a after the first term and got mixed up with a right old bunch, Wyn GRIFFIN, Hayden Green, Richie Evans, Billy CASSIDY, Barry WINFIELD, Peter MILLICAN just to mention a few. I'm still in touch with Richie EVANS.
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Oh gosh. Blast from the past!
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I knew Wyn, Barry, Billy and Peter from my days in Lloyd Street but haven't seen any of them for years. Sadly Hayden died some years ago.
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Sorry to hear about Haydn, we were in the Ysgol Mostyn Gillespie Cup winning team 1961-62, I placed a photo of the team on the photo gallery. Haydn is fourth from the left, standing next to Jimmy HEATH.
Llechwedd, yes a blast from the past. Are you still in touch with any of the old crew?
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Sorry to hear about Haydn, we were in the Ysgol Mostyn Gillespie Cup winning team 1961-62, I placed a photo of the team on the photo gallery. Haydn is fourth from the left, standing next to Jimmy HEATH.
Llechwedd, yes a blast from the past. Are you still in touch with any of the old crew?
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as they say name them lol c,mon brian can you name them all
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I can name some Norman but not all of them. Next to Haydn looks like Simon Hughes, then John Noke. In the front row from the left are ? Haslem, Wyn Griffin and Gerry Humphreys but I can't place the others.
Sadly John Noke has also died and both John and Haydn were quite young too.
If this was a colour photo then I think it would be Dave Ginge on the left in the school uniform.
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Is that the same Gerry Humphreys who went on to play for Everton?
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Yes and if my memory is correct I think at the time he held the record for the number of Welsh Schoolboy international caps. I was playing in the same team as Gerry once and he scored about 13 goals! Always great to have him on your side.
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tony haslam ,is the other lad in blazer gwyn hughes from deganwy if so he would know them ,know the faces but can,t put a name ,yes bri that is the same gerry humphreys
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I may see Gwyn Hughes tomorrow evening and, if so, I will mention the photograph to him.
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Better still, lads, here they are:
Back Row: (L-R) C: Roberts, E Jones, J Heath, H Green, D Hughes, J Noakes, G Hughes
Front Row: (L-R) A Haslam, W Griffin, G Humphries, G Thomas, R Jarvis, A Macmullen.
The season was 1961-62.
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Gerry Humphries was a star player alright, a great outside left, a cracking left foot and couldn't he shift. He went onto play for Everton, then Crystal Palace. I think he finished his playing days at Crew Alexandra. I watched him play for Everton once against Leicester, Peter RODRIGUES was marking him, poor old Gerry had a few bruses that night I reckon.
That Gillespie cup winners team was a bit of O K, I don't think we lost a game that season. Gerry, Wyn, Garry THOMAS and my good self also played for Clwyd & Conwy. I only played one game, I think the others played in all the games though.
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Better still, lads, here they are:
Back Row: (L-R) C: Roberts, E Jones, J Heath, H Green, D Hughes, J Noakes, G Hughes
Front Row: (L-R) A Haslam, W Griffin, G Humphries, G Thomas, R Jarvis, A Macmullen.
The season was 1961-62.
Wasn't that Dave Ginge ? on the far left in school uniform? If it was a colour photo then I'd know for sure. ;D
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It certainly looks like him.
I wonder if Gwyn Hughes is the other in a school uniform.
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Bri, I was a bit shocked to see an obituary in the NWWN for a David William Jones ( Ginger) aged 66. Do you know if he is the same Dave Ginge who was in the photo of the Football Team?
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Yes, Hugo, I am afraid so and we have also lost Peter Ferguson who played for Llandudno FC and the Amateurs, aged 66 and 68 respectfully.
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Thanks Bri, I'm so sorry to hear that. I grew up with Ginge on the estate and he was a nice lad so it's sad to read about him.
I've just been looking at my 1959 and 1960 John Bright magazines and Peter (Fergie) Ferguson's photo is there in the Under 15 football team. I didn't know him personally but can remember him being a good footballer.
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Yes, he certainly was.
I worked with Pete during the late sixties before he became a partner in Gott & Wynne.
That is a coincidence, Hugo, you mentioning the 1959 and 1960 JBGS school mags.
This afternoon, a former pupil now living in Spain e-mailed me asking if I had the 1966 mag and did I know anybody who had any others?
I e-mailed him back saying I actually had the 1961-66 mags still in pristine condition.