Three Towns Forum
The Local => Times Past => Topic started by: plas penmon on January 26, 2012, 03:07:31 pm
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Does anyone know anything about College school, Colwyn Bay or anyone who went there?
My father went there but i believe it closed down around 1944? Any people still around?
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Hmmm..which one was this, do you have an address?
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There was I believe a place called "The Normal College", possibly up around the Seafield Road area. There was also a Wireless College, St Mary's College and a few others! Take your pick!
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The Wireless College and St Marys College both closed much later than 1944.
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More info from the horses mouth! Dad said the school was on Colwyn Bay promenade on the opposite corner from the Colwyn Bay Hotel. A Dr. Davies ran it with his wife, she was the english teacher. They had a son and daughter who also did something there, but the son went off to war and that's when in fell apart. The kids used to go to a small shop they called the tuck shop at breaktime for sweets which was next door but one. Dad has a photograph of him in a whole school photograph so i will scan it and upload! He can remember being in school with Dr. Macdonald-Brown's son, they were from Rhos I think? I wonder where the others who went there are now?
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Can your father not remember the name of the college/school he went to?
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It was called College School! It was a private school.
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That rings a very faint bell, I believe it was either in the building that is now the Toad Pub or the hotel to the left of the Toad that was demolished to build flats a few years ago.
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3156/3031379157_2706b5efa3_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davellandudno/3031379157/)
Toad (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davellandudno/3031379157/#) by davidrobertsphotography (http://www.flickr.com/people/davellandudno/), on Flickr
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Well, Dad thinks it might be the one! Going to look at a big pile of photographs next week and see what i can upload!
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I think it was in the toad building, the building to the right of the toad was the balmoral hotel and to the left st enochs (this name used to raise some eyebrows. And I remember Doctor Macdonald Brown. I don't remember a son, but I remember a daughter around my age called, I think, Janet. They lived and had the doctors surgery in the house on the left hand side going up Rhos Road between Mauldeth road and woodlands avenue. Mre recently some type of local head office for midland bank, nowhsbc.
He was, for a time, my Doctor, but I didn't like him, too stern Mike
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I attended College School till it closed down in 1944. Dr.Herbert Davies and his wife ran it. Also their daughter, Nessie, taught there. They had a son who was an army chaplain. The school closed down because they were just getting too old. I still have 2 group photograhps. If anybody is interested please let me know.
I also remember Wireless College because the 2nd.Colwyn-Bay Boy Scouts Troop, of which I was a member, held their 'Gang Show' in their hall. Anybody else has any memories of those years?
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Yes, of corse, Hans, Ive got virtually all my memory in those years. Oh, excuse me, I am trying to remember what I did this morning!!!!
But I thought, in fact I was sure, you were a Colwyn Bay County School boy. Did you change to the County School when the College School closed? Mike
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Pleased to find some one who remembers! At the closing of College School I went to Colwyn-Bay Secondary School on the Dingle at Eiris Park, shortly after that it became Grammar School and now High School. About three years ago I visited the school together with an old classmate. It certainly brings back old memories.
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You know, Ormegolf, you may be right. On delving into my memory I seem to recall that I was indeed in the County School for a very short time, however, it could have been after the closing of College School and prior to going to Secondary School on Dingle Hill. We are talking about 70 odd years ago!
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On second thought, Ormegolf, I think it was Central School not County School. But, as I wrote before, it is some 70 years ago so I may be wrong ?
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On further reflection I think I got it wrong. The correct sequel is: my family came up from London
1940/1941 and I went to Central School for a very short time and from there on to College School till it closed in 1944 and hence to Secondary in Eiries Park on Dingle Hill (whilst I was still there it became Grammar School and now High School) Eventually, we returned from we came, Belgium, in 1946/1947.
I look forward to your comments and if this fits in with your memories of those wonderfull boyish
years!
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Hello Ormegolf, I would love to hear from you if my reply #14 dated June 18th., makes sense and/or your comments.
Thanks and greetings : $thanx$
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Hello Hans, Sorry to be so long in giving a reply. This thread missed my attention.
You are more or less correct. Colwyn Bay County School was the one kids went to if they passed some sort of exam aged about 11. Around about 1946 we were all called into the main hall and Sam Dodds, the headmaster, said "as from this day you must never call it the County School. It is now Colwyn Bay Grammar School." Later on it opted out of government control and renamed itself Eirias High. So, it WAS a secondary school---but it was never officially called that.
Now to the Central School. That was on the other side of the Dingle. Thats were you went if you failed the exam. Later it was renamed the Modern School. I'm not being snobbish here, it was a very good school in more practical skills. No harm in that, its not everyone who is good at Latin prose.
Just for a laugh I will mention that very recently, around four or five years ago, I was working for a firm in Llanrwst. The front of house man, the man on the reception desk, answering the phone, doing all the odd jobs. By the name of Raymond Ellis, from Colwyn Bay. He was prone to boasting "I was the HEAD boy in Colwyn Bay Modern School." I was just a driver there, but one day he had annoyed me even more than usual so I replied "So---you were the head boy. Well I was the worst pupil in Colwyn Bay Grammar. But the worst in the Grammar is better than the best in the Modern, because "I" passed the exam. Lots of laughter all round Mike
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My Dad went to Central school....occasionally. :laugh:
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Mike, did Central School become Pendorlan Junior School, which in turn was demolished to make way for the A55 and a second Pendorlan built in the early 80s virtually opposite it at the bottom of Greenfield Rd/Lawson Road?
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Yes, thats correct. By that time Bryn Elian up the hill had been built, and I imagine the bulk of the Modern School moved there. But now I am only guessing, by that time I was living in Rhyl and was a bit out of touch with The Bay. Mike
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Bryn Elian opened about 1976. When I was there in the 1980s, some of the equipment etc was still marked 'Pendorlan'.
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From memory, the Colwyn Bay Grammar School and Pendorlan Secondary Modern School ceased to be such after the summer term in 1967 and became a Comprehensive School under one headmaster.
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Hi please see attached picture of the Marine Hotel and the Toad Hall Pub, showing the name COLLEGE SCHOOL
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A reply to the original post from 'All Our Yesterdays':
"My friend Eddie Gorst has given me a photo of staff and pupils at College School from we think 1929/30. If you are call in at All Our Yesterdays, 14 Greenfield Road, Colwyn Bay for a viewing and a chat with Charles Eaves the proprietor."