I always remember, a couple of years ago, a forum member from the old forum Welsh1 started a Facebook topic entitled You know you're from Llandudno if........which in turn made it's way into a topic in the old forum. After adding a few of my own, the list grew to over three hundred.
I thought I'd revive the thread here, which, in my opinion, is an often humerous piece of local social history.
Anyone have any they can add?
You know you are from Llandudno if you....
1) Spent most of your summers sitting outside the goose
2) Know Traversi
3) Argue that Greasy Lil's was the best chippy
4) Think going for a drink in Conwy is a day out
5) Still shake your head at the new ASDA
6) Becky from the Station Chippy always remembered your name
7) Know who 'Georgie Goo Goo' and 'Madam Bennet' were
(8. Jumped off the pier in the summer
9) Know who Mr Jones, Mr Goody and Gaz Gandy are and where they where most nights
10) Did evacuation drills while in school just in case the gas tanks ever blew up
11) Think people from Llanwrst and Pen are really Welsh
12) Always knew who was the hardest in your year in school
13) Remember the Conference Center disco's
14) Drank on the beach before going to the Conference center disco's
15) Still miss Winters
16) Never took a coat out on a Friday and Saturday night no matter how cold it was
17) Always hoped Kim at the old hall was in a good mood
18) Always got a deal from Dez at Kit Clothing
19) Played games with the UBM on the Beach in the summer
20) Used to sit and sunbathe on the steps at the West Shore before they covered them
22) Got sponsered to walk around the orme
23) Rode a donkey at the donkey derby
24) Waited to get into Tiffs on a Friday night, and then saw half of your school downstairs
25) Dreaded turning the corner at the swimming pool as the wind was always freezing
26) Spent all summer at the fair
27) Had a family member work in Hotpoint
28) Wore fancy dress on New Years eve
29) Know where Grannies Armchair is
30) Were not afraid to drink in the Carlton
31) Know that Happy Valley is not a good place after dark
32) Know who Alex Munro was
33) Know somebody who claimed to have lost their virginity to a holidaymaker that nobody had ever seen
34) Skateboarded at the Mostyn Broadway Skatepark
35) Remember the ASDA fire
36) You always jumped the wall outside the Carlton to get to the Royal Oak
37) Neville, Cross keys, Plumes, Loaf, Carlton, Clarence, Tiffs and a taxi to get changed into trousers and then onto the Old Hall most weekends
38) Know who Hardy, Boo, Nettle, Buz, Bur, Bomber, Saucey, Tiddy and Mad Mike are.
39) Threatened to get your Brother, Dad, Uncle to beat somebody up
40) Watched the wrestling on a Sunday night in Winters and screamed at the ref.
41) Have any plates or knifes and forks from a hotel in the town that somebody worked at
42) Knew the numbers for Kingkabs, MiniCabs, Streamline and later Interlink of by heart
43) Would call A1 taxis and hope they would send the London Black Cab
44) Had a chinese from the great wall and done a runner
45) Heard they had found dead seagulls at the Bengal Dynasty
46) Have had Breakfast at Wrights Cafe
47) Spent your school dinner money in Billy Macs on Fags (but only two school kids allowed in the shop at a time)
48) Walked home from the Old Hall in the early hours of the next day
49) Been to the chippy for Batter Bits
50) Used to buy the Day old Stale cakes from the Swimming Pool Cafe
51) Have drunk Special Brew on Bog Island before heading over to Flix
52) Watched people sleep outside Arnolds and Marie et Ce for the sales
53) Danced to Orville J Heap in Winters and spent all night hiding from the resident photographer
54) Went to Sumners or the Nash for Stalies
55) Got covered in shaving foam at the late night Xmas shopping
56) Drunk underage at the Cock & Hen, Steampacket, Clarence, Speakeasy or Tiffany's
57) Have heard Charlie Burma sing
58) Know Musso, Joe 90, Porky, Gammy Hand, Titch Bitch, Elsie Twig, Gaz Grecian or Ken Plank
59) Knew somebody who went to Liverpool or Manchester shopping for the day and they came back with an accent
60) Wonder why that Windmill was on the roundabout by the Carlton
61) Remember queing at the Palladium to watch Gremlins and Ghostbusters and Queing at the Savoy to watch Rocky III
62) Queued on the stairs to get into Speakeasy’s.
63) You were at the opening night of Revivals.
64) Remember the light show in Revivals.
65) Got the bus from the Cottage Loaf to Bentleys.
66) Remember being able to buy pets, fruit and veg, meat and fish at the UDC in-door market.
67) Mick’s burger van.
68) Avoided the Victorian Extravaganza at all costs.
69) Remember Kiddies Funland.
70) Remember Wimpy’s across from Bog Island.
72) Bought Billy West a pint.
73) Remember Scotty Mac working at Fosters.
74) Had a Burtons account card
75) Played mini golf on the Orme or the course across the road from the Washington
76) Knew 'the reels' on machines in the Goose, Royal and Robins
77) Tried to catch crabs on the Jetty with Bacon rind
78) Went penny for the guy with somebody dressed as the guy to the posh houses in Llanrhos
79) Wore a black bin bag as your halloween costume
80) Raided other estates bonfires
81) Every wedding, christening, 18th or 21st party you have been to, Johnny Wilko has been the DJ
82) Got banned from the Goose by Fat Chris!
83) Saw Dexy's at the Astra 1982, and remembering some of them coming in Winters after!
84) Know what the Monday club is
85) Shopped at Chess
86) Went to 'Mr Smiths' and thought it was the best club ever
87) Hired the fitness spa at the Hydro and had a sauna and a Jacuzzi
88) Got egged and covered with flour on the last day of school
89) Visited Chester Zoo or the Pantomine in Liverpool on a Hotpoint trip
90) Know that 'waves in the big pool' meant a day at Rhyl Sun Center
91) Went to the graveyard on the Orme at Halloween
92) Tried to get into the Clarence Hotel when the Hockey Festival was on
93) Got into the Clarence Hotel when the Hockey festival was on and noticed that there were more locals in there than Hockey players
94) Remember the boat for Isle of Man, and going under the pier to get on board.
95) Have a picture of yourself and all your mates crammed into the passport photo booth outside Woolies.
96) Done all your Christmas shopping in the Bargain Centre… High Karate Aftershave set for your dad etc etc etc.
97) Have been waiting for a cab outside the Wash, and had to run across the road for a pee on the prom.
98) You’ve called someone a tosser (under your breath) because they are feeding the seagulls.
99) Know someone selling a bag of golf ball’s they have “collected”
100) Think the parking meters on the prom are a stupid idea in the winter.
101) Felt the need to chat to random strangers when walking around The Orme.
102) Wondered what is so great about The Orme.
103) Have refused point blank to go on the tram or cable cars, because you’re not a “bloody tourist”
104) Laughed at old people in October eating “Christmas dinner” in the hotels.
105) Had a telly from Radio Rentals.
106) Think that John's surname is 'The Tramp'
107) If you ever had to go to Bangor, you would always say you were going to Bangor "eye"
108) Know exactly when to kick your leg, when you are dancing in a line to "Do it to me one more time"
109) Know all the arm moves when you are sitting on the floor dancing to "oops up side your head, say oops up side your head"
110) Remember Trendy Wendy who used to walk round with her gettoblaster on her shoulder
111) Watched big Mo and Terry breakdance outside the Library on some cardboard
112) You have actually played snooker in 147
113) Been on holiday and meet someone else from Llandudno, who knows all the same people as you but you’ve never meet them before.
114) Been to your kids' schools' parents evening, and the teacher remembers you
115) Got cans of Coke and Mars Bars from 'Pete Pops' at John Bright and always promised to pay him
116) Watched Songs of Praise when they had filmed it in Llandudno to see how many people you knew on it who never normally went to church
117) Used to go and see Santa in the basement of the Co-op at Xmas time
118) Met Anneka Rice when she came to Llandudno with Treasure Hunt
119) Went to a Radio One Roadshow on the prom and then later on the West Shore
120) Have ever walked in the back door of Plumes just to use the Toilet
121) Queing outside the Youth Club at 6pm to get a half hour of snooker
122) Always complain that you are never going to Broadway again as it is crap but are still there every weekend
123) If you remember Dafydd from the Youth Club
124) Rented videos from the video man who used to come around the town in his van
125) Remember the Bank Holiday hat brigade
126) Remember the "great flood" of 1993
127) remember the "great fire" on the pier in 1994
128) Only ever seemed to go to wedding do's at The Deganwy Castle or The Imperial
129) Remember PC Amos Williams the truancy officer always catching you skiving
130) Going fishing on the pier, catching nothing edible, then buying a fish in the old indoor market and a loaf on the way home
131) Feeding the donkeys on the field opposite the swimming pool.... thats where they went in the winter
132) Scramble bikes on the fields opposite the swimming pool, £1 for 15 minutes on a Saturday morning
133) Walking single file and "keep to the left" in Little John Brights
134) Know Iris (from the library)
135) Got first 7 inch single from Telefusion on Mostyn Street
136) Remember the church car park where Marks is now.
137) Remember going to downstairs in Lyons sport shop to look at the BMX bikes
138) Remember the Pearl & Dean advert of Orme Cycle shown in the Palladium
139) Went to the deli on madoc street for a quarter of boiled ham
140) Went to Tudor Bakery for soup n a roll
141) Bought 12" singles from Kavern Records
142) Done the Bryn Lupus or Nant-y-Gamer cross country run
143) Went to the bonfire and firework show on West Shore (it was always windy and wet)
144) Remember the firework show in happy valley every week through summer
145) Jumped in the sea at pigeons cave
146) Eat Cheese & Onion crisps after "splash about "in the old Pwll Nofio on a Saturday
147) Had your feet stuck to the carpet at Broadway, the old hall or Winters. Also having a name for the black tar like substance that you would get over the bottom of your shoes and trousers at those places
148) Getting John the tramp to go the dairys shop on west shore to get your cider
149) Had a fumble under the slide in the old ASDA
150) Know where “monks walk” and “the zig zag” paths are.
151) You’ve fed a donkey.
152) You only think it’s been a windy night if ASDA has lost its roof.
153) If you have children you’ve been to a party in Bodafon Farm.
154) You’ve been to a works Christmas party in The Imperial, St George or Risboro?
155) You’ve listened to Marcher coast or Radio Wales in the hope your school is closed when it snows.
156) You know where “Rest and Be Thankful Café” is
157) You have, or you have relations who work in ADSA or Marks and Spencer’s.
158) You’ve had a conversation with someone from outside of Llandudno and they have mentioned “Marks and Spencer’s”.
159) Your first ever job was working in a hotel.
160) You’ve asked someone you know also from Llandudno who someone on this list is.
161) You’ve never know a year when the Hospital wasn’t meant to be closing.
162) Catching the coach (not the bus) from bog island to Tech coz they played Atlantic 252 full blast!
163) Remember the Knackering pole at little John Bright
164) The Kiosk on Vaughan Street next to the post office run by two old dears "a la" Rita and Mavis
165) The RAC rallies stopping in West shore carpark and all the cars reving up, Escorts and TR7's!
166) The model railway museum behind Kwik Save
167) Left Revival’s early because you knew you wouldn’t have a “last dance”
168) Fallen over drunk either on The Oval, County Path, Rugby Fields.
169) Learn't to ride a bike in Craig-y-Don park
170) Played on the “lorry” climbing frame on the West Shore.
171) Remember The Rhoslan, Ivories, Steampacket, Winters, the Old Hall
172) Been on a date to Casanova’s.
173) Wondered where Hughie West lives.
174) Been to The Killer for a steak.
175) You’ve been to the Cottage Loaf on Christmas Eve afternoon, and remembered you forgot to get something just before the shops shut.
176) Remember being in the" gaytones" morris dancing troupe with the lovely auntie fran travelling all over north wales for 50p every saturday
177) Remember Linda Green!
178) Been Climbing Through "Elephants Cave"
179) Mods Camping on the field between the Washington & Revivals (Now The Boulevard)
180) School trips to the Welsh Mountain Zoo
181) TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE being "under the counter" at North Wales Video.
182) Buying ring donughts from the shop at the begining of the pier
183) The Punch and Judy show on the prom in the summer
184) Buying a quater of cola cubes from Reds on Madoc St
185) Hearing the "cricket claps" from the oval at the weekend
186) The Milk Race (bike race) coming down Gloddaeth Avenue!
187) Remember the attempt to make Mostyn Street & Madoc Street into a one way system.
188) The little green (shack) paper shop on the corner where Finney’s is.
189) You know who Professor Codman's is.
190) You are in some way related to a Palin, Hender or Flanagan.
191) Emlyn was your driving instuctor.
192) Would never get a date on a Sunday, because every girl was recording the Top 40.
193) You’ve asked someone in your house for something that’s not on this bloody list.
194) Little John Brights before Big John Brights
195) Renting a video from Jubilee Video
196) Bought a hamster or Goldfish from the old pet shop next door to fountains
197) Have been barred from Winters by Beryl. Then being let back in the night after
198) Bought jeans in Horesh only to find the same pair in JW Discounts 5 quid cheaper
199) Always wondered why there was a till and cards on the ceiling of Flix
200) Used to learn to drive in the old ASDA car park on a Sunday afternoon
201) If you have been hit by or had a board duster thrown at you by Mr Hearne in John Bright
202) went to the Links Hotel on a Sunday for your tea in the 'New Conservatory' and had chicken in a basket, sausage in a basket or splashed out on the Carvery
203) Your Mum spending hours on Halloween digging out and bending all the spoons doing a swede for you spent the whole night smelling like burnt swede!!! The string handles broke before you left the house, and you used the ash on the swede as your face make-up
204) Ever went to the Chocolate Box on Christmas or New Years day as it was the only shop you knew would be open
205) Remember when there was a number 1 & 2 in Kings Road
206) Called Mad Rosie names to get a chase
207) Your street was closed down for a kids party to celebrate the queens silver jubilee in 1977
208) You remember the Brewery warehouse in Crag-y-don.
209) Remember there being NO roundabout at the links.
210) Santas Grotto in Westmorelands.
211) Got records from cat woman in Telefusion.
212) Tony Burton selling papers outside Burtons.
213) The Embassay restaurant in St George's Place.
214) The 2 chimneys and the gasworks
215) You were terrified of Mr Williams all through Ysgol Tudno, until you had him for a class teacher in your last year and realised he was brilliant!
216) School trips to Chester zoo, when packed lunches were devoured before you got to Colwyn Bay and the crappy souvenirs you brought home
217) Remember being beaten up by Hardy and Bernie on the way to school
218) Listened to records on the headphones in Telefusion.
219) Remember phoning the Leun Hong for a Chinese and then phoning a taxi to pick it up and bring it to your house
220) Been in a pub (any pub) when Llandudno Rugby Club are out celebratin' a win and feelin a little uneasy. Mike Hughes, Jock, Ja New, Ja Roberts, Dinky, Bobby, Choo choo, Skid, (Me), Si & Pete Beards, John and Dave Davies, JimCoy, Tommy Lyness etc etc (seems ages ago)
221) Remember when Kaz Ginge became Kaz Black
222) Knew which pubs in town would serve snakebite
223) Going to Williams Typewriters or WH Smith a few days before school and buying / stealing all your pens
224) Watching live aid in the shop window that is now TSB/Bodyshop (think it was Currys)
225) Remember going to the Dolphin bar on the pier to see the talent show, also remember the West Shore mob on stage singing
226) The Corrona Pop man, 'every bubble has passed its Physical'
227) Remember Dai Sav
228) Knew Perigreeno from the West Shore who used to wear a plastic bag on his head
229) Know that Sunday night always finished in Bartons / Annabelles
230) Heard Kev Talbot sing "the coward of the county"
231)You know someone who became a plasterer, decorator, or carpenter overnight, after the 1993 floods.
232) You got woken up at 5am by Seagulls or the Northern Dairies Milk-float.
233) You called people from Llanrwst 'Sheep-Sha**ers' then were called the same name yourself by people from Manchester & Liverpool.
234) You could 'accidently' bump into the penny-pusher machines in the Goose causing the coins to drop without setting off the alarms.
235) You banged your seat up and down when the cartoons came on during Saturday morning pictures at The Astra.
236) You wouldn't dance at Winter's unless you'd had a skinfull.
237) You tried to dance like 'Hartley' at Winter's, but couldn't as you'd had a skinfull.
238) You clapped your hands in rythym to R. Dean Taylor's "There's a Ghost in my house" at Winter's.
239) You tripped over the ladies' handbags on the dancefloor at Winter's.
240) You knew 'Savoy' wasn't Mike's real surname.
241) Your school uniform came from 'Davies the Jew'.
242) Your school shoes came from 'Clarkes' in Lloyd St and had a tiny 'C' on the side of the heel.
243) You tried to 'cop off' with Hot Zoe the Simons' fairground girl in the tight yellow cords.
244) You know that 'Squatters' isn't a place where women use the toilet.
245) You know that 'Pigeons' never has any Pigeons in sight.
246) You used to sign on the dole in Argyll Road.
247) You got treated for barnacle cuts by Frank Ash in the St John Ambulance caravan near the pier gates after jumping off the pier.
248) You remember the Dolphin Bar caberet got better as you drunk more beer.
249) You remember Linda Green going past on the Variety Club Sunshine Coach.
250) You remember 'Merfyn' out and about in his green snorkel parka.
251) You support a major Premiership team "and Wrexham".
252) You did your Christmas shopping for those insignificant family members at 'Billy Lal's'.
253) You remember kids in your class at the old Pwll Nofio getting-off swimming lessons as they "had a Ferruka" on their foot.
254) You got your ear peirced at the little shop next-door to Premier Tobacco.
256) Remember kev chin running the loaf and knowing that you would get served at the age of 15
257) Had a fag in the Boz cafe (kept out of Vecciho`s cause it wasn`t cool)
258) Know who Sonny Hale was
259) Had Kickers in different colours from Fox clothing
260) Remember running like hell if someone said the Parrotts were coming
261) Are stunned when you see the amount of people who que for food at home cooking
262) Still call the Town House by the name Plumes
263) Actually complete and participate in the 'spot the dog' in the Weekly News
264) Remember George the bloke who used to come around and get the pools and spot the ball coupons
265) Remember the old playground outside the old Asda, it was a helicopter climbing frame, log slide and the cafe.
266) Wrote your dedication of love to somebody in the Stones on the Summit
267) Remember Father Francis the Singing Monk who used to sing and Knit outside Woolies on a Saturday afternoon
267) Remember the Rowing boats with Davy Nicko & the Pleasure/Fishing boats with Johnie Rog
268) Drank in the Tiger Bar, the Harrington or the Ven
269) Spent weekends at home watching 'Tales of the Unexpected' while your Mum and Dad went to the West Shore Club to play Bingo
270) Got drunk in the Pier Head bar
271) Were able to get served in Old Hall Rock Night when you were sixteen, and then were outraged when they refused you at seventeen after the government tightened under-age drinking laws!
272) Know what "All persons wearing red arm bands,out of the water and dressed please" meant.
273) Have touched "the twin sisters" on west shore,(the rocks sticking out of the sea, just in case you were getting the wrong idea)
274) Have tried to keep the smell of Alcohol of your breath by sucking Polo mints at the YJB discos to throw the teachers' "off the scent".
275) Remember walking down steps to a lovely sandy beach on the North and West Shore
276) Remember all the heavies running up to the speakers to play their "air guitars"when Motorhead were on in YJB discos
277) Remember shouting abuse at 'Uggs' near Trinity Church just so he would shout "you're not my son"
278) Have seen 'Pikey' sing the begining of "shout" by Lulu in Wetherspoons on NYE (probably about 6 times now)
279) Always think "Superbowl" as a fun alternative night out instead of going on the lash and then going out after Superbowl anyway
280) Ordering your Broadway taxi from the garage thinking no one will be able to pinch it, then walking round the corner to find 40 other people looking shady in the garage
281) Accidentally seen someone "at it" on the prom
282) been seen "at it" on the prom
283) Lived on the Orme and waited for the council to replace some cement in the tram tracks so you could write your name in it
284) The realisation the world was going to change when the corner shop closed down on the Orme
285) Remember running down that really steep hill from the summit
286) Used a Bin lid in the tram track sledge game
287) Sledging on the Golfee on the Orme when it snows
288) Were on first name terms with Chris, Pete and Smoff of Caesear's top o' town (sorry Sian)
289) Realised that not even the locals knew when Gardners chippy would be open
290) Unwittingly know loads of obscure Pink Floyd songs thanks to Billy West
291) Remember when that cafe opposite the town hall was a newsagents
292) Remember going to TCW above North Wales Video to play on the one video game after school
293) Would imagine everyone in town at some point has made a comment about the "special" chap who's family used to run jasmine house
294) Start recognizing the 'Big Issue' sellers and feel suspicious when they're s a new one around
295) Think the worst busker in the world - the little woman with a keyboard and pug nosed dog
296) Spent 'black' 50p pieces for weeks after the 'big' Asda fire of '76
297) Were terrorised by (John) McGroity if ever you went near the oval or walked down trinity avenue
298) Remember when Jackie Parry's (welsh teacher) skirts and accompanying legs were the dreams of many adolescent boys!!!
299) Remember that the Town House was called the Tudno even before it was called Plumes, and The Harrington used to be next door to Marks and Spencer
300) Remember when the Fat Cat was games unlimited and the Lounge was the Gresham
301) Remember going to the Roller Disco in the Aberconwy Centre & enjoyed bombing round in your Freddie says RELAX t shirt.
302) Getting the tram up to the Great Orme summit and writing your name and wish with the Limestone rocks above Bishops Quarry
303) Sitting in that 1960's tacky cafe at the Summit and getting a numb A*** on the hard chairs having being forced to sit there and behave as a kid!
304) Taking first lick of Mr Wippy's 99 (Ice Cream for the dirty minded lol) and having a Seagull swoop and steal it
305) Remember waiting for the two ice cream caravans on the west shore to close for the day and looking for dropped change underneath the platforms in front of the serving hatches
306) Sailing silly little wooden yaughts bought at the Wedgewood in the yachting pond and being able to tell who was better off than you because of the size of their bigger silly yaughts!!!!!!!
307) Played football on the green in front of the church on the West Shore to the annoyance of passnig motorists when the ball hit their windscreens
308) Planned to jump into the paddling pool in your school uniform on the last day - only to find there's no water in it
309) Remember Ronnie Wynne doing back drops in Winters
310) Remember Beryl from Winters shouting your barred, you are not coming in this week "cos you're under age"
311) Remember sitting with feet in the paddling pool on North Shore watching the sun come up after Broadway with a crate of Viborg from the Chocky Box
312) Went to a party at Starr's house...and trashed it
313) Remember waking up after a night at Rock/punk night in the Old Hall when you were 15, and only remember where you'd been the previous night cause you could smell the place on your clothes, then jumping in the shower to wash the smell of 'cause you knew your parents would recognise the smell from when they used to go there when they were younger.
314) Remember going round town collecting Coke rings for the 5p splash down at the Royal
315) Remember the ski lodge burning down
316) Climbing on the roofs of Ysgol Tudno.
317) Putting your finger in an old light socket in the primary school yard before they put a cork in it.
318) Jumping through the holes in the railings at full pelt at Ysgol Tudno, a space you'd be hard pushed to get a thigh through now.
319) Calling the canteen women "Auntie" for some reason.
320) Being petrified when Traversi threw a piece of rock wrapped in wallpaper with a list of threats scrawled on the back into the playground.
321) Drinking in town then getting on the bus for half-fare and going to the Old Hall.
322) Remember Lyons' toy shop acros the road from the Clarence
323) Had your bike fixed at Orme Cycle by the guy with the large dent in his head
324) You spelled your name with white rocks on the Orme by the summit, and wrecked somebody elses' name especially the Easter People Cross
325) Got a chase around the West Shore from Hitler by shouting Hitler at him
326) Sticking your head through the railings on the pier because rumour had it somebody got stuck
327) Had an ice cream from the old booth outside ASDA
328) Having to walk from Madoc street across the Boots car park,then down the alley between the library and Halfords to get onto Mostyn Street.
329) Remember Sonny riding his bike playing his harmonica
330) Wondered why that barman in the Old Hall always wore a string vest winter or summer
331) Used to lick your fingers when playing 'Track & Field' in the Goose to make you run faster, then complained when it wouldn't work 'cos the buttons were clogged up with people's phlegm
332) Used to drink in Tiffany's until you were old enough to drink elsewhere
333) Knew that Greasy Lil spat in the chip fat to see if it was hot enough and still went there for chips
334) Had a ticket to go see The Smiths in the Astra, only to be gutted that the gig was canceled on the day 'cos some sod at the gig the night before in Coventry threw a sharpened 50p at Morrissey and it got him in the head
335) Climbed half-way over the Orme to get into the Summer firework displays without paying