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."
