My first memories of Gwrych Castle were the jousting tournaments held there in the 1960s and early 70swhen I was young. A medieval ensemble played along as we booed the Black Knight. There was an opulence to the place in those days.
In my teenage years, I worked for Mr Meecher who had the parking franchise at the castle. One thing I remember was the song Copacabana by Barry Manilow was on the transistor radio every hour as we worked. (Photo by Sally Hindley, used with her permission)
We stopped to take photographs and buy a few small pearls from the
“pearl-breeding river”; and while we gazed our fill at the mighty
monument, we learned from a guardian that in old days a certain Lady
Erskine hired the castle for six shillings and eightpence a year, in
addition to a “dish of fish for the Queen,” when her majesty chanced to
pass!
At Colwyn Bay we lunched early, at a charming hotel in a garden above a
sea of Mediterranean blue; and the red-roofed town along the shore
reminded me of Dinard. After that, coming by Abergele and Rhuddlan to
Chester, the way was no longer through a region of romance and untouched
beauty. There were quarries, which politely though firmly announced
their hours of blasting, and road users accommodated themselves to the
rules as best they might. But there were castles on the heights, as well
as quarries in the depths; and though Sir Lionel says that inhabitants
of Wales never think of turning to look at such a “common object of the
seashore” as a mere castle, I haven’t come to that state of mind yet.
Near Rhuddlan there was a tremendous battle at the end of the seventh
century, out of which so many fine songs have been made that the Welsh
princes and nobles who were slain have never lost their glory. There’s a
castle, too (of course), but the best thing that happened for us was a
gloriously straight road like a road of France, and as nobody was on it
save ourselves at that moment, we did about six miles before the next
moment, when others might claim a share. I believe the Holyhead road is
very celebrated.
– Charles Norris Williamson and Alice Muriel Williamson, Set in Silver. 1909
I recently picked up a copy of The War Years, Personal memories of Pensarn and the Abergele area, 1939-45 by Robert J Griffith circa 2005. Some very interesting things are to be found in the reading which details his experiences in the ARP and the Home Guard during the Second World War. Here is a story I found interesting,
“When our headquarters above the Visitor Office was occupied, a sentry was posted outside. Once, one of these sentries was marching back and forth on the pavement between the door to the HQ and the corner of the NP bank. He halted and ordered arms with his rifle which was a routine movement, but on this occasion, as the butt of the rifle hit the ground, a single round was discharged. The bullet chipped a hole approximately 3 inches in diameter underneath the eaves of the bank. A patch of cement concealing the damage can still be seen under the eaves today.”
I wondered if it was still there after all these years, so armed with camera I went to look….
Many summers ago, my children had fun riding on this train and I’d like their children to be able to ride it too. The Rocket Train at Pensarn Amusements might strike you as an odd gem to choose as one of Abergele’s icons. It’s often only when things like this have gone that we realise how important they are.
Similar view taken in about 1870 from almost the identical spot.
From ‘The Illustrated London News’, September 2nd, 1848
Ocean Monarch, Captain Murdock. Sailed on Thursday morning, August 24th, from Liverpool for the United States with a total of 398 persons onboard. When 5 – 6 miles to the east of Great Orme’s Head, in Abergele Bay, fire broke out. The flames were seen by Mr Littledale, Commodore of the Royal Mersey Y.C , who was returning to Liverpool in his yacht Queen of the Ocean. He proceeded at once and saved 32 persons. Mr Littledale described the flames as burning with a fury from the stern and centre of the vessel. Passengers, men, women and children, crowded to the fore-part whilst many others jumped into the sea. In a few minutes the mizen and main went overboard but the foremast remained standing. As the fire moved forward, passengers and crew clung to the jib-boom in clusters as thick as they could pack, one lying over another. At length the foremast went overboard, snapping the fastenings of the jib-boom, and the jib-boom plunged into the sea, taking all with it.
The Brazilian frigate Affonso, Captain J.M. Lisboa, was on a pleasure cruise in the area with Brazilian dignitaries, Prince de Joinville and the British Admiral Grenfell aboard. She bore down to the Ocean Monarch and launched five boats to assist. The Admiral took charge of one boat and Captain Lisboa, another. Because of the numbers of people in the water, and the tangle of floating spars, the boats from the frigate could not get as close they wished. The Affonso, nevertheless, rescued 156 persons including 13 seamen.
Burning of the Ocean Monarch off the Great Orme. Samuel Walters 1850
“By keeping very close in shore for some distance we got a view of Llandudno, now become a fashionable watering-place, and sighted Abergele, where the fearful railway accident happened some years ago, when so many people were crushed or burnt to death. We also passed over the spot where the Ocean Monarch was burnt, almost close to the land; yet out of nearly four hundred passengers, nearly half were lost. The ship was so near the beach that good swimmers could easily have reached the shore. The survivors were rescued by the boats of various vessels which came to their assistance.”
– W.H.G. Kingston, A Yacht Voyage Round England
Happy 100th Birthday to the Rhyl Miniature Railway:
“Our railway first opened on 1st May 1911, so visitors during 2011 will be able to help celebrate our Centenary year! On 28th-30th May 2011 we will be holding our Centenary Gala, our biggest Gala ever, with a host of family attractions. ”
The fairground’s come and gone but Marine Lake and its railway have survived. Long may the railway continue.
