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Rare picture of Crown St, Abergele.
Remember Jacksons shop – corner Jenkin St and Rhuddlan Rd ?
Parade along Market Street 1961. Photo by Dennis Parr.
Robert Jones Bee Hotel Coachman
Lee Cummins congratulated on his first year as head of Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan
Darren Millar AM returned to his old school to congratulate Lee Cummins on his first year as headteacher of Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan. Mr Cummins said:
“During the past year we have been able to enhance the facilities at the school, with investment in ICT, with improvements for many of the study facilities for learners of all ages and abilities. I am also excited by future plans for the school.”
Mr Millar attended the school in the late 1980s. He returned to meet up with Mr Cummins to hear about his latest plans, before joining a group of Year Seven Learners in the school library.

The school, which dates back to 1899, has more than 1,100 learners with 140 teaching and support staff.
Source: Ceidiog PR.
Tan y Gopa view of Abergele towards Rhyl
Abergele County School at the beginning of the 20th Century



Pasted here is the largely uncorrected text from that descriptive page:
ABERGELE COUNTY SCHOOL.
SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR THE COLWVN BAY DISTRICT
ABERGELE COUNTY SCHOOL, which came into existence under the Welsh Intermediate lirlucatinn Act of 1889, was founded
8 years ago. The School started in temporary premises, with a staff ol 2 teachers (a headmaster and a mistress), and with 30 pupils
To-day the School is being carried on in its own permanent buildings, situated amidst extensive playing fields over 3 acres in extent,
with a stafl‘ of 8 teachers (a headmaster, 4 assistant masters and 3 mistresses), and with 110 pupils in attendance
l
The scholastic record ol the pupils has been no less remarkable. During the comparatively short time the school has been
in existence, successes have been gained at the following examinall0n5:~Tht: Matriculation Examination 01′ l.<m Matriculation Examination of the University of Wales. the junior, Senior and Honours Examinations of the Central Welsh Board;
the Oxford and Cambridge Local Examinations; the Examinations of the College of Preceptors, Pharmaceutical Society; Institute of
Chartered Accountants, &c. Nu mart us Certificates have been gained frcm the South Kensington Science and Art Department, Trinity
College of Music, London, and Pitman’s Shorthand Institute. SCl10lat’ships have been gained at the Public Schools, and the name
oi the school appears on the list of winners of County Exhibitions (offered for open competition among the County Schools of
llenbighshire)_ During the cur-rent year, a pupil from Abergele County School has been awarded an Open History
Exhibition at Jesus College, Oxford. A fitting climax to the Schoo1’s long list of successes has thus been reached, and it can
now lay claim to that rare distinction among Welsh County Schools of being able to afford adequate preparation for the Scholarships
Examinations at Oxford and Cambridge.
The School curriculum has been so arranged as to be well abreast of the times, It possesses a well organised Commercial,
Technical, and Science Department, while it has also a well developed Classical and Modern Side. ‘l_‘he national aspect of Welsh Education has not been lost sight of during this rapid development. The Welsh Language, History, and Literature receive prominent
attention, while an additional stimulus to the study of Welsh History has been alforded hy the recent successful performance by the
pupils. of a Welsh Historical Drama.
Gwrych Castle consultation
The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust has launched an online survey to consult with people in Abergele and all over the country about potential development of the Castle.
The Trust says it wants to assess the need for community space and for people to share their feelings on planned educational and artistic programmes to be included in the planned Gwrych Visitors’ Centre Project and cafe. The results will feed into a Heritage Lottery funding bid.
Some of the ideas to be submitted are brand new and Mark Baker, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Gwrych Trust, said: “Amongst our Trustees, Members, Volunteers and Staff we have an incredibly mix of talent and ideas that has created the current plans for the Visitor’s Centre Project. These include the formulation of an educational programme to bring the history of Gwrych to all in the local area, provide space for art installations and an archive of Gwrych Castle items collected by the Trust, bring training opportunities to the area for traditional skills, and, provide space for many community-led activities.
The Trust says it’s grateful to EPM UK Ltd and the Edwards family, the owners of Gwrych Castle and Estate, for their continued support with the Visitor’s Centre Project.

The Little Flower of Jesus
This is the name often given to 19th Century French Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, after whom Abergele’s beautiful Catholic church is named.
Built in Clwyd Avenue and opened in 1934, the architect was an Italian called Signor Dr. Giuseppe Rinvolucri. He also designed churches in places such as Ludlow and Amlwch and, according to my father, he lived for quite a while in a house just above Glan Conwy.
“The plan is of a Greek cross, with a dome and round apses.” – http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/922843
You can read a 1932 news story about the then new church in this web archive of The Tablet: “an impressive setting for the opening ceremonies on Thursday of last week. The procession from the temporary church to the new building was witnessed by a large crowd, and fully five hundred persons formed the congregation.”
This beautiful Church is one of Abergele’s gems.







