Robert Jones Bee Hotel Coachman

This is the first of a series of images of Abergele from Dennis Parr’s collection. Mr Parr will be familiar to many who’ve lived in the town since the 1960s. He used to run Parr’s shops in Market St.
This image, from his collection and reproduced with Dennis Parr’s permission, shows Mr Robert Jones,  the coachman who was employed by the Bee Hotel long ago to meet guests at Pensarn raiway station and shuttle them to the Bee Hotel.
We’ll publish more images from the Dennis Parr Collection on this site over the coming months.
from the Dennis Parr collection
from the Dennis Parr collection
from the Dennis Parr collection
from the Dennis Parr collection

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.

Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan Pictured is  local AM and ex-pupil of Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan  Darren Millar with school HeadTeacher  Lee Cummins, who is marking his first year in the role and year 7 pupils (L/R) Megan Sheppard, Abbie Ellis, Jessie Rollinson-Davies, Jay Bagnall, Harri Jones and Matthew Jones.
Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan Pictured is local AM and ex-pupil of Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan Darren Millar with school HeadTeacher Lee Cummins, who is marking his first year in the role and year 7 pupils (L/R) Megan Sheppard, Abbie Ellis, Jessie Rollinson-Davies, Jay Bagnall, Harri Jones and Matthew Jones.


The school, which dates back to 1899, has more than 1,100 learners with 140 teaching and support staff.
Source: Ceidiog PR.

Abergele County School at the beginning of the 20th Century

Cover of souvenir programme of Abergele County School Grand Floral Bazaar, attended by Queen Victoria's grand-daughter HH Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein. Date: c1904. Booklet owned and scanned by Colin Knowlson
Cover of souvenir programme of Abergele County School Grand Floral Bazaar, attended by Queen Victoria’s grand-daughter HH Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein. Date: c1904. Booklet owned and scanned by Colin Knowlson
Illustration of Abergele County School  c1904 from booklet owned and scanned by Colin Knowlson
Illustration of Abergele County School c1904 from booklet owned and scanned by Colin Knowlson
scan by Colin Knowlson
Decscription of Abergele County School from their Grand Floral Bazaar programme. Date c1904. Owned and scanned by Colin Knowlson.

 

 

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.

Photo of Gwrych Castle taken on one of the 2014 Open Days by David Hughes
Photo of Gwrych Castle taken on one of the 2014 Open Days by David Hughes

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.

 

St Thérèse of Lisieux Church Abergele

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.