Boxing Day Dip circa 1985 Pensarn
It was an annual event during the 1980s, Abergele Scout members used to run into the sea every Boxing Day morning. I know because my brother Gwynedd was one of them. He’s the one wrapped in the white towel in this photo.
Welsh rhyme about Abergele
I’R FFAIR.
Ar garlam, ar garlam,
I ffair Abergele;
Ar ffrwst, ar ffrwst,
I ffair Lanrwst.
– Owen M. Edwards, Yr Hwiangerddi
This is an old out-of-copyright Welsh nursery rhyme.
Translation:
At a gallop, at a gallop,
To Abergele fair
In a hurry, in a hurry
To Llanrwst fair.
It’s from a collection of Welsh nursery rhymes gathered together by Owen M. Edwards, who also founded the Urdd Welsh youth movement.
Photo of iconic Abergele shop J. Pierce Williams
This was always a beautiful shop – the most beautiful in the whole of Abergele. I wish, when the Halifax too it over, that they’d placed their branding in such a way as to preserve more of the character of this old shop.
Rotary arm prize game at Pensarn amusements arcade
Lovely old wooden cabinet, mirror turntable, rotary arm game at Williams Amusements Pensarn beach, Abergele.
Taking me back
After reading Abergele in Shorts, just before it relocated to this site, Dave Williams wrote:
“Thanks for taking me back to the sights, sounds and indeed smells of my childhood (the old market tunnel!).
I am a descendant of an old Abergele family known as the “Wagongoeds”, and came across your fascinating website while trying to gather information about my dad, who was a world war 2 veteran (now buried at St Michaels). A family member recalled my father being featured in a popular WW2 magazine and this picture was alleged to have been proudly shown in the front window of his sisters shop opposite the old Pandoras Box.
I too recall Dilys Roberts’ fair but firm approach, and what seemed then to be a booming voice, and also the outwardly stern Rhiannon Parry Davies, who incidentally keeps in touch with my mum who was a school secretary and helper at playtimes…real teachers before the days of Common Purpose and insane political correctness!-it all seems like a million years ago, a safer and more innocent time and yet so tangible with just a little prompting from your website!.
Anyway, thanks for the memories and I will look in from time to time to put my feet back on the ground.
Kind regards
Dave Williams.
PS Do you remember Kelseys Garage?”
Anyone know Harold, Bessie or Eva Williams?
Here’s a message from Joan, who makes an appeal:
“Hi, wondered if anyone knows anything about my family. My great grandparents were Benjamin & Jemina Williams, at sometime they lived at Fairfield, Sea Rd, circa 1900. They had 3 children Harold, Bessie, Eva. They also had a Barbers/ tobaconists at Stanley House on Bridge st. My gandmother Eva married David Davies in 1922, She was organist at the chapel. They had 3 children Gwena, Betty, Megan. My grandmother Eva , died in 1930 aged 32, at her time of death the family lived at 4, Glan’rafon. I have found their graves at the chapel. I would be very grateful for any info, many thanks Joan.”
Feel free to use the comments feature on this page if you can help Joan.
Sea Road as it used to look
Charles Darwin’s childhood memories of Abergele
“I was born at Shrewsbury on February 12th, 1809, and my earliest recollection goes back only to when I was a few months over four years old, when we went to near Abergele for sea-bathing, and I recollect some events and places there with some little distinctness.”
– Charles Darwin.