BBC - North East Wales Rhyl Town - Views
Skip to main contentText Only version of this page
Access keys help
bbc.co.uk
Home
TV
Radio
Talk
Where I Live
A-Z Index

27 December 2006
Accessibility help
Text only
North EastRhyl Town

BBC Homepage
Wales Home

Wales SW Mid SE NE NW
»

North East Wales

About this site

Audio & Video

Entertainment

History

In Pictures

Lleol i Mi

News

Nature & Outdoors

Society & Culture

Sport

Teens

Towns

Traffic & Travel

Useful Links

Weather

Webcams

Your Say

 


Contact Us

Like this page?
Send it to a friend!

 

Holiday camps & memories

Last updated: 27 September 2006

Contributors share their memories of holidaying in Rhyl in words and pictures.

Glyn Roberts in Rhyl c1947
Glyn Roberts: 'I used to be taken to Rhyl occasionally in the summer when I was a boy, just for day trips. This is a photo of me (in the sidecar) taken at the cycle track c1947.' next page
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 


your comments

Pete Bishop, Suffolk
I remember the Derby miners camp, I was one of the waiters for a time in 1981-2 and had a lot of fond memories of the place and one that always sticks out in my mind is when the camp comedian cracked a gag about the management and everyone had a good laugh, only thing was it was the first funny thing he said all week. The manager, Mr Faulkner, was very displeased. I was the waiter who had all the birthdays, just so we could give the diners a laugh when I got turfed into the pool fully clothed.

A Jones, Abergele
Searching for Miss Britania, Rhyl c1914, Miss Alice Maud Jones. Can you help?

mainman
Anyone remember the discos of the 70's? The Palace. And the Haven that had a glass dancefloor years before Saturday night fever.

Glyn Davies, was Rhyl now Mold
Hi Jill (Baker nee Davies), Just had a lovely few minutes reading the memories from 'The Miners'. Think about you all a lot. Brought back a feeling of hiraeth! I worked in the camp for one season but it was a part of our life for much longer. I started off in the the dining room as a porter then a waiter. I remember Eddie McDonald who went on to be a guitarist with the band 'The Alarm' worked in the kitchen at the same time. It was such hard work (or it felt like then to a 17 yr old). Two sittings for breakfast, dinner and tea with only a short break between each sitting! The tannoy calling the people in to eat, and the mad rush for people to the tables. We had some great laughs with the holidaymakers. Somehow I got promoted to be the lifeguard at the outdoor swimming pool. What a great job! So many memories not enough time for now.

Chris off Flint
I don't want to jump on the bandwagon of people who say how much Rhyl has deteriorated recently but these photos and memories really do bring that train of thought to mind. Seems as though the folk in charge have forgotten the basics of a seaside resort, and that is giving children's imaginations a free reign, those miniature road layouts and mini trams look absolutely fantastic and it actually shocked me to see how good Rhyl was back in the day. Is the place too far gone to reclaim past glories? The new owners of the Ffrith Beach Festival Gardens a few miles down the road could do a lot worse than get some ideas and inspiration from this page.

Patricia Ellis nee Harvey,
Well I remember coming to Rhyl, with mum and dad and sister and brother, along the old B roads, none of these motorways then, it seem to take us ages to get there. Also when we saw the sea, wow we all thought, also the pier where I got lost, well I should say where I wandered off and lost all my family and having to sit on the red weighing scales till mum and dad found me. Also walking along the fair ground walkway that seemed to be a long walk as well. How time changes although sometimes it's for the better, having seen the alterations of the front and what they will be doing to Rhyl. Well I moved here with my husband and three children and one of my memories are when my husband and I and my three children walked across marine lake when it was frozen, it's a far cry from Stoke on Trent and the old pot banks which we were used to.

Rachel Sharp from Wirral
I had been going to Towyn since I was born in 1985 my grandparents owned a caravan there on millers cottage. I remember the floods in 1991 it was terrible and I don't think Towyn ever recovered, although I will always have fond memories.

Tanya Wright, London
I grew up in Greenfield and my first job was in the supermarket at Robin Hood Holiday Camp. My Nana ran the supermarket from 1976? to 1997. In the early years it was staffed by 18 at peak season, but had halved in size and only had two staff during the last year. I spent many evenings in the 'Club' including my 16th birthday, when a short drummer dedidcated 'If I said you had a beautiful body' to me. I was so embarrassed I didn't know where to look! I met so many people over the five years I worked there and often wonder what happened to them all. Every week a different accent permeated the shop and by the end I knew if I was called Ducks it must be Derby week and if asked 'how am yo' it must be Birmingham. Strange that those holiday weeks set up in the twenties and thirties were still in evidence in the 1980s even though the industrial North's factories and holiday weeks and long since ceased to exist. I loved Rhyl as a small child, and even though we only lived 16 miles away I did spend two holidays there in holiday 'flatlets'. I loved Uncle Eric's corner, the paddling pool, the Marine Lake and of course, the Fair. My friend and I would be counting the days until the Easter opening and begging our parents to take us on the first day. Donkeys on the beach, cucumber and tomatoes butties by the paddling pool and a stick of rock to come home with, ah bliss. Not to mention the shops for fashion hungry teenagers and clubs filled with different boys week after week - ah happy days!

Charlene Hughes
Sunny Rhyl. what can i say:- it is boring and their isnt anything to do there for young adults like myself. Wish there was becasue it isnt a bad town.

John, Flint
anyone remember the cycle track on the prom we used to pay to ride around in circles on hol lpool didnt have own bike

Moira Fisher (nee Tierney) now Warrington
Hello Jill Baker (nee Davies). My older sister Gene was intrigued that you remembered her and I of course told my mother Nora who knew you and your mother well. I remember the changeover days well at the camp and your mum was so efficient! Do you remember the camp badges and the amusement arcade and the fun we had in the winter months with the adventure games we played in the camp when it was closed to the public? Geoffrey and Ann Faulkner were other names that spring to mind and, of course, Margaret and Allison Prue who lived on the camp. The dances and the Eldorado ice cream and the plate of chips with tomato sauce - happy days!

Tina Fielding from Bolton
All our holidays as a child were spent at Oakfield Caravan Park. I remember the tanoy every day saying 'Oakfield Park camp calling, Oakfield Park camp calling the fish & chip shop is now open' ahh the memories...My dad used to go into the 'games' room and we would all pile into the social club at night, dad joined us about 10.00 after the bingo. One of the best years I remember is 1976 when we had the heat wave, we all walked over to the pebble beach where dad has his own rock to sun bathe on, and all end up in the sea having a real splashing time. Some nights we would walk up to the black cat and enjoy all they had to offer. Fantastic holidays that will never be forgotten.

Jill Baker, nee Davies, Rhyl
I have very fond memories of Derbyshire Miners Holiday Camp in Rhyl. It was my family's second home. My Mum, Eirwen Davies, started work in 'The Camp' as a chalet maid, she then became the housekeeper and ended her working days as the manageress. My brothers, Tony and Geraint and my sister Sian, all worked at 'The Camp' at some time or other. I worked at a very young age selling ice-cream in the theatre, in the camp gift shop, waiting on and did lots of other jobs. As children we were allowed to enter the competitions at the end of the season, the talent competitions, the sports day and fancy dress. We couldn't wait for this, it was the highlight of the year. Thirty-three years ago I had my wedding reception to remember there, it was a fantastic venue. My Mum was known as Mrs Derbyshire Miners and would solve any problems that came her way, change over day springs to mind. The special affection she had for people with special needs that would come on holiday at the beginning and end of the season. Moira, did you have a sister called Jean? My family and I have so many memories of the place and we often reminisce. I could write for ever and really one day I should. They are very special memories that unfortunately will be forgotten eventually. My family and I would love to hear from anybody who has memories of 'The Camp'.

Stephen Jones, Rhyl
I used to work in the miners camp in Rhyl for a few seasons. I remember some good times there. I was doing all sorts of work there - in the kitchen, waiting on etc. Was good fun. Got me meals there too. When I got paid I used to go to the club and spend all my wages there, especially on the fruit machine...lol...won 100 quid once lol. I remember Paul Clough and a few others. Used to go swimming there and the people used to throw money in the pool, we used to dive in and get it lol...was fun.

paula peterson from liverpool
I practically grew up in Towyn as my Dad owned a caravan in the eighties on Abbeyford site(next to Knightly's)I first went there when I was 3 years old and didn't find out until later that it was the first holiday my Dad had ever had (he was 36 years old)He loved it so much we went back every year until he bought his own van there and we stayed for the summer. Sadly my Dad passed away 5 years ago but I have kept the family tradition going by taking my 5 children to Towyn every year, we love it, my son is 11 and has special needs and spends hours playing prize bingo but he has so much more freedom there than he does living in a city where we have to worry about his every move, ideally I would love to eventually move there or the surrounding areas but for now I'll settle for my 2 weeks in August...can't wait!

Louise, BBC Inside Out North
Are you from the North West? Do you have a holiday home in North Wales, either a caravan, house or cottage? Maybe your family's been coming to North Wales for generations? If so we'd love to hear from you at BBC Inside Out North West. We're producing a television feature about why generations of people from the North West area are attracted to the region and visit regularly. Please contact Louise at BBC Inside Out North West on the telephone number or email below. We’d love to hear from you! Tel. 0161 244 3291. email: insideout.northwest@bbc.co.uk

Pat Forshaw. now Rhyl.
I remeber coming to Rhyl, when i was a nipper with my sister and brother and of course mum and dad, we all had fantastic holidays, going to the beach and having a pinic with dad wearing his knotted hanky on his head, i loved it that much when i got married we came to live here and have done ever since. Welcome to Sunny Rhyl

Diane Maitland, Brierley Hill, West Midlands
As a child I hated Rhyl. We used to go every Whitsun weekend with my parents, grandparents and aunty. It was something of a ritual; Rathmines self catering rooms at the Prestatyn end of the town with the visits to the Royal Floral Hall. Hadn't the beach always used to be crowded in those days? I remember the old arcade where we used to have a three course meal for seven and sixpence and a social club where there was bingo and a singer. Those were the days when you were made to sit with a glass of pop and a bag of crisps while the oldies enjoyed themselves. Life seemed so unfair, and the nights seemed to last forever until you went to bed. Then the next day arrived, and it was more of the same. Then 38 years later, I come up to Presthaven Sands with my husband and two children. Rhyl had changed in the town centre with its pedestrianised area and children's village. I even began to have fond memories of the old Rhyl. Nowadays I look forward to visiting the dreaded old town, and see it in a different light. The market near the fair is amusing, the fair itself is reassuringly familiar, it's taken me a lifetime to appreciate this nostalgic resort. Now I come every year, and would hate to miss it.

Kevin Langford from Shropshire
Does anyone have any pictures of the old Gaiety and Coliseum theatres they are willing to scan for me? I have many happy memories of Rhyl, going each year on holiday and seeing the great summer shows in the 1970s there. Thanks, Kevin.

Sharon Moore, West Midlands
I have very fond and great memories of being with my mum and dad in Towyn. We used to stay on Kerfoots caravan site in the calor gas caravans and have to walk over to the toilet. My little sister playing on the gocarts was great fun to watch. Climbing over the railway bridge to get to the beach was all part of the holiday that we enjoyed, so different from being at home. Walking up to Rhyl was great, we knew that we were going to the fair. We go to Rhyl still but since my dad has passed away it just doesn't feel the same.

Ann Aston from Halesowen west midlwnds
My husband used to go to Stones caravan Site Towyn Ryhl every year as a child. Now we go together with our children and stay on the same site. I love to go you always find something different to do, my children love to play on the beach and go to the fair.The people who live there always make you feel welcome. We love ryhl. We are planning to move down there soon

brian ratcliffe derbyshire ex army
in kinmel camp 1958 1960 had lots of good times in rhyl but glad to get home

dawn humphreys shropshire
during every school holiday as a child i stayed with my nanna and grandad sam and nora on edwards camp, towyn. They were caretakers on edwards and lived in the house thats still there. i try to get there once a year and take my children to secret hiding places i used to have. i show them where the rabbits are and tell them about the wonderful times i had. i remember mrs oakes who lived in one of the vans full time also the fair lads who would run in a morning and come to my nanna for a cup of tea. if i could go back to any time in my life it would be then- towyn on edwards with my nanna and grandad.

Colin Cadden
Hi there, My father was manager/caretaker of the Coventry and District Co-operative Society Holiday Camp from 1976 up until the point where it was auctioned off and The Golden Sands Holiday Camp bought it. I would very much like to hear from people who stayed there from 1976 til that point, I'd also be grateful to anybody who may have some photographs of what it used to look like 'in its heyday'. Feel free to email me anytime at colindavidcadden@hotmail.com Thanks a lot Colin Cadden

Robert Platt, ex Prestatyn and Rhyl
I was interested to read the memories of the Derbyshire Miners' Camp as my father Ken Platt was an entertainer in the shows there for many years with people like Ronnie Ronald. I have early memories of being taken there in the 1950s to watch the shows and afterwards being treated to fish and chips in the food hall before the return journey home to Prestatyn along the East Parade to see the illuminations. I would like to contact anyone who has pictures or film of that time as sadly I have hardly any records of my father's performances there. Many years later as a cub reporter on the Rhyl Journal I remember covering stories at the Camp in the early seventies.

Kevin Stephan Clayton (staffs)
When I was a child, we went to Rhyl every year, for what seemed like forever. I went with my mum, nan and grandad. We would stay at either golden sands or winkups holiday camp, sometimes in a caravan, sometimes in a chalet. The caravans in those days were a lot different than today. There was just one space inside. You had to pull the beds out at bed time then put them back up in the morning to make room for the table and chairs. The lights and the little cooker were calor gas and there were no flush toilets. A typical day would start with the sound of the seagulls tapping and scorching on the tin roof then if that didn't wake you up, the calor gas man came round in his van to try to sell you some more gas. His call was 'Wakey wakey calor gas' over and over again. The rest of the day, once you were up and dressed, you made your way to the toilet block not forgetting to take the bucket with you to empty out. Then it was back to the caravan for breakfast: bacon and eggs, the only time that little cooker was used all day. You would have to fetch soom fresh water from the stand pipe if you wanted a drink with your breakfast. During the day, if we stayed on the camp, I would try to get a go on the 4 wheel bikes or have a go in the penny slots. About mid morning we went on the old cream and green open top bus from the camp to rhyl. I always went upstairs. It was great fun, especially when you went over the blue iron bridge. There were lots of things for little ones to do in rhyl in those days so you had to spread them out over the week. We would have a picnic on the beach for our dinner then a bit of sunbathing if I could find a space. We'd play a ball game or fly a kite. When I was fed up with that, I was allowed to pick one of the things you had to pay for. This could be the open air pool, skating, crazy golf or many more things. When we got back to the camp, the first stop was the fish and chip shop for our tea. After tea we had a walk into Towyn to look in the shops. We would stop for a drink outside the pub (The Seagull, I think it was called), then it was back to the club bar for the show. When the show was finished, it was time for bed to dream about tomorrow. HAPPY DAYS.

Paula Munro from Manchester
I spent all my childhood holidays in Rhyl staying mainly in a caravan in the Pines holiday camp just outside. My main memory is of many happy hours spent at the old Gaiety theatre enjoying the talents of Dave Peters and Aubrey Phillips to name but a couple. Just before it was pulled down I even took a small piece of the brickwork as a memento!! I often wonder what became of the stars and staff of that lovely theatre!

sharon kenny manchester
my husband tony spent all of his childhhod going to rhyl and staying at Palins camp he enjoyed it so much we have now bought a caravan on golden sands - great site right on the beach and I believe this was a part of the old Co op site that is mentioned.

Doris MacDougall from Chester
I used to go on holiday with my mum and dad and 5 brothers to Winkups Camp through the 50's and very early 60's. We came from Warrington over the blue bridge at Queensferry,we really thought we were on holiday when we crossed that bridge into Wales.We stayed at the camp in a home made caravan built by my dad, we had a set of bunkbeds we kids all crushed together in and a double bed for mum, dad and the baby of the family.Each summer we went back there would be earwigs in the van and one year a mouse had made a hole through the floor! We washed outside in an enamel bowl on a stand.We would walk right down into Rhyl to the fair with a sixpenny piece each to spend-it was a long way .Over the railway bridge on the site you walked down to the sea,the beach was all pebbles and made a noise when you walked on them.The railway bridge seemed really high when I was little and often a steam train would pass under as you crossed the bridge.I went back recently to Winkups and the bridge looked small because I'm no longer that little girl.I once got lost in the camp supermarket and was petrified!But what wonderful holidays they were for a big family with little to live on.Thanks mum and dad.

Alan Colclough, Rhyl
My parents moved to Rhyl from Stoke in 1955 when I was a baby. 50 years on I still live in the town that has provided a roller coaster ride (pun intended)for my own life. My first job entailed processing all the thousands of photographs taken each day on the many camp sites in the area by what were known as 'walkie photographers' employed to take snaps of anyone and everyone staying in the vicinity. From Robin Hood to Golden Gate, Browns to Winkups, they would return each afternoon and leave us their used films before reloading and going back out in the evenings to photograph holidaymakers in the camp clubs. In the late 60's colour film was still expensive so all our work was done in black & white, processed overnight and on display in the camp shops the next day! The infamous 'Monkey Men' were still around at this time but were becoming less PC as people realised that the monkeys themselves were being abused and used as living 'props' for photos. As the cost of photography fell through into the 70's, and cameras became more automated, the era of the walkie photographer was at an end by the 80's.

Paul Steeples - Derbyshire
A message to Moira Fisher-nee Tierney! I remember the Derbyshire miners camp on Marsh Road. We went there every year from 1965 to 1982 (except 1973 when we went to the Skegness camp). I still have camp programmes from most years. I remember some of the local people who I would meet every year (mainly people that worked on the camp). In particular I remember a lad named Paul Clough and a waitress named Donna. I also met a local girl named Heather Tierney. Is she any relation? She hung round with a girl named Cheryl, who for some reason was known as "spaz". There were some well known acts on in the Gaitey theatre - Bill Waddington, Roy Lance, Tony Melody plus lots of others. Then there were the local "stars". Derek Lawrence and his wife Doris, Mike Sealey the DJ and George Whittaker who played the organ. On the sea front there was "Uncle Erics" children's corner, the Floral Hall and a shed selling ice creme - Clwyd ices, often licked never beaten. The last time my parents went to the camp it was a bit run down and was being run under a different name, J-GEM. I visited the site of the camp in 1990. It had been demolished but not fully cleared. I had a walk around and some things were still visable, the mosaic outside the dinning room/chip shop, the layout of the snack bar, even the swimming pool was there (but full of rubble). I have so many happy memories of Rhyl that I could write a book. I have hundreds of photos and some cine films of the camp that bring a lump to the throat every time I see them. I would love to hear from anyone that was on the camp, as a holiday maker or staff member.

David Pritchard from Wrexham
I can recall many summer holidays at Winkups Camp in the late 50's. The caravan we stayed in was extremely basic and it had the old gas mantle lighting. It was a completely open space and had two double beds. My mother and her sister slept in one and my sister, cousin and I were bundled into the other bed. Being around 10 at the time I was scared of earwigs, and invariably you'd wake up in the morning with an earwig in your bed! Our caravan faced the road and was close to the toilet block and wash basins(cold water). This, believe me, was today's equivalent of having an en suite toilet and shower! Despite this we had a wonderful time as everyone was so kind and helpful. I use to love running up and down the dimpled old sea wall and looking for crabs in the shimmering rock pools. A special treat was going to Golden Sands Camp slot machine arcade. I can remember winning the jackpot on a penny machine for which the winning line was three nines. On Friday evening we'd go to the Marine Lake, and a ride on the steam train was the highlight of our visit. Despite the hardships, those days were some of the happiest holiday memories that I can recall as the days used to last forever.

Trevor Williams,Prestatyn.
I remember for special treats my Dad used to take me and my brother to the Odeon cinema to watch the latest blockbuster (Samson and Delihla or The Vikings)then we used to go to Evans Cafe and have a mixed grill before getting the bus home. Another treat was going to the fair,but the bus stopped in the town centre and we had to walk to Marine Lake along the prom,we could see the big wheel but it seemed to take ages to actually get there but well worth it,not like todays fairground though.

Mary, Boston-Mass-USA
How about this then! A kid from London, who was evacuated during the war years, in Wrexham, North Wales. Who has vivid and fond memories of having spent a week's holiday in Rhyl. Imagine seeing the Seaside, a far cry from worn torn London. Hope one day, to visit Wrexham and surrounding areas. Although, I was only five, I do indeed remember my stay there. Living now in America, since the early 1960s.

Steph Colwyn Bay
I loved reading everyones views on Rhyl. As a child I lived in Kinmel Bay and my family owned a business in Rhyl. It was a magical place in the summer and I loved to wander up and down the Prom and riding a bike around the cycle track. Then a trip to Billy Williams's arcade where my friends uncle worked so we could mooch around the slots in case some money fell out. Then off to hassle mum and dad for some pennies if it didn't :) Most of my family owned chalets on Sunnyvale and we had a big get together in the easter and the end of the season. My dad had an old fishing boat that floated off down the river clwyd one day, we walked miles to find it. Sunnyvale is a caravan park now and lacks the charm and atmosphere it used to have, but I still call there now and again to see my little hand and footprints I put in some wet cement in 1966 when I was 7 years old. Great memories of hanging around outside the camp club, waiting for the adults to come out and jump in the pool.

Val Haves nee Williams Auckland N.Z.
I was born in Rhyl and grew up there and have many happy memories. I especially loved the Marine Lake. I believe my great grandfather, whose nickname was Ned Sparrow was something to do with the Marine Lake years ago. I once was shown his gravestone, it was presented by everyone at the Marine Lake. We lived not far from the Derbyshire Miners camp and I am sure I remember being woken up by the music of 'Come to the cookhouse door boys', at breakfast time. My Aunty lived in Vale Road and used to take in visitors for bed and breakfast and sometimes she would send visitors to our house if she was fully booked. I remember my sister and I drooling over the smell of bacon being cooked for our guests. I loved walking along the prom and just taking in the smells of salty sea air, mixed with the smells of fried onions and hot dogs, and fish and chips. I went to Glyndwr Secondary school and often wonder what happened to my school mates, like Libby Holloway and Pat Gallagher. I hope the houses on the seafront will be restored one day, as on my last visit many looked really run down, with boarded up windows and an air of decay. Unlike the houses of similar age in Llandudno. Times have changed and Rhyl has to compete with package holidays in warmer climes and it has definitely impacted on Rhyl. It just feels tired. It will always be my home town, even if it isn't really the one I remember from my childhood.

Pearl Holt from Jersey
I remember going to Rhyl nearly every Sunday, first to the little paddling and boat pool (by the big clock) then to the roller rink , then always to the "Rendevous" restuarant for lunch then the fair and home, sometimes callin at "The Peacock" for dad to have a pint on the way home.

Lisa Kelly Beanie, Stoke on Trent
We go every year, we take our dog Joby with us. He loves it too. We have a cooked breakfast every day done by our stepdad. He doesn't mind, he loves it really. We go to the beach, take the dog, we go to the fair and the market, get some bargains, as you do. We go to Winkup's chippy at night. A truly great holiday.

Janette Robinson from Coventry
Our family used to go to the co-op camp every year. I remember people going round with a galvanised bath to collect the party contributions and then at the party they would make the jelly in the same bath. We never knew what was in the sandwiches but it looked like cat meat to us kids so we never ate it. There was bingo on one night, a film show and a fancy dress competition as well as sports day. I last went there in the 70s and took my children - I wish it was still there to take my grandchildren now.

Joe Anders, Warrington
It's got to be golden sands. Jump out of your caravan into the sea.

Rimo from Stoke on Trent
Not to be missed, truly a fantastic break. Myself and all the family go to Winkups every year, have a few beers and relax to unwind. I would definitely recommened it, go for it all the potters and everyone else, simply enjoy it.

tracy from stoke on trent
winkups are all go me and the family love it we go every year a real treat not to be missed

Bill. Manchester.
I had many lovely holidays at Golden Sands as a child. I learned to ride a two wheeled bike there one year. The camp photographer always caught us and we always bought the pics, still got some of them. I remember my Dad coming second in the knobbly knees competition, still got a picture of him and another man running round with the winner on their shoulders. I remember Auntie Nancy and Uncle Bill doing magic shows. One year we splashed out on a chalet, ah happy days.

Graham Davies, Cheadle, Cheshire
My first holiday was at my grandparents' caravan on Fourways camp, Gors Road, Towyn, at the tender age of 3 months. Over the years the caravans got newer, but no toilets, mains water or even electricity, eventually my grandparents became too old, and the last van was sold in 1974. I remember Edwards Milk Bar on Gors Road corner and the soldiers from Kinmel Camp often being there. Anyone remember the Crosville open top buses that ran from Winkups camp? In the village on the corner of Sandbank Road was Thompsons grocers, I remember the chewing gum machine on the shop wall which gave an extra packet if the arrow on the knob pointed upwards, always checked and often a penny well spent. Other memories were the Seagull pub and Black Cat arcade being built. Down near the sea wall was the railway crossed by a level crossing, now a footbridge, where pennies placed on the rails were flattened by the steam engines. I recall on a Sunday you could walk along the sea wall and hear the whole of Two Way Family Favourites as everyone seemed to have a transistor radio tuned to the light programme. What goes around comes around and for the past seven years I've now had a caravan at Towyn, the place has changed and for me Towyn is more a base for wider travelling, but one item from the past I don't miss is the journey, it now takes me 50 minutes via M56 and A55 not the two and a half hours it did my Dad in the 60s, 6 up in a Triumph Herald.

Ray, Liverpool
1960s as a family we used to go to Palins and Sunnyvale, today with my family we have at least one week a year in Wales only now we go to a cottage near Porthmadog. Although it's great to go abroard we still like to spend a week in Wales.

Glyn Jones, Milton Keynes
Moira Fisher - I certainly remember the Derbyshire Miners, I worked there one season. I started as a pan washer but was brought into the kitchen - as a cook! I had two huge pans of oil in which I cooked the dozens of eggs for breakfast. I also helped with the lunch. There was a Scotsman who would do the porridge (he taught me how to cook the stuff properly) and a cook called Les. He was quite a big chap with a 'teddy boy' hairstyle. I was quite scared of him at first but he turned out to be a smashing chap and we had a lot of fun in there. We could dish up the meals at the speed of light to the waiting waitresses. They also had a camp entertainer who would come round the back to use the PA system for making announcements to the kiddies. When he'd finished he would ask them all for the magic word, to which they would shout 'Abracadabra'. It always struck me as an odd place to put a holiday camp though and can only presume that the Derbyshire miners (and their families) had the constitution of horses as anywhere of interest was miles away and must have been quite a hike!

Bill Jones, was Acrefair, now Shrewsbury
Oh what memories! Holidays in the 1950s, but we went to Wincups (not sure of the spelling) and how I envied those at Golden Sands who didn't have to walk "miles" to the sea. Remember those 4-wheel bikes? Why was I not allowed the handlebars that moved? it was always Dad who got those. One year we went to Happy Days for a week. It rained when we arrived and continued all week - were we miserable? Of course we bl***y were, it was the only holiday we got each year. By mid-week the water was surrounding the caravan so it got a bit more exciting, well until I paddled to the toilets and made a detour where I had forgotten about the ditch and got soaked, and with nowhere to dry the clothes Mam was not pleased either. The one-week holiday was really looked forward to, and I was ready to leave Acrefair at 8am, but Mam had to clean the house first (why?) So we left at about 11am, through Llangollen and up the Horseshoe Pass. We would get to the top by lunchtime and have to stop to rest the car (Austin 8). We would get to Rhyl by tea-time. Sunday was spent cleaning the caravan (why?) then unpacking, and if I was lucky, a visit to see the sea. Monday we went into Rhyl to buy postcards, and spend all afternoon writing them. Tuesday - the big day - we could go to the beach! Wednesday was a trip to the Marine Lake amusements and Thursday, the beach again. Friday, well we had to pack up and clean the caravan(?) ready to set off on Saturday back home. Still it was great. Must dig out the old photographs. NOTE TO BILL: We'd love to see the photos for use online. Contact the Web Team via email on wales.northeast@bbc.co.uk

Moira Fisher nee Tierney
Does anyone remember the Derbyshire Miners Welfare Holiday Centre (Camp) (DMWHC)on Marsh Road in Rhyl???? My father owned the Amusement Arcade there and I have vivid memories of families visiting for weeks of holidays during the summer months from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.There was a Gaiety Show in the Camp with stars like Tony Melody (from on the buses!)and a magician called Mr Tynan. Singers from Opportunity Knocks - they stayed at our house during the summer months.The highlight was to be able to buy a plate of chips with tomato sauce from the "dining Hall" after a night of "dancing" in the dance hall - things like "Foot tapper" and the "Gay Gordons!" I learnt to ballroom dance there too!!!! The cafeteria there sold ice cream called "Eldorado!!!!!) Sadly like other landmarks in Rhyl, it is no longer there. The Royal Floral Hall was another happy memory for me when I lived in Rhyl as a little girl. The parrots and all those beautiful flowers.

Sarah Robinson from Connah's Quay
I own a caravan on Oakfield Caravan Park with my parents and have grown up thre and made plenty of friends. I now occasionally work there.

Gill Hannah, Leicestershire
As a child in the 1960s i holidayed at the Co-Op holiday camp in Rhyl with my grandmother. Can anyone advise if this still exists - or whereabouts it was sited?

SHEILA ROOKE( Nee Slater) Birmingham
How I remember Golden Sands Holiday Camp, with very happy memories. We lost our dad at the end of the war. We did day trips to Rhyl. But Mom said one day we will come back for a week. And bless her heart we did!! We went there every year from about 1952, what fun we had. There seemed to be so many of us packing into the caravan we hired. Dancing at the club, riding the bikes around the camp, entering the competitions, (dancing etc.) one year I came 2nd in Miss Golden Sand's Competition! What a shock we thought we were in a dancing competition,I was dancing with my brother's best friend and he told me to dance my very best !! Then there was the nights down at the Ferry Boat Inn. Mom loved that, singing our hearts out.(Down at the Ferry Boat Inn, every body making merry. That was a song that was very popular at that time.) Then there was the fair, and all the excitement,then getting fish and chips on the way home to our lovely caravan, lighting the gas mantals and feeling very cosy,even though the seagulls would wake us up, trotting around on the roof with their hobnail boots on, but hoping the sun would shine tomorrow, so that we could get a tan. Another joy was meeting up with Ron,Flo and their family from Wrexham each year. I still have the photo's when we got very sunburned. (that wasn't funny). Then there was the wall, which we called the breakwater. How we loved to walk along there with the waves splashing. It was lovely early morning,after getting the papers,or water, or after going to the wash rooms. and also in the evenings. (Then it seemed very romantic) HAPPY DAYS. These are memories I will always treasure as I am the last one left in our family, but between us over the years I think our grandchildren know Rhyl and the happy times as much as us.

Alun Salisbury Cefn Mawr and Cardiff
Most contributors appear to have many happy memories of holidays at Rhyl and surrounding Campsites, and I have similar memories for I spent my formative years holidaying with parents, generally in a Boarding House at 11 Sisson Street, Rhyl. On one occasion, however, my mother and I accompanied friends and we stayed at one of the camp sites. This would have been immediately after World War 2. I recall that we stayed in a caravan, the details of which and holiday camp escapes me. There remain with me two clear memories of that holiday. I recall seeing an RAF aeroplane towing a target some distance to its rear. Firing at this target was a Spitfire (well, it may have been a Hurricane but to all young boys at that time every fighter aircraft was a Spitfire) the bullets, I suspect, falling harmlessly out at sea. The other memory is that of the camp lavatories for strangely, these were sited some distance from the caravans, and I wondered why! The lavatories, consisting of a row of approximately 12, were constructed of wood, connected to each other, and separated by wood partitions; each was fitted with a door, but no lock. Entering the small, dark enclosure, I was confronted by wooden planks with a circular hole, cut, and shaped for sitting upon. On further examination, I could find no chain or cistern for flushing! Peering into the hole, I was surprised at the strength of up draught and I could see daylight!

Margaret Whitehill from Manchester
So many happy memories of Rhyl and the Golden Sands holiday camp. We went every year when I was a child. The train trip alone was exciting. When we reached Wales there were always boys with prams etc to carry our cases to the camps or buses. I remember the caravans with their gas mantles which I always managed to break because they were so flimsy. The camp held nightly concerts or dances to entertain the campers. They had a resident photographer who roamed the camp and took snaps of happy campers which were sold in the shop. We had to have the inevitable tour to Holywell to get some holy water from the pool there and visit Holywell Church. Towyn was also on our list of places to visit and get yummy cakes from the bakery there. A trip to the Great Orme to put my dad's name in stones at the top. I remember there being a famous boxer, Randolf Turpin, who was an attraction at the top and I had my picture taken with him and mum while there once.

Jeremy Gunson from Leamington Spa
There must be a substantial crowd of people that might recall the Coventry and District Co-Operative Society Holiday Camp, Kimnel Bay. My parents, principally my mother, would take us there every Whitsun Half Term having saved up their 'Divi' and I think some years after adding a premium. I remember the 'Chalets' that were actually large sheds, the gas cooker, chairs and table, water carrier and bowl that represented the 'Living/Dining Area'. I can also feel those hairy rough blankets that were provided atop the iron framed bunk beds, the texture mitigated by mum's crisp but smooth cotton bedlinen. The toilet blocks were across to field for us in Chalet 21, as was the Shower Block with children in all states as their parents guided them towards the end of the queue for a wash. There are so many memories, the Sports Day on a Wednesday, the Prize Giving Party on a Friday at which attendance was regulated by the need for children to wear a badge provided after a tin of fruit had been donated on a Thursday. The walk along the sea wall to Towyn, the Bakers and the 'Black Cat' Accard, the Chip Shop at Pensarn, the Golden Sands Holiday 'Park' next door with its more up-market image and public announcements 'waking campers' in the morning. The route through another camp nearer the bridge across the tidal river into Rhyl itself. Well there is so much along with a certain retiscence to remember.

Alan Davies, Johannesburgh, South Africa
Looking at this site brings back a lot of memories. Originally from Wrexham we used to holiday at Rhyl frequently. Even today when I smell fried onions it always takes me back to Rhyl fairground. In 1996 I returned to the UK on holiday with my two daughters and yes we did pay a visit to Rhyl. The weather was not too good but, as they were young then, they were only interested in the fairground. Another memory of Rhyl, the holidaymakers always seemed happy and smiling even on a rainy day. Keep well Rhyl, I hope to be there again one day.

Paul Lucas, Wolverhampton
My earliest memories of Rhyl were of about 25 years ago when I was about 13. About 4 years ago my family and I were trying to decide on a short break when I saw a caravan for hire in nearby Towyn, bringing back old memories of the time I had in our family owned caravan years ago. My partner Mandy and kids Ryan, 13, Chloe, 1,2 really enjoyed themselves so we try and visit at least 2 weeks a year. My 2 other kids Bily, 4, and Reece, 3, have started to enjoy and remember their holidays there as we all do. In fact, so much that this year we are going to look for a caravan to buy. Hopefully my children can pass on their fond memories to their children.

Yvonne Bailey, Leigh, Lancashire
Wonderful times and happy memories on Robinsons caravan park, Towyn, where my mum & dad owned a caravan. when I smell bacon frying it reminds me of being on the site and walking between the caravans first thing in the morning. No bathrooms in the caravans - had to go to blocks - and carry our own water in containers. Seagulls waking you up every morning on the roof of the caravan. I have made a lot of friends there in my childhood and teenage years. I have lost touch with them all apart from two girls whom I still write to regularly from the Midlands. We have laughed a lot and cried a lot too but we will never forget the times we have had in wonderful Rhyl.

Jean Heath, Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire
I visited Rhyl this year for the first time in 40 years. When I was small it took about three hours from Liverpool to get there, including the ritual stop in St Asaph. To me it seemed like the other side of the world. My father was Welsh (born in Caernarvon). We never incorporated visiting Rhyl and Caernarvon together as it appeared too far and complicated at the time! My stomach used to turn over with excitement at the thought of swimming and roller skating and most of all the canopied bike rides. We always stayed in a caravan and I am still reminded of all the holidays when I smell calor gas. We had to fetch all our own fresh water which I thought was wonderful. I remember pac-a-macs and when it rained everybody made for the fish and chip shops which always steamed up with all the heat from frying and the enormous pots of tea in brown pots. Depending on the economics I might be allowed a cream soda or knickerbocker glory (a rare treat).

Add your comments to this page here:

Your name, surname and location (e.g. Joe Bloggs from Flint):

Comment:

Your Email Address

The BBC reserves the right to select and edit comments. Find out how to make sure your comments are published. To submit a larger contribution or if you require a response please contact us.

History

more from North East Wales

In Pictures

sunrise
Your Photos

Contributors' photos show we live in a fantastic part of the world.

Website highlights

reindeer
Nadolig Llawen

The Web Team wishes you all a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Entertainment

children
Family fun

Weblinks and events posted by locals, including Christmas attractions.




About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy