Monday 19 October 2009

GENERATIONS

Here are two school pics from Gaynor Williams (was Jones). The one at the top was taken c.1950 and shows, left to right: Gaynor with Pearl Thomas, Joan Wright (?) and Pamela Boyle; they were taking part in a Christ Church School Sports Day at Botanical Gardens. In those days the school was in Vaughan Street and had no playing field.

Presently there is no school in the town centre or west end; children have to cross town for education. There are doubts about whether Rhyl West would be safe for a school anyway – with or without a playing field – because a lot of people have been making a lot of money out of housing people with behavioural problems in the neighbourhood for at least a quarter of a century.

The other picture is from mid-to-late 1960s and shows a recorder class at Ysgol Llywelyn. Gaynor’s son, the late Gareth Williams, is the boy on the left and David Foulds is the boy on the right. Who are all those lovely daft girls I wonder, and where are they now?

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TUE 20th OCT 2009 UPDATE: Thanks to Peter Trehearn for reporting that the male teacher with the recorder class is Mr. Gwynfor Jones who went on to be head of Ysgol Dewi Sant.

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MON 27th OCT 2009 UPDATE: Thanks to David Foulds for all the following info:

“Front row second from the left is Julie Bell.

“Front row centre is Christine Brookes whose father was Derek Brookes of Derek’s Service Station in Rhuddlan Road (next to the Crown Bard pub); the site is now part of the retail park generally known as ‘Sainsbury’s’. Derek was a Volkswagen dealer and a founder member of Rhyl Motor Club. He used to come to Ysgol Llywelyn at Christmas to do tricks – he was an accomplished magician. I believe Christine now lives in Dyserth.

“Front row second right is Elizabeth Davies who I understand still lives in Rhuddlan Road, Rhyl. Her surname changed when married.

“In the back row of children, second left is Amanda Kraus whose father was our family doctor. His son Richard continues in practice at the same place, 18 Dyserth Road. I believe that Amanda now lives in Colwyn Bay.

“The photograph was taken to mark our performance in the Urdd Eisteddfod; we won first place at the finals in Llanrwst. Also I won an award for a drawing of a postman which was done in felt tip pen which was a new thing that year. I still have the drawing framed and hanging on a wall. A very special year and happy memories.”


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