Charlie Downes from Aberystwyth told us how Bath Street got its name:
"There used to be a public baths on the site where the Commodore Cinema now stands - hence the name Bath Street. I don't actually remember the baths that were on the site - I had the info second-hand from my parents. It seems they were converted before I was born.
Water was pumped to the baths from the sea and at low tide, behind the bandstand on the prom, you can still see the pipe which used to supply the baths.
"After the baths closed down, a theatre was opened on the site. I well remember The Little Theatre as it was called and did in fact play some very minor roles back in the 1950s, with both the Charles Denville Repertory Company and the Jack Bradley Company.
The theatre was situated where the car park is now adjacent to the Commodore Cinema. When the theatre closed down, it was converted into the Conway Cinema and stood next door to the Celtic Cinema.
Both were later demolished and the Commodore Cinema was newly built on the area previously occupied by the Celtic."
Do you know the story behind a street name in your town? If you can send a photo and a few words to wales.mid@bbc.co.uk, we can add a page to the site.
Charlie's photos of the King's Hall demolition...Charlie's Church story...
your comments
Ron Millichamp, Aberystwyth
The Palladium cinema was sited on the corner of Market street and Eastgate street over a Peacocks Store. The entrance was on the corner. It was operated by Gus Cheetham and as far as I can recall was the first cinema in the town to install double seats in the back row!!! This caused quite a bit of consternaton among certain elements.
Sun Mar 23 11:09:54 2008
Liberté Harries neé Clues Manchester
I was brought up in Bath St. No 15, right opposite the the Celtic Cinema and the Little Theatre later to become the Conway Cinema. My bedroom overlooked the front and in summer, when the projectionist's window was open, you could hear all the dialogue. I remember the 'Cruel Sea' and being shocked at hearing swearing in a film! Aaah the age of innocence. Also in the summer, the film would shine out of the open window and we would watch the film in reverse on the Presbyterian [now St.David's Church] church wall! With dialogue of course, then we could sneak up the back entrance steps and sit in the back row & watch the film. My bedroon was in the front and in winter I would flick water out of a barely opened window, and watch people put up their umberellas! This was so hysterically funny. My cousin & I would watch till all the people had gone home. This was great amusement, till we were caught by my mother!! Anybody remember Tom & Sheila James who used to run the Celtic? They also kept a shop in Eastgate St. opposite the Talbot garage on the corner of the mews. I used to buy milk in a jug and they'd serve me with either a half pint measure or pint measure. Richard Baker started his theatre career in the Little Theatre. I saw Elvis Presley there in one of the really early films, where he sung 'It's now or never' as a very very young girl - I went weak at the knees! The chairs in the Little Theatre sloped upwards as you approached the stage so that if you sat in the back, you couldn't see as you were below the front!
Fri Jan 20 18:24:54 2006
Geraint Roberts ex Aber
The original public baths were 'Dr Rice William's Bath House' built in 1799 on the promenade. The site was across the road from the Queen's Hotel and was once Penbryndioddef, where they held executions in even older times.
Old photos (of which there are some excellent ones in the book 'Aberystwyth Yesterday') show it being at a right angle to the row of Marine Terrace. I believe that there was an arch that Dr Williams was tricked into having demolished. This is well documented in 'Born on a Perilous Rock'.
The extension of Marine Terrace to Craig Lais (Constitution Hill), led to it being seen as an eyesore and eventually it was dismantled in 1892.
I believe the rusty iron pipes in the beach area could have been for this establishment, although of course they could have been reused for Bath Street!
I remember the old cinemas, the Colosseum was my favourite. I saw, 'Where Eagles Dare' there as a child and thought it was massive! How surprised I was when I saw it in later life under the lights of the excellent museum.
Fri Dec 2 16:49:27 2005
Charlie Downes of Aberystwyth
The Brewery was named Roberts of Aberystwyth until it was taken over by Hancocks of Cardiff
Mon Nov 14 08:32:55 2005
Lance Simcox
I remember the Celtic cinema very well, and the Pier, and also the Coliseum, the Coliseum was a museum the last time I visited Aber, some 6 years ago. The Celtic was the place where much of my courting was done with the young lady that was destined to become my first wife. We met in 1958 by the juke box near the base of the steps that led up to Bath Street in the Kings Hall amusements, she wanted to hear "Lucky Old Sun" which I quickly invested threepence on. I worked in Aber then in the Farmers Co-op Mill & Cattle Food factory in Trefechan to the rear of the brewery. I believe the buildings we used had been the breweries coopers shop before the onset of aluminium barrels, they then became surplus to the breweries requirement & the Co-op acquired them. If I recall correctly, the Brewery was Robertson's, but I am not absolutely sure about that.
Tue Nov 8 13:54:54 2005
Angela from Chepstow
The Men's Baths were built in 1880. Prior to the baths being the built Bath Street was known as Newfoundland Street.
Fri Oct 21 10:37:45 2005
Do you have any tales about Bath Street? Did you know about the public baths? Do you remember the old cinemas? Add your comments and recollections here:
There's often a story behind the street names of our towns - a story which suggests the type of trades which used to be based there or the people who once lived there. 
