your comments
Martin Phillips from West Sussex
My parents ran the Meadowcroft Hotel from 1973 right the way through until it was converted (knocked down) and they kept the small bit next to the Melfort Hotel. They eventually left Colwyn Bay and retired to Worthing in 1997. I had many happy childhood and teenage years at Meadowcroft, seeing hundreds of families each year. I grew up there really from the age of 8 until I left CB when I was 22. Now I hear it's all been converted to apartments and even next door Melfort has gone. How times change but memories never fade.
Tue Sep 1 12:27:42 2009
Nigel Owen, Nupend, Gloucestershire
I have fond memories of a holiday spent in Rhos-on-Sea towards the end of the 1960s. My father was part of an RAF Crash Recovery team in the 50s / 60s & worked on a WW2 Mosquito that had crashed into the sea just off the old pier at Rhos Point. The wreck was still visible in the late 60s. I believe that the props & other items were recovered over the years by various dive clubs in the area. I would love to contact anyone who has any items recovered from this wreck or pictures / further information that may help in my search. I have been out to where I believe she still lies at low tide, but have not found anything to date. It would be lovely to own a piece of my father's past & a great piece of WW2 history.
Tue Aug 25 09:39:31 2009
John Barlow, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
My grandfather bought Meadowcroft Hotel (1932), Llannerch Road, above the Cayley Embankment and opposite Penrhos College. I lived there until 1967, and continued living in Colwyn Bay until 1978, when I moved with my family to the Wirral. Have many memories of Rhos-on-Sea. Started school at the College School for boys, on the promenade, opposite the then Colwyn Bay Hotel.
Thu Jul 30 11:37:40 2009
David Abbot, Llangoed
Robert Lorraine (actor) mentioned on the walking trail 24was married to Mabel Love. They had a daughter called Mary Loraine. She was in the special operation executive during the Second World War. This information was on the BBC programme Heirhunters. They were looking for lost relatives.
Thu Apr 16 09:49:31 2009
Susan Penrice from Buenos Aires
Summer of 1958, at Mount Stewart Hotel. So many memories - socials, fancy dress, going to see Arthur Askey in Llandudno by coach, whist drives, Rhos swimming pool, Ice Cold in Alex in Colwyn Bay cinema and of course, my first grown up kiss from my first boyfriend, David.
Mon Jan 26 09:46:28 2009
Mike Breese, Bridgnorth
I remember the pool well. My father managed it from its opening in the 1920s until 1966, a few years before it was shut by the council who took it over after my father retired (probably because they wanted to build the indoor pool at Eirias Park). These comments have brought back many happy memories of my childhood there. We lived in a house adjacent to the pool, the back door led into the pool area and the front door onto the prom. I return to Rhos fairly regularly and am still haunted by people telling me my Dad upped the temperature a few degrees. Not true, but I think he would forget to write it on the board when it was very cold! A few names come to mind: Billy Win-Stanley, Hugh Jones, The Abernethys, Enid Soffe(?) who dad trained to become Welsh triple diving champion, Harry Chambers, John Roberts, Tony Knowles, Maureen Hilton - a lovely swimmer. Then there were the comedy galas, club championships, diving displays, water polo matches, cycling along the prom with a big bell attracting customers to the the events, roller skating in the winter, dances in the ballroom, the queues stretching round the corner onto the prom on hot days waiting for the box office to open after lunch.
Thu Oct 9 16:29:57 2008
Steve Cawley, Southport
In 1971 I did a stint in the cafe (Spirit in the Sky and In the Summertime always playing....). I did have a go at being a lifeguard. Mike Salt was my mentor at the time.
Thu Oct 2 09:52:21 2008
Mike Cox, exiled in Norfolk
In the early 1950s we were spoilt in Llandudno. The choice between Rhos swimming pool or West Shore Lido was always there.Perhaps too early for Harry Chambers, I don't remember him, but there were enough clowns amongst ourselves anyway. I always thought Rhos pool was a degree or two warmer than the Lido and if you are looking at memories of one, shouldn't you do the other?
Web team: Lots of people have been sharing Llandudno memories already, but more are always welcome.
Wed Oct 1 15:39:00 2008
Paul Roberts
I live in Conwy and I remember too well Rhos on sea Pool. It was cold always. In the winter we used to go there roller skating. I think we used our own skates which we used with a key to clamp to our shoes. My dear old dad used to play Hell as it used to ruin the welt on the shoe.
Wed Oct 1 09:24:09 2008
Sylvia White, West Midlands
Hi Harry Chambers, I remember you, I think you used to sit on the steps at the pool with the in crowd at that time. I was 9 years younger so you wouldn't know me, I was just a kid while you were probably 18 or 19. You were all a lot of show offs, but we used to love watching and waiting to see what you all got up to next.
Web team: Read Harry Chambers' memories of Rhos pool and the Nitwits.
Mon Sep 29 09:43:25 2008
Helen Barrett , Accrington Lancashire
I spent two short holidays in Rhos in 1952 at a hotel owned by the trade union Nalgo. Its name meant "behind the monastery" and it was somewhere off the main road, close to the Abbey. Anyone remember it?
Mon Jun 23 09:33:53 2008
Brian Gledhill, Vancouver Canada
Worked in the the Rhos Abbey Hotel dining room with my friend Ian for 8 weeks through the Huddersfield College break in the mid 60s.(The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction was in the top 10).Used to go to the pool in the afternoon between shifts, the pool was freezing I used to dive in and swim like crazy until I got warm or my body went numb. It had a high diving board as well, finally got up the courage to dive of it on the third week Went to a night barbecue there, The Moody Blues were playing, they were not well known then and had just recorded Go Now.
Wed Jun 11 09:55:12 2008
Wendy Horne (ne Young)
I spent many happy summer holidays in Rhos-on-Sea and stayed at the Mount Stewart Hotel,I remember the Swimming Pool very well and the Riding School,there were 30 teenagers at the hotel we had so much fun at socials and fancy dress parties,sing-songs and trips to the Follies in Llandudno,riding on toastrack trams and eating knickerbockerglorys at the Cafe.Annette Mills puppets of Muffin the Mule etc were fabulous.I do wonder if Geraldine Taylor who writes in 2006 here is the Taylor family who were at the Hotel when I was there. Kay & Judy Taylor were my friends.So many lovely memories of Rhos-on-Sea.
Tue May 13 09:37:18 2008
Eryl Barker (nee Tudor-Jones) from california
I lived in Rhos from 1949 - 1967 - happy memories of the swimming pool. I remember when the temperarure had reached 60 degrees we all cheered- it was not heated. When I was a student, at different times, I worked at the Rhos Abbey Hotel, Pinningtons and Rhos Point cafe. I attended Colwyn Bay grammar School 1954- 1961. I loved the puppet theatre too.
Tue Apr 1 09:40:35 2008
Laurence Marshall
I remember Rhos bathing pool. I grew up in Rhos during the late forties to early sixties. My parents loved the bathing pool too. Particularly as my father was the champion diver of Wales for three consecutive years in the thirties! I have photos of him diving at the pool. Also, I have a photo of "The Frozen Sea" in the winter of 1962-63 when the sea froze over and Beardsall's the local photography shop took pictures of it. I went back two years ago after thirty years, and, although crowded, it is still very lovely. I even ventured a toasted tea cake at Rhos Point Cafe.
Thu Feb 28 09:37:39 2008
Hans Wins (Antwerp-Belgium)
Jo: During WW2 there was a riding stable in Rhos Rd., behind the front row of houses. I learned to ride there. It was run by a Mr Davies and the story goes that he was Canadian and came over as a soldier in WW1 but was so violently sea-sick that he stayed on this side of the ocean. True or not, I do not know. Yes, I well remember the swimming pool and spend many happy hours there with my pals.
Mon Jan 21 09:31:08 2008
Alan Wheway
To Carla Rowland Timms. I live in Betws yn Rhos and my late wife knew your family when they lived here. Did your father take part in local Operatic Shows.? My late wife was called Rona Hughes when you would have known her. You lived next to the top shop. I saw your name when searching for news of a super swimmer called Maureen Hilton who used the Rhos Swimming Pool, I remember she turned professional. If you look up Colwyn Bay, Ask a Local, you will see someone is searching for her and I thought you using the pool at the same time may have some knowledge of her.
Tue Jul 31 09:56:27 2007
David Moore, Christchurch, New Zealand
What a surprise it was to visit Rhos after many years away to find that not only had the pool gone but the Rhos Abbey Hotel had disappeared as well, thus removing two pleasurable elements of my youth. You see in the late 60s and early 70s I was a lifeguard at the pool and after work I would repair with my fellow 'lifies' to the Abbey's basement Galleon bar for a refreshing pint in 'Oglers' corner'. Sigh, those were the days. I live in New Zealand now and often think of Rhos all those years ago.
Mon Jun 4 09:56:47 2007
carla rowland-tims, naples, italy
How well I remember Rhos pool! All us "locals" had a season ticket which meant our mothers queueing up to get the first number. We used to go there once a week with school and yes, the water was freezing. I've been in Italy for nearly 37 years but try and visit once a year, I think it is such a shame that the pool was closed.
Tue Mar 13 11:19:32 2007
Sue Brown, Cobham
I have cine film of me (1963) going down the slide at Rhos swimming pool, and getting up courage to jump of the very high diving board. We had swimming lessons in the pool every Tuesday and it was freezing! I went back a few years ago and couldn't believe it was gone!
Mon Feb 5 09:43:58 2007
Mike Hill, Warwick.
There most certainly was a swimming pool at Rhos-on-Sea. I learned to swim in it!
During the height of WW2 my mother and I were dispached to for our holidays to stay with Mr & Mrs Proffitt who ran a small guest house on Rhos Road. I seem to recall that Mr P was a retired station master.
We were there when the first atom bomb was dropped towards the end of the war. The army used to carry out small arms practice on the beach, after which we boys would co scavenging for spent cartridges. Those were the days!
Mon Jan 15 10:09:41 2007
Lesley (nee Breeze), Swansea
I lived in Rhos on Sea from 1955 to 1957
The swimming pool was the centre of my life. We did all our olevel swotting there as we did not have to be in school (Colwyn Bay Grammar)Jerry Colona was always on the juke box: "Aaaaaas the tide rushes in...."
We had regular swimming galas and competitions with other resorts in North Wales.
We also took part in weekly 'Comedy Galas' to entertain the holidaymakers. I remember Harry Chambers was the star of the show. His funniest act was always when he was sat in the crowd and jumped up to claim his prize for the raffle dressed in tidy clothes, he always did a very convincing trip and ended up in the pool. Later, he led the boys in 'Painting the diving boards'. Does anyone else remember those heady days? What fun we had!
Thu Nov 30 09:40:36 2006
F Weeks. New Zealand
to Geraldine Taylor from Bolton re letter.
My mother worked at Tan-Y-Bryn about 1944.
I remember it well. They used to have large aviaries there but dont recall them ever having birds in them.
I remember the huge billiard room. Wonderful hotel.All history now.
I also remember the floating mine that floated right through all the Colwyn Bay pier supports without hitting any.
We were all waiting for the explosion but it didnt happen.
Fri Jun 23 09:48:49 2006
Geraldine Taylor from Bolton
This website has brought back many happy memories of my grandparents who always had holidays in Rhos in the 1950s & early 1960s. My sister & I often stayed with them. They used to stay at the Mount Stewart Hotel, The Tan-y-Bryn Hotel (now a nursing home) & The Meadowcroft Hotel near Penrhos College. We have cine films from 1958 of the beach and a very interesting procession of Davey Crockett, Red Indians and Wagons parading on horses along the road by the sea front. I also have fond memories of the Puppet Theatre and the Outdoor Pool. Rhos Point Cafe used to be on the front and there was a little machine where you could print out your name on a strip of tin. I also remember the Penny Slot Machine Arcade where there was a particularly ghostly slot machine that haunted me for years. I was only about 6 yrs old at the time!
Thu May 11 11:43:18 2006
