Abergele, Clwyd

"Uncle Griff."

"Uncle Griff" was Griffith Breeze, originally from Oswestry, but lived in Abergele with his daughter Thelma - he wasn't actually a relative, I think he may have been brought up with my Step-Grandmother Agnes Jones (nee Adams.) I lived in Liverpool and would visit "Uncle Griff" at Oswestry and Abergele - he was such a lovely gentleman, probably in his 80's when I last saw him. Abergele was a nice place. I would love to contact any of his descendents.

Harold

I grew up in Abergele and I remember a man called Harold. He was a sort of 'tramp' I use this word rather in caution because he lived in a small shack by Slaters on what is now the Tesco car park. He helped out at the cattle market which was again sighted where Teso'c is now. As a boy I was a little afraid of him because he tended to be a little erratic which was not surpising considering the boys used to hound him. He cut a rather sad figure and I reckon he must have been around my age now (50 ish). I left Abergele in the 80's and I wonder what became of him. One epsode I remember was that once he stopped a man and asked him "have you got a match?" The man gave him a match and he then said "And a smoke to go with it" Another time he was walking through town and he was complaining about a pram in his way. The mother of the child in the pram said "O get on your way Harold" and Harold apologised and helped push the pram. I think to me he was an enigmatic person. Am I getting lost in nostalgia or were those days a little more innocent?

Abergele - beach & town circa 1965

Looking at this photo, I'm taken back to summers on that beach full of pebbles and the cafe shown with its novel smell, something like milky coffee!  At about this time Abergele had a cinema, upstairs in the market street. My parents owed Coed Mor, a guest house in the town, and some of the children staying with us and I went to see "The Incredible Journey", a film about two dogs and a cat traveling across country (USA or Canada) to find their owners. Not a dry eye in the house and I've never been able to watch the film since!

Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire Photographic Memories

By the date of this photograph, much of the town’s main streets were established, and they display the characteristic detail of the period: projecting shop fronts proudly display their goods (including bales of cloth and blankets, left), and the dog has time to laze idly in the road!