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Rhyd-Y-Foel
Rhyd-Y-Foel maps
Historic maps of Rhyd-Y-Foel and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Rhyd-Y-Foel maps
Rhyd-Y-Foel area books
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Memories of Rhyd-Y-Foel
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Aunt Jane's House
The date is approximate. I was very young, about 6 at the time. I lived with my family in a village called Sandycroft, about 7 miles from Chester. We visited my great Aunt Jane who lived in one of the middle cottages in this picture. I remember a very small kitchen and her buttering an uncut loaf of bread liberally, then slicing it very finely for our tea. Afterwards we walked up the steep hill next to the row of cottages. I remember looking down on the cottages from the top of the hill. It seemed a mammoth walk for small legs. This is a very strong memory. My grandfather's family came from Llandulas nearby. These are my Welsh roots. I have lived in Nottingham now for 36 years. I remain in contact with one schoolfriend who lives in Colwyn Bay. I always feel very calm when I visit this neck of the woods compared with the bustle of the city.
Clwyd memories
Bombs Near Grych Castle
Together with my mother and brother, we lived in Sandy Cove, near Rhyl during the Second World War, to escape the bombing in London. One night in, I think, 1944, I was awakened by some noises and my mother came to get me. By looking out of the living room window we could see that the German bombers had jettisoned their bombs onto the woods surrounding Grych Castle. The whole hillside was ablaze, turning night into day. German bombers used to regularly fly over us in order to bomb the docks and the city of Liverpool.
Memories of The DULAS ARMS
My name is Dilys Bandtock nee Williams, what a shock I got this morning while browsing my computer to come across this site Wow! Explore my past, gee I was born here in 1938 in Raynes Cottages, Llysfaen Station in the ICI Quarry. I attended Old Colwyn Council School and Pendorlan Secondary Modern, my father was Trevor Williams the man with one hand, and the Dulas Arms was my Dad's old watering hole. As kids and because my dad was a regular at the pub, the then Landlord always put a Christmas Party on for all the local children. My auntie Mrs Rogers lived in the house next door to the pub and across the road was Bonna House a grocery store where Mam and Dad used to send me shopping on a Sunday and pick up the paper from Aunty's. I also attended the Chapel every Sunday and as I grew older went to the Church in Llanddulas and was married there in Jauary of 1956.... Read more
Buses
At the age of fourteen I moved from Rhuthin to live with my gran, Ketura Roberts, who lived in one of the houses opposite the Castle Pub. The bus route was up Llysfaen Hill and past the Semaphore pub, this at the time had a butchers shop integrated with the pub, and was also the first pub in the area to serve Wrexham lager. On one of the visits to get meat for gran, that may I add was very occasional, I was invited being the only person in the pub to taste this new lager and me at the age of fourteen being a connoisseur of such intoxicating liquers, did not like it and never touched the stuff again. Before this, as with the Castle pub, beer was in barrels behind the bar and served from a tap on the wooden barrel known as a hogshead, and only mild and bitter was served, the ladies' drink at the time was Babycham. Gran loved her Babycham on Saturday nights, but... Read more
Now Living in Egypt
Hi Anthony,
I knew your grandmother Ketura and your grandfather Ellis and most of their children. They had a very large family. Your Auntie Margery and I were great friends. We were always getting into trouble for climbing the rocks behind the Castle Inn. My grandparents kept the 'Catle' - Robert Jones! I spent all my summer holidays there as a child and loved every minute. I remember 'Rose Cottage' and remember your father and vaguely your mother.
My mother's sister Nellie kept the 'Catle' after my grandparents died, she had a son called Glynne. Do you remember him?
Hope you can get back to me.
All of Ketura's children have now passed away (my uncles). You can get in contact through my web site: www.myegypt.co.uk
I would like to know more about my mother, I know nothing about her or how she died. As you know Neville was quite a liar. He even told me I was born in Rose Cottage. It was not until 6 months ago... Read more
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!
Fire in The Health at Clarendon
I was a student at Clarendon between 1963 and 1966, and how I remember the Sunday evenings curled up before the fire listening to gospel and classical music before supper. Of course there were also the House evenings spent in the Principal's parlour doing our sewing or embroidery or some other craft work, while she read to us from one of the missionary books or short stories that she kept for the ocassion.
Those were really good old days, and memories that are treasured for years. I live in the Caribbean and sometimes its hard to believe that we actually participated in those genteel activities back then. Life has truly changed and the music we hear oround us now resonates with the clash of the dancehall and reggae. What a difference!
