Readers share memories of Rhyl

Whether it was just a week or two for a family holiday, or more often for those of us lucky enough to spend our childhood in and around the place known to many as "Sunny Rhyl".

We asked visitors to our Facebook page where they fondly remembered visiting during their childhood years.

The outdoor garden area of the Floral Hall. Picture: Rhyl History Club

Almost 1,000 replies proved what we already knew that Rhyl holds a special place in the hearts and minds of so many people.

Remember back to Rhyl in the 50s to 90s, popular places were the Sun Centre, Floral Hall, Marine Lake, the cycle track and pool on the prom, and the fair with the "Mad Mouse"

Rhyl Sun Centre.

Here are a few of the places people remembered visiting:

• Catherine Samba: "I used to go to Sunnyvale in a caravan with my mum and dad just over the bridge next to the pub loved it got some good memories there."
• Perry Williams replied: "My Nan had a caravan there in the 70s, only camp with a outdoor swimming pool with diving boards. Brilliant."
• Stephen Barrett said: "Getting changed in the wicker chairs (my maroon woollen trunks!!!)
• Sue Arthur: "Skating rink but loved everything about Rhyl, got such lovely memories."
• Jayne Tatton-Day said: "Sun centre...Mr Peabodies, Queens family pub, and the outdoor paddling pool and the cat splashes at Marine Lake. All great memories."
• Kevin Bailey: "The Floral Hall. It played an early part in developing my lifelong horticultural passion. It was the giant cacti and jungle flora that caught my attention."
• Pauline Norgrove replied: "The parrots would be flying around in there."
• Rob Aye replied: "My grandad got a needle from the giant cactus in his eye. He was probably drunk."
• Carys Caisey: "The cycling rink on the promenade, loved it as was never allowed a bike. Then the funfair before a meal at Evans' cafe. We were very easy to please as we didn't have much."
• Tony Jones said: "My auntie and uncles’s house. They ran an 8 bedroom boarding house for seasonal visitors, and mam worked there too. I grew up there in the summers with my two cousins. Currently a private house and for sale."
• Duncan Griffiths said: "The swimming pool they had on the promenade with the high diving boards, great days. It was sea water, but nothing puts you off when we were kids."
• Neville Jones: "Used to play bingo with my mum on the front those boards with little shutters over the numbers."
• Beverley Smith-Roberts said: "Botanical gardens with my grandmother in the middle 50s, happy times."
• Warren Pearson said: "The fair, always stayed in Towyn, Edwards camp - usually went to the Black Cat amusement arcade while my dad went in the Seagull for a pint."
• Jolene Roberts: "The paddling pool with the blue fountain, I spent hours of my life pretending to be a mermaid there! Marine Lake was brilliant too, lovely memories!"
• Sarah Bates: "I remember catching flat fish with our hands in the river! My brother used to do alot of fishing there. Loved going to the beach with mum and dad Happy memories."
• Meinir Lloyd Jones said: "Summers cafe or Jays cafe as a child and Dixieland & Maxines when a bit older!"
• Eric Richardson: "The place on the prom where you could hire a bicycle! Rhyl was a great place back in the 1950's!"
• Gwyneth Davison said: "The gardens on the prom in front of where the Pavilion Theatre is now, they were illuminated and had ponds, fountains as well as all sorts of figures in them. They seemed magical as a child. Would have been mid to late 60's for me. Very happy memories."
• Sue Payne replied: "Me too, it was treat to stay out late with my parents when I little and walk a long the prom. Happy times late50s early 60s."
• GaynorRichard Edwards: "Parents had caravan on Edwards' Camp in Towyn. Used to love going on the cream, open topped double decker bus into Rhyl. Loved the big fair and the smelly steam train around Marine Lake!"
• Pauline Norgrove asked: "Do you remember the ponies around the indoor farmyard in the Marine Lake fair?"
• Mo Ro said: "Where do I begin!? In the 70’s- go karts in the fair plus mad mouse and the roter! Roller skating … See more
• Pete Taz Evans: "The proper fair in Rhyl when they had Mad Mouse and wall of death etc.
• Chris Carrington said: "Belle Vue, watching Rhyl with my Dad! We stood in same spot every match, then switched ends at half time!
• Diane Dean: "The outdoor swimming pool."
• Jim Davies: "Locals season pass for the sun centre. We lived in there during the summer months."
• Carol Davies said: "The paddling pool with the blue fountain. Spent all day there. So much fun and no cost to go in it.
• Richard Chrimes: "Sun Centre. Spent All day in there.
• Tracy Lynch: "The promenade and floral hall. The fair when I was a teenager."
• Cathrine Lambeth said: "We'd watch Punch and Judy, go on the trampolines while mum and dad watched us from the cafe then a few laps round the cycle track on one of the beat up old bikes..had a perfectly good bike at home but still loved it!"
• David Jones: "Just standing on the bridges watching the trains go underneath by Winkups was a thrill."
• Jane Nelan said: "The paddling pool on the sea front . My parents had a caravan in Towyn and used to take us for the day with bread and butter in a bag and get a bag off chips from the chippy across the road and have chippy buttys for lunch. Happy days fond memories."
• Lorraine Davies: "The paddling pool on the front,spent all day there with our beautiful Mum."

Thank you to everyone who shared their memories.

We'll be publishing more Rhyl memories soon, as well as your recollections of Prestatyn, Towyn, Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and Conwy.