Rhyl

Vorlage:Infobox Wales place Rhyl (Welsh: Y Rhyl) is a seaside town located on the Irish Sea, in the administrative county of Denbighshire and the traditional county of Flintshire, North Wales, United Kingdom, at the mouth of the River Clwyd (Welsh: Yr Afon Clwyd). Once an elegant Victorian resort, there was a large influx of people from Liverpool and Manchester after World War II. This had a huge impact on the town and surrounding area, affecting local culture and diminishing the prevalence of the Welsh Language.

Rhyl railway station has through trains to and from London, Crewe, Cardiff and Manchester.

Rhyl Football Club is currently one of the most successful teams in the Welsh football pyramid -- in the 2003-04 season they won the Welsh Premiership championship, the Welsh Cup and the Welsh League Cup, and were losing finalists for the FAW Premier Cup.

Tourist attractions

Rhyl's most famous monument was the original Pavilion, an elegant ornate building with five domes, which was demolished in the 1970s. Rhyl's current top attractions on the West Parade are the 80-metre-high Sky Tower, which opened in 1993; Rhyl Children's Village theme park; and the fairground. There was once a laser quest and bowling establishment, but this has since burnt down. On the East Parade, can be found the SeaQuarium and the popular Rhyl Suncentre - an indoor leisure swimming pool featuring an indoor monorail as well as Europe's first indoor surfing pool. Next door stands the New Pavilion Theater, opened in 1991.

Rhyl shown within Denbighshire UA

The Marine Lake used to be a popular tourist destination, with fairground rides and even a zoo many years ago. Nowadays, it is home to a miniature steam train that travels around the lake, a playground and numerous watersports clubs. A new station for the miniature train is currently under development.

In a bid to boost the decline in tourism, a million button badges were sent to Japan in May 2005 with the website address www.rhyl.com in an attempt to boost oversea tourism. There were many detractors of the idea who suggested that money spent trying to improve the decaying Victorian infrastructure would be a far better option. Perhaps due to the poor website design, the campaign was poorly received.

Rhyl is home to many brass bands, which entertain the town's many tourists. The bands include the Rhyl Silver Band, the Scout and Guide Band and the Salvation Army Band. The Rhyl Silver Band was formed in 1878 by local businessman David Owen Jones and is still going strong, with family members having played throughout the band's history and currently still doing so. The band has performed in such prestigious venues as the Royal Albert Hall and has entertained Royalty in recent years.

Rhyl hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1892, 1904, 1953 and 1985, as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1870. Ysgol Glan Clwyd, the first Welsh-medium school in Wales, was founded in Rhyl, although it has since moved to St Asaph and the building now houses Ysgol Dewi Sant Primary.

Rhyl and Holyhead were the filming locations for ITV's 2004 comedy 'Big Dippers', starring Irish actor James Nesbitt.

Rhyl's Little Theatre, built especially for the town's children, has provided entertainment, fun and education to the town's children for decades. It closed recently due to disrepair and a lack of funding, but is fondly remembered by the town, and especially loved for its patrons Joe Holyrood and Juan Vitti.

The car park of the Little Theatre is the location of the infamous John Prescott - egg in ear - punch in mouth incident.

Rhyl Today

Rhyl's beach and other attractions along the seafront are popular during the summer months, with many tourists coming from the North West of England. In recent years, Rhyl, like many seaside towns, has had its share of negative press relating to crime and drug issues, and a decline in the state of its facilties. The town has risen to the challenge, however, and notable new investments include the new "Drift Park" currently under construction on the West Parade. This will include a new mini golf course and open air theater.

Famous people

Famous former inhabitants of Rhyl include Hollywood director Sara Sugarman, and Nerys Hughes, television actress.

Lee Trundle, Swansea City Football Club's striker and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves both have strong family ties with Rhyl, as does comedian Lee Evans.

Former Visage singer Steve Strange (real name, Steve Harrington) went to junior school in nearby Kinmel Bay.

Martin Tomkinson, famous investigative journalist, longtime contributor to Private Eye, former associate at Kroll Associates, and follower of horse-racing, attended Rhyl Grammar School before becoming a leading bearded firebrand of the 1968 students' revolt at the London School of Economics.

Tom Jones, Founder of the popular "United Videos", resides in the area, whilest Lisa Scott-Lee, a former member of the band Steps, is from nearby St. Asaph.

Infamous people

Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain (1955), was born in the town in 1927.

The "A6 lay-by murderer" James Hanratty claimed he was in Rhyl at the time of his supposed crime, staying at a guesthouse in Kinmel Street. Despite offering a credible description of the area and summoning witnesses claiming to have seen him in the town, he was disbelieved and found guilty of the murder. He was executed in 1962, although many believed him innocent of murder.

Tourist attractions

Rhyl Today

Famous people

Infamous people

External links