I was born on 3rd September 1934 at my Grandmother’s house, Glen View, on Church Street (a house with 1767 over the door). I was an only child. My Parents, Edward Jones and Florence Thomas kept a grocer’s shop, DP Jones, on Queen Street-just by the zebra crossing, next to the Star. Now it is a house.

It was clear that Glynne could close his eyes and picture Llangollen and many of its people as it was when he was a young man.

Queen Street

Next to DP Jones on Queen Street was the Gas Works.

On the other side was the Star,

then a cottage ( Tessa Gary’s mother),

an entry,

a house,

Morris bakery,

at the back of house was Headlands Guest house.

a house

and Pat Manley’s grandmother, who had horses for hire,

three more houses.

The toll cottage was owned by retired army people.

There was a green grocers shop opposite D P Jones. (Bill Jones)

I started school, (Victorian) when I was 5, and used to have to carry my gas mask to school, then moved to the school on Regent Street.Went to Dinas Bran after the scolarship in 1946. Teachers, whose names jump to mind, are Miss Garner, Miss Jones and Miss Edwards. The school, where the current surgery is, was devided into two rooms. There was also a teacher, Dorothy Williams, who married Isaac Thomas. He later became headmaster.

Curates used to come to school once a month to take us through the Catechism.

We were all afraid of the cane, so behaved. I was never caned.

Hobbies included Youth Club, Scouts, cycle riding- as far as Rhyl, camping, Sunday School, going to the pictures, and dances.

Holidays were to Blackpool or Rhyl

I stayed at school until I was nearly 16, and went from there to work in a bank in Wrexham. I worked at Monsanto, but was made redundant and went to work as a civil servant in the job centre on Regent Street and worked for them for 20 years (where the Indian restaurant is now). The office covered Glyn Ceriog, Bala, Corwen, Ceredigion. Dole money was paid out at Corwen on a Thursday afternoon.

I retired at 60 years old

 

Regents Street

The job centre which later moved to Castle Street.

Next were 2 houses

Cafe - where hairdressers is now

Entry to Slaughter house (+? household goods shop at some time)

5 houses

Cocoa rooms ?? Opposite the Prince of Wales pub

Where the new Coop has replaced Somerfields, there was Shoe shop and repairs- Richards

Coward’s wood yard

Bryant May B&B with a dairy down the side of the house

House

Abbeyfield B&B

2 houses

Sun Pub

Opposite to old Sun Garage- Petrol pumps at roadside. This sold motorbikes and then the Hilman Imp car

Across the road from school, where the chemists now stands was a sweet shop, run by Miss Jones. Sweets were on ration.

Blue bay launderette was a "Good quality" gift shop, Mrs Hughes

The old bank was then the National Provincial

There was Watkin and Williams,

Then Bryn Melyn . There was a way though to the back where Bryn Melyn would park their taxis- through big doors into a yard.

Next a private house (Now Griffiths)

then a Barbers shop, where the craft shop is now

and Ivor Rowland’s cake shop on the corner. They also had a bakery and a big cafe at the far end of Hall Street.

 

Hall Street

The flats on Hall Street were the gardens for Cambrian Guest House, with a path though the gardens to get to Hall Street, Along the side of this path were the offices for a slate merchant.

To walk along Hall Street there were

cottages,

Bank Top - owned by Gwyn Williams,

cottages,

a house,

Wyn Hughes house,

a house,

2 set back,

Glyn cafe, was Rowlands : now CAB. Masonic rooms upstairs

CAB,

Cottage bakery

3 more cottages (one with steps)

Then the old Brewery which became Caldicott Press.

Chapel Street

Where the gallery is was Miss Lewis’s fishing tackle shop: she was a wizard at tying flies

Next door - via a counter to the pavement - was Lodwicks the grocers.

What became Jonkers is now a house was Bert Ellis and Sons – plumbers. The "son" now lives on grapes Hill)

Then the Cross Foxes, no longer a pub, but now a private dwelling,

Fishmongers - Haywards fish,

cottage,

2 or 3 more cottages which were replaced by the Hand staff quarters.

Opposite was a paper shop.Warren selling newspapers and sweets.

The Coop stood where Marie now has her antique shop.

 

Castle Street ( Left)

Bits and Bobs was Briggs shoe shop and Tenovus was Morris’s Cafe

Ecclesstones was a pork butchers, run by Tom Harris’s son

There was an entry to a slaughter house,

Horspool’s,

The Dorothy, Cinema, cafe, restauant, gaming parlour, dance hall

Glyn Jones (Jonathan Davies)

The jewellers was a chemist then

Entry to the cafe) no other shops up there then)

Barcleys

At the top there was Ivor William’s cake shop

Evans

The post office was Avery’s –furniture and carpets

There was a door leading to Pooles

Gents outfitter- E R parry

Percy Clark- Photographer

??? Printers + round back

Dicks Shoe shop. ( Mrs Thomas)-now the bakery

Houses as far as current chip shop

John Rowlands- grocers

 

Castle street-(canol y dre-town centre) ( Right)

Porters was a house

Humphrey Jones: chemists with big bottles of coloured water in the window.

Gracies

Chubbs - iron mongers-had a library in the back

Ray Phillips – The tailors

Merion House - shoe shop — was also on other side of the road before/ after

Chapel house

Bank – was school room and Chapel House

Down

Betting shop- was Star supplies

Bull

Caesar Hughes - jewelry and watches and clocks

The tourist information formerly Ectarc was Baptist Chapel

Pearson’s was a sweet shop- Waltho’s

Deli was John Brown grocers (moved to Pearsons and vacant shop became Town Clerks office. Wonderful displays of Glacier fruits before Christmas).

Wingetts was Morris ‘s : butchers

The ice cream shopof today, prior to being fish and fruit -Gabriel’s, was Canterbury Lamb Shop

Cottage

Cafe- (Miss Roberts) sandwiches and snacks- Ham and Egg square

Then Cleators-sweets etc 3 Storey red brick building

Yale

Down path was an ironmongers- Edwards

The Smithy ( Mr Laurence)

The old electrial works (The power house- now craft centre)

The mill offices and the Mill

New houses on Abbey Road used to be David Davies- joinery, undertaker ------Next door- a field. Charles Williams had his coal business close by the railway.

Cross Lane

4 Houses

Black and white house

Entry to two houses

3 houses

House with an entry

Grocers- Doris Roberts

House with big entry

Shop –selling household goods

2 houses

Edwards- bakery

 

Bridge Street

The Royal Hotel: really busy then. Had a lovely garden at the side and opposite.

North and South Wales Bank

Bensons- with the youth club underneath was Eifion Buildings

Chinese resaurant was Frances- Fishmongers

Entry

Gabriel's Fish shop

2 houses-now restaurant

B&B- now Ashtons Solicitors

Jewellry shop

The old electric shop

On the other side

Collins- butchers

House

Wynnstay

Fish and chip shop, where wine bar is.

An archway

Bookshop

Phillips - tailors - prior to move to Castle Street.

Hairdressers now was Percy Clarke before he moved to Castle Street.

 

Church Street

3 Houses

Talbot B&B

Derelict Chapel

Andrew Jones Bakery

House

3 cottages

House with a big door

3 or 4 Cottages-

Old Tannery

Weigh bridge

Houses: Grandmother lived in no 51

On the other side - from Cross lane

4 Houses

Black and white house

Entry to two houses

3 houses

House with an entry

Grocers- Davies Roberts

House with big entry

Shop –selling household goods

2 houses

Edwards- bakery at the top of Church Street

 

Oak street

Chip shop

Electrical shop

3 houses

Garage for car (Hayworths)

Hair dresser

Tom Hughes – sadler

House

Co-op- also later on other side of the road under a dancing school

The Coop stood where Marie now has her antique shop.

The Catholic Church was Zan (iron mongers) Wynn Paraffin’s father worked there, hence the name.

There was Cullimores-a gents hair dressers. The current Pooles was a greengrocers

Then there were two houses, now the Bra shop and the jewellers and

Williams- butchers shop

On the corner was AJ Price ( now Leas newsagents)

 

Market Street

Deli- part of chemists

Butty box was a house entrance

Old fire station

Star supplies on the corner

Cake shop—Miss Davies

Shop?

House set back

2 cottages

Funeral directors

Memorial hall

Edwards-grocers

Gift shop

Bob Owen – Sadler on the far corner with East Street

3 houses

Rogers-butchers- now a house

5 houses

Cyril Hughes- undertakers

Cafe Robins Nest was a green grocers- now a house

3 houses

Sweet shop

On corner-Dunns

Welfare house

Opposite—Jones- Blacksmith

There was the Tower on the end of the bridge; sweets

Taxidermy was Cleaters - artifical flowers-sweets

 

Berwyn Street

Armoury - Cousins father - Edward Owen Parry- ladies underwear etc

Greengrocers Wynn Jones

Sweet shop; Frank Jones

Hardware -Miss Evans

Sweet shop- Frank Jones

Walthos- radios- battery charging

Smithfield

 

There was a spring in the???? office at the end of Regents Street-

The cellar was damp- used as a stationary store

Building used as school during the war

During the war could see the red light of burning Liverpool from top of house

There were no trains on a Sunday

It was a very busy cyclists’ town. Miss Nobel kept a cafe and B&B (Sun Garage)- cyclists welcome. Also Talbot used to take cyclists.

People used to go to Chirk (England) on a Sunday to drink.

Minfford is on site of old Dr Surgery. Dr Morris Jones - Dr Clark

(Daughter and son-in-law were both doctors)

Across the road were Dr Benjamin and Dr Davies.

After were Dr Dick, Dr Jacques, Dr Boum, Dr Jones, - moved to Regent Street.

Miss Drinkwater did not drive, but used a chauffeur, Mr Evans: had a lovely Austin car.

Remembers Ned- Nedd Tyn Rug - a local tramp, ( a real gentleman) who would sleep in a barn or stable - used to go to Glynne’s mother who would give him scraps of bacon

Also being taken to see the train crash wreck and walking back to town with his dad, via the bridge over the river by the golf club.

Remembers Doreen Bailey’s father, and how he used to think that his long sharp moustache was made of bone.

 

 

Trefor Owen- centre forward for Wolverhampton Wanderers


This is a photo of Glynne’sFather’s uncle Trefor who lived at Acrefair

He played for Cefn Druids, Crewe Alexander, Wolves.

Both he and Billy Meredith were capped for Wales

 

Pubs in town

There are indications of many others eg Red Lion , While Lion. Talbot + others on Church street- see cellars/ brewery entrances.

Note also- first floor over-hanging bay windows, insurance markers and cut away corners.

 

Also:-

Sun –Rhewl

Sun Trevor

Grapes

An early pub which is marked on an old map is The Ship.

In an old fishing booklet written by one of the Maybury family, the Ship pool is mentioned. The house Ty Craig stands there now.