Pier Pavilion emerges from the undergrowth....

Regular Llandudno watchers will be well aware of the long running (since 1994!) saga of the site of the former Pier Pavilion Theatre on Happy Valley Road. The full story is covered in a previous article I wrote for the blog here but, to summarise, since it was destroyed by fire in 1994, this very prominent site has remained derelict and overgrown - not to mention a favourite topic of conversation for visitors walking past the site.

Rumours abound as to why this valuable site was never redeveloped - the most common one is that the owner wishes to have a residential development and Conwy Council would never permit it.

The relevance to today's blog post is that I was enjoying a walk around Llandudno this afternoon and noticed that the site had been cleared of the years of undergrowth:


Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to clear the site - the question is who? Conwy Council? The Owner? Is something happening with the site? If you know anything....do tell.

Apocalypse Now

..Not a reference to the state of local discussion forums but an example of how a tiny bit of Photoshop manipulation can turn a photo of some clouds moving over the boating lake in Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay into something far more sinister looking...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davellandudno/3799443104/

Sun, Sea, Sand...and a Rusty Pier

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davellandudno/3792865624/

What a beautiful day it was today here in Colwyn Bay, the skies were deep blue, the sands were golden and the sea was, well, clean looking. The crowds were out in force and the kiosks along the Prom were doing great business, in spite of the prom looking tattier than ever.

Imagine how popular Colwyn Bay could become again with a renovated promenade and pier - some children's rides and attractions, some revamped kiosks with toilets attached, a decent cafe, a bar and family amusements on the pier, together with the art exhibitions in the Pier Pavilion which were so successful in the last couple of years.

Let's hope that the grant-funded improvements planned for the Promenade are the catalyst for further private sector investment and a real revival in Colwyn Bay's seaside fortunes.

The No.7 Tram

The Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Tramway Society with their replica tram No7 on display at Rhos Promenade, as part of its run along the original route of the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway. The tramway operated from 1907-1956. The No7 tram was being towed by a 1943 AEC Matador. More info and lots of old photographs on their website:
http://www.swissitalianpaddlesteamers.com/lcbtramsoc/home.html

Rhos On Sea - Then & Now

A typical seaside scene at Rhos On Sea - 70+ years separate the two sides of the photo:

Most of the buildings in the old photo remain today - whilst the large apartment block (St. Trillo's Court) seen in the right-hand modern portion of the photo replaced the lovely 1860s Rhos Abbey Hotel that had survived until 2001: