Our town centre manageress has issued a challenge to us all to suggest ways of promoting Rhuthun better. She believes the development of a unique theme will pay dividends in furthering the local economy and attracting visitors. She points to Y Gelli/Hay-on-Wye as an example, a town ever associated with used books and bibliophiles.
It isn’t just books that put Hay on the map, though. Declaring UDI as a stunt in 1977 certainly helped! Ever since, Hay has sold novelty “peerages” to tourists. Aside from UDI for Rhuthun – something we can’t see happening – what options are there? We’d say there were arts & crafts; Cittislaw; fashion; and crime & punishment.
Arts & Crafts
This is the manageress’ initial thought. It may yet prove to be the best. Rhuthun is shortly to see the demolition and multi-million pound redevelopment of its craft centre, making it possibly the leading example of its kind in Cymru/Wales.
Link this to Rhuthun’s Focal festival of contemporary art and you have the basis of a plan. Attracting high quality craft exhibitions and shops, for example, would also be an essential part of the mix.
Cittislaw
We mentioned the Cittislaw concept in September. This is the international “slow towns” network. Joining would seem to me to be the best way of promoting Rhuthun, in line with the town’s ambience and character. It appears to have all the ingredients of success. We say why here. The fact that this was not picked up may indicate that some flaw in the argument!
Fashion
You must have noticed the number and diversity of independent clothes and accessory shops in Rhuthun. Is this the basis of marketing the town? There are those who will pay good money for decent labels and, equally, people will go out of their way to find them. Whether this is in itself enough for Rhuthun is a moot point but it’s worth considering.
The outlets we can recall are: 7-twenty, Apparel, B-dazzled, Baroque, Trefor Jones, Gareth Lynch, Simmi, Mococco, Wildcatz, Gayla House, Montecito, Seconds Ahead, Norma Elizabeth, Pass it On and Work & Leisure Wear.
Crime & Punishment
How many towns have a fully restored Victorian (and pre-Victorian) gaol? Visitor numbers may be disappointing but could a theme of some sort assist both the town and the gaol?
The link is with the gaol, the assizes (now library), castle and Nantclwyd House. And probably more besides, as an off-beat celebration of Rhuthun’s past as a town dispensing justice. If it wasn’t for the assizes, it’s likely that Rhuthun would never have been chosen as the county town of old Denbighshire.
“Ruthin Kiss”
We aren’t sure whether this is a trade name, so we hesitate to translate it. A former mayor of Rhuthun proposed the so-called Ruthin Kiss some three years ago, as a means of giving Rhuthun something unique in attracting visitors. It was something to do with an old recipe for a bun, possibly the honey bun. Sadly, it never took off: googling the term throws up just two responses, one of which is for a non-existent Rhuthun kiss-o-gram service! (Now, there’s an opportunity for some enterprising person).
It isn’t just books that put Hay on the map, though. Declaring UDI as a stunt in 1977 certainly helped! Ever since, Hay has sold novelty “peerages” to tourists. Aside from UDI for Rhuthun – something we can’t see happening – what options are there? We’d say there were arts & crafts; Cittislaw; fashion; and crime & punishment.
Arts & Crafts
This is the manageress’ initial thought. It may yet prove to be the best. Rhuthun is shortly to see the demolition and multi-million pound redevelopment of its craft centre, making it possibly the leading example of its kind in Cymru/Wales.
Link this to Rhuthun’s Focal festival of contemporary art and you have the basis of a plan. Attracting high quality craft exhibitions and shops, for example, would also be an essential part of the mix.
Cittislaw
We mentioned the Cittislaw concept in September. This is the international “slow towns” network. Joining would seem to me to be the best way of promoting Rhuthun, in line with the town’s ambience and character. It appears to have all the ingredients of success. We say why here. The fact that this was not picked up may indicate that some flaw in the argument!
Fashion
You must have noticed the number and diversity of independent clothes and accessory shops in Rhuthun. Is this the basis of marketing the town? There are those who will pay good money for decent labels and, equally, people will go out of their way to find them. Whether this is in itself enough for Rhuthun is a moot point but it’s worth considering.
The outlets we can recall are: 7-twenty, Apparel, B-dazzled, Baroque, Trefor Jones, Gareth Lynch, Simmi, Mococco, Wildcatz, Gayla House, Montecito, Seconds Ahead, Norma Elizabeth, Pass it On and Work & Leisure Wear.
Crime & Punishment
How many towns have a fully restored Victorian (and pre-Victorian) gaol? Visitor numbers may be disappointing but could a theme of some sort assist both the town and the gaol?
The link is with the gaol, the assizes (now library), castle and Nantclwyd House. And probably more besides, as an off-beat celebration of Rhuthun’s past as a town dispensing justice. If it wasn’t for the assizes, it’s likely that Rhuthun would never have been chosen as the county town of old Denbighshire.
“Ruthin Kiss”
We aren’t sure whether this is a trade name, so we hesitate to translate it. A former mayor of Rhuthun proposed the so-called Ruthin Kiss some three years ago, as a means of giving Rhuthun something unique in attracting visitors. It was something to do with an old recipe for a bun, possibly the honey bun. Sadly, it never took off: googling the term throws up just two responses, one of which is for a non-existent Rhuthun kiss-o-gram service! (Now, there’s an opportunity for some enterprising person).