The last newsagent in Dinbych closed a fortnight ago. Well, the last one in the town centre. There's still McColl's at Dinbych Townsend, now with added post office. Before Christmas, a corner shop cum off-licence cum confectioner opened on Dinbych High Street that purported to sell newspapers but actually never has, unless you count the recent addition of the Free Press (there's certainly no national or regional dailies). You can still buy dailies on Dinbych High Street, though, but now only at The Co-operative.
Rhuthun still has a newsagent, just one, except that it has changed. That's
Castle Bell. Papers it stocks but it is no longer a traditional newsagent. For one thing, the limited range of magazines is now somewhat slim, for a number of populist titles only. It has also diversified beyond a traditional newsagent into food and other convenience-type goods. Not that there's very much space. Focusing on convenience products, it even extended its opening times to as late at 9 p.m. but, unsurprisingly, this idea didn't last. It does open at 5 a.m. just like a newsagent should and it also closes quite late, often after 7 p.m. I say "often" because there are times when it closes much earlier.
And at the other end of town
No. 32/Nature's Treasures sells newspapers, too. It's hard to define exactly the type of store Nature's Treasures actually is. A newsagent it definitely is not, though. There are no magazines and newspapers have become a relatively recent addition.
30 years ago, we had Williams (now Castle Bell), Cronin's, Aldridge's (Combe's), Newyddion Rhuthun News and the newsagent "under" the town hall, all within the beating heart of the town centre. Fewer newspaper or tobacco purchases, a reduction in footfall and alternatives such as Lo-cost and Bridge Services offering parking have all contributed to an inevitable decline. And in Dinbych, this drop has come to its logical conclusion in Dinbych.
To think, pre-1992 Lo-cost, drivers on their way to work would temporarily park in Well Street (Newyddion Rhuthuin) and Clwyd Street (Willaims's) which, together with the other locations, were the only source of newspapers. At this time, Spar Porth y Dre Stores was also selling news but only just.
