Williams Estates were pushing this Stryd y Brython premises, by giving it prominent window space. It's also with Beresford Adams, who are offering an online media tour. This property is trying to set a new record for the longest time a property can remain on the market unsold. It first went on in April 2013 at £339,500.
Early September saw a paint-up at the rear of the building outliers at Schola Ruthinensis.
Hesketh Blinds are taking their time to move into their new Well Street premises. These had previously been occupied by a short-lived pole-dancing academy (from December 2013 to June 2015). We all thought that this had petered out but instead it has resurfaced farther up Well Street in the former Glad's Rags unit within Castle Mews. Although pole dancing classes were reported to commence there in June, it was not till September that the the place was fully decorated, kitted out and functional. Called Safiyah Jay's (but without the apostrophe), it urges us to "be your own kind of beautiful". Pass by in the early morning and the windows appear condensed... presumably from the warmth of the bodies during the evening before.
Morning condensation at Safiyah Jay's
News comes that Cadw might actually be able to help in the restoration of the 19th century castle walls that have resulted in the closure of the Cunning Green. In the ownership of the castle and one private owner, the repairs are generally beyond their means. Indeed, Rhuthun/Ruthin's castle is the only castle of Edward I's that is not in public ownership. The masonry is basically collapsing on the main, ancient castle walls and this is an even greater feat.
One half of the former Wynnstay—that on the left hand side as you face the building from Wynnstay Road and actually called The Wynnstay—was sold STC in June and has this month relaunched itself as the Wynnstay Bed & Breakfast. Its conversion took (and is still taking) a little longer than the couple thought It would.
It was on the market initially in April for £350,000 (reduced in February 2015 to £300,000). The new owners are now offering what they describe as luxury bed & breakfast accommodation. It's also a family home for the couple and their four daughters but the owners feel that with the closure of the Anchor, Sir John Trevor House and Gorphwysfa as accommodation, there's a gap in the local area. Sarum House, Record Street, opened up this year, with three guest beds, the same number as the Wynnstay will eventually have.
Since November 2014, the couple also jointly run the Miner's Arms, Maeshafn and will shortly take over Rhuthun's Seasonal Kitchen, this having just sold. It was on the market for £55,000. They propose to turn it into a high-end establishment and extend its opening times. This, they feel, is where the money is and we hope they are right. It may be that this market is saturated, especially with the Clwyd Gate now open again. But, let's be honest, the Seasonal Kitchen never really pushed itself.
Meanwhile, the other part of the Wynnstay building—Wynnstay House—is still for sale (reduced from £360,000 to £330,000) and it continues to offer private & hen parties, which prove popular at weekends. And lucrative. Well, certainly more than B & B.
Work has started on renovating the old print works to the rear of Siop Nain. This is a very historic building where the first Bibles were printed in Welsh. Disappointing to us was the removal of the former printing equipment when the Davies took over the premises some 30 years ago. Still, the building does survive as part of our heritage. It will become one of the increasing number of holiday lets (this year we have seen B & B on Record Street, Wynnstay bed & breakfast (above) and we now look forward to the rear of Siop Nain and Porth y Dŵr).
Discussions apparently held by Denbighshire council on September 25th seems to suggest that Denbighshire is trying to consider some sort of partnership with either Cadw or the National Trust in order to help market Nantclwyd y Dre, the Old Gaol and also Bodelwyddan. If this works, it could bring in much needed extra visitors not only to the premises themselves but the town. Unlike traditional National Trust properties where car parking is usually integral to the property, visitors need to park in town and walk: they can soak up the atmosphere and, let's hope, support businesses.
There was a concert on September 27th to mark the 100th anniversary (in July) of Y Tabernacl's chapel organ. The organist was the well-known Ilid Anne Jones. She was good but there were times when the organ got the better of her. It is, after all, 100 years old and was just *slightly* out of tune. It enjoys no power assistance. It wasn't always totally responsive and there were occasionally minute delays between the key and the sound, especially over faster refrains. The well attended celebration included Côr Rhuthun and a young people's choir though, in honesty, it was only at the very end during the stirring congregational singing of Calon Lân that there any reference to God. Not even Morris Pugh Morris's initial address mentioned Him.
Monetcito has undergone a paint-up. This prominent building recently closed as a clothes shop but will soon reopen... as a clothes shop. Cwtch will be moving from the former tourist office. Cwtch itself has undergone something of a frontal improvement and paint-up. Upon its move to Montecito will see the relocation of Choo Choo, currently round the corner and slightly obscured, at the former Tudor Maine.
Cwtch was also being painted up in late September. Very diffeent to the purple shop at the same location
Cwtch and Choo Choo are associated and it consolidates Choo Choo's position on the Square, with three direct and one indirect property. The current Choo Choo is currently just that bit out of the way and in spite of various signage is suffering a reduced footfall.
The Dinbych branch of the National Westminster (NatWest) closed after trading on Friday September 19th. Notices in the window direct customers to the nearest alternative NatWest, which just happens to by Rhuthun. Rhuthun is indeed fortunate to retain three high street banks—Barclays, HSBC & NatWest, the more so following closures elsewhere (Corwen has seen the HSBC and, at the same time as in Dinbych, the NatWest close, leaving the town bereft, with no banks at all). Rhuthun residents will no doubt recall the furore over the closure of its TSB brank (Vale Carprets), in 1994. Then, there was cocnern for older bankers who had stayed loyal to TSB from its days as a savings before it became a high street bank proper. Rhuthun's TSB had previously been refurbished within six months of the closure announcement.
No news yet as to the new head at Brynhyfryd. Governors interviewed two candidates during the forth week of September. On September 28th and 29th, the second and third post-Estyn staff training sessions took place, lead by the (not cheap) consultancy. For the money, there didn't appear to be much new.
This month, the Co-operative Station Road has labelled its self-service tills to avoid the ambiguity of where exactly customers should place their full baskets and empty bags. Over the weekend of September 26th, the Co-op has also again patched its car park at the point on the most popular spaces where slow speed vehicle wheels have damaged the surface. The previous fix was concrete, soon to break up. Now, we have a proper remedy.
Meanwhile, Co-op's Little. Often. Co-op advertising campaign cements the brand as a convenience rather than mainstream retailer. And in playing into the hands of a national discounter, it's possible that there may even be a spin-off for Lidl. Often. Ldl.
The roundabouts in Rhuthun are this year bereft of flowers and how naked they look. That at the Old Station Yard site now has an alarming spread of weeds. Such a shame that the town council cannot take these over from the county council. That at Galsdir, once highly floriated, now has a new sponsort—Hafod Renewalbles—and perhaps they might consider renewing replanting the florets next spring.
The Castle Street home that's
about to be painted up has from week beginning September 21st trialled a fifth colour.
Flying the flag for September's 10th anniversary Halfa Gelf art trail included the expected Craft Centre and The Studio, Upper Clwyd Street; some original work in St Peter's by Rhuthun's Bethan Hughes featuring yr Iaith Gymraeg; and an exhibition by Chester's Suzanne Hodgson in her Maes y Llan Road home that she's occupied since new, four years ago.
Hodgson's was unusual in that it features not sculptures or paintings or fabrics but uniquely designed & hand made furniture. You could buy a circular table for six that converted to a larger one for 14 for the price of a Ford Fiesta car (there was change from £10,000, but not much). Plus there was a match box for actual matches, at £65.
Occasional tables at around £2,000 each
At the end of the month, Traditional Fish & Chips, Wernfechan, has enjoyed something of a makeover. The addition of bright, poster-sized imagery within; illuminated menu boards; the inclusion of the name Aydin on the facia signage; and a new, enlarged advertising board on the green at Wernfechan contribute to Aydin's push for more trade. The fish shop is at a disadvantage, portion-wise, when compared to Clwyd Street's Finn's; and with the increased popularity and therefore market share of Flame & Grill (after a slow start, from September 2012). As an aside, there are no hot food takeaways in town owned or run by locals: they're all with incomers from Europe or Asia.
