31 August 2008
Bad News from North Wales
Two bits of bad news from Llandudno, North Wales. First, the Alice in Wonderland shop is closing - Muriel Ratcliffe who runs it is retiring. Check out her online shop before she goes. It has some good and unusual stuff.
Second bad news is the demolition of Penmorfa, big Victorian house that was the home of Alice Liddell's family. There are persistent stories that Carroll visited Penmorfa but in any case it's a bit of interesting and unique town history, and was visited by Gladstone, Wilberforce and Matthew Arnold. So many traditional seaside towns like Llandudno have gone down the drain. They take an unimaginative approach to development, and then wonder why business is bad...
The town has some pretty architecture but shooting itself in the foot like this about Penmorfa is not a good sign. Here's a page from Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Local History Society with some pics of what Penmorfa looked like inside, in its hotel heyday.
Second bad news is the demolition of Penmorfa, big Victorian house that was the home of Alice Liddell's family. There are persistent stories that Carroll visited Penmorfa but in any case it's a bit of interesting and unique town history, and was visited by Gladstone, Wilberforce and Matthew Arnold. So many traditional seaside towns like Llandudno have gone down the drain. They take an unimaginative approach to development, and then wonder why business is bad...
The town has some pretty architecture but shooting itself in the foot like this about Penmorfa is not a good sign. Here's a page from Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Local History Society with some pics of what Penmorfa looked like inside, in its hotel heyday.
Feed
an outrage and I have protested with many other people physically on the
West Shore some months ago and have also written with my objections to the
County Council - who have stupidly given their permission for the property
developers to finally knock Penmorfa down. To date it isn't actually
demolished, though for the very sad state which it is in owing to vandals
and (I feel sure deliberate intent) it is very well now a "ghost" house.