Old Porthcawl - I Follow A Guidebook From 1929

I take a look at The Official Guide To Porthcawl dating from 1929.
“Porthcawl - the bracing Health Resort of South Wales”
So how was Porthcawl described back in the 1920s? I look at the old adverts from businesses, shops and cafes around Porthcawl and see if they are still there.
Also, what do the Porthcawl hotels look like today?
An affectionate look at our hometown, if you want to moan, go to one of those moaning groups on Facebook.
‘Old Porthcawl - Following A Guidebook From 1929’ - Filmed January 2023
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[@flydriveexplore]

Porthcawl's Lost Railway kzbin.info/www/bejne/laeplmmOacutfZo

[@jamesthomas3321]

Have always loved your work! Moved to North island NZ a few months ago from Pcawl and will still be watching. Chuffed to hear the pavilion is to receive some much needed investment. Look forward to watching more Marcus and Mel x

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks for watching, weather probably a bit nicer over there at this time of year. Yes, it looks good for the Pavilion, the shows they have there have really improved over the years.

[@philipnoblethe3rd695]

Haha... oh yes, that Mild, Dry Porthcawl climate!! 😁 Can't beat it. I'm from Gilfach Goch just up from Blackmill. Love Porthcawl. Lots of good memories! 👍🏽

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, very mild 🌧️

[@monsieurbono]

Looks like a nice place to visit and live. Love the art deco architecture everywhere.

[@VicodinElmo]

I’m from Cornelly and went to school in Porthcawl. Genuinely laughed at the “low rainfall” line!

[@fabshop6359]

Another cracking video. Will be in Porthcawl in late May. Love the place.

[@raybeaumont7670]

Superb Marcus. Bags of interesting details. I note "her indoors" had the sense to stay home - and do the ironing. Best wishes to you both.

[@flydriveexplore]

Yeps, staying in the warm but no ironing!

[@meredyddjohn663]

Delightful video as always! My Dad was born in Porthcawl in 1923 (though they moved to Ewenny when he was a young lad). I’ll be there in August 2023 to have a good look around on his “100th birthday” and locate the address on his birth registration as well as his father’s Masonic lodge and his mother’s post WW2 millinery shop.

[@flydriveexplore]

We're glad you enjoyed it. Hope you have a good trip in August.

[@hywelprice9201]

I noticed an advert for Jennings wood and timber merchants, after whom the Jennings building is named, and an advert for J. Thomas the ironmongers. I still remember going in there in the 1970’s. It was like the shop in the Two Ronnies’ four candles sketch.

[@flydriveexplore]

I remember the ironmongers in town 'handles for forks!'

[@14LuvMusic]

Recognised a voice behind us walking towards the golf club today, had a fan-girl moment and when I turned back around you were half way up the hill, lol, love your videos, can't wait for the next upload :)

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks, should have said hello. I was just out with a friend for a quick walk around Rest Bay.

[@markbarrera6807]

Love this .. thanks for your intrepid spirit. I'd love to visit.

[@markbarrera6807]

....particularly interested in whats the on menus of these older establishments.

[@mikewherrett8020]

Hello Marcus. What a lovely wet and windy day. A really interesting look back to the history of Porthcawl. I specifically remember Davies Cloth Hall on John Street in the 50s and 60s, not sure when it closed. It was frequently visited by my Dad and always remember the main salesman there was Garfield. I am surprised that the cinemas did not get a mention in the guide. I believe the Coliseum in John Street was opened in 1912 and is now Spar shop. Notice the first floor ornate facade. Thanks for the memories. Go and dry off.

[@flydriveexplore]

Yep, no adverts for the town cinema except the Cosy Cinema. I couldn't find where that was as the advert said John Street and not Cosy Corner.

[@fgj4990]

Great video! Thanks for sharing this.

[@flydriveexplore]

👍

[@michellebruce5092]

Hi Marcus, Awesome live video I enjoyed it. Can't wait to see more next week. A guide book from 1929. Interesting. Have a great day greetings from Canada 😀

[@flydriveexplore]

Cheers - Glad you enjoyed it!

[@GwynnB]

Great video Marcus. I love knowing the history and seeing old photos of porthcawl

[@roblilly6302]

Thanks so much, greetings from Thailand. Lived on Beach Road for 17 years and miss it but prefer the climate here. Love your content and your smile. Thanks for the valuable history lesson and indeed all your blogs.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks for watching! I'm a grumpy sod off camera 🤣

[@DOCTORDROTT]

Interesting. I have been trying to find photos of the caravan site when it was extended in the mid 1960's at the Eastern end. Sami Davis jr appeared at Porthcawl in the late 1960's. Stan Stennets club

[@philipnoblethe3rd695]

Wow, that's amazing! 🙂👍🏽👍🏽

[@Sanddancer1]

one of the shops you featured Langdons well my mrs is a langdon and she remembers her dad saying he was a butchers lad in his younger days so its got her mind going so thankyou for that and another entertaining video

[@flydriveexplore]

It may be worth checking out.

[@jonnywebb5794]

Well said !!!

[@flydriveexplore]

By the way, I've found, the second rail line you mentioned. It was a later extension to the branch line, it joined the main line heading west in the Swansea direction.

[@avrilhogarth]

Hi Marcus great video. I was hoping you would go along Victoria Avenue. There was a grocery shop there owned by my great grandfather Morgan Wile. He also had a shop in Pontycmer. He was by all accounts a bit of a character and he was a mountain boxer in his younger days. The shop is still there and is a cafe now I believe. Keep the video's coming.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks for watching, I only looked at the businesses with ads in that guide. There seemed to be quite a few businesses in streets which are residential now.

[@beachcaving]

Thank you! It's fascinating how much it resembles our coastal towns here in the wet- but wonderful- Pacific NW!!! 🤘❤️🇺🇸🤘❤️🇺🇸🤘

[@flydriveexplore]

Glad you enjoyed it - We haven't yet visited that part of the US

[@brucesumter4327]

wow so cool history this we my bday be jan 18 1956 i be 67 years old ty for video this i like hisory tell mel hi too have a good week

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks

[@jonathanbyrne1088]

Very interesting. Good news about the Atlantic Hotel, and a good point about so much of Porthcawl having been built since 1929. Perhaps the forthcoming developments will lead to the revival of, or new use for, buildings like the Porthcawl Hotel Ramsay MacDonald was in fact the MP for Porthcawl from 1922 to 1929, when the town was part of the Aberavon constituency, which he represented during those years.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks for the info. There does seem to be some improvement actually happening.

[@kookytoots6755]

Not long found your channel and subscribed. Keep up the great work and please visit Dawlish

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks 👍

[@OnASeasideMission]

Brilliant video, Marcus. Sad to see so many businesses gone, places boarded up and gaps where I grew up, but a fascinating look at old Porthcawl. Stuff the age, it's Bill and Ted's favourite number. A few names on the list went 'Ding'. Not sure about Bracchi's, but I remember Comley's bakery business and went through school with a son of the family. Now, I should know if Bragg's the butcher's was the same as Mansel Bragg who was a butcher's in John Street, since Mansel and Edith were my sister's godparents. Don't know if the business was handed down. Always glad to hear about the OHT.

[@flydriveexplore]

It was Charles Bragg back in 1929 with shops in New Road and John Street. It's not a common surname so probably a relation.

[@OnASeasideMission]

@@flydriveexplore Had a word with Sis and, yes Mansel was son of Charles. I recall that the John Street shop was roughly opposite Boots.

[@OnASeasideMission]

Just wanted to let you know that the big sister is now watching your channel. 😉

[@OnASeasideMission]

Also, did a name change.

[@ianjames8794]

Very interesting Marcus. Do you know what the building that houses the museum was originally used for?

[@flydriveexplore]

That was the Police Station.

[@lyndonowen8525]

Weather person walking

[@pauljones1350]

You seemed so happy to have that guide book , yes porthcawl is a winner rainfall crazy since the nineties maybe ok back then as colder dryer perhaps very cold any way you can check actual porthcawl weather records be good idea to compare 1929:to 1990 records may be very surprised

[@flydriveexplore]

I'm still waiting for the builders advertising in the 1929 guidebook to turn up!

[@pauljones1350]

@@flydriveexplore it's a bit like back to the future be 2029 in no time soon does it predict anything interesting . thank God book didn't predict world war two they were very down in porthcawl as everywhere in UK just ten years after that book came out.maybe that war changed the plans for the place just a scary thought town plans forgotten as people lost in war

[@flydriveexplore]

@@pauljones1350 They predicted the Elvis Festival!

[@lcook0825]

Hi Marcus. Hope this finds you and Mel well.

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes we are good, hope you are too.

[@lcook0825]

@@flydriveexplore doing ok. Thanks.

[@vincentneale2620]

L can remember two cinemas in Porthcawl one near the railway crossing and one in town the one intown had cast iron pillars which got in the way to view the screen if you was in the wrong seat lol

[@flydriveexplore]

I think that was the Coliseum which is now the Spar shop.

[@chrisstleger9181]

I was once told by my father that the Seabank Hotel was previously the home of Captain Jones. He was also known as Captain Potato Jones. He made his fortune by gun running in the Spanish Civil War, Before the war, he used to take coal to Spain and gained experience in navigating up various creeks and returning with pit props and potatoes. In the war, his experience enabled him to navigate the creeks in the dark and drop off guns with his coal.

[@flydriveexplore]

I think he's right about Captain David "Potato" Jones and his exploits but I think he lived in Swansea.

[@chrisstleger9181]

@@flydriveexplore You could be right. My father could exaggerate somewhat. However, I always thought he finally moved to Swansea in his later years. My father also told me that the owners of the shipping line that Captain Potatoe Jones worked for also owned Morwell Motors a Petrol Sation and Garage on Newport Rd, opposite Colchester Ave in Cardiff. During the 2nd World War, they had a contract to service 3 ton military trucks and they were caught not servicing them and just sprucing them up and polishing the dipsticks. The story going around was the foreman took the blame and was handsomely rewarded for his spell in prison.

[@flydriveexplore]

@@chrisstleger9181 This sounds like an interesting story and worth looking at.

[@chrisstleger9181]

@@flydriveexplore In hindsight, it’s probably a tall story because further research indicates that Captain Jones had his own ships in partnership with a Swansea landlady. I’ll keep fishing.

[@Fly.001]

"Great channel by the way" says the guy passing you a couple of days ago by the fair, while you and the wife were going for a walk. Learning a lot from you Marcus, thanks. Recently picked up a drone - Beach Road / Trecco / Newton Beach - kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3KpmamXh8Zopck

[@flydriveexplore]

Hello again, I'll take a look.

[@Fly.001]

@@flydriveexplore cheers Marcus

[@barrycrump6189]

That was such a charming and interesting video. I thoroughly enjoyed this revisiting of the past. I don't suppose you could do similar videos on other near by towns and resorts? I should mention that it is a little-known fact, that in its day, Langdon's the Quality Grocers were the purveyors of the finest jumbo sausages in all of South Wales. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Mel's great grandmother once worked there and was promoted to be the queen of the bacon slicer. Those things frighten the life out of me. As an aside, may I request that you let us know the day of the week and the time of day that you shoot your videos? I know that you are a bit of an early birder so it isn't any wonder that the venues you visit tend to be quiet. I loathe hordes of people and I avoid milling crowds at all costs. Incidentally, should I ever get to relocate to somewhere close to Porthcowl, could I be your Best Boy and P.A.? I will also make you Marmite sandwiches and give you a foot rub as and when required. There is no need to mention this to Mel.

[@flydriveexplore]

The old Porthcawl Sausagemonger! It was quiet as the rain and wind and cleared everyone from town.

[@MellissaWilliamsjewellerylover]

watch it Barry he's mine ;)

[@barrycrump6189]

@@MellissaWilliamsjewellerylover Oh dear! That's me put in my place. But at least I can enjoy my fantasies.

[@berrowsmk2xr25]

What do you think of the new build for a supermarket on the seafront? Do you think this will have an impact on the stalls through the showground? We was a little shocked when we visited recently..

[@flydriveexplore]

It's been derelict for over 60 years. Personally, I'm not 'anti' but as I said in the video - I'm not going to get into any discussions.

[@NewCastleIndiana]

A little creative license taken on that guide if they think it’s ideally sunny. 😎. Maybe we are in a global rainy climate change period? Take that into shopping when you head west outfield day and write today. Perhaps also not very factual. What would a commodious garage be? If I understood you correctly. For automobiles? Many in 1929?

[@flydriveexplore]

Surprisingly, there were quite a lot of cars for the size of the old roads. They did say in the book to take the train to avoid the traffic.

[@catherinenorman5354]

☔😂😍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿