Nostalgic look at the buses of Holywell in the 1960s

THERE is no doubt that in the late 19th/early 20th century the London and North Western Railway company went to great lengths to integrate Holywell town into their coastal railway system. Everything, that is, barring a railway connection. That had to wait until 1912.

They ran their early services from the King's Head, where a Mr Lambert is noted as proprietor in 1891, as well as being the LNWR agent, and advertised an omnibus service meeting all stopping trains.

The turn of the century saw petrol engines replacing horses (and making the streets far cleaner, as old pictures show) and the new era also introduced photographs as advertisements.

A Leyland bus in 1905.

Quite what the event was that prompted Mr Scotcher to take his photograph of High Street with the LNWR double-decker is not obvious but the passengers up-top appear both well-dressed and excited.

The bus, incidentally, is almost certainly an early Thorneycroft product.

An LNWR double-decker on the High Street. Image courtesy of the Elvet Pierce collection

The other picture (above) is an out-and-out advertisement, carrying an LNWR backing advert.

It is nonetheless a striking picture of its time, around 1905, with the Leyland (yes, the predecessors of British Leyland) bus parked at an angle on the hill being an unusual sight.

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The angle is, I suppose, to give a better photo rather than because - as rumour had it - the handbrake wasn't too good!

Strangely, the provision of a bus service between Holywell and Holywell Junction continued even after the railway was established, so the latter was never the success it should have been. This was probably to keep out the competition that was beginning.

Holywell bus station 1966. Image courtesy of the Elvet Pierce collection

The First World War, however, changed everything and by the mid 1920s White Rose of Rhyl and the fast-growing Crosville were in cut-throat competition.

After the Second World War buses, and incidentally trains, were worn and tired and there were limited funds for new stock.

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Accordingly many pre-war buses were upgraded and the single decker shown in the busy High Street is typical, being originally a petrol engined Leyland Tiger but converted with improved bodywork and a diesel engine in the 1940s.

A double-decker in Holywell town centre,1966. Image courtesy of the Elvet Pierce collection

As seen however double deckers also roamed the roads in those days, causing problems as they negotiated the turn by Beech's shop to reach the New Road down to the coast.

The double decker in these days before the town centre was bypassed was heading for the bus station in the joining road between Coleshill and Halkyn streets (now a one way section of the bypass), this being seen in the 1966 picture, and as it was in the picture taken in 2010.

The bus station in later years. Image courtesy of the Elvet Pierce collection

People who used the buses in those days will remember Mr Jack Wilkes who ruled the bus station for many years - no hold ups, buses leaving on time, nothing too much trouble for his passengers - never to be forgotten.

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The bus pictured is on a strange route, Holywell to Afonwen (Caerwys) station - strange because although it was set up to connect with trains as a very lucrative service, by 1966 the trains and the lines they ran on were gone. Despite this the service continued, although later using the Pwllgwyn as their turn- point, into the 1980s.

The modern service runs from alongside The Victoria and does not use the centre of town, which despite what some say must be an improvement on the congestion shown in the 1950 shot.