From the age of two to the age of nineteen I was transported annually, by my parents, from Sheffield to “Sunny Rhyl” for our holidays. Our accommodation was a self-catering flat on John Street. Some 52 years later, with young children of my own, I visit Rhyl most years even if it’s only for a day trip. My parents, now aged seventy plus, have taken holidays exclusively at Rhyl all their adult life. My fondest memories are of clean sand, paddling/boating pools, fishing off the harbour wall and the “Punch and Judy” show, by the Clock Tower. Ultimately, the “Fun Fair” situated by the Marine Lake has a place in my heart that will stay with me for the rest of my days. Having purchased a bag of doughnuts from the archway entrance to the seafront amusement park we would walk down the side-road stalls to the entrance of the Marine Lake amusement park. My namesake “Michael” the Atlantic class steam engine along with John and Joan used to be my favourite ride of all rides! When my computer is first switched on for work each morning, my desktop has a picture of two of the trains waiting in the station, steaming and ready to go! This was taken from a postcard dating back to 1963. When I look at this picture now I can still conjure up the smell of cinders, steam and smoke! It is nice to see the preservation society hard at work with Joan still running round the lake Spring to Autumn, however I have seen the plans for the proposed new station and personally feel a little disappointed that the buildings will be somewhat ultra modern in design. Call me old-fashioned but surely steam locomotion is from a bygone era and perhaps a more nostalgic approach might have been better.

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