Brummie bloke here, spent much of my childhood in Porthcawl and Trecco Bay. Mom and Dad owned a caravan there. So many great memories of halcyon days and golden years.
Amazing video. Great work. Didn't everything look so much more elegant in the old photos and they had more difficulty to contend with than we do currently. I've so many happy memories of summertime in Porthcawl in the 70's and 80's. It was a great place to enjoy childhood. We need to reflect on our poor attitudes of the last few decades of excess and remember what is most important. Looking after our community and family. Loved it.
I only live 20 miles away from Porthcawl but when I was a kid on our holidays it seemed a million miles away. My grandfather would put me on his shoulders to watch the watershoot ride. I have fond memories of those times. It's been nice to see some investment such as the coffee shop and restaurants by the harbour. Times have been hard for many towns and Porthcawl is no different. As a surfer and cyclist these days I still visit often and will always have a soft spot for the place. Thanks for the film.
Yes, the harbour area is much better than its been for years. A lot of people complain about Porthcawl but its much better now than when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s.
Thank you for such a lovely video this morning. Those old photos have so much character and charm. Some things have changed completely, some "updated", but some retain the that old charm still. Beautiful town. I miss being on that side of the pond.
Such a lovely film to watch, missing this place so much, but one day we know we will be able to come back....porthcawl and its people will always be there.
Counting the hours and minutes....so jealous of you living by the sea, but ,we know its not going anywhere, so will wait...all be it with fingers drumming on the side....😁
Holidays when I was little were visiting my Dad’s Welsh family, and we would always go for a day out at Porthcawl so this was a lovely reminder. Thank you for a great video, well presented.
I grew up in the 80's/90's. I have amazing childhood memories of Porthcawl. Porthcawl was always my whole family's favourite holiday destination. I seem to remember a big Anchor somewhere near the pier for people to touch? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Maybe even a cannon somewhere? There were water taps everywhere in the caravan park. I used to love fishing off the pier with my step father. Nights with my Mother and stepfather in the dirty duck, the big top and castaway which had a great park outside, then we would grab fish n chips at the end of the night and go back to our caravan. Car boot sales every Sunday. Thank you for bringing back these incredible memories.
The anchor is still there new the harbour. The gun next to the sea cadets which you could climb on has gone and the Dirty Duck is just waste ground. I remember those taps around the old caravan site.
Just Amazing to see loved the old pictures Looked so much better years ago love these videos have watched all afternoon thank you. Also like to say I watched a video of the old railway line from kenfig hill to Porthcawl my grate grandmother lived in smokey cottage in south Cornell’s
Glad you like them! Although, Porthcawl seafront and beaches seem to be having a revival judging by the number of people and surfers out and about today.
My parents retired to Porthcawl in the 60's My dad bought a big house on West Drive right on the seafront. I spent all my holidays at Porthcawl playing golf at the RPGC. Many happy memories of the town, of the Stoneleigh night club and the back bar at the Seabank Hotel where all the youngsters used to meet on Sat nghts. I sold up and moved to London in the 90's a move ive regretted. PS think i saw my house on one of the vids of the front past the Atlantic Hotel my house was about 10 along from there near where the road turns up by the shelter to the common. Must go back and visit for one last time. Thanks for reminding me of Porthcawl many happy times ....
Loved going to Porthcawl as a child in the 70s. A week away with my gran every year. Seemed better then, but most things do from your childhood memories. Moving to Ogmore next year, can't wait. Merry Christmas Marcus and Mel xx
I really enjoyed your video. Porthcawl has always been one of my favourite places. You made me feel old when you spoke about the railway. I live in the Rhondda valley and I went there by train, possibly twice. Through the Rhondda tunnel and then another tunnel from Cymmer to Maesteg. Usually Sunday school trips. Thanks for putting that video together.
Hi ,my memories started in 1958 , finished in 1970 ,we caravans at tresco bay ,,newton bay (piont) with the family , ,the last time was at the last house on the row at west bay ,, the upper floor was apartments the basement was full of the owners rolls royces the type with the big chrome head lights , beautiful, , ,loved every holiday ,,,hope it's not ruined ..
I remember being in Porthcawl several times during the 70s and 80s with the jazzband. Our road march would start from the square in trecco bay and we’d march through town. There was some kind of arena at the back of the fair with seats all around. Over the years, I’ve seen that arena as a carboot sale and I’m sure at one time there were sea lions or dolphins in a huge pool. I could be wrong
Have so many happy memories staying in Porthcawl for miners fortnight in Trecco Bay. The town felt alive and used to go to the radio 1 roadshow. I prefer the pavilion end now and love watching the large waves coming in. Thanks for your videos just discovered them today and brought back so many memories. Love you to do more in the valleys, aberavon, and beyond
Lived about 28 miles away and used to go there on holiday in the late 70s /80s. I was only a young boy, but the place had such a great atmosphere. I remember when Jaws was playing at the cinema and loads of people were frightened to go into tge sea for a paddle. There were shoals of Mackrell coming close to the beaches and fishermen were catching buckets full of them and selling around the caravan park. I got a job delivering newspapers in the morning to try to get some money for the arcades. I have lots of fond memories . Summers seemed warmer and sunnier in those days. The picture of the beach with the fairground behind it and the watershoot is how zi remember it. The Funhouse was great. A bit sad to see it now as I think the glory days seem to be behind it. Great video.
I was a kid in the 70s and 80s in Porthcawl - I remember spending the afternoon in the Funhouse. I also remember the big moving King Kong figure above the Devil's Dipper ride.
@@flydriveexplore yeah I remember the kong. I also remember that Slushy had become a big thing and there were slushy stalls everywhere. I used to love the radio controlled boats opposite the arcades in the centre of the Trecco Bay caravan park. I remember that there were shower/toilets blocks everywhere and water taps as none of the caravans had their own water, or electricity. Had thorium gas mantle lamps, which had a distinctive smell.
I think I prefer it before! I remember the esplanade from when I first moved here in the early 90's . Had two night clubs underneath I this. De niros and can't remember the other. Why did they remove the railway?
The architecture of the old Esplanade Hotel was nice but since I was a kid the place was always very run down and a bit of a mess. The railway link would be great to have but they removed so many in the early 60s.
Great video, quite sad. I think the biggest change to effect porthcawl was the removal of the train station. I was born in 82 so didn’t see it but my dad use to tell me about it.
I used to walk from Bridgend to Porthcawl fair with 50p in my pocket to do two rides then walk all the way back. Ah the "good ol days". I later ended up attending Porthcawl comp in the late 80's early 90's. Fond memories of this lovely seaside town. Loved the video, many thanks for your time and effort.
Thanks, yes some spots are easy to match but others have changed quite a bit. I couldn't quite get the same angle on a few of the rail ones because it would have meant standing in the middle of a dual carriageway.
We used to travel to Porthcawl by train When Beeching shut it down we came by train on the last Saturday A total of 150 trains used Porthcawl station that day form all over the place 6 came from Birmingham alone The branch line was from Pyle and used a Pannier Tank Loco or as we called then in my part of the valleys "Puffing Billies"
Lovely video thank you. We have been coming to Porthcawl, for the last 15 years. Sadly our holiday last year in September was canceled. Hopefully we might be able to return soon.
I was born in a nursing home in Porthcawl in 1946. In 1953 my parents imigrated us to Canada. IN 2000 my husband and I went back to scatter my parents ashes at Rest Bay and stayed in a charming B & B right on the promenade. It was a lovely time we had and toured the coast of South Wales for 2 weeks. Love this country and wish I had the opportunity of living there all my life but alas.
Marcus ou put in so much effort and leg work for these videos cannot thank you enough for the hours of pleasure and memories that come flooding back when watching. All the best mate. Also do you happen to know if the Prince of Wales pub still has the two beautiful flowering cherry trees in the back yard - I recall vividly as a kid in the early 70s the cherry blossom as this pub was my dads favourite. Having lived away since 1983 Ive no way to check :) cheers mate!
We just had a week in Porthcawl, and thought it was a lovely, vibrant little town with a nice chilled vibe. Plenty of local business' too which was good to see.
@@flydriveexplore thanks. Forgot to mention I loved the video and the music. I listened thru headphones, and it was rather emotional! Certainly loved Porthcawl area, some amazing bays and large clean sandy beaches.
brilliant video , love the music , shame theyre going to change it all. I remember it in the middle 70,s &80,s it was brilliant . used to go every year with my mam&dad & family. happy valley and trecco bay when I was a kid. great memories
This video is awesome. I was down there a few months ago,looking for parts of the old railway line,there is a small stretch of it just above cuckoo bridge,which you can get on to via the field on the right han d side just before the bridge,and then jump over a gate. Worth a look
We should never let old amusement parks / resorts just go away. They should always be preserved in some fashion. Otherwise people in the future will wonder what the hell was wrong with us. And they'll be right. Thanks for at least capturing the comparison in video.
This is awesome. Do you think there’s a chance to overlay the year of the original picture (if you know it) so as to get a sense of the years difference? Thanks
I'll have to see what I can do as many don't have exact dates. They have to be dated from the building such as no Grand Pavilion is before 1932, the building of the Pier is around 1960.
Thanks so much, i really enjoyed that. Like many I came from the valleys when I retired and still think Porthcawl is the best place in the world. (Erm, except for the "bottle bank" those responsible for that monstrosity should be jailed)
Is the Rafa club still there ? Wow can’t believe wot happened to the Esplanade hotel the fire the night club underneath Falgonis ice cream? Tennis courts! the figure of 8 OMG the water slide, My Mother worked at the stoney club haha any one remember? So sorry going on had the best time of my life in the town Bob hope and Bing Crosby still owe my Mum money for photos she took of them at the Miners rest home! That sea wall has got a lot shorter over the years watching the waves over the sea wall OMG it scared me Now I can taste the salt water on my tongue WOW!! Swimming in that pool in the rocks with raw sewage as company haha! im not joking either and to top it off some of the best ice cream I have ever had in my life God bless you Porthcawl Love ya always xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx sorry for the spelling just had to do it!!!!!!
Suitably sombre music as we watch a real gem disolve to discarded costume jewellery. You put a lot of work into this, and it should be used as a valuable resource for councils all over Wales to see what happens when there is no long term vision for the look of our towns. As a happy camper throughout the 60s and 70s I sometimes feel the urge to go back and visit Porthcawl, but every time I have done so (I went in Sept, after many years' hiatus) I wonder why I bothered. Tenby and Porthcawl should have been South Wales' 2 main international showpiece sea-side towns, blessed as they are with natural beauty on their doorsteps. Tenby stands alone now. I don't mean that Porthcawl is actually ugly (up for discussion), and I'm sure it's a nice place to live, and children will still enjoy the caravans and beaches, but the town used to be a place worth visiting, architecturally, more so in Victorian times, it seems. As for their plans for 100s of flats? Guess what I think about that. Sad as it is to see it confirmed, thanks for making the video that illustrates so well what I'd long thought about this place.
Last time I went to Porthcawl in 1976, the little school that my Dad went to until he was 11 was still there - ( he left school at age 11 - there was no compulsory secondary school education in those days -1910) It had a little bell tower and a small playground. I didn't see it in your photos perhaps it has been demolished?
I think that could be Newton Primary on New Road opened in 1908, a red brick building. Before that date, there was a small school in Newton village itself.
@@flydriveexplore Thank you. I remember my Dad saying that the headmaster of the school he attended was Mr. Griffiths. Thank you for your wonderful videos
@@flydriveexplore Thank you I think it must have been the older school that my Dad and his seven!! (he was the only boy) sisters attended. I am not sure of the exact date that my grandfather moved to be the Porthcawl Coastguard officer. My Dad was born in Angle in Pembrokeshire my grandad was coastguard there in 1899. At some time during his childhood Dad lived at the coastguard station on the mumbles island near Swansea. I think that was before Porthcawl, but I am not sure. most of Dad's childhood was spent in Porthcawl. When I went with Dad to see Mumbles the coastguard houses and the lighthouse keepers houses were still there. I remember Dad telling me that they all had large families and many children lived on that tiny island! They went to school by boat. Sadly when I returned much later after Dad had passed, the houses had all been demolished, there was however a photograph of the island complete with the houses on the wall in a nearby cafe.
There is just one more little thing I would like to tell you about my Dad. He joined the Royal Navy as a ship's boy in 1913. The training ships were old ships without many navigation aids. One night the ship Dad was on went off course. Dad could not help overhearing the officers talking about a lighthouse that they could see in the distance. Dad spoke up "That's Mumbles light sir" "Don't be ridiculous" came the reply, " We are nowhere near Mumbles" Dad knew that every lighthouse had it's own sequence of light beams, so he insisted that it was Mumbles light. He told the officers that he had lived on Mumbles and knew the sequence very well. They believed him and changed course and Dad got a special commendation for it.
I grew up there and have fond memories of my childhood in the 70s. Unfortunately without exception it is an uglier place. People have stripped away the character. A real shame.
Sadly the truth about Porthcawl is in my video THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF PORTHCAWL if I share a link it’s removed so you have to find my channel GEORGE STRONG AKA BARRY there are several revealing videos about Sandy Bay and Porthcawl in general. I tend not to do commentary just visual + music It might upset a few 😲
It wasn't that good in the 80s, Rest Bay is better. The harbour and building have a use for the first time in at least 50 years. Seafront doesn't have tarmac anymore. And there's not so much s**t in the sea when you swim.
