Abergele in Shorts - nostalgia about north Wales in the 60s and 70s - by Gareth Morlais

Pandora's Box

"My mum is Betty Bowdler who used to run PANDORA'S BOX with my Dad, Bob for the best part of 25 years. We had a great time there and made many friends.
The shop itself was a treasure trove of sweets and "pocket money priced" toys and games. The Penny corner was the most popular where you could spend ages choosing from sherbet dips, flying saucers,black jacks, fruit sticks, fruit salad chews, McGowan's toffee bars and Parma violets etc etc... The best times were had there -
I was in the shop one day with my Daddy ( I was about six) and it was at the time when there was an ice cream called FUNNY FACE - a little lad came in & said " Can I have a funny face please ?" so quick as a flash Dad pulled a funny face and made the little lad laugh out loud for ages !
I have many happy memories of all the lovely people who came into our shop and all of whom were very kind to Mum & Dad after the flood wiped out all our stock -they helped us clean up and start again - what community spirit there was then. Anyway hope all you Pandora's Box fans out there are happy and well.
I have found a couple (of photos) not that brilliant I am afraid but you will get the idea. The one has a corner of the Pandora's Box sign in it with a photo once the shop had been sold and the sign changed. Also cutting from the Visitor."
- Jan Watson (nee Bowdler), Abergele, May 2006.

This last image - sent by Jan - is a cutting from the Memory Lane section of the Abergele Visitor of 11 July 2001. The top photo was taken from Pandora's Box looking south towards the Jolly Fryer and the lower one shows the Bon Ladies' Wear shop, which was next door to Pandora's Box. I can't quite make out the photographer's name, but I think it's Mr K Nelson of Min y Don. In the interests of documenting this part of Abergele's history, I've reproduced this cutting with photos without permisson and I'm hoping the rights holders will let me know if they'd like me to remove it from the site. Here's a link to more photos of the 1971 Abergele Floods.

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Abergele in Shorts - by Gareth Morlais
Bally Ballet
The Birds
Lucky Bag
Hywel the Barber
Dai Magic
Pandora's Box
Ellesmeres
The Playnies
The Tunnel
Bee Filling Station
X Files
The Log Cabin
Five Childhood Puzzles
More Childhood Puzzles
Blow or Suck?
The Funeral
Queuing
Kiss-Kiss-Corner
Comics' Day
Bertie Babs
Haunted House
Mad Mouse
Toys
Tomorrow's World
Superman

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