Imagine a quiet walking Holiday in North Wales , somewhere nice and quiet with access to Snowdonia.
It's been a nice day and you've earned Fish and Chips for tea , and your sat in the pub nearby , two pints in and you pick up the local paper.
Advert jumps out at you.
It starts in about an hour and you are in Llanfairfechan. It's a pound and seems irresistible value.
Would you be disappointed. Is one of the wrestlers an imposter.
Or does it look on the face of it a damn good show.
Would you have gone
So the answer is in the time line. Just a hint of a clue and I don't know , But I get the feeling that Nagasaki , if it was Thornley would have Gillette mentioned in the billing. So I lean to the side of Bill Clarke here. But this of course is wrestling and anything is possible.
"King Kendo Nagasaki" - was that Peter Thornley? It may explain why Thornley was never on Reslo although Bill "King Kendo" Clarke was (two bouts on the same one episode).
Some late additions to this thread here. Five more towns almost as soon as you cross the River Dee going into North Wales add to the colour of wrestling on the North Wales Coastline.
Is this lazy matchmaking or desperation. Either way, it's dire and would not build up any local following. Rhyl isn't a huge town but there are good links to the rest of North Wales and with interesting matchmaking and a greater variety of wrestlers could have had a better chance at building up a local loyal following - but not with these shows.
RON HISTORYO....Time Cop, 15h · Edited:15h
Since the thread on North Wales I came across some more. Looking at 1981 Llandudno and I guess the holiday season , they could really get away with a saga of 4matches. I would think it was run as a grudge but you never know.
Tony was very busy and I think the Roster pretty small. Maybe The might Chang matches were spaced out a bit better. Bella Ogunlana was pretty busy too.
Peter 23h
In 2022 with events announced on the internet weeks in advance the experience of arriving somewhere and discovering that there is wrestling that night has by and large gone.In the days when posters spread around town were the means most fans knew the date and time it was legit exciting to discover an event. Tenby in South Wales is one place were posters appear everywhere and holiday makers still only get details of a show from the posters alone
Following on about Webber , the answer lies in a bill of the same year from Llandudno that I picked up.
Notice on this bill the Promoters are Rogers and Webber.
Yes Dick and Jessie Rogers who ran Belle Vue had a finger in the Pye in North Wales.
Good Old Dick the Dormouse.
Beckley , the man who trained Dynamite Kid.
Jack Fay pupil of Billy Riley, it was actually his son Ernie.
Enjoy another Gallery
https://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/apps/photos/album?albumid=16234503
Back in the Summer I was lucky enough to get all those North Wales bills.
In particular I was able to look back at Rhyl where I had seven years of holidays as a kid.
The Pavillion , Queens Theatre , Gaiety Theatre , Dixieland and even Rhyl FC. But now I am able to go back to 1950 and find the Alhambra Sports Complex on the West Parade. As you walk down the prom from the town centre , you get to it before the Pleasure Beach. The complex had a huge cafe.
The promoter A.R Webber in pre Joint days would have needed help off a matchmaker , probably from Lancashire.
Billy Joyce 13 stones 8lbs in those days if you believe the billing.
Final TV match was August 1988.Must have meet in the ring dozens of times in the intervening sixteen years
I would agree Peter , that date is there to be beaten. It is very early. I saw them at Belle Vue early , just checked it was 15th July 1972 and a 1-1 draw. Even that early it was a top quality battle.
Possibly one of the first ring meetings between Rocco/Jones?
The Paquets and Al Matquette , Cor Bilmey even Marti Jones
Guessing the misspellings on these bills is like doing a cryptic crossword. Pigger surely Digger, but I agree with Powerlock that Pigger has a certain fascination to it.
Steve hoggetty makes me think the matchmaker was a pig farmer.
Boss Gerarde for Butts Giraud is one of the most distant spellings.
But they had some great bills in Rhyl in 1972/3. Surprised to see Nagasaki v Roach billed as catchweight!
See bill for Colwyn Bay. Pigger Rowell ??
-
Off with your head - by the Executioner of Béthune!
Hi Anglo ,my apologies to you & others but i realy sure they were one and the same person. Hope i can be forgivenAll the best to everyone.Ian
Well the whole thing was Wryton run and I think Bartelli and maybe Hussey enjoyed similar status with Wryton to McManus with Dales.
No wonder Bartelli could always keep the run going.
Some Yorkshire men like Kellett , Wall , Davies , Dennison , you could be forgiven for thinking they actually worked for Wryton Main Roster. The North promoters must have enjoyed a great co-operation.
Great to see Johnny Saint working with his mentors. (pre Joint)
Yes , I had forgotten Jaquarez was Ducrez , but never thought he was Kendo.
And a glimpse of Pete Roberts actually with joint very early. Wonder why he left for a good while , but managed to get back.
Hi Ian
Jacquerez was Jacques Ducrez who was later Le Bourreau de Béthune.
In fact, now I think, didn't we discover Jacquerez wrestling in UK as early as 1952? So it wouldn't have been a training session ten years later. But something was going on - all the way to North Wales...?
It's interesting that the wrestler should have had two guises. We know a lot about LBdB but nothing about Jacquerez, though we do have photos.
Hi Anglo. Ihave thought that JACQUEREZ was NAGASAGI having prelim. bouts before becoming NAGASAKI. The timing seems about right. Ihave an old Wryton programme with a photo of JACQUREZ & had a stance plus about same hight & weight as NAGGERS , i thought i was the only one who had the same idea as yourself.
Lets see if anyone else has our thoughts.
Kind regards. Ian.
Thanks Ron, I made about 40 comments in your Galleries regarding the southern coast of the Irish Sea. Spotted that Nagasakye.
Ref Jacquerez my comment was how coincidental he should be billed with another career masked man. Makes you wonder whether he came over on a training mission prior to launching his main masked guise.
Regarding the travel aspect, I noted that plenty of Londoners went to North Wales: Pallo, Rann, Mancelli, Tibor, Czeslaw, Marino, Viedor, Maxine, Logan. Even in the fifties. A long trip for sure, but even in the fifties McManus seemed able to opt out: was he ever sighted there?
If it is indeed as it seems, this indicates he had power in the office earlier than we had previously known.
The very high frequency of appearances by Howes, Bartelli and Hussey just underscores what a hunky dory relationship they had, a clique into which Nagasaki seems to have been born, from 1964.
It's also clear that Bartelli didn't need to travel; he had all the work he wanted on his doorstep. He easily had 40 nearby locations with weekly bills where he could appear fortnightly. He was merely a commuter.
Maybe Wales was a bit of a trek and clearly South Wales belonged to Dale Martin whilst North Wales gave Wryton a pretty big area when you consider they went as far south as Birmingham.
Seems a very Wryton Roster with the usual good travelers from Yorkshire.
Nostalgic days for me Anglo and finding these was top of my list.
Not much chance of Wales seeing Andy Robin either.
I get an email when a comment goes in the galleries , but the link in the email won't open to show me which bill you have commented on. I know you noted a rare sighting of Jaquarez.
You talk about spelling , well below we get a glimpse of Peter Thornley in his very first week as a Pro Wrestler with Wryton.
Careful debut at distant Willenhall and this trip to Caernarvon.
I have been enjoying going through your North Wales galleries Ron, and many thanks for taking the time to insert the year each time.
Quite a few misspelt names, fair enough when the bill is being phoned through to a newspaper, I suppose.
But one that really stood out was Jackie Mr TV Powell.
You'd think it was a case of Mick McManners, and a ringer. But no, the household name headliner was billed so catastrophically wrongly.
I'm in 1967. No sign of Mick McManus yet. Did he ever go there? Or Kwango, or Bruno or Torontos.
Interestingly, Pallo went as an undercarder in the 50s but still no McManus then. Does this indicate that McManus held such sway even then?
Thanks for the reply. Yes according to the A=Z he held a championship in Australia for a while. What a great opening match versus Lord Bertie Topham
Mike Dallas didn't retire all that soon after the match in Caernarvon. It's dated 1969 and he worked for me on my second promotion in April 1976 at The Parr Hall, Warrington, when I put him on in the opening bout against Lord Bertie Topham (assisted of course by Ponsonby). I didn't intend it to be my opening match but Topham took advantage of the fact that I was a green promoter and informed me that he'd also booked in for Gordon Corbett that night at The Hen and Chickens pub in Oldbury in Sandwell so it was either do mine first then travel to Oldbury or pull out of the show.
1969 could well have been one of Dallas' last shows for Wryton before moving over to the independent promoters. I also recall that towards the end of the seventies he spent several months wrestling over in Australia.
Mike Dallas retired soon after this match. Did these two put him out of wrestling!
Howes/Martinelli sound a nightmare. To wrestle that is, watching should be good. I can't really add to North Wales but am enjoying this thread, Thanks everyone.
Caernarvon was another venue that Wryton found worthwhile. Don't remember the Wanderers tag team being pushed. Not sure if I have another bill with them on.
Some of favourite venues were on North Wales coast,as Ron points out a callow youth at the time Parlance good worker occasionally heavy.Keith Martinelli superb worker but tested you all through the bout and next morning legs and upper body sheer agony not light working with blood boots.
Just looking at the map with the A470 going from Bbetws-y-Coed to the Coast and noticed that Orig did shows at Betwys-y-Coed , Llanrwst , Trefriw , and Dolarrog.
Of course it could be a coincidence with a name like Williams in Wales, but you could book at Mervyn Williams Aluminium Works in Dolgarrog.
All Star have appeared in Rhyl for most of the last fifty years but not this year due to Covid 19
Wonderful place in my book , spent about six months of my life there on holidays.
In the 1960's it had everything and for me better than Blackpool.
Another Rhyl venue not mentioned yet was this one. Further up the prom than the Gaiety fairly close to the Pleasure Beach. Again Paul Mitchell on the bill.
Any memories Bkendo1
That's a shame, talking to the younger guys they frequently mention Rhyl as one of their favourite venues.
That's a shame , I was there last year and spotted this bill
This year will be the first year for many decades with no Professional Wrestling in Rhyl
Quite liked the Broughton Rangers ,but not sure they lasted long.
Here they are at Rhyl
I never saw any wrestling at Rhos-on-Sea but we used to visit every year from our caravan at Prestatyn where my mother, a Holywell girl, used to meet up with her old schoolfriend Eric Bramall who ran a marionette theatre there called The Harlequin Theatre.
Mentioning Paul Mitchell, two bouts which stand out in my mind from his many appearances at The Gaiety Theatre in Rhyl were a tag match in which he and Johnny South tagged as The Broughton Rangers in bright orange leotards fighting The Royal Brothers (in purple) and a bruising encounter he experienced with Keith Martinelli.
Couple of bills of special mention.
One of our treasures on here is Paul who calls himself Bkendo1. I hope he is looking in. Although I have him 1969 there is a bill early in 1970 at Llandudno where Bkendo1 works on a show with Kendo Nagasaki. If I have my facts right then Bkendo1 was only a teenager then. Wonder if Paul remembers the Llandudno Astra that night.
I also seem to recollect Romeo Joe Critchley working a mixed match being mentioned on Heritage. Well I am in no doubt now.
I worked with a guy who married a girl from Rhos on Sea and he absolutely insisted that it was a separate place to Colwyn Bay.
Anyone remember the Blue Dolphin Pool.
I bet Orig knew ever nook and cranny where he could put a show on.
Great stuff Ron, bound to be lots of new information in those galleries, will take a look this weekend.
Priceless comment in the galleries from Graham Brook.
The Catweazles consisted, obviously, of Catweazle and an uncomfortable-looking Ray Steele. The two wrestlers seemed to have little in common.
Can you imagine them.
Another great Comment from Graham.
real inside knowledge.
The Barons failed to show up so The Dangermen faced the makeshift teaming of Peter Kaye and Kevin Conneely; winning with comparative ease.
Wonder if Kaye and Connealy got extra money.
Poor organisation from Wryton one would think. Far easier in Wales to use Lancashire based wrestlers.
Remember the Gaiety Theatre was near the clock and Punch and Judy Show at the start of the Pier.
I have added 10 North Wales Galleries to our collection.
For now this link will take you to them.
Hope people enjoy them and I will highlight on this thread some bills of note.
Likewise , grateful if anyone else can do the same.
Anyone else who went to wrestling in North Wales , we want memories.
https://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/apps/photos/
I found wrestling at this list of venues.
Majestic Cinema Caernarvon
Eirieas Park Arena Colwyn Bay
Pier Pavilion Colwyn Bay
Prince of Wales Theatre Colwyn Bay
Dixieland Show Bar Colwyn Bay
Craigside Hydro Pavilion Llandudno
Arcadia Theatre Llandudno
Football ground Conway Road Llandudno
Astra Cinema Llandudno
Pier Pavilion (Roman Rooms) Llandudno
Winter Gardens Llandudno (Maybe the same as the Astra)
The Pavilion Rhyl
Queend Theatre Rhyl
Gaiety Theatre Rhyl
Rhyl Football Ground
Dixieland Showbar West Parade Rhyl
Marquee Plas-yn-Dre-Field Llanrwyst
Wool Exchange Llanrwyst
Nant-y-Coed football Field Llandudno Junction
The Plaza Bangor
Kinmel Manor Fields Abergele
Denbigh Flower Shoe Llewelyn Estate Denbigh
Pavilion CorwenMemorial Hall Betws-y-Coed
Trefriw CarnivalAssembly hall Dolgarrog
Blue Dolphin Swimming pool Rhos on Sea
Llandudno Junction labour and Social Club
Community Centre Porthmadog
Community Centre Llanfairfechan
Graham mentions with accuracy Roy Turner with Wryton and Martin Conroy.
Would have loved to have seen this show.
I'll look forward to this. My first ever live show was a Saturday afternoon recording for ITV in the ballroom of Prestatyn Holiday camp (and I refereed many shows there years later for Bobby Barron when Pontin's bought the camp). Growing up, it was always Orig's shows at The Town Hall, Rhyl, on a Thursday and Roy Turner's shows (hired from Wryton and matchmade by Martin Conroy) at The Gaiety Theatre, Rhyl, on a Saturday.
Thanks Graham , I too fell for the Son of Two Rivers Trick and I actually thought he was poor.
With regards this bill , I put it on because I had a suspicion and I think you have hit the nail on the head. There is something no quite right here.
Shame for collectors of stats , because this is pretty rogue.
More on North Wales coming.
When Bill Clarke started his run as a Nagasaki clone, he billed himself as King Kendo Nagasaki. I don't know all the ins and outs of Clarke's relationship with Thornley but I do know that when he started doing the impersonation for me, he was very insistent that he had to be billed as King Kendo and that if Nagasaki appeared on the poster, he just wouldn't do the show. By this time I had already used him as The Boston Strangler, Doctor Blood and various other names and was rather annoyed at the time that, if he appeared as King Kendo, he charged wage and a half. I know he did some shows for Orig so am pretty sure that he would have been King Kendo Nagasaki. I suggest, although I have no evidence of this, that Dynamite Kid could well have been Rick Wiseman (Ace Ricardo) who often travelled with him (and who I used as Rick Clarke and Johnny Vicious amongst other aliases).
Orig spent so many years pulling tricks and fast ones that it really did seem unusual at the time of the great exodus from Joint to see names like Roy St.Clair and Jim Moser turning up on his shows when they weren't even billed. One of his best tricks was presenting a young Red Indian (I know nothing about him. He could have been from Mold or somewhere) as Alpago, Son of Two Rivers. Punters turned up thinking they were seeing Billy Two Rivers' son until there was some brouhaha and Orig explained that Alpago came from an Indian reservation called Two Rivers and was therefore a "son" of Two Rivers just as he (Orig) was a "son" of Rhyl.
I think if Dynamite had spent some time with Orig, early in his career, it probably would have made it into his book, "Pure Dynamite".
I can't see who Dynamite could have travelled with , he was only a teenager , unless he had a week with Orig in Wales.
But the King Kendo thing needs sorting. When did the fake come on the scene.
Or did Dynamite know Johnny Locke (Palance)
Dynamite Kid was billed in Hull, Naggers not billed anywhere else (as found yet). We are missing a few results from that day. So anything's possible.
There were not many tricks Orig didn't get up to.I suspect that Dynamite Kid failed to appear,and Mr Thornley was not present.
It looks a good bill Sax , but I rule nothing out. By 1978 I finished live shows and at that point , in fact within a year of Gillette coming on the scene , he always went on the Mic and called his man King Kendo Nagasaki.
Now , where I need putting right is this. Did the imposter ever call himself Nagasaki.
King Kendo yes , but did he ever pretend to be Nagasaki.
When did the guy Clarke come on the scene as King Kendo.
So assuming it was an Orig promotion , did he get the real thing or was he fraudulent enough to use King Kendo and stick the Nagasaki on.
Strange though it may seem , this makes me more at home with the 1930's than North Wales in 1978.
Shout up you 1980's men , what was happening here.
In any case though , what a well balanced bill.
Can anyone give it some clarity. I don't remember an imposter in 1977.
I would not have known any better, and yes I would have gone.
A reply from James Morton
Come on Ron Historyo. For £1 of course I'd go. Assuming Orig turned up who cares if KKK is an imposter? Or Dynamite Kid for that matter.