Named in honour of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II, these gardens are a valuable area of open space and formal gardens in the centre of the town. The town’s war memorial, a sculpture by the notable sculptor, John Cassidy, faces Conway Road. Unveiled on November 11th 1922 (Armistice Day) by Lord Colwyn it is of a World War I British “Tommy” in his battledress.
On the same day memorial tablets and two memorial windows were unveiled at St Paul’s Church. Friezes around the base of the sculpture depict scenes from the war.
The plaques commemorate 174 dead from World War I, with later plaques listing 38 from World War II and one from the Korean War. Two Queen Alexandra military nurses are included amongst these.
Rhona Wyer shares her memories: “I remember when that figure was close to the Town Hall when the Town Hall was close to where the old Job Centre was. I felt overawed to stand below and look up at it and some men would take their hats off as they passed. I saw two women together there once and one was crying and the other just with her. Being close to the Town Hall made it close to the centre of civic life then it got pensioned off to a park and that link was broken”.
Colwyn Bay War Memorial Refurbished for Remembrance Service 2019
See more photographs here.
