Shotton Memories

THE "DEE HOLE" AND "THE SWIM"

Jennifer Roberts nee Ratcliffe, from Ashford, Kent writes: 

I was born in Mancot in 1950.  My parents at the time of my birth lived in Salisbury Street, Shotton in a house which belonged to my grandparents, David and Emily Ratcliffe late of the the fish and chip shop next to Lloyd Williams furniture shop in Connah's Quay.   WT Ratcliffe who along with D Norbury owned the Ideal on Chester Road West was the son of David and Emily Ratcliffe. My father's name was David Ratcliffe who later took over the fish and chip shop in Connah's Quay.   

It might interest you to know that Mr De Cordova, Solicitor when he first came to Deeside rented a room above the Ideal for some time.  He first started his practice from that room going on to become a local well known character on Deeside.  I was three when he came to Deeside.  I remember hearing him shouting from the bottom of the stairs in the Ideal when I visited there to see my grandmother and grandfather who helped my two uncles out.  When I was 17 I went to work for Mr De Cordova in the offices he had above the National Provincial Bank before he took over the whole building. I worked for him for 5 years.  He has now passed on as have my grandparents, parents and the two uncles.  Their wives still live in the Deeside area.  I remember the Alhambra was showing The Family Way when it closed in 1987.  

My grandmother, Emily Ratcliffe was, before she married, Emily Jones a member of the Budda Jones family who were fishermen on the Dee.  My great uncle George Jones carried on the tradition and I remember going with him and my father fishing on the Dee.  He used to call the Docks at Connah's Quay the Dee Hole.  Down by the railway bridge at Shotton it was called the Swim.  He told me when someone went missing in the river the  fishermen would get 10/- if they found whoever it was.  He said it subsidised their incomes when the fishing was poor!!!  He also told me at certain times of the year the Budda Jones family and Bithels from Flint would have races in their fishing boats up the river from Connah's Quay to Flint.  This apparently was a yearly event.