THE family of a prominent publican and fairground owner paid tribute to the “master of ceremonies”.
Harold Robinson, who ran Ocean Beach in Rhyl and the Park Hotel and pub in Pensarn, died after a long illness aged 69.
His daughter Julie, of Kinmel Bay, said: “He came to Rhyl in 1952 and worked on the amusement park, which he went on to own with Dave Skelly.
“People came to Rhyl and it was the highlight of their year. He touched lives and made lots of people happy.”
Miss Robinson described her father as ‘an honest gentleman’, which was demonstrated by the number of people who watched his coffin carried on a horse drawn carriage to St Margaret’s Church in Bodelwyddan on September 30.
She said: “The funeral was the mirror image of the man he was. It reflected his respect for other people and what we felt for him, by giving him a send off.”
Despite recollections of the glamour of the funfair, Miss Robinson said the most precious memories of her father were in the last few weeks when the family drew together to care for him and spend time with him at home.
His wife Glenda, 69, who ran the Park Hotel with him for more than 20 years, said: “We had a very happy time here. Lots of laughter. When the fairground was open, he used to come home at night and go straight behind the bar. He was like the master of ceremonies. He was a very handsome man, full of fun. Loved to have a dance with the girls on a Friday night.”
One of the most striking memories Glenda had of her husband was of his tame sparrow, which he found as a fledgling lying on the ground outside the pub.
She said: “He had a little bird called Gary. He picked him up from the ground when he was just a little pink blob and fed him on bread and milk. He had him seven years, and he used to sit on his shoulder. Gary died just before Harold.”
Mr Robinson is survived by his brother Elias, his daughter Tracy and granddaughter Olivia .
The family thanked well wishers for the hundreds of sympathy cards and asked for donations go to Macmillan Palliative Care, through the Park Hotel.