A GRANDDAUGHTER has penned a book after researching her family history.

Kathryn Nedd has written a book - titled White Socks and a Walking Stick - which is about her grandfather Albert Barnes who was the manager of Marine Lake and Ocean Beach in Rhyl from 1911 until his retirement in 1948.

Kathryn, who is married to Malcolm, grew up in the town. The book aims to give readers the chance to get a "sense" of her grandfather's achievements in the fairground and engineer world.

He is best know for his legacy the six Barnes Atlantics, the miniature steam engines that have taken passengers round the Marine Lake for nearly 100 years.

Kathryn, who now lives in Surrey, said: "Once I retired, I had time to start researching my family history. Both my father, Eric Hughes, and my grandfather, Albert Barnes, had been manager of the Marine Lake and Ocean Beach.

"I spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up. I knew my grandfather had been to Egypt to build a waterchute before coming to Rhyl where he had built the Figure Eight but there was so much I discovered once my research started.

"Although neither of his parents were educated, Albert succeeded in becoming a very well educated man of the world. Somewhere along the line, he moved from being a draughtsman to becoming an engineer.

"He ran the engineering works - Albion Works - which built many amusement rides but most significantly the Barnes Atlantics. These are six miniature steam engines which still exist today.

"You can still ride around the Marine Lake Rhyl pulled by original engines built by Albert at the Albion Works. In 2011 there was a centenary event which I was lucky enough to attend and the volunteers at The Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust managed to get all six of the original engines back to Rhyl for the event.

"On the platform of Central Station is the Albert Barnes Room, a small museum dedicated to my grandfather."

As well as being a successful amusement caterer and engineer, Albert was a councillor and served as chairman of Rhyl Urban District Council (UDC).

"He was a wonderful, generous grandfather and I am immensely proud of him," Kathryn added.

"I have traced my family tree back to 1520 and Albert was the first person to leave Yorkshire.

"He always wore white socks and had a walking stick. The sub-title - The Life of Albert Barnes – One of Rhyl’s Silent Forces - was inspired by a very complimentary article in the Rhyl Journal when he became chairman of UDC, they described him as one of Rhyl's silence forces. I thought that was a wonderful description."

The book is on sale though Rhyl Miniature Railway. It is available at Central Station and for www.rhylminiaturerailway.co.uk