Colwyn Bay - Attractions, Famous people, Schools

53º18N 3º43W, pop (2001e) 32 000. Seaside resort town in NW Wales; administrative centre of Conwy unitary authority; railway; theatre; mountain zoo; annual summer fishing festival; tourism.

The A55 road cuts through it along side Colwyn Bay railway station on the North Wales Coast Line.

Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a Municipal Borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes (known as communities in Wales), of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay contained just 9,742 people at the 2001 census.

Attractions

Attractions in Colwyn Bay include its Victorian Pier and Welsh Mountain Zoo.

Colwyn Bay hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1910, 1947 and 1995.

Colwyn Bay shown within Conwy UA

Famous people

Famous people from the town include Monty Python star Terry Jones, two-time James Bond actor Timothy Dalton, tree surgeon Richard Clifton and Big Breakfast presenter Paula Yates, who famously had relationships with Bob Geldof, and Michael Hutchence of INXS.

Schools

Colwyn Bay is home to three secondary schools, one private and two state. One of the state schools is Eirias High School, located in Eirias Park, and the other being Ysgol Bryn Elian, which is located between Old Colwyn and Colwyn Bay. Ysgol Bryn Elian mainly serves Old Colwyn and Eirias High School mainly serves Colwyn Bay, Rhos on Sea and Penrhyn Bay.