Seal Ashore at Foryd, Rhyl

A good deal for a stranded seal - fishy handout for Rhyl’s sleek and adorable visitor

This cute fin-footed visitor is settling in nicely at Rhyl, having presumably been blown somewhat off-course and landed among astonished but adoring humans. He or she has a healthy appetite and the two-legged admirers are only too willing to provide – though we do not see here the owner of the hand that serves the delicious fish seal-meal.

The Shannon brothers, who made this film (it is thought circa 1920 because of the styling of the titles), knew that local footage such as this would help attract an audience to their Market Street cinema in Rhyl. Derek Shannon took over Rhyl’s Market Street cinema from Arthur Cheetham in May 1919, and with the Shannon Film Company produced local topicals covering events such as the Flying Week, Lifeboat Day and May Day celebrations.