Old Davidean in the Spotlight
Old Davidean Adam Williams the owner of Llandudno Pier is starring in a new six-part ITV series featuring the lives of those who work on and around the Victorian Pier.
Viewers meet stall owners, entertainers, and tour boatmen whose livelihoods depend on the existence of the Pier, which has gone through a tumultuous period over the last year and a half as the rest of the world has.
During the first episode, Adam said: “I think Llandudno’s a one-off location in the world. You’ve got a sweeping bay, you’ve got two big Ormes, and the Pier just juts off the end of the bay.”
Adam says he agreed to do the documentary series because he knows the film crew well after they’ve worked together filming harness racing at his Tir Prince Raceway in Towyn.
“It’s a six-part series in Wales but it’s going out on ITV nationwide in a four-part on November 4,” said Adam.
“I’m very pleased because it’s a huge advert for the Pier and North Wales.”
Adam said to keep the Grade 2 listed structure in good shape he has to spend £250,000 a year just on surveys and any repairs that need doing underneath of the giant structure.
“It’s not the salt that’s the problem, it’s the sea that chucks five-tonne rocks at it during stormy weather.”
Adam’s new sparkling new £1m Ferris wheel has become the talk of the seaside town much to his delight Adam Williams, who said his famous travelling showman dad Billy Williams would have been "very proud".
Adam’s has the same work ethic as his father. By the age of 15 he was already running his father’s nightclub called Downtown in Rhyl.
“I remember closing the shutters around 2am or 3am and getting a taxi home and then I’d be up at 6.30am to get the bus to St David’s College, in Llandudno, on Saturday morning for school,” he said with a laugh.
Episode 5 of the series aired last night (1st November) on ITV Wales at 8:30pm with the final installment on 8th November. All episodes are available on ITV Hub.
