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David Niven
British film actor David Niven 1910-1983 who starred in over eighty films including such classics as prisoner of Zenda 1937, Wuthering Heights 1939, The Bishops Wife 1947, Pink Panther 1963, and The Guns Of Navarone 1961 was one of three judges who was called upon to judge Britain's Neptune's Daughter final at Prestatyn's Tower Beach Holiday Camp in 1950.The winner Nineteen year old hairdresser's receptionist Sylvia Wren of Dagenham pictured crowned by David Niven was presented with prizes that comprised of a fortnight's holiday in Hollywood, and a complete holiday wardrobe of clothes.
During his visit the manager of the camp was asked by David Niven if he knew where his actor friend Emlyn Williams lived as a boy, and told him that it was at the White Lion Inn, Glanrafon, in a quaint little village three miles from the camp, and went on to tell him that he knew of someone who would take him up there, afterwards introducing him to Bill Jones of Bill Jones' Taxi's Prestatyn, who subsequently drove David Niven up to The White Lion only to discover it was closed, Bill knocked loudly on the door of the pub and a woman opens a top window and shouts "what do you want?", Bill replies I have the actor David Niven here who wants to see where Emlyn Williams lived as a boy", with an angry tone in her voice the woman shouts back "oh yes and i'm Marilyn Monroe", and promptly slams the window shut.
Towee Beach Holiday Camp was demolished in 2001 and today Tower Gardens Estate stands on the site of the old camp.
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