Llandudno Junction

[edit] It takes its name from Llandudno Junction railway station, built in 1858 as the junction for the Llandudno branch line; the town of Llandudno lies 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Llandudno Junction. When the railway station was built, it straddled the boundary between the parish of Llangystennin and the part of the parish of Eglwys Rhos which was within the ancient borough boundaries of Conwy. A parish called Llanrhos was created in 1894 for the part of Eglwys Rhos within the Conwy borough boundaries. The parish of Llangystennin was abolished in 1934, and the settlement of Llandudno Junction that had grown up around the station was thereafter placed wholly in the parish of Llanrhos in the borough of Conwy. Local employment opportunities changed significantly in the latter quarter of the 20th century owing to the loss not only of the railway depots but also of a major electrical manufacturing facility (Hotpoint), of which part of the old factory site is under planning application for three more Car Dealerships. Another part of the factory site was bought by the Welsh Government and construction began in 2007 on a new office building that houses around 525 employees, including about 100 tourism, transport and enterprise jobs which were relocated from Cardiff. The keys to the building were officially handed over from the developers in May 2010. The Old Station Hotel stands opposite the railway station. It is known locally as 'The Killer' or in Welsh 'Y Killer'. One version of the myth on how it got its name is that train drivers would get drunk there, then drive trains, effectively turning them into possible 'Killers'. Another version states that this is where the railway workers would spend their lunch breaks, i.e. 'killed time'.