The author explores the lesser-told history of the children who lived in this North Wales castle once used for I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here - a worthwhile read with some Baptist involvement in the story, too The castle became famous beyond North Wales in 2020, when the I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here TV show team were looking for alternatives to their usual base in Australia, which was now off limits. They decided that Gwrych Castle made the perfect location. Visiting Gwrych Castle in 2021 It was clear from the start that the stand in team you had organised had no idea what they were doing, where they were going and had no clue what was going on. The members of the team openly admitted to us that they had been “thrown in at the deep end” and know “as much as you do” about the event, claiming that they’d been brought in last minute. They didn’t know where they would be going to, had no idea how to get round the castle, which is a whole issue in itself. They’d never been there before and numerous times throughout the evening we heard them on the radios to each other asking “can someone show me which room is which please” and completely making it up as they went along. At certain times staff members just wandered off leaving people in the castle alone, I was genuinely amazed at what you had provided, considering this had been booked for over 8 months now, to have a stand in team put in at short notice is completely unacceptable given the fact that we’ve spent over 2 hours each way to get to the castle and not forgetting the entrance fee. This was an absolute calamity. Henry glanced at his terrified friend, who was still desperately attempting to explain himself in a language that the police officer could not comprehend. He offered to translate for his friend as best he could. The officer seemed to spend a moment attempting to make sense of the situation, before asking, ‘Are you from the castle?’

In 2020 and 2021, at the height of the Covid pandemic, Gwrych Castle was familiar to the British public as the setting of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Lesser known is that, at the beginning of the Second World War, this once-grand country house in North Wales became home to around two hundred Jewish refugee children who had been rescued from Europe on the Kindertransport. By the beginning of 1940, the youngsters were starting to emerge from the darkness of their recent past and had the opportunity to behave, probably for the first time, as teenagers do. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Lots of free car parking. The property is dog friendly too. Well worth a visit.If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us The remainder came from various places, including 31 of them who arrived straight from the very final Kindertransport to escape the European mainland. The 200 included Gerard Friedenfeld, who had been put on a Kindertransport train by his parents in Prague in May 1939. The war was coming closer. British planes chasing German bombers with the released bombs caused destruction and death in the locality. Perhaps the final highlight was the observing of Yom Kippur in October.

After a short while, one of them noticed a policeman walking in their direction. Henry alerted his friends and a sense of dread rapidly spread through the group. They turned away, scattered and ran. Looking at the castle, it’s not surprising that Gwrych Castle has had its fair share of unexplained and unexplainable goings-on. A steely tale of resilience, displacement and community, this book tells the largely unknown story of the transformation of Gwrych castle near Abergele into a home for over two hundred Jewish refugee children during the Second World War.Members of the Gwrych community were particularly welcomed by local farmers who were faced with the twin challenges of being required to increase production at a time when their sons and agricultural workers were being sent to war. Henry replied simply, and with a shrug, ‘In Germany, if a police officer approaches Jewish children, that means trouble.’ If you’re interested in the spookier side of Gwrych Castle, you can go on one of the regular ghost tours. There are special tours at Halloween. The main house is in a sad state. It feels pretty spooky even in the sunshine. How to get to Gwrych Castle By car