Category: News

Pilgrims’ progress is the modern day path to prosperity in North Wales

Dewi Davies of Tourism Partnership North Wales at St Asaph Cathedral

A new trail for modern day pilgrims is a path to prosperity for North Wales.

The 150-mile North Wales Pilgrim’s Way, which takes 10 to 11 days to complete, is already attracting religious and non-religious tourists from far and wide.

It starts at Basingwerk Abbey, near Holywell, in Flintshire, and ends on Bardsey Island, off the Llŷn Peninsula.

The idea is being backed by all the local authorities in North Wales, ancient monuments organisation Cadw and Tourism Partnership North Wales.

According to Tourism Partnership, who are responsible for the strategic development of the visitor economy, walking holidays are a key part of their strategy.

Walking is one of the most popular physical activities in the UK, with 44.5 per cent of adults regularly enjoying a walk of more than two miles.

Dewi Davies, the Regional Strategy Director of Tourism Partnership, said: “The Pilglrims’ Way is an important element of our strategy to see North Wales as one of the top five destinations in the UK.

“We can only achieve this aim by providing the visitors with an outstanding experience that is enriching or inspirational.

“We set about developing new trails and the Welsh Government has led the way with the creation of the Wales Coast Path.

“Not all the walkers we get now are pilgrims but people who are not religious will be enriched by our heritage and culture – and often go back with a concept of spiritual life.

“If the route to salvation does not appeal to today’s walkers, the trail still offers excellent walking and breathtaking views.

“The North Wales Pilgrims’ Way will be certainly be inspirational and is another great reason to visit the region.”

At Basingwerk Abbey a 3D model has been developed so that visitors will be able to examine details of St Winefride’s Well on a mobile ‘phone.

Computer experts are looking  at making a 3D model of St Cybi’s Well near Pwllheli for visitors to be able to interpret the site using a mobile phone.

At Penrallt near Pwllheli, campsite owners are investigating whether to set up pilgrim pods for overnight stays for walkers.

At Llangernyw in Conwy the church is examining whether its old school can be put to community use, including a hostel for pilgrims.

Talks are to be held with a Trewlawnyd landowner who is considering whether to provide land for pilgrim’s accommodation.

The Archdeacon of St Asaph, the Venerable Christopher Potter, who, with his wife Jenny helped devise the route after being inspired by a pilgrimage to Spain, is planning to walk the Pilgrim’s Way starting out on July 1 at 1pm from Basingwerk Abbey, near Holywell.

He said: “The West Highland Way which has evolved over a long period of time, has got all kinds of accommodation including hikers’ pods and bunk houses.

“Long term we would love to have this kind of variety of accommodation across North Wales and want to encourage landowners and caravan site owners to think about setting up one night stop-overs.

“Penrallt coastal camp site near Pwllheli are considering the idea of pilgrim pods and I am meeting with a landowner on Tuesday who has land near Trelawnyd and is interested in researching the possibilities. What we need is evidence that people would make use of such accommodation.

“The Yew tree in St Digain’s churchyard in Llangernyw is reputed to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old and is believed to be the oldest living thing in Britain. The church owns the old school and is looking into the possibilities of refurbishing it for future multi functional uses including a pilgrim’s hostel. Of course the village also has facilities like the pub which make it an ideal location.

“The idea of a pilgrimage is not simply a long distance walking path but something which dips into local communities where pilgrims can find rest and hospitality where they can be assured they will be refreshed. It is not about the destination but about the journey.”

“Walkers can download a Landranger smart app to their mobile and see the whole route of the North Wales Pilgrim’s Way. The technology which is available is fantastic. At some sites it will be possible to use your mobile to present an overlay to show what some derelict sites may have looked like.”

Karen Padmore, chief executive at Bangor’s Centre for Applied Special Technology, works with the committee developing the route.

The Imagina Atlantica project, involving seven partners from four countries exposed to the Atlantic – Wales, France, Spain and Portugal  – is exploring ways of promoting new image technologies and the digital promotion of heritage.

As part of that project Karen’s team has produced a model of St Winefride’s Well using scanned data provided by CADW which can be looked at on a smartphone. It produces a 3D model
which you can zoom into.

“Other sites we are going to look at include Bangor Cathedral and St Cybi’s well near Pwllheli. Unlike St Winefride’s this site does not have the same architectural interest so we thought we could produce an image of the saint to appear on the smartphone like an apparition accompanied perhaps by appropriate music and poetry and the story behind the well.”

Peter Hewlett of Walking North Wales said: “I like that it is a serious walk, it is a real pilgrimage which re-introduces a more challenging aspect, it is a credible walk and very well chosen.

“It will be good for bringing visitors into North Wales, particularly if we can develop an economic route.”

For more information go to: www.pilgrims-way-north-wales.org

Thursday July 19th, 2012

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Chorley mum raises funds for deaf children’s charity which helps her son

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BIG HEARTED shoppers and supermarket staff have helped a Chorley mum and her profoundly deaf little boy raise vital funds for a children’s charity.

Joanne Speakman, a sales assistant at Iceland in Market Walk shopping centre, organised a cake bake at the Chorley store and raised more than £300 for the National Deaf Children’s Society(NDCS).

The charity has been a constant source of advice and support to Joanne whose three-year-old son, Connor Whittaker, was diagnosed as profoundly deaf when he was just two weeks old.

Connor communicates using a mixture of sign language and lip reading which he is very good at. He also has very well developed speech despite his disability.

Joanne, 25, of Rivington Road, said: “Connor is the only deaf person in my family and so it was a shock when we found out but I remember thinking to myself at the time that I came in with the same little boy and I am going out with the same little boy.

“We have always tried to see it as a positive. A chance to learn something new and Connor copes amazingly with it all.

“He is such a happy and content child. He really does seem to take it all in his stride and never sees it as a problem. So we don’t either and it doesn’t stop him from having a go at anything.”

NDCS is the leading charity ‘dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people.’

One of its current national fundraising campaigns is the Big Cake Bake which aims to raise £10,000.

The charity supports around 45,000 deaf children and their families from diagnosis through to independence, offering impartial information and support in areas from audiology to education and social issues.

Recently Joanne and Connor attended a weekend workshop event which gave Joanne lots of advice about school applications and considering which one is best for her son’s needs.

It is this invaluable support which has prompted Joanne to raise money for the charity which she couldn’t have done without the support of her colleagues and customers.

She said: “We are a bit of a family here at Iceland and my friends here were fantastic. All I did was put up a sign to say I was doing it and every single member of staff did something to help from making cakes to standing with me on the stall for six and a half hours selling them.

“Our customers were so generous too and I was pretty amazed when I counted up to find we raised £325.”

Also impressed was Market Walk marketing manager, Annalisa Johnson, who said: “Joanne and her colleagues should be congratulated on their efforts for such a successful cake bake.

“It is a brilliant cause made especially poignant by little Connor who is one of the children who benefits directly from this charity and I would like to thank our generous shoppers for supporting the event and helping to raise this terrific amount of money.”

Her thanks were echoed by Clare Salter, NDCS Corporate, Community and Events Manager, who said: “We are very grateful to Joanne and Connor for taking part in our Big Cake Bake and raising money to support our vital work with deaf children.

“Every penny helps, and our £10,000 target will help us to deliver weekends for families whose child has just been diagnosed as deaf.

“These weekends are a lifeline for many parents, providing them with emotional support and much-needed information about their child’s deafness.”

“We encourage other families in Chorley to sign up to our Big Cake Bake campaign and help us continue our work to break down barriers for deaf children.”

To find out more about Market Walk shopping centre go to www.marketwalkchorley.co.uk

For more information on NDCS and the Big Cake Bake go to www.ndcs.org.uk/bigcakebake

Wednesday July 18th, 2012

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Centenarian is still Queen of Council

Rhos Nursing Home in Malltraeth Pictured is Ann Hughes with100 year old Mrs M A Roberts.

A centenarian from Anglesey is believed to be the oldest community councillor in the UK.

And with 75 years’ service under her belt, Mary Augusta Edwards – fondly know as MA – is also the longest serving school governor in the country.

Twenty six years after helping to ensure that planning permission was given for the Rhos care home, in Malltraeth, the remarkable 100 year old  is now benefitting from the decision.

She  now attends the home for day care each Friday – and is proud and delighted with the way the place has developed.

Mrs Edwards has another reason to be pleased, for it was she who officially opened the original building in 1987 and its later extension.

“She has been closely linked with the home right from the very beginning,” said owner Ann Hughes, a member of Care Forum Wales who took over the business 11 years ago. “She’s an amazing woman.”

She has made a massive contribution to the life of the island community, which was recognized last year when she was presented with a bouquet by Anglesey County Council. At a meeting in Llangefni Councillor Bob Parry described her as “The Queen of the Council”.

She lost her husband, local GP JO Edwards, when she was only 31 but, as a nurse, she kept the surgery open through locum doctors until 1948.

“MA” said she decided to enter public life to show her appreciation for the kindnesses shown to her.

“I thought it was time to put something back and to help people have amenities which I had not had in those early days, including electricity and sewerage,” she said.

She was elected to represent Bodorgan on Aethwy District Council in 1948 and was twice chairman before it disappeared under reorganization in 1974. In that year she was made an MBE for her work in the area. She then become a member of Anglesey County Council, on which she served
until 1996 and was Mayor in 1976-77.

She is still a member of Bodorgan Community Council and, with 75 years’ service at the village school, is the longest-serving school governor in the UK.

She still lives alone in the house which she and her husband had built in nearby Bethel and enjoys keeping the garden in trim.

“I also enjoy reading and listening to music, though I can’t sing a note,” she joked.

Having been at the centre of village life for so long “MA” knows the staff and other residents at Rhos very well, and describes her weekly visits as “like being home from home”.

“I love coming here for a chat, and it really is an exceptional home,” she said.  “I can’t praise the staff too highly, they are always prepared to go the extra mile,” she added.

The centenarian, who has two sons and a daughter, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, has an amazing memory and a wealth of anecdotes based on her experiences in the community and as a councillor.

She has been presented to the Queen several times and is now pleased that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live such a short distance from her home village.

“She’s often in the village shop and it’s lovely that they’re living here,” she commented.

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, was full of admiration for Mrs Edwards’ fantastic contribution to public life.

Mr Kreft said: “Mrs Edwards is a shining example to all of us, her continuing dedication is extraordinary. She is still the Queen of the Council.”

Monday July 16th, 2012

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Housing association boss praised for inspiring a green revolution

Andrew Bowden, chief executive Cartrefi Conwy

The head of a housing association has been honoured after inspiring a “green revolution”.

Andrew Bowden, the Chief Executive of Cartrefi Conwy, was highly commended at the Institute of Directors’ Wales Director of the Year Awards.

The glittering ceremony was hosted by ITV Wales presenter Andrea Byrne at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff.

Mr Bowden was shortlisted in the environmental category for his “visionary leadership” of the housing association and in particular his commitment to reducing their carbon footprint.

News about the honour comes hot on the heels of an announcement about a £4 million scheme to transform a housing estate.

Cartrefi Conwy will be using a pioneering type of eco-friendly, external wall insulation to renovate more than 250 homes on the Peulwys estate overlooking Old Colwyn.

In addition, the installation of new boiler systems, loft insulation and draft proofing will help slash around 40 per cent off tenants’ fuel bills.

The massive project will also be good for the planet – it’s estimated that carbon emissions will be reduced by 52 thousand tonnes over a 25 year period.

The same system was used on a much smaller scheme involving 50 bungalows in Rhos on Sea, earning Cartrefi Conwy Gold in the prestigious Green Apple Awards.

Mr Bowden said: “I think this recognition by the IOD further demonstrates my commitment to improving the environment and reducing C02 emissions.

“The ethos of Cartrefi Conwy is about saving and improving the environment – it’s informed what we do and how we do it.

“The majority of Cartrefi Conwy tenants have suffered from increasing prices in fuel energy and the risk of our tenants getting into fuel poverty is something about which I was concerned from the very beginning.

“Wherever we could, we have been improving the energy efficiency of our tenants’ homes through loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, double glazing, replacing front and back doors and in some location installing solar panels to provide free hot water.

“I think the project on the Peulwys estate is going to be a real showcase for North Wales.

“Of vital importance is showing Cartrefi Conwy’s commitment to one of our big estates where the properties were of a non-traditional style.

“The spectacular location overlooking the sea has fantastic views but it is very exposed so the homes were difficult to heat – 230 homes are going to get that improvement.

“That improvement is not only going to make those homes feel warmer and more comfortable it is also going to reduce energy costs.

“We have also designed in the colour scheme and the visual improvement of the homes. The external transformation will also be fantastic.”

Pam Lonie, the Chair of the Cartrefi Conwy Board, praised Mr Bowden’s “visionary leadership”.

She said: “Andrew is committed to adopting a forward thinking approach and he has enthused the whole of the team at Cartrefi Conwy to take ownership of this green revolution.

“As as a result Cartrefi Conwy is at the forefront in terms of energy reduction and cost savings on fuel bills. That’s good for the planet and it’s good for our tenants.”

Monday July 9th, 2012

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