has some interesting musings today about the lack of facilities if you're in need of underwear in Denbigh!
There is a serious point though and it's looking at the plans for the redevelopment of Station Yard to make way for another supermarket in Denbigh which is of interest to the Ruthin blog which was started as a result of Tesco moving to the town.
All it took was a few emails to the media earlier this week and now leukaemia sufferer will get the 拢90,000 treatment he was previously denied by the Health Commission Wales (HCW).
Hiding behind the "we cannot comment on individual cases" line [why can't anonymity be waived by the patient?] - the HCW defends its earlier decision by saying the 'individual patient commissioning panel does review its decision when additional evidence from clinicians is presented'.
But two days after Tim's family and friends sent out emails to the Press to highlight his case - the HCW has done a U-turn.
What caused the change of heart? Was it pressure from the Press, the current wave of criticism against them or the ?
There's yet more bad press for the health service today following on from our previous blog, Give us the good news first. But this time it's health officials themselves coming in for it.
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Water from the underground lakes at Ruthin - once sold to the Royal Family - will be available to taste once again as part of the Vale of Clwyd Heritage Weekend.
You can find out more about Ruthin's soda water producers who set up business in the town in the 1800s from our local history mini site. Meanwhile, points out that samples have been taken and show the water is still safe to drink!
Another Wenglish entry as dwi'n dysgu Cymraeg [I'm learning Welsh]
Dylwn ni defynddio ein Cymraeg ni yn gyntaf wrth dechrau sgwrs achos ar Ddydd Iau mae hi'n ddiwrnod 'Cymraeg yn Gyntaf'.
[We should be using our Welsh first when starting a conversation because Thursday is called 'Welsh First'.]
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Gwyn Roberts of Llanberis mountain rescue team has issued a warning to people out walking over Snowdon that they should not simply rely on advice from the internet if they are to successfully navigate the mountain.
His call comes in today's which reports that a couple became stuck in cloud on Snowdon because they were relying on an internet route map for their bearings - but had no map or compass.
Gwyn says: 鈥淪nowdon is a physical, not a virtual, mountain.鈥
There's praise for the local health service and cynicism for the Press accused of reflecting on only bad stories - so say contributors to an earlier blog entry, A health service to be proud of?
The mood is perhaps best reflected by Amanda who says: "The number of good stories far outweigh the number of bad stories, but they don't make exciting reading or generate the same discussions and debates and political ammunition."
Is that true?
As I write this, my colleagues in are preparing an article about a case of so-called 'postcode health lottery' - where a patient is apparently being denied funding for treatment from his local health board although cash is offered to pay for the same treatment in other counties.
It's an important story, don't you think - even though it doesn't make for 'good' reading?
PS. I should mention the small matter of a 拢16m investment in a new fleet of 116 vehicles for the Welsh Ambulance Service, according to .
What did you think of which was held over the weekend? The women in our group were particularly taken by TV chef while the chaps enjoyed sampling beers from local brewers like Purple Moose and .
There are food festival highlights in photos and film available from the organiser's website: .
Well done to for being quick off the mark and reporting the findings of a report by school inspectors Estyn who have slammed the running of education in Denbighshire, labelling the management of the service as "ineffective".
Now I never thought I'd be contemplating using words like 'stunna' after deciding against a career in the tabloids - but I wanted to tell you that local girl and Page 3 pin-up [no, this doesn't link to the girl herself as this is a family blog!] has decided to quit the world of 'glamour' to work in Africa.
I'm always impressed when people take the big step to change their lives and try something different. And Cherry Limburt - that's her real name - from Buckley plans to live in Africa for three months every year, trying to build a new home for a family in , the largest city in The Gambia.
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We'd be interested to hear your personal experiences of the NHS - is it really that bad? - because there seems to be a lot wrong at the moment.
We've heard recently of the plan to make patients requiring in North Wales travel down south rather than pop across to Liverpool for treatment. [I can be passing the 'just cook, will you!' in Liverpool city centre in 40 minutes from Wrexham whereas it takes at least three hours to reach Cardiff by train]
Then yesterday we heard of the plan to merge our managing healthcare in NE Wales - but unions are worried it will lead to job cuts and a reduction in patient services, says today's .
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Written by John Shone, senior broadcast journalist for 麻豆社 Wales
Wrexham auctioneer Dan Evans brings down the gavel for the last time today at one of the town's oldest businesses - Seth Hughes and Son. The family firm, founded in 1875, is holding its last auction before closing down at the end of September. Mr Evans, 67, who married the founder's grand-daughter, is retiring after 40 years and there's no one in the family to carry on the business.
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Do you think that would be a good way to help revive Rhyl's fortunes - following the closure this month of the fun fair?
It's an idea already being tabled by the Coastal Renewability Trust (CRT) who meet tomorow to discuss the plans, according to the .
Take a look at an old photo of the pier which was demolished in the '70s and add your comments to our section, Rhyl views.
, 70, from Ruthin, is quietly getting on with the business of raising money for a charity he set up and he's hardly made any fuss.
What's he doing? You may ask. He's only rowing 300 miles along inland waterways from St Asaph to London in a homemade boat with his terrier for company. Thanks heavens for people like Nigel! He seems a right character.
I just wish we'd heard about his antics earlier as we could have used also sorts of new media to follow his adventure from websites like which can track your location via your mobile phone - to overlaying his overnight lay-ups - in a tent on the riverbank - on .
I'd also liked to have loaned him our camera phone and he could have emailed in photos or sent them straight to photo sharing sites like the one we have on .
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Another Wenglish entry as dwi'n dysgu Cymraeg [I'm learning Welsh]
Nawr, dwi'n gwybod dan ni wedi bod ar wyliau o'n dosbarth Cymraeg ni dros yr haf, ond dwi wedi defnyddio fy Nghymraeg pob diwrnod yn ystod yr amser hon - dwi'n addo!
[Now I know that we have been on holiday from our Welsh classes over the summer, but I have been using my Welsh every day - I promise]
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Here are links to some of the news stories and blogs which have caught my eye this morning:
- looks at the issue of the marketing bumpf in a new housing development in town and questions whether congestion on the A55 and A494 really does make the area a 鈥済reat location鈥 for commuters 鈥渇urther afield to Liverpool and Chester鈥.
- [the website set up by protesters to a housing development plan] says they are gaining support for their campaign - from NT members visiting Erddig. Incidentally, we blogged yesterday about Erddig winning a TV popularity vote.
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A press release from the says , has been voted one of the top 10 historic sites in the UK, and number one in the historic house category.
programme last night revealed the results of the 600,000 votes cast showing that the house received 12,000 votes making it eighth in the poll behind Stonehenge, HMS Victory, Liverpool Cathedral, Tamworth Castle, Lincoln Castle, Hadrian鈥檚 Wall and York Minster.
We're building up quite an archive about Erddig [view history], and only this morning we received some old family photos from a contributor showing scenes from around the grounds in the '50s.
What makes it so popular?
The raises an interesting point about the fact that the price of fuel in Ruthin and Denbigh is higher than it is in Mold and Wrexham. Is it because people in the countryside have less choice to shop around and, therefore, the petrol stations can charge more, or is it something else?
https://rhuthun.blogspot.com points out that locals "need to travel" so is it right that people who have to travel further should pay more for the privilege?
Did you catch a year in the life of Michael Owen last night on Sky One? We got a brief glimpse around his 拢2m home at Soughton Hall, Sychdyn - nice pool and gym, Michael - and a good look around the paddocks.
Now I finally understand what's going on there after regularly driving past his country pile - en route to the A55 - because, over the last year, the fields around his home have been vastly improved.
The reason for this has been because Soughton Hall ties in with his new venture in horse racing, an impressive stables called Manor House at Malpas, Cheshire [more info from ].
Whilst Manor House has the gallops and facilities to train race horses - one of Michael and his wife Louise's main passions - their home at Soughton Hall will house their 'blood stock', he told the cameras last night.
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Flintshire Council have come back to us following the blog last week [Our recyclables are still being dumped in landfill] in which they say the recyclables market is tough and it's not always easy to find someone to take the rubbish off their hands and repurpose it.
The statement reads: "It should be noted that we have resecured an outlet for wood waste but this will remain a difficult market to maintain due to the fact that most of the wood waste received is treated in some way or other and it is virgin off cuts and old pallets (without paint or colour) that can normally be recycled but which forms a very small part of the wood waste residents deliver to our recycling parks."
And they have some more bad news...
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There didn't seem to be much love for Corwen's old statue of Owain Glyndwr - widely regarded as too short - so are you any happier with the new 'life-size' character complete with charger?
He does now look more [when he played William Wallace in Braveheart] than [5ft 1in or 153cm] but surely height doesn't make him a better man. Does it?
Overnight we've received a couple of comments from people keen to make their feelings known [see previous blog] - but the issue for them has been more about the cost - 拢125,000. But that's not necessarily important as it has been paid for from a lot of different sources and not just from the public purse, according to .
So Flintshire Council is no longer objecting to the plans to widen the A494 at Queensferry, according to .
Local councillors George Hardcastle, Helen Gambino of Aston and Buckley councillor Carol Ellis aren't happy and were quick to issue a statement saying they played no part in the decision which came following talks between the barristers of both the council and the assembly.
A quick trawl of the web and newspaper back pages shows that our very own Michael Owen is back on form and a hero again after scoring two goals in England's 3-0 victory over Russia last night.
The says he's the toast of England (!) this morning and goes on to say "if ever a player signaled he is back to his world best it was Michael Owen."
Meanwhile, the says 'lethal Owen back', while the says he left ' Russia reeling like a bear with a sore head'.
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Our house is resembling these days with 'rubbish' piling high - all in the name of recycling - and yet it's apparently still going in the landfill!
We've got a composter, and bins for cardboards, plastics - separating hard and soft plastics, of course - paper - separating shredded paper with newspaper and magazines [and don't put your old directories in there, or else], as well as saving old books, clothes and shoes.
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It was fascinating to see so many runners (1336 to be precise) of all shapes and sizes competing in the Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon 2007 yesterday - and many of them passing me in my first race since a schoolboy 20+ years since.
I regard myself as reasonably fit and yet guys and women in their 50s and 60s breezed by me after I started to really hurt at mile 11. Like the inexperienced racer I am, I was running other people's races - keeping up with the person in front - rather than running my own race. You might be able to do that for a sprint but not for 13 miles!
So if I was the hare the older and wiser runners were tortoises and that's why I staggered home in 746th place in a time of 1:58. Congratulations to all who entered. See you next year? I doubt it!
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Satellite TV viewers will be able to watch on Sky One [Sept 16, 9pm], giving a glimpse into the private life of one of our most famous and yet private residents of Flintshire.
Even though he plays for Newcastle United, he, his wife and family still live in Lower Soughton Hall, Northop. And the TV trailer I saw last night seemed to show Michael and his family walking around their 拢2m-plus estate.
I don't about you, but I'm looking forward to seeing around Lower Soughton Hall!
A four-year-old girl was ordered to take down the hood of her woollen cardigan in a Rhyl amusement arcade - in case she was a so-called 'hoodie' thug, reports .
Karen's mum, Cherly says: "I appreciate there is bad publicity about hoodies, but a four-year-old girl is an entirely different issue."
She's right, of course. I was in the Spar on Rhosddu Road, Wrexham, this morning when the shop assistant barked at a leather-clad biker to remove his helmet as he stood in line to pay for his 'paper.
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Flintshire Council is to change a mis-spelled road sign, says , as one entrance to a street in Higher Kinnerton reads "Lesters Lane", while at the other end it is called "Leicesters Lane."
Interesting story in this week's which says a property group wants to redevelopment the former Kwik Save supermarket and adjacent land with 19 retail units, a supermarket and a restaurant/caf茅 bar.
An exhibition of the plans goes on show next week at Denbigh Town Hall.
While tributes are being paid around the world following the death of opera singer , closer to home people are remembering the first time he came to North Wales for the .
Also, we've got archive footage with the big man himself recalling singing in Llan as a 19-year-old with the Choral Rossini, a male chorus from Modena in northern Italy.
The contentious Hafod Landfill site - where rubbish from Merseyside is being dumped in Wrexham - is back in the news, this time with the company running the site saying it is to take legal action seeking 拢5.5 million from Wrexham Council for preventing it from extracting minerals from the site. Find out more from
An era came to an end over the weekend with the closure of Rhyl's old fun fair. And to mark this the newspaper put together a slideshow of old photos of the complex with being shared. Your memories and photos are also being shared with our Rhyl mini site.
While many have been saying the complex has been looking tired and rundown for a long time, not everyone is happy about the plan to turn the site into a housing and retail park.
Contributor Barry addss his thoughts to Rhyl views: "I have just seen the plans for the former site. '60s throw back apartments with a supermarket thown in, probabaly one of the big three.The council and the Welsh Assembly should be questioned about their vision for the future."
There is to be a direct rail link between Wrexham and London from next spring, according to a report today by .
Whilst this is to be welcomed, would you prefer to see cash spent on faster train services to Cardiff - or are you happy with our lot?
| 10:07 UK time, Friday, 28 September 2007
