Wet, Wet, Wet...

Water supply cut off in Suikerbossie and Llandudno

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation department is currently in the process of shutting down the water supply, which services areas such as Suikerbossie and Llandudno, due to the rupture on the pipeline.

Spokesperson for the department, Farouk Robertson said they had tried to repair the pipe on Saturday but the weather made it impossible. They are expected to complete work on the pipe by 5pm.

“We do apologise for any inconvenience caused but we have to keep our infrastructure in good condition.”

In this case, the pipeline is below the ground and could complicate things. Robertson added that they will try to restore the water as soon as possible.

Whew! Had us worried there, for a moment...

Pardon?

A judge was interviewing a lady regarding her pending divorce and he asked her, "What are the grounds for your divorce"?

She replied, "About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by."

"No," he said. "I mean, what is the foundation of this case"?

"Why, it is made of concrete, of course," she responded.

"I mean," he continued. "What are your relations like"?

"I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, as well as, my husband's parents."

He said, "Do you have a real grudge"?

"No," she replied. "We have a two car carports and have never really needed one."

"Please," he tried again. "Is there any infidelity in your marriage"?

"Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don't necessarily like the music, but the answer to your question is yes."

"Ma'am, does your husband ever beat you up"?

"Yes," she responded. "About twice a week,
he gets up earlier than I do."

Finally, frustrated and at the end of his rope, the judge asked, "Madam, why do you want a divorce"?

"Oh, I don't want a divorce," she replied.
"I've never wanted a divorce. It's my husband who does.
He says he can't communicate with me."

Gets your goat...

The familiar sight of the goats on the Great Orme is one of the attractions for visitors. These amiable but sometimes fearsome looking creatures comprise an ever-growing herd which the Local Authority has, in the past, culled. This, it seems, is now about to happen again.
An outcry is predictable, often from those who hate to see any human interference with wild animals. But is the herd now becoming too big for its own good? Conwy say this on their website:

Feral Great Orme Goats (Kashmir) available - ideal for conservation grazing

The breed is attractive and appealing to the public and full of character. It is not aggressive or easily stressed but is wary.

Due to the feral nature of the goats locations are being sought that would emulate their existing lifestyle. Therefore, locations are being sought for the relocation of small herds of goats, rather than individual animals. So, if you have a bit of land and would like to have a free Kashmir goat (and you can use the coat:-)) get in touch.

Anyone for sandcastles?

Long sunny days and artists with spades and a lot of time....






Now the weather's cheering up, perhaps we need to return to some decent sandcastle competitions.


Anyone for digging?

Why men shouldn't write advice columns..

Dear Roger,

I hope you can help me. The other day, I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV.

I hadn't driven more than a mile down the road when the engine conked out and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help.

When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with the neighbour's daughter. I am 32, my husband is 34, and the neighbour's daughter is 22. We have been married for ten years.

When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that they had been having an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would leave him. He was laid off six months ago and he says he has been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. He won't go to counselling and I'm afraid I can't get through to him anymore

Can you please help?

Sincerely, Sheila






Dear Sheila:

A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the injectors.

I hope this helps,

Roger

Wow!

Seems we're not doing that badly after all...

"Arriving in Llandudno's sunny town centre - all handsome Victorian shopfronts and happy families - we were pleasantly surprised. We had been warned that it was massively twee. And it was, but in a good way: faded candy-coloured buildings line the seafront; a shop on the old pier sells coloured seashells (unfortunately, sourced from exotic foreign beaches) and the old-fashioned sweet shops aren't trendy nostalgia merchants - they just never went away.

As we walked to the Escape Boutique B&B, it dawned on us that there were B&Bs everywhere we looked. Most had sad-looking "Rooms Available" signs hanging on the door, and many looked like they hadn't seen a lick of paint since 1967. We later found out that there are 3,000 bed spaces in this town, so one would presume competition is stiff.

How wonderful it was, then, to walk past the sweet little tram station and turn into Church Walks to find a row of grand 18th-century merchants' houses, resplendent with raised front gardens and fancy hedges. And one of them was "ours".

We were warmly greeted by Andrew, the general manager, and shown around the beautiful building that had been thoughtfully restored five years ago. Until then, it was a house whose upstairs had been split into five student flats, while the landlords had lived downstairs.

The current owners, Sam and Gaenor Nayar, had seen potential in the building. Noticing the faded beauty of the oak panelling in the lounge and dining room, the original parquet flooring, the hand-carved fireplace, the stained glass windows, they just couldn't resist. They bought it and spent nine months restoring it to its former glory.

And what a job they have done. There are nine individually designed bedrooms, all decorated with original 1960s furniture sourced from antiques fairs and eBay. Conran love chairs, sleek mirrored wardrobes and even sleeker chrome light fittings all sit against a classic 18th-century backdrop without looking at all contrived. It works.

Our room had a beautiful view of the Llandudno hills - endless fields of green - a flat-screen television and a shower about the size of my London flat. Aveda toiletries lined the bathroom shelves and the huge bed, with soft pillows and crisp white sheets, meant that we fell asleep before we had the chance to watch the film we'd borrowed from Escape's extensive (and free) DVD library.

After a truly unsurpassable sleep, we made our way down to the dining room for a hearty, delicious two-course breakfast cooked by Sam, who came out afterwards for a chat and to ask what we had planned for the day. We talked about the town of Llandudno and about his slight frustration with other businesses in the area refusing to move with the times, and the credit crunch and how it's holding up their plans for expansion.

"I think our next venture will be a family B&B - somewhere that's stylish and spacious and offers more than just a fold-out bed for the kids, although the banks aren't giving much out in the way of money at the moment. I'm off to see the bank manager today, actually."

It's evident that Sam and Gaenor really love what they're doing: they have plans to expand the Escape brand - and their beautiful B&B is fully booked at the moment. With that, and although we certainly had no reason to run away, we set off on our walk to Conwy - a charming town steeped in medieval history, and about 13 miles away if you take the scenic route - while Sam set off for his meeting with the bank manager."

Taxis and speed

Speed kills - or does it?

It isn't speed that kills. Speed - or more accurately - excessive speed, is simply one contributory factor in many accidents, among which the chief factor is simply poor driving. In fact, most accidents still count alcohol among the most significant causative factors in accidents in the UK.

That doesn't mean we favour taxis or anyone else being given the green light to race down Mostyn Street at 50 mph. In fact, variable speed limits would be an excellent idea, since Mostyn Street should - ideally - have a limit of no more than 20mph. Oh, and can we also try to do something about the young mothers who adopt the fascinating strategy of pushing their baby's chair into the road ahead of them to slow the traffic?

A little humour

DEAR ABBY admitted to being at a loss when faced with these questions....


Dear Abby,
What can I do about all the Sex, Nudity, Fowl Language and Violence on My VCR?

Dear Abby,
I have a man I can't trust. He cheats so much. I'm not even sure the baby I'm carrying is his.

Dear Abby,
I am a twenty-three year old liberated woman who has been on the pill for two years. It's getting expensive and I think my boyfriend should share half the cost, but I don't know him well enough to discuss money with him.

Dear Abby,
A couple of women moved in across the hall from me. One is a middle-aged gym teacher and the other is a social worker in her mid twenties. These two women go everywhere together and I've never seen a man go into or leave their apartment. Do you think they could be Lebanese?

Dear Abby,
I've suspected that my husband has been fooling around, and when confronted with the evidence, he denied everything and said it would never happen again.

Dear Abby,
Our son writes that he is taking Judo. Why would a boy who was raised in a good Christian home turn against his own?

Dear Abby,
I joined the Navy to see the world. I've seen it. Now how do I get out?

Dear Abby,
My forty year old son has been paying a psychiatrist £50.00 an hour every week for two and a half years. He must be crazy.

Dear Abby,
I was married to Bill for three months and I didn't know he drank until one night he came home sober.

Dear Abby,
My mother is mean and short tempered. I think she is going through mental pause.

Dear Abby,
You told some woman whose husband had lost all interest in sex to send him to a doctor. Well, my husband lost all interest in sex and he is a doctor. Now what do I do?

Olympics, here we come.

On July 12th the Llandudno Triathlon will see about 500 competitors from Europe and the UK, including British team members, flocking to the town, which should provide a big boost for the town's hotels and restaurants.

All three phases of the event will start and finish on North Shore promenade and include a 1500m sea swim, from Craig y Don to the sailing club, a challenging 38k cycle section around the Great Orme and a 10k run on the promenade.

July 12th is a Sunday, so both visitors and local alike will have a great opportunity to see members of our own Olympic team as they compete. Anywhere on the North shore prom will provide an excellent vantage spot for the swimming and for the thrilling cycle component, walk around the Marine Drive, which will be closed to traffic but open to walkers, and pop into the Rest and Be Thankful cafe, where you'll be able to sip a coffee and watch the riders as they struggle round the headland.

Cafe: 01492 870004

The Triathlon info centre: www.Xtra MileEvents.com or e-mail info@xtramilevents.com

Banging his head...

The Anglican Archbishop of Wales - Dr Barry Morgan - has a significant capacity for stating the obvious.

Addressing the Governing Body of the Church in Wales, he stressed that parenting was a serious commitment and that parents needed to work hard to stay together and to spend enough quality time with their children. He added "(We need to) to teach young people that parenthood is an awesome responsibility that requires both love and self sacrifice from parents committed to the child and to one another. We need to be teaching these basic concepts as well as parent-craft, in our schools from an early age, particularly to those who have not experienced it first hand, and not simply informing them about the mechanics of a sexual relationship and contraception divorced from the basic concepts of love, responsibility and self-respect."

So yet another responsibility to be assumed by the schools? Barry, old chap; let us explain. The only people who can teach children about parenting are their own parents. Not teachers, social workers, Bishops, firemen, doctors or plumbers. Parents. They know how it's done, they've rehearsed for years and they become pretty good at it. The problem lies with those parents who don't, can't or won't. They're the ones that cause the problems, they're the ones that have kids while they're still kids themselves, and they're the ones that have to be dealt with. Perhaps it's becoming time to think about radical action. Maybe the Chinese have it right.

Windfarms...

The appearance of the first turbines off Colwyn Bay was bound to ignite all sorts of controversy (see our 'quote of the week') but what we find particularly interesting is the nature of the public debate about them.

Those who oppose windfarms in this area do so out of a belief that they will damage the visual aspect of the area and, one assumes, erode the tourist-based economy by deterring visitors. But we wonder if they've really thought that through...

The view from Llandudno and Colwyn Bay is rather uninteresting. Of course, the visitors all love the open expanse of water, which is almost certainly an improvement on the city from which they've come (else why would they come at all?) but it is simply an open expanse of water, with very little of interest in it. No mountains to give it scale, no islands (we've often thought that dumping a few million tons of rock and earth in Llandudno or Colwyn's bays would make a fantastic addition to the tourist amenities; the West coast of Scotland certainly does okay), few ships and only the odd gas flaring rig to provide any point of interest whatsoever. The turbines might actually provide something to look at....

But on another point, is the membership of organisations like SOS all going to forego the use of their computers, electric blankets, TVs, 'fridges' freezers and washing machines? It seems doubtful, in which case the obvious question is where is the power going to come from? As our diminishing nuclear capacity and our eroded coal stocks eventually disappear, what will replace them? No matter what one says about the French (and who doesn't?) they had the foresight many years ago to build a nuclear capacity that now frees them from dependence on any other national power. We're importing oil and gas...and coal.

Countdown to Mayday

Only ten days to go to Llandudno's annual Extravaganza. As it moves into its second decade as the premier Mayday event in Wales it's interesting to look back and see how it's changed. Perhaps the biggest change was the addition of the transport festival on Bodafon fields back in the early '90s; this event alone now attracts people from all over the UK and has long been a favourite with those who have a penchant for single-piston pump-action engines (whatever they might be:-). One thing that hasn't changed, however, is that a huge amount of the organisational work is done by a comparatively small number of enthusiastic volunteers. The main extravaganza can always do with more help, particularly on the Saturday morning, when things are just starting to get going, because that's when anything that's going to go wrong, does go wrong.

Go here for more information

Bankers...

Alan Dickinson, chief executive of RBS, will be the guest speaker later this month at the North Wales Business Club dinner at the Imperial Hotel, Llandudno, on April 30.

Club chairman David W Williams said: “We have sought to put in place a spring programme of speakers who we hope have direct and important relevance to all our membership and - not surprisingly - the Alan Dickson dinner has already sold out.”

Those wondering what part Alan Dickinson played in the catastrophic mess the banking industry has made of the economy might like to note the date. RBS has also announced that - to get round the government's mealy-mouthed insistence that they defer bonuses, simply because they nearly brought the UK to its knees - they intend to issue loans to replace the bonuses, and then simply keep the bonus when it was due to be paid. Nice to know he's accepting full responsibility.

Thrilled:-)

Thriller Live is showing at the Lyric Theatre until September 29th 2009. The good news is that if you cannot make it to London there is also a huge UK touring production that has been going since February. The tour still has cities to visit that includes Llandudno, as well as Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and if you are really desperate to see it but cannot get to any of those cities then it does travel to Munich in Germany for 12 dates.

Obituary.....

We sadly report the demise of Common Sense. Common Sense finally killed itself when it realised that people would forward an email in its name without checking out the facts of incidents they were citing in its name. Its despair was further fueled by the idea that people were attempting to spread its word through forwarded emails instead of by undertaking actual common sense actions to support it. Its distant cousin, research, still languishes in critical condition among the masses.

Howdy, stranger!

On a wonderfully sunny day like this, it's tempting to remember holidays abroad; more specifically, Disneyland Paris. So what has Disneyland Paris got that Llandudno and Colwyn Bay haven't, aside from pots of money and being able to charge an entrance fee? Okay, that might seem slightly tongue in cheek, but the Disney organisation built its now world-wide reputation on four simple rules, which assume priority for every cast member. These are Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency. Of course, Cast members have a whole host of other rules specific to their roles, some of which are quite whimsical, such as the fact that there's a special way to collect rubbish (it has to be done elegantly :-) and pointing can never be done with just one finger. But some of the hotels and businesses in Llandudno and the Bay could learn from Disney's ideas. Come to that, although we're not employees or cast members, every time a visitor asks us something when we respond we represent the town. Personally, we love helping out visitors; it reminds us how fortunate we are to live in a place where people are generally honest, decent and pleasant. And the nicer we are, the more likely they'll be to return, the more money will be poured into business, the better the council be financed and - hopefully - the better the town will become.

Click!

People are always sporting cameras around Llandudno. Only to be expected, you might think, but for how much longer will we be able to take photos freely? If you think it's forever this might change your mind. Briefly, it seems the Met police are confiscating film and requiring tourists to delete pictures from memory cards if they've taken pictures of transport. Why? Well, no one seems to know, but what's happening in a capital near you could spread. Eddie Burke had it right....

Rest.....

Now summer's definitely on the way in, the chance to get away from it all beckons. The Rest and Be Thankful has enjoyed a chequered history, and been passed from owner to owner. Originally, the Llandudno Heritage Trust took it over in 1999, and ran it for a short while as a tourist info cafe. However, nothing stays the same, and the place was eventually sold on to a couple of brothers. However, the cafe remains essentially very similar to its halcyon days, and the folk manning the counter are as friendly and personable as ever.

Oh, what a beautiful morning...

First day in what seems like a long time of overcast skies, the lambs are frolicking, the sun is shining, the waters quiet and gentle and honestly - it doesn't get much better than this.

Spot on - unfortunately....

"Health officials say the number of confirmed measles cases in a north Wales outbreak is continuing to rise.

Fourteen cases of the disease linked to two schools in Llandudno, Conwy, have now been confirmed.

The National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) says there are now also 31 suspected cases."

And so it continues. How many lives have to be damaged because one man, now discredited and even thought to have lied, convinced parents that the MMR was dangerous? See here for the facts behind this man's actions.

Man inboard!

Paul Jones (lead singer of Manfred Man) and his wife recently visited Trinity Church to raise money for a charity.

Paul Jones first came to fame in the '60s as the lead voice of Manfred Mann on pop hits such as "Doo Wah Diddy." Now, on his first album since that decade - he has spent a lot of time acting - the British singer and harmonica player shows he knows his way around blues and soul. It's pretty good that he also has time to spare for helping charities whilst remaining out of the limelight.

Even sadder...

A mother is waiting to see if a wheelchair abandoned in a field belongs to her disabled son.

Carol Rogers, from Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy, said her blind son Kyle, 16, has been left house-bound since the chair was stolen from their home six days ago.

Mrs Rogers said the thieves had taken Kyle's "independence" and she could not afford £300 for a new chair.

She is waiting to see if a chair found near Llandudno by police is Kyle's, and whether it is in working order.

Kyle was left disabled after developing meningitis as a baby and his mother said he could walk no further than 20m (66ft) at a time.

This was probably the thoughtless act of a few kids. But it does rather vividly demonstrate the dangers of allowing kids to do what they want. The relatively small number of children whose parents (although it's usually a mother and live-in boyfriend) clearly have no idea how to raise children, or - worse - can't be bothered, create disruption and problems in society disproportionate to their numbers.

Not slip shod...

Continuing their run of top entertainment, Venue Cymru have lured the world-famous Imperial Ice Stars, with their brand new production Cinderella On Ice.
Coming to Venue Cymru on April 7, the stunning performance enjoyed a world premiere in New Zealand in July 2008 and has toured the capital cities of Australia, garnering outstanding reviews across-the-board. Just remember to bring a scarf :-)

So sad....

One reason why we created this blog was to act as a counterbalance to the remorseless doom and gloom, misinformation and bullying that seems to be the norm in one or two of the local blogs. One, for instance, rambles (and I use that word accurately) almost continuously about Conwy C, a couple of councillors, with whom he obviously has had major differences, and the current trend towards hotels surviving on what he, rather oddly, describes as "DHSS and known criminals".

Ignoring for the moment that he can barely form an accurate or grammatically correct sentence (indeed, some are verging on the incomprehensible) I suppose what we find most worrying is the misinformation in his mudslinging. However, I suppose his list of blogs says it all; when you subscribe to Guido Fawkes' ultra-right wing extremist bile, then what can we expect? More cutting and pasting from the internet 'bad jokes' forum, I suppose.

Mammy, here I come

The news that Venue Cymru is bringing the Al Jolson musical - Jolson & Co – to Llandudno is great news for the resort, as it proves the theatre remains capable of attracting top shows.

The Musical takes the audience on a ride through his life and features songs like I’m Sitting on Top of the World, California Here I Come, You Made Me Love You, Swanee and Mammy. With ticket prices much lower than London but entertainment no less excellent, it's yet another reason why life here ain't half as bad as some would have us believe.
Jolson & Co - The Musical is at Venue Cymru from April 20-25. For tickets, which start at £10, book at www.venuecymru.co.uk or on 01492 872000.

Another peace of mind...

"Singer-songwriter Alistair James, 25, from Llanrhos, composed Hardd Hafan Hedd - Beautiful Haven of Peace, Llandudno's motto - to raise money for Ty Gobaith Children's Hospice and Tudno FM. The track was recorded at Orange Sound studio in Penmaenmawr with the help of producer Russ Hayes who played piano, guitar and bass on the tracks."

Russ is a phenomenally talented producer - world class, in fact - so the single will be well worth buying, especially given its beneficiary. Let's wish Alistair and Russ luck in a worthy endeavour.

Come in, No. 9!

Isn't Easter great?

The long (and town) haul

Despite yesterday being the day after the holiday weekend, Llandudno was still heaving as we discovered when we tried to reach Smith's, mid-afternoon.

That end of Mostyn St now seems only a faded remnant of its former glory, and that's unlikely to change until business confidence returns, at the very least. But Llandudno businesses are a curious contradiction; the welcoming attitude that does much to promote Llandudno and its people is often at odds with the short-sightedness of the business philosophy that only sees as far as the next week. It's in vogue to blame the councils for everything, but that's only half the picture. We need far-sighted business people in the area, businesses that see years down the line, and not weeks. The other popular whipping boy - Mostyn's - does exactly that and, although the very name conjures fear and loathing in equal measure, no one can deny that they take a long-term view of the town's future.

It's lonely in Conwy....

The latest Lonely Planet guide book describes the town of Conwy as a 'major let down'. It is, however, more complimentary towards Llandudno.

Of Conwy, they write “Conwy is all about the castle. The approach to the castle gate is highly theatrical, with three bridges spanning the river. But while the castle, one of Wales’ finest and a Unesco World Heritage Site, remains one of the essential visits in North Wales, the town of Conwy itself feels like a major letdown. The regeneration of the run-down Conwy Quay has stalled and the town feels eerily quiet after 5pm when the majority of day visitors have departed and the shop shutters have been pulled down.

“A place to visit, not stay, the best of the accommodation lies out of town, or at the nearby and more go-ahead town of Llandudno.”

Wonder what they mean by 'go-ahead'?

MMR

UP TO 80,000 children in Wales could be at risk of catching measles because they have not had a full course of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), experts warned last night. The staggering number of children potentially unprotected comes as an investigation is underway into a second outbreak of measles in North Wales.

Take up of the MMR inoculation slumped after a Dr Andrew Wakefield suggested a link between the jab and Autism and Bowel disease. Since then, however, not only has his research been discredited, but a recent Sunday Times investigation has found that he may well have lied.

His Lancet paper said that the families of eight of 12 autistic children attending a routine clinic at Wakefield's hospital claimed that symptoms of autism developed within days after they were given the jab. But by studying confidential and public records, investigative reporter Brian Deer, who has been following the MMR controversy since the beginning, found a different story. Hospital and other records indicated that virtually all of the children had begun developing symptoms of autism well before the shot, Deer's report said. Hospital pathologists examining the children for signs of inflammatory bowel disease were unable to find it in most of the cases, Deer discovered, but Wakefield or someone on the team changed the data to make it appear as if the condition was found, Deer reported in the Times.

Parents of young children take heed.

Top Cop to Croc Spot?

The Telegraph reports that Richard Brunstrom, the controversial police chief, has applied to become the Commissioner of the Cayman Islands. We think he's done a pretty good job, overall. The press have given him a hard time, particularly over speeding, but we suspect that villages like Glan Conwy are secretly very happy that he's put the brake on boy racers.

Heat today, gone tomorrow?

Well, this Easter brought with it wall-to-wall sunshine and packed Llandudno with visitors. A great deal depends on the forecast, and a poor one can play havoc with what some call the 'impulse factor', a phenomenon where folk in North West England and the Midlands decide what to do and where to go when they wake up and look out of the window. Both Llandudno and Colwyn Bay need visitors - plenty of them. More visitors and more hotel guests means more money for the hotels and businesses and hence more money available to the councils to help keep the towns looking good.

If you visited over the weekend, let us know what particularly impressed you and, if you stayed in a hotel, let us know how it was. Email us at the address at the top.

The blog starts here...

Hi. This is the first of what we hope will be many posts about Llandudno and Colwyn Bay. It's been started partly as an antidote to the relentless bitterness and griping that appears to dominate other blogs and is intended to show the positive aspects of the fantastic area in which we live.