Keep an Eye Open for Birmingham's Big Plan

Birmingham's Big City Plan, launched in February 2008, is among the most ambitious schemes in the UK, seeking to drastically alter how more than 800 hectares of land in the centre will be developed and used for generations to come. The 20-year blueprint will see the size of the centre ‘core’ increase by 25 per cent, with specialist quarters focusing on key growth sectors.

Approval of two major building projects is a major boost for The Plan that has taken place in the past month. Plans have been approved for the redevelopment of Paradise Circus and Masshouse, which will play a pivotal role in bigger schemes to redevelop Birmingham city centre.

Glenn Howells, founder of the architectural practice behind many of the schemes in the Big City Plan, felt having an over-arching strategy for the city had been of benefit for developers. He said: “What is interesting is that compared to other cities these projects are not independent – they are all part of something, which is the Big City Plan. Birmingham is the only city that has grasped this challenge.” He added: “This is something Manchester would give their eye teeth for.”

Arguably the Big City Plan began in earnest in 1990, following the Highbury Initiative, in which a group architects, planners, politicians and cultural leaders came together in a symposium to suggest how to improve the city centre. The strategy was narrowed down so that the 2008 document paved the way for the creation of more than 50,000 new homes and 50,000 new jobs, with progress already under way in some areas – the £600 million redevelopment of New Street Station, the new Library of Birmingham, the Midland Metro extension and Eastside City Park, the first new city centre park since Victorian times.

In principle there are six objectives for the Big City Plan:
* A ‘Liveable City’, providing high quality living space within an accessible, safe and attractive environment.
* A ‘Connected City’, enabling pedestrians and cyclists to move around easily and an efficient public transport system.
* An ‘Authentic City’, offering a unique and diverse experience through architecture, arts and culture. 
* A ‘Knowledge City’, utilising and supporting its universities, colleges and businesses.
* A ‘Creative City’, supporting creativity and industry in all its forms. 
* A ‘Smart City’, responding to the challenge of climate change through sustainable growth.

Mr Howells said the wider strategy behind the redevelopment sets Birmingham apart, and has already helped bring in investment to certain parts like Eastside, where Matthew Boulton College and Birmingham City University have focused spending.

He said: “This has been going for a long time, and it is going in a direction. And there is no change in that direction. This is a place where people want to invest because it is certain.” He added: “When that 25 years started there were no universities around the city. What is transforming the city is the number of young people, who will hopefully stay and invest here. We need to harness that. Rather than a difficult neighbour to business, academia is actually a natural bedfellow.”

Colliery Owner's Victorian Mansion Receives Much Needed Planning Permission

The South Wales Valleys were once one of the greatest industrial areas of Britain with coal mines and steel works helping to fuel the Industrial Revolution. As time has passed, heavy industry has all but disappeared, although heritage centres such as the Big Pit at Blaenavon help keep the memories alive.

Efforts have also been made to maintain and restore the magnificent homes that were built by the mine owners, iron masters and shipping magnates whose wealth and vision was the driving force behind this remarkable area. Cyfarthfa Castle at Merthyr is the former home of the Crawshay family, iron masters of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks, and Dyffryn House in the Vale of Glamorgan which has recently come into the care of the National Trust was for some time the family home of the Cory shipping family.

Now, with a little bit of luck, the future of another fine example of a colliery owner's home will be saved for future generations by the news that planning permission has been granted for the repair of the stables at the Grade II listed Insole Court at Llandaff in Cardiff, the former home of the mine owning James Harvey Insole. Cardiff's Insole Court Trust has £761,724 to repair the stables for community and educational functions.

The planning approval also includes converting adjacent outbuildings in to a visitors' centre and tea rooms, as well as to help restore the gardens. The trust aims to raise £5m to restore the building.

Insole Court was begun in the early 1850s by colliery owner James Harvey Insole, and Cardiff council is working with the trust to turn it into a community building. Blueprints for the work have been on display since March 2012.

The trust said: "The project will restore the Victorian mansion in Llandaff to its former splendour, and also create a community hub and tea room in the stables. It will provide heritage tours of the house assisted by volunteer guides and tour leaders. There will be opportunities for employment and social enterprises with facilities for the community including a centre for older people, a parent and toddler centre, craft workshops and a community hall."

Trust chair Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards said: "The architects, consultants, Cardiff council and the trust have all worked together on the plans and we are delighted to have gained planning permission. We are now looking to strengthen the trust board to move the project forward and are looking for trustees with expertise in strategic finance, change management and fundraising."

Neil Richardson, Insole Court project director, said: "Gaining planning permission moves the trust a step closer to taking over the management of Insole Court on behalf of the community. There is still a lot of work to do, particularly in fundraising, but we hope to start work on the stables in the autumn."

Formerly known as Ely Court, the building was extended by James Harvey Insole and developed over the years, including a tower based on the one at Cardiff Castle. The Insole family lived on the site from 1856 to 1938.

Glasgow Looks to Become a “Smart City”

As a wonderful example of how our language is constantly changing, Glasgow's attempt to become one of Britain's “Smart Cities” has nothing to do with the standard of dress worn by the locals, or the city council giving the park railings a quick once over with a fresh coat of paint.

The Smart referred to relates to access to about £24 million of Government grants to upgrade the infrastructure of the city's services, such as real times traffic information, analytical software and security cameras. It is also hoped that it will help to identify and prevent crime in the city and monitor energy levels to find new ways of providing gas and electricity to poorer areas where fuel poverty is a big issue.


Glasgow will not be the UK's only smart city. Others including Birmingham, Sunderland and London are beginning to roll out technologies to make services work more smartly. The grant was offered by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), a body set up by the government in 2007 to stimulate technology-enabled innovation. Its Future Cities Demonstrator, as the prize is known, is intended to act as a blueprint for other cities.

"Glasgow has some quite extreme challenges - it has the lowest life expectancy of any city in the UK for instance - and the hope is that if we bring together energy, transport, public safety and health it will make it more efficient and a better place to live," said Scott Cain, the TSB's project leader for Future Cities.

Glasgow was among 30 cities in the UK bidding for the money, with the shortlist including London, Peterborough and Bristol. Universities and Science Minister David Willetts was in Glasgow to make the announcement.

"With more people than ever before living in our cities, they need to be able to provide people with a better quality of life and a thriving economy," he said. From transport systems to energy use and health, this demonstrator will play a key part in the government's industrial strategy and give real insight into how our cities can be shaped in the future," he added.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the news. She said: "Generations of talented Scots have helped cement Glasgow's global reputation for innovation and creativity, and I am delighted the city has won its bid to secure the £24m Future Cities demonstrator."

Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, added: "This is a huge boost to Glasgow's ambitions to build a better future for our city and its people. By linking everything from foot and vehicle traffic to council tax collection and hospital waiting lists we can ensure we are being as innovative and smart to meet the continued challenges of a modern and future city life."

Falmouth Faces the Eternal Choice Between Conservation and the Local Economy

Not for the first time, a picturesque part of Britain has serious decisions to be faced, namely the battle between conservation and the need to earn a living. It has been claimed that creating a maritime sanctuary around one of the Westcountry's biggest port areas could cost the local economy millions.

Last month, the Government announced that it would set up 31 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) around the UK, far fewer than had been expected. The highly anticipated aquatic reserves, which have been in the pipeline for years, will create areas where fishing and industry are severely restricted in order to create underwater national parks.

The zone around the Fal Estuary, which the town council claimed would have threatened "350 years of history and shipping power", is not in the first tranche. However, concerns have been voiced about whether it should form part of a group of special Referencing Areas, which are offered the highest level of protection, with all activity such as fishing or dredging banned.

Roger Hollingsworth, spokesman for a broad coalition involving sailing clubs, fishermen, councillors and the owners of Falmouth Docks, said matters were being rushed through instead of being given due consideration. "There is the potential for a lot of problems and they're being ignored," said Mr Hollingsworth, former chairman of the Port of Falmouth Sailing Association. "The potential cost to industry is astronomical, they're just crazy. What's going on could just end as a nasty tax on the expansion of marine businesses."

Mr Hollingsworth said the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, which had warned that rolling out the zone could cost the local economy almost £1.5 million, has been working with postgraduate students at Camborne School of Mines to scrutinise the area in question.

Using boats provided by the club, students have taken photographs of the seabed to chronicle the changes to it over a period of time. By using GPS technology, the students are able to locate with precision the exact area they have been looking at for every return analysis.

"Nobody is against conservation," said Mr Hollingsworth. "We all want it. But conservation comes from good science, not rushed science. If we were allowed to study it for five or six years we would have a far better understanding of the impact on activity on seabeds. Without those sort of databases [a Reference Area] would be pointless."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the MCZ consultation was open until March 31 and they encouraged people to express their views. A spokeswoman said that once that had been concluded, proposals would be drawn up which would then go out to further consultation.

£12 Million Investment for Bristol's Wapping Wharf

I know that £12 million doesn't buy you as much as it used to, but it's still a considerable sum of money, and Bristol is about to benefit from the government's largesse. Work is to start soon on a regeneration project to build nearly 200 new homes in Bristol's docklands which will be built on a large brownfield site at Wapping Wharf, the area between the M shed museum and Cumberland Road.

Plans were drawn up and agreed a few years ago but were put on hold as the financial downturn kicked in. Now they have been kick started by a £12 million investment by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA),the Government body for housing.

The project includes 194 new and affordable homes, retail space, a pedestrian and cycle route and a public square on the site. Developers Umberslade are expected to start work in March and finish the first phase next year. But the site has the potential to eventually deliver 625 apartments, a new hotel and 250,000 sq ft of retail and office space. The development stalled during the last five years because of a lack of available loan finance.

The HCA's cash injection is the largest through its Get Britain Building programme which is helping house builders to deliver more than 15,000 new homes across the country, protecting and creating thousands of jobs.

Umberslade managing director Stuart Hatton said: "This investment has played a significant part in helping unlock the continued development of what has been a huge success story for Bristol over the last 25 years. We see this as a vote of confidence in what we are working to achieve and we're focused on ensuring that this investment makes a positive difference to the city centre."

HCA executive director for the south and south west Colin Molton said: "It is great news that work can continue at this vitally important project, which is delivering much needed high quality new homes and jobs for Bristol. The Harbourside has been a hugely successful project, which has transformed the former docks. This investment will build on that success by delivering new homes and safeguarding jobs that will be hugely welcome to the local economy. It's good to see that the Get Britain Building programme is delivering new homes and safeguarding jobs in our area by supporting this project."

Bristol mayor George Ferguson, said: "This is crucial investment by the HCA that will kick start further regeneration of Wapping Wharf and deliver important new and affordable housing on the Harbourside. The potential for this site is enormous and I look forward to work starting soon and securing more Get Britain Building programme funding for the city."

There is no doubt that the merchants, traders and entrepreneurs who made Bristol great in its heyday as a leading port would not recognise the place now, with giant steps having been taken over the years to keep itself to the forefront as a top tourist destination and business centre.

Get Out and About in Wintery Nottinghamshire

This snowy weather really highlights the highs and lows of how we struggle to cope with carrying on with our everyday lives as the flakes continue to fall. The lows revolve around getting to work in travelling conditions that would test the patience of a saint and the added worry of school closures and the knock on effect for those seeking alternative childcare.

This is compensated by the highs which really kick in when the weekend comes and there is a chance to spend some real quality time with the family.

Tourism chiefs and newspaper editors in Nottinghamshire have got their heads together to encourage people to get out and enjoy the winter conditions in their area by highlighting local attractions and country parks that take on a whole new appearance at this time of year.

Take your pick of the following if you live locally:

Sherwood Forest Nature Reserve - contains some of the oldest trees in Europe, veteran oaks five centuries old and the world-famous Major Oak, still producing acorns after standing at the heart of the forest for an estimated 800 years.

Attenborough Nature Centre - is an award winning Visitor and Education facility surrounded by the tranquil waters of the beautiful Attenborough Nature Reserve.

Rushcliffe Country Park - is an ideal place to get away from it all with a network of over 8 kilometres of footpaths, grassland, conservation and landscaped areas, the park is excellent for walking, jogging, cycling, spotting wildlife and exercising your dog.

Arboretum Park - a beautiful park in the heart of Nottingham. Much bigger than it looks from the outside - once you are in there you discover lots of different areas, including a large pond and a series of aviaries. A lovely place to chill out away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Bestwood Country Park - offers 650 acres of open green space and varying wildlife habitats to explore. From Mill Lakes, teeming with water birds, to meadows full of wildflowers, from ancient oak woodland to a reclaimed pit tip, Bestwood has a landscape which reflects the varied history of Nottinghamshire itself.

Wollaton Park - You wouldn't expect to find somewhere as lovely as this in the central part of the city. Wollaton Park is beautiful and it's great to visit the picturesque gardens all year round.
The museum is interesting too - It provides a great chance to learn about Notts' history, you also get to see a lot stuffed animals if that's your thing.

Rufford Abbey - sits in 150 acres of historic parkland, woodland and gardens in the North Nottinghamshire area known as the Dukeries. This varied park includes the ruins of a medieval monastery, a contemporary craft centre, gardens, woodland walks, children's play village, sculpture trail, and a lake. We have lots of special events too.

Cotgrave Park - is a great place to get away from it all in a relaxed and open green setting. The site includes woodland, wetland, lakes and informal grassland, and part of Grantham canal runs through the park. With around five kilometres of paths and trails, there are plenty of different routes for gentle or brisk walks, jogging, running or cycling.

National Water Sports Centre - country park. Set in 270 acres, this is as well known for its beautiful country park as it is for its amazing activities. With a 2km Regatta Lake at the heart of the park you can go for a wander around the lake, or stray off the beaten track to explore our beautiful lakes, lagoons and nature trails.

Highfields Park - is known to many locals as the University Park because of its close proximity and close relationship with the University of Nottingham Campus. This 121 acre park is well endowed with magnificent trees, wildflower meadows, exotic plantings and water features. On site activities, include boat hire, bowling, croquet, putting, children's play area and a variety of Lake Pavilion events.

Councillors Warned About Possible Loss of Blue Flag Status

Torbay is proud of the fact that it has more beaches with Blue Flag status than any other resort in Britain. The total currently stands at sixteen, and this is obviously a great draw in attracting tourists. But local councillors have been warned that some of these Awards could be lost as a result of budget cuts.

This week, Torbay Council's overview and scrutiny committee considered the proposal to shave £142,000 from the beach services budget. This could include reducing the time beaches are manned. Sue Cheriton, executive head of residents and visitor services, said: "We have a number of options to consider. We will make a decision in the next four weeks. All the scenarios mean we won't be eligible for a Blue Flag award on any of the beaches. The key thing is the beach has to be supervised from May to September and on that criteria alone we will fail."

One of the suggestions is that the beaches are only manned for eight to ten weeks in the peak season. The committee discussed whether beaches should be manned at weekends and whether friends groups could be set up to help. The example of the community helping keep a facility open at Shoalstone Pool was cited.

Kevin Helmore, chairman of the Beach Hut Users' Group, told the committee: "The greatest concern we have is beach services and the general appearance of the beaches are probably going to decline. It's beaches which attract people here. If we are not providing an adequate service for people they will vote with their feet and go elsewhere."

He said in a letter to the committee that the council would no longer be able to provide basic services such as deck chair hire or beach hut rentals. "First aid, dealing with lost children and posting of warning flags in respect of tides or winds may also be missing, therefore affecting public safety," he added. Mr Helmore said as a coastal location, Torbay depends upon the tourism industry to provide income. "We should not seek to make short-term savings to the detriment of both the tourist industry and the pleasure of local beach users," he said.

Andrew Price, a regular visitor to Paignton and Preston beaches, said: "We are a seaside resort. I was quite surprised to discover the council is proposing to spend 0.2 per cent of its budget on its main capital assets."

Mrs Cheriton said there would be a response service for issues on beaches but not somebody stationed permanently on the beach. The cost of applying a Blue Flag is £600 a beach, she pointed out. The department is looking at providing extra beach huts to raise money and there is a waiting list of 27 for those proposed at Broadsands. It is looking for further concessions such as the wheel in Torquay which is returning next year, and food outlets. Councillors were told no public toilets would be closed.

Councillor Mark Kingscote said Cornwall had very few Blue Flag beaches and it didn't stop people going to beaches there. Mayor Gordon Oliver pointed out support from central Government had been reduced. He said looking after adults and children in Torbay was a statutory duty the council was required to do; looking after beaches was discretionary.

Of the 22 beaches and coves in Torbay, nine are manned. Staff dealt with 2,300 incidents including those requiring first aid. More than 1,000 beach huts are provided on seasonal and short lets, and there is a "significant" waiting list.

Another Accolade for City of Culture Derry

Still flushed with its success in being named UK’s City of Culture for 2013, Derry has now been named one of the world’s top five cities to visit by LateRooms.com - a hotel booking website that can boast more than a quarter of a million visitors a day. The city has already been recently tipped by travel guide Lonely Planet and British Airways as one of the places to go this year.

“From cultural exhibitions to contemporary music concerts to hosting the Turner Prize, Derry will be buzzing all year round,” writes the site’s travel blogger Martin Solly. He says the city’s culture capital status, and its hosting of the All Ireland Fleadh puts it among the places to visit this year - alongside Marseille, Christchurch, Amsterdam and Seoul.

“The world’s biggest Irish festival is always guaranteed to be one helluva (sic) party, and Derry is where it’s taking place,” the blogger continues. “The Northern Ireland city is the UK’s City of Culture for 2013, and the 10-day All Ireland Fleadh is just one of hundreds of events happening inside the walls of this historic city. “A short break here in 2013 is sure to be Legenderry.”

The latest accolade for Derry comes after the globetrotter’s bible Lonely Planet rated the city as the fourth best in the world to visit this year. Also in December airline giant British Airways ranked Derry at number 7 - sandwiched between the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana and Las Vegas - on the airline’s top 13 destinations to visit in 2013.

Picking up on the Irish meaning of Derry as “Oak Grove”, Derry City of Culture 2013 organisers hope that, like a great oak, City of Culture will produce many acorns that will flourish for years to come. The programme has hundreds of events happening throughout the city over 365 days and involves dozens of organisations and thousands of people.

Chief executive of the City of Culture Company Shona McCarthy believes the line-up will attract "hundreds of thousands of visitors" to the city and wants Derry and her citizens to stand tall on the cultural landscape in 2013. "The enormous success of this project will be the people of this city having a conversation that is outward and confident," she says.

"It will mean Derry losing its second-city syndrome and the people will have a pride of place that comes from within." Now that all the planning has been done, with a superb programme of events put in place what, for McCarthy, will make Derry City of Culture 2013 a success?

"I want there to have been a shift in perception from the outside," she says. I want journalists, when they talk about Derry, to do so in a different tone, not a negative one. I want to look over the year and go, ' there was so many hundred thousand people that came to Derry, the hotels were filled, businesses flourished'.

Chepstow Carnival Under Threat

We have already highlighted a number of times over recent months the plight being suffered by local organisations trying to keep popular and much-loved carnivals and festivals going through very trying weather conditions, particularly during the lucrative summer months.

It is therefore disappointing to hear this week that the Chepstow Carnival is under severe threat because of the double whammy of poor weather and lack of manpower. In a letter to Chepstow town council, Chepstow Round Table group treasurer Stuart Dent said the event, which has seen thousands pack the streets over the years, could be off indefinitely.

He wrote: “During recent times many organisations have recorded a gradual decline in membership and Chepstow Round Table is no exception. It is therefore with regret that Chepstow Round Table has made the decision that due to lack of manpower, they, as a single organisation, will be unable to organise, manage and run the Chepstow Carnival this year and in future years.”

Mr Dent continued: “We have considered all the activities we put on throughout the year, from the fireworks on November 5 to charity dinners and made a very difficult decision. As the carnival is exceptionally resource intensive we felt it would have to be cut from this year’s programme.”

Despite the cancellation of the 2012 renewal due to bad weather, the event was going from strength to strength, according to Round Table secretary Robin Harvey. He said more than 15 floats and up to 20 stalls were due to entertain the crowds from the Severn Bridge Social Club to the river side, an increase on previous years. The letter goes on to say the Round Table would give £1,000 to an organisation willing to organise the carnival and the relevant documentation.

Mr Harvey appealed for interested parties to get in touch. “I would like to see the carnival continue and for that to happen we need good support,” he said yesterday.

Chepstow councillor Armand Watts said: “Chepstow Carnival in its heyday was the major summer event as far as Chepstow is concerned. A lot of community groups put a tremendous amount of effort into it and it brings people to the town centre. If it’s not put on a lot of people will lose out and the next generation will miss an enjoyable event for the community.”

The matter is due to be discussed at next week’s Chepstow Town Council meeting.

Wiltshire – Mysterious, Historic and Beautiful All at the Same Time

Ask anyone to list their top three favourite holiday counties, and I would take a healthy guess that Wiltshire would not be on that list. Yet this is a county that has much to offer holidaymakers, with particular emphasis on offering a great time for families.

Top attractions like Longleat, Boscombe Down Aviation Centre and Salisbury Plain form the backbone of any self respecting holiday “hit list”, and it is worth taking a look at what the Wiltshire Tourism Office recommends on their website:-

1. Stonehenge

With much mystery still surrounding Stonehenge, a visit to Wiltshire would be incomplete without stopping by at this iconic site. Whilst here make time to explore the wider landscape with the Cursus, the Avenue, Durrington Walls and Woodhenge.

2. Avebury
Wiltshire’s other stone circle, Avebury forms part of the World Heritage Site with Stonehenge. Walk amongst the stone circle, see the largest man-made mound in Europe – Silbury Hill and explore the West Kennett Long Barrow all within the wider Avebury landscape.

3. Crop circles
Wiltshire is renowned for its crop circles which generally appear from April to September across the county. There is still a lot of mystery as to how they are formed and the reasons behind their exact locations.

4. White Horses and chalk carvings
There are currently eight white horses across the county which remain on view, the oldest dating back to 1778 and the most recent in 1999. Other chalk carvings include: the Fovant Badges, the Bulford Kiwi and the ANZAC carving at Codford.

5. The Kennet & Avon canal
Stretching for 87 miles and across the whole county, the Kennet and Avon Canal was built to develop trade links with Bristol and London. Today, the canal is no longer used for industry but is perfect for a relaxing boat ride, a walk along the tow path or a refreshing pint in one of the beer gardens alongside the water. Be sure to check out the Caen Hill Locks too with its 29 consecutive locks helping canal boats rise 237 feet near Devizes

6. Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta
The spectacular Early English Gothic Cathedral has Britain’s tallest spire standing at 123 metres (404ft) and one of the finest original copies of the Magna Carta. Whilst here see Europe’s oldest working clock and those with a head for heights should definitely do the ‘Tower Tour’ where you climb 332 steps to the base of the spire.

7. Lacock and Castle Combe
Step back in time in the beautiful village of Lacock with its medieval Abbey and quintessentially English houses and streets. Much of the village has been used in filming with the likes of Cranford, Pride and Prejudice and even Harry Potter being filmed here. Castle Combe has been made famous by recent film productions of War Horse, The Wolf Man and Stardust and is set in the Wiltshire Cotswolds.

8. Walking Paths
For keen ramblers or those looking for a gentle stroll – Wiltshire has an abundance of paths (over 8,200 in fact!) suitable for all abilities.

9. Charming market towns
Wiltshire’s market towns date back to their historic roots yet are still thriving to this day. Most markets are weekly and offer an array of local produce, clothing, furniture and household goods as well as grocery supplies. There is a Wiltshire Farmer's Market network which visits various towns throughout the months offering goods direct from the supplier.

10. Year round entertainment
Have a flutter on the horses at Salisbury Racecourse , take part in the spectacular festivals in both Devizes and Salisbury, visit one of our theatres or arts venues or one of the many special exhibitions staged in our local museums. Wiltshire is rich in the arts and events take place year round.

http://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk

Magic Number Six Will Tell The Story of “The Prisoner”

Shortly before Christmas, we touched on the beautiful Italianate village of Portmeirion designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in the 1920s. It remains one of the top tourist attractions in North Wales and one of the most unusual resorts in the British Isles.

An important part of this popularity is down to the television series “The Prisoner”, that ran for 17 episodes from 1967 to 1968, and featured the enigmatic actor Patrick McGoohan as “Number Six”

Now, a new play charting the turbulent relationship during the series between McGoohan and media mogul Lew Grade will be performed at Portmeirion for the first time. Magic Number Six, written by Leicester writer Paul Gosling, will play at Portmeirion, Gwynedd, on March 16 this year during the annual convention of the Prisoner Appreciation Society, known as Six of One.

The play will also be staged at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in August. The original series followed the fortunes of a former British secret agent who was kidnapped by an unknown enemy and taken to an unnamed village where inmates are numbered but not named. Patrick McGoohan, who died aged 80 in 2009, co-wrote the original script and played the main character – known only as prisoner Number Six. He found himself in a constant intellectual and emotional struggle with his captor, Number Two, played by different actors including Leo McKern.

Mr Gosling said: “I am from the generation who first saw The Prisoner in the 1980s on Channel 4, we were the first generation to be able to vide-tape the show and it had a big impact on me.
“I revisited the show when it was released on DVD and ITV4 also re-showed it in recent years and I'd always kept the series in my mind.

“I am also a fan of other shows of that era such as the Supermarionation series by Gerry Anderson and The Avengers and The Saint, so I felt that there was a social crossover between these shows and wanted to cover that. So although the play will appeal to The Prisoner and Patrick McGoohan fans, it will hopefully appeal to fans of all those types of shows.”

McGoohan is though to have been inspired to co-write The Prisoner partly from his earlier Danger Man series in which he played spy John Drake. He told Grade during the making of Danger Man, (Grade was then-chairman of ITC Entertainment which made the show) that he wanted to quit the series. Grade was unhappy but McGoohan later pitched The Prisoner. In some ways it reflected the story of the spy in The Prisoner who begins his journey to the mysterious island by quitting his role as a spy.

Mr Gosling said: “The play is about Patrick's relationship with Lew Grade before, during and after the making of The Prisoner. It started out very well and they really liked each other, but soon got sour. It was in the back of my mind for some time but only took about three or four months to come up with the first draft. It's all set in Lew's office and it's pretty minimal. There are three characters, Patrick, Lew and Lew's secretary, Sandra.”

The play's director Carolos Dandolo said: “We are thrilled to be invited to perform in Portmeirion, where much of the original TV series was filmed, and to receive such warm support from fans of the show.”

Portmeirion’s unique design came from Williams-Ellis' love of the Italian village of Portofino. He said when he was designing the village he only wanted to reflect the style of the Mediterranean. But he added: “How should I not have fallen for Portofino? Indeed its image remained with me as an almost perfect example of the man-made adornment and use of an exquisite site.”

Lessons Not Learned From Braer Disaster

As a further indication as to how time seems to pass so quickly these days, The Shetland Isles have just marked the twentieth anniversary of the Braer disaster when the 90,000 tonne oil tanker ran aground resulting in over 85,000 tonnes of light crude oil being spilled into the seas around the islands.

Maritime experts have taken the opportunity to mark the anniversary by warning that a repeat could easily occur, despite lessons which were learned in the aftermath of the tanker’s grounding at Garths Ness in 1993. Renewed concerns have been raised over how well equipped the isles are to prevent a second disaster from happening.

Meanwhile former head of Shetland Islands Council’s ports and harbours, Captain George Sutherland, has renewed criticism of the coalition government at Westminster for reducing the number of emergency tug vessels, which were introduced following Lord Donaldson’s review of shipping safety following the disaster.

In October 2010 it emerged Shetland risked losing its ETV cover as part of the colossal programme of spending cuts announced by the UK government. It was thought £32.5 million could have been saved by axing four tugs around the UK coastline A hard-fought campaign was launched to retain the vessels – although the one Orkney-based tug which Shetland would rely on in an emergency is still short of Lord Donaldson’s original vision.

Captain Sutherland said key decision makers at government level have suffered from a “complete sea-blindness” when it comes to maritime safety. “It is 20 years on, which is quite a long time. It was quite a major event at the time, and lots of things came out of it.

“Shetland got away pretty scatheless at the end of it all, but the sea doesn’t change and people don’t change. “It was one of those things which happened and caused people to think about what they need to do and what should be done. “Much to our dismay, central government has attempted to dilute the coastguard, and emergency towing vessels have been downgraded.

“It [the Donaldson inquiry] put the ETVs in place and everybody else was appreciative of that. It is not a concept that is exclusive to the UK. Now, we have found that everybody else is doing it very much better than the UK is.

“After a hard-fought battle, there is at least one ship in the northern waters, but… it’s insufficient. We still get wild weather, and people make mistakes.”

He added isles MP Alistair Carmichael had fought the case for the tugs “pretty manfully”, although others in the political fall-out over the coastguard cuts were left wanting.

“Decision makers in the UK have suffered from a complete sea-blindness. Apart from a few maritime communities on the peripheries, nobody in a position of influence or authority either knows nor cares.”

Wassailing – Cold Weather Festivities from the Book of English Folklore

Apparently tied into another popular ritual at this time of year, namely the pre-Christmas singing of carols, wassailing appears to have its roots in Anglo Saxon pagan times. Carol singing is a house visiting version of the popular wassailing treks to crop fields in darkest winter to bless the yield for the coming year.

Derived from old English meaning “be healthy”, wassailing has over latter years moved on the orchards and as a result has a strong following in traditional apple growing parts of the country such as Herefordshire, Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset.

The old Gregorian calendar plays a part in deciding when wassailing takes place, as tradition determines that it should take place on Twelfth Night (6th January, or more properly the evening of January 5th). However, most people insist on wassailing on 'Old Twelvey Night' (January 17) as that would have been the correct date before the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752.

There has been a resurgence in such seasonal celebrations, and wassailing is no exception. Precise customs can vary from place to place and numbers attending can be as high as 300. Wassail kings and queens can be chosen, to be crowned in greenery and seated upon a wooden throne.

Thereafter wassail songs are sung with a cheering welcome to the royal couple. The wassailers collectively make noises to scare away the bad spirits from the trees (shotguns can be used!), and bits of toast are dipped into mulled cider and hung from the branches of the apple tree for the birds before the roots are wetted with a generous spread of cider. A toast is then raised to the Apple Tree Man (apparently the Spirit of The Tree). With so much high spirit and cider flying around, it is difficult to see that the wassailers have any energy left for any more activity, but no, they go on and repeat the whole exercise at another orchard.

With apple crops badly depleted by last year's bad weather, there is all the more reason for wassailers to get out this year and put heart and soul into the festivities.

Anglesey Votes to Join the Solar Park Generation

For better or worse, we have got used to seeing large wind farms dotted around our coast and countryside with their large wind turbines threshing the air (or not on the occasions when they are not working.) We are told that this is the future of renewable energy, and they are increasingly being joined by what are known as solar parks, these being large areas of land covered in solar panels.

Now Anglesey, a popular holiday destination in North Wales has voted to join this next generation of clean energy creation, by voting their approval of a proposal to establish a seventy acre, 64,000 solar panelled park on the Bordogan Estate on farmland near Aberffraw, on Anglesey.

Solar panels are to be spread on a plot spanning 28 football pitches worth of land that would see sheep graze in between the 10x3 metre rows of panels. The area for the scheme would be bigger than two other Welsh solar farm projects combined that have recently been approved in Pembrokeshire - at Clawddcam, Mathry, and St Florence, near Tenby.

Bodorgan Environmental Management Ltd say the project will generate 15 megawatts (MW) of electricity or enough to power 4,500 homes annually and connect to the national grid via existing overhead power lines. Tim Bowie, agent for the landowners of the site the Bodorgan Estate, said the building work for the project could be complete within three months.

The Bodorgan Estate is owned by Sir George Meyrick and Lady Jean Taps Gervis Meyrick, the niece of the Duke of Buccleuch. The family is descended from both the sovereign Princes of Wales and from King Edward I and have owned the estate for over 1,000 years.

Mr Bowie said: “We have an issue that wind is not popular - there are strong objections to the turbines, particularly around certain parts of the island. “This has the advantage of meeting some of the island’s energy requirements, but without all the attendant problems of wind.”

The site is currently used for silage, cattle and grazing sheep. The sheep’s grazing will help manage the land - avoiding the need for mowing the grass in between the panels.

In September, Pembrokeshire approved the projects at Clawddcam, and St Florence, with a generating capacity of around 12.5MW of electricity, using 55,680 panels. The Anglesey site will use 64,000 panels.

Pembrokeshire became the first council in Wales to grant planning permission for a solar farm - at Rhos-y-Gilwen Mansion, in the north of the county, in January 2011. The project - currently the largest of its kind in Wales - was up and running and connected to the national grid within seven months Almost 10,000 solar panels were imported from the United States and placed in 12 lines in a six-acre field.

Leader of Anglesey council, Bryan Owen, said the farm on Anglesey will be the first on the island and forms part of its attempt to brand itself as an “energy island”. It’s a mix that we’re looking for. We’ve got wind, solar, bio-mass, nuclear, and off-shore. “We don’t want to throw all our eggs into one basket, that is, nuclear or wind turbines.”

This aims to put Anglesey at the forefront of energy research and development in nuclear, wind, tidal, biomass and solar.

In December the UK Government updated its renewable energy roadmap to include solar panels as a technology it regards as key to meeting its renewable energy targets.

The Government has a target of sourcing 15% of the nation’s overall energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Read more: Wales Online

Sherborne is History That Comes to Life

Beautifully set in the north west corner of Dorset, Sherborne borders the Blackmore Vale, an area that was an inspiration to Thomas Hardy in writing his atmospheric novels based in his home county.

It is located on the River Yeo, about six miles east of Yeovil, showing how close it sits to another glorious English county, namely Somerset. Sherborne is famous for its wonderful historic buildings, which include a manor house, abbey, not one but two castles, and well regarded independent schools. As you walk around this delightful market town, you will become accustomed to the distinctive appearance of the local ochre coloured ham stone.

It has vibrant Saxon origins, with the name itself being “scir burne” meaning “clear stream” in the Saxon language. It has been the capital of Wessex which was one of the Saxon kingdoms of England.

It is famed for the fact that it has not one but two castles. The first was constructed by Roger de Caen in the twelfth century, although it was destroyed in 1645, with today's ruins being in the care of English Heritage. A further building, more an Elizabethan mansion was constructed in the grounds of the old palace in 1594 by none other than Sir Walter Raleigh, and despite its description, is still known as Sherborne Castle.

The abbey is also a beautiful building and has the honour of being the resting place of two of England's early kings, King Ethelbert and King Ethelbald, both elder brothers of King Alfred.

Sherborne can rightly say that it was the venue of one the first educational establishments as far back as Saxon times, and it is supposed to be the case that King Alfred was educated in the town. Now known simply as Sherborne School it is deemed to be one of the top independent schools in the country, and there are several well regarded schools in the locality.

You are within easy travelling distance of a number of quality holiday regions, if you decide to base your holiday in this area, with the counties of Dorset itself, and Somerset and Wiltshire as well as North Devon comfortably within reach. A great range of family attractions includes The Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton as well as Salisbury Plain, Stonehenge and Longleat, all of which combine to provide great entertainment for everyone.

As an added bonus you can easily reach the premier south coast resorts such as Weymouth, Poole and Bournemouth, as well as the World Heritage Site, the Jurassic coast, with the chance to find some wonderful fossils.

Having celebrated the works of Thomas Hardy, you can also move north into Devon where you will come across the brooding National Park of Exmoor, home to another great author, R.D.Blackmore, who wrote Lorna Doone, another novel that takes its inspiration from its beautiful, mysterious surroundings.

Sherborne is twinned with some twenty four other towns throughout the world, and it may be time for you to pay a visit to see what all the fuss is about!

Waxwings And New Born Seals Top Wildlife Popularity Stakes In Northumberland

Local bird watching groups in Northumberland have been updating us on the top arrivals and departures during the month of November, with waxwings undoubtedly walking off with the popularity award.

Waxwings breed in the far northern coniferous forests of Scandinavia and arrive here in small numbers most years. This year a major invasion seems to have occurred with birds arriving in large numbers throughout the region.

In the first week of the month, 150 waxwings were in the gardens of Howick Hall and on November 6, 24 were feeding on Amble Braid. In Alnwick, 25 waxwings were feeding in Royal Oak Gardens on November 8, while on November 9, 20 were in Belle Vue Gardens and 26 were in Ratten Row feeding on sorbus berries.

On November 10, 13 waxwings were gorging themselves on a crab apple tree at Riverside, Rothbury and on November 15, 100 birds were in the Whitebeam at South Farm, Craster. There were also flocks of waxwings seen in Berwick, Wooler, Powburn, Hulne Park and on Holy Island as well as several other widespread localities.

Waxwings are the only birds in Europe that feed exclusively on fruit. On a normal day it is estimated that a waxwing can eat up to 1,000 berries, which is twice its body weight, so it is not surprising that a flock can very quickly strip a tree or bush and be ready to move on.

Meanwhile over at the Farne Islands, more baby seals were born this breeding season than for a decade, according to the ranger who spends three months every year keeping count. David Steel, head ranger on the Farnes for the National Trust, leads a six-strong team who live on the islands, off the coast near Seahouses, for most of the year. The breeding season for seals runs from September to December, and one of the rangers’ jobs is to count how many babies are born each year.

“We’ve been counting them since 1951, and it is the longest running study of grey seals in the world,” David said. “A lot of the knowledge we have about grey seals is based around study on the Farnes.”

This year, around 1,600 pups were born on the islands – a number which has grown every season for the past nine years. Every pup that is born on the islands is marked with dye, and the team use a different colour every few days so they can track the movement of the newborns. The mild autumn has spelled a bumper year for the seal colony, which, at around 4,000-strong, is the largest on the east coast of England.

The National Trust’s main role is to monitor the seal population, but in the 1970s there were major culls to keep numbers down – partly because fisherman claimed the animals, which can weigh up to 310kg, were eating through surrounding fish stocks.

“Attitudes have changed. Seahouses isn’t so much a fishing village – a lot of the boats have gone, and it’s more of a tourist destination. The seals breeding in October and November is actually extending the tourist season,” David said.

National Trust Welcomes Dyffryn House Into The Family

Dyffryn House and Gardens, located in the Vale of Glamorgan, just outside Cardiff, has been welcomed into the National Trust family. The Trust has taken a fifty year lease on the Victorian mansion, and although the public have been used to regular access to the beautifully landscaped gardens, they can now look forward to gaining access to some of the fifty two rooms from Easter onwards.

Dyffryn Gardens has been run by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and used as a conference centre since 1996, although the Grade-1 registered Edwardian gardens have long been open for visitors to enjoy. But now the estate's property manager Geraldine Donovan said the Trust is looking forward to welcoming about 60,000 visitors in 2013.

"We are right on Cardiff's doorstep and it's remarkable the number of people who still don't know we are here," she said.

Dyffryn House and gardens were the creation of the wealthy coal mining Cory family who moulded it as a secluded family home within commuting distance of their business interests across south Wales. The Cory family relocated to the area from Bideford, Devon and their business interests in Wales expanded through ship owning and coal exporting into the ownership of several collieries.

John Cory was one of the coal owners responsible for the opening of the Barry docks in 1889 - a direct rival of the nearby Cardiff docks which by the outbreak of World War I had surpassed Cardiff as the county's largest coal exporting port.

It was, according to Ms Donovan, John's son Reginald and daughter Florence who moved with their parents to Dyffryn in 1891 who were responsible for shaping the estate into its Edwardian grandeur.

"The estate was bequeathed to Florence, but it was Reginald who was mad about the gardens and horticulture in general who made the gardens what they are today," she said. "The garden is considered to be the best Edwardian garden in Wales and was the result of a creative collaboration between Thomas Hayton Mawson, one of the most influential garden designers of the early 20th Century, and Reginald Cory," she said.

Cory went all over the world on plant hunting expeditions to populate the garden, and his dedication to Dyffryn and to horticulture led to him having the largest bonsai collection in private ownership in 1912.

The 55-acre gardens, including unusual garden rooms, have long been popular with visitors but the opening up of a handful of the 52 rooms in the mansion will give them a real insight into how the Cory family lived.

Building work has been going on to improve the house interiors following the plans to convert the building into a luxury hotel during the 1990s, said Ms Donovan "The great hall, blue and red drawing rooms and billiard room are among the rooms which will be open on the ground floor," she said.
"On the first floor Reginald Cory's bedroom, with its fine view over the gardens, will be turned into a plant hunter's room." She added: "This gives us a glimpse into the opulence of the late Victorian and Edwardian times."

As part of the garden's move to National Trust control, Ms Donovan said they are recruiting about 100 volunteers, including costume guides, to help improve the visitor experience.

What Are Our Friends Up To? Part 3: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS)

Did you really think that our friends at SAS would hibernate away and wait for finer weather to arrive? Not a bit of it! Any self respecting surfer will tell you that some of the best surfing is to be found out of season when weather conditions can be volatile, and the same applies to their 365 day a year campaign message.

Trapped in their campaigning headlights over the festive period was the seasonal problem of FOGS (fats,oils and greases), residues of roast dinners that become increasingly prevalent during the Christmas period, but in truth tend to be an all year round problem, particularly in coastal areas with a proportionately higher number of eating and hotel establishments.

Making a formidable team with Environmental Agency, SAS have started the FOGS campaign to draw attention to this problem, which is exacerbated by the “out of sight, out of mind” attitude that we all have to the smelly question of drainage.

When FOGs are poured down sinks or drains, they quickly cool and congeal on sewer walls, restricting the amount of sewage the system can process resulting in raw sewage overflows into rivers, the sea or, even worse, into our homes.

The UK Water industry estimates there are 150,000 sewer blockages caused by FOGs being poured down the sink.These blockages can result in sewage discharges from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) at many popular beaches across Cornwall.

The new FOGs campaign, Protect Your Beaches, Stop Pouring Fats, Oils and Greases was launched to business communities in Seaton and East Looe in Cornwall, which are both failing basic European water quality standards in part due to fats, oils and greases in the system. In early December SAS distributed FOGs posters, leaflets & stickers packed full of handy hints and top tips to help businesses manage their kitchen, protect local beaches and improve water quality at over 150 local businesses.

SAS Campaign Director Andy Cummins says:“Seaton and East Looe are the first communities in the UK to benefit from this new campaign. Surfers Against Sewage hope to promote Seaton & East Looe as outstanding national examples of community action delivering positive changes to protect our precious oceans and beaches.”

Environment Agency, Environmental Monitor Leader, Claudine Foniter says: “We are providing the communities at Seaton and East Looe the opportunity to help improve water quality at local beaches. We hope that the community and businesses will all help play their part in delivering these improvements through SAS’s FOGS campaign.”

Keep an eye on how the FOGS campaign is going on:

http://www.sas.org.uk/news/2012/12/19/protect-our-beaches-dont-pour-fats-oils-and-grease-down-the-sink

While general SAS stuff can be viewed on:

http://www.sas.org.uk/latest-news

What Are Our Friends Up To? Part 2: Young Farmers Club

At the end of November, we blogged about the plans of the National Trust to award a year's tenancy of the newly acquired Llyndy Isaf farm to a deserving young farmer who would chosen by interview by The Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (YFC).

While we await the result of that interview process, we noticed this week that the YFC is supporting Drive It Home, a scheme to promote driver awareness.

Driving on rural roads is something most of their members do on a daily basis; but for young drivers these roads can be lethal. Many Young Farmers’ Clubs will have lost members in tragic road accidents and statistics show that rural young drivers are 37% more likely to be injured in a road accident than those who live in urban areas.

The Drive it Home campaign aims to:

• Educate YFC members on how to stay safe on rural roads and change attitudes so we all become better drivers
• Create Drive it Home Champions who can promote safer driving in their local communities and peer groups.
• Offer opportunities for YFC members to improve their driving skills.

One member from each county can go on a Brake 2young2die training course and become a Drive It Home Champion; promoting road safety in their local area. The courses take place across the country and each place is kindly paid for by NFU Mutual. Brake is also running 2young2die courses in each of the seven NFYFC areas throughout the year, especially for YFC members.

YFC members are being urged to add a road safety night to your club programme, and invite a local speaker or the fire service to come and give a presentation.

They can also support the campaign by liking the Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/driveithomeyfc or following them on Twitter using #driveithomeyfc.

What Are Our Friends Up To? Part 1: 02E

During our opening three months we have spent time introducing you to groups and organisations that we feel are involved in charitable deeds and worth while schemes. One of our early favourites was 02E or “Ordinary To Extraordinary”, and it is worth reminding you of their mission statement which reads:

“To make a difference to the lives of seriously and terminally ill children, whilst encouraging and supporting all ages to embrace sport and adventure, get out of their comfort zones and live life to the full.”

You can't help but find yourself being caught up in the enthusiasm generated by this exceptional band of people, and any group that can raise the best part of £26,000 on the night of their Gala Dinner has an attitude to be reckoned with !! Chris Moon brings a new dimension to motivational speaking, that can only come from someone has a life experience that we would not want to share.

We are happy to copy below an excerpt from the 02E web site showing how monies have been divided up for 2012, with the four highlighted charities obviously getting the lions share:-

Where did that year go????? ‘Huge thanks for your continued support.
Still working hard on fundraising and great job done by Jimbo and his wine tasting evening raising nearly £2k and by Chris Moon who banged the O2e drum at a lunch function raising £5,500!!!
Really pleased and proud to confirm funds raised to be distributed for 2012:
EACH (£40,000)
Get Kids Going (£40,000)
Sparkle (£40,000)
Riverside School (£40,000)
Florries Nurses ( Nurses specific to kids with life limiting illness ) (£2,500)
Ironman for the Kidz-raised and paid directly by Louis and his team in South Africa (£700)
Total £163,200. This really will make an enormous difference to the lives of so many children!!
Huge, huge amount of effort (and pain!) has gone into 2012 and should all be really proud of fundraising and incredible challenges!!!!
Please allow yourself a small window to reflect on your extraordinary achievements this year, the children that you have helped together with the challenges and friendships that you have made in 2012
You have massively ticked the O2E boxes by making a difference to the lives of so many children as well as your own
Now is the time to be planning your 2013 adventures!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Let's look forward to hearing who the lucky beneficiaries in 2013 will be!

Dramatic Flame Shell Beds Found In Scottish Coastal Waters

A survey commissioned to discover and identify new Marine Protected Areas (MPA) has succeeded in doing just that in an area located far off the coast of Scotland. The extensive bed of at least 100 million flame shells was found during a survey of Loch Alsh, a sea inlet between Skye and the Scottish mainland.

The exceptional flame effect appearance is created by numerous neon orange tentacles that emerge between its two shells. By grouping together, a living reef is created that supports a community of many other species.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead described the seas around Scotland as a "hotbed of biodiversity". With Scottish waters covering an area around five-times bigger than our landmass, it's a huge challenge to try and understand more about our diverse and precious sea life," he said.

"The flame shell must be considered among the most remarkable species in our waters, with a dazzling array of orange tentacles. Many would place such an exotic species in far-flung tropical reefs - not realising they dwell under the waves just off the coast of Skye."

He added: "This important discovery may be the largest grouping of flame shells anywhere in the world. And not only are flame shells beautiful to look at, these enigmatic shellfish form a reef that offers a safe and productive environment for many other species."

The Loch Alsh survey was carried out by Heriot-Watt University on behalf of Marine Scotland.
Dan Harries, of Heriot-Watt University's School of Life Sciences, said: "Too often, when we go out to check earlier records of a particular species or habitat we find them damaged, struggling or even gone.

"We are delighted that in this instance we found not just occasional patches but a huge and thriving flame shell community extending right the way along the entrance narrows of Loch Alsh. This is a wonderful discovery for all concerned."

The flame shells build “nests” by binding gravel and shells together with thin wiry threads. About 4cm long, they group together in such numbers that the sea bed is covered by a felt-like organic reef of material several centimetres thick. Flame shell beds are found at only eight sites in Scottish waters.