Anglesey Marina Development Plan Under Attack From Locals

Pressure is mounting on developers Conygar Stena Line to revise plans that they have for a £100 million marina development on Anglesey. There is outline consent for 326 homes, a 500-berth  marina, retail, leisure, restaurants,  hotel and office space, on Holyhead’s waterfront.

But the Waterfront Action Group, which opposes the scheme, has held a public meeting at Holyhead High School  to reiterate its fears about the visual impact the development would have on the town’s Newry Beach.

Newry Beach, Anglesey is under pressure

The group has subsequently applied for “village green” status for the seafront site to Anglesey council.  The lodging of that application means the land is protected for now from further development until the outcome of that application  has been decided by planners.

Until that happens, the whole project is on hold and campaigners believe this is their “last chance” to save the beach from development. However, many in favour of the development have been left angered by this “roadblock”, which they say is halting progress on a project that developers say would bring many jobs to an island ravaged by unemployment during recent years.

However, the Waterfront Action Group remain have reservations over the number of jobs that would be created by the plan. At the meeting, Terry Looker said: “No one in this room is against creating jobs, we all know Holyhead and Anglesey is in desperate need of them, but not at any cost. The estimate has already gone down from 600 to 300 new jobs, I wonder what the real figure is? Very little information is forthcoming from the developers.”

Town Councillor Shaun Redmond, added: “This is an elite development that will not answer any of our housing needs, geared towards people from elsewhere. Why destroy a beach for that purpose? We have no issues with the proposals for Porthyfelin and Soldier’s Point which may create jobs, but the rows of houses that will destroy Newry Beach, will not benefit the town whatsoever.”

Although not present at the meeting, Albert Owen MP issued a statement: “I am aware the developer has revised the plans which I understand will show a reduction in the most sensitive areas, but recent events have delayed submission to the council. There must, in my opinion, be constructive dialogue between all parties in order to identify mutual aspirations and to maximise community benefits especially as it is clear most people wish to see some form of development and progress on the issue.”

Explore An Extra Twenty Seven Miles Of Paths Through Fingle Woods In Dartmoor

Covering a surprising 825 acres (that’s about 460 football pitches), Fingle Woods, not too far from Moretonhampstead in East Devon, is now able to offer walkers twenty seven miles of newly reopened footpaths thanks to the sterling efforts of the combined forces of the National Trust and the Wood land Trust. It is ten years since these routes were last open.

Twenty Seven More Miles To Explore

The two Trust joined forces together in August 2013 to purchase and restore the woods which straddle the River Teign, with a promise that visitors would also be able to discover previously inaccessible areas of the site. As of this moment, the best part of £3 million has been donated to the Woodland Trust, with a further £2 million required to ensure long term restoration.

A highlight will be the ability to follow new trails throughout the woods which will lead them to long forgotten sights including an Iron Age hill fort at Wooston Castle and the Hidden Valley at Halls Cleave. Visitors will also provide the chance to encounter huge wood ant nests, watch for birds of prey including buzzards and sparrowhawks and spy on kingfishers and otters at the Weir Pool on the River Teign.

David Rickwood, the Woodland Trust site manager for Devon, said: 'We are over half way to our £5 million fundraising target which is fantastic after just eight months. This money will enable not only the purchase of the site but will also fund the long-term restoration of the areas of damaged ancient woodland on site.

'We will only be able to secure the long-term restoration of the woods if we reach our £5m fundraising target so every pound donated will make a real difference.'

It is estimated that about two-thirds of Fingle Woods is covered in damaged ancient woodland, planted with conifers, which the charities aim to restore by gradually thinning the conifers over many decades, allowing native woodland to regenerate, increasing the habitat for species such as pied flycatcher, redstart, wood warbler and fritillary butterflies.

Damaged ancient woodland makes up nearly half of the existing ancient woodland left in the UK, which is irreplaceable and covers just 2% of the landscape, restoration is the only way to protect its long-term future.

Adrian Colston, the National Trust general manager on Dartmoor, added: 'We’re excited that visitors exploring the new pathways will be able to experience new sights, sounds and landscapes at Fingle Woods.

'Our plans for 2014 are in an advanced state and we have been very lucky and survived the recent storms better than many, so there are plenty of trees and vistas for visitors to enjoy.'

                                                              National Trust
                                                             Woodland Trust

Canterbury Is Still A Top Attraction For Tourists

Tranquil river scene at Canterbury

Considering that at the last count, Canterbury had a population of around the mid 40,000's, this is yet another example of a town that is punching considerably above its weight in tourism terms.  Parts of the city have even been declared a World Heritage Site, and much of this is down to The Archbishop of Canterbury being the head of the Church of England and the Worldwide Anglican Communion. It truly became a place of pilgrimage after the murder of Thomas  Becket in 1170, by supporters of Henry II, with whom he was in conflict.

The cathedral is undoubtedly one of the biggest attractions in the city, along with St. Augustine's Abbey and the ruined castle. The cathedral is one of the most imposing buildings and certainly one of the most visited. Records suggest it was founded in the late sixth century, and having been affected by fire on more than one occasion and also suffering suppression during the Dissolution, it has managed to survive to this day.

In turn, the castle is of Norman origins and is perfectly placed in the centre of the city, not far from the station, although that wasn't important in Norman times! Constructed soon after the Battle of Hastings, it was one of three built fairly quickly to safeguard the road to London.  St. Augustine's Abbey suffered badly as a result of Henry VIII's attentions during the Dissolution of the Monastries having survived from its original foundation in the sixth century.

Undoubtedly Canterbury is a top tourist attraction that would be popular with sightseers from abroad, who would fall in love with the history and the majesty of the buildings. If a city is to survive as a top tourist destination however, it needs to generate an income from the foot fall, and this is precisely what Canterbury is seeking to do. Alongside these top historical attractions, it promotes attractions such as the evening river tours.

Take the opportunity to enjoy the delights of the River Stour as it passes through the city by taking a candlelit evening tour. Aimed very much at groups, this will include food and drink at set tariffs and will take you away from the hustle and bustle of the city and with the floodlit cathedral as a backdrop.

If you are feeling brave enough, meet the Ghosthunter for a seventy five minute tour around the spookier parts of the city, with the night time shadows for company. Don't worry, you will be safe if you stay with him.

Both the Gulbenkian Theatre and The Cinema can be found at the University of Kent in Canterbury, both of which offer something for all tastes.  If museums are your thing, choose between the Heritage Museum, the Roman Museum and the Westgate Towers Museum, the last of these being  the best preserved landmark after the cathedral.

Whitefriars is a top quality shopping complex, and cheerfully admits to winning the top five star rating in the annual “Loo of the Year” award! You may chuckle, but such awards are often an indication as to how well the whole complex is run. Canterbury also has a full range of pubs, restaurants and clubs to suit all tastes.

Never underestimate Canterbury as a touring centre that can be used as a base to explore the county of Kent, popularly called “The Garden of England”. Day trip to places such as Margate, Dover, Hythe, Deal and Broadstairs, and perhaps even consider a quick trip across the Channel via Eurostar.

Many visitors say that a visit to Canterbury turns out to be a rewarding experience, and the amount of return traffic is testament to that.

                                                        The Canterbury Ghosthunter

                                                               Canterbury Tourism

Bath Looking For The Big Sell As A Film Location

As befits one of the most historic and photogenic cities in Britain, Bath has been glancing enviously at other less interesting parts of the country as they forge ahead in gaining reputations as locations and settings for film productions.

Royal Crescent Bath - surely a prime film location?

Now Bath is getting geared up for the big sell, and film and television location managers have been given a tour of Bath's attractions and highlights in a bid to get more productions shot in the city.
Creative England arranged for a number of production companies to look around key sites, including the Assembly Rooms, Thermae Bath Spa, the Pump Room, Pulteney Bridge and the Guildhall.

The hope is that these influential people will be sold on the city with a view to showcase Bath to industry experts, who had either not filmed in the city before or had not visited for a number of years. The tour was organised with support from Bath Film Office and was part of a wider, nationwide project by Creative England to advertise the country as a premier filming destination.

Creative England's head of production services Kaye Elliott said: "Both Bristol and Bath boast fantastic locations, excellent facilities and superb crew and have huge amounts to offer filmmakers as a leading film and television location and production base.

"But there are fantastic benefits for the city itself too. Creative England estimates that filming can bring up to £32,000 a day into the local economy, creating jobs for locally-based crew and business for local industries such as vehicle and equipment hire companies, hotels and restaurants."

                                                                      Bath Tourism

Dylan Thomas Had His Boat House, Now You Can Have Your Own Watchtower

Watchtower - a word made famous in modern times by Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, and now one that could play an important part on your life, particularly if you looking for a bolthole to encourage your artistic nature.
A nineteenth century watchtower is becoming available for auction on the 27th March at a nominal guide price of £1,000, and the auctioneer involved is convinced that the lot could be a star attraction.

Could this be where you write your blockbuster?

The turret stands on the foreshore at Watchtower Bay at Cold Knap in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, and Paul Fosh who will be wielding the gavel feels that the old coastguard station could provide 21st Century inspiration.

The Grade-2 listed two-storey tower, built in about 1860 as a coastguard station and partly constructed into the cliff embankment, is being sold for current owners, the Vale of Glamorgan council.

"It was thought that the watchtower was no longer required when the larger Barry Docks was developed," said Paul.  "We've certainly sold a whole range of unusual buildings over the years but this is something a little bit special. The watchtower, which is based within the Barry Marine Conservation Area, has a boat entry at the ground level which is secured by a roller shutter."
There is no land with the property, and Paul says that it is not known whether the building had electricity or running water connected, but he says it would make an ideal bolthole for someone artistic.

"Standing on the foreshore and looking over the bay, it really is an amazing spot for anyone seeking artistic inspiration. I would think that the watchtower would appeal perhaps to an artist, painter or even perhaps a poet, after all Dylan Thomas had his boathouse bolt hole at Laugharne which isn't that far down the coast from Barry, where he wrote some of his best loved and world famous poetry."

              More information about the Watch Tower from the Auctioneers Catalogue

Scottish Islands To Get Free Ticket Boost

Following on from the news that Lewis and Harris stormed through the TripAdvisor awards for best European Islands, thousands of free ferry tickets are being given away to encourage more people to visit Scotland's islands.

The Year of Homecoming will see 8,000 tickets given away and there will be free trips to places such as Orkney and Shetland. Lewis and Harris will also be included in this scheme, which gives us all the chance to see why it has enjoyed such success in the polls. The ferry tickets will be given away through online ballots during March.

Visit islands like these free of charge

Scottish islands secured six of the places in TripAdvisor's list of top 10 isles around Britain, with Lewis and Harris in first place and Orkney's mainland, Mull, Skye, Arran and Islay included in the selection.

The free ticket scheme is a great partnership between VisitScotland, Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) and Serco NorthLink Ferries. CalMac managing director Martin Dorchester said: "We received a lot of positive feedback from participants from last year's Big April Adventures and are delighted to team up with VisitScotland again for this initiative."

He added: "Scotland's islands offer something for everyone and we look forward to welcoming visitors on board for their trip to a brilliant island."

Entries to the ticket giveaway can be made through the VisitScotland website (see below) with weekly ballots being made.

                                                                   Visit Scotland

High Profile Cinema Exposure For Viking Exhibition

Following on from the success last year of a world wide screening of Pompeii Live, the British Museum is preparing for a live cinema show based on its high profile Vikings Live exhibition that is running from the 6th March to the 22nd June.

The screening will take place on 24th April and will provide a close-up view of Norse treasures featuring in the display. A particular highlight will be a torch-lit ship burial in the museum's forecourt.

The Vikings were a misunderstood people

The Museum obviously feel that they could be on to another winner following the success of the Pompeii screening which took £471,000 at the UK box office alone. The one-off event, focusing on the museum's exhibition about the volcano-stricken Roman city, made number 10 in the weekly film chart. British Museum director Neil MacGregor said that the Vikings event would build on that success, going to 380 UK cinemas and some 50 countries around the world.

"We're going to reach an even larger public," he said, adding the "worldwide opportunity to see what goes on here through cinema is very important". He said the guided tour, which will feature television historians Michael Wood and Bettany Hughes, would allow viewers to get "very, very close to the objects" on display, "possibly closer than you can in the exhibition itself".

Hughes, whose well-known programmes include Britain's Secret Treasures, was involved in the Pompeii Live broadcast, and said there had been a "tsunami of support" from viewers.

"I cannot understand a people and their past unless I can get up close and personal to the objects and the art they created.  The brilliant thing about these live private views is that the public can have these inspirational, intimate and privileged experiences," said the historian.

There will also be a separate, pre-recorded, show aimed at children, called Viking Adventures, which will be screened on 5 June and fronted by CBBC presenter Ed Petrie.

The remains of a warship and its metal housing form the show's centrepiece  The exhibition, represents the British Museum's first major Vikings display for 30 years, and also features a treasure trove of gold and silver items.

Perhaps the most eye catching attraction is a 37-foot warship, whose wooden remains are cradled in a metal housing. Known as Roskilde 6, it was excavated from the banks of Roskilde fjord in Denmark in 1997, and is the longest Viking craft ever discovered.

It is hard for the exhibition not to focus on the Vikings' history of marauding and warfare, but it also takes to time to shed light on a more peaceable, civilised side to a people who explored the world. They exchanged ideas and culture with other nations and played board games.
The exhibition's creator, Gareth Williams, said: "It's a chance to say something a bit different and a bit new about the Vikings."

Michael Wood added there were many "wonderful tales and wonderful myths" to be busted about the Vikings, who did not wear horned helmets, as so often depicted. He added that their invasions of Britain formed its present nations and "changed the political landscape". The broadcaster added that the exhibition offered an "incredible collection of material which will never be gathered together in once place again".

Vikings: Life and Legend is due to run from 6 March to 22 June.

                                          Learn more about this ground breaking exhibition