Abergele YES Mag July-August

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featured ........Future Outperformers -Kidpreneurs by Dawn Roberts see p5

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THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORY OF LOCAL BUSINESSESDelivered FREE to Homes & Businesses in

July / August 2012

Support

Abergele July August with bottom Strapline.indd 1 14/06/2012 19:13

To Advertise in MAG please call Richard 01492 541627 or 07598 2340662

Linney Cooper is proud to offer you the chance to viewBeautiful themed rooms set over 3 floors. Displaying Carpets, Rugs,

Furniture and accessories.Our helpful staff will assist you with making your house the

home of your dreams

No 1 Mostyn Avenue, Craig-y-Don, Llandudno, LL30 1YSTel: 01492 877000 Fax: 01492 877065 Email: [email protected]

Diamond Jubilee Celebration

20 %OFF

ALL GENUINEWOVEN

AXMINSTERSfrom


Please mention MAG when responding to adverts 3

Linney Cooper is proud to offer you the chance to viewBeautiful themed rooms set over 3 floors. Displaying Carpets, Rugs,

Furniture and accessories.Our helpful staff will assist you with making your house the

home of your dreams

Q U A L I T Y U N I Q U E H O M E W A R E F R O M A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

T H E R E I S S I M P L Y N O S H O P Q U I T E L I K E I T

Objects D’Art& Curios

GLODDAETH ST.

LLOYD

ST.

MANORFINE FOODS

N.PARADEMOSTYN ST.

UPPERMOSTYN

ST.

LLEWELYN AVE.

PIER

TRAM STA.

MANOR HOME & WARES

ST. GEORGES

PLACE

Whilst you are in Llandudno why not visit our sister shop? -a treasure trove of Welsh fine foods, and lovely gifts - from ales to chutneys, preserves to cakes. Plus an amazing array of kitchen gadgets. Find that unusual gift for that special someone.

Imagine a shop like no other -a collection of unique objects d’art

and curios from around the world - from the elegantly simple to the

amazingly ornate. No visit to llandudnowould be complete!

112 UPPER MOSTYN ST.LLANDUDNO LL30 2SW

both shops are openmonday - saturday 10 - 5 and sunday 11 - 4

NOW O

PEN

5/5A ST GEORGES PLACE

LLANDUDNO LL30 2NR

(Next to St George’s Hotel)

PROMENADE



Dianne H

arris - EditorSupport

London 2012

EDITORS LETTER

Well we seem to have reached the half way mark this year, how quickly it goes, frightening. We have had quite a lot happen to excite us this year, I ran the London marathon in April, that was a good day, the queens jubilee, I hope you all enjoyed it, as much as we did, Euro 2012 for you football lovers out there, which I must admit, I do share the passion for football and no, it is not just to see all those hairy, well tanned legs running around, I actually do like the sport, we still have the olympics to look forward to, when you sit down and think about it, it actually has not been a bad year for events.

We have some great articles for you this month, including stories, letters and poems from local residents.

If any of you have stories or interesting articles you think will interest our other readers, please send them in and we will do our best to include them in the next issue.

As always, please do try to use the local advertisers that are in the magazine, so that locally, at least, we all have a good and prosperous summer.

WANT TO ADVERTISEPlease email Richard Clark - [email protected]

or call on 01492 541627 mob 07598 234066

Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of an advert. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in the publication.Adverts are accepted on the understanding that description of goods and services are fair and accurate. Yes Mag Directory does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise - without the prior consent of the publisher. Photographs - ©Shoot My Face

Featuring ...5 Kidpreneurs

10 You Can get More for Less

12 Wordsearch

14 Sudoku

14 Poem - Past my Sell buy date

17 A Golfer’s Tale

18 Jan Ruth - Local Author

20 Home Improvement

22 Puzzle Page

24 Positive Parenting

26 Sport - North Wales Dragons

27 Pictograms

28 Beauty

30 Fitness & Wellbeing

32 Travel

34 Yes4Property

36 Holiday Technology

38 RNLI

38 Calcaduko

40 Letter from Concerned Reader

42 Working from Home

44 Recipe

46 Readers Corner

48 Olympics

52 Gardening

54 Beauty

56 Crop Circles

58 Teenage Drinking

60 Motoring

62 A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

63 Puzzle Answers

64 What’s On in July & August

DirectorsDianne Harris - EditorMarilyn Clark - IT & DesignRichard Clark - Sales



Little People Big Ideas!An award winning North Wales businesswoman is looking to the future and helping to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of primary school children.Dawn Roberts, Managing Director of Outperform Training, based in Abergele, recently spent some time at Ysgol Y Faenol, Bodelwyddan, where children have been taking part in a project to get them thinking about business ideas and creating simple business plans.

Dawn, a former national training manager for BUPA and Businesswoman of the Year for 2011 in the Free2Network Awards and finalist in the Network She Awards, was also selected earlier this year to be a Woman on Wednesday, WOW, by an international chief executive.

Her company, who specialise in sales campaign management and helping sales teams and individuals, recently celebrated five successful years in business last month.

Dawn said: “The day at Ysgol Y Faenol was one of the most enjoyable events I have ever attended and that’s a big statement to make about some of the smallest people.

“My work with the employed has highlighted that some of the delegates at my free workshops had unemployed futures ingrained in them from an early age with some owning title of third generation unemployed within their family. I know if I am going to make a difference to the unemployed statistic in North Wales I will have to get ‘em early!

“With constant references to ‘no jobs out there’ and ‘it’s too expensive to go to university’ we have to make children aware there are other options. That’s why I have been working with a local primary school to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in children aged as young as 7 and I have been astounded by the results.”

She said that the kidpreneurs led by their devoted teacher Vanessa Jones, came up with ideas such as creating a poster from the Poster People and had a team of environmentally focused youngsters who removed rubbish from caravan sites where there is no council collection called The Garbage Gang.They also had ‘pitches’ from the adorable Cupcake Stars and the hilarious Masters of Mowing ‘we mow your grass if you’re old!’. With elements including market research, business cards, USP’s, adverts and jingles they covered every aspect of launching a new product.

“As the song says, I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way!

I believe that means business and sales skills too!

“I was really encouraged after spending time with the children and look forward to developing this idea with other schools.

For more information or to sign your school up for ‘Outperform Kidpreneurs’ Ring Rachel on 01745 824883 or email [email protected].



T he Lovely Room is a pretty boutique situated in the affluent seaside village of Rhos on Sea in North Wales.

The boutique proudly stocks products from carefully chosen suppliers, providing an exquisite range of home accessories, furniture and gifts. Renowned suppliers like Emma Bridgewater, Nina Campbell, Jan Constantine, Gisela Graham, Shruti and Bombay Duck bring a wonderful touch to The Lovely Room. There is no doubt that you will always find that something extra special here.

The Lovely Room delivers an exceptional and friendly personal service for every customer as well as providing a gift wrapping and delivery service.

www.thelovelyroom.co.uk

The Lovely Room, Everard House, Everard Road, Rhos on Sea, Conwy

01492 544564



We have 3 Abbeyfield Houses in the Colwyn Bay / Rhos on Sea AreaOur houses are designed specially for Independent Living within a sheltered environment, comprising en-suite apartments and rooms to suit all expectations offering:

♦ INDEPENDENCE AND PRIVACY

♦ SECURITY

♦ COMPANIONSHIP♦ SUPPORT

Enquiries to Judy our General ManagerAbbeyfield Colwyn Bay Society Ltd.

01492 533724www. abbeyfieldcolwynbay.co.uk

Colwyn Bay

NEW TO RHOS ON SEAWe now have a fully furnished en-suite room with telephone and television dedicated to

short stay use for:Convalescence, Holidays, Company while relatives are away, or just a short break in a

dark winter etc. at £38 per day all inclusive

Opening TimesMon - Sat 09.00 - 5pm

Now open Sundays 10.00 - 4pm

19 Lloyd Street, Llandudno, LL30 2UU01492 873333

Top ableCafe, Restaurant

(licensed)

New Gift Shop

Fashion JewellleryScarfsGiftsCake StandsCandle HoldersArtificial FlowersDecorative Living& Other Interesting Gifts

Food, Drinks & Cakes available to Take Away

Outside Catering Catered for Buffets, Afternoon

Teas, Conference Lunches, Weddings,Funeral Teas & Special

Occasions*******

Pre Ordered Cakes & Desserts are available to Purchase

*******Top Table is available to hire in

the Evenings for Private Parties of 20 or more

*******Please enquire for prices &

Menus



01492 874717 / 07766053124

· K & S· Marco Tozzi· Caprice

Wide Selection of Fabulous Shoes, Handbags & Costume Jewellery

www.bijoushoe.com

51 Madoc Street, Llandudno, LL30 2TW

19a Mostyn Street Llandudno LL30 2NL

TURNEROUND REUSE

We are OpenMon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 10-5pm

Wed,Sat 10-4pm Closed Sundays

TURNEROUND REUSE IS COMMITTED TO KEEPING AS MUCH OUT OF LANDFILL AS POSSIBLE AND SO FAR HAS STOPPED 400 TON OF HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS FROM GOING TO LAND FILL

New Colwyn Bay Warehouse Now Open

EXCELLENT VALUEGIFTS & COLLECTABLES, etc

on sale at ourIvy Street Shop, Colwyn Bay

LL29 8GA

EXCELLENT VALUEELECTRICAL & FURNITURE, etc

on sale at our warehouse8 Rear Bay View Road,Colwyn Bay , LL29 8DW

Confidential Removals and ClearancesNew and Pre-loved Goods Specialists

please call 01492 531070

NEW & PRE-LOVED GOODS SPECIALISTSKITCHENWARE

ANTIQUITIESBRIC-A-BRAC

FURNITURETools, Toys, Bikes

[email protected]

01492 576907 www.garrysky.co.uk

07770 391379

For 10% Discount please quote YM2





YOU can save thousands of ££££s. Get your property seen on Zoopla, receiving 5 million property searches a month. Also on BBC; AOL; MSN; The Times; The Sun;

Skymedia; Homes 24; Skymedia.co.uk; Talktalk; Yahoo.co.uk; Ebay; Upmystreet.com

4property.comYou Can Get More for Less

I was asked by Dawn Roberts from Outperform to put together a few words to explain why we set up yes4property.com

I grew up watching my parents work very hard in their day to day jobs and on the side buying and renovating properties. I can always remember them complaining about the estate agents fees when their latest venture had sold. We also had a very nice neighbour who was an estate agent and because they had a son of a similar age, I got to know them very well and realised, compared with us they had a fabulous lifestyle.

So, I left school, following in my parents footsteps, renovating properties - I then realised how they felt, when it came to paying the dreaded commission for “selling the house” . I felt the estate agent had done very little as, ‘Yes’ they did send the people to view the property, but as they were busy and could not always make the viewings, I would

end up showing the people around. Eventually we agreed an offer, which was done very easily and between ourselves, the house sold, and the agent pocketed the commission!. Surely, there had to be a better way to sell a house, without having to pay out such high fees. Remember the more your house is worth, the more money you save.

Over the past few years, myself and Dianne have spent over £20.000 in estate agents fees.

If you are like us, you work hard and have managed to get yourself on the housing ladder. There are lots of us out there, we don’t appreciate, in these hard times, handing cash out when you just don’t have to, its just too difficult to come by and enough is enough.

We had just bought our last house and the only way we could afford to renovate it was to sell off part of the

garden as a building plot. I then had to make the dreaded calls to local estate agents. At the same time the country had just gone Into recession,

Every estate agent that came to view the land gave me the same spiel, “Mr Clark we are in recession, people are just not viewing at the moment, never mind buying.” I won't mention figures but the amount I expected and the amount the estate agents quoted for the plot, in the current climate, were so far apart, the difference would buy a high end prestige car.

I eventually agreed to let one of the estate agents take it on to their books, on the condition that if they hadn’t sold it within 3 months, I would take it off them and sell it myself.

3 months later, no sale, so as agreed, the agreement ended. I started the job of pushing the sale on my own. I had some initial interest, an offer that fell through and then within about 3-4 months agreed a sale, 12 months later the sale went through, exactly the amount I wanted, the amount all of the estate agents had told me, I just would not receive. I believe that the estate agents were struggling then and still are, that in their desperation, do not work in favor of the seller but the buyer.

After this I decided to set up Yes4Property. If I could do it, I could make it easier for others. The idea has come on a lot in the past few years, the website is built, and I am delighted to say, we have now signed a contract with Zoopla, who are enjoying massive growth and are receiving over 5million property searches per month.

Everything you need for valuing your house can be found online, guides to what your neighbours’ properties have sold for and similar houses over the last few years.

If you have the confidence to show someone around your house and put up your own for sale sign. You don’t need an estate agent, all you do need is a solicitor.

Richard Clark, yes4property.com

Yes4Property.com is not an estate agent but a portal to help you save thousands of pounds.

If you are not computer literate, our local advisor will visit you, help take the pictures and upload them onto Yes4Property.com. We look forward to saving you lots of money. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call, we will be happy to help in anyway we can.





Reno-TechThe Independent Renault Specialist

ATA Accredited - Renault factory trainedProprietor - Steve Talbot CAE AMIMI

MOTs now done on siteFree Re-test

*£35 MOT (*when booked with Service)

on production of this voucher

www.reno-tech.co.uk

Unit 2 Oswald Rd, Llandudno Junction, LL31 9EPTel: 01492 584279Fax: 01492 582105

UP TO 50%CHEAPER THANMAIN DEALER

PRICES

Fresh Fields, Orchard Grove, Towyn Road, Towyn, Aberegele LL22 9HEwww.carsalescompany.com

[email protected]



thecarsalescompany.com

At thecarsalescompany.com, profit is not the priority. Firstly we ensure our stock is of the highest quality, generally one owner, low mileage, late registration vehicles from a trusted source. Our fleet

is handled by professional experienced staff, offering exemplary pre and post sale service.

Although our vehicles come with a comprehensive warranty, many are still under manufacturers guarantee. In the event extended warranty is

required, we are pleased to be associated with RAC warranties.

When you are considering changing your present vehicle, please call us first.

We have a large range to suit all budgets and our stock changes daily.As we are a nationwide retailer, we check our pricing every day to ensure

we are extremely competitive.

We offer generous part exchange prices and excellent finance packages.For the cost of a call you have nothing to lose, try thecarsalescompany.com for your next car!

01745 360119

Fresh Fields, Orchard Grove, Towyn Road, Towyn, Aberegele LL22 9HEwww.carsalescompany.com

[email protected]



PAST MY SELL BUY DATE

Gone are the days of the old corner shop,with the little old lady in a ill-fitting frock.

Returning pop bottles, a penny a time,not to recycle was considered a crime.

What is becoming of the world we once knew.to go down the yard in the snow for the loo.

Newspapers cut up in squares – nice and neat,freezing cold bums as you sit on the seat.

Empty the jerry in the loo at first light,so the neighbours didn't witness this terrible sight.

No one trying to 'keep up' with each other,with no duvets an old coat was the cover.

No micro-wave ovens or George Formby Grills,it's in the black lead oven – without any frills.

A good stew on the menu again today,no frozen foods cooked in a tray.

To play in the street with a top and a whip,and coppers could clout you if you gave them lip.

Doors never locked whether out or in,cause there’s nothing left in the caddy tin.

Technology’s changed so, change with the time,that’s a hard thing to do – when you're sixty nine.

Wages were paid with a weekly pay-slip,its now monthly salaries and you'll need to chip.

Bank cards, credit cards, store cards and more,No more cash is paid at the door.

Your weekly shop can be done with a click,You can sit at home and book a flick.

You can buy holidays or a baby buggy, for the desperate – you can even find a hubby.

There's landlines, mobiles and MP3s,You need a diploma to use any of these.

The computer dings, I’ve done something wrong,'Oh no, not again, I’ve downloaded a song'.

Sign up, sign on, log onto this site,Press to continue, you’re doing it right.

Something wrong again, its back to the store,your not 'user friendly', they said before.

I say 'this won't beat me, I’ll master it yet!No, put pen to paper – that’s the safest bet'.

Val Kent-McCall

BIG IMPACT?

Hand delivered to homes & businesses

in the Conwy to Prestatyn Area Bi-Monthlyfrom as little as

20,000 copies (Between 2 Magazines)

Need an Advert at a Small Price with

£45.00!

Small Business?

per edition / per magazine

Did You Know...?One out of 20 people have an extra rib!Spiders have claws at the ends of their legs!The human heart beats roughly 35 million times a year.!

SUDOKU

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Sir Winston Churchill



GOLDBOUGHT

IN ANY CONDITION

Before you sell try usFor the Best Price

GOLDYEAR JEWELLERS&

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01492 533023





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A Golfer’s TaleA golfer went out golfing, in the hot midsummer sun,

His dream, that day, apparently, to score a hole in one,

He was deep in concentration, but then something caught his eye

He saw a row of hearses, on the road, just passing by,

He stopped his game of golf and quietly stood so still instead,

He removed his golfers cap, and then he slowly bowed his head

He felt deep in his pockets, took his hanky, blew his nose

And said “So sad, so very sad, but that’s the way it goes,”

“Did you know her?” his opponent asked, astonished by his tears

“Well, yes,” came the reply. “She was my wife for thirty years….”

©Jan Jack 2012, Commission a bespoke verse at www.perfectverse.co.uk



An Unlikely HeroShort Story by Jan Ruth

Tegan’s idea of an attractive man was fairly stereotypical. He was a classical hero, pieced together from her abundant pile of celebrity magazines and an ever growing selection

of romantic novels. But that was before she moved back to Snowdonia, and met the local estate agent.

Her criteria for a house were a lot more simple than for a man. First and foremost, it had to have a lot of book shelves and it had to have a romantic view. The agent assured her he had just the thing; a sixteenth century cottage full of original features.

At the allocated time, Jack Redman was waiting at the property with a large set of keys and a file, all the usual stereotypical things one might expect of an estate agent. Tegan felt a little foolish at first, wanting to rush in and search out the promised book space and look through all the windows, but for some reason she wanted to impress Mr. Redman and well... his rather original features; so Tegan pretended to be interested in the kitchen. She commented on the authentic, black iron pan hanging rack suspended from the ceiling, festooned as it

was with all manner of paraphenalia; from dried lavender, to a set of animal castrating shears. Mr. Redman seemed less keen, and had to keep ducking beneath it. ‘Complete with sixteenth century mantrap,’ he said, with a wry grin.Okay, so he had a sense of humour...

Tegan steeled herself to look through the windows. The views were as promised; copious and possibly more than her heart desired. The views seemed in fact, much too big for the aperture. There was something more than a little magical about the way the early spring light shivered and bounced across the landscape. Okay, so he knew what a romantic view was...

The book shelves were, as promised; copious and possibly full of woodworm. The shelves were in fact much too big for her collection of romantic novels, but it wasn’t a problem. Tegan had already decided they weren’t coming with her.

www.janruth.com

Jan RuthLocal Author

Jan Ruth was born in Bowden, Cheshire, and moved to North Wales in 1998, although she has always maintained a strong connection with the area from a much earlier age. Her feel for the Welsh landscape is evident in all of her books.Jan started writing at primary school, winning prizes for poetry and short stories.

Her first novel attracted a London agent, but failed to find the right niche with a publisher because it didn’t fall into a specific category- not quite light enough for romance but not literary fiction either, sitting somewhere between these two genres. Her second novel, again snapped up by a London agent; suffered the same fate. Undeterred, Jan has continued to write, believing her market is out there.‘Amazon has completely changed the face of the industry with Kindle. It is an amazing platform for writers in that all books-successfully published or not- are available to a world wide audience but most importantly to the reader, who is after all the most important judge.’

About My BooksFiction: Jan Ruth writes contemporary women’s fiction. Love stories with strong, identifiable character’s, family life and relationships.‘I like to think my books convey some serious threads with a good blend of humour, a balance of light and dark. Different, I feel from the majority in that I often write from the male perspective.’

‘I love the process of writing. There are not many jobs where you get to play God and be dev-ils advocate. Sometimes I am astonished at the pearls of wisdom that must be deeply buried in my brain. At all other times I find myself frantically holding down the delete button.’‘I think you have to be a little mad to enjoy the compulsive and intrusive way it can take over your life - but then I think it has to be this way to have the same vitality for the reader. It’s almost like being possessed by several other people!’

Wild Water Wins Cornerstones Most Popular Self-PublishedTUESDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2011 - Queen of self-publishing

We ran an internal competition recently that invited our authors and the public to vote for their favourite self-published book, based on a sentence blurb and the jacket. There were a flurry of votes as the deadline drew near, and three out of the 50 authors who entered were almost neck and neck. In the end, the winner was Jan Ruth for Wild Water. It was great to see how these savvy authors spread the word via twitter, emails, blogs and local word-of-mouth to garner support. It goes to show that apart from being a good read, marketing your own book is an essential part of being published. Have a look at Jan’s journey to self-publicatiation.



REAL WALK IN SPACE

FROM £12 .92 A WEEK

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For a free no obligation initial meeting, call Peter Sewell at your local TaxAssist office on:

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Unit 3, Council Street West, Llandudno, LL30 1ED

01492 870892

The Best Choice at the Lowest Prices

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Dark, pokey and inaccessible, lofts can often be, literally, a waste of space, useful for a bit of dusty, long-term storage and nothing else. Turn that space into one or two useful rooms and – ta da! – not only might you have added real value to your property, but you’ve got extra living space that could make all the di�erence to happy family life.

The simplest loft conversion might just involve strengthening and boarding out the floor, adding a light and sticking in a pull-down loft ladder – giving you a good-sized storage area that’s accessible on a regular basis, at a cost of probably only a couple of thousand pounds. Bear in mind, however, that Building Regulations may apply to even a simple conversion – see more at www.planningportal.gov.uk. Such a basic project may be a good idea in practical, everyday terms, but if it’s added value you’re after, you’ll have to be more ambitious, say the experts, and put in at least one ‘real’ room.

‘It’s a false economy to cut corners,’ says Jeremy Leaf, RICS housing spokesperson (www.rics.org). ‘To maximise your return the conversion has to be designed properly from the very beginning. You should have a proper lobby area when you come up the stairs, there should be su�cient head clearance, it should be properly insulated, you should have a dormer window rather than a

Velux. It’s also important to think about how a loft conversion a�ects the house as a whole, as they can make them top heavy, with too many bedrooms and, in comparison, too few reception rooms. Check out other properties nearby which have been similarly extended to see what has been done and what they’re worth.’ When doing your research, it’s always a good idea to ask a local estate agent for advice, and you could also go to a website such as www.nethouseprices.com to find out how much properties in your area have sold for recently.

A word about space planning. If you have room, adding a bathroom to a loft conversion makes sense both practically and financially, and shouldn’t cost any more than adding a new bathroom anywhere else in the house – in other words, anything from around £3,000 for a plain fit-out. Costs will be minimised if you place the bathroom above one on the floor below, keeping plumbing work simple, but Hugo Tugman of Architect Your Home (www.architect-yourhome.com) points out that you should always keep your options open. ‘It’s folly to put the bathroom in the wrong place, just because that’s where the drains are,’ he says. ‘The same goes for staircases – most people think that there’s just one place where a staircase can be fitted in a loft conversion, because Building Regulations require two metres of head room above it, but you can end up squashing your accommodation just because the best bit of loft is taken up with a staircase. It’s really worth considering the possible alternatives when doing your planning.’

Lofty IdealsConverting your loft can be the ideal way to gain extra space without the expense and hassle of moving house. Katherine Sorrell outlines the dos and don’ts.

If possible, try to add a bathroom to a loft conversion. The combination of

bedroom with ensuite is not only convenient but is likely to add more

value when it comes to selling. This Cora bath is £1,194

by BC Designs, 01206 827100; www.bcdesigns.co.uk.





Across 1 Closed forcefully (7)

5 Keen (5)

8 Ceremonies (5)

9 Brutal (7)

10 At right angles (13)

11 Violin (6)

12 Beverage (6)

15 Exhibition (13)

18 Return to original state (7)

19 Affected by alcohol (5)

20 Registers (5)

21 Found on the shoreline (7)

Down 1 Strip of leather (5) 2 Changed (7)

QUICK CROSSWORD

3 Assorted items (13)

4 Split up (6)

5 Book of information (13)

6 Low animal noise (5)

7 Hold back (7)

11 Of a league or alliance (7)

13 Lack of success (7)

14 Speaks (6)

16 Poles supporting sails (5)

17 Nude (5)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

10

11 12 13

14

15 16 17

18 19

20 21

Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a number between 1 and 26. The codes for three letters are shown. As you find the letters enter them in the box below.

CODEWORD 26 12 24 19 11 24 10 20 24 7 18 2

24 22 6 21 24 15 13

26 8 14 6 18 21 2 11 7 10 7 11

11 1 14 18 11 11

8 18 23 12 11 4 14 21 5 11 16 7

14 21 23 25 11

R8 11 12 24

T19

I18 14 21 7 13 18 26 7

11 12 8 11 21

26 8 14 3 11 2 19 8 18 22 13 19

12 17 7 24 6 8

18 2 11 7 10 20 4 24 8 18 21 11

11 8 24 12 21 21 24

1 10 7 19 16 11 9 19 18 21 2 19

PUZZLE PAGE



GARAGE SERVICES

HPW

HPW Garage ServicesMOT Servicing & Repairs

MOT ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM

Clwyd Garage, The Roe, St. Asaph, Denbighshire, LL17 0NATel/Fax 01745 585906

Email: [email protected]

Welcome to HPW Garage Services

for MOT Testing inSt Asaph, Denbighshire. Book an MOT online now with our live, real-time MOT booking system. Just select the date and time that suits you from our live, online booking diary. Booking an MOT couldn’t be easier with this 24/7 interactive system. Quick & simple to use with free annual reminders via email, post or sms, you can rest assured you will always know when your vehicle is due for MOT.

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David Cameron’s recent launch of vouchers for parenting classes has highlighted how di�cult it can be to parent well. There can often be situations - such as your young child screaming in a heap on the supermarket floor - when you feel that you have no control over their behaviour, but giving in to their demands doesn’t seem to improve things. However, dealing positively with bad behaviour in a calm, consistent way will help your child as they test you and push the boundaries.

Praising good behaviourYou’re probably aware of how often you tell your child o�, but are you aware of how often you praise them? Parental praise is a big motivator for young children - it makes them feel happy, loved and secure and will raise their self-esteem. Little things like telling them they brushed their teeth really well, or put away their toys without being asked, are all positive a�rmations which make them realise you are noticing them.

Keeping positiveWhen your child is misbehaving it can sometimes feel easier to give in to their demands for peace and quiet rather than stick to your guns. But every time you change your mind, you are telling your child that if they are persistent enough they will eventually win. Stay calm and before you say ‘no’, give yourself a few seconds to think your way round the situation that is positive for both of you. For instance, if your child starts playing up in a shop, say that if they behave now, you will do something fun later, or give them a treat. If they carry on misbehaving, warn them of the consequence and if it continues, take calm action, for instance taking away a privilege. For small children, any consequence must happen within a couple of hours to be e�ective (for instance, missing a TV programme) as otherwise they won’t remember what it was related to. Be consistent: if they play up in the supermarket every time, make sure there is always a consequence.

Tackling trigger pointsThere are often certain points in the day which can cause problems - and if you are aware of these in advance, it will be much easier to deal with them.Going out: If you know your child needs time to adjust after a nap or likes to choose their own

Positive Parenting

clothes before going to nursery, make sure you factor in enough time. If they are indecisive, give a choice of two things and ask which one they would prefer. Meal times: Again, make sure your child has plenty of time to eat a meal and is not rushed. If they’re given foods they don’t like, o�er an incentive to at least try it - and praise them when they do. Use this time to bond by sitting and chatting about their day.Bedtimes: Bath and bedtime is a lovely part of the day, but can sometimes be fraught. Chat about your child’s day and praise their good behaviour. Star charts for going to bed without a fight work well - with a small treat every few days for doing well. Don’t leave it a whole week as this is too long for young children.

The more positive interaction you have with your child, not only praising, but giving them firm boundaries for behaviour, really will help you to form a close, positive relationship.

Positive parenting helps your child to feel secure and loved



07871 328892email: [email protected]

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My name is Chris Roberts and I am a co-founder of the North Wales Dragons Charity Fundraising Football Team along

with other co-founders who are my sons Steven and Gareth.

I am a Partner in a specialist framing company, with one of our most valued clients being Sheffield Football Club, who are of-ficially the ‘Oldest Football Club in the World’ as recognised by the International governing body of football, FIFA.

Sheffield Football Club run a charity called ‘Boots for Africa’ and in 2009 an informal discussion regarding fundraising created an idea that money could be raised by way of a charity football match, subsequently the North Wales Dragons were born, a team made of armchair football fans who give up their own time and money and gain sponsorship on themselves to generate revenue for the cause.

We found willing opponents in another charity fundraising football team in the fantastic Ayrshire Outsiders from North of the border.Once the match with an associated fundraising evening had been completed, we then set about creating another event in 2010, again raising money and awareness, but this time we introduced the charity ‘Help for Heroes’ as one of the beneficiaries alongside Boots for Africa.

In 2011, we then created a quadrangular tournament, this time we introduced four beneficiaries, which included Boots for Africa, Neves Charities, Buckley Town FC in the Community and Clic Sergant Scotland.

To date, our efforts have raised £10,000.00 for charity and we have already put our plans together for 2012, with an International tournament arranged for Saturday 12th May which will include ourselves, who this year will be raising money for Cancer UK’s ‘Join the Fight’ against breast cancer, the Ayrshire Outsiders who will be raising money for Clic Sergant Scotland, the staff and fans of Sheffield FC who will be raising money for Boots for Africa and AP Pro Appio of Italy, another team made up of fans and staff who will be travelling all this way to raise funds for the homeless in Rome.

On June 16th 2012, we will be travelling to Ayr, Scotland, where we will be playing the Ayrshire Outsiders in what has now be-come the Anglo Celtic Challenge Trophy.

This year we have attracted some amazing support from businesses with ‘Randstad’ being our main shirt sponsor, ‘ES Racing’ and ‘Picture This’ being our back of shirt sponsors and Network She sponsoring the shorts.

Our tracksuits have been kindly sponsored by ‘Outperform Services’.Businesses have also been generous in providing individual player sponsorships. We have two honorary Dragons within our squad at present, one of which is entrepreneur and TV personal-ity Michelle Mone, who was presented with her own kit by the Dragons in November 2011.Michelle agreed to become an honorary Dragon after we had contacted her regarding who we were raising funds for this year.

The Dragons profile been raised so much within the last twelve months that we are able to boast a Twitter following of some of the biggest personalities within television and sport, such as:

TV Personality – Phillip SchofieldBBC2 Egghead – CJ DemooiWest Ham United FC Chairman – David GoldCoronation Street Actress – Sacha L ParkinsonLead Singer of 1980’s pop group Culture Club – Boy GeorgeBenidorm & The Royles Actress – Sheridan SmithOlympic Gold Medallist – Amy WilliamsEntrepreneur and TV Personality, Michelle MoneParalympic Gold Medallist – Baroness Tanni Grey ThompsonDragons Den Entrepreneur – Deborah MeadenTV Personality – Gabby LoganTV Actress – Patsy Palmer

As a result of the work that we have done for Boots for Africa, which includes not only raising funds for Boots for Africa but also collecting no fewer than one thousand football boots on behalf of the charity, and also raising awareness within Wales, we have been awarded Life Membership status by Sheffield Football Club. This is truly an honour as we can share an elite membership that features the likes of Pele, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Trevor Brooking.

Our involvement in charity fundraising through our football matches has now inspired us to help spread the word as to how easy it can be to raise funds and we are in the process of developing a project called ‘Fundraising Through Sport’, the projects’ aim is to promote personal health and well being whilst at the same time allowing the opportunity to raise funds for deserving causes.

ChrisC P RobertsTel: 01492 531406 Mob: 07840 318231http://northwalesdragons.co.uk



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My name is Will Kirkby a personal trainer of 7 years, I will be writing a fitness Column on exercise tips and nutrition tips, So this is where I’m going to put my fitness knowledge and know how to the test as I’m going to be using Richard Clark (the owner of this magazine) as my guinea pig where I’ll be putting him though his paces in the

gym, outside and at home for the next six months bringing you exercises and tips on how we do them. My sporting back ground is the great game of football were I have played in different countries. The highlight of my football career was when I got to represent my country (Wales) at an international tournament in Aus-tralia back in 2001. So my passion for health and fitness has been with me for a long time and I always wanted to help others to achieve there goals and ambitions so I started a personal training course and started working with people whether it was sports related or just wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle. I’ve met a lot of amazing people along the way and I’ve helped them to achieve their greatest results whether your a beginner of any age, any body type and at any fitness level. If you would like to contact me with any questions you may have or if you are interested in having a personal training session with me, please see below..

Will Kirkby Fitness & Wellbeing Personal Trainere-mail [email protected]

Fitness & Wellbeing



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by Solange Hando

TR

AV

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Spires and domes, gables, towers, elegant façades festooned with frescoes and dormer windows, Gdansk’s finest buildings reflect centuries of flourishing trade at the mouth of the Motlawa river. Ships from all over the world still dock for maintenance and repairs while ferries and yachts sail downstream towards the Baltic Sea.

Meanwhile at the heart of town, Europe’s biggest medieval harbour crane looks down on the river. Once powered by four giant wheels, it rises, eerie and awesome, a dark silhouette jostling for space among gaily-coloured buildings, café-terrace and boutiques gleaming with Baltic amber. Gdansk loves amber, a local tree resin millions of years old, crafted into jewellery, trinkets and artwork. There are 100 di�erent kinds, most precious the gems with a bluish hue, most common the yellow and orange colours shimmering like sunlight on the river.

From the old fish market to the Green City Gate, the waterfront promenade is a perfect picture postcard, historic town tucked away on the left bank and on the other, a sprinkling of tavernas, old royal granaries, a small marina where riggings tinkle in the breeze, the Millennium bridge in the distance and a maze of canals and islands which feel like the Little Venice of the

Baltic North. Now and then, an archway lets you peep into the old historic centre hiding behind the tightly-packed buildings along the riverfront.

Gdansk su�ered heavy losses in wartime but the Historic Centre has been beautifully restored and the city is as magnificent as ever. Stroll down the Longmarket towards the Golden Gate or delve into the flower-draped lanes and you want to stop every step of the way to marvel at such rich architecture, here the Main City Hall in Gothic Renaissance style, there Neptune’s monument, the city’s landmark alongside the crane, the Golden House on the Royal Route, the Great Armoury, a classic example of Dutch Mannerism, the balustrades and statues crowning so many buildings, the city gates and a dizzying number of churches from St Catherine’s the oldest to St Mary’s, the largest brick church in Poland. Bells chime now and then and when the sun sets, red brick towers and green domes glow like magic across the cityscape.

For history bu�s, there are

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museums to explore, from the amber museum, in the daunting Executioner’s House and Prison Tower, to the history and Solidarity museums. Here and there, monuments recall significant events and people, the local astronomer Hevelius, the Polish soldiers who defended Westerplatte on the first day of WWII or the shipyard Solidarity workers who, in August 1980, changed the course of history in Poland and beyond. Pop into the Main City Hall to enjoy the splendid interiors and superb panorama from the top of the 80 metre high tower.

Far below the streets are abuzz; artists, buskers, shoppers and tourists filing into the pastry shops replete with cheese cake and Polish doughnuts. But sooner or later, the river calls you back. Just across the Green Bridge, the city’s favourite meeting point, sleek pleasure yachts prepare to cruise across the bay to the lovely spa resort of Sopot where the people of Gdansk like to relax at the weekend and myriad swans glide undisturbed, under the longest wooden pier in Europe.

Gdansk





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Holiday TechnologyTechnology and holidays go together like sun, sea and sangria, and you don’t need to spend a fortune to benefit. For example, noise-cancelling headphones can remove unwanted noise such as the hum of aircraft engines or the drone of bus wheels, and you can pick up a decent pair for as little as £20.

If you’d like to listen to the radio on your travels the Roberts Sports 925 (£16) has FM, MW and LW reception in a handy travel-sized case. If you want UK digital radio too, Roberts also makes the Sports DAB/FM radio, which receives both analogue and digital broadcasts for around £65.

Many of us have MP3 players or phones with built-in music players, and there’s a dizzying range of travel speakers to choose from. At £14.99 the X-Mi X Mini II o�ers a surprising amount of volume for very little money, while Gear4’s StreetParty Compact iPod and iPhone dock is a battery-powered speaker set that can also charge your iPhone or iPod when it’s plugged into the mains.

Some of the most useful travel gadgets are among the least high-tech: the Bite Relief Click (£5.99) promises to reduce the discomfort of insect bites by using a piezo-electric pulse to reduce itching, delivering instant relief

in 5-10 ten clicks. In tests, Which? magazine found that such devices really do “provide a significant degree of relief”.

Another low-tech gadget is the Quik Pod (£23.99), a telescopic arm for your camera that enables you to take self-portraits in front of landmarks without having to find somebody to take the picture for you. There’s even a

little mirror so you can make sure you’re not going to end up with a photo of your torso.

Don’t forget a toolkit, either: Victorinox’s Swisscard Lite mini tool kit is e�ectively a Swiss Army knife flattened to the size of a credit card, and it includes a knife, scissors, an LED light, a screwdriver, magnifying lens, tweezers, pen and ruler. Just don’t take it in your hand luggage if you’re travelling by plane.

2012’s most popular travel gadget is the ebook reader, which is freeing up space in thousands of people’s suitcases. While devices such as Apple’s new iPad (£399) make great ebook readers for planes and trains, they’re useless in direct sunlight: if you want to read on the beach, an

ebook reader with an e-ink screen is a much better option. Amazon’s Kindle is the market leader at £89 for the basic Kindle and £109 for the Kindle

Touch, but the Kobo eReader Touch Edition (£79.99) and Sony Reader Wi-Fi (£129) are very good alternatives.

The one thing most travel gadgets have in common is that they need some sort of power, but you don’t need to carry a charger for every single bit of kit: you can buy USB chargers for around £1.99 that plug into your hire car’s cigarette lighter and that can charge gadgets such as ebook readers, sat-navs and mobile phones, while multi-device

chargers such as the Skross World Travel Adapter 2 (£17.99) o�er USB

device charging via a standard wall socket.

If you think you’ll be spending most of your time away from home comforts, you can even charge your devices with solar power: the PowerTraveller Explorer Solar Power Charger

(around £47) is compatible with most mobile phones, MP3 players, Bluetooth headsets and many other digital devices.

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Starter: Welsh Goats Cheese, Creme Brulee & Goats Cheese Ice Cream

Main: Pork Saltimbocca with a twist

Pudding: Burger & Chips (different)

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CHEF Robert Taylor, has worked all over the world in several restaurants. He has been taken on by the owner of The Mulberry Jason Taylor, I quote, “They want to really turn things around” offer something different but affordable, something that absolutely befits the setting of the Mulberry within the Conwy Marina.

I was able to photograph these three dishes, and then had the pleasure of tasting them.

Next time you are wondering where you can go for an affordable but very different experience on the pallet, why not give Robert Taylors cullinary expertise a try?



RAISING MONEY FOR THE WELSH AIR AMBULANCE

AND THE RNLI

In the summer of 2012 Dylan Mitchell will

be walking all the way around Wales and hopefully raising lots of money for the RNLI and the Welsh Air Ambulance in the process.

www.walkaroundwales.com is where you’ll find all the information about the walk and anything relating to it by heading to www.walkaroundwales.com.On the 5th of May the Welsh coastal path was opened allowing you (with the help of the Offas Dyke path, which already existed) to walk all the way around Wales. Walking the edge of Wales is a walk of over 1000 miles, it’s the same as walking from Cardiff to London. To Paris. To Barcelona.

There’s loads of ways you can help us out, if you can please donate some money, we use just giving and have text donations set up or if you know us you can just give us some money and we’ll make sure it gets to the right place. If you can’t give money you can help us out simply by liking us on facebook, following us on twitter and telling your friends about us in anyway you can think of. If you’re in Cardiff you might be able to come along to an event or two which we may be planning (it’s all very mysterious and exciting at the moment), if you want to be really involved you can do a bit of the walk with Dylan and make sure his spirits are kept up and maybe raise some money yourself and of course you can just wish him well, messages from people like yourselves can really help keep someone going.

Donate via Just GivingPlease help us raise money by donating via Just Giving. Please consider splitting your donation between the charities. Thanks.

www.justgiving.com





Letter from a Concerned Reader

Hi there

Proposed Marine Conservation Zones thret to North Wales Economy

Not sure if you do any features on the Llyn Peninsula North Wales but government proposals (page 34 onwards of the attached consultation document) (see website) to create a number of Marine Conservation Zones around the Llyn Peninsula from Porthdinllaen to Pwllheli including Bardsey Island, Aberdaron, Abersoch, St Tudwell's Islands and Llanbedrog, where any kind of fishing, commercial or recreational, would not be allowed from boat or shore, nor would pleasure boaters be able to drop anchor for any reason. These draconian measures have the capability of extending to walking dogs on beaches and humans walking over rockpools too and may even ban such activities as surfing and kayaking.

Any objections must be raised by 31/07/2012.

The reason why I'm writing to you is because many of your readers will have holiday homes in this region and chances are they will all be affected in some way in addition to the horrific impact upon the local and regional economy ( MCZs will apply to Anglesey and the Menai Straits too).

I would be eternally grateful if you could alert your readers to this so they may have opportunity to take action.

Many thanksWill Hollinsheadwww.Facebook.com/Stop the Pen Lleyn MCZs

Your readers can either comment via the Welsh Assembly's website as per the above link or email Alun Davies (tourism minister).



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I should be rolling in it, really. Well, not rolling in it exactly, but firmly in the black. Things have been looking up recently. I’ve been working consistently, nothing spectacular, but making new contacts and firing o� bits and pieces here and there. So why do I have a dose of the butterflies whenever I approach the checkout? Why should I have to fear those dreaded words “card declined”?

Cashflow! That’s the thing every self-employed person has to watch out for. It seems impossibly long ago that I could simply take for granted that at the same time every month a chit would land on my desk confirming that the money was in the bank. My wife never even used to bother opening hers: she has a drawer full of pristine little blue-edged window envelopes, and sometimes I would rip a few open and remind myself what it was like to be paid regularly.

But life’s not like that anymore. We have, perforce, become our own accounts departments and if we were any good at accounts we would have become accountants in the first place. Me, I’m a freelance journalist who failed his maths ‘O’ level three times.

I have, in 20 years of self-employment, learnt how to keep my books tolerably tidy and (sometimes) up to

date. The skill I have failed to master is the invoice chasing. Most of my clients pay on time, and I hope yours do too, but what I’ve found (and maybe you have too) is that the worst payers are the very biggest clients and the very smallest.

The smallest ones are just a nuisance. I’ve been owed £36 by my smallest client since November. I have some sympathy for him: he’s focused, like me, on doing what he does to earn money and my invoice is hardly a priority. He forgets it, and as I’ve already spent about £36 in phone calls I’ve stopped chasing him. I won’t work for him again, but he probably doesn’t care. I’m certainly not taking him to small claims court for £36.

The biggest ones, though, can be a real problem. I used to write beer reviews for the website of a big supermarket chain for a ridiculously inflated sum. On paper it looked terrific – but they were dreadful payers. First I had to go through the bureaucratic rigmarole of registering as a supplier for which I had to provide enough financial details to satisfy a con-man. Then I had to submit my invoices in a particular format and at a particular time, then I had to wait 90 days and then they didn’t pay me.

Now this was serious money: late payment threatened my direct debits.

I used to console myself that no-one in the history of the world would ever have said that what they really, really wanted to do with their lives was become a cog in a supermarket chain accounts department, and that working life for the people processing my invoice was a permanent Friday afternoon where everybody wanted to be somewhere else and everything was somebody else’s job. I used to spend hours on the phone, quoting my supplier number and invoice details frantically at anyone who could be induced to interrupt the bland hell of the hold music. Eventually somebody would wearily tell me to resubmit the invoice and wait another 90 days.

I had the last laugh, though. Not once but twice, the repeat invoice and the original invoice were both paid. I never told.

by Ted Bruning

Working from homeDebt Collecting



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Takes – 1 ¾ hoursServes - 4

6 large Maris Piper potatoes1 tbsp oil100g Butter8 British pork sausages, the best that you can buy!!2 tbsp runny honey1 tbsp wholegrain mustard2 British eating apples2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges2 tsp flour75ml red wine1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce200ml chicken stock made with 1 stock cubeSalt and freshly ground black pepper2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped1/4 pint of milk A few chives for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4.Bake the potatoes for 1-1½ hours until the flesh is soft.Heat the oil with 1 tbsp of the butter in a large frying pan over a high heat then add the sausages, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, turning to brown all over.Add the honey and mustard and cook for a further 5 minutes.Core the apples and cut into wedges. Push the sausages to the edge of the pan and add the apple wedges. Cook for about 2 minutes each side until turning golden.Remove the sausages and apple with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm.Then put the onion to the pan and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute and then gradually add the wine, the Worcestershire sauce and half the stock. Stir until smooth. Add the remaining stock and allow to bubble for a few minutes to thicken. Return the apple to the pan and season.Cut the potatoes in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the milk and remaining butter and mash until well combined. Add the herbs and season.Divide the mash between 4 warmed plates, top with the bangers and spoon over the gravy.Decorate with chives

Hint: Let the potato skins cool, and serve hot later filled with grated cheese, sour cream and chives or your favourite!!!

Tip of the month: To bring back the sparkle to glass casserole dishes and mixing bowls fill with water and drop a Steradent tablet into the water. Leave for 30 minutes and wash as normal. Works every time!!

Recipe from

Peter Osborne TV's Big ChefIt should be barbeque time but just in case a nice easy to cook dish so that you can spend some time in the sun whilst the potatoes are cooking!!

Posh Bangers & Mash



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LIFELearn to make the most of life,

Lose no happy day,Time will never give you back,

Chances swept away,Leave no tender word unsaid,

Love whilst love shall lastfor the mill cannot grind

With the water that has past.

Happiness is like a butterfly,If you chase it you seldom catch it

But if you sit still it may alight upon your shoulder.

Thelma Brook. Marple.



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The Loneliness of a Long-Distance RunnerAlan SillitoeThere’s something so noble about the lone runner, battling the inclement weather like a solitary soldier. This is a story of anti-authoritarianism that will resonate

with anyone who ever had to do cross-country running on a wet and windy November morning, in their vest and pants. Set in a reform school, it’s about integrity and going against the system. Stillitoe’s beautiful and moving novel cut an elegant and poised figure in the literary world and inspired a generation.

Outside Edge: The Stage PlayRichard HarrisWe couldn’t cover sports in this country without turning the spotlight on cricket and there’s nothing more quintessentially English than the play Outside Edge. It follows the trials and tribulations of Roger, who’s having trouble putting together a team to face the British Railways Maintenance Division Yeading East. He’s besieged by his club members’ marital problems and hysterical new girlfriends, not to mention his own wife discovering that he’s been ‘playing away’. Make yourself a cricket tea, prepare to laugh out loud…and don’t forget the umbrella!

Twain’s philosophy that ‘golf is a good walk spoiled’ may be inclined to pick up a five-iron after reading this novel. The story proves that with the right support you can achieve anything. A former golfing champion shows up to compete in a 36-hole showdown against two golfing greats. But the local war hero has one secret weapon: his caddie, Bagger Vance.

The SwimmerJohn CheeverIf you’re more inclined to

sprint rather than opt for the marathon then this remarkable short story could be for you. Neddy Merrill and his wife are spending a drunken evening hanging around at a friend’s house in the suburbs. He decides

that he’s going to swim home via the neighbours’ suburban pools. At first he’s bursting with youthful energy, spurred on by visiting more and more friends, but towards the end of the story he’s drained and in pain until he finally drags himself back home. The story is a strange mixture of realism and surrealism, playing on ideals of the American dream and what happens when the seasons change to winter and old age catches up with you.

Seabiscuit: Three Men and a RacehorseLaura HillenbrandThis is a classic story of seeing the potential in the underdog. Seabiscuit has wonky legs and a rather pathetic excuse for a tail but three men spot his potential and help shape this remarkable animal’s future. Who better to ride him than a partially-sighted, half-crippled, failed boxer? It’s a master-class in triumph over adversity that sees the men rescue Seabiscuit from a life of obscurity and transform him into the stu� of legends.

Fever PitchNick HornbyFor football fans and football widows, this semi-autobiographical account of what it means to support a team will have you laughing and crying in equal measures. The author Nick Hornby has been obsessed with Arsenal since before he could say ‘up the Gunners’. Bordering on insanity at times, this memoir charts both the pleasure and the unique pain of dedicating your life to following a football team. It’s a brilliantly witty insight into the working of a young man’s mind.

The Legend of Bagger Vance: A Novel of Golf and the Game of Life Steven PressfieldThose who follow Mark

The London 2012 Games are upon us and suddenly the country is sports mad.

If the ‘Couch Olympics’ are more your style, then how about getting some fresh air and curling up in a deckchair with some of the best sporting novels around?

Good Sport Stories



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Now is the time of year to be really enjoying your garden, taking some time to sit on the patioto admire the vivid colours and lush green growth that summer brings.However keeping it all looking colourful and healthy takes a bit of work. Pots and hanging basketsneed regular daily watering on hot summer days. For best results add a good quality plant food tothe water once a week. Don’t forget to remove dead and faded flowers to ensure a regular supplyof fresh new ones.Summer also brings pests and diseases. Spray insects such as Aphids and Caterpillars with aninsecticide containing Pyrethrins.If fungal diseases such as powdery mildew or black spot are present, spray with a fungicide containingMyclobutanyl.When spraying chemicals on plants, try to avoid spraying open flowers and don’t spray in directsunlight. Evenings are best.In the borders, apply a Mulch to suppress weed growth and conserve moisture. Bark chippings areideal for this purpose. It is worth keeping on top of these tasks because it will ensure your garden looks at its best rightthrough the summer months when you can appreciate it most.by ...................................................Jonathan Cooper, Batty’s Nurseries, Penrhyn Bay

THE SUMMER GARDEN



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Getting StartedFirstly, remove all traces of old varnish using an acetone free remover. Acetone (even with conditioners) will dry your nails, leaving them brittle. Rinse o� the remover with warm water.

Shape It UpEnsure that you dry your nails thoroughly; filing wet nails weakens them and makes them more liable to break. Next, shape the nails by filing from one edge to the centre, then from the other edge back to the centre, using long, smooth strokes.

Never file the nails in a ‘sawing’ back and forth action, as this can cause the nail layers to split and separate,

leading to weakness and breakage. Hold the emery board at a 45 degree angle, so that you are filing mainly the underside of the nail. Aim to create a ‘squared oval shape’; this is not only a natural look for your nails, but also o�ers the most strength and durability.

Refresh and RenewRefresh, soften and renew your hands and nails by using an exfoliator. Use either a shop-bought product or create your own by mixing coarsely ground sea salt with essential oils.

Soak fingertips in a bowl of lukewarm water, before gently scrubbing the nails with a soft bristled brush to completely remove any ingrained dirt. Dry hands thoroughly.

by Helen Jane Taylor

Soften UpMassage cuticle oil or softener into the base of the nails. Leave to absorb for a few moments before gently pushing back the cuticles with a hoof stick. Clean any residue with a tissue and rinse nails in warm water.

Tidy up the nail base by clipping away dry, ragged excess cuticle using sharp nail scissors, before moisturising with a nourishing cuticle moisturiser.

Massage a rich hand cream thoroughly into the skin, working it into all parts of the hand.

The Perfect Hue For YouIt’s now time to select a colour that’s going to look great on your nails.

Wearing the wrong coloured nail varnish can be really unflattering but how do you know what’s right for you?

Choose your perfect shade as you would clothes - consider what best suits your skin tone. Cool complexions,

The key to looking perfectly groomed is paying attention to little details that make all the di�erence.

It’s easy to overlook your hands and nails, but taking the time to include them in your beauty regime is a must for looking totally gorgeous from head to toe.

The great news is, you don’t have to spend valuable time and money in nail salons to help them look fabulous; just follow our simple instructions for a brilliant at-home manicure.

At-Home ManicureAt-Home ManicureHow to Nail the Perfect

Image Courtesy of Estee Lauder

mainly defined as having pinkish or blue undertones to the skin, suit bright pink, silver, purple and cool red.

Warm complexions, with greenish undertones to the skin, look great in coral, gold, orange and warm red hues.

Expert ApplicationRemove any trace of hand-cream from the nails. Apply a clear basecoat to act as a foundation for the varnish and prevent staining. Wait until dry before applying two thin coats of polish, in three strokes.

Make the first stroke in the middle of the nail moving swiftly from base to tip. Use a stoke to the left and then right to complete the nail.

Allow the first coat to dry for three minutes and the second for five minutes. To finish, apply a top coat to lock in the colour and protect the polish.



Soften UpMassage cuticle oil or softener into the base of the nails. Leave to absorb for a few moments before gently pushing back the cuticles with a hoof stick. Clean any residue with a tissue and rinse nails in warm water.Tidy up the nail base by clipping away dry, ragged excess cuticle using sharp nail scissors, before moisturising with a nourishing cuticle moisturiser.Massage a rich hand cream thoroughly into the skin, working it into all parts of the hand.

The Perfect Hue For YouIt’s now time to select a colour that’s going to look great on your nails.Wearing the wrong coloured nail varnish can be really unflattering but how do you know what’s right for you?Choose your perfect shade as you would clothes - consider what best suits your skin tone. Cool complexions,mainly defined as having pinkish or blue undertones to the skin, suit bright pink, silver, purple and cool red.Warm complexions, with greenish undertones to the skin, look great in coral, gold, orange and warm red hues.

Expert ApplicationRemove any trace of hand-cream from the nails. Apply a clear basecoat to act as a foundation for the varnish and prevent staining. Wait until dry before applying two thin coats of polish, in three strokes.Make the first stroke in the middle of the nail moving swiftly from base to tip. Use a stoke to the left and then right to complete the nail.Allow the first coat to dry for three minutes and the second for five minutes. To finish, apply a top coat to lock in the colour and protect the polish.by Helen Jane Taylor

Summer Hair CareYou may have a vision in your mind’s eye of your hair blowing in the summer wind looking fresh and gently highlighted. However the reality is that strong sun, high temperatures, humidity and pool or sea water will damage your hair leaving it dry, brittle and anything but healthy.You can help yourself by generally taking a gentler approach to your hair styling in the summer months. Use a mild shampoo, wash less frequently to allow the natural oils to be absorbed and when you do wash your hair, finish with a cool or cold rinse to seal the cuticle.Try to limit hair treatments such as bleaching and cut back on your usage of heated hair styling tools such as curlers and hair straighteners.If your hair is long enough, put it into a

loose bun and tuck the ends out of sight as this is the most vulnerable part. Pulling your hair back in this way can also mean you don’t have a parting which will prevent sunburn on your scalp, although don’t forget to apply sunscreen all around the

hairline.If you don’t have long hair, do have a parting and don’t want to wear a hat, it’s essential that you apply sun lotion to your scalp. Your hair might look a little greasy during the day, but that’s better than a peeling scalp making you look like you have bad dandruff.Wet your hair with plain water before going into a pool or the sea as this will reduce the amount of chlorine or salt absorbed into

your hair. Once you’ve had a swim, rinse your hair with plain water again before sitting back in the sun, and use a mild shampoo at the end of the day to ensure those chemicals and salt aren’t continuing to do their worst.



Actually, crop circles “appear” around the world throughout spring, summer, and autumn – whenever and wherever there’s a standing crop. But with a fair chance of decent weather and the kids on holiday and needing some diversion, August may be the right month to go and see one, perhaps as part of a day out in the country which might include a pub lunch and a couple of hours in a tra�c jam on the A303 (because an awful lot of crop circles “appear” in the Stonehenge area).

I say “appear” in quotation marks because of course the contentiousness about them is how they’re made, or more especially who or what they’re made by: freak weather, outer space visitors or human pranksters.

Crop circles have been reported sporadically since the 17th century, and the first investigation of their cause, in Surrey in 1880, put them down to “cyclonic wind action”, extraterrestrials having not yet been thought of. From the 1970s, though, they were reported more and more often, attracting more media attention and more theories about their origin. I needn’t go into detail, but by 1991 there was a large body of opinion that they were the work of UFOs or their occupants.

Unfortunately for the UFO theorists, in that year a couple of blokes called Doug Brewer and Dave Chorley claimed to have made most if not all of them using nothing more sophisticated than a plank and a length of rope, and were more than happy to be filmed doing so. Since then there have been crop circle competitions and manufacturers

including Nike have used their logos rendered as crop circles in advertising. There’s even a group called Circlemakers that specialises in creating ever more intricate patterns and, like Doug and Dave, is happy to be filmed doing it.

But it takes more than a video of a couple of guys with a plank and a length of rope to convince the UFO theorists and although I don’t wish to be disrespectful of sincerely-held views it always seems a bit strange to me to favour a theory you can’t prove over an alternative that can be demonstrated, filmed, and repeated on demand. The UFO theorists – who, given their refusal to believe the evidence of their own eyes, ought to be called the “sceptics” in this case – can point to lots of oddities and anomalies that suggest that Doug, Dave and their successors didn’t create all of the crop circles in the world; but then, we don’t know who painted all of the paintings in the world, but that’s no reason to suggest that extraterrestrials did.

I raise the subject of paintings deliberately, because I don’t really care whether it was a couple of blokes or alien astronauts: my point is, crop circles are beautiful and they serve no practical purpose - to me that makes them art.

Anyway, believe what you want to believe. But if you’re having one of those Dunkirk-spirit make-the-best-of-the-recession “holidays at home” this August, just Google one of the million or so regularly-updated websites devoted to the subject, choose a crop circle near you, and visit it. You’ll love it. Who needs art galleries?

by Ted Bruning

Crop Circle SeasonIt’s August, and although the crop circle season is nearing its end, now is the best time to go out and see what delights the Andy Goldsworthys of the skies have left us to marvel at this year.



The Queens HeadGlanwydden Conwy LL31 9JP

The Queens Head is a most remarkable country pub in terms of good food, wine,

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The bar, with its relaxed atmosphere and roaring log fire, is a lovely pre-dinner drink venue, The original styling of The Queens Head provides the perfect ambience for lunch or dinner.

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Binge drinking in teenagers is a serious problem in the UK. How can you help your teen become aware of the dangers?

The good news is that the number of teenagers drinking underage is actually on the decline in the UK. The bad news is that those who are drinking are doing it more often - and to excess, such that it is a real problem. Binge drinking is usually defined as consuming four drinks in a row for women, or five in a row for men, at least once in the previous two weeks.

We have one of the highest levels of teenage drinking in Europe, with the largest increase being seen among 14-year-olds. While it’s not good for a 14-year-old to be drinking anywhere near this level, how much the alcohol a�ects them will also depend on their body size and shape, plus what stage of puberty they’ve reached.

Tell-tale signsLook out for changes in behaviour that you think just aren’t the ‘norm’ for your child. Are they finding it harder to concentrate on homework or are they sleeping a lot more during the day? Has their attitude changed towards you and do they resent any sort of questioning about how much they are drinking? Are they staying with friends more than before to try to hide from you what they are doing? Have you noticed symptoms of excessive drinking such as vomiting and shakiness?

Talking to your teenYour teen may be binge drinking because they think it will make them feel good - or look good in front of their friends, or they may be using it as a way to relieve stress, or to appear older than they are.

Talk to your teen before the problem becomes too serious. Chatting in front of a TV programme where alcohol is featured is a good way to have a more relaxed conversation. Family meal times are a good way to open up discussion and they may talk more freely. Ask what they’ve learned about alcohol and drug issues at school. Remind them that they don’t have to drink to excess to fit in.

Children learn from example, so if your child regularly sees you drinking too much, they

will see this as acceptable. If you think the problem is getting out of hand, then talk to their school and consult your GP for advice on obtaining professional help.

The e�ects We tend to think that drinking is less of an issue than drugs, but it leads to many problems. It can cause a lack of concentration, so your child may begin to fail in school. Your child could su�er from alcohol poisoning, which can be life threatening. It a�ects the body’s involuntary reflexes, such as breathing and the gag reflex. It leads to drink driving and makes your teen less likely to practice safe sex as well as causing anti-social behaviour - your child will be doing things they wouldn’t do under normal circumstances.

The three leading causes of death for 15-24-year-olds are car accidents, murder and suicide - and alcohol is a leading factor in all three. In fact, more than 5,000 deaths every year of people under the age 21 are linked to underage drinking.

So don’t wait for the problem to get worse, start talking to your teen now.

Teenage Drinking



TENNERFEAST Mon to Fri - 2012Our Executive Chef is focused on delivering the very best mouth-watering dishes from our extensive menus, using the fi nest ingredients that are sourced locally.Set 2 course lunch£12.95 per personAfternoon tea for 2 - £20

Immerse yourself in a night of live Bhangra dancing and fabulous Indian food!

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Versatility! That’s a big word, isn’t it, and it certainly has big implications when it comes to satisfying the

needs of the family motorist.

Peugeot have given a great deal of thought to this over the years, and their latest solution is their 3008 model, which combines the attributes of the hatchback, the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and the MPV. Three-vehicles in one, in fact, and therefore it is known as a ‘crossover’.

It is, in fact, a compact and suitably rounded family car- good to look at with a ground clearance and stance of a 4x4, and a very strong body with six airbags, which has been given 5-star Euro NCAP rating for its safety construction. No, it’s not 4WD, but a special Grip Control system is available to cater for driving in snow, mud or sand.

I had the 3008 Allure e-HDi 112 on test recently, and its equipment included a Cielo panoramic glass roof and a three -position boot floor as well as a split rear tailgate ,which made loading heavy objects much easier. In fact, with the rear seat backs folded and the front passenger seat folded flat, there is a simply huge cargo space, when required.

Under the bonnet was a four-cylinder 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine which developed 112 b.h.p., which enabled the 3008 to reach 62 m.p.h. in 14 seconds and on to a top speed of 110 m.p.h. The combined cycle fuel consumption was 57.6 m.p.g. and the CO2 emissions were 134 g/km.

With its high seating position, the all round vision was very good from the driving seat, where the six-speed automatic transmission made driving very easy. The

retractable head-up display directly in front of the driver on which the digital speed read out is displayed, was very useful, and the instruments were easy to read .

The standard equipment level on this Allure version was high, and the electric handbrake combined with Hill Assist as well as the electronic aids, including traction control, were reassuring in difficult or slippery conditions. Cruise Control and a speed limiter were also standard, and the result was a pleasant and versatile vehicle with reassuringly good road manners.

Passengers were well catered for in the roomy and comfortable seats, and there were plenty of stowage places for all the nick-knacks that a family outing requires. The latest (optional) Sat. Nav. and audio systems completed the picture, and automatic lighting system made driving after dark a much safer exercise.

Yes, this is one of Peugeot’s best models, made even more attractive by its frugal fuel consumption and resultant long range. In Allure form the 3008 e-HDi 112 costs £22,545.

Terry DaviesPresident, Welsh Motoring Writers.

Peugeot’s versatile ‘three-in-one’.

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by A. O’Brien

A Proverbial Life...

In our early days of married life each family photograph was lovingly taken with camera and film, delivered to the chemist for development and the finished prints picked up a week later. Sometimes, I’d use a special envelope for sending films o� for processing to some far flung film developers before, hopefully, having them delivered back through the door.

I can still remember the excitement of collecting developed pictures from the chemist; hoping the assistants hadn’t had a sneak peak at them, then hiding round the corner to scan the latest pictorial record of our life. There were always some photographs that hadn’t quite turned out as expected; blurrily out of focus, too bright or too dark, with maybe a fat thumb or skinny finger covering the lens and captured for all to see.

I treasured these photographs. I used to spread them out on the living room floor and gaze at them for hours. Then once I’d had my fill of imprinting them on my memory and showing them o� I’d proudly stick them into albums. As the years passed the collection of photographs and albums grew. As further years passed I became lax about sticking the photos in albums; instead tossing the packets of prints into an old apple box kept for that purpose.

With the arrival of digital cameras we didn’t have to be so careful in our photo taking. Snap, snap, snap at each and every opportunity with no fears about the costs of film or processing. Transfer to the computer, delete those you don’t like, crop, adjust and save those you do. In the early days proudly printing them out on the home printer, then later, just burn them to disc and forget about the printing.

Stacks and stacks of discs recording our life, sanitised, edited and suitable for viewing by all. Emailed to friends and

family, posted on Facebook and shared with the world, backed up then slipped into little plastic wallets... and largely forgotten. Far too many to commit to memory – far too many marking insignificant and truly mundane moments.

Recently, while sorting through some papers I came across a photograph. It showed three small boys in swimming trunks and a middle aged man also in trunks. They were all standing in a river, knee deep in water and holding hands. It’s a glorious summer day and while you can’t fully see their faces it’s clear they’re laughing. If you look closely you can see fishing rods, towels, a picnic and two cans of beer on the riverbank. You can also see my toes captured while sitting on the grass and taking the photograph.

I’d nearly forgotten that day 25 years ago; not quite but nearly. Three young boys and their granddad fishing and swimming, the family holiday, the nettles, the trek to the swimming spot and the digging for worms. I remember a lot more but it’s not for sharing. It’s for savouring in quiet, private moments when I need to count my blessings – something I do frequently.

Apart from the wonderful memories the photograph invoked it also prompted another feeling. I’m now increasingly convinced of the need to revert to actually printing my digital photographs, or of having them printed for me. I don’t want them to be forgotten or consigned to shiny metal discs and stu�ed into brittle plastic envelopes. I’d quite like my children and grandchildren to come across them and think, ‘I remember that.’

A picture paints a thousand words



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Please let us know if you have any local events you would like mentioned (FREE) on this page for the next issue of YesMag

WHAT’S ON?

JULY &

03 July A weekly 3-act variety show featuring Bobby Gold (vocal, guitar, comedy) and Danielle (female vocalist) and a different guest act each week. Contact Details: Mr Ray Herbert, The Long Bar, Sandbank Road, Towyn, Abergele, LL22 9LD. Tel: 01492 518537 - 8.30pm start, Adm £1.0006 July Reduced Shakespeare Company In The Complete World Of Sport, 7.30, Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl £14.50. Tel: 01745 33000007 July Joe Longthorne, 7.30. £19.50, Pavilion Theatre Rhyl08 July Sounds Of Glenn Miller 3.00pm, £16.0012 July Blue Bayou - Tribute To Roy Orbison 7.30pm , £1521 July Rhyl Air Show 2012, 10.am East Parade, Rhyl21 July “First Flight”. The Story Of Vivian Hewitt’s Flight From Rhyl To Dublin, 9.30am-4.00pm Rhyl Tourist Information Centre, 01745 35506821/22 July Rhyl Air Show will bring together a huge variety of Aircraft to include: Military and Commercial Aircraft. As well as the action in the air there will be funfair rides, static displays, food stalls and much, much more to give a great day out for all the family. 10.00 am East Parade, Rhyl, LL18 3AF Contact No. 01745 33241426 July Four Medieval Towns? 10am - 4.00pm, Walk 7 miles St Asaph and Rhuddlan (and back) to discover the fascinating archaeology and history of the area, 01745 584508, Meet at St.Asaph Cathedral27 July Alan Cliff, the author of the popular “Jack the Station Cat” stories, will be reading from his books and signing copies, Rhyl Tourist Information Centre, 11am-2.00pm

03 August Patsy Tyldesley, Artist In Residence, will be displaying and demonstrating her Silver & Silver Clay Jewellery. Part of a “Made Near Here” series of events in the Tourist Information Centre., Rhyl.03 August Ffrith Beach Arena Prestatyn, Prestatyn, Robbie Williams tribute show starring Mike Andrew and his live band ‘Come Undone’ back to the area due to high demand. With very special support guest ‘Neil Ta

7th & 9th August Bodelwyddan Castle, Denbingshire An open-air performance of Shakespeare’s much loved comedy ‘Much Ado About Nothing’28 August Games and activities exploring the beach at Rhyl to learn about the marine life found there. Groups welcome. Meet on the beach opposite the lifeguard station, 2.00 - 4.00pm

Colwyn Bay MarketMarket Days: Tuesday & Saturday General retail outdoor market with a wide variety of stalls. ...

01 July Born To Entertain - Linzi Grace School of Dance, 7.pm Pavilion Theatre Rhyl2nd - 5th July Prometheus 7.30pm £3.50 Theatre Colwyn, Colwyn Bay



Please let us know if you have any local events you would like mentioned (FREE) on this page for the next issue of YesMag

WHAT’S ON?

AUGUSTVenue Cymru - July & August

Llandudno celebrates London 2012 as Adain Avion, the transformed fuselage nests in front of Venue Cymru from 8-14 July. A host of free performances, talks, films and

activities will happen in and around the plane.

The programme includes:The Arrival Procession –RGC1404 will guide the plane along the promenade led by Llandudno Town Band and flanked by 600 local school children.Migrations will present Portuguese choreographer Filipa Francisco who will create a unique folk dance flash mob.Cai Tomos and Margot Catlin will create a spell-binding dance performance.

Coastal Voices will raise the roof. An opportunity to take part in a workshop with the world famousRambert Dance Company.Get the popcorn ready for a date with George Clooney and Rialto Film Club.Shelters along the promenade will be transformed into temporary art spaces in partnership with Mostyn as Carwyn Evans captures Llandudno’s residents and visitors.

13 July Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Everest, The Eiger, World famous explorer, 7.30, £1813 July Country & Western Spectacular 7.3014 July Wheels on the Bus Sing-a-long, 10.30 am and 1pm, £10. & £1214 July Treorchy Male Voice Choir, 7.30pm, £16, £18, £2014 July The Next Big Thing, 7.30pm, £8.00

14 July Take To The Skies and make your own 3D mini Adain Avion using Creative Textiles & Mixed Media. “Trails of Thread” FREE family workshop session at Venue Cymru, , 2-5pm6 July & 3 August THE CARLSBERG COMEDY CLUB ..the perfect wind down on a Friday night after a hard week at work. Come to a night of great humour, an evening complete with the full licensed bar of Venue Cymru. £1020/21 July Our House, Llandudno Youth Music Theatre, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £11.5020 July Jimmy Tarbuck, 7.30pm, £20.0026 July Shipwrecked - A fun exotic cabaret & burlesque extravaganza, £17.50 & £19.50

27 July Jools Holland, 7.30pm £33.5012 Aug Ken Dodd Happinessz Show, 7.00pm, £20, £1719 Aug Alices Adventures in Wonderland 12am & 2pm19 Aug That’ll Be the Day, £21, £20, £18.25 Aug Black Dyke Band in Concert, 7.30pm, £19.50, £18, £16.5031 Aug Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular, 7.30pm, £17, £19, £21

Aug & Sept Andy “Dime One” Birch Out of the Box (local artist ) has been painting and creating graffiti murals and artwork that spans over a 25 year period.



Quality Sofas, Oak Furniture & Beds

Marlborough Place, Vaughan Street, Llandudno LL30 1AEOpen ~ Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5.30pm Sat: 9.00am - 6.00pm Sun: 11.00am - 5.00pm

01492 877834



Marlborough Place, Vaughan Street, Llandudno LL30 1AE

DISCOVERY 4 MAKES LIGHT WORK OF TOWING.At Land Rover, towing is never an afterthought. That’s why Discovery 4 is available with leading-edge technologies like Tow Assist, Trailer Hitch Assist and Trailer Stability Assist. And our latest 3.0 litre SDV6 advanced sequential turbo engine offers outstanding power and torque, with the sure-footed all-wheel drive technology of Land Rover’s Terrain Response® to deliver reassuring grip in testing conditions. Try it for yourself – and put towing worries behind you.

Call us today to book a test drive.

THE ONLY HITCHIS ON THE TRAILER.

DISCOVERY 4 Why get a car when you can get a Land Rover?

Conwy Land RoverFfordd Maelgwyn, Llandudno Junction, Conwy LL31 9PL

01492 580000 www.conwy.landrover.co.uk

Drive responsibly on and off-road.OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR THE DISCOVERY 4 RANGE IN MPG (L/100KM): URBAN 25.2 (11.2) EXTRA URBAN 34.0 (8.3) COMBINED 30.4 (9.3) CO2 EMISSIONS: 244 G/KM.



Developments in: Llandudno Junction | Llanrhos | Rhyl | Prestatyn

Sales enquiries: 0845 308 3535www.anwyl.co.uk


Documents

Abergele YES Mag July-August