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News & Info |
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| Welsh Highland Railway Golden Bolts Day |
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Golden Bolts day ( 28/2/09 )
The linking of the rebuilt Welsh Highland Railway to the Ffestiniog Railway Porthmadog. Although the narrow gauge track had been linked up the night before the 28/2/09 was the ceremonial day for the completion of the rail link. This was to be the first day that locos used the FR/WHR connection, The day was dull but at least it was mild and did not rain. A special working came across The Cob embankment with No.87 the Beyer-Garratt leading Merddin Emrys the Double Farlie and ancient Palmerston.
This is the most significant railway event to happen in Wales for a 100 years. You will soon be able to travel from Porthmadog to Caernarfon through the very heart of Snowdonia. A trip on this line must be added to the things to do and see before you die list.
For more information click on link
http://www.welshhighlandrailway.net/timetable.htm
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Left:- The Beyer-Garratt NGG16 and Palmerston locomotives at Porthmadog Station.
Bottom left:- Golden Bolts secure the track.
Bottom right:- Enthusiast and wellwishers gather at Porthmadog Station
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Report and pictures by Mike Hemsley |
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| INTERNET KEY TO SUCCESSFUL TOURIST BUSINESS |
Dr Roger Carter one of the UK's top tourist experts told an audience drawn from all sectors of the North Wales tourist industry that tourism operators must embrace the internet revolution if they want to successfully compete in the marketplace. Dr Carter said with the recent internet growth a web presence is now essential, a balance between the use of print brochures and the internet needs to be taken into consideration.
Dr Carter has over 25 years experience in the tourism industry and a former head of the Heart of England Tourist Board and director of research and planning for the Scottish Tourist Board, he now heads tourism consultancy organisation TEAM.
"In the last 10 years there has been a twentyfold growth in the use of the internet with the total of web users passing the billion mark in the last two years. Fifteen years ago personal recommendation was the single most important factor in people choosing a holiday but now in 14 out of 18 global markets web search is the most important."
The web is brilliant for market reasearch, to find out what your customers want and expect. "You also need to be aware of what people are saying about you out there on the web. Feedback is vital and the fact is people browsing will tend to look at negative comments. But if you are aware of these then you can solve them quickly and websites are happy to take replies from tourism suppliers, either to say a comment is untrue or to say your going to do something about it" said Dr Carter.
North Wales Tourism Partnership Regional Director, Dewi Davies said; "Seventyfive per cent of hits come from search engines and most of those come from Google, so instead of booking holidays in the winter, people now use the web to book later. The main focus in getting people here has to be the internet and how to use it most effectively. It can also mean forming parterships outside the tourist industry who have the sort of customers you want to attract."040808
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| CARAVAN PARKS TO BE INSPECTED BY HSE |
HSE have launched a series of inspections at caravan parks across North Wales. Aimed at preventing traffic chaos or a gas explosion. Inspections will be carried out by the HSE and council environmental health officers. The launch of the inspection programme was hosted by Caerwys View Caravan Park.
A minimum of 30 caravan sites are to be inspected in each of 6 local authority areas throughout North Wales. Inspection teams will be scrutinizing traffic management and gas safety on site.
Site operators will have to provide signage and clearly marked areas for vehicles, along with traffic calming measures.
Parks which hire out caravans will be checked for appropriate gas certification and the display of certificates in hired caravans. Inspectors will also be looking at gas storage facilities.
The HSE believe many people going on a camping or caravanning holiday may not be aware of safety measures, so they are taking these steps to make certain site owners are taking full responsibility.
Chair of the North Wales Health and Safety Task Group Jenny Prendergast said; "It is important that we are getting out the message about safety on holiday. If sites are not providing adequate vehicle management then there is a real risk that accidents may occur.
Obviously these sites have a high number of families using them and this means young children in high spirits, who could be vulnerable to accidents,"
HSE inspector Gary Martin said " This inspection programme is designed to ensure that sites have adequately addressed the risks associated with both traffic and gas usage. Although landlords are aware that they require a gas Safety Certificate by law, many who let out caravans are not aware that they are bound by the same rules. Likewise, site owners have to ensure that they meet their duty of care in terms of the piping, or storage, of gas on site."140708
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| TOWCAR 2008 |
Winner of the 2008 Towcar Awards as voted by the experts of What Car, Camping and Caravanning Club and Practical Caravan is the Ford Mondeo Estate 2.0 TDCi Titanium auto. To read more on why the Mondeo takes centre stage and about all the cars tested see the special August edition of Practical Caravan.0
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| THERE'S
SOMETHING FISHY IN THE WATER! |
During the hot weather if venturing into the sea it’s always wise for bathers to look out for jellyfish which have been washed up on our beaches. However, one visitor you would not expect to see is a seven foot Porbeagle mackerel shark. This specimen was recently washed up at Black Rock sands in Gwynedd, North Wales. As you can see from the picture, it does have a fine set of teeth and at seven feet long it’s something most people would not want to share the water with.
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The Porbeagle would not normally pose any risk to humans as it is a deep water shark commonly found in the North Atlantic, although they are sometimes spotted off the coast of Cardigan Bay. The shark is to be examined by experts at the University of Wales at Bangor
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Fifth Wheel Success Story
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Fifth Wheel products wins design award for the fourth
year running at the recent Caravan Club awards. Family
run Fifth Wheel Company builds trailers which are
a alternative to the traditional caravan and motorhome.
Adrian Parry Jones the operations director said "We're
very proud of our products and winning this award
for the fourth year running is a testament to our
skilled and dedicated staff." The company is
located at Rhuallt, North Wales.
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CARAVAN SITE
"LAWFUL USE" LEGAL ADVICE SOUGHT
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North Wales Planners are to seek legal advice before making a decision whether or not to allow 16 timber chalets to be built on headland overlooking the popular Black Rock Sands between Porthmadog and Criccieth. The land is currently occupied by 8 static caravans.
Gruff Morris group planning manager, told members of Dwyfor Area planning committee it was necessary to defer the controversial application in respect of land at Penrhyn Farm, Treflys, in order to obtain legal opinion on certain aspects of the application, particularly the claim the site already enjoys "lawful use" for 40 static caravans.
The application has been the subject of considerable correspondence, with the applicant relying on planning permission by default by the former Caernarfonshire County Council in 1960 for 8 caravans and permission exists for 40 static caravans said Mr Morris.
Mr Morris said "Under the circumstances, we need to take legal opinion on these issues and this will take some time while all the documents are examined, hence the need for deferment of the application". The report recommends refusal of the application for 16 twin unit timber clad caravans replacing the existing 8 on the grounds that traffic on the narrow road leading to the site would be dangerous and the development would affect the view.
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Other objections are from Gwynedd Council's transport department, The Friends of Morfa Bychan and CPRW. The site is located within a Landscape Conservation Area and nearby Area of Special Scientific Interest. The site is served by a narrow hardcore road from Treffys road to to the east, which is also a public footpath.
Approximately 12 caravans could be sited on the land currently occupied by the 8 static caravans, if it is considered that the proposal is offering significant environmental improvements.
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If you have any news or information you'd like to see on our website, please contact
info@caravanindex.com |
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