Further to my earlier posting [Now they'll pay you to get fit], I see the brains behind the Llay Miners' Welfare Institute - still very much at the heart of the community of Llay - are leading the way when it comes to cashing in on the opportunities for free money!
Reading the latest news on their website shows just how successful they have been in attracting grant money to upgrade facilities and offer a new range of events for locals [Wrexham Council has info on the ]. Well done to them, I say. What's their secret?
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I was reading in that the parents of two girls in Bangor were fined £80 by police for their chalk doodles on the street where they live. The kids do it from time to time around our way and no one seems to mind because it's chalk and gets washed away. Should the parents contest the fine?
Parents at a Chester school are angry that their children brought letters home encouraging them to support local rivals Wrexham FC, reports .
Apparently, some of the Deva dads are worried their children could be corrupted, according to the article. To my mind it's good marketing on behalf of Wrexham, as they need all the support they can get if the team is to stay up this season.
How serious do you take your football?
That's what police are suggesting as a survey of 12-13-year-old girls in North Wales found that they felt fearful of being attacked. According to , police believe self defence training could give girls more confidence.
The fear of being a victim is much greater than the likelihood of actually being attacked, but don't you think it's a worrying time for us all when our children feel scared?
I see from that there have been some interesting twists and turns regarding the contentious Hafod Quarry landfill site.
This hot potato got a lot of coverage earlier in the year but the campainging against the dumping of Merseyside rubbish in Wrexham still seems to be very strong - even if Press attention has been diverted away recently. Take a look for yourself at the accusations and info on a planning application to make the site even bigger.
A 79th-minute goal took Wrexham FC three points clear of the relegation battle last night. Phew! And it will be all the sweeter for die-hard fans because it was against local rivals Shrewsbury. There are just two games left. Talk about making us sweat!
Councillors are to impose fines of up to £500 on Yale College students who play football on the green [Llwyn Isaf] outside the Guildhall because they reckon it spoils the spot for other people relaxing in the sun, reports . Is that bit harsh?
You can also talk about this in our section dedicated to The Green.
Retired ref Antony Warren went along to watch a football match between Barmouth & Dyffryn FC and Real Llandudno and found himself in the middle again after the ref pulled out with a last minute injury. Nothing remarkable in that, except Antony's 82, reports . Well done, Antony. Hope I can still shake a leg [or anything else] at that age!
A teachers' conference heard this week that all schools in Wales should have a bereavement policy to deal with an increase in pupil suicides and tragic deaths.
reports that good practice in dealing with young loss of life was passed on to school representatives by leading counsellors, including local authority bereavement support worker Ann Atkin, who is still counselling children traumatised after a road accident claimed the life of Prestatyn High pupil Thomas Harland, 15, and three other people in Abergele last year.
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It seems like the is giving money away to help people who want to get fit. Already they've paid out £700,000 from its fund in hand-outs of £750-a-time to fund small projects in Denbighshire, Flintshire & Wrexham.
Here are some examples of local groups who've been laughing all the way to the bank:
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Another Wenglish entry as dwi'n dysgu Cymraeg [I'm learning Welsh]
Fel rhan o fy arholiad Cymraeg ail iaith, rhaid i mi recordio sgwrs efo pobl sy'n siarad Cymraeg yn rhugl.
[As part of my exam in Welsh as a second language, I have to record a conversation with a person who speaks Welsh fluently]
Wel, ron i'n meddlw basech chi'n licio ei glywed.
[Well, I was thinking that you might like to hear it.] Warts and all.
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People in Rhyl face a £75 fine if their rubbish and recyclables are left outside their home on the wrong day and miss the regular collection service.
say they will regard the rubbish as 'fly-tipping' because the problem is so bad in the resort with seagulls picking at the bags and making more mess.
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Now's your chance to vote for your favourite design in the running to be the 'Angel of the North' for Queensferry and the landmark everyone sees when driving across the border into Wales.
The website [] shows off the designs and enables you to vote for your favourite design which includes wings stretching over the A550, three giant seed-like pods bigger than the nearby houses and half a dozen tripods resembling 'War of the Worlds'-like alien invaders striding across local fields - but that's just my interpretation.
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Another Wenglish entry as dwi'n dysgu Cymraeg [I'm learning Welsh]
Fy hoff gân Cymraeg yw hon ar hyn o bryd [it's my favourite Welsh song at the moment] and getting lots of play on the Dylan a Meinir show on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Cymru.
It's by - and you can listen to it online. I'm pleased to see the band will be playing in Mold at the National Eisteddfod this summer.
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The U.S website is billing May's festival as "a major new jazz festival that looks set to become one of the biggest in Wales".
Artistic director Huw Warren, one of Wales' best jazz musicians and winner of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Jazz Award for Innovation, tells the website: “Whether you're a dedicated music fan or just looking for a great day out, this promises to be a fantastic three-day event with cutting edge, internationally renowned jazz, swing and gospel artists."
I found a great Welsh song site - when looking for the lyrics for Sosban Fach for my son's school project. It's run by Welsh pressure group and includes videos of people singing famous Welsh songs like Yr Anthem, Calon Lân, and Myfanwy as well as lyrics and English translations. Altogether now... Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tan [A little saucepan is boiling on the fire]
Our says-what-he-thinks Chief Constable is today about his idea of proposing a 20mph speed limit outside every school - go for it, I say.
Oh, and while you are at it, why not give a busy-body at the school gates the power to hand out on-the-spot fines - something that could be used to boost school funds - to anyone parking dangerously - like on the kerb - and / or on the chevrons outside school gates. What do you reckon?
A special event aims to encourage non Welsh speakers to visit this year's which is to be held in Mold.
Pop along to Bethesda Chapel, New Street, Mold, on Thursday April 19, 7.30pm, to learn more about the Welsh cultural festival in August and to find out what's on offer for non Welsh speakers or learners.
The family of Wrexham sailor Andrew Henderson - one of the 15 sailors and marines held captive in Iran - started the party early today to welcome his return to Britain. As he was landing at Heathrow Airport, people had already begun gathering at his grandparent's home in Llay to celebrate his return.
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Wales' phone-in with Richard Evans came from the house - and you can listen again to today's show online. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales Today are there too and you can watch online the main programme tonight.
A war of words is being played out in the between the boss at Padeswood's site and local councillors who are concerned that emissions are causing an effect on local health.
General manager Mark Cox admits there has been a 'dust emission issue' over the last few weeks but a statement from Penyffordd Community Council says: "...there have been an uncomfortable number of emissions that have caused, and continue to cause, great concern and anxiety with regard to current and future health issues."
Do you have any concerns?
Not always according to locals who've posted with concerns about developments in Wrexham and Rhyl.
As well as reaction on the Rhyl views page to the £3.5m Prom development, Jo & Steve are concerned about new plans to build on what is known locally as 'Little Venice'.
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The is reporting another interesting change in local trends with the influx of migrant workers.
In fact, the newspaper is calling it a 'Roman Catholic revival', as attendance at church services has increased and enrolment in Catholic schools has increased sharply across Wales.
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The Royal College of Nursing Wales says it's a "sad sign of the times" that more hospitals in Wales are to follow the lead of North East Wales NHS Trust - which runs the Wrexham Maelor Hospital - and the Conwy & Denbighshire NHS Trust to give out stab-proof vests to protect staff from violent patients, according to .
Another Wenglish entry as dwi'n dysgu Cymraeg [I'm learning Welsh]
Mae fy Nghymraeg yn gwella bob dydd achos dwi'n ymarfer llawer efo'r arholiad yn dod yn fuan. [My Welsh is getting better by the day because I'm practicising lots with the exam being held soon] To that end, and feeling confident, I've started to widen my reading away from the Welsh course text books.
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