Local journalist's spooky new e-book

* The cover of Spooky Man by Garth ap Thomas.

A local journalist has had his latest book published online.

Garth ap Thomas, who lives in Denbighshire and used to cover Llangollen when he worked on the Vale Advertiser from 1998-2006, is the author of Spooky Man, an e-book comedy-mystery story, which is available on Amazon.

When a manhunt involving armed police officers takes place in a remote Scottish village the Daily Gazette sends Maddie Jones to cover the story.

* Garth ap Thomas.

But Maddie's investigations reveal there is more going on than the search for a fugitive wanted for murder. She discovers evidence of a Government military project researching Extra Sensory Perception which has gone badly wrong.

To try to find out more Maddie enlists the help of stage psychic Simon Hall. The duo soon realise a killer is on their trail – but just who is it?

Spooky Man is a follow up to Am I Psychic? – Garth’s first e-book featuring the adventures of Maddie Jones and Simon Hall.

Further details are available by logging on to his website at www.garthapthomas.com.

Here, Garth has given llanblogger permission to bring you an extract from Spooky Man ….

“Madeline Jones. Stay there, don't move a muscle,” screamed the warning from the security guard. 

Maddie had been walking briskly through the car park in an attempt to get away from the office building as quickly as possible, but now she knew she'd been caught. She turned round with a feeling of deep dread, to see Kevin running up towards her. 

Kevin Thomas was the newest recruit to the security team at the Gazette offices, the newspaper where Maddie worked as a reporter. They were the same age, 19, and Maddie feared he fancied her.  

This was awkward as she definitely didn't reciprocate. Just because he was a security guard Kevin acted as if he was a special agent for the FBI, so immature. And a big head as well. 

Maddie had finished a tough day at work and now just wanted to get home, take a soak in the bath, have something to eat and watch a bit of TV.

After being spotted by Kevin on her way out she'd initially ignored his calls to come back. But as the barking continued, getting louder and more insistent, she realised pretending not to have heard was not an option. 

Maddie hoped Kevin wasn't going to ask her for a date. She'd heard he'd just split with his girlfriend and had been trying to persuade virtually any female at the Gazette to go to a curry night with him organised by his local football club. Kevin was a big footy fan. 

“Hi Kev." 

“At last, got you,” he panted. “You can't half cover some ground. Didn't you hear me shouting before? 

“No," Maddie replied, forcing her eyes not to blink. 

“You must need your ears syringing girl. 

“I love it when you talk hygienic Kev, but honestly I haven't got time for this,” said Maddie, spinning to turn round and get back on her way before he could ask if she wanted to go out. 

"Your boss phoned down as you were leaving the reception area, I've got a message for you." 

"My boss, which one?" 

"Susan." 

"OK." 

Susan Roberts was the Associate Editor. Kev said the message was that Maddie had to be in at the office an hour earlier than usual tomorrow. 

"Why," asked Maddie. She's been through a grueller today and already her free time to recover was being eaten into. 

"Susan said there was a job that might be coming up needing special attention. Couldn't give any more details at the moment." 

"This wouldn't be a wind up would it Kev? One of your hilarious little pranks?" Kevin was known to like practical jokes. 

"Cross my heart girl. Phone her now if you like. 

Maddie surveyed Kevin's face for clues. "I'll believe you," she said carefully. "My sixth sense tells me you're on the level, this time at least."

"Think you're a magician mind reader like that Harvey Houdini? Whatever, you've been told so I'm in the clear. Before you go there was something else I was meaning to ask you." 

Maddie's sense of dread suddenly shot up again. It was pretty obvious what Kevin was going to say. She decided to nip it in the bud. "Sorry Kev I don't like curry." 

He looked at her in amazement. "Are you psychic?" 

"No, voodoo." 

"Really," Kev asked, his eyes widening with ever increasing astonishment.

"Yeah I'm the high priestess of the Ridley Wood coven." 

"Ridley Wood?" 

"It's up west, near Notting Hill. Don't want to sound like a snob but I find you get a better class of witch round there. Now if you'll excuse me I've got to go home and stick pins in some dolls. See ya." 

With that she twitched her nose a couple of times and walked away.

Injured pedestrian dies in hospital, say police

A statement issued earlier by North Wales Police says: "The male pedestrian involved in a road traffic collision in Gwersyllt at 00.37am on Tuesday, January 1, died at hospital this evening.

"Investigations are still on going."

Pedestrian, 17, seriously injured in collision

The Daily Post is reporting today that a 17-year-old is seriously ill in hospital after a road accident in Gwersyllt early on New Year's Day.

The story says that the unnamed pedestrian was involved in a collision with a white Volkswagen Polo car at 12.37am.

He was rushed to Wrexham Maelor Hospital and is in a serious condition.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2013/01/01/teenager-seriously-ill-after-being-hit-by-car-in-wrexham-55578-32526366/

Minister's congratulations over recycling progress

 

Wales’s Environment Minister, John Griffiths, has congratulated people on their recycling progress over the past 12 month and has urged them to keep up the momentum in the New Year.

 

For the first time, Wales is recycling or composting more than half of its municipal waste - with the latest statistics showing that Welsh councils collectively recycled 53% of their waste in the first quarter of 2012/13.

This means that Wales continues to lead the rest of the UK on recycling and is on course to meet its first statutory target of 52%.

Despite such impressive results, the Minister stressed the importance of recycling even more to help reach Wales’s ambitious statutory recycling targets.

He reminded the Welsh public to reuse and recycle whatever they can in order to avoid unnecessary waste being sent to landfill.

The Minister said: “2012 has been a milestone year for waste and recycling in Wales.

"Our success is due to the hard work of local authorities and the commitment of the communities they serve – both of which should be very proud of the progress they have made.

“However, as we begin 2013 I urge everyone to do a little bit more and recycle everything we can to ensure Wales’s precious resources are maximised rather then sent to landfill.

"As people come up with their New Year’s resolutions, it would be great if they could pledge to recycle throughout the house not just in the kitchen, rinse their recyclables before putting them out for collection, or always use their food waste caddy for their kitchen leftovers.

“It is essential that such behaviours become part of our daily routines if we are to meet our challenging targets of 70% recycling by 2025 and zero waste by 2050.

“The past year has shown that the people of Wales recognise the importance of living more sustainably. I thank them for everything they have achieved during the last 12 months and look forward to seeing what we can achieve during 2013."

First Minister's New Year greetings

First Minister Carwyn Jones has wished Wales a Happy New Year and is calling on the country to come together to face the challenges of the global economy.

Mr Jones (pictured left) said: “As we say goodbye to 2012, let us look forward with optimism to 2013. No one is denying Wales, like the rest of the world, will continue to face some very real economic challenges. This will require all of us to work together, to unite as a country to face these tough times.

"I believe that despite the current climate we can come through these times stronger as a nation.

"I give my personal commitment to continue to make sure the Welsh Government does all it can to support our economy and help create jobs. I will sell the message to the world that Wales is ready and open to do business.

“We will continue to invest in our infrastructure, help our young people find jobs and maintain our drive to improve standards in our schools so we have the skills needed for the 21st Century.

“New Year is a time to put aside differences, a time for us to focus on family and friends and a time to look to the future.

"I wish all of you a Happy New Year!”

Talk Talk to sponsor Llangollen FC

Llangollen Football Club has received a £600 financial boost from TalkTalk, he home phone and broadband provider.

The club will be sponsored by TalkTalk for the next 12 months and the funding will be used to buy new training equipment.

Residents in Llangollen, Dinbren and Berwyn will also benefit from a £50,000 investment by TalkTalk, which is expanding its Next Generation Network to provide residents with access to fast, reliable, better value and more secure broadband.

Built into the broadband network itself and unique to TalkTalk is the network-level security service HomeSafe™.

Homesafe gives customers control over the type of websites their household can access across every single device that connects to the internet in their home.

Robert Evans, Chairman at Llangollen Football Club, said: “We are very pleased that TalkTalk has chosen to support Llangollen Football Club over the next twelve months. The donation has been used to purchase new training equipment."

Tristia Clarke, commercial director at TalkTalk, said: “By investing in the exchange in Llangollen TalkTalk will be able to bring our great value offers to even more families in the area and give customers access to our fantastic security service HomeSafe™.

"In this amazing Olympic year, TalkTalk is also delighted to be supporting sport at grassroots level up and down the country. Llangollen Football Club is a fantastic example of a local club engaging and enthusing the next generation to enjoy sport. We wish them every success with future endeavours."
  
By installing its own equipment in the local exchange, TalkTalk claims it can offer even better value services and innovative products to its customers.

The NGN enables speeds of up to 14mb and customers who have recently been upgraded to the new network experience an average increase in broadband speed of 50%.

Bids invited for Oakleigh by mid-January

* Agents say bids for Oakleigh should be in by January 18.

Anyone interested is buying Oakleigh, the former mental health facility in Abbey Road, Llangollen, now has just a couple of weeks to put in an offer for the property.

That’s the message from agents acting for the vendor, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The imposing property, which stands off the A5 in front of the eisteddfod field, has been empty for some years and is now being sold off by the board as surplus to its requirements.

A spokesman for agents Legat Owen’s Chester office, which is handling the sale, recently told llanblogger that Oakleigh had an asking price of £350,000 and that they had been contacted by a number of potential buyers.     

We have just heard again from Stephen Wade, director business space for Legat Owen, who said: “In view of the level of interest in Oakleigh we are inviting Best Offers by 1.00pm on Friday 18^th January 2013.

“Anyone wishing to be bid should register their interest with our office and we will provide them with a form for the submission of an offer.”

The sale details show that Oakleigh covers 306 square metres (3,293 square feet) on a site of 0.28 hectares (0.69 acres).  

The description continues: “Oakleigh comprises an attractive two storey period propertyfof brick construction under a pitched timber framed roof with clay tile covering.  

“Internally the property retains many of its original features.  

“The property has a rateable value of £10,000 and is available for sale freehold.  

“The property offers potential for a variety of alternative uses subject to securing the appropriate planning permission.  

“Planning permission has recently been granted for a change of use to a residential dwelling.”