Horseshoe Pass trip inspires sci-fi novel

A cycling trip up the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen was the inspiration for a new science fiction book by a Chester author.

Geoff Nelder’s latest work, ARIA Left Luggage, tells the story of how astronauts bring back to Earth a case they find floating in space.

Inside it is a virus which when unknowingly unleashed spreads an amnesia virus which goes around the world like wildfire bringing the planet to the edge of disaster.

In the prologue to the book, the author writes: “This novel would not have been possible without a Dawes Super Galaxy allowing me to cycle up the Welsh slope of Horseshoe Pass, North Wales, making my heart thump so fast my brain – freshly oxygenated – buzzed with the original idea in ARIA.”

Originally from the south of England and now living with his wife and children, Nelder taught IT and geography in the local high school.

He has post-grad researched and written about climatic change, run computer clubs and was editor of a computer magazine.

Nelder has published a couple of climate books and has short stories used in a variety of literary
magazines.


His first novel, a humour thriller, Escaping Reality, was published in 2005.

Left Luggage  is part of a sci-fi trilogy entitled which is published by LL-Publications.

The bug at the centre of the book he calls Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia.

It causes everyone who catches it to regress, seemingly slowly at first, but it soon becomes apparent that years of lives are being lost memory-wise, and fast.

Enter the hero Ryder, who has been on to the thing from the start and has the brainpower – and contacts – to stay away and eventually find like-minded uninfected people to try to help him to stay alive and to come up with a solution to the huge threat to  humanity.
 

Throughout, Ryder tries his best, first of all persuading uninfected friends and colleagues to barricade themselves in a remote Welsh valley.
 

But then as his leadership is tested time and again even his morals start to slip and the lines between what is right and wrong according to everything he was taught and believes in start to blur.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ARIA-Left-Luggage-ebook/dp/B008RADGYC#_

Treat Dad to a Bikesafe course

Struggling to find a suitable gift for this year’s Father’s Day?

 

Why not book a *free Bikesafe workshop which is being held in Porthmadog on Sunday 16^th June.

 

Bikesafe is a police-led motorcycle project that is run by most forces in the UK with the main aim being to reduce the number of bikers being hurt on the roads.

 

          

Sponsored by the North Wales Partnerships and Taith, the workshops, which are held at various locations across North Wales including Porthmadog, Rhyl, Broughton and St Asaph, offer practical advice about road safety and educate riders by passing on knowledge and skills to try and help motorcyclists become safer riders.

 

The Father’s Day workshop is being held at Porthmadog’s Fire Station on Sunday 16^th June.

 

Part of the morning will be spent in the classroom and then there is then an enjoyable practical road element over approximately 60 miles taking you round the roads of North Wales and the Snowdonia National Park.

 

North Wales Police Bikesafe Co-ordinator, Paul Cheshire MBE said: "Bikesafe is about starting on the right path to development as it "Bridges the Gap". Riders should continue to train throughout their riding years and not just stop once they have passed their bike test. 

 

“You will find at Bikesafe workshops that you are sitting alongside like-minded biking enthusiasts with a wide range of experience, skills and different machines.  Whether you are on a commuter bike, scooter or a sports bike, you are equally welcome and will benefit from one of our workshops.”

 

The BikeSafe workshop explores the main issues facing today’s bikers. It also explores the principles of advanced riding through the on-road element. The BikeSafe Observer will give assessment and feedback which will highlight areas where the rider needs to develop.

 

Paul Cheshire added: “Whether you passed your bike test six months ago, six years ago or, indeed, twenty-six years ago, you can always improve your level of skill to make your riding not only safer but also more enjoyable.”

 

In addition North Wales Police will provide a free day’s training of first aid for bikers licensed by Medic Skills from FBoS ( First Bike on Scene – North West NHS). Upon completion you will be issued a Certificate of Approval from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and a safety pack.

 

If you would like to participate in a *free Bikesafe workshop please visit the Bikesafe website or contact the booking line via 08444 151206 or email info@bikesafeadmin.co.uk

 

Godspell takes to Town Hall stage tonight

Skates hits out over union blacklists

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has called on the Welsh Government and local councils to ban companies holding union blacklists from being awarded public sector contracts in North Wales.

Earlier this year an investigation by the GMB into the construction industry revealed at least 111 workers from Wales on an illegal ‘blacklist’ of employees that belonged to a trade union.  The list was being used by some construction firms to prevent them from getting work.

 

It is believed 39 of those workers were from North Wales, with the majority unaware their personal data was being collated and used against them.

 

The Labour AM (pictured right) is calling on the Welsh Government and local councils not to award public sector contracts to any firm known to blacklist workers.

 

Mr Skates said: “It is shocking that some companies have chosen to illegally blacklist some workers because they are a member of a trade union.  This is the kind of spiteful practice that we all thought had died out many years ago.

 

“There were a lot of workers identified from North Wales on the construction list uncovered recently by the GMB, something that is very concerning indeed.  Construction is an important industry in North Wales and many families rely on it for their household income.

 

“The use of blacklists is totally unacceptable.  Construction is an industry that is heavily contract based, making workers in this sector a particular target for these kinds of practices. 

 

“I believe the Welsh Government and local councils should now work together to use their significant procurement powers to prevent any company that is known to have held a blacklist from winning public sector contracts in North Wales.

“Any that have held lists in the past should compensate workers they have discriminated against and take clear steps to demonstrate they do not blacklist workers known to a member of a trade union.

 

“Why should taxpayers money be used to subsidise companies that flout the law and blacklist hard-working people in the construction trade, or any other industry, that is a member of a trade union?

“We need to work together to stamp out this unscrupulous practice which is bad for local workers and bad for the local economy too.”

 

The Welsh Government has said its officials are currently considering the measures available to strengthen procurement policy and eradicate the unacceptable practice of blacklisting.  

 

They will shortly be issuing new guidance to all public bodies in Wales in relation to selecting suppliers, setting contract conditions and managing delivery of procurement.

 

Blacklisting was revealed in 2009 when the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) seized a database of 3,213 names of construction workers and environmental activists used by over 40 companies.

Skates calls for law change to help small pubs

Clwyd South Assembly Member Kern Skates has called for a change in the law to help out small pubs in his constituency.

 

The AM is calling on the UK Government to reform the ‘tied model’ operated by large pub owning companies.

 

Around 1/3 of pubs in the UK are owned by large pub companies who then lease the pubs out to tenants to run as their own businesses. These pubs are contractually obliged to buy their beer only from the pub company, preventing pub licensees buying on the open market. 

 

This is known as ‘the tie’.

 

The AM said the fundamental problem is that large pub companies take too much of a pub’s profits and is calling for legislation to ensure fair rents and fair beer prices to help local pubs in his constituency.

 

Mr Skates said: “The traditional local pub is going through a very difficult time at the moment.  Unreasonably high beer prices and inflated rents have caused the closure of hundreds of pubs right across North Wales.  Drinking habits are also changing and the competition of local supermarkets is very intense. 

 

“Nevertheless there can be a bright future for the village pub, but we need the help of the UK Government and large pub companies to help achieve this.

 

“We need the UK Government to introduce a new statutory code of practice for large companies that will enshrine in law the long accepted but largely ignored principle that the tied licensee should not be worse off than a free of tie licensee when it came to issues such as beer pricing.  This would allow them to pay a price for beer and drinks that would help them make a sustainable profit.

 

“Rents need to change, too.  It would be much easier for small pubs tied to big chains if their tenants were allowed to pay a reasonable market rent.  For those renting from companies with 500 or more pubs on their books they should be allowed to pay a fair, independently assessed market rent.

 

“Such a system is simple and cheap to administer and would give tied licensees the choice as to whether to pay fair rent only or a lower rent and higher beer prices.”

 

The latest Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers Benchmarking Survey showed that tied rents are actually higher than rents for free of tie pubs. So many tied tenants are effectively being charged double.

 

The AM added: “We’ve got some fantastic pubs in my constituency, from the recently re-opened Tyn-Y-Capel co-operative pub in Minera to the Buck House Hotel in Bangor-on-Dee, which has now started re-selling Wrexham Lager for the first time in over a decade.

 

“We now need sensible reform of the tied system to ensure those local pubs linked to a big brewery can continue to turn a profit and have a fair chance of staying open in the next few years.”

 

Mr Skates is backing the ‘Fair Deal for Your Local’ campaign led by CAMRA, The Campaign for Real Ale.

Welsh national military museum being considered

The Welsh Minister for Culture and Sport has agreed to consider the establishment of a Welsh National Military Museum following calls from Clwyd West AM Darren Millar.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Millar said a Welsh National Military Museum would be a fitting tribute to commemorate the rich Welsh heritage in the armed forces and to mark the centenary of the First World War.

Mr Millar, who is chair of the Cross Party Group on the Armed Forces, said: “I very much welcome the fact that the Minister has indicated that he is prepared to consider the establishment of a National Military Museum.

“The UK Government has already established a programme of commemorative events to mark the centenary of the start of  the 1914 -18 World War, which resulted in the deaths of 40,000 forces personnel from Wales and it would be great if Ministers in Cardiff Bay could follow this lead.

“There are already a series of smaller military collections across Wales, including in Brecon, Caernarfon, Carmarthen and in Cardiff Castle, but there is no provision for a National Military Museum.

"It is impossible to overstate the massive contribution that our armed forces make to keeping our nation safe, often at great personal risk, and their professionalism and courage sets an example to young people across Wales. It is only right that we should show our appreciation and admiration in every way possible and establishing a National Military Museum  would do just that.”

Women's festival to hand over cash raised to charities

 

 * Dani Chamberlain as Agnetha and Jo Potts as Anni-Frid in the Abba tribute at the festival.

 

Organisers of the Women's Festival of Music & Arts staged in Llangollen on May 10-12 are to hand over the money raised during the highly successful event to various charities at a presentation later this month.

 

The festival's Facebook Page says: 

 

"We are pleased to announce that the Women's Festival of Music & Arts 2013 in Llangollen Town Hall, raised enough money to be able to present £1000 to this year's designated charities, MIND & AVOW, local mental health services, to be shared equally as £500 each. Thanks to everyone who took part, and the audiences who came. The formal presentation will take place at The Ty'n Y Wern Hotel, Llangollen, at 4pm on Sunday, June 16th. Absolutely everybody is welcome. We've booked the Hotel from 3pm until 6pm, bar and snacks are available. Let's make it a great afternoon."

Women's Festival Of Music & Arts Llangollen May 10th, 11th & 12th - 2013