Royal Yacht crewman speaks of his exciting years aboard

 

* The Royal Yacht Britannia in her heyday.

A man who spent more than a decade working there gave a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of one Britain’s most famous royal residences to members of Llangollen Methodist Church recently.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is no longer in service but Andy Jones, who is now a postman in Oswestry, spent 11 years of his Royal Navy service aboard the “floating palace”, as he fondly calls her, serving almost every member of the Royal Family along a host of world statesman like Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela.

Andy – nicknamed “Jonah” by his navy mates – was guest speaker at the latest meeting of the church’s This & That social group.

Recalling how he was inspired by the previous year’s Falklands War to join the navy in 1983, Andy trained at HMS Raleigh before serving aboard a warship as an officers’ valet.

He joined the Royal Naval crew of the Britannia in 1985 after answering an advert for stewards which was posted across the fleet.

Andy spoke of the famous ship’s compact dimensions, which saw all 240 of the ship’s crew crowded into the front section while everything aft of the funnel was royal territory.

* The Queen sheds a tear for the paying off
of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

He became one of a dozen stewards aboard and gradually progressed from serving senior crew members and royal staff to taking care of Royal Family members from princes and princesses to the Duke of Edinburgh  and the Queen herself in the latter years of his time in the Britannia before she was controversially withdrawn from service in 1997 to become a museum piece moored in Edinburgh.

During his time as a crew member he estimates that he circumnavigated the globe four-and-a-half times and calling at a huge numbers of foreign ports.

But because of the long working hours – all he recalls of Hong Kong is going briefly ashore to empty the royal dustbins  - it’s his time afloat that he remembers best.

One of his duties was to wait on tables groaning not just with the best food but also priceless royal possessions including the £500,000 Nelson Cup, awarded to the naval hero’s family by the nation after his victory at Trafalgar and, what he says was the Queen’s personal favourite piece, a table decoration consisting of two camels made from solid gold standing beneath a palm tree dripping with “dates” which are actually rubies.

In fact, so valuable were all the pieces on the yacht that an expert from Sotheby’s would come aboard at the start of every royal trip to make fresh insurance valuations of them in case any should go missing.

While the camels piece, given to her by an Arabian potentate, was the Queen’s most beloved piece of art, Andy, who would regularly serve her with it, recalled that her favourite tipple was a Royal Cocktail concocted from martini and a considerable quantity of gin.

But despite serving so many senior royals, he told his audience that the two most memorable guests he met aboard the Britannia were former US President Bill Clinton and the late South African President Nelson Mandela.

He told how he fondly remembered one day being overcome by the realisation that he was ironing one of Mr Mandela’s shirts  and about how he was frisked by two enormous American security men before being allowed to take in Mr Clinton’s breakfast tray one morning.

An anecdote which amused the audience concerned the time he had gone into the Duke of Edinburgh’s cabin to deliver his morning wake-up greeting and found himself unable to leave because the door had jammed.

As the duke took a shower in the adjoining bathroom Andy was desperately trying to open the door using a table knife from the royal collection when he felt a tap on the shoulder.

It was the Queen’s husband asking him what the b***** hell he was doing.

Andy said that like most crew members and members of the Royal Family he had been extremely upset to see the Britannia withdrawn from service after 43 years of loyal service and he recalled how the paying-off ceremony had been the only time in her long reign when the Queen had been spotted shedding a tear for the loss.          

Student sleuths solve grisly slaying

 

* Working on fingerprinting with Mark Watson, of Techniquest,

were, from left, Carys Stallard, 14, Llangollen; Mae Morgan, 13, Llandrillo;

Aaron Morrison, 14, Rhosymedre; and Callum Newell, 14, Chirk.

 

A grisly murder took place in Llangollen – but school student sleuths soon had the culprit bang to rights.

 

In fact not only did they find out whodunit but they also came up with a flood survival pack, and built a wind turbine, a suspension bridge, an electricity generator and a robot.

 

It was just another day at school for 200 Year Nine and Ten pupils of Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen, and Denbigh High School as they worked with industry experts from Airbus, civil engineers, and experts on robotics and forensic science from Techniquest in Wrexham.

 

They were at a special Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) event at the Royal International Pavilion, organised as part of the Llwyddon’n Lleol programme, funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund.

 

This aims to help young people across North Wales develop their career paths and the Pavilion event was designed to create awareness of the opportunities and the practical realities of the world of work.

 

The students worked with representatives of the aviation, construction, energy, science and technical industries to learn how they go about tackling practical problems.

 

These included studying flooding in Denbigh and coming up with a cheap and effective flood survival pack, building an indoor suspension bridge as well as an electricity generator, exploring atomic science, forensic science and robotics.

 

The day was hailed as a big success by Denbigh High School Curriculum Head Miranda Cookson who said: “We took Year Nine pupils who are in the process of picking their options for GCSE and Llwyddo’n Lleol have given them a real opportunity to work with STEM-based businesses.

 

“We want them to think about what sort of career they would like and the feedback from the children has been brilliant. They thoroughly enjoyed their morning there and would have loved to have been able to spend all day.

 

“It’s the sort of experience you can’t provide in school but through Llwyddo’n Lleol they have been able to get a real taste of hi tech industries.”

 

Ysgol Dinas Bran Deputy Head Teacher Mark Hatch was also pleased and said: “We have had the whole of Year Ten here and it’s been very worthwhile.

 

“As a mathematician myself it’s great to see how maths and science can be connected to the real world from flood risk management to robotics.

 

“The students have also been mixed up so they have had to work in groups with people they might not have worked with before and that involves other workplace skills of co-operation and teamwork.

 

“We’ve been involved in previous events provided by Jenni Edwards and Llwyddo’n Lleol and they have been very good as well and of great benefit to the pupils.

 

“We do computer programming and engineering at GCSE and here they can see the real life applications of those courses and there will be someone here today who wants to be a forensic scientist working on crime scenes and if we can inspire them then it’s great.

 

“When they next have a meeting with the careers adviser there should be things they can ask about.”

 

Mike Wellingtion, of civil engineers Martin Wright Associates, of Pulford, Chester, said it was a good opportunity to tell the students about the varied work involved in civil engineering, especially on the topical subject of flooding.

 

He had worked with the pupils on flood risk management in Denbigh and also in preparing a flood survival pack.

 

He said: “We are able to show them how we can work with the infrastructure and how people can make themselves more resilient in flood situations.

 

“It shows how we apply civil engineering to the problems of flooding and flood risk and schools see the value in that and events like this spread the word.”

 

Dinas Bran pupil George Fletcher, 14, of Froncysyllte, said: “It’s been very good and we’ve learned how to deal with flood risk and working in this area could be something I’d be interested in in future.”

 

Aaron Morrison, 14, of Rhosymedre, added: “It’s different from being in a classroom, it’s a different way of learning and it’s cool.”

 

Students from Denbigh High School also took part in the Royal International Pavilion event while a similar STEM day was held at Optic Technium in St Asaph for pupils of Prestatyn High School and Ysgol Glan Clwyd, St Asaph.

 

Both were organised by Jenni Edwards, Llwyddo’n Lleol Project Officer for Conwy and Denbighshire, and she said: “We want to get the students to understand the importance of STEM qualifications and of getting good grades and doing it through practical activities.

 

“It is vital in North Wales that we build a strong and skilled workforce because that will create a vibrant economy for the region and in turn create more opportunities for the future.

 

“We need young people who have the right skills, the skills that employers are looking for and events like this where they can work with professionals reinforces the message.

 

“They are meeting the people who do these things as their day job and tackling real life experiences and problems.

 

“They’re also seeing that employers don’t just look for qualifications but also for skills and social skills like the ability to work as part of a team.

 

“This has been very successful. The young people are enjoying it and enjoying the challenges and it gives them a lot to go back and think about.”

"All systems go" for bridge restoration

It’s “all systems go” for a major project to restore and re-open the world-famous Chain Bridge in Llangollen.
That was the message from town clerk Gareth Thomas to members at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the town council.

Mr Thomas reported that the county council had just offered to contribute another £15,000 towards the ambitious scheme on condition that all the money was spent.

To ensure this is the case, he told members that the cash would be placed in a special reserved bank account.

The town clerk also reported that Welsh historic monuments agency Cadw had recently agreed to support the restoration of the bridge on the basis that it lies within the World Heritage site.

Mr Thomas told members: “It’s all systems go and we are still trying to get as much money as we can to take the project forward.” 

Volunteers sought for cultural events

Denbighshire County Council is hosting a range of sporting and cultural events this summer and would like to invite local residents to play a vital role in them by volunteering.

Volunteer groups and charities looking to fund raise for good causes are also being invited to be part of these regional and national events, and will be given specific areas to collect donations from.

Students needing to carry out volunteer hours to complete qualifications will also receive a signed certificate of volunteer logged hours.

Events include,the Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay which is coming to Denbighshire on Fri 30 May, and will be visiting Rhyl, the Clwydian Range AONB at Moel Famau, Ruthin and Llandegla and all events are looking for marshalls and stewards.

There are also the triathlons in Rhyl and Denbigh in need of volunteers for marshalling and pool counting.

The official opening of the Rhyl Harbour with a seafood festival and water sport activities and Marine Lake is also looking for volunteers.

For a full list of volunteer opportunities please visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/resident/jobs/volunteers or contact Volunteer co-ordinator Matt Hilliker on 07798742290 or matthew.hilliker@denbighshire.gov.uk.

Specific volunteer clothing and training will be provided where necessary dependant on the volunteer role undertaken. Some volunteer placements will offer expenses towards travel and food or if not this will be provided by the Council.

Jamie Groves, head of Communications, Marketing and Leisure, said: "Denbighshire has been the highest performing council for the last three years in Wales, and as part of this change in performance we want to become ‘closer to our communities."

"These events are beneficial for the local economy and business, enticing visitors and improving tourism. By working closer with our residents, volunteer groups and charities, we want these events to become part of the fabric of our county.

"Sharing ownership of future events with communities will give us all a stake in the events and the feel good factor of successfully delivering national sporting and cultural events on our doorsteps."

St Collen's presents a stylish Easter musical

*  A scene from The Feast of Life performed in St Collen's Church on Good Friday. 

A talented cast presented a different slant on the Easter story when they staged the musical The Feast of Life in St Collen’s Church, Llangollen, yesterday (Good Friday) afternoon.

It was the first of three performances of the piece, by Marty Haugen and Gary Daigle, whuch is based on the Gospel of Luke.

The second follows today (Saturday) and the final performance is in the Town Hall on Easter Sunday, both starting at 3pm. Admission is free.   

Debuted at the 2000 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, The Feast of Life reminds its audience of the 14 banquets mentioned in Luke’s Gospel and invites them to hear and experience the stories of Jesus.

Ten songs paint powerful musical portraits of key episodes, from the announcement of His birth to the Shepherds to His crucifixion and resurrection.

Along the way there are interpretations of the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.

The songs come in a range of musical styles from English and Celtic folk music, Broadway, jazz and gospel all performed with aplomb.

It was a polished and thought-provoking performance from all 18 cast members.

Stylish soloists are Mike Connelly, Sue Stokes, Helen Belton, Simon Orton-Jones, Andrew Sully, Owen Roberts and Jennifer Rose.

They are backed up by an accomplished choir comprising Laura Gallagher, Brenda Coggan, June Cook, Christina Edwards, Vanessa Baldry, Ruth Owens, Vera Heath, Kay Saul, John Williams, Martin Coggan and Paul Coleman.

Instrumentalists are Harvey and Eve Barratt, Huw and Rhys Penge and Gracie Beavan. Lighting of the church performance area is by John Gambles.

The production, which lasts for about an hour, is a credit to musical director Paul Young and director Peter Harris.    

For more details about church activities go to: stcollenschurch.org.uk   

Firefighters spend 11 hours at blaze in Chirk

The Daily Post is reporting today on a fire at the Kronospan factory in Chirk.

See full report at: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/kronospan-chirk-firefighters-spend-11-7006692 

Bishop's Easter message

* The Right Revd Dr Gregory K Cameron, Bishop of

St Asaph.

The Bishop of St Asaph says Easter is about "loosening the chains that bind us, whether they are physical or not".

 

In his Easter message, the Right Revd Dr Gregory K Cameron is urging Christians to be bold in breaking the chains of injustice and not be afraid to confront the world of politics.

 

In it he says: “It is sometimes said that preachers should stay in the pulpit and not stray into politics, but the truth is that society can’t be walled off from religion; Christ says, where there is a chain, break it in my name. 

 

“I hope that means a Church at the forefront of fighting those things that make human life less than full – in whichever form they take.  Would that we could all become chain breakers like Christ this Easter.”

 

The full text of his Easter message is:

 

I am a Christian because I believe it when Jesus said: The Truth shall set you free (John 8.32 if you want to look it up).  Such a Truth has not just to set me free, but to bring liberty to all those who are in chains, whether those chains are physical, poverty, injustice, or war; or metaphysical, guilt, failure, sin.

 

The truth I think he is referring to is a fundamental truth about creation: that there is a purpose, a person, God, who sustains the universe, and that God is love.  I realise that I can’t go into a laboratory to prove such a statement, but it is for me the best and most fundamental way in which to make sense of everything else.  And this truth sets me free, because it gives me a reason to live and to love, and a passion to fight for the breaking of chains everywhere.

 

Easter is about Jesus breaking the chains that bind humanity.  It is about a man who was weighed down with every burden that humanity could carry, but who rose up in divine power to new life.  And it commits me, and every Christian, to be breakers of chains like him.  It is sometimes said that preachers should stay in the pulpit and not stray into politics, but the truth is that society can’t be walled off from religion; Christ says, where there is a chain, break it in my name.  I hope that means a Church at the forefront of fighting those things that make human life less than full – in whichever form they take.

 

Would that we could all become chain breakers like Christ this Easter.