VW charge ahead with Golf-sized electric vehicle

Volkswagen ID.3 drive by Steve Rogers

The electric revolution is already well under and we are still eight years from E-Day. Last year one in 10 cars sold in the UK were electric and the E number will be even higher this year with more models hitting the showrooms.

Taking the plunge is a bit scary because there is no point in turning back but what is it like taking off on an electric journey? Let’s see if we can help with a day in the life of an electric car.

The car in question is Volkswagen’s ID.3, think of it as the new Golf because it is roughly the same size, but instead of engines the choice is battery kilowatt outputs, 45,58 or 77, the higher the number the more miles stored in the battery pack – 216, 258 and 340. My car is in the middle so here is a tale of two journeys.

Journey one kicks off at 9.15am and will run to 93 miles. ID.3 has been charged overnight from my Podpoint wall charger so 258 miles is available. Erm, no. The computer is showing a full 100 per cent charge but the range is 209 miles and there is another shock when 24 miles is wiped out when the heating is turned on.

Cold nights during charging has an impact, a slightly less colder night a few days later yielded 222 miles but still short of the claimed 258. Winter is not the best time for an electric car.

Heating the car is a drain on the battery pack too, but, and this is the strange one, using the heated seats and heated steering wheel is not, so I opted for a mix and match giving the car a blast of heat and then relying on the heated seat, all this while the outside temperature is an icy two degrees.

No chance of giving the car a top up at the end point, a crematorium, and I need to get straight home for my wife to visit a friend in Liverpool, an 84 mile round trip. I have used 50 per cent of the battery range (the information in the central touchscreen is brilliantly clear) and with 120 miles left she should make it but do we want to take the risk?

There is no off street parking at her friend’s house and as the nearest charging station is miles away the trip is delayed 80 minutes while the ID.3 gets a 20 mile top up. Not ideal but needs must.

Having driven home sedately, using the regenerative braking setting to recover miles and relying on the heated seat and steering wheel for warmth, the VW had 40 miles to spare so would have made it with the heating blasting away... or would it? It is not the sort of risk you want to take.

What did my wife make of it all? ‘The car is not the problem. The ID.3 is a comfortable, roomy little number, lovely to drive with bang up to date technology and a well thought out minimalist, futuristic dashboard.

‘But there will be times when journeys become stressful even when carefully planned. You should not have to worry about using the car’s heating but what we really need are easy charging facilities and time is running out’.

That was not a typical day for us and in the days that followed we enjoyed normal driving with the heating on! ID.3 is good to drive, gliding comfortably through twists and turns with its rear wheel drive set up and offering decent cabin space thanks to the longer wheelbase on the new platform for the electric range.

Not having to accommodate and engine and everything that goes with it frees up space in the cabin. And boot capacity is not compromised as the batteries are stowed under the back seat.

Performance is brisk and off the line ID.3 will stay with a Golf GTI while top speed is all but 30mph above our national speed limit, doubt that goes down well driving on the German autobahns.

VW reckon the car should achieve 4.2 miles per kilowatt although the best we managed was 3.5m/kw which is still pretty good.

Buyers will need the best part of 40 grand to get this level of ID.3 which sounds horrendous yet is par for the course. VW offers a budget model with a reduced driving range and lower specification for around £30,000 and even that price is daunting for this size of car.

There is nothing to dislike about this or any other electric car, in fact they will probably create slower drivers. The main stumbling block is the charging infrastructure, so many people, like my wife’s friend, cannot charge at their homes and then there is the even bigger problem of safely disposing the batteries.

People will fairly say the Government has put the cart before the horse and in this scenario the cart is already well ahead of the horse. The politicians have eight years to sort it out. Best of luck with that.

Next week: We try something a bit cheaper

Fast Facts

ID.3 Max Pro

£39,500 (£43,185 tested)

Electric motor 200bhp

Battery output 58kWh

Range 258 miles

4.2 miles/kWh

0-62mph 7.3secs; 99mph

Zero emissions

100kW rapid charge 30mins to 180 miles

7.2 kW wall charger 9h 30m

Insurance group 30

Battery warranty 8 years

This week's work planned on 2020 project

Work planned this week on the town's 2020 project is:

* Digging out the existing footpath on Castle Street east from Oak Street to the A5

* Digging out the existing footpath on Market Street south

* Paving on Castle Street east from Oak Street to the A5

* Paving on Market Street south

Chainbridge Hotel goes on the market for £1.8m

Llangollen’s world-famous Chainbridge Hotel (pictured) is up for sale with a price tag of £1.8m.

According to the property website Rightmove, it is on the market with Manchester-based specialist agents Fleurets.

The hotel was built in 1827 and became a popular venue due to its location adjacent to the iconic chain bridge over the River Dee.

The sales description says the detached two and three storey property includes 33 en-suite bedrooms, bar, function room and restaurant.

It also said to have an unsurfaced car park for about 40/50 vehicles with a metal bridge leading down to the hotel plus a surfaced car park at the same level of the hotel for approximately 16 vehicles.

There is also an outdoor seating area providing riverside views along the front elevation.

In October 2012 llanblogger reported how the hotel had recently been bought for £500,000 by Seamus O’Keeffe, then in his early twenties.

He had rescued it from administration where it had been placed following the collapse of Stephanie Booth’s Llangollen Hotels group of which it had been part.

Surrey-born Mr O’Keeffe told llanblogger it would be more of a family business than an investment opportunity as running hotels had been a family affair for him.

After reading history at Leeds University he went initially into public relations with a London agency before taking off in a completely different career direction to help run the George III hotel near Dolgellau with his wife Elizabeth for his parents-in-law.

When The Chainbridge came on the market he said he saw it as an opportunity too good to miss and the family moved up to Llangollen.

Mr O'Keeffe told the Daily Post: "We’re under no pressure to move on, and whenever we do it will be with a heavy heart. 

"It’s a magical place but we think it’s the right time to give somebody else a crack of the whip!

"It’s an absolutely fantastic business, obviously an incredible, unique location, and we’ve had a lot of fun and success building up the hotel over the 10 years we’ve been here.

"We have some other interests we want to try and pursue so it seems the right time for a change.

* Details of the sale of the Chainbridge Hotel can be seen on Rightmove at: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118589033

Police boss demands new justice law in wake of Hillsborough

A police boss has made an impassioned plea for a law to prevent miscarriages of justice like those suffered after the Hillsborough disaster.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin (pictured) spoke out after the recent screening of the powerful TV drama, Anne, based on the tragedy and its aftermath.

The campaign for a Hillsborough Law has widespread support from the families of the victims, politicians and celebrities.

Mr Dunbobbin says that public authorities like the police should be legally obliged to be proactively honest if anything goes wrong.

At the same time, ordinary people should be provided with a legal body, funded by the taxpayer, to fight their cause in court.

The crusade stems from the tragedy that happened at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Sheffield on April 15, 1989, when 97 men, women and children died as a result of the crush at the ground.

The four-part ITV docu-drama starred Maxine Peake as Anne Williams, whose 15-year-old son, Kevin, died in the disaster.

 

Mrs Williams dedicated her life to uncovering what happened to the teenager but died in 2013, before the start of the new inquests.

 

The hearings, which concluded in 2016, found the victims were unlawfully killed.

 

But match commander David Duckenfield was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter in 2019.

 

Meanwhile, the trial of two retired police officers and a former South Yorkshire Police solicitor, who were accused of perverting the course of justice, collapsed last year after a judge ruled there was no case to answer.

 

Mr Dunbobbin said: “The TV drama, Anne, was incredibly moving and powerful and served to underline the iniquitous injustice the grieving families have been subjected to for too many years.

“It was also helpful in bringing back to the fore the campaign to secure a new Hillsborough Law so that these injustices are not repeated in the future.

“As things stand, the scales of justice are heavily weighted against ordinary people like the late Anne Williams and the other campaigners who have fought so determinedly for so long.

“It is a national disgrace that they were on the wrong end of lies from senior police officers and an alleged cover up.

“I have written to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, urging her to set the wheels in motion for a Public Authority Accountability Bill that’s being proposed by long time campaigner Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

“Such a  law would mean that no more grieving families would have to suffer the same cruel fate again.

“Securing this long-overdue legislation would be a good way of honouring the memory of all those innocent victims and would go some way towards righting the terrible wrongs we have seen in subsequent decades.”

MP presents Prime Minister with school's climate change poems

* Simon Baynes MP, right, hands over the Ysgol Dinas Bran students' poems to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has presented Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a collection of climate change poems written by the students of Ysgol Dinas Brân in Llangollen.

Mr Baynes was given the poems following a visit to the school during Great Big Green Week which ran from September 18 - 26, when he met students and teachers to learn more about their week of activities to encourage awareness and to listen to students’ climate change concerns.

The poems highlight a range of climate issues such as global warming, single-use plastics and deforestation, and were written as a call for action ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP26 – last October and November.

Since Mr Baynes’ visit the school has been recognised with presentation of the highest Eco-Schools Award – the Platinum.

The school’s liaison officer Catrin, from Keep Wales Tidy, said: "Maintaining the Eco-Schools Platinum status is a fantastic achievement. The school, staff and pupils, should feel proud of their hard work and commitment."

Andy Wallis, PSE coordinator at Ysgol Dinas Brân, said: “I would like to thank all the staff and students involved in the Eco Schools programme, and in particular the Great Big Green Week, for the work they have done which has enabled us to win this award. 

"Equally, I would like to thank both the headteacher Mark Hatch and our business manager Jamie Roberts for the investment they have made into making the school more sustainable and decreasing our carbon footprint with the instillation of the solar panels project.”

Simon Baynes said: “I was very pleased to present the Prime Minister with poems from the students at Ysgol Dinas Brân, by which he was very impressed. 

"He remembers the school very well from his time as the Parliamentary Candidate for Clwyd South 25 years ago and is always very interested in hearing about activities locally, particularly in relation to the environment.

“The students and teachers have put in a huge amount of effort recently to raise awareness of environmental issue and reduce the school’s carbon footprint. And it was a pleasure to highlight their exceptional work to the Prime Minister.”

Winners and answers for Cancer UK Christmas quiz

Its organiser has announced the winners of - and answers for - the latest Llangollen Christmas quiz, which has raised £667.21 in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Judy Smith, of the charity's local committee, said: "I’m pretty sure that this year’s quiz was the hardest ever, but it seems that nothing can defeat some of you!  

"First Jane Hurle of Llangollen with 49 points, second Helen Watson of Cleobury, North Shropshire with 47 points and third Maggie Shaw of Greasby, Wirral with 46 ½ points = Adrian and Catherine Farrel of Llangollen with 46 ½ points. On drawing from a hat, third prize was awarded to Maggie – sorry Adrian and Catherine.

"Well, what can I say, Jane - however did you do it? And Helen, Maggie, Adrian, and Catherine, you’re obviously brilliant too. 

"In fact, I’d say anybody who got more than half a dozen on that quiz was bloomin’ good!  

"But let me just throw in a few more names that surely deserve a mention -  there’s Pat and Richard Reid of Norwich, and Keith Stacey of Malpas with 46; Nenia Blatsou of Bedford, and Keith and Pat Campbell of Northampton with 45½ and Mike Hough of Wrexham with 45. I’d like to add some more but we had a lot of entries returned and I have to stop there.

"Now a word about the quiz itself.  The first section seems to have given you little trouble, although maybe not that many of you were acquainted with John Ryan’s cartoon of Lettuce Leefe in Girl magazine. Alright – it was a bit obscure, and a long time ago! 

"From the second section I learned a lot, as well as enjoying some imaginative answers. Did you know that a scorpion has 8 legs, as well as a spider? We passed that one!  

"And I was intrigued to find there were ‘30 medieval castles in Normandy’, ‘16 fish shops in Grimsby’ and ‘6 rogues in the government’. Really – only 6?  Thank you for all that ingenuity!"

Judy added: "On a more serious note, we were often told there were ‘6 rounds in a gun’.  No that won’t do, not in every gun.  And another common answer was ‘7 specific (or standard) movements of ballet’ – yes, 7 movements by one reckoning, but you had to invent something for the ‘S’. 

"It was a similar story with 20T in the HPD – if you were thinking of football, you had to invent something for the ‘H’.  I’m afraid we didn’t allow either of those. The main problem was with 10C in the B of E.  

"I had intended 10 Commandments in the Book of Exodus, but there was quite a smattering of 10 Chapters in the book of Ezra (or the Book of Esther).  Both the latter are clearly right, but surely the Commandments are better known?  Well, I have to confess, I didn’t know how many chapters in the Book of Ezra!  What to do??  Where we needed to split hairs (as we did for 3^rd place), we awarded ½ point.

"Once again our grateful thanks for your support.  We hope you enjoyed the quiz, and that you will make sure to get a copy of next year’s, which should as ever be published on 1^st December.

"And finally, an appeal.  On 28^th and 29^th May this year we are holding the 4^th Llangollen Round Challenge, a 35-mile hill hike that can be completed over one or two days to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, and we expect around 500 entrants.  You can find all the details of this on our website www.thellangollenround.info.  

"It’s a tough hike, but the views are amazing, there are 5 checkpoints supplying you with food and water, and there’s a certificate and medal for everyone at the end.  

"Amazingly, participants even tell us it’s fun and we have many returning each time we put it on (last in 2018).  So if you know anyone who just could be interested in this Challenge please pass on the word.  We’d be very pleased to see them. Again our thanks."

Quiz answers

1                    Opting about a headless fish (4,7)    Plum Pudding

2                    Harbour (4)     Port

3                    Poet on time (6)     Claret

4                    Island tangled in weed (6,4)   Mulled wine

5                    Small amount (6)    Trifle

6                    Drunk sounds like a French particle (7,5)  Pickled onion

7                    Animal snuggery (4,2,8)   Pigs in blankets

8                    Hazard of running in the Lakes? (7)   Falafel

9                    Audibly regret the pig fat (7)   Roulade

10                Colourful group in an empty pen (3,7)   Red cabbage

11                Money mad about directions (6,4)  Cashew nuts

12                Sounds like John Ryan’s foliage (7)  Lettuce

13                Standard cuts (8)  Parsnips

14                Padding (8)   Stuffing

15                State involved with a waterfall (7)   Chutney

16                Vessel and French colour (9)  Panettone

17                European growth (8,7)  Brussels sprouts

18                Vehicle’s degenerating (7)  Carrots

19                Little kind ones (11)  Clementines

20                We hear you’re going to record it? (4,3)  Yule log 

21                1 E on a C                               1 Eye on a Cyclops

22                2 WDMAR                             2 Wrongs Don’t Make a Right

23                3 L on a MS                            3 Legs on a Milking Stool

24                The S of 4 (ACD)                   The Sign of Four (Arthur Conan Doyle)

25                5 NLB on DD                         5 Normandy Landing Beaches on D-Day

26                6 R in a G                                6 Rowers in a Gig

27                7 SM of B                               7 Stuart Monarchs of Britain

28                8L on a S                                 8 Legs on a Spider

29        D, G, P, R, L, L, E, F, S, the 9 CB the B   Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the 9 countries bordering the Baltic

30        10 C in the B of E                   10 Commandments in the Book of Exodus

31        11 DL in 1752                         11 Days lost in 1752

32        12 Y a S (SN)                         12 Years a Slave (Solomon Northup)

33        13 P in a RLT                          13 Players in a Rugby League Team

34        14 T on a GP                           14 Toes on a Guinea Pig

35        15, the FTN                             15, the Fifth Triangular Number

36        16 FS in G                               16 Federal States in Germany

37        17, the MDA                           17, the Minimum Driving Age

38        18 G in the PT                         18 Groups in the Periodic Table

39        19 P of C in a C                      19 Pairs of Chromosomes in a Cat

40        20 T in the HPD                      20 Teeth in the Human Primary Dentition

41        21, the CC                               21, the Current Century

42        22N, the FD of SC                 22^nd November, the Feast Day of Saint Cecilia

43        OL23, the OSM for CI           Outdoor Leisure 23, the Ordnance Survey Map for Cadair Idris

44        24 BB in a P                            4 and 20 Blackbirds, Baked in a Pie

45        25, FTF                                   25, Five Times Five

46        26 B in the HF                                    26 Bones in the Human Foot

47        27 M of U                               27 Moons of Uranus

48        28 D in the SM                       28 Days in the Shortest Month

49        29, the AN of C                      29, the Atomic Number of Copper

50        30 MC in N                             30 Member Countries in NATO

Drakeford outlines plan to return Wales to Covid alert level zero

First Minister Mark Drakeford (pictured) has set out a plan to return Wales to alert level zero.

The move comes as the latest public health data suggests cases of coronavirus have started to fall back from their very high levels. 

More than two-thirds of people aged 12 and over have received a booster or third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The full move to alert level 0 will be dependent on the public health situation continuing to improve.

Mr Drakeford said: "I want to thank everyone for following the rules we have had in place since Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe while the fast-moving omicron variant has surged through our communities.

"I also want to thank everyone involved in our vaccination programme for the enormous efforts to give almost a third of the population a booster since the start of December – this has been vital in increasing our protection against omicron.

"The actions we have taken together have helped us to weather the omicron storm. The latest data suggests some positive signs that the peak may have passed.

"We can now look more confidently to the future and plan to start gradually removing the alert level 2 restrictions, starting with the outdoors measures.

"But the pandemic is not over. We will closely monitor the public health situation – this is a fast-moving and volatile variant, which could change suddenly. I urge everyone to continue to follow the rules and have your vaccines to keep Wales safe."

If conditions allow, the alert level 2 restrictions will be removed in a phased approach.

From tomorrow (Saturday), the number of people who can be present at outdoor events will rise from 50 to 500.

From Friday 21 January Wales would move to alert level 0 for all outdoor activities. This means there will be no limits on the number of people who can take part in outdoor activities.

• Crowds will be able to return to outdoor sporting events
• Outdoor hospitality would be able to operate without additional reasonable measures.
• The Covid Pass will be required for entry to larger outdoor events.

If the downward trend continues, from Friday 28 January Wales would move to alert level 0 for all indoor activities.

• Nightclubs will be able to re-open.
• Working from home would remain important but it would no longer be a legal requirement.
• Businesses, employers and other organisations must undertake a specific coronavirus risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus.
• The Covid Pass will be required for entry to nightclubs, events, cinemas, concert halls and theatres.
• The rule of 6, table service and 2m physical distancing no longer required in hospitality.

The self-isolation rules for all those who test positive for Covid and the face covering rules for most public indoor places will remain in force after 28 January.

The 3-weekly cycle would be re-introduced from 10 February, when the Welsh Government will review all remaining measures at alert level 0.