MBE for Penyffordd lady

Linda Mary Johnson, another former nurse who played a key role in developing Nightingale House Hospice, Wrexham, has also been awarded.

The 66-year-old, from Penyffordd, was the first matron of the unit, retiring four years ago.

When her career took her to the Maelor Hospital, Wrexham, she set up a palliative care day unit – a project which eventually evolved into the hospice.

She said: “This is a tribute to all those who have worked so very hard alongside me to make the hospice the success it is today. I must also thank my family and friends for their support over the years.”

Link The Daily Post

Farewell 2008

As I sit here looking at the effects of Global Warming (ice and fog) I say goodbye to 2008. What of 2009? It would be good to see progress on Penyffordd village environment issues, ie. the stopping of the village centre being a race track. I will not be holding my breath though.

Traffic through village centre currently near 3000.
It will of course rise and rise.

Will Airbus feel the credit crunch?
When Boeing went into full production of the Jumbo Jet in the early 70's in the face of a recession they were within 2 months of going bankrupt.
Airbus one supposes has the deep (getting shallower) pockets of government behind it?

Emu's on Hope Mountain

Whilst walking around Hope Mountain we came across 4 emu's.

New Years Eve Party at The Institute

Tables are still available. There is a phone number on a blackboard outside The Institute.

Penyffordd Brickworks

Penyffordd Brickworks was situated at OS 3075 6159 which I hope is the square point on map.
The brickworks stopped making bricks after the early 1870's.

Information from the excellent " Life in the Victorian brickyards of Flintshire and Denbighshire"
by Andrew Connolly. Isbn 0863818927.

Christmas Day

I used to have to do silly things like visit relatives, wait till Dad came home from the pub at 3.00. No longer. A quiet morning. My presents include a £12 Orchid from Tesco. The price label part of the plant description. A book "Life in the Victorian Brickyards of Flintshire and Denbighshire".
It seems strange that Penyffordd seemed to bypass brick making which went on in Buckley, Higher Kinnerton , Hope, Coed Talon, Leeswood and Llanfynydd.
(Wrong on the above we did have a brick works)

The dog has had a tug toy that has to treated with extreme caution as the monster plays hardball. Visits to the infirmary with broken fingers will not be well received.

Lunch at 12.30 pm, vegetarian for Lisa, carnivorous for me and the dogs, followed by a long walk on the Welsh Moors.

What I also wanted was a village centre that can't be used as a race track. Perhaps in 2009?
Those against this worthy aim which benefits Penyffordd may find themselves ridiculed in the extreme in 2009.

The forces for environmental good against the forces of philistinism?

An evening with Steve Johnson

Chairman of the Pen Y Group. An interesting chat about a side of life I see little of, discussions about the youth of the village. Steve was very educational. He even asked the singer in The Millstone if she would sing Old Durham Town by Roger Whittaker. He had to settle for Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis.

The George Formby Society

is performing at the Penyffordd British Legion on Friday 2nd January 2009 at 7.40 pm.
Admittance price 50p.
Information Jim Knight 01978 358472

Penyffordd District - Happy Xmas 2008

Special thanks to The Evening Leader for allowing my letters to see the light of day on their letters page. Thank you to Cllr Cindy Hinds for your efforts to reduce speeding. Cllr David Williams? Not sure what David has done.( I keep missing his sheets he hands out to councillors) Penyffordd Community Council continue to be dragged along their current efforts seem to be directed ( led by Cllr Colin Bithell) on ways to prosecute me rather than help address the 1000+ and its a big plus speeding cars through Chester Rd, Penyffordd everyday. Thank you to Carl Sargeant AM who must have had 200+ emails from me in 2008. One hopes the continuing carnage ( Flint Mountain) will spur the WAG to make County Council's look at speeding through communities.

Flintshire County Council
We seem to have a system where Charles Hughes only stirs from his desk if we have 3 fatalities in an area. Community safety should change from reactive to proactive, communities are crying out for speed reductions. Flintshire Highways seem to have this huge mental block on reducing speed limits. An allergic reaction to traffic calming unless your name is Cllr Tony Sharps. Vehicle high speed continue to be put before community safety. Charles Hughes has ducked and dived all year to stop the release of speed data for Chester Rd, Penyffordd breaking FOIE Law.

Arrive Alive continue to perform well below that required by North Wales communities. They hide their data with meaningless statistics. Our Cllr Colin Bithell still can't get his head around how Hugh Jones' magic box works. Arrive Alive have evaded FOIE requests with lies such as you will not be able to read the data and it would take too long to collate asked for data.

North Wales Police. The above agencies are supposed to work in conjunction with NWP to stamp out Anti Social Behaviour such as speeding. Instead we have Inspector Alun Oldfield hiding behind the data the above agencies will not supply. FCC, Arrive Alive and NWP are acting in exact reverse to what their corporate statements spout. As mentioned there are well over a 1000 vehicles that continue to speed through Penyffordd each day. We have Inpector Oldfield denying Chester Rd is a cause for concern despite the fact I have written evidence to the contrary.

North Wales Police continue to collude with FCC to deny HGV banning even though we have a bypass.

North Wales Police website says there are currently no issues in our area at all. I'm sure Penyffordd councillors may take issue with that. Still more deception with reality

North Wales Police Crime statistics. Are they to be believed? I have my doubts. Three weeks ago I had my vehicle damaged for the second time in a week. Its targeted because I protest at speeding in my village. I have emailed our CBM twice to remind him I want a crime number. I am not holding my breath, neither do I place much credence in Police data.

Neighbourhood Forums need altering root and branch. I had speeding taken off the list of concerns because they will not address it and it makes their figures look bad.

NWP continue to be unaccountable to communities.

I live in a village with a bypass, I take pride on where I live, the village is currently a race track.
Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom delivers speeches on community pride. It would be good to see his force backing communities instead of ignoring them.

Colin Hughes
Penyffordd District

Cllr Colin Bithell will welcome proposals on alleged libellous blogs

So too will half of the government.

Link The Mole

Penyffordd Spar shop

now open again after complete shop refit.

Somewhere close to home

that you may not know about. I have been to the tradesman's entrance with work in the past.

Link : Pentrhobin Hall

To The Red Lion Penyffordd

A table for 15. This is a personal view and nothing to do with the club to which I belong. Restaurant room ambiance good. Serving staff attentive. The young man particularly good. About 50 diners through out the evening. On the good side, clean plates ( no left food) all round ( just about) . Good vegetables, plenty of. On the bad side. Vegetarian pea, asparagus tart was poor. Most restaurants that are non vegetarian struggle with veggy dishes which is why we eat out rarely. The cheese plate offered was a bit poor quality in places.
My t-bone steak was very chewy to start with but got better as I progressed to the thinner pieces , uneveness of meat the issue, the chips were very good
Overall we would go back on the proviso Lisa could have a word with the chef first with regards the vegetarian options. That's if they let me in again after the Red Lion brigade tell the owner.

plus point - no background musak, although some of our group prefer background music.

Penyffordd Community Council Newsletter

is now out. Well done Cllr Linda Vidamour and Cllr Jane Hopwood for putting it together. A few of our more moribund councillors do not see the point of mass communication with the electorate unless they are asking for votes of course.
Times are changing.

ps. perhaps others helped but I am "persona non grata" at the moment also no one is talking to me.

To Rossett Hall for a Murder Mystery Dinner

The photo contains members of the acting company. Being a philistine I usually opt out of anything theatrical or opera like. A good evening though had by all. The actors/actresses stayed in character all evening. One first gets introduced to the plot in the bar for pre drinks. They move around introducing themselves handing out gossip about other characters. Their table is in the middle of the room where they play their parts out in stages. By coffee time someone has been murdered and you have to work out the motive. Amongst the 100+ were a group from HSBC, a theatre group and two lots of bobbies, one CID and the other a constabulary.

They say it like this.

MURDER ON the menu

Murder mystery dinners start with some 'unusual' characters joining guests for pre-dinner drinks. As they mingle and chat they will drop some snippets of information or pass some opinions that could be red herrings or pertinent to the plot.

During dinner keep your eyes and ears on these rather dubious persons. There may be an argument, a knowing wink, sly whispers or the revelation of some past intrigue - feel free to question them. When the murderer Finally strikes you can view the body or bodies - for often our killer strikes twice.

Over coffee you can cross-examine the suspects before making your final deduction. All is revealed at the end of the evening with prizes for the winners plus booby prize for the worst scenario.

Murder dinners can be themed e.g. Victorian, Edwardian, 1920s Gangster, 1930s Indian Raj, War-Time, A 1920s Nile Cruise are just some of the options.

Have a look at some of our themes for the 2005/6 season.

Link The Brain Stormer Murders

Another accident in Dobshill

A woman was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital with minor injuries following an accident at Chester Rd Dobshill on Thursday just before 8.00am. Cllr Cindy Hinds has pressed for a speed limit reduction from 60 mph to 30 mph. Flintshire Highways remain deaf to any slowing of traffic.

keyword: Charles Hughes, Head of Engineering.

Penyffordd Multi Use Games Area up and running

Would have taken a photo but children were playing on it. The opposition to controlling speeding in the village keep an eye on the blog and get on to any parents whose children appear on the blog.
Then I get irate phonecalls from parents.
Not too many people bothered about speeding traffic. In Chester Rd there are about 9 adults who do not like the speeding traffic. North Wales Police of course have given up.

keyword Inspector Alun Oldfield, Eastern Division. Chief Superintendent Ruth Purdie.

Thank you to Cllr David Williams

and the Leader for allowing this letter the light of day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Leader

A letter for possible insertion.

Cllr David Williams of Penyffordd is to be congratulated on educating Leader readers on the voting system for school governors. Whilst I do not speak for Cllr Cindy Hinds I'm sure Cindy would look favourably on David and herself having one pick each for governors rather than the two "Independents" that Cllr David Williams is currently pushing for.

Cllr Williams say my digs are predictable. I think not, I have had letters published on over 10 different topics.

My other point with regards so called " Independents". Flintshire County Councillor prospective Independents stand then if elected vote for leaders etc of their own group.

At Penyffordd Community Council level we do it the other way around. The local big "Independent" persuades the sick, the old aged, those not interested, etc to stand as a block vote of 10 out of the 12 seats. Nothing is required by most except a photograph and perhaps turn up on the day to vote. My wife Lisa and I produced our own leaflets at a cost of £150 and walked around 1500 houses and managed to get half of the Independent block vote in last May's elections. Some readers may think my complaining is just "sour grapes" others may come to the conclusion like myself that there is something rotten in a political system that encourages the moribund to stand at no effort at all.

Colin Hughes

Penyffordd District

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of course can't say everything one wants to say to get a letter published. Economies have to be made to increase the likelihood of publications.
1. Lisa walked for 4 days with a swollen ankle to deliver leaflets
2. David in his previous letter purveys the image that all councillors work together for the good of the village. This did not come shining through when Cllr Colin Bithell and Cllr Joe Bell decided to question planning for the Multi User Games Area AFTER they had given the nod for its approval adding an extra layer of agro that was not needed.

The Millstone

re opens Friday. There is a free buffett.

A Xmas Truce

I have decided to call a truce till after Xmas for all you councillors* and agencies who are not doing your jobs paid or unpaid. Some of you may think I go about things the wrong way. Some of you may forget but I did start politely with both Penyffordd Community Council and Cllr David Williams.

Chester Rd, over a 1000 ASB's every day.

* there are of course a few councillors who see the benefits to the community of our village being a centre rather than a race track.

A Leader letter from Cllr David Williams

Click on image to read

The above letter is in reply to a letter published in the Leader last Friday. Here

Penyffordd Councillor Age Gap

Not that I have any problem with age. Its attitude that matters.
Here is a 20 year old Town councillor with a dreaded blog

Link Cllr Simon Gibson

Local Walk Llandegla Llyn Cyfynwy

Penyffordd Witch spared ducking pond and jail

A YOUNG woman who set fire to her house, claiming she was a witch and wanted to die, walked free from court yesterday.

Sara Jane Lowe, 29, set fire to the settee at her home in West View, Penyffordd, in a suicide attempt, causing £17,000 damage.

Link The Daily Post

The Millstone

to open again. Best of luck to the new people in charge. If they can replicate The Brasserie in Hawarden they are on to a winner.

Road Accident Dobshill

Emergency crews were called at 5.10pm yesterday to the incident on the A550 at Dobshill near Queensferry. A North Wales Police spokeswoman said an articulated lorry and a car were involved in the incident.

Full story The Daily Post

Crime Figures down in Flintshire

according to Inspector Alun Oldfield. Criminal damage is the largest. The Inspector has no interest in a 1000+ speeding vehicles through Penyffordd, neither have Arrive Alive. Talking of criminal damage data I am still waiting for a crime reference number 2 weeks after my car was damaged.
I will persist. I do not trust NWP crime data. As far as I am aware it is collected and collated by the police themselves.

This year national serious crime data was found to be flawed when someone took an interest.

Meanwhile Inspector Oldfield will have had a very full day today. An elderly couple killed and 4 taken to hospital. Speeding vehicles the issue just like over 1000 plus that speed through our village everyday. Accident spot Mold Bypass, follow the link.

Link BBC NE

keyword: Chief Superintendent Ruth Purdie

A Letter in today's Leader - A big thank you

Hi Leader

A letter for consideration

Cllr Aaron Shotton is right to raise the issue of school governorship nomination. I feel it is impossible to de-politicize the present procedure. Becoming a governor gives you a fast track to the parents (voters) of school children. It gives you 4 years of exposure to your electorate.

This is a huge advantage to those picked over new people wishing to stand for council.

Penyffordd Community Council is made up of 11 "Independent" councillors and 1 Labour. The council acts as 11 against 1. The term Indpendent should mean what it says. Penyffordd is currently run by one Independent. The whole use of the word Independent needs to be debated to make it fully transparent to the electorate and children's parents. The current system prevents change.

Time for change?

To Shotwick Park

Where the great and the good once lived, very impressive. Not impressive is the tail back onto the A494 for Sealand Rd traffic going into Chester. Sealand Rd is gridlock city at 8.30 am.

The strange bird in the woods

Just had a phone call off Gladstone woodsman Frank Mills of Hawarden. He solved the problem of the strange bird we see on our travels in 10 seconds. It's a Woodcock.



This bird is being ringed for research. If its caught again the bird authorities will know a little more about its movements.

The distinctive courtship flight of the male Woodcock is called "roding" and is usually performed in the twilight just before dawn and at dusk. The bird flies circles with a flickering flight 3-30m above the canopy with it's bill held pointed downward and accompanies this with several croaking sounds ending with a sharp squeak. The sounds can be heard up to 300m away.

Elegantly beats 2 bottles of wine and an invite back for a coffee.

Links Woodcock,
Bogbumper
The Western Isles

Penyffordd Community Meeting November 2008

is tomorrow Wednesday at 6.30 pm. I may go along. I have complained to Castell Alun that Cllr Tom Jones and Cllr Colin (we have done all we can) Bithell should not be picked as school governors for Castell Alun. I have sent a previous email to Elwyn Davies in charge of Flintshire County Council education stating that Tom and Colin were also unfit to be governors of Penyffordd Junior school as they continue to ignore the 1000 plus rat run through the village each day. Ignoring their responsibilities as councillors and governors.

I hadn't really thought through the school governor bit but it seems to me the following.
Colin and Tom are of Tom Jones' local party called the Independents. Not sure how they can be called this as they act as group. Being a governor of the schools allows one to network with many residents of Penyffordd so building up a good voter base that keeps other totally independent councillors off the Penyffordd Community Council.

I think Cllr Klaus Armstrong Braun has the best idea of videoing the meeting so residents can see things councillors get up to. The rant by a Penyffordd Councillor at me in a previous meeting over my speeding cars protest would have made good viewing on the Leader website or Youtube. Community Council minutes fail to give the full flavour of a councillor in full rant mode over an issue he should have addressed in a proper manner.

Hundred-year-old law forces council to hunt for allotment space

Someone in Penyffordd ward is pushing for an allotment. Which is another item we haven't got that other towns and villages have.

Link The Flintshire Leader

Penyffordd Spar to close for refit

between the 5th and 18th of December. Stocks are running low on some items.

Tesco / Spar price comparison


Paracetamol : Tesco 24p, Spar £1.22.

Spar's brown bread rolls however are superior to Tesco

This morning I have suffered from Pyrexia (High Temperatures) which is one of the side effects of paracetamol.
A long dark night awake coughing followed by damp pyjamas. I thought of course that I was having a healing crisis. Foolish person.

By the way ending one's existence using Paracetamol is not the way to go.
Read the bottom of the link.

Link Paracetamol

Good news for Penyffordd bank customers

Who have had rip off bank charges. Especially good for us as Nat West are leading the way. They ripped us off for £250.

Link City Wire

Traffic works divert

From Wednesday, 3rd December, for three days no vehicles shall proceed in Penymynydd Road between Penymynydd Roundabout and its junction with Hawarden Road. Alternative Route is via A5104 Chester Road, A550 Hawarden Road and Fammau View Drive.

Full description in Penyffordd Post Office

keyword Charles Hughes.

Entries will be very light this week.

A cold / slight flu in full swing.
So I suppose will be emails to the great and the good.

The village of Gwernymynydd has its own website

Something Penyffordd has considered.
Link: Gwernymynydd

Castle Cement photo from Hope Mountain in the fog

Changes at the Daily Post

Traditional media are being subjected to large pressures from the internet. Advertising revenue is flowing from paper to internet.
The Daily Post makes adjustments.

link The Daily Post

What gender is the blogger?

Nothing much happening in Penyffordd except you know what so here's a site that analysis's (spelling) the site.

http://genderanalyzer.com/

The result:

We guess http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (59%), however it's quite gender neutral.

A Big Thank You to The Evening Leader

for publishing my letter on Wednesday complaining about quality of life in Penyffordd. As previously stated we have well over a 1000 speeding vehicles through Penyffordd each day. We also have 100's of illegal exhausts, also NWP will not back an exclusion of HGV's, siding with Flintshsire County Council over Chester Rd Penyffordd community even though we have a by-pass.
North Wales Police view speeding as anti social behaviour the Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom has stated this but Inspector Alun Oldfield views over a 1000 cars a day speeding through our village as acceptable. It is not acceptable at all and I hope the Evening Leader and the Daily Post will continue expose and highlight the short comings of North Wales Police.

The Neighbourhood Forum in Penyffordd with regards speeding is a complete sham as NWP will not fix it so they remove it from the items of concern then it looks all right in their reports that are reported to the media. In the letter below Inspector Alun Oldfield views the speeding traffic of little concern yet NWP and Arrive Alive have got us down as an area of concern.

North Wales communities want proper policing from an accountable police force not policing by media.

I and others in Chester Rd want to live in a village as laid out in WAG's Manual for Streets not a noisy race track.

Links: 1000 vehicles speeding is ok ( Inspector Alun Oldfield)

New traffic calming measures outside Rhyl schools

Meanwhile no interest is paid to child safety in Penyffordd by Cllrs Tom Jones and Cllr Colin Bithell. Each day children have to battle against 40 - 50 mph traffic through village centre.
Most parents wisely do not let their school children walk or cycle to school as its just too dangerous.

Rhyl / Denbighshire council achieved funding through the Welsh Assembly Government’s Safer Routes in the Community initiative.

I attended a meeting arranged by Cllr David Williams which Cllr Colin Bithell chaired where it was agreed with Flintshire County Council officer Charles Hughes that Penyffordd Junior school would be approached to fill in forms for similar funding. This was just quietly dropped as Colin has no interest in traffic calming what so ever. This led me to state in my election literature that we had missed out on £67,000 worth of possible funding because the bottom line is that Cllr Colin Bithell has no interest in safety which is why I object to him continuing to be a school governor. Same goes for Tom as Colin doesn't do stuff without consulting Tom.

Cllr Linda Vidamour attended the meeting along with about 8 other residents.

Link The Daily Post

An email from Cllr David Williams

Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 4:51 PM

Subject: Attack on Cllr To Jones

My apologies to others who are receiving this e-mail, but as you were all subjected to the nonsense from Colin Hughes last week I considered it necessary for you to view my response.

Cllr David Williams

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

My answer to David's email in orange

My original email to Cllr Tom Jones in blue at the bottom which was written after a maddening afternoon in the front garden mending my fence watching 100's of vehicles speed through the village. I stay away from the front of the house usually. I think the lawyers call it loss of amenity a charge to be placed against Flintshire County Council shortly.

Colin,

Re. your e-mail of 21 November.

I took the unusual step of reading your latest e-mail which led me on to your pathetic blog.

Hi David, thanks for your email, I have emailed you before but you have ignored replying to my email thus in my opinion breaking your code of conduct as a county councillor. The blog and emails are the new democracy.

Clearly nothing has changed and you continue to alienate yourself with your ridiculous, inaccurate and unsubstantiated accusations and accounts of what is going on in this village. As normal, everybody is still wrong apart from Colin, and lets not forget Lisa who obviously provides many of the bullets for you to fire.

Lisa is her own person she goes to the Penyffordd Community Council meetings of her own accord. What you and the majority of Penyffordd Community Council are wrong about is your view of our village centre cess pit.

Each month at meetings you ignore the 1000+ vehicles that fly through our village every day. As I say the fastest village road in Wales.

Your latest attack on Mr Jones is an absolute travesty, and to make such statement saying that he should be ‘pensioned off as not being fit for purpose’ shows what a vindictive and ignorant person you really are.

It's not anything to do with vindictiveness. Tom is avoiding dealing with 1000+ speeding vehicles passed my house each day. I live in the middle of the village a major route to school. If Cllrs Tom Jones and Cllr Colin Bithell wish to ignore all this speeding traffic on a major route to school I deduct that they are not up to the job of governor. As a resident, rate payer I have an opinion which is that above.

Mr Jones is currently Chairman of governors of both Castell Alun High School and Pen-y-ffordd Junior School. Earlier in the year Castell Aluns inspection report described the school as ‘outstanding’ and it is highly regarded as one of the most successful schools in North Wales. Pen-y-ffordd Juniors last inspection also revealed that it is a very good school, which by inspection standards, really means an extremely good school. I presume the risk of getting run over on the way to school is outside the Inspector's remit.

Mr Jones contribution to both of these organisations has clearly been a major factor in their successes. To send out such a disgraceful e-mail that shows absolutely no respect for somebody who deserves better therefore, is unforgivable. There is an article in today's Evening Leader by Michael Youds about the political element in the choosing of school governors. You David as an "independent" are backing both Tom and Colin to be governors.

Penyffordd village politics are 11 "Independents" against one ( Labour)

Their supposed political status is independent but in reality it is Cllr Tom Jones' party.

Cllr Tom Jones made sure with his block vote that he kept myself and Lisa off Penyffordd Community Council so that he kept his power of Penyffordd Community Council. It's politics.

Again I have my point of view which I will keep pressing until you, Tom and Colin see fit to deal with our cess pit village centre.

Personally I have declined to respond to anything you have written since you expressed your desire for harm to come to me to prevent me being successful in last May's elections.

I ( not Lisa) ran a spoiling campaign against you and Cllr Colin Bithell pointing out your complete lack of action with regards speeding. It took you 4 months to hand over a letter from FCC officer Dave Faulkner. That in itself shows your attitude. I intend to stand again next election if you do not address speeding. Thankfully others in the village may now make you do a proper job. Cllr Bithell stood at the last elections for "the family" whilst ignoring 2000 speeding cars through the village each day. Colin may loose a few votes next time if he stands without addressing our village centre environment between now and then. It won't look very good if Colin continues to have rants at me in council whilst continuing to do nothing about speeding. It will all be reported to the electorate before the next local election

However, I can not sit back and let you get away with the unfounded and unnecessary attacks on a highly respected member of our community who has worked tirelessly almost all of his life to serve our villages.

Tom has sat on his backside with regards environment. He keeps our rates as low as possible and so does nothing. Plant a few daffodils but ignore all the speeding traffic that will get one of us run over before long.

We have no village health care, no library, no 5 aside facility. We are just a short cut race track for everyone.

All on Tom's watch.

This is in stark contrast to yourself who has made absolutely no contribution to our village ( I wasn't aware I had to contribute to qualify for a reasonable village environment) (additionally I volunteered to setup a free website with free support but you chose to use someone who would charge £100's of pounds per year which had led to nothing) but has persistently ridiculed residents and servants of the village, and in the process done immeasurable damage to the serious problem of speeding by losing support for the cause with your false accusations.

As you well know, I have always treated you with respect ( not so David ) and exercised a great deal of restraint despite the personal attacks you have made on me and my family.

Tongue in cheek David you take stuff too literally

I have also defended you regularly when people have been calling you the variety of names that I have heard. Following this latest outburst though, if anybody wants to know what I think of you now I will tell them exactly what I think.

No doubt you will try and subject me again to more pathetic abuse, but feel free, I will treat you and the things that you and Lisa want to say with the contempt they deserve. Than you David.

I may have called you a stinker but if you are going to have secret meetings with Flintshire Highways officers Charles Hughes and Derek Kirby about Warren Hall that will affect all of us living on Chester Road then say nothing you qualify for occasional castigation

I send you the emails. Lisa has nothing to with my campaign excepting she sees the benefits of a village centre fit to live rather than Charles Hughes' race track.

David Williams.

It's fair to say that I am in Penyffordd Community Council's face until they address village centre environment properly. Speed kills David and we have lots of it. Our only effort on environment are daffodils. North Wales Police have abandoned Penyffordd, my fault I admit but they were doing a very poor job any way as are Arrive Alive.

North Wales Police Letter saying 1000+ speeders a day are ok. Click here.

regards Colin

Here's my plans for Penyffordd ( comments at the bottom) which are at variance with Flintshire County Council which want to keep Chester Rd a defacto trunk road.

---

Sent: Friday, 21 November, 2008 23:14:28
Subject: An email to Cllr Tom Jones - re 1000+ speeding vehicle sthrough Penyffordd daily

Hi Tom

Can't see why you wish to continue to be a school governor when you continue to ignore over a 1000 vehicles speeding through your patch each day on a route to school. I think you should be pensioned off as not fit for purpose. Colin Bithell the same.

regards Penyffordd District

A village f'd* by speeding traffic

The worst in Wales

http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/

*fiddlesticks

Penyffordd Land Army veteran receives medal

Olive Newport was presented with her medal by Sir William Gladstone, who is an ancestor of the former Prime Minister of the same name and lives at Hawarden Castle.
She married Penyffordd man Norman Jones, and they lived on and farmed a smallholding on the Gladstone Estate in Hawarden for many years until Norman's death.

Link The Evening Leader

Quality of Life Penyffordd

In the Evening Leader tonight an article on Flintshire County quality of life, also a section on have your say.
So I have fired off two letters to The Leader

Link The Leader

Letter 1

Dear Leader

A letter for possible publication.

Re Flintshire County Folk enjoy the good life.

Quality of life in the middle of Penyffordd is very poor. We have over a 1000 speeding vehicles everyday. We have illegal exhausts by the 100. We are used as a rat run.
HGV's come through the village all day even though we have a by-pass. The speeding produces a very noisy environment. No one will do anything about it. The authorities who gathered the statistics did not come to Penyffordd

Perhaps Cllr Tony Sharps would care to meet me for a site meeting one morning, bacon butties and a mug of tea provided for free.

regards Colin Hughes

Penyffordd District

Letter 2

Hi Leader

A further letter for consideration.

You ask in your article on the good life how quality of life can be improved. Here in Penyffordd quality of life could be improved

by banning HGV's as we have a bypass. We get 100's a day.

Traffic calming to slow down the 1000+ speeders that we have flying

through our village centre each day. An even bigger improvement

would be the banning of through traffic to the Penyffordd by-pass.

regards Colin Hughes

Penyffordd District

CBM Chris Pullen to get body cam and tazer?

Link Tazer

Link Body Cam

He'll have that much kit to carry he better stay away from deep water.
My mate Dennis says he scares horses due to his stature.

Marnhull village just like Penyffordd

Villagers down there have more respect for their environment than Penyffordd.
Link Marhull

ps who said tractors could only do 30 mph might want to read the link.

CSI do Chester Rd Penyffordd

Some low life has damaged my car twice its targeted its personal. Anyway the nice lady from CSI has got a good set of prints.

Some of Lisa's friends

Click image for the best view. Jeff reminds me of Shrek.
Dogs wearing a dickie bow. Jeff's coming down to deal with the low life who is damaging my car.

Why do I question Global Warming

Take a look at The Devil's Kitchen run on how they measure earth temperature.
Warning: other parts of the above blog are not for the faint hearted.

Institutional Whitewash

When reading below letter please bear in mind the fact* there are more than a 1000 vehicles a day that speed through the middle of Penyffordd.
*Arrive Alive data

Click Image to read

key words: Inspector Alun Oldfield, Charles Hughes, Chief Superintendent Ruth Purdie, Eastern Division.

Idris Jones Cllr

On our daily walks we have met Idris Jones ex councillor for Treuddyn for 42 years. We had quite a chat. He knows Cllr Tom Jones who wishes to ignore 1000 + speeders a day through our village. Idris was in The Evening Leader recently because a lorry ploughed into the back of his brothers trailer with Idris in it, they had to be cut out. One hopes his brother will recover from his extensive injuries, the prognosis however is bleak. HGV's need new rules. Their driving practice deadly.

Mystery Bird

As a child I roamed the fields well clear of noisy traffic. I was an egg collector but no longer I respect all life that does not threaten me. On our walks which have a natural silence with the puppy who has prodigious levels of energy we have come across a mystery. A bird that I cannot identify.

Clues
1. Rich chocolate brown back
2. Larger than a blackbird
3. We think possibly a bird of prey but.............
4. Territory near a marsh
5. Always seen on the ground before being disturbed
6. Flying pattern extremely dynamic.

It is not a jay, sparrow hawk, owl, fowl, ..............................................

To be continued..............

Answer A Woodcock.

Speeding in Penyffordd.... yawn

I've been out this afternoon in the front garden installing infra red security cameras to catch the low life who are damaging my car. The damage is personal as it has happened twice in two different places in Penymynydd Rd. Its either speed ticket related or a community councillor relative possibly those who object to not being allowed to speed through village. Naturally they will live in cul de sacs with speed humps..................hypocrites.

Vehicles speeding through nearly every minute of the afternoon. It's not mentioned in Penyffordd Community Council meetings.

Tom Jones (I take great pleasure from being a cllr and doing f-all) and Colin Bithell (no speeding in my cul de sac) are lining themselves up for further school governorships. How can they do this when over a 1000 vehicles speed through the village every day?

Inspector Alun Oldfield, Arrive Alive and Flintshire County Council are not interested one iota.

keyword: Colin Everett Chief Executive Flintshire County Council, Ruth Purdie, Chief Inspector, Eastern Division, North Wales Police,

Cllr Colin Bithell wouldn't give these planning permission

Link Strange Buildings

No BNP members in Penyffordd

Its official. There are a few here below..

"The Wrexham list includes members from across the county, including Rhos, Llay, Ponciau, New Broughton, Ruabon, Coedpoeth, Marchwiel, Acton and Acrefair.

British National Party members in Flintshire came from areas including Mostyn, Mancot, Mynydd Isa, Garden City, Flint, Holywell, Connah's Quay, Northop Hall, Bagillt, Greenfield, Northop, Pentre, Mold, Buckley, Treuddyn, Gronant, Sealand, Hope, Broughton, Saltney.

Many listed members in Flintshire are from rural areas, including Rhydymwyn, Gwespyr, Pantymwyn and Llanasa."

The Leader comments section is worth a read. The Leader

Woman assaulted in Stryt Isa

On Tuesday a woman with a pram walking down Stryt Isa was punched in the ribs after berating a driver who was going too fast. Police are investigating. The Evening Leader are looking for information. news@flintshireeveningleader.co.uk
Walking down country lanes especially Lower Mountain Lane is a hazardous affair. One has to constantly be on guard for idiots flying down the road especially at shift end from Airbus and Raytheon.
Its time these lanes have a 30 mph limit and not 60 mph as at present.

key word Mark Stewart HR Airbus

Police Helicopter out last Friday night at 11.25 pm

over Green Park. Also officers on foot. Three youths arrested. It looks like they had pinched a car.
Perhaps not locally but they were stopped in Green Park, Penymynydd.

Bonfire Blues 2008

The two ladies who have organised Penyffordd Bonfire for the last 6 years have decided to stand down after a complaint about the bonfire being too big. 800 people turned up this year.
Penyffordd does not have too many social events of this magnitude.
Lots of money raised, The Institute needs it.
Does this mean a substantial rise in subscriptions for those groups that use the Institute?

Standing down wind of a bonfire should be a no brainer..................

Further to my complaint against North Wales Police

with regards their lack of effort to deal with speeding traffic through Chester Rd, Penyffordd. I have received a letter today from Inspector McClintock in which he states that he has now completed his enquiries with the exception of an enquiry to Flintshire County Council that is still outstanding.

Flintshire County Council remain at the vanguard of communication and cooperation.

Penymynydd Church at night

Credit Crunch

This is how it started.

Link Portfolio

Penyffordd Community Council November 2008 meeting

The following may be irreverent in places, a personal view. Start 6.30. All Community Councillors present excepting Cllr David Williams who has never been on time for anything that I know of. Also not present Cllr Jane Hopwood. CBM Chris Pullen was late.

Also present on the public side Jess, Lisa my wife, Mr Hewitt, he of large tracts of building land within the village, Mr Hewitt attends most meetings. Also the couple who live in Station House. Four houses are up for planning permission up the unadopted lane next to their house.

Planning was started as CBM Chris Pullen was late. Gordon Williams had written a 6 page diatribe to the council over his planning application down the unadopted lane. Cllr Edwina Davies thought it required a reply. One un named comment was " the brow beaten ramblings of an idiot". Cllr Colin Bithell was very irate at the planners for passing Gordon's application when the council recommended refusal. The lane has drainage close to the surface and it was felt heavy construction vehicles would disrupt said drainage. Cllr Tom Jones said move on.

The Spinning Wheel has had refusal for knocking down of the pub to build a house.

It seems funny that 4 houses down an unadopted lane get the nod but The Spinning Wheel project gets knocked back.

CBM Chris Pullen is to have a base in the village. He is to have an office in The Spar. GNI Nigel Jones Clerk to the Council is to write to Inspector Alun Oldfield with regards a lap top for Chris.

Penyffordd is to have half a PSCO paid for by Castle Cement Padeswood.

Cllr Linda Vidamour is to produce another Penyffordd Community Council newsletter. Well done Linda.
There was little enthusiasm from most councillors. Just vote us in every 4 years and leave us to it thinking.

Speeding traffic continues wholesale. In my opinion the worst village for speeding in Flintshire.
The old brigade are just not interested. Cllr Cindy Hinds brought up the initiative that Carl Sargeant AM has been pursuing which is a consultation on speeds in villages. Again not well received by the old brigade because they are all mostly Tories whilst Carl is Labour.

Cllr Margaret Jones has received a special award from the WI for community service and helping in the village. There you are Margaret you will be indexed by Google shortly.

Cllr David Williams continues his efforts with regards speeding and through traffic not using the village with Flintshire Highways who would appear to be unhelpful. David hands out his actions done in sheet form as a County Councillor for Penyffordd over the previous month under Any Other Business. This does not go down to well.
David is also unhappy with speed and lack of correspondence when dealing with Flintshire County Council officers.

Flintshire UDP outcome is to be announced on 9th March 2009. ( quote Cllr Cindy Hinds)

Any Other Business should be for last minute items. ( I think). David however is to be congratulated on telling the village what he has been doing. As does Cllr Cindy Hinds with her newsletter that is delivered to most houses in the village.

Any Other Business entails the Chairman Cllr Joe Bell going around each councillor in turn asking them if they have any further items to discuss. Last month Cllr Colin Bithell jumped straight in with a rant about me suggesting Clerk Nigel might not up to the job. This month he tried it again but had to wait his turn. This month was a rant about the granting of Gordon Williams' planning application despite Penyffordd Community Council objections.

On a scale with regards Colin's blood pressure it would seem that Gordon's planning application approval produced a higher figure than the rant against me last month.

Cllr Colin Bithell ran in this years elections as a councillor for the family. Colin continues to show no interest what so ever in speeding traffic through the village. It's village safety Colin! If he does not change his tune on this it will be brought up at the next elections if he should stand.

Congratulations to Nigel the Clerk on his pay rise. One supposes Nigel has had rises being Clerk to Leeswood and also perhaps a larger one for being Clerk to Flint Town Council.

Postscript : Cllr David Williams turned up 10 mins late. Cllr Jane Hopwood after that. Jane had informed council that she would be late.

A letter from the Penyffordd Community Council

telling me off for suggesting our Clerk to the Council Nigel Jones might be better in retirement. Perhaps I should have extended that to most of Penyffordd Community Council. Over a 1000 vehicles every day speed through Chester Rd, Penyffordd. Will speeding be on tonight's agenda?
I think not.

Remembrance Sunday 2008

The weather for the march atrocious. So I think the remembrance confined to a service in the War Memorial Institute. Buckley Band had decided for what ever reason that they would not attend this year.

Local Walks Coed Talon

keywords: walks, Coed Talon, Flintshire, Wood Pit Nature Reserve, dog walks, bridle paths, horses.

Links
Photos
Photo (better)
Flintshire County Council's 25 Best Walks
Flintshire Dog Walks
Further Dog Walks Flintshire / Denbighshire

Inspector Oldfield to investigate local escort

who provides services to the lonely and the disabled. Pity he is ignoring the local rat run and a 1000 cars that speed through Penyffordd every day.

When are North Wales Police going to provide accountabilty to communities?

Penyffordd Community Forum tonight. CBM Chris Pullen pushed the speeding off the forum because he won't deal with it.
What point are the forums?

Postscript. No forum last night as scheduled. No advance notice of cancellation, no idea.
Postscript 2. Chris says he could not make it and the CBM taking his place was sick.

Wi Fi Issues

For the last two days the internet has been very slow. Lots of web pages timing out, emails taking a life time to load.

What is the problem.
1. A virus?
2. Our machines have been recruited on a DDOS attack?
3. Firewalls?
4. Windows messing around.

A month ago I had big trouble installing a new adsl router. So the first thing I do is stop all firewalls on the network. What I forgot about was the Wi Fi side of the router which as default is left open so anyone with a laptop or pocket computer within 100 yds of the house has free access to the internet through our WiFi. Whilst not completely against the occasional sharing I am not up for someone else using our full bandwidth to down load a film etc whilst we struggle to load a web page.

So now the WiFi security is 128 bit enabled. No more free internet to my little friends with laptops.

key suspects clue: China

An appeal against the avoidance of FOIE reference R001214

To Lynne Fensome
Directorate Support Manager
Environment and Regeneration
Flintshire County Council

Dear Lynne
Thank you for the recent communication with regards Flintshire County Council's continued avoidance of my FOIE. This email is an appeal as recommended by The Information Commissioner against your answer for avoidance of my FOIE.
You state that my request cannot be complied with as the software will not export to Microsoft Excel format.
I say hogwash!
Hugh Jones uses the following equipment of which I have a letter from Arrive Alive confirming this
http://www.appliedtraffic.co.uk/news.php?extend.9.4

This equipment comes with FREE software


It specifically says

FEATURES

• Laptop Connections


• Real Time View of Traffic Data


• Graphical and Tabular (MS Excel) Reports


• Microsoft Access & Excel Output


• ASCII and WIMNET Output


• Quality assurance of reported data

So I appeal against the continuing deceitfulness of Flintshire County Council. You have the alloted time advised by The Information Commissioner to respond.

Colin Hughes
Penyffordd District

keywords Colin Everett Chief Executive Flintshire County Council.

An email to Tim Newhouse, county councillor for Hope

Hi Tim
Hope you are settling into your new role as county councillor.
I read in the Hope Church Parish magazine that you have issues with speed, just like everyone else who lives on main roads.
I come through Hope daily and rate the main road passed the school one of the most dangerous in the county.
An accident waiting to happen.

I bet you get Airbus shiftworkers with illegal exhausts flying through your village too , just like Penyffordd.
Airbus have an obligation to local villages but ignore their corporate responsibility on local environment.

Flintshire County Council have the following device to measure traffic speed in your ward.
http://www.appliedtraffic.co.uk/prodisplay.asp?proid=6
It gives exact speeds, vehicle length, even how many occupents.
Such marvellous technology hidden from our communities.

They are a very shy about showing the data but the more councillors who know about this device the better.
FCC and Arrive Alive have evaded my FOIE's so far on Chester Rd Penyffordd data for which they hold two sets.

Flintshire Highways and Arrive Alive are currently risking lives by not making this data available to communities.
They are acting in a totally unaccountable manner. Perhaps their management need to re read their codes of conduct

I see over in Cheshire county, 12 road deaths in two weeks, not surprising the way a good proportion of traffic races around.

I hope you will support 20 mph for village centres and schools.

Hope you have better luck with Arrive Alive, we get them once every blue moon.
Arrive Alive trying to do a job for which they were not set up to do.

The whole question of how Arrive Alive, North Wales Police and Flintshire County Council tackle speeding in villages needs to be questioned.
As mentioned above they hide the data which shows how poor they operate. It would be good to see the above agencies operate in the real world and be judged just like the rest of us instead of hiding data.

regards Colin Hughes
Penyffordd District

still over a 1000 vehicles speeding through the middle of Penyffordd every day..........................vroom vroom.

Penyffordd Bonfire 2008

Just about the biggest social get together in Penyffordd for the year.
Well done Reith Ingman and his team of volunteers.

FOIE No. 20067 to Flintshire County Council

Flintshire County Council continue to frustrate my enquiries.
I have received a letter from them today stating they are unable to supply data in the format I asked for.


Here is a further FOIE as they refuse to give up the data withs regards their monitorings of Chester Rd, Penyffordd traffic.

1. Name of equipment used to monitor traffic on Chester Rd, Penyffordd April / May 2007.
2. Name of equipment used to monitor traffic on Chester Rd Autumn 2008.
3. Date of purchase of Sierzega equipment.
4. What equipment was purchased.
5. A copy of specification of Sierzega equipment specifically that regards output of data.

You have 22 working days to comply. I will confirm by return any email communication sent to me.


Links to equipment used by Flintshire County Council
Sierzega
Applied Traffic

Penyffordd Butcher Top Man

The UK’s number one sausage has been revealed as Stephen Vaughan’s Traditional Pork Sausage at a prestigious championship event this week.

Link Meat Info

Helen, Steve's partner is pretty hot with the ready made meals too.

Speed limits should be cut to 20mph in some areas, say MPs

Transport committee condemns 'appalling' level of child road deaths. -

I say Chester Rd Penyffordd an accident waiting to happen.

Link The Guardian

Learner driver accident

The vehicle lodged in the hedge at Coed Y Craig, Penymynydd. Perhaps the accelerator pedal was pressed instead of the brake pedal.

Thought for the Day

Failure is the key to success;
each mistake teaches us something.

David Mclean - Meadowslea site builder goes into administration

Click here The Evening Leader

Former Penyffordd county councillor Colin Bithell said: "This is the first major sign of the slowdown affecting this county and we should be looking at protecting our industry.

"This has been a major company in this area for many years. If we're not careful we could see building in this county grind to a halt.

"The county council should bring some projects forward so that what building companies we have left have chance to survive."

FOIE Fun in The Leader

Here's the article about a 7 vehicles pile up outside a school in Denbighshire.
Click here The Leader

I make the comment "Ask Denbighshire Council to do a speed survey. Ask to see the full data from the survey. Council's are loath to show you exact traffic data. This must change."

jrdsohr comments

I work within the Traffic dept of a neighbouring authority and I must say that Local Authorities do not loath showing accident/speed figures. Through the Freedom of Information Act, authorities must publish this information on request. Some authorities do charge for the release of some information but is only when it has been deemed commercially valuable ie when a developer requests it. Please when you want to shout about stuff and berate the local council do your homework first or you are only going to be made to look like a fool.

I made my comment on the following experience with Flintshire County Council.
At least 5 FOIE's this year totally ignored not even acknowledged.
The last FOIE applied for 8 weeks ago still not satisfied thus breaking the law.

Of course the final solution is to go to the Information Commissioner and or complain to the Local Government Omsbudsman. This takes time but will used if all else fails.

I have FOIE'd data held by Flintshire Highways who have done two sessions of vehicle monitoring on Chester Rd.

Penyffordd Bonfire 2008

Troy Dog the Flintshire Leader Celeb

Click Image to read

Local Penyffordd bridle path needs a make over.

The lovely Kate Forrester on the phone

from the Evening Leader asking if they can use a photo from the blog. Would like them to run my FOIE fiasco but never mind. Klaus will be back in the papers later on this week folks.

Thought for the Day

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

~ C.S. Lewis

Carl Sargeant AM on the warpath

Press Release.

Not fit to look after the Council Coffers.

Calls this week by Officers and Leaders of Flintshire County Council for an improved cash settlement have been met with disbelief from Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside Carl Sargeant.

Flintshire County Council will receive £181.5 million in core funding from the Welsh Assembly Government in 2009-10 to support local services such as education, social services, refuse collection and recycling services. This is equivalent to £1,206 for every man, woman and child living in the area and represents a 2.7 per cent increase on last year’s settlement. In addition funding has also made available of £10.4 million to support capital projects in Flintshire. The Council will also receive specific grants to support a range of activities including funding for the foundation phase, refuse disposal recycling and free bus travel

Carl Sargeant AM said “These are challenging economic and financial times for the public sector, businesses and citizens alike. In a time of economic instability and where industry and the public are having to tighten their financial belts Flintshire County Councils Independent/Conservative/Liberal Council are considering spending £100,000 pounds on laptops for the members and this in addition to what is understood to be a £5000 levy for each member to spend in their wards is being considered.

I am astounded that in this economic climate the New Independent Council seeks to spend money on new laptops for members. After a week where this council invested and seeks to lose 3.5 million in the Icelandic Banks they are now seriously considering spending £100000 on IT development. Only this week I have had a pensioner come to see me seeking repairs to her toilet that was reported in July. Roads in Flintshire at gridlock or traffic speeding dangerously through villages. Where are their priorities? With power comes difficult decisions – I hope that the executive sees sense and kicks these computers into touch.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am indebted to Carl Sargeant AM for bringing this up. Dealing with Flintshire County Council is not a happy experience. They ignore or try to avoid FOIE's. They do not answer emails or return phonecalls.

Link The Evening Leader

Penyffordd Bridle Path Swamp

This is the best route along this edge. Over to the left a 2 foot drop. You can see where the horses have lost footing with sliding hoof marks into the brook.

Lisa above standing on the best passing point. She is standing on a fence post.

Hoof prints a foot deep filled with water or mud. I have filled some of them with stones. Its a lottery whether your foot stays on the surface or goes down 9 inches.

The middle of the bridle path above. The monster thinks its marvelous.

This bridle path is used every day by walkers and horses. This area is a possible serious injury or death location for horse riders.