A Village Common

Penyffordd is lacking community spaces including a central full size football field in my opinion. There is a large field next to the old signal box that is central, a good size, it has a stream running through the middle and has had little use over the years. In fact it is used as an unofficial village common.

With the recent explosion in village housing perhaps a good time to try to purchase this field for the future community. Those who have benefited by being able to sell their grazing fields as accommodation land should perhaps leave a lasting legacy for the village. Without the village here they would not have been able to make large profits from their land......

I should point out to those that do not know that Penyffordd was supposed to benefit from 106 agreements with the housing developers. However Castell Alun school have pinched most of the money and are baulking at allowing all Penyffordd district children access to their school.

keywords:  brassneck

Allotment News Part 44

Penyffordd Community Council meeting is this coming Wednesday. Not too many items on the agenda.

One item is Cllr David Williams' attempt to form a second set of allotments in the village.
This has been ongoing for two years. What's gone on you really couldn't make up.
postcript: people changing minds etc.

PACA is a fund raising group who run the original allotment  that was gifted by a fine individual.

After reading the council agenda I was going in the direction of the planned second allotment so I went for a nose.

What is the progress? A field full of hay! Not an allotment in sight.

I'll report back after minutes have been ratified in a months time. Democracy at the speed of light.

Is the Penyffordd Community Council website showing council minutes and agenda yet?
Just had a peek, still nothing happening.
http://penyfforddareacc.com/news-events/meeting-minutes/87-minutes-agendas.html

ps. I have to admit to not paying attention to PCC meetings these last few months so there may be developments I'm not aware of. I'm sure all will be revealed in the fullness of time.

The Energy Debate

It's all getting beyond a joke. I have the ability to lower my energy bill, a lot haven't.

Energy costs affect many services and most products for sale. Our elected government ( small g) seem happy to let the energy cartel extract the urine.

I've sent an email just to my elected MP Mark Tami telling him his boss Ed Miliband has done the right thing raising the stakes on this issue.

I had an email reply within 2 minutes from Mark thanking me for my comment.

Democracy at the speed of light.

As opposed to Penyffordd.................

Saying that Cllr Cindy Hinds is prompt with replies.

postscript: One for the global warmers
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100238047/global-warming-believers-are-feeling-the-heat/

Penyffordd girl's leap of faith

Shannon Spicer, from Penyffordd, raised £1,100 for Alder Hey Hospital’s oncology ward by jumping 10,000 feet from a plane.

Read full story here  http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/126789/penyffordd-girl-s-leap-of-faith-to-say-thanks.aspx

Complaining about Community Councils

I tend to think things go up in a stepped manner. Councillors, community council, County Hall, Welsh Assembly Government and finally EU.

I've been in contact with FCC and it seems some things do not step up gradually.

FCC do not do Community Councils.

If you live in Flintshire and perhaps other Welsh Counties and you have a gripe against a community council over vindictivness or whatever you need to contact The Big "O".
Otherwise known as The Ombudsman.

Did I say that !

I've fired some missives off to the local papers today about a proposed wind turbine that cannot be seen from Penyffordd.

Hope Mountain is in the way.

Also had a reporter on the phone.

Best course of action is let the ideas flow, write them down. Condense them into keywords.

I've been lazy today didn't write anything down so all my good stuff got left on the table.

Perhaps just as well.

Quote of the Millenium

"You're a very bad man."
Who says there is not a God.

Chester Rd Traffic Survey

Highway council man trying to put down wires without getting run over. It would be interesting to see before and after traffic calming data.  This of course is frowned upon by Highways.

It's like trying to get data out of the NSA......

Windscreen News

I use my car windscreen as an environmental indicator. It's been clean since the new build kiln.
The question is what do I have on my car windscreen?

1. Cement dust
2. Greenfly sticky stuff
3. Saharan sand.

I reckon its No 1. That's alleged of course without a chemistry analysis.

Energy to rise again - Time for Revolution

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/20/energy-firms-increase-prices

What this country needs is a revolution.

Energy affects the price of many things.

Lots of people going to have to choose whether to put central heating on or stay cold.
Problem being with a revolution is that we have no one who will side with the people.

Our politicians are all in Big Business pockets.

Postscript. Forgot the government's Green Taxes !

Friday Night Part II

Tis Friday Night Again

Aliens 16 miles above Penyffordd

Not your usual cranks.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-truth-is-out-there-british-scientists-claim-to-have-found-proof-of-alien-life-8826690.html

Flintshire County Council - 20 mph Zones at Schools

The other morning the school buses could not get up Penymynydd Rd due to parked vehicles.
Flintshire County Council will be taking over illegal parking shortly.


The WAG and FCC are to be congratulated over the following developments.
http://deeside.com/front-page/flintshire-council-to-implement-20mph-zones-outside-all-schools/

Chaos on the A55 yesterday morning

Perhaps a good reason for looking at live Daily Post news before you go out and whilst you're out. I don't do Facebook and Twitter, I presume however you can get alerts.
Better than being in a one and a half hour queue.

Did a two hour queue Wrexham to Chester once, not pretty.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/a55-a494-delays-after-hgv-6026462

postscript: I think you can get NWP and Flintshire Leader alerts on Facebook / Twitter too.

Peter Green continued...

Link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Green_(musician)

Friday Night Late

Hazel Shakeshaft Funeral

Penyffordd schoolboy speaks of relief after horrifying accident

Link http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/126402/penyffordd-schoolboy-speaks-of-relief-after-horrifying-accident.aspx

Main roads and children on bikes don't mix. They are a nightmare for drivers.

Neither do children on bikes on paths. You can get seriously injured outside my house stepping onto the path without looking in both directions. Speeds of 20 mph plus are reached outside my gate

I'm of the opinion that riding a bike safely for your own sake and others is not part of any school training these days

It will be interesting to see whose fault it was. Will NWP publish their findings?

Probably long drawn out over insurance claims.

In the papers today

It's been a funny year. The latest surprise is that I agree with Roberta Owen's letter in The Chronicle about weapons of mass destruction. Roberta usually writes rubbish about windmills.

Here's the Russian President telling it like it is about Syria and how USA need to stop killing people.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-11/vladimir-putin-addresses-america-nyt-op-ed-calls-caution-syria

Also in The Chronicle we have Mark Tami MP and David Hanson MP posing in pinnies handing out food parcels.

Brass neck are the words that come to mind gentlemen

These two were willing lieutenants for Gordon Brown MP architect of very high borrowing and "light touch" regulation where city people lined their pockets with large amounts of money and left us the tax payer to pick up the enormous ongoing bill.

Gordon Brown should be in The Tower for what he did to this country.

Never mind Mark and David, the sheep are too busy working to pay increasing bills  and too stupid to see what's really happened.

Tories would have done the same.

We're being ripped off over borrowing money, energy bills, petrol.
Buying a house has become a bad joke for many, again due to Gordon Brown MP.

Take no notice of any green shoots of recovery you read about in the papers. There is no confidence, little money available from lending institutions. UK is going through a large change that includes the decimation of high streets. I can't really put that totally down to Gordon, more to do with the Internet.

postscript. Forget Gordon  helped in a large way to f up the private pension system

Wrexham Council to broadcast meetings on the Internet

This is a bold step forward.

Link http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/126357/go-ahead-to-broadcast-wrexham-council-s-meetings-on-the-internet.aspx

This will mean you will able to listen in real time as opposed to 1 month behind with regards Penyffordd Community Council.

What did you say? You could always attend the meetings !

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Where are we up to with Penyffordd Community Council communicating with residents in the 21st century?

Penyffordd Walkers Beware

Cattle can cause severe career change.
Unless I can jump over a fence quickly I avoid cattle especially with young.

Here's a frightening story.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416089/Try-grabbing-horns-Pair-terrified-ramblers-left-trapped-wooden-stile-hour-cornered-angry-BULLS.html

Syria - Cameron and Hague's war plans ruined?

Check mate to Russia?
Perhaps we can send Cameron, Hague, etc to fight with Al Qaeda which is what they want our armed forces to do.

Link http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-09/syria-welcomes-will-comply-russian-chemical-weapon-disarmament-initiative

But wait, here comes the joker

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-09/kerry-tells-lavrov-chemical-disarmament-demand-was-rhetorical-not-meant-be-proposal

Funeral Philip Johnson Today

To Malpas to look at the big boy's toys

A good afternoon at the Yesteryear Rally

http://www.malpas-yesteryear-rally.co.uk/pictures.htm

Lots of tractors, motor vehicles, steam engines.
Chainsaws, coal, steam, Romany caravans, wood cutting.

A bit of rain.

Then to Larry's at The Bridge, Pontblyddyn for a spot of tea.

Fancy That

Someone walked into a shop in Penyffordd dressed for work today including their work badge.
Problem being they thought it was Monday..............

Penyffordd County Councillor Attendance Records ( money for nothing perhaps )

Meeting attendance of Cllr Cindy Hinds

Date range:  Earlier - Later

Attendance statistics for Cllr Cindy Hinds

Statistic	Count	Percentage
Total expected attendances:	14
Present as expected:	12	86%
Apologies received:	1	50% of absences
Absent (incl. apologies):	2	14%

Explanation of the statistics counts

Total expected attendances

The number of meetings that the councillor was expected to attend in their capacity as member of that committee. This only includes meetings for which the councillor's actual attendance status is known.

Present as expected

The number of meetings that the councillor attended in their capacity as member of that committee.

Absent (incl. apologies)

Meetings not attended, where the councillor is a member of the committee, including apologies submitted.

(nis)

This information is not included in the summary statistics above.

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

Attendance statistics for Cllr David Williams

Statistic	Count	Percentage
Total expected attendances:	9
Present as expected:	2	22%
Apologies received:	7	100% of absences
Absent (incl. apologies):	7	78%

Explanation of the statistics counts

Total expected attendances

The number of meetings that the councillor was expected to attend in their capacity as member of that committee. This only includes meetings for which the councillor's actual attendance status is known.

Present as expected

The number of meetings that the councillor attended in their capacity as member of that committee.

Absent (incl. apologies)

Meetings not attended, where the councillor is a member of the committee, including apologies submitted.

(nis)

This information is not included in the summary statistics above.

Other meeting statistics options

Link http://cyfarfodyddpwyllgor.siryfflint.gov.uk/mgAttendance.aspx?UID=178&LLL=undefined

Local Council Websites

http://treuddyn.org.uk/

http://www.higherkinnerton.org.uk/

http://leeswoodcommunity.org.uk/

http://www.buckleytc.org.uk/

http://www.moldtowncouncil.org.uk/

http://www.broughtonandbrettoncommunitycouncil.gov.uk/BroughtonBretton-CC/Default.aspx

http://www.gwernaffield.org.uk/


Not a silly fir tree in sight.

Syria Further

This man linked below is class.
Erudite, clear, educational. Everything our National Media is not.

Just so you have a better grip on what's really happening.
The stench of hypocrisy from UK and USA over powering.

The Internet changeth everything.

http://www.golemxiv.co.uk/2013/09/syria-cui-bono/

http://www.golemxiv.co.uk/2013/09/syria-cui-bono-part-2-a-partial-analysis/

Perhaps our MP's need to get out a bit more.

ps. It appears the NSA know our every computer move even the encrypted stuff.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security

So if you use smart mobiles, computers, internet they have you sorted. Where you go, what you do and what you like. What your companies trade secrets are. What's in your bank account.

Of course it's all in safe hands....................

Time for revolution.

How to defeat NSA
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-how-to-remain-secure-surveillance

Alternatively we could all put dynamite, fertiliser, guns, bullets etc in our emails.......

Penyffordd & Penymynydd Parent & Toddler Group

Below copied from their site.

The first session of the new school year will be this week on Tuesday. Come and join us, whether you are a regular, an old friend who hasn't been for a while, or a new mum/ parent.

We begin at 9.15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm looking forward to seeing how Jay (nearly 10 months) will enjoy the toys this week - he hasn't been for nearly two months and has come on so much - still not walking but everything else... walking around the house with chairs/ his trolley so he will be able to move much more in the hall. He also enjoys big spaces...

Looking forward to seeing lots of other children too - Jay loves watching the older ones playing and we also love seeing younger babies!

Link http://penyfforddtoddlers.blogspot.co.uk/

Cllr David Williams using Penyffordd Community Council Website to voice his own opinions

But can't manage agendas or minutes.

http://penyfforddareacc.com/news-events/meeting-minutes/61-meeting-27-03-2013.html#section-kmt

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Hello Readers and critics, sorry for not getting this sorted yet, the next meeting is in September so with a bit of luck minutes and agendas will be in place by then. I am taking the Latin out of this one but will leave it in on some of the other articles for our continental readers.

Really, this is just another practice which is all helping. 

Sorry again for not being as efficient or switched on to these things as we all would like, but would anybody trust our local blogger to administer such an important site!

Dave W

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Cheeky Sparrow Hawk

Click photo to enlarge

Sitting on a neighbour's fence looking at the budgies

Now which one can I have?

Budgies are safe behind netting

The bird has been hanging around for a couple of days.

Property Sales Penyffordd district

18 Hillside Road £146,500
Penyffordd, CH4 0JJ 5th July 2013

1 Poppy Field Drive £213,000
Penyffordd, CH4 0GE 2nd July 2013

8 Allerton Close £145,000
Penyffordd, CH4 0NJ 28th June 2013

1 Ffordd Haearn £233,000
Penyffordd, CH4 0JA 5th June 2013

You can search all these sales totally free of charge by going to OurProperty.co.uk.

Would like to live near a prison?

Seems your going to. Further up the coast perhaps Conway or Anglesey would have been better. Or near the minister who sanctioned it.

Link http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/10-bbs-where-you-get-your-own-building-8796820.html


Postscripts.
Below is a link to Wrexham.com forum where the prison is discussed
http://www.wrexham.com/forums/wrexham-surrounding-area-forum/410-wrexham-possibly-getting-super-prison.html

Letters
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/letters-a-super-prison-costs-too-much-8802299.html

Is village safety perception improving?

One of the aims of the Welsh Assembly Government is to see more children walking to school. With Penyffordd Junior School's major route to school now traffic calmed we are seeing double the number of children walking to school.

Progress in a backward direction

The computer spirits have been somewhat against me recently.
Apple make a very nice phone called the iphone4.
The engineering of the product is truly awesome.
I rarely use superlatives, people who use them in every sentence grind.

You take a photo, you email it to an account. I manipulate it slightly in Coreldraw Photo then upload it to the blog.

It's no longer that way.

That award winning company Microsoft with Win7 have buggered stuff up.
Coreldraw falls over.

Photos off the phone appear upside down on the blog.
Apple say its not their fault.

Various softwares including Google's Picasa do not fix it.

Sometimes all the icons appear on the blog right hand side, a lot of the time they do not !
A Google issue.

Cllr Cindy Hinds Summer Newsletter Page 4

Cllr Cindy Hinds Summer Newsletter Page 3

Cllr Cindy Hinds Summer Newsletter Page 2

Cllr Cindy Hinds Summer Newsletter Page 1

Click photo to enlarge

Note Cindy's new email address