Success for European Ladies at AEGON Pro-Series Wrexham International Tennis Event.

North Wales Regional Tennis Centre played host to the AEGON Pro-series Wrexham, a Ladies $10,000 International Tennis event from Monday 18th – Sunday 24th January.

Participants from across Europe and as far away as China and the United States competed in the week – long event offering the viewing public an excellent standard of International tennis.

Many British players took part in the event with Anna Smith, 19, from Surrey making it through to the quarter – finals stage where she was eventually beaten 6-4 3-6 6-4 by third seed Anne Kremer from Luxemburg.

Kremer then went on to beat Margit Ruutel of Estonia winning 7-5 6-1 in the semi to secure her place in the final on Sunday 24th January. Kremer’s opponent in the final was number 4 seed Mona Barthel from Germany who had beaten fellow German Julia Babilon in the semis winning 7-6 6-0. Barthel then soared to victory beating Kremer convincingly in the final 6-1 6-1.

In the doubles, Wrexham Academy player Sian Bayliss and her partner Aimee Gibson, a fellow Brit lost in the first round to Amanda Elliott and Julia Moriarty of Australia 6-2 6-1.

Number 3 seeds Mallory Cecil and Megan Moulton-Levy of the United States took on top seeds Emma Laine and Anna Smith in the semi finals beating them 6-4 3-6 and 10-4 to secure a place in the final.

In the other semi final, number 4 seeds Iveta Gerlova and Lucie Kreigsmannova of The Czech Republic defeated Lesley Kerkhove and Nicolette Van Uitert of The Netherlands winning 7-6 6-1 to make it through to the final on Sunday 24th January.

The United States succeeded by beating the ladies from the Czech Republic 4-6 6-0 and 11-9 in the final set.

The next AEGON Pro-Series Wrexham $25,000 Ladies’ International Tournament will take place in July.

Wrexham Tennis Centre will be holding February half term holiday activities from Monday 15th – Friday 19th Feb for children ages 3-14 years. The activities will run as follows:

• Tiny Tots Tennis – Ages 3-4 years – Mon-Fri – 9.30am-10am – £2 • Mini Red Tennis – Ages 5-8 years – Mon-Fri – 10am-12pm – £5 • Junior Tennis Camps – Ages 8-14 years – Mon-Fri – 9am – 4pm – £15 (including lunch)
These sessions must be pre-booked as spaces are limited. You can download an application form from the website at NWRTC.co.uk or call in at reception. For more details call: 01978 265260

1singles winner mona barthel

2singles runner up anne kremer

3doubles winners mallory cecil and megan moulton levy

4doubles runners up iveta gerlova and lucie kreigsmannova

5doubles winners with ballcrew

Erddig Food Fair

Erddig Food fair: In conjunction with Rural Food Wrexham a weekend with a host of local food producers and suppliers on show. Plus Pancake Games and activities for children. 20th February 11 am – 4 pm. Contact Tudor Williams on 01978 315180 or Email
erddig@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Wrexham firm supports Scam Awareness Month

Charles and Christine Conway of Wrexham firm Clear as Crystal Web Design are getting behind the OFT’s ‘Scamnesty’ campaign with the launch of a new website to warn users about email scams and internet fraud.

They’ve launched the site at http://www.scam-detectives.co.uk to educate Internet users about the dangers of online fraud, and to give advice about how to avoid getting ripped off online.

“Online criminals can be very clever” said Charles. “They are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to con people into revealing their online banking passwords, buy fake or non-existent goods and even become unwitting accomplices by acting as “work from home” payment processors”.

“The average victim of online fraud will lose £875 and could also fall victim to identity theft, which can take months, or even years to sort out. We launched Scam Detectives to help potential victims to learn more about these dangers and become more ’scam aware’.”

The website is only part of their campaign. On Wednesday 27th January, Charles met with “The Biscuit Club”, a family learning group of parents from Gwersyllt Community Primary School, to present the first of a series of “Scam Detectives Live!” fraud awareness talks.

Jenny Coffin of Gwersyllt was at the event. She said “This has really really opened my eyes to what I should and shouldn’t be doing on the internet. It was brilliant!”

“It’s not just adults that need to be aware of scams and online criminals though,” Christine told us. “Kids are using the internet more and more, both on computers and through mobile phones, and parents need to be aware of what they are doing. That’s why we’ve launched a free e-book to help parents to keep their kids safe online.”

The book can be downloaded from the Scam Detectives website at www.scam-detectives.co.uk.

More of the Glyn Valley Tramway is Revealed…

Another year has begun, and so starts again the working parties of the Glyn Valley Tramway Trust clearing the trackbed of the G.V.T. as part of the ongoing detailed surveying and design work by TIR Railways Ltd, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, Wrexham County Borough Council , Rural Development Fund and administered by Northern Marches Cymru.

After last year’s highly successful work on the clearing of the track from Baddies Wood down to the Chirk Fisheries on the Glyn Ceiriog road, the effort this time had moved to the clearance of ‘the cutting’ in the garden of Ty Rhirid near to the end of the line at Chirk railway station. A team of 12 volunteers had been assembled on the 23 January and work had quickly got underway as everyone involved realised here was a golden opportunity to work off some of the Christmas excess!

As the day progressed, it was both satisfying and encouraging to all onsite as ‘the cutting’ slowly but surely revealed itself again nearly seventy five years after the last train hauled itself up the steep gradient from the Chirk Fisheries road crossing to Chirk station in a deafening mix of steam and grinding metal.

The cutting itself is still in remarkably good condition, possibly due to it being protected from the incessant British weather by all the undergrowth and trees over the past few decades. While we were working, we all saw an abundance of snowdrops beginning to sprout on the cutting sides. One wonderful result of all the work that we did last year on the Baddies Wood section of the track was the
transformation the woodland went through after our clearing and felling allowed much more light onto the woodland floor, and wild garlic, snowdrops, bluebells, wild primrose, wood anemones and lesser celandine just erupted after many decades of being dormant in the gloomy woodland light. The flowers in the recently revealed ‘cutting’ may go through a similarly spectacular revival this spring.

Since we began, our work on the trackbed has been done with
sensitivity and care with this resultant rejuvenation of the woodland in mind, the flowers all looked amazing, and this will be one of the many attractions that the Tramway will provide for visitors when it is steaming through the wood again in the near future.

With most of the work now complete in ‘the cutting’, our attention now is directed towards the rest of the track between Matchbox Bridge and Baddies Wood. Some of the track was cleared of small trees last year where it was safe to do so, but progress was stopped due to the very close proximity of the Glyn road to the trackbed as it winds its way down the hill from Chirk to Pontfaen Bridge. This is a more involved job, as it would be too dangerous for the Trust alone to try and fell some of the trees so close to the road. However, it is in our sights, and even now we are planning this next phase of clearance, one which will be so visible and its results so startlingly obvious to travellers on the Glyn road as the trackbed is revealed. Some work also remains to be done on the stretch from ‘the cutting’ to the Hand Lane bridge at Chirk station, but this is a relatively straight forward affair.

This year has started very well, and with very many thanks to the land owners Myddelton Estates, Caravan Club and Mr Ben Williams for their ongoing permission, support and encouragement and with an increasing membership and volunteer base, the work is progressing well, and the revival of the G.V.T edges closer to reality.

As always, we are very keen for new members, anyone can join and help this great project to come to fruition and to bring a new source of income to Chirk and the Glyn Valley during these difficult and uncertain economic times. Some of you, like me, may have a direct link to the G.V.T through family; maybe your grandad, like mine, worked on it, or maybe an uncle, or maybe even your dad. My own dad, who rode on the tramway as a young lad, always said to me ‘if the Tramway was open today, it would be making a fortune’. Of course he was right.

Whatever your skills and abilities, whatever you can offer, however small you think your contribution will be, come forward and speak to us, for it will be warmly welcomed and appreciated, and will make a big difference to this project. Working parties, administration, publicity, fundraising and making a cup of tea are all hugely important, and so whatever you think you can offer, we want to hear from you….

You can contact us on www.glynvalleytramway.co.uk and we look forward to hearing from you, and one day soon, sooner than you think, the sound of steam will be heard in the Glyn Valley again.

Ian Davies

Archaeological Officer and Working Party Supervisor.

Glyn Valley Tramway Trust http://www.glynvalleytramway.co.uk.

Open Evening at new Wrexham Mental Health Unit

The new Older Persons Mental Health Unit at Wrexham Maelor Hospital is nearing completion.

Work started on the unit just over a year ago as part of a £21.3 million project to provide new mental health inpatient facilities for both adults and older persons on the site. The adult unit is due for completion in late 2010.

Service users and staff have played a major part in drawing up the design of the new facilities. As well as providing an enhanced environment, the new units will allow new approaches to mental health care to be introduced.

It is planned that the first patients will move in on 1st March. Before this takes place there will be a chance for members of the public to visit the new buildings and be given a guided tour of the new facilities.

The open day will take place between 4:00pm and 6.30pm on Tuesday 9th February.

Anyone who wishes to see the unit is welcome to come along on that day and meet up in the Main Entrance to the Unit, which is located on the north part of the Hospital site through entrance gate 5.

Get Fit ready for the summer!

Gymophobics in Wrexham have launched a campaign to improve the health of ladies in the town. G3×30 was launched by the Mayor and his wife on the 20th January 2010. Managing Director Steve Howarth says: “We are trying to get ladies active and also show them a unique way of exercise which is not hard work or sweaty, but they do achieve fantastic results with most our ladies lose a dress size in their first 6-8 weeks.

“The campaign G3×30 allows any lady to come and train free of charge for 12 sessions over a month, three time per week for a 30 minute session. Our members ages range from 12 to 89 and with the personal training we give any lady with any condition can train. Believe it or not 30 minutes is all the body needs to a healthy lifestyle, you may wish to come and see what we are all about. Ladies have to have a guest visit with us where we explain about the body and how our exercise works, but there is no obligation to join the gym, if they do not wish too, the G3X30 is free.”

For more information on this and other local initiatives to get Wrexham residents healthy visit http://www.fitwrexham.com.

Sponsored Drag Walk

A sponsored 3 mile Drag Walk in aid of Nightingale House Hospice for men only.

Venue: The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham on 21st March at 11am. For ages 14+.

Contact Kim Houghton on 01978 316800 or email
kim.houghton@nightingalehouse.co.uk. Advanced booking required. Ticket Price: £10.

Oxfam in Wrexham

Oxfam is a leading aid and development charity with a worldwide reputation for excellence and over 60 years of experience

Website:http://www.oxfam.org.uk, Facebook.

Address: 17 Lord Street, Wrexham, LL11 1LS, 01978 366 766, email: oxfamshopf4731

MP calls for clarity over rail group’s funding

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas has raised concerns that a rail users group is to lose thousands of pounds of funding.

He spoke out after being contacted with concerns that Arriva Trains Wales were to withdraw funding from the Chester – Shrewsbury Rail Partnership.

Mr Lucas has now written to Arriva Trains Wales about the potential cut in funding.

The partnership works with local rail users, councils and others to help promote and develop rail use along the Chester to Shrewsbury line. It also helps raise rail users’ views about services with the relevant bodies.

In his letter to the company, Mr Lucas states: “The Chester-Shrewsbury Rail partnership has played a central role in contributing to the improvement of services on the Chester – Shrewsbury line, the promotion of their services, and the development of rail services in North East Wales as a whole.

“If indeed the funding has been withdrawn by Arriva Trains Wales, I find this action inexplicable.

“In my dealings with the partnership it has been exemplary in promoting rail use in the area, and I am aware of the high profile that it has secured at a national level, because of the success of its work.”

Speaking today, he added: “Arriva Trains Wales holds a special position as the main franchised operator for the route and receives backing as a result.

“I am concerned, therefore, to hear suggestions that the company could cut its funding to a crucial rail users’ group. This seems to have come as a bolt out of the blue and I am hoping Arriva Trains Wales have a satisfactory explanation.

“Unfortunately, at the moment, it appears rail users may lose out as a result of the company’s actions.”

Join the Fit Wrexham Campaign