Friday 25th June 2010 Elite peak returns to former height
Tryfan, one of the elite peaks in Snowdonia, has gained a few feet
after an official measurement to verify its height. Mountains must
measure at least 3,000ft (914m) to achieve the elite mountain status
of Wales' 14 highest peaks. Enthusiasts scaled it with GPS equipment
and found the peak came in at 3,010 ft (917.44m) - 8 ft (2.43m) taller
than its official measurement. The result was verified by a member of
the Ordnance Survey (OS) who already had the mountain recorded at this
height prior to the 1980s. North Wales

Monday 31st May 2010 Two Welsh mountains go up for sale
Now is your chance to own a slice of Snowdonia as land there,
including two summits, has gone on sale. The price tag of £1m gets you
1,000 acres of grazing land including the two mountains Moel
Cynghorion and Foel Goch, both popular with walkers. The farmland
borders the Snowdon mountain railway and is two miles from Mount
Snowdon itself.

The land is due to go to auction at Llanberis on 9 July, according to
estate agents Kivells. They have described the lot as a “remarkable
run of mountain, moorland and rough grazing". The National Trust paid
£3m in 1998 for part of Snowdon itself after launching a public appeal
which attracted a £1m donation from Sir Anthony Hopkins. North Wales

Thursday 20th May 2010 Car keys saved from moat
A custodian at Beaumaris Castle in North Wales saved the day after a
family lost their car keys in the castle’s moat. The Barker family,
three generations of them, were visiting the castle when the keys were
accidentally dropped in the moat. Glynne Owen tried first to retrieve
them with a net but when that failed she tried her hand with a large
magnet.

"The family came to me for help and I went to look for a net to scoop
the keys out, but the water was too deep and dark," said Mrs Owen. "It
was impossible to see the keys at all, and I even phoned the lifeboat
station to see if they had any ideas. I phoned my husband Gareth to
ask for help and he found a big magnet at home and tied a rope around
it."

The magnet worked and the family were so grateful they later sent her
a bunch of flowers and cheque for £100 for charity. North Wales

Monday 17th May 2010 Round Britain kayak stolen
James Bonell has experienced Britain at its very best while on his
epic attempt to kayak around the country for charity. However, last
week he had a taste of the worst of Britain when thieves stole his
kayak at Trefor, Gwynedd. The 24-year-old engineer padlocked his
vessel to a fence while visiting some friends in Trefor but returned
to find it gone. The padlock had been cut and the boat and his gear
was gone.

"I'm not sure that I can put it politely in words what I feel about
those responsible - they're scumbags," commented Bonell, bluntly.

Mr Blonell left the Falmouth Maritime Museum in Cornwall in April
along with friend and fellow kayak enthusiast Joe Andrews in an
attempt to raise £20,000 for WaterAid and the Crohn’s Disease charity,
NACC. North Wales

Monday 19th April 2010 Workshops damaged in major fire
A major fire at an industrial estate near Wrexham has severely damaged
three workshops. 40 firefighters were called to the blaze at Rhosddu
Industrial Estate in Rhosrobin after the alarm was raised at 0226 BST.
North Wales Fire Service said gas cylinders were present in the
workshops but they had safely accounted for and removed all 11. There
were no injuries as a result of the blaze.

Alan Roberts, from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Three
of the five separate units within the workshops were involved in the
fire - these were motor repair and car valeting units. We were
concerned about the presence of gas cylinders within the workshops and
were able to retrieve all 11 cylinders known to be present within the
building, three of which are still currently undergoing a cooling
process using cooling jets to ensure they do not present any risk." North Wales

Friday 16th April 2010 £1m restoration promised for historic Wrexham Hotel
The Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Wrexham has been slated for a £1m revamp
after being sold to new owner Stephanie Booth. The new owner has
promised to spend at least this amount in the first year as she
attempts to bring the historic Grade II listed building back to its
former glory.

Ms Booth said: "Apart from the capital investment I'll be looking
forward to finding out from the people of Wrexham what they want to
see from this historic hotel. We plan to be there from day one to
consult with both staff and customers alike." North Wales

Friday 19th March 2010 Fire crews beat back Welsh gorse blaze
A large gorse fire threatened to overrun the village of Dwygyfylchi in
Conwy on Thursday (18 March) covering the hamlet with a pall of thick
smoke as flames raged. Fire crews managed to get the blaze in the
Sychnant Pass above the village under control before it reached the
village. Around 60 firefighters from 11 different stations attended to
the fire which had spread very quickly down the mountain.

Assistant chief fire officer Paul Claydon said: "We would like to
reassure the public that North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is in
attendance and our priority is to extinguish the fire as soon as
possible." North Wales

Wednesday 17th March 2010 Kestrels on duty in Rhyl
Seabirds are a growing nuisance in the Welsh seaside resort of Rhyl.
The problem has got so bad that two residents have decided to take the
matter into hand and plan to train up three apprentice falconers. Mike
Espley and Rob Davis say seagulls are a serious problem and the cheeky
gulls will even grab food out of your hand!

Mike is a councillor and Rob a falconer and together they hope to
train three unemployed youngsters in the art of falconry. Their
efforts to train the youths and to control the seagulls will be
documented by BBC Wales. North Wales

Wednesday 10th March 2010 Rhyl’s funfair site finds a buyer
A buyer has finally come forward to take on the site of the former
funfair at Rhyl, in Denbighshire. Progress at the Ocean Plaza
redevelopment was in doubt after the original developers of the site,
Modus Properties Ltd, went into administration in 2009. Now the new
owners, Yorkshire based Scarborough Development Group, are working
with Denbighshire council to get the £85m scheme rolling again.

Managing director of the Scarborough Development Group Mark Jackson
said: "We are a new and energetic company backed by great experience
and we are delighted to be one of the first companies to make a
significant commitment to stepping back into development. The food
store market is understandably proving to be one of the more robust in
this recession, and is a great sector in which to be investing and in
which to found our new business." North Wales

Monday 8th March 2010 Weddings planned at Ruthin Gaol
Denbighshire council hopes to use the historic Ruthin Gaol as a
wedding venue after it revealed it was seeking a licence to hold civil
ceremonies there. Couples may soon be able to begin a ‘life sentence’
of a different kind at the 17th century prison, now a tourist
attraction. The council claim that no sooner was the application
submitted that interested couples began to show interest at booking
the venue.

A spokesman for Denbighshire council said: "The council has submitted
an application to allow Ruthin Gaol to be used to solemnise marriages
and civil partnerships. The location provides a historic backdrop -
it's unique, different and quirky. Some people want their ceremonies
to be individual and the gaol really would offer that." North Wales