FREE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER FOR LLANGOED, GLANRAFON AND PENMON ISSUE 18 FEBRUARY 2017 PUBLICATION DATES: CORRECTION financial problems due to the cost of keeping a historic boat afloat and an appeal is in place. We can only hope In the last issue we stated that The Puffin would be that the necessary funds are raised. published quarterly, in January, April, July and October. Please note the following correction: we will be publishing The Puffin quarterly, but in the months given below: • February (submissions by 10 January) • May (submissions by 10 April) • August (submissions by 10 July) • November (submissions by 10 October). It may be February already, but it’s not too late for us to wish our readers Blwyddyn Newydd Dda, Happy New Year, and all the best for 2017! The Fleet Review at Spithead, 1953 (Popperfoto/Getty Images) In 2007 Fred Olsen Lines approached the operators of MV BALMORAL: THE STEAMER SPIRIT LIVES ON MV Balmoral and sought their blessing to name their new cruise flagship Balmoral. Since then, Fred Olsen John Nunn writes below of his trip last year on the MV Lines have been supportive of their smaller namesake Balmoral, a trip that evokes the spirit of the North Wales and there is a photo of the cruise liner on MV Balmoral steamers of yesteryear. and a photo of MV Balmoral on the cruise ship. Since our move to this lovely island nearly a year ago Enough background...now for our trip! we have been stunned by the beautiful scenery, the friendliness of the folk here and the relative lack of We assembled at the pier in Menai Bridge on a frosts. I still had geraniums in bloom outdoors at the end gorgeous day, but bitterly cold. We set off down the of November. You wouldn’t get that in Manchester! Straits, past Beaumaris and out by Puffin Island. We sailed around the Great Orme, which was interesting, Back in July we decided to see the island from a having frequently driven around Marine Drive. To see it different perspective by taking a cruise around the coast on the MV (motor vessel) Balmoral. This ship has a long and illustrious career, having been built originally in 1949 for Red Funnel Ferries of Southampton to carry passengers and cars to and from the Isle of Wight. In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review at Spithead in honour of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. If you explore this on-line it really is of another era, with vessels of the Royal Navy and Merchant Marine lined up almost for ever. Eventually, she was bought by P & A Campbell and operated with the White Funnel Fleet in the Bristol Channel. In about 1970 I sailed in a White Funnel Fleet Menai Bridge pier (J Nunn) boat from Swansea, where I was living, to Ilfracombe and then by train to my parents’ home in Mid Devon. I from the sea was different. Our first destination was like to think it might have been on the Balmoral! She Llandudno pier where we picked up a few more now operates under the label of White Funnel (no direct passengers. Because of the swell, the boat scratched connection) as an excursion boat from many ports the wooden pillars at the end of the pier and the captain around the British Isles, and is a charitable foundation. was told off by some official in no uncertain terms. I At the time of writing we are hearing that there are have to say that I thought that was what piers were The Puffin ISSUE 18 FEBRUARY 2017 1 OF 8 built for (amongst other things), and that the thick wood "Gad Sir, so you have!" I think it’s what’s called British was there precisely to take the strain. But what do I stiff upper lip. know? And so we sailed under the bridges to dock again at We then set off to sail all the way around Anglesey: up Menai Bridge. If MV Balmoral survives her financial crisis, I recommend the trip to anyone – very worthwhile. Wrap up warm though, even in summer. Oh, and there is food and a bar on board. MV Balmoral Excursions http://www.whitefunnel.co.uk/ CYBER AWARE: A USEFUL WEBSITE If you use a computer, smartphone, whatever...you’re probably not as safe and secure as you think. The Great Orme (J Nunn) Cyber Aware (formerly Cyber Streetwise) is a useful past Benllech, Moelfre and Cemaes Bay to pass off Holyhead. An interesting commentary accompanied the trip and our attention was drawn to two white markers lining up on shore and another on the island of West Mouse in the Skerries. They are known as the White Ladies and, when lined up, point to a sea level rock called Coal Rock which can make a nasty hole in the bottom of your boat. At Holyhead two of the big ferries were in port about to sail. You really do get a picture of the industrial nature of Holyhead from the sea. As we rounded the end of Holy Island we reached the Plas Newydd (J Nunn) website that gives information about changing people’s on-line behaviour so that they adopt simple secure on- line behaviours to help them to protect themselves from cyber criminals. Examples are the use of strong passwords made up of three random words, always downloading the latest software updates as soon as they appear, and so on. This is based on expert advice from the National Cyber Security Centre. Cyber Aware is a Government awareness and behaviour change campaign that is provided by the Home Office in conjunction with Department of Culture, Media & Sport and the National Cyber Security Centre. Caernarfon Castle (J Nunn) It is funded by the Cabinet Office’s National Cyber only "rough" part of the trip, with a real swell to the sea. The views from offshore around North Stack and South Stack were simply stunning, and there was a wealth of seabirds launching from the cliffs and diving for food. The coast on that side of the island is somewhat more domesticated but, as we came to the entrance of the Strait, we had a couple of visitations from low-flying helicopters. We sailed past Caernarfon Castle and on towards our starting point. Again, the commentary drew our attention to points of interest – the statue of Lord Nelson, Plas Newydd and the story of the Marquis of Anglesey’s leg (shot off at MV Balmoral passing Gallows Point, Beaumaris, last summer (A Perrott) the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, if you didn’t know). Security Programme. Apparently he turned in his saddle to the Duke of Wellington, on his horse next to him, and exclaimed, Cyberawareness "Gad Sir, I’ve lost me leg", to which the Duke replied, https://www.cyberaware.gov.uk/ The Puffin ISSUE 18 FEBRUARY 2017 2 OF 8 BEAUMARIS CRICKET CLUB: 2017 SEASON happy atmosphere. Beaumaris Cricket Club held its annual dinner and AGM For more information please contact our office on over Christmas. Officials elected were: Wednesday 01248 811 508 (Shelia am and Hazel pm) or Thursday morning. Chairman: Ian Jones: 01248 811248 For more information... Captain: David Graves: 07851 632881 Secretary: James Grant: 01248 811214 Telephone 01248 811508, Wednesdays, Thursday mornings Treasurer: Phil Lewis: 01248 490363 From Kathleen Hulme. Please contact any of those named above if you would like to play, support or sponsor the club. READING SERVICES FOR THE BLIND AND In 2016, we had a successful season by our standards, PARTIALLY-SIGHTED coming second in the Anglesey and Caernarfonshire mid-week league and getting to the semi-finals of the North Wales Society For The Blind: the Society cup. We were also undefeated in friendly matches (40 provides practical and emotional support to blind and overs). partially-sighted people throughout North Wales. All might seem rosy, but we are an ageing team, Working with blind and partially-sighted people of all ranging mostly from 40 to 72, with some fast-improving ages, it endeavours to work to promote independence, youngsters...we need more. To help the rusty and choice and confidence whilst providing the essential inexperienced we will be holding nets practices in early- services that its members say are important to them. April in David Hughes School in Menai Bridge. Our Among the services that it provides are: home games are played at Menai Bridge Cricket Club on Wednesday nights; 20 overs. The ground is probably • Talking newspapers and magazines: its the most scenic in the UK. We have a full kit, some of volunteers and Audio Transcription Team record which needs replacing; all in all, we have hopes for and distribute a wealth of talking books magazines 2017 but our costs are high and we need a few more and newspapers free of charge. lithe characters. If you are interested in any way please contact any of those named above. • Spotlight: Spotlight is a quarterly bilingual newsletter which covers a wide range of topics Finally, on a very sad note, 2016 was the year we lost from financial matters to the latest gadgets and two of our amazingly loyal stalwarts. technology. Dafydd G Jones of Llanfaes was our president from • Weekly news CD: weekly news is a compilation of 1975 onwards; he showed a great interest in the club local news stories taken from various newspapers which is carried on by his youngest son Freddie who and magazines. plays regularly for us. • Welsh talking newspapers: its volunteer readers Shelley Thomas of Llanfaes opened the batting for the record a variety of publications each month; the Club with his inimitable style for 40 years; we will never titles are all Welsh-language local newspapers.