Letters To The Editor

Once again, thank you so much to everyone who has written to us this issue. It’s great to hear from you and to know that the presence of Shire is so appreciated. Reading your stories and feedback really does brighten our day, so please keep them coming. Send whatever you would like to share with us – and any pictures if you have them – to editorial@shiremagazine.co.uk.

If you haven’t been able to get out and grab your copy of Shire lately, don’t panic – we always have a supply of previous issues that we’re happy to send out, so get in touch if you’ve missed an edition. Just send an SAE for £2.00 to Shire Magazine, PO Box 276, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 1FR, letting us know which issue you’d like, and we’ll pop it in the post to you. Perhaps you’d like to make sure you get your copy as soon as it’s out? If so, then you can subscribe to Shire – we’ll send each copy straight to your door. See page 118 for details.

Keep safe, keep reading and keep in touch!

A brilliant break

Before the fi rst lockdown, I won a prize in one of your competitions – a four-night stay at Northfi elds Holiday Park in Borth, Ceredigion. It was booked for April 2020 but obviously had to be postponed. We tried again for September, but once more it was a no-go. The owners kindly allowed us to keep going and, third time lucky, we fi nally had our Borth break this April!

The site is in a lovely situation, in a quiet area just o the main drag, and we enjoyed the tranquillity. There are cli walks and rocky beaches nearby to explore, and we had great views of the Cardigan Bay sunsets from just down the road. Our hosts were very welcoming and helpful, and our caravan was spotless, as mentioned in the reviews we’d read.

We would defi nitely stay there again, and want to say a big thank you to the site owners, Andrew and Caroline – we were very grateful for our much-needed break in Borth. Lynne, Wrexham

Enjoying the sunset in Borth

READER FEEDBACK

Pier pressure

The Friends of Bangor Garth Pier is a charity set up to support Bangor City Council in securing the future of Bangor Pier. This year is the 125th anniversary of this wonderful piece of north Wales heritage, and we’re planning a series of events to mark the occasion. To start with these will mostly take place online or on a small scale owing to Covid restrictions, but we are hoping that in May 2022 there will be a big event on the pier itself.

There are also some exciting plans for the future development of the pier and its o ering to both the local community and visitors to the area. Anyone interested in hearing more or getting involved can visit www.bangorpier.org. Vanessa Hawkins I always pick up the latest issue of Shire in Tesco – keep up the great content, it puts rival magazines to shame! Jon I just wanted to let you know I’m really enjoying the latest edition of Shire! Edna Crosby So glad the magazine is keeping going through all these tricky times and here’s hoping it will continue to thrive – I would be lost without your What’s On section! Jen Scott

Bangor Garth Pier

Spotting the signs

Across the country, thousands of children and young people are subjected to exploitation and abuse every year. Many are too scared to tell adults what is happening. That’s why we need your help. Our #LookCloser campaign urges everyone to look out for signs of child exploitation in public spaces and report any concerns.

Anyone worried about a child can call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. If there is an immediate risk to a child, dial 999. If you’re on a train, text British Transport Police on 61016. Trust your instincts – your phone call could be a crucial fi rst step in helping a child. Mark Russell, The Children’s Society

Back in business

Despite a rather large hiccup, Holywell Community Museum in Flintshire is now open again and hopefully this time we will be able to welcome Shire readers without any more closures.

We launched the museum in September 2019 and had just got going when Covid struck, but now we are welcoming visitors once more. We’ve received many donations in the short time since we reopened and we welcome one and all to our beautiful historical home where there is so much to see.

Our features include a 1940s living room, a display dedicated to the NHS, and a vintage dressing table complete with cosmetics, handbags and vintage clothes, including a 1940s wedding dress and veil. There are many photographs of Holywell, its people and the area, and a room full of memorabilia from the old local Point of Ayr colliery – with a former miner on hand with a wealth of knowledge he loves to share. We are working on many plans for the future, including giving talks and showing artefacts at local residential homes, schools and anywhere that will welcome us.

If any of this sounds like something you’d like to become involved in, or if you have any items or photographs that you would like to donate, please get in touch with us on 01352 217170 – or even better, come in and chat with our friendly volunteers. The museum can be found in the historic, listed King’s Head Hotel and there is even a small cafe where you can have a cup of tea any time from 10am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday. Andrea Yarnell Dakin, Holywell Holywell Museum is open once more Community Museum