EssentialsMAG November 2022 Rossett/Marford/Gresford/Holt/Farndon

Welcome...

Welcome to our November issue!

November is usually when I reflect on the year that’s coming to a close, and re-read some of my past magazine introductions. We’ve had to deal with some seismic changes recently, and with each passing month there seems to be a new crisis to wrap our brains around. The rise in the cost of living, the death of our beloved monarch, turbulence within the government - when will it end?

Anxiety and fear are the normal reactions, and I’m happy to share my coping strategies with you, which include limiting my news intake, watching out for my inner critic, practising gratitude, and making time to have fun with my family and friends.

November is also the time when we commemorate the fallen, on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday which, this year, is on 13th November. The Royal British Legion states, as we continue to emerge from a long period of great difficulty, we should still take this opportunity to reinforce our admiration of the unfailing sense of duty displayed by the Armed Forces, and commemorate those who gave their lives in our service. Do support them if you are able.

vicky@essentialsmag.co.uk

01978 855459

Cover Image: Poppy field at sunset

December Deadlines: Editorial - 11th November Advertising - 15th November

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Also available at 25+ pick-up points across the region.

You can also read our magazines online at: www.essentialsmag.co.uk

EssentialsMAG is published by Essentials MAG Limited, a local independent publishing company. All content within the publication is copyright of Essentials MAG Limited. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for views or opinions expressed by contributors or for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers. All dates, times, URLs and phone numbers are understood to be correct at the time of submission to print.

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School Reunion

Were you a pupil at the Wrexham Convent Grammar School?

The Wrexham Convent Grammar School closed 50 years ago, in 1972, and ex-pupils are being sought for a celebration reunion.

The reunion will be held on Saturday, 26th November at 7:30pm at the Holt Lodge Hotel. The cost is £22.00 per person including a buffet and photographer’s services. Each attendee will get a 7”x5” photo which is included in the cost.

If you would like to attend please contact Vonnie Bamber as soon as possible: vonniebamber@outlook.com

Gold Award

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre has received the Gold Award from Visit Wales. The Gold Award is given to attractions that have achieved excellence in their facilities and customer service under Visit Wales’ Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service. The inspectors commended Xplore! on its range of exhibits and displays, its interactive science show and the range of products available in the shop and café.

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre is located at: 17 Henblas Street, Wrexham, LL13 8AE For opening times and prices visit their website: xplorescience.co.uk

Open Your Heart

Local guitar teacher records Wrexham’s own Christmas single. Dale Irving from Pick Up and Play Guitar Tuition, based in Borras, has recorded a Christmas song for Wrexham, featuring over 40 local kids.

Dale told us: “This year I’ve written and recorded an original Christmas song called “Open Your Heart”. It features primary school children, mainly from Borras Park Primary School, and it sounds fantastic!”

All proceeds from the sale of the single will go to Nightingale House Hospice.

To purchase and download a copy, visit: https://daleirving.bandcamp.com

5k Your Way

People living with and beyond cancer in the Wrexham area are being encouraged to get active as part of the 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer initiative. Physical activity has been shown to have a number of important benefits for people living with cancer. The initiative invites those living with and beyond cancer, their families and friends to walk, jog, run, cheer or volunteer at Erddig Parkrun on the last Saturday of every month and then socialise over a drink and cake in the café afterwards.

For further information visit: @erdiggwrexham5kyourway Facebook page, or website: 5kyourway.org

Gareth James - Cancer Treatment in Europe

On 26th November, Rossett Village Hall is hosting 'Gaztonbury', a live music event to support Marford resident, Gareth James, who was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer at the age of 47 years. Doors will open at 7:30pm and there will be live music from Rhythm Train - one of the finest cover bands in the North West - playing their eclectic mix of Motown, funk, 80’s and pop music.

During the evening there will be a personal message from comedian Alfie Moore, from ‘It’s a Fair Cop’, and an auction with a selection of raffle prizes up for grabs - all donated by local businesses. Food will be available to purchase, and Beech Avenue Brewery will be serving their traditional cask ales, as well as Wrexham Lager, wine and spirits.

Tickets are £15.00 per person and can be purchased from: www.gaztonbury.com

All monies raised will be used for Gareth to have curative treatment abroad. For more details about why this event

happening, please visit the Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bowelcancercyclist

Musicians

Could Your Child be Dyslexic?

By JAN MAUGHAN

Thank you to EssentialsMAG for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself alongside my first advertisement. I live just outside Chester with my family, two dogs and a tortoise. After bringing up my three children I decided to begin a new career in education. I spent seven years as an Early Years Practitioner and Proprietor in a PreSchool setting before working as a SEND Co-ordinator and Teacher at a Primary School in Chester.

Having studied and worked with children for over twenty years I am passionate in ensuring that every individual child is understood. It is so important for parents and educators to know how their children think and learn, so they can be provided with their unique toolbox of resources and strategies in order to build confidence and develop a ‘can do’ mindset.

Learning difficulties may just be short-term but they can also be due to ongoing learning barriers, such as dyslexia. This can present itself in different forms which might impact reading, writing and spelling but can also cause issues with processing, working memory and organisation. Longterm barriers are not always obvious and children can train themselves to mask their difficulties. They might look for ways to avoid schoolwork or blend in with their peers, behaving as if everything is ok.

a child who will not reach their potential. They may just need further investigation and intervention to become equipped to achieve ‘their’ very best. I have seen, so many times, how early intervention is the key to carefully unpicking characteristics and creating a happy learning journey for young people. It is so rewarding to see my once little pre-schoolers confidently beginning their next step into further education and the workplace.

Please email me if you would like more information or to book an assessment: jan@janmaughan.co.uk Tel: 07776 134418

Is your child struggling at school?

Early identification of learning difficulties is key to a child’s education

Qualified in teaching children with SpLD’s (Specific Learning Difficulties) and assessing for Dyslexia, using the GL Dyslexia Portfolio. I can provide an in-depth, individual evaluation and report which gives a comprehensive overview of your child’s difficulties.

A child who finds literacy challenging, has speech and language delays or is not a natural born mathematician does not mean

Please contact Jan Maughan to find out more, or to arrange an assessment jan@janmaughan.co.uk Tel: 07776 134418

Meditation

For Children

By SARAH GRIFFITHS

For many of us, winter can feel like a sad and stressful time. With the warmth and excitement of summer feeling like a distant memory, a feeling of dread or worry may be looming with the reality of the change in season. This year, constant negativity in the news and money worries may be adding to the pressure. Our children will be excited about Christmas and Halloween but may also be struggling with worries after a new school year with harder work and stresses of the morning rush.

Every Monday in DragonFly Kids, a meditation and mindfulness group for children aged 7-11 in Gresford, we learn skills to help with any anxieties, stresses, and worries. The children love the strategies and use them to stay calm and relaxed so they can deal with challenges more easily.

Breathing is one of the most important things we do for our body so, by using our breath intentionally, we help alleviate stress. Here are a couple we use:

Four-Four-Four-Breath

Sit in a quiet place… close your eyes… Breathe slowly in through your nose for four seconds, hold the breath in your body for four seconds, then gently breathe out through the mouth for four seconds. Do this four times, make sure your shoulders are relaxed. If you wanted to relax deeper, put some calming music on in the background.

Lion’s Breath

This is one of the children’s favourites… Sit in a quiet place. Put your arms out in front of you, take a deep breath in through your nose and clench your fists, now breathe out through the mouth quickly, stick your tongue out, unclench your fists and look in between your eyebrows. Do this five times and at the end you may feel tingly all over. This breath helps to change your energy, its amazing!

This is fun!

Chocolate Meditation

Choose a chocolate, preferably with a wrapper. Put some calming music on and take your time to unwrap the chocolate. Try to use all your senses. What does it feel, sound, smell and eventually taste like. Really take time to allow the chocolate to melt on your tongue and notice how different the chocolate tastes when you use all your senses. This meditation helps to train the mind to focus but also enjoy every little part. Which is why our taste buds are there.

DragonFly Kids Meditation class is held every Monday at 4pm at Gresford Trust Memorial Hall. If you’d like to learn more, or bring your children along to a session, contact Sarah on the details below. For more details, contact Sarah Griffiths at DragonFly Kids Meditation Class

Tel: 07841 533666

Dates for your Diary

WED 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 NOV

Watercolour Class

St Margaret’s Church, Chester Road, Garden Village LL11 2SH Painting class with demonstrations and instructions. All welcome. 9:30am £5.00

Tel: 01978 351013

THUR 3 NOVEMBER

B.I.R.D. Shopping & Lifestyle Evening

Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa, Wrexham Road, Pulford CH4 9DG

Join us for an evening of fabulous shopping and lifestyle choices just for you. Gift stalls, beauty treatments and more. 6pm - 9pm £5.00 (cash only)

Tel: 07703 203684

3 - 5 NOVEMBER

Darland Community Theatre

Darland High School, Chester Road, Rossett LL12 0DL

Your local drama group will perform a new comedy, called 'Building Bridges', by Colin Calvert.

7:30pm £6.00 darlandtheatre.com

FRI 4 NOVEMBER

Llay Bonfire Bonanza

Llay Miners Welfare Institute, Llay New Road, Llay, Wrexham LL12 0TH

6:30pm

Adults £5.00 / Kids £2.00

SAT 5 NOVEMBER

Farndon Firework Display

Farndon Community Club, Sibbersfield Lane, Farndon CH3 6NX

5:30pm Free (donations welcome)

SAT 5 NOVEMBER

Chester Fireworks Chester Racecourse, Chester CH1 2LY 5pm From £7.00 chester-races.com

SUN 6 NOVEMBER

Wrexham Fireworks

Penyllan Farm Fisheries, Marchwiel LL13 0PF 4pm £5.00 (cash only)

SUN 6 NOVEMBER

Gresford Fireworks

Gresford Trust Memorial Hall, High Street, Gresford, LL12 8PS 6:30pm

11 - 13 NOVEMBER

Poppy Display

St Deiniol, Worthenbury, Wrexham LL13 0AW

Wonderful display of remembrance poppies. 10am - 3pm daily Tel: 01978 781111

SAT 12 NOVEMBER

Charity Afternoon

Pulford Village Hall, Pulford CH4 9EU Tea, coffee, cakes, games, stalls and attractions. 12:00pm - 4:00pm Free Tel: 01244 571622

WED 16 NOVEMBER

Wrexham Flower Club

Capel Y Groes, 10 Stryt Holt, Wrexham LL12 7AG Come and develop your flower arranging skills. 7pm £10.00 @Wrexham Flower Club

WED 16 NOVEMBER

Pulford & Poulton Local History Group

Pulford Village Hall, Pulford CH4 9EU “Update on the Poulton Dig” by Dr Kevin Cootes.

7:30pm £3.00 members / £5.00 non pplhg.org.uk

THUR 17 NOVEMBER

An Evening of Magic

Overton Village Hall, Overton LL13 0EE

Overton on Dee WI present 'An Evening of Magic' with award winning professional magician, Jack Dent.

7pm £4.00

Tel: 01978 710451

18 - 19 NOVEMBER

Overton Amateur Dramatic Society

Overton Village Hall, Overton LL13 0EE

''Fawlty Towers'' a play performed by Overton Amateur Dramatic Society.

7pm £8.00 on the door p.hellingman@btinternet.com

19 - 20 NOVEMBER

Art Exhibition and Sale

Pulford Village Hall, Pulford CH4 9EU

Art Exhibition and Sale by Pulford Painters Art Group. Refreshments available. Free parking adjacent to the hall. Disabled parking, access and facilities. Pulford Painters Art Group meet every Wednesday morning between 9.00am and 12.30pm.

11am - 5pm Free

Tel: 01244 630137

While every effort has been made to ensure all the details are correct at the time of going to print, it is advisable to check details with the venue concerned.

TUE 22 NOVEMBER

Garden Village WI

St. John’s Church Hall, Herbert Jennings Avenue LL12 7YF

Come and join us for our monthly meeting where we will be painting a gin/wine glass for you to take home.

7:00pm gardenvillagewi@gmail.com

WED 23 NOVEMBER

Dodleston History Group

Village Hall, Pulford Lane, Dodleston CH4 9NN

"The Curious Origins of our Christmas Traditions", a talk given by Ken Pye. 7:30pm £3.00 Tel: 01244 660102

FRI 25 NOVEMBER

Overton Winter Fair

Overton Village Hall, Overton LL13 0EE

Local makers, bakers and creators. Come and do some early Christmas shopping!

4pm - 8pm Free

SAT 26 NOVEMBER

Gaztonbury - Charity Music Event

Rossett & Burton Village Hall, Station Road, Rossett LL12 0HE

A live music event to support local man, Gareth James, who was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. 7:30pm £15.00 gaztonbury.com

TUE 29 NOVEMBER

Madras Community Choir Concert

St Mary Magdalene Church, Penley LL13 0LU Madras Community Choir Concert with Christmas theme.

7:00pm £6.00 on the door Tel: 01948 830258

SUN 4 DECEMBER

Gresford Artisan Market

Gresford Trust Memorial Hall, Gresford, LL12 8PS

Featuring great food and craft producers from around the region. 10:30am - 2pm

The Balfour Trust for Rossett

If you run a local group that promotes healthy lifestyles, provides social welfare or promotes inclusive activities, this historic local funding source may be for you. It is open to groups or clubs for any age group in Rossett. Let us know what projects you have organised for 2023 and how a grant from The Balfour Trust could help you realise your plans. For further information please get in touch by email: m-t-r.rossett@pm.me or by letter: The Trustees of The Balfour Trust, c/o Mr. Mike Thompson, 13 Park View, Rossett, LL12 0DH. Application closing date: January 31st 2023.

• St. Peter's Play Scheme and the school received funding for outdoor science based learning and social play.

• Burton and Rossett Horticultural Society encourage younger members of the community to take part in gardening activities at their shows. This year all the junior entrants received a bulb planting kit.

• Darland School received funds for equipment to be used by the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme participants and to develop the Gardening Club project.

• Burton and Rossett Indoor Bowling Club now meet in the Church Hall on Thursday afternoons and the Balfour Trust funded a new mat for the group.

• Rossett Swimming Club continues to grow in size. The Trust has paid for Level 2 swimming teacher training and lifeguard training for the young adult volunteers.

Bringing the World to You

By DELMAR WORLD in Gresford

After all the problems of the last couple of years, many of our clients seized the opportunity to travel as soon as they were able to. But others have been a little wary about seeing the world again because of the hassle attached to the pandemic restrictions in some countries.

Happily, for most people, these are now a thing of the past and so, to inform and inspire you all to pack your cases and enjoy holidays to the full again, we have put together a fantastic Travel Show, featuring a wide range of holiday ideas with something to suit all tastes and budgets.

The venue will be the Doubletree Hilton in Chester on Sunday 15th January 2023 and admittance is free.

There will be big name Cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Fred Olsen; ultra-luxury cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas, Oceania and Silversea; as well as lesser-known smaller sailing ships such as Clipper Cruises.

River cruising will be represented by the likes of Scenic and Uniworld with amazing European itineraries plus exotic destinations such as the Amazon and the Ganges.

Popular holiday destinations such as Japan, South Africa, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand will be represented by specialist Tour Operators with exciting fly-drive and touring holidays to tempt you.

And, of course, Europe will feature strongly: we have fabulous suggestions for top-quality hotels stays; some little gems off the beaten track; or perhaps you would relish the chance to take lessons in how to cook the Italian way in a boutique family-owned hotel in Tuscany!

In addition to all the information stands, we will be featuring a Talk Travel series which will consist of in-depth presentations on bucket list destinations. For example, specialist company Inside Japan will be revealing the many wonderful things to do and see in that incredible country. There will also be a detailed insight into the awe-inspiring Galapagos Islands - with more presentations to be confirmed!

I do hope you will join us at the Travel Show on Sunday 15th January 2023 and I look forward to seeing you there.

Society Gardening News

By EssentialsMAG gardening contributor CAROL EDWARDS

Now we are into November it is time to send off for any seed catalogues to start planning next year’s garden. Pots can also be planted with bulbs for next season. I have some tulips which I have been saving as I know they shouldn’t be planted until November as this will prevent a disease called tulip fire.

Basically there is no quiet time in November, there is a lot of tidying, pruning and mulching to do, all this will help your garden to survive the cold and wet weather to come.

Any sweet pea foliage needs to be cleared away, and removed from their supports. In our garden we have a perennial sweetpea plant which climbs up the pergola - this has been cut down and we are hopeful that it will bloom again next year.

Also remember to gather up any rose leaves that have been affected by blackspot and dispose of them in the bin, as these will spread if composted!

However, there is still some growing to do. Now is the time to plant onion and garlic sets. You can spread well-rotted manure on vegetable beds too as this will help the soil for next year.

Lift parsnips after the first frosts as this makes them taste sweeter. Some parts of the country have had frost this year already including the south of England, as reported by my youngest son on his way to London this morning from Bristol.

Any top-heavy brassicas and leafy-greens plants should be staked to support them, and extra soil put around the roots to stop the wind rocking them. Any potatoes and onions should be checked while they are stored too and use hessian sacks for potatoes.

If you have any plants that you have decided to move, now is the time to do it while they are dormant. If you have any bare-rooted plants such as fruit trees or roses they can be planted as well.

If you have a fruit cage too, it is a good idea to remove the top netting as, if we have any snow, it could cause it to sag.

And before you put away any tools try and sharpen them. Follow the old rhyme, look twice and cut once.

Local Birds and Wildlife News

By REVEREND HUGH LINN

For some weeks now Gresford Flash has almost been a bird-free zone. This is not unusual in the late summer months when the year's young have fledged and moved away. One of this year's fledglings that stayed put is a Great Crested Grebe now moulting into adult plumage. A completely unexpected duck that was spotted at the end of September by one of our experienced local ornithologists, Kevin Smith, was a possible Red-crested Pochard. This is an extremely rare bird for North Wales but, like other species sometimes labelled as ‘dodgy ducks’, may have been an escapee from a wildfowl collection. Alternatively, it could have been an offcourse migrant from somewhere across Europe.

November is a good month for migrant wildfowl visiting the Flash. In 1918 a Siberian White-fronted Goose spent a couple of days resting there. One day in the same year there was a flock of 62 Goosanders. These are regular winter visitors but 62 is an unusually large number. Gresford Flash also attracts flocks of locally resident wildfowl. On the afternoon of 10th October around 200 Greylag Geese were present with a smaller number of Canada Geese. These are probably commuters from nearby Borras Quarry. The 32 Shovelers present with the geese on this occasion are likely to have been postbreeding migrant families passing through but some may remain through the winter.

There have been Dragonflies and Damselflies at the Flash, Gresford village

lake and other local ponds throughout October. Larger species such as Ruddy Darters and Migrant Hawkers have been particularly conspicuous.

Our garden has had no shortage of white butterflies but very few of the colourful species. Rossett Weir is a predictably good spot for colourful species (though not butterflies) in providing sightings of Kingfishers. They fly very fast so if you blink you may miss them! On one occasion recently I saw three different individuals in the space of as many minutes. Dippers and Grey Wagtails have also been seen feeding young and are usually visible from the lay-by on the bend on Burton Hall Road.

GREYLAG GOOSE

RUDDY DARTER

Toddlers and Bach Flower Remedies

By MELANIE BURGESS

The early years of childhood are a time of awe and wonder; a time to discover, learn and grow. Being a parent of a toddler brings such joy but it also brings with it many challenges! Young children are dealing with the frustrations of communication, tantrums, anxieties, clinginess and overtiredness, growing independence and strength of character, to name but a few. Bach Flower Remedies are a gentle and natural way to help your toddler, and you, adjust from being irritable and grouchy to more content.

Which Bach Flower Remedies can help?

Anxiety in toddlers is often rooted in fear or nervousness. Mimulus is the remedy for known fears or anxieties such as new situations or loud noises, Aspen is the remedy for unknown fears. Or it may be that a child’s anxiety comes from a lack of confidence, in which case Larch will help.

Tantrums are more often than not caused by anger or frustration. Toddlers like to explore, and when they are stopped from doing something that they want to do, they unsurprisingly feel frustrated and cross. Holly is the remedy to help turn feelings of anger, frustration, jealousy or rage into acceptance and calmness.

Nightmares are distressing - your little one waking up in a panic, frightened and upset. Rock Rose is the remedy for panic, Star of Bethlehem is for trauma.

Both are found in Rescue Remedy which works wonders for acute times of fear. Either would work well in combination with Aspen or Mimulus to help calm the panic and aid a restful sleep.

Then there are the remedies that can help Mums and Dads with their challenges. Pine is for those feelings of ‘Mum or Dad guilt’ where you feel you aren’t doing a good job, or doing the wrong thing. Larch to give you a boost of confidence in your abilities as a parent, Hornbeam or Olive to help with the tiredness, Elm for the moments you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities or Red Chestnut if you worry excessively about your little one.

These are just some of the remedies that could help - all of which can either be taken on their own, or in combination.

You could request a treatment bottle with your own choice of remedies, or book a consultation for a more in-depth chat about what you need.

For more details, contact Melanie Burgess at Daisy Holistics Tel: 07970 758811

E: daisyholistics@gmail.com Facebook: @daisyholistics

Feeling Stressed? ‘Pump Up Vagus’

By GAYLE WHITTAKER

Are you feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Out of balance? Do you feel you need space to stop and just be? It could be you need your Vagus Nerve stimulating!

The Vagus Nerve is one of the most important parts of our nervous system in terms of the impact it has on our physical and emotional health and wellbeing. Stimulating the Vagus Nerve puts the body into a ‘rest and digest’ position, inducing a state of calm both mentally and physically.

The Vagus Nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body and runs from the brain stem down to the abdomen. It is responsible for the regulation of several functions including our digestion, heart rate and respiratory rate, as well as our blood pressure and certain reflex actions, such as coughing, sneezing, swallowing, and vomiting.

One of its most important roles is balancing our fight or flight response. This is activated when we are under stress. In our modern world this is often over stimulated due to the stresses of our daily lives, and so our bodies and minds can live in a constant state of fight or flight.

Stress is a known contributory factor to chronic illness. A Swedish study involving more than 140,000 people published in the British Medical Journal in 2019, found that stress-related disorders were associated with a subsequent risk of life-threatening infections.

Reflexology stimulates the Vagus Nerve to induce calm. As a reflexologist I work on the top and base of the foot, directly along the reflexes which correspond with the Vagus Nerve to stimulate the nerve into action.

While we might think we can cope living in a state of, sometimes, almost constant stress, we may not realise the impact this could have on our long-term health. Reflexology is one option open to you to help bring balance to your mind and body, possibly contributing to better long-term health.

By Gayle Whittaker, Reflexologist, The

Therapist

Self Assessment Tax Returns

By RACHEL COLES

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) uses Self Assessment to collect Income Tax. Self Assessment tax returns need to be filed by individuals, such as the self employed and sole traders who have earned more than £1,000. A tax return is also needed if you are a partner in a business partnership.

If your income is purely from your wage or a pension, you will generally not be required to complete a tax return unless you are also in receipt of additional untaxed income such as monies gained from rental properties; tips and commissions; income from savings, investments and dividends and some COVID-19 grants or support payments. These all need to be reported in a tax return.

It is vital that your return reflects your records accurately so that you don’t pay too much, or too little, tax.

We understand it can be tempting to try and manage your tax return yourself to keep costs down. Unfortunately, you may then come to realise that you simply ‘don’t know what you don’t know’ ie. what you can and cannot claim for - and that could be a problem as it may result in you paying more tax than you need to.

We feel that your time is better spent running and building your business or portfolio rather than trying to manage your own tax return. After all, that is what we, as chartered accountants, are here for.

Please remember that the onus is on you, as the taxpayer, to make sure your tax return is completed and submitted on time.

Dependent upon your circumstances, paper tax returns need to be filed by midnight on 31st October and online tax returns by midnight on 31st January.

You then need to pay any tax you owe by midnight on 31st January.

Here at Haswells, we understand tax returns can be a headache, but that is why we are here – to help you navigate the information that needs to be filed including the ‘how’ and the ‘when’.

Please don’t let your tax return give you a headache – just call us if you have any queries.

When to Use a Minor Injury Unit

If you have a minor injury, such as a cut that needs stitches, a suspected broken bone, a sprain or minor burn, you can get help from an NHS Minor Injury Unit (MIU).

MIUs are nurse-led and are there to treat injuries that need attention but are not critical or life-threatening. They’re located in convenient places and you can be seen much more quickly than at an Accident and Emergency Dept. (A&E).

No appointment is needed at a Minor Injury Unit, just walk in and you’ll be seen by nursing staff in a calm, relaxed setting.

An example of conditions that can be treated at a MIU include:

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MIUs treat children as well as adults.

Many A&E departments will pass you on to the nearest MIU if your condition isn’t serious enough for A&E – so you can save considerable time if you go straight there.

Local Minor Injury Units can be found at:

Mold Community Hospital Ashgrove, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1XG Tel: 03000 850 006

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 8am - 6pm Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Oswestry Health Centre Thomas Savin Road, off Gobowen Road, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 1GA Tel: 01691 663600

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30am - 6pm Saturday and Sunday: 8:30am - 1pm

If you're not sure what to do NHS 111 can help if you need urgent medical help or you're not sure what to do. They will ask questions about your symptoms so you get the help you need.

Visit: www.111.nhs.uk or call 111. It’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Life-threatening emergencies

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

EssentialsMAG Tasty Recipe

Mushroom Stroganoff

With earthy mushrooms, this creamy stroganoff recipe is packed with flavour. A comforting winter dinner, using cheap ingredients and it’s quick to make too!

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp sweet paprika

2 garlic cloves, crushed 300g mixed mushrooms, chopped 150ml low-sodium beef or vegetable stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or vegetarian alternative

3 tbsp half-fat soured cream

Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped 250g pouch cooked wild rice

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and soften the onion for about five minutes.

Add the paprika and garlic, then cook for 1 minute more. Add the mushrooms and cook on a high heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.

Pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, bubble for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat and stir through the soured cream and most of the parsley. Make sure the pan is not on the heat or the sauce may split.

Heat the wild rice following pack instructions, then stir through the remaining chopped parsley and serve with the stroganoff.

Sarah Atherton MP

Member of Parliament for Wrexham

Last month, I was honoured to be appointed as the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families. As a veteran myself, defence has always been close to my heart and, delivering for those who are serving and have served, and their families will always be at the top of my agenda. Wrexham has a proud military history and veterans’ community, and I am proud to be championing Wrexham as both a Minister and the constituency’s MP.

During Parliamentary recess last month, I wanted to get out and speak to as many constituents as possible. As such, I held a number of street surgeries across Wrexham, starting in Pandy, then onto Marford and Rossett, before finishing in Holt – this is one of the best parts of my job and allows constituents to raise issues with me and my team from their own doorstep.

Also in recess, I was delighted to attend Wrexham Feast and see so many residents enjoying the local food, music, and entertainment! I’m sure everyone will agree that it was a fantastic event, and we hope to see it return to Wrexham soon.

In early October, I attended the launch of the Wellbeing Hub in Wrexham City Centre. As a former nurse and social worker, I know that this new hub will be a valuable resource for our local community where residents and families can access a wide range of free support.

Most importantly, being referred by your GP is not a requirement to access the hub. We are so lucky to have this amazing facility in Wrexham - thank you to all those who have worked hard to get this hub up and running.

Lastly, it was an honour to attend the opening ceremony of the Knife Angel at Queen’s Square in Wrexham. The Knife Angel is a monument made from over 100,000 seized knives from Police Constabularies across the UK and it is an extremely emotive reminder of the dangers involved in knife crime.

As always, if you are a resident in Wrexham and need my assistance with any local or national issues, please contact me on the details below.

I was also pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Erlas Victorian Walled Garden. The team at Erlas have spent their latest grant of £50,000 of funding from the National Lottery, which my office helped to facilitate, on the beautiful sensory-based Jubilee Garden. I would encourage residents to visit and see first-hand this beautiful garden.

Tel: 020 7217 4885 / 01978 291742 sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk www.sarahatherton.org.uk

Alyn

Many will be aware that our online platform for accessing appointments and help from the surgery has recently changed from ‘econsult’ to ‘Klinik’. This is accessed via our website and we have received great feedback from our patients about how easy the system is to use.

We are encouraging those digitally-able patients to use this as their first approach for appointment requests and general enquiries. This, in turn, helps to reduce excessive delays on our telephone system, freeing it up for patients who aren’t confident online.

A lot of them will get better within a certain timeframe without antibiotics:

• Outer ear infections: 7-10 days

• Middle ear infections and/or sore throats: 8 days

• Conjunctivitis: 1-2 weeks

• Common Cold: 2 weeks

• Sinusitis: 2 weeks

• Cough/Bronchitis: 3 weeks

• Urinary tract infections: 5-7 days

Those groups of patients will be asked the same questions by one of our trained Patient Advisors over the phone to ensure access is equitable to all. Often it enables us to identify those patients who could be more appropriately assisted by allied healthcare professionals such as our pharmacy colleagues, urgent care Physiotherapists or Audiology to name but a few.

This intelligent system also allows us to identify trends in patient needs on a dayto-day basis. This week has shown that coughs and suspected urinary tract infections have been the most common reasons advice has been sought. Many are unaware of the expected duration of most common infections.

However, there may be certain, more vulnerable groups, with pre-existing medical problems who benefit from seeking assistance more promptly.

For most patients, NHS 111 offers a helpful ‘Check Your Symptom’ set of questions online to help patients establish the next steps they need to take.

Over September and October we have witnessed an incredible uptake in our flu and COVID vaccinations.

We would like to thank our Staff, the team at Llay Legion and our Patients for this success. If we work together, we can all endeavour to keep safe and healthy by protecting ourselves and each other.

Tel: 0333 332 3260 www.alynfamilydoctors.co.uk www.facebook.com/alynfamilydoctors

Lesley Griffiths MS Member of the Senedd for Wrexham

Readers will be aware we recently marked the 88th anniversary of the Gresford Colliery disaster. On 22nd September, 1934, the Wrexham community experienced one of its darkest days as 266 men and boys tragically lost their lives. To ensure their names are never forgotten, a Memorial Wall was unveiled at the Miners Rescue Station on Maesgwyn Road by Wrexham AFC manager, Phil Parkinson. Goalkeepers Rob Lainton and Christian Dibble also revealed a detailed plan of the mines and the Rhos Orpheus Male Choir sang a selection of miners’ songs. Thank you to Wrexham Warehouse Project and North Wales Miners Association Trust for arranging such a special event.

I was pleased to welcome Wales' First Minister, Mark Drakeford, to Wrexham once again as the guest speaker at AVOW's (Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham) AGM. During his speech, the First Minister praised all the local organisations and volunteers who stepped up so admirably during the pandemic. Challenging times lie ahead as the costof-living crisis escalates but AVOW's strong values and rich human resources mean it will continue to provide an outstanding and invaluable service to the people of Wrexham.

I met so many brilliant food and drink producers showcasing their excellent products and I’m grateful to the organisers for putting on such an enjoyable and successful event.

I invited North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin, to The Venture in Caia Park. I am a proud patron of the children’s centre. It plays such an invaluable role in the community, with around 2,000 children using its services every year.

This month, Wales will play in a World Cup for the first time in 64 years. To celebrate this momentous occasion, a festival for football lovers is taking place in Wrexham from 11th – 13th November. ‘Wal Goch Festival’ has the backing of the Football Association of Wales and will feature special guests and a host of activities taking place throughout the city. I have been in regular contact with the organisers and I look forward to taking part. This will be a fantastic event for Wrexham and something all football fans will enjoy. Follow @gwylwalgoch on social media for all the latest updates.

It was lovely to see so many people supporting Wrexham Feast. Thousands of people attended the food and drink festival that took place on Waterworld car park and I am pleased to hear it looks set to return in 2023.

Tel: 01978 355743

Lesley.Griffiths@senedd.wales www.lesleygriffiths.co.uk Facebook & Twitter: @lesley4wrexham

Talwyd costau’r cyhoeddiad hwn gan Gomisiwn y Senedd, o gronfeydd cyhoeddus / The costs of this publication have been met by the Senedd Commission from public funds.

News with Hadlow Edwards

Looking ahead in an economic storm

We live in a time where world events and news surround us every day. We have access to social media platforms, radio, and TV programmes each with differing views, which can lead to confusion and uncertainty.

Not only are we left to determine how much we can trust the information we receive through the media, but financial education in schools has only been introduced in the last decade, meaning people who are old enough to manage their finances have had to seek out their own financial education to try and understand it.

One of the topics that people come to me to try and understand is pensions and their advantages.

If you are self-employed, there is no specific pension scheme, but there are personal pension options available.

Determining the level of pension contribution can be tricky, so seeking advice from a financial adviser could help get the balance right.

If you are employed, your employer must automatically enrol you in a workplace pension scheme (Auto Enrolment), provided you are between the ages of 22 and state pension age, earn over £10,000 a year, and usually work in the UK.

The Auto Enrolment Pension Scheme was introduced by the government in 2012 whereby employers are required to contribute a minimum level, currently 3% of a person’s relevant earnings, into their employee’s pensions, alongside the employee’s contribution of 5%.

By Richard Hadlow Powell of Hadlow Edwards Wealth Management Limited hadlow.edwards@sjpp.co.uk

Is a pension worth thinking about for a person just starting in their employed life? Let’s use an example*…

A 20-year-old starting out in their career will need to contribute £167.40 per month into their pension until they retire at age 67 to reach a pension pot of £500,000 when they do retire.

A 50-year-old with the same goal to reach a pension pot of £500,000 when they retire at 67 will need to contribute £1,431 per month for the rest of their career.

It’s certainly less daunting to start saving for retirement earlier rather than later, even if it does seem like a lifetime away. And that’s not to say that it’s not too late to start thinking about retirement goals even at the age of 50.

If you would like help and advice on how you could reach your retirement goals, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select, and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.

*Based on a starting point of £0, pension pot growth of 6% per annum, and an inflation rate of 2.5% for the entire time the person is contributing to their pension. These figures are only examples and are not guaranteed - they are not minimum or maximum amounts. What you will get back depends on how your investment grows and on the tax treatment of the investment. You could get back more or less than this.

Hadlow Edwards Wealth Management Limited is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James's Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group's wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group's website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The 'St. James's Place Partnership' and the titles 'Partner' and 'Partner Practice' are marketing terms used to describe St. James's Place representatives.

The Hidden Cost of Christmas

By EssentialsMAG environment contributor ROB RENOUF

People often criticise China for being the biggest source of global carbon emissions. Whilst their total emissions are by far the highest, Chinese emissions per head are around half those of the USA. A significant contributor to China’s total emissions are exports, many of which come here.

In 2021, the UK imported £654bn of goods and services and our exports were £636bn. Whilst the trade deficit (the difference between imports and exports) was relatively small, there were bigger differences for goods and services; the UK had a surplus of £136bn on services, but a deficit of £154bn on goods, so far more goods came into our country than went out.

The reason this matters from an environmental perspective is that it can make some emissions statistics misleading. The UK government focuses on ‘territorial emissions’ when measuring progress against carbon reduction targets. There are a number of exclusions from territorial emissions - two of the most significant being international flights (which we take more of than any other country) and imported goods. So, as we import far more goods than we export, our emissions figures are effectively understated. Whilst we export more services than we import, the level of emissions associated with services is generally much lower than for goods.

Claims that the UK is doing better than other countries on reducing emissions tend to be based on territorial emissions. If we factor in things like imported goods, the UK has still made improvements, but they are far more modest than the territorial emissions figures suggest. The sector where the UK has made really good progress is decarbonising energy production. However, when it comes to our consumption emissions, many of these have effectively been outsourced rather than actually reduced.

The key thing to remember is that whenever we buy goods manufactured in another country, we’re contributing to the emissions created there. Rather than complaining about emissions from other countries, or even using them as an excuse for not reducing UK emissions further, we need to recognise our own role in creating them.

Black Friday and Christmas normally generate a big upsurge in UK consumer spending. This year many of us may already be cutting back due to the cost of living crisis. However, if we’re lucky enough to still have disposable income, we should consider whether we can help reduce emissions both here and overseas by choosing to consume less.

EssentialsMAG environment contributor is Rob Renouf robsrenouf@gmail.com

Holt Local History Society (HLHS)

By SUE PAYNE

Holt Local History Society (HLHS) was founded in January 1992. I am from Northern Ireland and came to live in Holt in 1974. I soon realised what a very interesting place it was. In 1991, I was approached by a colleague who felt that such an interesting village would benefit from a History Group in which she and her husband could take a joint interest. Following a village open meeting the society was born and the rest is, so to speak, ‘history’.

The aim of the Society has always been to provide interesting talks, and to research and record the many aspects of the history of the village.

One of the first things we produced was a Historical Village Trail. This has been updated several times and is now Holt and Farndon circular walks. In the year 2000, a Pictorial History of Holt was published. A copy was given to every child who attended Holt CP School and the 1,000 copies were soon sold out! This is still available as a CD.

The Exhibition, ‘Hidden Holt’, the story of a Roman site, was at Wrexham Museum from July 2021-January 2022. We requested that the items excavated from the Roman Tile Works and Pottery and sold in 1925 to the NMW (National Museum of Wales, Cardiff), be exhibited in Wrexham. The Exhibition was recognised with a ‘Society for Museum Archaeology’ award as it involved the cooperation of HLHS, Wrexham Museum, Glyndwr University students and NMW.

Led by Chris Matthews, Archaeological West (ASW) and Clwyd/Powys Archaeological Trust have recently completed a sponsored cross border project, excavating a possible Roman site in Farndon. The results from this will be published soon.

Our present membership is 103 and I thank all in the Society for their loyalty and support over the past 30 years.

For information please email me at briansue.payne@btinternet.com or call: 01829 270562

Gresford Football Club

News

Gresford Athletic are well underway in their 2022/23 season.

The First Team are battling in the 2022/23 JD Cymru North table and have been performing brilliantly in cup competitions. They found themselves in the quarter-finals of the Nathaniel MG Cup against Bala Town in October and are doing well in the JD Welsh Cup and NEWFA Challenge Cup.

The club’s new-look Reserves are looking to find their feet in the 2022/23 FAW Reserve League North East after being crowned Champions in the 2021/22 season.

Please come to Clappers Lane, High Street, Gresford, LL12 8PS and support the lads as they progress through the season. Children who arrive in a Gresford Athletic shirt have free entry, with their parents only paying the concession price!

November’s First Team Fixtures

5th Nov Guilsfield (H)

JD Cymru North

12th Nov Barry Town United (A)

JD Welsh Cup

19th Nov Llanidloes Town (A)

JD Cymru North

26th Nov Colwyn Bay (H)

JD Cymru North

Family Fun Firework Night

After last year’s success, Gresford Athletic are again holding their annual Family Fun Firework Night. The event will be held on Sunday 6th November at the Gresford Memorial Hall. The gates will open at 6:30pm and there will be a licensed bar available on the night. The event will be cash only. Come and join us for a brilliant fireworks display!

Other Fundraising

Gresford Athletic are putting plans in place for future events throughout the end of 2022 and into 2023. The club is planning to have a 2022 Christmas Raffle, as well as the annual Gerry Evans Memorial Evening in 2023. Ddetails about these fundraisers will be revealed soon, so please keep an eye on the club’s social media accounts: Facebook: @GresfordAthleticFC Twitter: @GresfordFC Instagram: @gresfordathleticfc

Committee Members

Gresford Athletic are always looking for new volunteers to join the club’s Committee. If you want to be a part of a club in the second tier of Welsh football and help with a number of roles, specifically on matchdays, please contact Secretary Matthew Jones via email: matthew535251@gmail.com

Hugh Jones & Ross Shepherd Councillors for Rossett

Hedgerows

We have had numerous residents contact us about overgrown hedgerows throughout the village. Hedgerows which fail to be cut back cause all sorts of problems including blocking footpaths, reducing visibility and also look untidy.

It is the responsibility of landowners to maintain their boundaries. Hedgerows identified have been reported to officers who have issued relevant notices to landowners instructing that these hedges are cut back as soon as possible.

Burton Road

The speed in which some vehicles are travelling up and down Burton Road is unacceptable with many motorists often breaking the 30mph limit. Numerous residents have raised their concerns and Highways are monitoring the situation and investigating possible solutions to this longstanding issue.

Station Road

The Environment Department have cleared a number of blocked gullies around the village. Standing water is sometimes a problem in Station Road - this is due to road levels which Street Scene Services have been asked to investigate.

Flashing Road Signs

The interactive speed signs have been repaired on Holt Road and are now working after a power supply issue was rectified. The sign on Chester Road is due to be taken to the workshop by the supplier to be fixed.

HWB Yr Orsedd

The Planning Committee unanimously approved the application for the development of this much needed community facility and followed the recommendations of the Local Members and rejected the officer’s requirement for car parking on the grass area.

A suggestion has been made that the complete play area should be designated a Fields in Trust site to add to its protection and we are looking into this. Any application will need to come from the Community Council as owners.

34 Bus Route

This runs through Burton and is little used. One reason may be due to the fact that the timetable is not easily located. You can view the timetable online at: www.wrecsam.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ 2021-01/34_trevalyn_w.pdf

Hugh worked hard to get the service re-instated and it would be a shame to lose it due to lack of use.

Hugh: Tel: 07769 706999 hugh.jones@wrexham.gov.uk Ross: Tel: 07715 473776 ross.shepherd@wrexham.gov.uk

Beryl Blackmore Councillor for Marford & Hoseley

Hello, before writing this article I sent more emails to various departments asking for updates on: the lease and maintenance of Marford Park; progress on work to clear Hudson Hill; update on work needed along the public footpath running alongside the Rofft School; updates regarding Hayfield Drive; and Hedges overgrown along Hillock Lane .

I hope in December to be able to say that residents tell me all these jobs are either being done or finished!

The broken flashing light at the crossing by The Red Lion has been reported and I have asked for a quick replacement as this is such a well-used crossing by playgroup and pupils going to the school. We all know how traffic speeds up the hill and often fails to stop at the crossing.

The two villages will be getting ready for Remembrance Day, and I am hoping to involve local pupils in putting out the Poppies.

Both village schools continue to delight the residents as they discover the area on their foot patrols looking at the beautiful area we live in.

The Methodist Caffi has enjoyed chatting to Rofft pupils about their jobs, giving a general picture of life when they were young.

The Whist club on a Monday is attracting both ladies and men - all very competitive.

By the time you read this, I hope you managed to watch ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ at Rossett Church Hall, did you blink and miss the Hippy Artist?

Concerns have been raised about dogs being a bit too enthusiastic on the green patch at Gorse Crescent. Please be aware that not every dog wants to be leapt on by a much bigger breed.

On a more positive note, I attended as a grandparent, the Rofft School Macmillan appeal coffee/cake morning which raised an amazing amount of £700 at the last count.

It was great fun!

Tel: 07933 201731

beryl.blackmore@wrexham.gov.uk

Jeremy Kent Councillor for Gresford

It is hard to imagine that it has been a year since the by-election and I became the Councillor for Gresford. They say time flies when you’re having fun! It has been fun, enjoyable, challenging and tiring all wrapped up in one, and while each week differs from the other, one thing is for sure, Gresford is an amazing village with great people who I thoroughly enjoy meeting and helping.

Over the coming weeks, I will be delivering my latest newsletter which details some of the things that I have been doing as your local councillor, in addition to the updates that I provide each month here in EssentialsMAG, which show a snapshot of what has been going on.

Flooding

Wrexham County Borough Council have recently completed works to install drainage on Old Wrexham Road where there was a particular issue with flooding outside a set of properties. It has taken some time from start to finish, but I am glad to see that it has now been completed and residents feel thankful for knowing that their properties are better protected.

I have continued to raise the issue of water pooling on Chester Road, opposite the petrol station and they have added this to their drainage programme meeting to see why this area does not seem to have the capacity to cope.

Anti-Social Behaviour

I recently spoke to our Police Community Support Officer, Lisa, to discuss areas of concern around the village, especially

following the vandalism to the Silhouette Solider on the edge of the village (by the wooden bell), as well as the dog statues that were destroyed on Old Wrexham Road. This pointless vandalism only causes distress to others and wastes police time. If you have any concerns regarding AntiSocial behaviour, please report it to North Wales Police by calling 101 (or 999 in emergencies).

Upcoming Events

As we enter November, there will be a number of firework displays around the village, as well as private events. Hopefully, the issue we had last year around traffic and parking will be eased as more events are taking place across the area. Some events were still not taking place last year due to COVID and this meant we had a greater attendance at the events held in the village. Organisers of events are aware of the need to mitigate issues as far as practicable. Then next up will be Christmas, and I have heard Santa is really looking forward to his tour of the village again! Watch this space for more information about the route.

As always, if you have anything you wish to raise, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Legal Advice

Both employers and employees are presently facing difficult situations as they try to deal with the fall-out from the disruption to childcare caused by rail strikes and Covid. Nurseries, which were already facing an increasing demand for places, as more parents look to re-enter the job market in a bid to cope with the current financial crisis, are struggling to maintain the required staffing levels to open.

The knock-on effect of all this is that parents are finding themselves with a temporary lack of childcare, and employers are suffering staff shortages whilst employees seek emergency childcare.

So where do parents and employers stand legally when emergency care situations arise? All employees, whether permanent, temporary, part-time or full-time, are entitled to take time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependent, irrespective of their length of service. A dependent can be a spouse, partner, child, grandchild, parent, or someone else who depends on them for care.

The amount of time an employee can take off is not defined in terms of hours, but as ‘a reasonable amount of time to deal with an emergency’. There is no limit to the number of times an employee can take time off for dependents.

‘An emergency’ in relation to disruption of childcare arrangements could be if a childminder fails to turn up to work, or if a nursery closes unexpectedly. In other situations, it could apply to a carer not turning up or a care home closing without warning.

However, the key to ‘right to time off’ lies in the word ‘unexpectedly’, as what employees cannot do is take time off to deal with care situations that they were previously aware of, for example taking a child or other dependent to hospital for a pre-arranged appointment.

When an employee takes time off to deal with an emergency relating to a dependent, their employer does not have to pay them unless it is written into their contract, or is in the company handbook that they will do so.

If a longer time is required to deal with a dependent, employees may request annual leave or parental leave, but employers are not legally bound to agree to it. That said, many employers allow ‘compassionate leave’, which can be paid or unpaid leave for emergency situations.

Employment legislation is one of the fastest changing areas of law. For this reason, both employers and employees should seek advice if they are not sure of their rights and want to stay legal.

This article has been written by Robert Williams, Partner with GHP Legal Tel: 01978 291456

To get in touch please use the ‘Contact us’ form on the website: ghplegal.com

We are still extremely busy and, whilst our colleagues are

ANIMAL CARE

Daleside Veterinary 01978 311 881 Farndon Kennels & Cattery 01829 270 198 Gatehouse Veterinary 01244 570 364

Green Lane Veterinary 01244 683 858 Park Lane Kennels 01978 852 914 Rhyd Broughton Veterinary 01978 720 362 RSPCA 0300 1234 999 Vets4Pets 01978 352 499

COUNCILS

Cheshire West & Chester 0300 123 8 123 Wrexham 01978 292 000

DOCTORS

Alyn Family Doctors 03333 323 260 Farndon Village Surgery 01829 771 588

Marches Medical Practice 01244 520 615 Strathmore Medical Practice 01978 352 055 NHS Direct 111

DENTISTS

Bridge End Dental Practice 01978 762 030

Chapel Cottage Dental Practice 01978 854 745 Rossett Dental Care 01244 571 544 Springfield Dental Care 01978 851 300

OPTICIANS

Gresford Eyecare 01978 855 828

HOSPITALS

Countess of Chester 01244 365 000 Wrexham Maelor 01978 291 100

LEISURE CENTRES

Gwyn Evans 01978 269 540 Northgate Arena 01244 380444 Plas Madoc 01978 821 600

LOCAL FACILITIES

3C Pest Control 01948 838 111

Adult Social Services 01978 292 066 Citizens Advice 0300 330 1178

Foodbank - Chester 0151 355 7730

Foodbank - Wrexham 07538 547971

Recycling Centre - Chester 01244 372 764 Recycling Centre - Tattenhall 01829 771 337 Recycling Centre - Whitchurch 0345 678 9007

Recycling Centre - Wrexham 01978 292 000 Samaritans 116 123

LOCAL SERVICES

Air Ambulance - Wales 0300 0152 999 Fire & Rescue - Cheshire 01606 868 700 Fire & Rescue - North Wales 01745 535 250 Environment Agency 03708 506 506 Natural Resources Wales 0300 065 3000 Severn Trent Water 0800 783 4444 Welsh Water 0800 052 0130

LIBRARIES

Chester Library at Storyhouse 01244 409 113 Gresford Library 01978 852 627 Llay Library 01978 855 100 Overton Library 01978 710 557 Wrexham Library 01978 292 090

SCHOOLS & NURSERIES

Abbey Gate College 01244 332 077

All Saints’ Primary School 01978 852 342 Benison Nursery School 01244 676 199 Bishop Heber High School 01948 860 571

Dandelions Day Nursery 01829 272 277 Darland High School 01244 570 588 Dodleston Pre-School 01244 661 611

Dodleston C E Primary School 01244 662 990 Eccleston Primary School 01244 981 000 Farndon Primary School 01244 981 280 Gresford Playgroup 07523 398 880 Holt Primary School 01829 270 021 Holt Under 5’s Playgroup 07496 231 275

Leaps and Bounds Pre-school 01244 678 997

Little Scholars Nursery 01978 314 912 Marford Playgroup 07947 473857

Rhosnesni High School 01978 340 840 Rossett House Nursery 01244 571 872

St. Paul's VA Primary School 01978 661 556

St. Peters Primary School 01244 570 594 Shocklach Primary School 01829 250 285

The Catholic High School 01244 981 600

The Homestead Day Nursery 01978 853 946

The King’s School 01244 689 500

The Maelor School 01948 830 291

The Queen’s School 01244 312 078

The Rofft Primary School 01978 853 116

The Spinney Day Nursery 01244 577 948 Ysgol Bryn Alyn 01978 720 700

TRAVEL

National Rail Enquiries 03457 48 49 50

0871 200 22 33