Naturalist wonders help Surf and Protect nature

Across the county work is ongoing to roll back the tides of man-made and climate change impact on our nature and environment. And a South African born surfing enthusiast and passionate friend of the natural world is leading the charge to give Denbighshire wildlife hope again.

County Voice sits down with Senior Biodiversity Officer Liam Blazey to find out what fuels the passion to dig deep to support the nature we have across our county.

Born and raised on the South African east coast, Liam admits his early experiences with the natural world was influenced by his father who was a passionate naturalist himself.

He explained: “That really imprinted on me, when I was young with him and all the hiking and camping that we used to do outdoors. Then in my early teens I picked up surfing and spent lots of time out in the water surfing, I was very fortunate be in an area that’s one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, surrounded by amazing wildlife.” 

A unique encounter with a smaller animal helped really cement in Liam’s eyes how diverse and wonderful the natural world can be.

“I learnt to appreciate animals in a different way after an encounter with some Hermit crabs. We lived on an estuary adjoining the ocean and sometimes we saw the crabs battling each other for each other’s shells.

“After a while you noticed that the bigger ones didn’t always win, the smaller ones were more aggressive. Once they had their opponents shell they would climb into it to check if it fit. If it didn’t, they would fill it with sand to make it smaller on the inside. If it ended up being too small, they would empty some sand out. This was all done by rotating the shell either clockwise or anticlockwise. They were incredibly precise in their actions, it was fascinating!

He added: “Watching them made me realise there is a much deeper level to what we see. It made me realise from a young age that every single thing that lives on this planet has an interesting little life and the more you look at it, the more fascinating they get. Every single species.

The wonders of the natural world stayed with Liam from his early teens, through jobs including working as a Silversmith and selling electronics until he gravitated to training in Biodiversity during his early 30s, never looking back since.

Following this the UK tides then called for the surfing enthusiast who also honed skills for shaping boards.

Liam explained: “I used to re-shape old broken surfboards back home and was planning on going to Japan to try set myself up making surfboards, but I couldn't speak Japanese, so I thought my English isn't too bad... I ended up in Dorset and I was just taken with the people of the country, that's where I met my wife.

Graduating as a Doctor, Liam’s wife had her first placement up in North Wales and the couple embraced the natural world of Eryri ( Snowdonia) before Liam moved into supporting nature across Denbighshire.

On his move to his current post, Liam said: “This has been the best job I've ever had. It's been something I've wanted to do my whole life and being able to enhance nature in an area where my children are going to grow up, I’m thankful to be given the opportunity to do it.”

Protecting our nature from the impacts of global climate change has become more important in the modern world with many people stepping up to try and make a difference as Liam has.

Looking back on his career so far, Liam said: “Just do it, it doesn't matter if you are in your  30s 40s, or even your 50s, you can change your career path. I can't recommend it enough, you know, it's been the best thing that I've ever done. The job satisfaction is really high.

He added: “I might smell like mushrooms and come home with weird insects crawling on me but its worth it. I have two children I take out with me and to see the joy in the eyes when I can take them to a meadow that we've created from scratch, you know? It's really special, so I would say go for it!”

Councillor Julie Matthews welcomes the new look County Voice

As we launch the new look e-newsletter for residents, County Voice had a chat with Cllr Julie Matthews, Deputy Leader of the Council and and Lead member for Corporate Strategy, Policy, Equalities and Strategic Assets

What are your responsibilities as Cabinet Lead Member?

My role is all about the overall performance and running of the Council. I suppose that a lot of the corporate side is what people don’t see, for example HR, health and safety, legal and democratic services, procurement, ICT, communications and asset management. But without all of these services, in reality, the Council itself wouldn’t be able to operate.

As well as these internal council services, I’m also responsible for the wellbeing and future generations act, equality and diversity, training and development for Council members and I’m the Armed Services Champion.

One of the things I’m most passionate about is equality and diversity as this is my professional background. I used to work for a gender equality charity before I became a Councillor, so this is particularly important to me. The charity was all about development opportunities for women to ensure they could get into leadership roles and giving them confidence in themselves to achieve.

Prior to that, I worked at the benefits agency in Rhyl and became a Union representative. As part of that role, I used to train staff which subsequently led me into the field of adult education. I ended up being a programme manager in a college in Solihull looking after management, professional and trade union studies.

What made you become a Councillor?

Like lots of people, during Covid we experienced quite a difficult time. I became a carer for my mum after we lost my younger brother who had been living with her. As a result, we needed a lot of extra support, but this was at a time when it proved challenging to secure.

Having had first-hand experience of council services made me think about how important it is that public services are not only high quality but also accessible and serve the needs of the community.

Looking back, it was a very frustrating time and from our experience, it could have been better. At least my mum had us, but it made me think about what happens to people who don’t have that level of support.

And that’s why I decided to become a Councillor. I could have just sat back, but it was important to do something to try to make a difference and give everyone a chance to live the best life they can.

It’s a difficult role, and you can become quite defensive when you see negative things in the press because you come into this role to make a difference and to try help as many people as possible.

I do think it would be a great experience for anyone. As a councillor, clearly, we’re responsible for holding people to account, but what we also see is the work that staff do and how much they care about what they do – it is an eye opener.

What do you love about Denbighshire?

Sometimes you don’t realise how much you like a place until you move. And that’s what happened to me when I went to Solihull. Luckily, with a teaching job, I could come back to stay frequently with my mum and I kept in touch with all my friends.

I think the people in Denbighshire are great and as a location, it’s so much calmer and quieter than the city. We’re so fortunate – we have fabulous beaches but we can also be in the middle of the countryside within half an hour. We’ve got this amazing scenery on our doorstep – which is something we can sometimes take for granted.

When I was made redundant in Solihull, I know I could have found another job there, but I didn’t even think about staying – I wanted to come home.

What’s coming up in the Council that you’re looking forward to?

I’m really looking forward to the opening of Queen’s Market in Rhyl – it’s been a long time coming, but I’m certain it’s going to be worth the wait. We had a tour recently and it’s looking great. Hopefully this will be the catalyst for further investment in Rhyl – which has always been a driver for the regeneration work the Council has been doing.

Elsewhere in the County we’ve seen the completion of a lot of successful projects. It was great to attend an event last year in Corwen to celebrate the completion of a range of regeneration projects. Also in Corwen, the Nature for Health Clawdd Poncen pump track was opened and has proved immensly popular with young people in the area while other improvements include a community growing space, a path around the field, new benches and goalposts which make it easier for residents to enjoy the space.

Meanwhile in Llangollen, the Four Great Highways project was completed last year with a range of works to improve the resident and visitor experience and encourage people to spend more time there.

In Ruthin the first all-inclusive accessibility playground of its kind in North Wales was opened in Cae Ddol with environmentally friendly equipment designed with children of all abilities in mind. Additionally, the project also included the installation of an additional junior play area next to the skate park. Also in Ruthin the Clock Tower restoration was completed in December.

While the Council can do a lot, it can’t do everything and inward investment is what’s needed - we need to get businesses throughout the county behind initiatives like Transforming Towns – there’s money there to help them to develop and improve our town centres.

 Tell us about the new-look County Voice

The very first edition of County Voice was distributed as a hard copy over 20 years ago in the summer of 2002 and it’s been our resident newsletter ever since. The digital version was launched in 2015 so it seems fitting that 10 years later, we’re having a refresh.

The aim of the new e-newsletter is to provide up to date daily news from the Council. You can subscribe to receive a monthly newsletter but you can also dip in and out on a daily basis to find out the latest news. As well as information about what’s going on, we’ll have feature articles shining a spotlight on different areas of work as well as video clips and interviews with staff and Members.

I’m really looking forward to hearing people’s feedback and we hope that you’ll find it informative. Remember - if you want the latest and most reliable information about what’s going on in the Council you can subscribe via the website.

Explore a Rhuddlan gem

Warmer days are giving bloom to nature all across the county and there are plenty of great places to visit with the family to experience this first hand.

Nestled in Rhuddlan is an area, full of life and nature to experience for all ages with fantastic views of Rhuddlan Castle as an extra.

County Voice takes you around Rhuddlan Nature Reserve, a bustling land full of wildlife and wonder thanks to a great community partnership.

Countryside staff have worked closely since 2011 with the Rhuddlan Reserve Management Advisory Group to protect and develop the land situated next to the Rhuddlan to St Asaph main road.

On entering the small car parking area opposite the entrance road to Aldi at the traffic lights, you can swiftly access the nature reserve on foot. A main path which is shared with cyclists takes you through the heart of the nature reserve but there are smaller side paths to enjoy.

The first branch you can find on your right down some steps takes you through a tree lined area through to the waters of the reserve, where if you are lucky you can watch swans, ducks or even herons enjoying the area from a wooden platform overlooking the water.

Meandering back down the main path you can discover the initiatives the partnership has brought to life over the years for the Rhuddlan community and visitors.

Small paths give you the opportunity to experience walking through two wildflower meadows, full of vibrant colour and varied flowers, all helping support the reserve’s local wildlife.

Altogether at the site there are three wildlife ponds teaming full of life and over 300 metres of hedgerow providing an important habitat for many animals.

Walking through you might also notice over 6,000 trees swaying in the breeze as you move, all planted by the partnership, alongside a heritage species orchard.

Pick a sunny day to visit and you have two picnic areas at the nature reserve to unwind in and to catch a glimpse of the wildlife enjoying the area as well.

Choose the right time of the summer to go and there is also a perfect area to enjoy for those fascinated by insect life. The reserve has its own dipping pond where you can catch a glimpse of the busy life of dragon flies.

A unique feature of the nature reserve is the Sensory Garden which involved the local Dementia Group and the nature reserve group working with Countryside staff. Together they created a Dementia friendly space with sensory, trees, wildflowers and historic landscape features such as dry-stone walls and laid hedges, complete with traditional welsh oak timber seating to sit on and experience the area.

The nature reserve has won a number of Wales in Bloom awards and is fully accessible for all.

Adoption of the specially designed reserve by local wildlife has exceeded all expectations and which includes iconic species such as otters and water voles and which happen to be some of the more rapidly declining mammals in the UK.

Take your EV around Denbighshire’s attractions

Spring and summer days are upon us, providing the perfect opportunity through more daylight to explore the best that Denbighshire has to offer.

Travelling by vehicle in modern times has seen the addition of hybrid engines and electric powered motors to help get you to locations with less impact on our climate.

Since the first Council Public Electric Vehicles (EV) chargers went live in summer 2022 over 1.5million miles of travelling have been provided through more than 22,000 charging sessions.

For all local EV owners and those further afield, County Voice takes you on a whistle stop tour of where the Council’s own public charging EV stations are there to help you plan your trip around the county to see the sights.

The public network provides a great opportunity to travel around Denbighshire to sample the many attractions the county has to offer while charging your vehicle at one of the sites.

Want to check out bygone travel at Llangollen Railway? You can kick off your experience at Corwen’s Green Lane car park next to the town’s station have five operational EV chargers which you can plug into, enjoy the trip to yesteryear up and down the line and sample Corwen and Llangollen towns whilst your car is topped up.

Coming at the railway from Llangollen, chargers are available at Market Street car park and also the Pavilion car park. These handy locations also give you time around Llangollen to check out attractions such as the Llangollen Wharf, a hike up to Dinas Bran or just to enjoy the sites of the River Dee running through the town.

Jumping in your car and moving up to Ruthin , you can find EV chargers at Cae Ddol car parkm which puts you in stepping distance of learning all about the Ruthin Gaol, And a five minute walk can take you to another historic location in the form of Nant Clwyd y Dre.

But if you are interested in arts and crafts, public charging facilities are also available at Ruthin Craft Centre to allow you to browse the delights on offer at the site while putting charge into your car for your next trip.

Heading to Denbigh, the town’s Post Office Lane provides chargers, giving you the perfect chance to check out the remains of Denbigh Castle which is still standing proudly overlooking the town.

A short hop to St Asaph takes you to the Bowling Green car park at the city which is the perfect starting point to enjoy a scenic walk along the River Elwy or check out the stunning architecture of St Asaph Cathedral.

Travelling to the coast, Rhyl has the perfect place to top up and charge, West Kinmel car park has a number of chargers including rapid facilities for a quick boost. From here you can take a walk through the centre of town to the prom to enjoy Rhyl’s golden sands, or check out the harbour area and Marine Lake complete with the world’s oldest smallest railway. Charging facilities are also available at Morley Road car park.

And a final trip into Prestatyn can find you chargers (including rapids) at Fern Avenue and Kings Avenue car parks, allowing you time to enjoy Prestatyn’s town centre or if feeling brave take a walk down to the seafront to enjoy the attractions awaiting you.

The EV public network is a part the Council’s overall action to tackle climate change following the declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency in 2019 by reducing the county’s carbon footprint.

To check out more information on these locations visit our website.

Archives help trace local butcher's family business

Archivists at North East Wales Archives were approached to help John Jones Butchers of Ruthin research some key dates as part of an exciting rebranding project.

John Jones Butchers asked the Archivists to help them research some key dates as part of an exciting rebranding project to overhaul their shop front and create a new logo. The business wanted a fresh modern look but also wanted to include design elements that create a sense of continuity and respect for the business' traditions.

One of the design features to be included in the new logo was a date of establishment. Will Jones, who is the fifth-generation butcher in the family, asked North East Wales Archives for help in finding out how long John Jones Butchers have been part of the community in Ruthin.

Sarah Roberts, Lead Archivist at North East Wales Archives said:

“Family businesses often stretch back through generations with trades and skills passed down from parents to their children, as well as stories of the business in the communities they serve.

“We were happy to help Will Jones pierce together his family history, with the help of some family notes that they had collected over the years, including photographs of gravestones and copies of census records.”

From these records the Archivists were able to date the business to the year 1921. The original butcher, John Jones born in Ruthin in 1867, appeared on the 1921 census for the first time as a butcher. He became a butcher at some point between 1913 and 1921 and originally had a shop at his home in Mwrog Street. He later took over the existing shop on Clwyd Street.

Like many family histories there are still questions that still need answering, such as the exact year John Jones became a butcher, when did the business move from Clwyd Street and why the original John Jones changed jobs from working in the local soda works to butchery in his late 40s or early 50s? Do you know?

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage said:

“I am so pleased that North East Wales Archives were able to help Will Jones with the information he needed. John Jones Butchers is such an important asset to Ruthin, as are all the other small local businesses in the area.

“History is such an important part of who we are today, and our Archivists do a wonderful job in protecting that history for future generations.”

Are you part of family business in Denbighshire? Would you like to find out more? Why not use the research service at North Wales Archives to start exploring your story today. They also collect business records, if you have a business archive collection and would like to discuss depositing them, then please contact our archivists for further information.

You can read more about this story on North East Wales Archives’s blog.