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Rydal Penrhos hosts rugby league team

Rydal Penrhos welcomed one of the country’s most prestigious rugby league sides from December 20th to 22nd, where St Helens utilised areas such as the fitness suite, sports hall and trained on Rydal Penrhos’

exceptional New Field playing area during their preseason camp. They stayed at the school’s accommodation throughout their stay and Rydal Penrhos staff put on a special Christmas dinner for the squad and coaches at the Ferguson Centre. St Helens sealed a third consecutive Super League final thanks to two tries by Kevin Naiqama

in a dramatic encounter against Catalans Dragons in October, which represents a remarkable achievement and one that head coach Kristian Woolf is keen to build on after agreeing to stay on for the 2022 campaign. Woolf Government guidelines. This is the latest high-profile club

or organisation to use Rydal Penrhos’ incredible facilities, with Glamorgan Cricket Club and Cricket Wales holding a recent coaching day at the school that was led by former England international Matthew Maynard. During their time at the school, the Saints’ first-team squad participated in a

special coaching session on Tuesday 21st December, which members of the Rydal Penrhos community were welcome to

led Saints to their seventh Super League title in his first attend. A special presentation of the new first-team Rydal

season in charge, while he has since overseen their first

Challenge Cup triumph in 13 years with victory against Castleford at Wembley. Instead of going abroad in the current COVID-19 climate, St Helens have chosen to stay closer to home and Rydal Penrhos took every possible precaution to ensure their time at the school was safe in accordance with Welsh

Penrhos kits by the visiting rugby league juggernauts also took place.

The legal position of clearing snow

As we move into the depths of winter, farmers and landowners are being reminded of their liabilities for clearing snow and ice from their property. Edward Nutting, an agricultural law specialist at Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors in Conwy, says landowners need to take “reasonable care” to ensure people visiting their farm can do so safely. “On private farm drives, tracks and paths where people need to walk or drive to reach the farm, as with all other owners and occupiers of property, there is a duty of care owed under the Occupiers Liability Act 1984,” he explained. “If you need to clear snow or ice, it should not make the problem worse, which can sometimes happen when snow is not properly cleared and is then replaced by black ice. Additional gritting may help demonstrate that reasonable care has been taken. Ultimately, it comes down to practicalities, and if the decision is taken to clear the snow, then as many steps as reasonably possible should be taken to leave it safe.” Edward added that extra care should be taken when it came to clearing other roads not on the farm, as councils were legally responsible for the public highway. “If a private person decides to clear the road and an accident then occurs, the injured party could have a potential claim against the person who cleared the snow – but only if it can be proved on the balance of probabilities that the clearance led to the injury. Of course, local councils do not have the resources to clear snow on all rural roads, so farmers will understandably feel the need to clear roads themselves. If snow clearing is needed where people have to gain access to the farm then it should be done thoroughly, and if there is the risk of thawing and refreezing it would be wise to apply grit to prevent or reduce the formation of ice.”

Expert Focus

Dr. Kathryn Ellis, Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in Social and Cultural History at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, explains what to expect from this diverse course…

How did you get into this career?

When I was at school my interests were in humanities subjects, specifically languages, English literature, and history. I was

guided into a career in law and thought it was the natural progression from those subjects, utilising those analytical and communication skills I’d learnt. However, when I started studying law I realised I missed the curiosity I had in studying the past and I didn’t truly enjoy it. I decided to follow my heart and change to history which was my main passion and I’ve never regretted it. I think it’s incredibly important to think about your career choices and skillsets but also study something you absolutely love. Throughout my studies I’ve had some fantastic research opportunities. I completed my PhD on the procedural workings in the House of Commons in the 17th Century, so I spent a lot of time in London in the House of Lords record office and the British Library. I’m extremely fortunate to

have a career in a subject I love.

What can students expect from your course?

We’re interested in a range of themes on the Social and Cultural History programme, from crime and fashion to family life, politics and art across a range of time periods, from the Roman era to the modern age. In the first year we concentrate on

building our students’ skills, so we help them with research, communication and essay writing alongside looking at the subject matter. We look at the value of history in today’s society and consider how looking at the past can help us understand the present. In the second year we mainly look at the 15th-18th Century period from Henry VIII and his wives to the American colonies and the Georgians. We take the students on field trips

to a range of National Trust houses to give them an idea of how people lived then. Students also have the opportunity to complete a work placement whether it be in a record office,

museum or with the National Trust. Many of our students have gone on to gain paid employment from their work experience or continue in a volunteering capacity. The third and final year

of the programme gives students the opportunity to use their skills and passions to create a specialised research project for their dissertation. They use the knowledge and diverse themes they’ve studied in previous modules to find a topic that they’re

passionate about and want to explore in more detail.

How can students get a place on the programme?

We’re keen to take on students that have a real passion and enthusiasm for history. We have our basic entry requirements on the website where we look at related A-levels and things like that, but we often have students who haven’t come to us the traditional way and may be changing careers or retired even. We’re always interested in looking at students’ experiences whether it be professional or academic, and we always encourage applicants to get in touch with us if they’re unsure. Some people feel like embarking on the degree is beyond them which can hold them back. If they have an enthusiasm for the subject and the ability to be part of a team and acquire new skills, then we can support them.

What type of work are you involved with outside of the programme?

I am fortunate that my career filters into other aspects of my

life and my personal interests in a range of social and cultural historical themes helps me to learn alongside my students. I’m particularly interested in the lives of women in Wales in the 18th Century, so my research is often on the same lines as the kind of things I teach on the programme. I’m also the joint editor of a local journal ‘Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society’, which is also a platform my students can engage with. We publish the best student essays that are submitted to us, so it gives students a real insight of what it’s like to have their research published.

What opportunities are open to students after they graduate?

History is such a broad degree and I think that is an advantage as the current job market is so fluid. There are so many career

routes available to our students because they learn such a diverse set of skills that can be applied to many professions. We’ve had students go on to history-based work such as teaching, archiving, becoming a museum curator or working in the heritage sector. Alternatively, we’ve had students who have gone into post-graduate study and utilised their skills to enter into law, the finance sector, management and policing. There

are so many routes to go down and countless careers that require students of a certain calibre who can prove they’ve got the key skills of a historian – an analytical mindset, excellent research skills, and strong communication.

What is your best advice for anyone wanting to pursue a history degree?

Always follow your passions and get involved with any history related activities. There are so many opportunities to get involved in volunteering or joining local history groups. Here at Glyndŵr we host taster days in the spring and summer

which offer a flavour of what the degree is like. We also host a

number of short courses which can give applicants a good idea of what the programme entails and the academic level they need to be at. n