LETTERS

CELEBRATING 102 YEARS!

Sea Shepherd Uk Porthcawl Beach Cleans

Dear Editor,

The lady in the photo is 102 today (7th April). She is from Bryntirion in Bridgend. Her name is Florence (Flo) Hawkins. Steve Richmond, Bridgend

NEWTON INSTITUTE DONATE TO TY-HAFAN

Dear Editor,

We held a Vintage & Collectables sale at the Newton Institute on the 11th March , which you kindly advertised in march’s edition of the seaside news , which is where most of the buyers that day saw the advert & came to us .

We wanted to donate the sum we raised of £226.30 to a local charity & it was a majority vote that it would go to Ty-Hafan who do such good work locally .

Better still as Ty-Hafan is Principality building societies chosen charity for the year we paid it in to them & they have matched the amount , so Ty- Hafan will receive £ 452.60.

Thank you all at Principality , Porthcawl for doing that for us & Ty-Hafan .

Jill George, Porthcawl Trustee/Treasurer Newton Institute

Closure Of Porthcawl Branches Of Lloyds Bank And Halifax

Dear Editor,

Anyone who wants to send an email to Lloyds Banking Group about its intended closure of the Lloyds Bank and Halifax branches in Porthcawl will find relevant email addresses and useful hints at www.ceoemail.com. You will see there, for example, that the CEO is Charlie Nunn and his email address is charlie.nunn@lloydsbanking.com, and the Group Director, Retail, is Vim Maru whose email address is vim.maru@ lloydsbanking.com.

Walter Coughlin, Porthcawl

Dear Editor,

So far this year we have removed 658 kg of debris from Coney Beach. Firstly, a massive thank you to the Porthcawl Christmas Morning Swim. Their surprise donation to our Porthcawl beach cleans meant we could finally get some good quality pickers. We can’t thank you all enough for such generosity.

The pickers arrived just in time for a rather special beach clean at Coney this month. They had a baptism of fire on Coney when we joined year 7 pupils from Trelales Primary School as part of their coursework on ocean and pollution.

The children did so well too…litter pickers really aren’t designed for such small arms, so they took some wielding, and their persistence shone through. Thank you to Mr Perkins and year 7 for such a fab effort.

Our beach cleans are roughly every other Sunday now, time dependent on the tide.

If you get a chance, take a look at the photos with our beach reports at Sea Shepherd UK on Facebook. Next dates can also be found on FB and at the Pantri-Box in Porthcawl, or contact us at: southwales@seashepherduk.org Elkz, Porthcawl

LIFE’S JIGSAW

At the end will we find there’s a picture? Each incident part of a whole? What at times seems a meaningless jungle

‘Till we ask God to shine light on our soul. How bright were those early beginnings When we found you would share all our pain

But sometimes you ask us to walk in the dark

Yet to know that you always remain –And that you, the All-wise are the artist Who blends sorrow with glory so bright For you sent your own Son to suffer and die

That each jigsaw be somehow made right.

Pauline Lewis, Porthcawl

NATURE’S PHILOSOPHY

Nocturnal birds in sibilant causerie Forest creatures in distant revelry

While nature’s blanket dims their rivalry And stills the air to peaceful reverie

How brief is this tranquility

As hostile meetings in darkened shrubbery

Remind, if only momentarily

That man alone enjoys in camaraderie

Victor Timmons

Highbridge, Somerset

Snowdrop

I’m a friendly little snowdrop, Who is feeling rather blue, Somewhere along the way last night, I got lost, what should I do?

I think I’ll ask the little birds, Who are flying in the sky, All I can see is lots of snow I feel like I may cry.

At least it’s not too dark now, The sun is coming out, It will help to dry my petals, And to melt the snow about.

I love it when the cold has gone, When spring is on its way, And other plants start to appear, It really makes my day.

But what is that I see just there, Why it looks like another snowdrop, Hooray I’m no longer on my own, I’m so happy that I could pop!

Marilyn Cook, Bridgend

Knitbot

I’m busy knitting robots For children in our school. To encourage their resilience, A truly powerful tool.

Robotic resilience, The challenge is set. They won’t get to hold one Until it’s been met.

So I’ll use my resilience And hold my head high. I will work really hard. Yes, I’ll reach for the sky.

Judy Dee, Porthcawl

Laughter Is A Pill

Laughter is a pill That makes you often chill The pain gets killed Happiness refilled

Laughter is the best medicine It’s free can be found within So let’s laugh more and more It’s the best thing hearts adore

Keep smiling makes you strong A cure that lasts life long Believe me or not

Laughter is a contagious thing A joy that makes my sprit sing Dr. Nadeem Iqbal Bridgend

The Beginning Of The End

There’s the beginning of a pothole Outside my driveway gate And next door there are bigger ones That multiplied of late.

They continue down the Crescent, One pothole then another. Workmen come, fill them up, Quick fix! not worth the bother.

They say weather is an issue. Rain and frost we have in spades. No! Shoddy workmanship’s the problem And materials, second grade.

Just imagine each pothole Joining up to form one hole. In a giant sink hole we’d disappear. Blame the Council and God Rest Our Soul…

Catherine Millard Payne, Bridgend

Diet Is A Swear Word

Are we really overweight?

(The doctor says obese)

But I’m eating what my body wants, When will their nagging cease? I only eat what’s good for me, And I eat until I’m full, But not with diet food you see, I find it rather dull!

I should get up and walk around, I should do some exercise, But the efforts are far too great you see, Looking out through half closed eyes…. It’s time I bought some new clothes, But the sizes are not the same, The mirror also needs slinging, For I refuse to take the blame. Yes, diet is a swear word, I don’t want to hear it again, As I’m happy in my big skin, and not a cute size 10!

Marilyn Cook, Bridgend

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Cost Of Cancer

Did you know that in May of next year we’re looking at taking on the National 3 Peaks Challenge. This means we’re going to be walking up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden all in 24 hours. If you feel up for the challenge, please do get in touch. We’ll be putting it live on the website very soon so please do keep looking on our social media platforms for more information.

For those of you who don’t know, we help families of those who are going through treatment for cancer. We help with the bills that arrive on the door mat every month regardless of what the occupants are going through. Bills like gas, electric, water etc. So, if your family is affected or you know someone is affected you know what to do, get in touch with us. We offer families total discretion and privacy.

It’s really important for those who need the help to come forward, your case will be treated with the upmost discretion. We understand how upsetting it can be to even admit you need help but please this is why we’re here. This is why we do all the fundraising to help those who need it the most.

Have a great Spring.

Nicky, Emma & Cath Trustees

HOLD MY HAND!

Who is saying these words? You, your mother or father, someone who wants to keep you safe or someone who wants to protect you? Happy memories of being out and about somewhere unfamiliar where you may need a bit of guidance about how to proceed next.

In a moment you are outside playing with friends holding hands going round in a circle singing a song spinning faster and faster until you all fall down giddy and laughing. Getting up and skipping playing hopscotch, hide and seek, climbing trees swinging on ropes. All the while looking out for each other.

In a short while you are in a cinema holding hands in the dark and blinking as you return to the afternoon light. Off to the café arm in arm with your friends.

Later holding hands with your boy or girl friend walking down the street thinking this happy feeling would last forever. When was the last time you held hands with another? Family, friend or social contact? Sometimes a hug or cwtch is too much, yet a simple hand hold is comforting and less formal than a hand shake. A gentle touch is just enough to begin your walk to happiness.

Margaret Brown

WHAT DIET IF YOU HAVE GOUT?

Gout is a type of arthritis that involves sudden pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. It happens when there is too much uric acid in the blood, causing it to deposit in the joints as crystals.

The foods you eat can either raise or lower your uric acid levels. Some foods such as red meat and beer contain high amounts of purines, which turn into uric acid during digestion. Consuming foods high in added sugars can also cause your body to make more uric acid. Some foods to avoid include liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, brain, beef, pork, and lamb are the most common. Also shellfish, oily fish, canned fish, fruit juices and sugary sodas, cakes, biscuits, sweets and similar items should also be limited.

According to the Dash diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), an eating pattern that’s designed to help people lower their blood pressure. It’s also used to manage gout.

DASH encourages you to build your meals and snacks around:

- Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

- Lean protein from meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and legumes

- Vegetable oils

- Low-fat or non-fat dairy

This diet limits saturated fats and foods high in added sugar. Some types of fish may be associated with gout flares depending on how well your gout is controlled. Read more at www.healthline.com

Supplied by Glyn Hardwicke

Improvements At Pyle Swimming Pool

I was delighted to see the results of a recent £200,000 investment into new facilities at Pyle Swimming Pool. This 25-metre long, six-lane pool is already a popular community facility, especially as it features a well-equipped gym and a range of fitness classes and wellbeing activities. Bridgend County Borough Council and Halo Leisure have worked together to create modern family changing rooms in both the male and female changing areas.

More than 30 new cubicles have been added along with new vanity units, energy efficient showers and lighting, upgraded ceilings and more.

Accessible changing spaces constructed at the poolside now incorporate the latest equipment for people who need additional support, including innovative ‘pool pods’ which can lower a wheelchair provided as part of the pod into the water to support people with mobility issues.

All of the upgrades take into account specific accessibility issues as well as carbon reduction measures, and are enabling more people than ever before to enjoy the local pool for leisure, exercise and therapeutic means. The swimming pool celebrated its 40th anniversary recently, and I am sure that this latest round of investment will enable it to continue to serve the local community for many more years to come.

Affordable Housing A Must For New Site

Bridgend County Borough Council’s regeneration plans have moved a step closer following news that Welsh Government has purchased vital tracts of land in the Sandy Bay area.

As part of a wider 20 hectare redevelopment zone, the funfair, which will continue to operate for approximately three more years, will eventually join the former monster park site to provide all-new retail, commercial, educational, recreational, and leisure opportunities.

This includes up to 900 low carbon new homes, up to half of which will be affordable – a vital factor in addressing the national housing shortage.

Griffin Park will double in size, access to the beach will improve, and new retail, business and visitor facilities will be introduced along with a new Welsh-medium primary school. The plans also reflect feedback from a recent consultation where people were asked how they want to use the public open space that this project will deliver – this is in addition to a 200 metre seaside park already planned as part of the nearby Salt Lake development.

With the overall site now unlocked, Welsh Government and the council will work closely together to regenerate the area in line with the Local Development Plan and the Placemaking Strategy for Porthcawl – look out for more news soon.

Tel: 01656 643643

01656 643643

Seafront Development

Like many of you, I am closely following the announcement of the sea front development.

It’s vital that, if new developments go ahead, then we have the infrastructure needed to support it. This means all parties, including Bridgend County Borough Council, living up to their side of the bargain.

While it’s welcome that a new school will go alongside new houses, there is still no new GP surgery planned. This is causing huge concern among the residents who have contacted me. Together with the struggles many people have experienced with Porthcawl Pharmacy, this leaves many people at risk of not getting the treatment that they need.

Furthermore, the proposed Porthcawl bus terminus, promised by the Council, still has not been delivered. Despite continuous promises, we are still no nearer to the station being delivered. If this crucial infrastructure is not delivered, not only will residents face more congestion, but our brilliant local tourism offer could be affected by this lack of transport links. For the sake of confidence in our planning system, these promises must be kept.

I will keep fighting on behalf of residents for the infrastructure we need to sustain Porthcawl well

Cosy Corner Prepares To Open

With the new Aldi store at Salt Lake making great progress and news that Welsh Government has secured land at Sandy Bay vital for the council’s ongoing regeneration plans, there is a huge amount of activity going on in Porthcawl right now, and the development at Cosy Corner looks set to become the latest to be completed.

This is despite the discovery of a large amount of asbestos beneath the site as the council commissioned specialist contractors to undertake its safe removal, and has already ensured that the land is safe to be enjoyed by the whole community.

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government, the completed Cosy Corner development will feature an all-new stone and glass-clad building suitable for five small retail units, public toilets, meeting space for community use, offices for the harbour master, changing facilities for users of the nearby marina and more.

The new development will also feature an outdoor children’s play area, new landscaping with plenty of public seating, space for staging events, and a canopy capable of providing comfortable outdoor shelter from rain and the sun. As I write this, the work is in the final stages so look out for opening details very soon.

Carers Centre Welcomes Royal Guest

Bridgend Carers Centre got the royal seal of approval when Princess Anne visited their base. She met staff and volunteers who provide the services as well as some of the carers they help. I have visited the centre myself several times and am amazed by the sheer scope of what they do.

Although most of us think of carers as people looking after elderly parents or their own partners, there are also those looking after children and, perhaps saddest of all, children who provide care for a parent. This is a cruel role reversal, which has the power to rob the young person of their childhood.

But Bridgend Carers Centre has all avenues covered. They provide wonderful support, especially for young carers –arranging trips and treats for them. They also provide a weekly lunch where carers and cared-for can enjoy a few hours in a place where they can access the help they need whilst also enjoying a chat and a cuppa. Other activities like yoga and gardening are also laid on.

But half the battle for many will be the knowledge that they are not alone and that help is just a phone call away.

Tel: 01656 643643

Time To Change Course In Porthcawl

I SHARE the concerns expressed by Porthcawl Civic Trust Society about the proposals in the Draft Replacement LDP drawn up by Bridgend CBC.

The council has stated time and again that it wants Porthcawl to become a premier seaside resort with a flourishing tourism sector.

But what does this plan actually do? It simply reiterates previous proposals to build over 1100 new dwellings, on land at Sandy Bay and Salt Lake. This will be achieved by eradicating almost all the car parking currently provided at Salt Lake.

The plan also marks the end of the road for Porthcawl’s famed Coney Beach fairground and does not provide a single new attraction for visitors - just the usual shops and cafes. Where is the vision and the ambition?

Even if people still come, where will they park? 2000 of the 2600 parking spaces currently available will be lost. The council needs to abandon its fantasy scenario where people cycle or catch buses to Porthcawl and instead plan for those who will arrive by car. If they don’t change course, Porthcawl will become another coastal town attractive to retirees while jobs in the tourism sector for young people will be lost.

DR ALTAF HUSSAIN Regional Senedd Member

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When contacting advertisers, please say you saw them in the Seaside

It was fantastic recently to hold our first Awards Evening at Porthcawl Comprehensive School since 2019! It was especially meaningful to spend the evening with so many of you from the PCS community – recognising achievement and celebrating success together, with so many pupils receiving public appreciation for all their hard work. All pupils, both past and present have done so tremendously well, we are very proud of your achievements.

There have been lots of smiles at PCS as our Year 13 pupils have recently had their final ‘leavers’ photos taken as they prepare for their last term at school. They are all working very hard towards their final qualifications and exam season is already upon us with GCSE and A Level examinations start soon. We wish all pupils in KS4 and KS5 the very best for the weeks and months ahead. Keep up the hard work! Extra-curricular opportunities continue with pupils in KS4 and KS5 visiting the Natural History Museum and the V&A Museum in London just before Easter and our pupils have recently returned from trips to Paris and Berlin.

Mr Stephens, Head Teacher

Cynffig News

Firstly congratulations to our Year 12 Engineering Education Scheme team who represented Cynffig at the national awards and presentation day in the Swansea Arena. It was the culmination of a 6 month journey with 62 schools and colleges attending the event. After multiple rounds of presentations and challenging questions the team were awarded the ‘Most Innovative Design or Adapted Design.’

Congratulations also to our Criw Cymraeg who attended a celebration ceremony in Cardiff to receive our Siarter Iaith Bronze Award certificate. Having won investment from the Siarter Iaith’s Dragon Den’s competition, our Criw Cymraeg are now in the process of setting up a shop to sell ‘Cynffig Chwech’ merchandise.

Year 9 pupils have been preparing for their futures with Seren pupils enjoying an invaluable experience about studying and student life at Bath University and the year group enjoying a visit from Tim Penn who worked with them on entrepreneurship and the importance of language in industry. Our Year 10 pupils made quite an impression on local business people and representatives from Velindre when they pitched their ideas for raising funds for the charity. Our pupils were praised for their ‘outstanding preparation’ and being an ‘inspiring group of young people’. We certainly agree!

Hannah Castle, Head Teacher

Nottage Primary News

Our Cynefin* Topic ended successfully with an amazing whole school singalong and question and answer session with bilingual, singer song writer and BBC Radio Wales presenter, Bronwen Lewis. Bendigedig!

We definitely feel *a sense of belonging in our community with Porthcawl Museum Visits and Talks, a mystery bus tour of Porthcawl, many ‘People Who Help Us’ visits and an incredible contrasting locality, London Visit.

We have made posters and leaflets, recorded adverts, debated land use in Porthcawl and taken part in the Porthcawl Open Space Regeneration Project Competition. Our School Eisteddfod celebrating Wales, numerous sports meets, local residential care home visits, Eco Walk to School Week, library, RNLI, town, beach, harbour and Aldi site visits all supported our studies of our locality.

Our ‘Big Bocs Bwyd’ food waste reduction scheme and ‘Rail of Kindness’ coat share continue to have an impact in our community.

The fun packed term accelerated towards Easter with many Easter trails and hunts, a multi-sensory experience of ‘Easter Through the Keyhole’ provided by Grace Community Church, an Easter Bonnet singalong at the Masonic Residential Home and an ‘eggs’cellent Easter around the World assembly. ‘Eggs’traordinary!

Amanda Bloomfield

For information contact 01656 815540 admin@nottageps.bridgend.cymru