March 2007 Archives

RHYL TOWN COUNCIL - GRANT AID 2007/2008

Posted by Rhyl Town Council on March 29, 2007 10:24 AM

The Town Council is proud of the valuable work achieved by the significant number of voluntary, recreational and charitable organisations within the Town. It’s annual Grant Aid Scheme is one way in which it can clearly demonstrate its commitment to assist the local community in a positive and practical way.

Public notices inviting applications from Rhyl based organisations were placed in the press in the first week of January 2007. The closing date for receipt of applications was 19th February 2007 and the Council’s Finance and General Purposes Committee considered all applications on 14th March 2007.

The Council has faced extreme difficulty in deciding which organisations it can support and by how much from its limited budget. The value of requests for all applications amounted to over £159,000 which was almost £80,000 over its allotted budget. This year 59 organisations applied and 40 have been helped with a total of £80,000 in grant aid. Three other organisations have been asked to supply further information and may yet receive some financial help later in the year. 11 other Organisations expressed interest but declined to submit formal applications. The grant aid scheme is now closed but application forms for the next financial year will be available in January 2008.

The Council has supported organisations that deliver a wide range of help to the young, old, disadvantaged, needy, disabled, sick, and victims of crime in the Town. Cheques were distributed on 22nd March and the Council, in the coming weeks, is planning to highlight the valuable work in the community undertaken by these organisations.

Teenager charged on flat death

Posted by Dan Owen on March 28, 2007 3:09 PM

A TEENAGER will appear in court today charged with the murder of a man in a North Wales resort town.
Christopher Derek Foulkes, 39, was found dead at his home on Brighton Road in Rhyl on March 8 and was initially thought to have fallen.
But it later emerged he had been battered around the head and chest, and a teenage boy was arrested.
Police last night confirmed a 16-year-old boy from Prestatyn had been charged in connection with Mr Foulkes’ death.
He will appear before Prestatyn Magistrates Court charged with murder this afternoon.
A North Wales Police spokeswoman said: “At 9.30am on Thursday March 8, the body of Christopher Derek Foulkes was found at Flat 1, 17 Brighton Road, Rhyl.
“Initial findings led police to believe that he died as a consequence of falling. A post mortem on March 9 was inconclusive.
“On March 14, information was received that led to a second post mortem on March 16 conducted by a Home Office pathologist.
“This confirmed that death was caused by blunt trauma to the head and abdomen.
“At 7.55am on Monday, March 26, a 16-year-old youth, resident in Prestatyn, was arrested for the murder.
“He has been interviewed for the past three days and police were granted a warrant of further detention by Llandudno magistrates last night which also contained the order not to reveal the juvenile’s identity.
“The family of Christopher Derek Foulkes have been kept fully informed during the course of the inquiry.”
Mr Foulkes’ body was found in his flat, one of a number of properties near the Apollo Bingo in the centre of Rhyl.
A number of the flats are rented out through private landlords to patients with carers on drug and alcohol recovery schemes.
It is believed Mr Foulkes received some kind of care package and shortly before his death had rung one of his carers to confirm he had arrived home safely.
A spokeswoman for the North East Wales NHS Trust, who run the drug and alcohol recovery service for North Wales health trusts, would not comment on the investigation yesterday.
She said: “In circumstances like this, we would co-operate with the police with their investigation.
“We cannot comment on whether this man was a patient on the drug and alcohol service as this is a murder inquiry.”
A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said it was not council policy to identify any person who has received social or health care support.
Valerie Foulkes, Mr Foulkes’ mother, said: “Christopher was a kind and loving son who was popular amongst family and friends.
“He enjoyed socialising and listening to music and it’s been a great shock to his family to hear about his death.
“He will be sadly missed by all of his family and friends.”

Valuable bracelet found

Posted by Dan Owen on March 28, 2007 10:16 AM

North Wales Police are appealing for the owner of a bracelet believed to be worth over £3,000 to come forward after it was found in Rhyl.
Shortly before 3pm on Tuesday 20th March a gold and diamond link bracelet was found Sussex Street.
Police are appealing for anyone with information about the bracelet to contact PC 747 Kelvin Roberts at St Asaph on 0845 607 1001(Welsh Language Line) or 0845 607 1002 (English Language Line).

Radical revamp for town centre

Posted by Dan Owen on March 28, 2007 9:44 AM

THE centre of one of North Wales’ biggest resort towns is in line for a radical revamp under plans backed yesterday.
A report into the future of Rhyl says the town centre should be drastically altered to bring in more investment and new businesses.
And the proposal was yesterday backed by Denbighshire councillors determined to see every Rhyl ward move out of Wales’ top 50 poorest areas in the next five years.
Members of Denbighshire’s Cabinet supported a plan to alter a three-acre site, taking in almost all of the top end of Rhyl High Street.
A report into Rhyl’s future was commissioned by Denbighshire and the Welsh Assembly and drawn up by Liverpool-based consultants King Sturge.
The report, which went before yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, said: “The perception of Rhyl as a retail centre is poor with perceived high crime rates and socio-economic deprivation.
“Changes in the tourism economy, lack of inward investment, poorly-designed public parking, lack of town-centre management, poor urban design and damaging media publicity have not helped promote Rhyl, albeit there have been recent signs of improved confidence...”
It said although Rhyl had a number of top retailers “the presence of those retailers does not necessarily create a vibrant retail centre”.
It claimed Rhyl “has a largely untapped market for retail consumers, and has therefore a future potential for growth”.
The report singles out a three-acre area of central Rhyl next to the White Rose Centre and up to the Queen’s Shopping Centre as ripe for development.
It said: “A high-quality new development will reinforce the importance of Rhyl as a town centre destination location and act as a catalyst towards the wider regeneration of Rhyl.”
The report also says they may seek compulsory purchase powers to obtain parts of the land, although much of it is already owned by the Welsh Assembly.
Further plans for the £85m regeneration of Rhyl’s West End by Modus Properties go before Denbighshire’s planning committee later this year.
Rhyl mayor Brian Blakeley said: “This is another exciting possible development for Rhyl and should put the town back in the fore.
“Businesses have looked at it and maybe we will have some top shops coming in. But whatever goes there is going to be fantastic for Rhyl.
“It means dereliction will be going and new buildings will be coming in.”

What do you think? Fill in the comment form below and let us know

Restructure for the Lilywhites

Posted by Rhyl FC on March 28, 2007 8:59 AM

RHYL FC is to disband its senior third team but will adopt a new junior side as part of a shake-up in its youth development policy.
The club has announced Rhyl Youth/Thirds, who have played in the Clwyd League Premier Division since 2001/02 and won the championship in 2002/03 and 2003/04, will fold at the end of the season due to lack of interest.
The team has had a disappointing campaign in the Premier, currently lying seventh, and has been unable to fulfill recent fixtures.
Rhyl has also revealed it has affiliated with Prestatyn Rangers Under-17s, part of the Prestatyn Athletic club, who will play the 2007/8 season in the Clwyd Junior League.
This course has been adopted to comply with UEFA regulations. It has been approved by both FAW and UEFA where it is now necessary to field an under-21 team in a recognised FAW Under-21 league. There is no under-21 league or suitable team in the immediate Rhyl area .
Contrary to rumours, Rhyl is also to continue backing all its junior teams. They will also support the Rhyl Academy which provides top-class coaching expertise.
"Rhyl FC has represented Wales in Europe for the last three years and is acutely aware of UEFA’s desire to promote grass roots football at all levels," said a club spokesman.
"UEFA is committed to the promotion of youth academies and Rhyl FC will assist in this process. The Rhyl FC Academy is administered on our behalf by Allan Bickerstaff of Denbighshire County Council and works in conjunction with the Football Association of Wales Trust.
"The Academy has over 300 youths and nine coaches all with recognised coaching qualifications. The academy caters for both boys and girls from seven to 16 years of age, playing fixtures versus other North Wales academies throughout the season.
"The academy is funded by Rhyl FC and audited annually by the FAW Trust to ensure they provide top class coaching for its participants.
"Rhyl FC, via its Academy, will support two teams between the ages of 15 and 21, one team between nine and 15 and one under-nine team."
The club’s UEFA and domestic licensing officer, Joe Furnival, will be the liaison contact with all of the under-21 sections.
Commercial director Mally Jackson will continue to promote all commercial activities within Rhyl FC which will include the Academy and many other initiatives, working alongside Rhyl Town Council, Denbighshire County Council and private organisations, such as Healthy Eating programmes, school visits and several other projects.
All club officers can be contacted on 01745 338327.

Shanks’s Pony

Posted by North Wales Police on March 26, 2007 2:36 PM

Hello again. Welcome to the second of my regular instalments about policing in Rhyl. I guess that as the site grows more and more people will interact but as it stands I only had one question from the first blog. I was asked ‘How often do officers actually walk the beat, or do the community support officers fulfil that roll?’

I’m guessing that the reference to ‘officers’ means police officers and as my first blog was about response officers, that it refers to these specifically. Response officers are not by the very nature of their role the first staff who will provide foot patrol on a regular basis. They are there to deal with the public’s requests for help and invariably they need to respond quickly and therefore need to be in a car.

However, nights and particularly week-ends are different and a certain number of response officers will be out on foot, challenging bad behaviour in the town and making our presence felt. That way the people who just want to go out and have an enjoyable and safe night can do so and feel reassured by the presence of the police.

The Community Beat Managers, who work in partnership with the Community Support Officers (CSO’s) referred to in the question do have a greater responsibility to provide foot patrol in their areas. They will do so to target specific problems, such as youngsters hanging around causing problems. They will also direct the CSO’s to provide an additional visible presence in the area when required.

The core role of the CSO is to provide a uniform presence on the street and to that extent they undertake foot patrol as their prime function. Only very occasionally will a CSO be on board a police vehicle.

So, the answer to the question is that whilst CSO’s do provide the lion’s share of foot patrol, police officers, in particular the CBM’s do ‘go on foot’ on a regular basis.

Hope that answers the question. Please get in touch if you want to find something out about policing in Rhyl. Next week I will give you some idea about the end of year performance for policing in the town.

Thanks for reading,
Rob Kirman.

Rhyl plans are vote of confidence

Posted by Dan Owen on March 26, 2007 10:50 AM

A PLANNED multi-million pound development was last night hailed as a massive vote of confidence in a North Wales seaside resort.
Rhyl’s £85m Ocean Plaza project, unveiled last October, moved a step closer this week with the plans going on public display for the first time.
The detailed proposals by developers Modus Properties will be considered by Denbighshire County Council, along with accompanying studies on the retail and regeneration impact.
The scheme, on the site of the Ocean Beach fairground, Downtown Club and car-park, includes 180 apartments, a new Asda superstore, offices, shops, a 60-bedroom hotel and a leisure centre with swimming-pool and gym.
The Asda store will replace the one in nearby Kinmel Bay.
Overlooking the Foryd harbour the complex will be fronted by a walkway – with the existing road being diverted behind the complex to join Wellington Road.
In a retail impact study consultants How Planning say the store and surrounding development will bring spin-offs for the town centre.
“This will not only bring benefits to local residents but will also be sustainable, giving the more central location of the new store,” they say.
“With the exception of the existing multiple retailers there is very little to attract people into Rhyl for shopping or preventing residents from travelling to Chester and Wrexham.
“There is also a need to bring further investment that will show confidence in Rhyl.”
The consultants conclude it will strengthen the existing centre of Rhyl while having only a low impact on businesses in neighbouring Prestatyn and Abergele.
The consultants also say that the scheme, the largest of its kind anywhere in North Wales, will also help address a shortage of office premises in the town.
The developers say that the views of the local community will be considered throughout the planning process.
If planning consent is forthcoming the scheme, which could provide an estimated 500-600 jobs, would take upwards of two years to complete the job.

New CCTV centre for Rhyl

Posted by Dan Owen on March 26, 2007 9:21 AM

Twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year the most watchful eyes in the UK are being kept over people going about their business in Rhyl and Prestatyn.

Denbighshire County Council has invested £360k in the new, recently opened CCTV centre which is the most up to date in Britain. With 22, 20 inch screens and five big screens taking input from 80 cameras it plays a big part in keeping people safe on the streets.

On average every month the centre reports 300 incidents involving the police and the nine operators believe that the very presence of the cameras acts as a deterrent to would be criminals or vandals.

A spokesperson for the new Centre said: "Quite often we get people making rude gestures at the cameras which reassures us that they know we are there and watching them. The cameras are obviously working as a deterrent to these sorts of people."

The centre works closely with North Wales Police who are also able to link up to the system from their Denbighshire headquarters in St Asaph.

Now if an operator spots an incident developing, police are immediately alerted on a rapid response dedicated line. They are then able to log on to the camera concerned and make an informed judgement as to how many personnel are needed to respond, saving vital time in dealing with potentially dangerous situations.

Cllr Elwyn Edwards, Cabinet lead member for Community Safety, said: "The Centre is also in direct radio communication with the police and works closely with the town link radio which has over 100 members who keep each other constantly informed of any potential problems."

Denbighshire has recently expanded the CCTV network to include Rhuddlan.

New Smoking Regulations at Belle Vue

Posted by Rhyl FC on March 23, 2007 10:14 AM

Health Act 2006.

“ Smoking in enclosed places regulations” 2007.

In accordance with the above Act it is required that from April 2nd, 2007

The majority of areas within Belle Vue will be subject to the ban on smoking. All covered stands, offices, dressing Rooms complex, Directors Lounges, and toilets etc will all be included. The area where the ban will not be enforced are the Grange Road, uncovered stands and adjacent open areas, and the car parks. Denbighshire County Council are the enforcement agency. The penalties to both offenders and Premises owners are severe and our Stewards will be asked to enforce the rules.

The Welsh Assembly, who have initiated the ban, have confirmed that, although stadiums in general have open fronted stands, they are still subject to the law under the ‘substantially enclosed’ definition in the Regulations.

JPFurnival

Licensing Officer

Meeting of Friends

Posted by Dan Owen on March 21, 2007 10:14 AM

The next meeting of the hospital League of Friends will take place on Friday March 30 at 2.30pm in the committee room.
The meeting on April 6 has been cancelled as it is Good Friday.

Toddle time!

Posted by Dan Owen on March 21, 2007 10:11 AM

A free toddler group where tots can play and learn is available in Rhyl.
The Rhyl South West Central Residents host the group for 1-3-year-olds at the Botanical gardens during term time from 9am-11am.
The sessions are free to residents.

Another day – Another Blog

Posted by North Wales Police on March 15, 2007 4:41 PM

If it’s good enough for the Chief Officers of our force I reckon it must be good enough for me. My name is Rob Kirman and I am the District Inspector responsible for delivering policing in North Denbighshire. My area covers Prestatyn, St Asaph, Bodelwyddan, Rhuddlan, Dyserth and of course Rhyl. With that established I want to welcome you to the first Blog relating to North Denbighshire, and in particular Rhyl.

I have had a long hard think, mainly at home in the bath about what subject to open up with, and I have finally settled on the men and women that provide you with a policing service 24 hours a day, every single day of the year. Ladies and gentlemen I give you the humble response officer.

No doubt you know lots about your local CBM or PCSO, and will also have an opinion about our traffic officer colleagues and the helicopter and the police horses and CID and the……. you get the picture. However, I doubt if you give much thought to those officers who respond to the range of demands that are placed upon us day in and day out. These officers are the unsung heroes of the service and I sometimes feel they are overlooked, not only by the service itself but also by the general public.

If it wasn’t for The Bill would any of you actually know anything about uniform policing in this country? (Not that I’m suggesting it reflects life in Rhyl, for a more detailed discussion speak to Sgt Jonny Hill – he’s an ex-Met officer).

Anyway, back to my response officers in Rhyl. I’ve already pointed out that all day every day you can call on highly trained and dedicated officers who will try and resolve any and all problems posed to them. My staff have waded into the sea to rescue people in trouble, disarmed maniacs with knifes, picked up the pieces after collisions on the roads (quite literally) and are invariably the first officers to attend murders, rapes and all other forms of serious crime.

Each officer is a member of a rota of officers, so called because they work shifts that rotate through the month ensuring each works a morning, late or night shift or has the day off. Each rota is led by a sergeant who is responsible for the quality of the work they complete.

I've attached below a ‘Day in the Life’ of one of my best response officers, Les Jones. Have a read. It’s straight from the horse’s mouth…..oh oh more controversy! Don’t mention the horses, as Basil Fawlty didn’t say!

Right, that’s enough for this instalment. Let me know what you want to appear here. At the risk of sounding insincere this will only work if you respond and tell me what you want. I welcome debate about any subject and can only promise that I will answer any questions truthfully…whether or not you like the answer you get is another thing!

Rhyl painting under the hammer

Posted by Dan Owen on March 15, 2007 9:33 AM

A PAINTING by LS Lowry thought to depict Rhyl in summer is expected to fetch up to £500,000 at auction.
Auction house Christie’s yesterday announced they were to sell “the finest and most comprehensive” private collection from Lowry this June.
Although the exact location in the painting is unclear, it is expected to raise between £300,000 and £500,000.
Experts think the beach scene could be Rhyl, because the artist spent a large part of his youth and his later years there.
Six paintings, all created between 1944 and 1963 by the Salford-born artist, will go under the hammer at Christie’s in London in June, and are expected to raise around £3m.
They are all being sold by a private owner.
The highlight of the collection is said to be Lowry’s 1946 work Good Friday, Daisy Nook, painted at a festival in the Lancashire village. It is expected to make up to £1.5m.
However, the third most valuable painting going up for auction is thought to feature Rhyl.
Beach and Promenade depicts dozens of holidaymakers on the beach in front of an industrial building and gazebo on a promenade.
Painted in 1948, it is unclear where the scene was based, but a Christie’s spokesman said it is thought to be drawn from the painter’s experiences in North Wales and Lytham St Anne’s in Lancashire.
Ruth Salisbury, of the Lowry Museum in Salford, said: “Lowry drew a lot of inspiration from his time in North Wales.
“But a lot of his work was part-fact, part-fiction, and he saw bits he liked from some places and put them together with others.
“It is hard to say how much of this is Lytham and how much is Rhyl – the gazebo in the background is in different paintings in different places. But he did travel extensively, and the idea he stayed in (his home village) Mottram is a myth.”
Among the better-known Rhyl paintings by Lowry is one of Edward Henry Street in the town’s West End.
The Edward Henry Street painting was put up for auction by Christie’s three years ago with an estimate of £20,000.
Rhyl Town Council hoped to buy the painting but missed out as bids topped £60,000.
The works of art will go on sale during British Art Week in the first week of June, and some examples can be viewed at Christie’s in Nantwich, Cheshire, on May 30.

Investigations into shop fire

Posted by Dan Owen on March 15, 2007 9:32 AM

AN INVESTIGATION was under way yesterday after a motorcycle shop was gutted by fire.
Firefighters were called to the shop in Wellington Road, Rhyl, shortly after 10pm on Tuesday.
A North Wales Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said: “The shop premises were severely damaged by the fire, which also caused slight damage to the adjacent shop buildings.”

New Town Councillor elected for the East Ward

Posted by Rhyl Town Council on March 14, 2007 3:47 PM

John Bellis, 11 Glendower Court, East Parade, Rhyl has been elected as the new Town Councillor for the East Ward at the poll held on 1st March. Mr Bellis is a Welsh Conservative and he defeated two other candidates - one for Labour and a British National candidate. The turnout was low at 36% but Mr Bellis polled 279 votes with Labour second on 226.

Rhyl FC supporting children in Rwanda

Posted by Rhyl FC on March 14, 2007 3:29 PM

Working closely with SignPost a charitable organisation helping people in deprived countries, the club donated some "used" playing kit and footballs which were taken over to Rwanda to donate to the young children in a village called BUE.
The kit and balls were greatly welcomed and were immediately put to use by the children who organised a football match.
A picture was made by the children out of dried banana skins and depicts them playing a match in the Lilywhites kit.
Mal Jackson the Commercial Director commented " The kit and balls were lying around in our stores, so it made good sense to donate them to SignPost. To hear the response from the children and the thrill they got, from what to us, is a day to day item, was wonderful and very touching.To have them send back the picture highlights the enjoyment and kindness that these children have towards such actions from ourselves and the other numerous organisations that donate goods or other items".

Sponsored walk

Posted by Dan Owen on March 14, 2007 11:35 AM

The Humane Research Trust is holding a sponsored walk on April 7 starting at noon from the Events Arena to Ffrith Gardens in Prestatyn. For more details contact Pearl Davies on 07769 504463.

New bridge for Rhyl?

Posted by Dan Owen on March 14, 2007 11:10 AM

Plans for building a new bridge between Rhyl and Kinmel Bay have received a boost in the form of entry into a competition to win a Big Lottery Funding grant.
The bridge would be situated on Foryd harbour and would from part of the National Cycle Route running between Chester and Holyhead.
Sustrans, the charity which deals with sustainable transport issues will assess the different competition entries and decide which will go forward to the next round.
Winners will be decided by television vote later this year.
To give your support to the scheme visit www.sustransconnect2.org.uk

Drink up!

Posted by Dan Owen on March 14, 2007 11:07 AM

A coffee morning is being held at the Vale Association Resource Centre, Cefndy Road this Saturday at 10am to noon.
Admission is 50p including refreshments.

Rhyl named in North Wales top crime spots

Posted by Dan Owen on March 13, 2007 9:39 AM

Two Rhyl streets have been named in the ten most crime ridden areas in North Wales.
The information was released to the Daily Post after a Freedom of Information request.
But North Wales Police refused to say how many crimes were reported or give details of the offences.
They also refused to list the streets in order.
Both Wellington Road and the High Street are featured in the list which is topped by Bangor High Street.
To read the full story click here.

Twin bridges a world apart

Posted by Dan Owen on March 9, 2007 9:35 AM

Bridge

CELEBRATIONS are being planned to mark the 75th anniversary of a North Wales landmark – a replica of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Foryd bridge which crosses the River Clwyd at Rhyl was built at the same time as its more famous Australian cousin. And while the view from the Rhyl crossing may not be quite as impressive, it is still a source of pride to local people now involved in talks to determine how to mark the anniversary.
The steel bridge, commonly known as the Blue Bridge, links Rhyl and Kinmel Bay and was opened in 1932.
It replaced an old stone bridge whose pillars can still be seen. Before that the river was crossed by ferry.
Like its Sydney counterpart, the Rhyl bridge was designed and built by the Dorman Long company.
Based in Middlesbrough the firm started life in 1875 as an iron and steel works making bars and angles for ships before specialising in the manufacture of structures.
Among the bridges built by the company are the Tyne bridge, in Newcastle, the Menai suspension bridge which replaced Telford’s original structure, the Bosphorus bridge, in Turkey, Victoria Falls bridge, in Zimbabwe, Chien Tang river bridge, in China, Tamar Bridge, in Devon, the Humber Bridge, near Hull, and New Carquinez bridge, in San Francisco.
In 1990 the firm merged with the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company.
One of its most recent high-profile contracts is the controversial new Wembley Stadium.
Towyn and Kinmel Bay town councillor Gareth Parry suggested celebrating the Foryd Bridge’s 75th anniversary on June 16.
The authority will now meet members of Rhyl town council.
“I think it is quite a significant milestone and it would be nice to mark it in some way, even if it just means the two mayors meeting in the middle,” said Mr Parry.
They are keen to trace a man believed to be the last person to cross the old bridge and the first to cross the new bridge after the opening in 1932.
“I understand that he still lives in the area and it would be nice to invite him along to whatever ceremony we have,” said Mr Parry.
He recalls his dad telling him the old stone bridge was so unsafe passengers had to get off the bus to walk over the bridge before resuming their journey.
His suggestion has the backing of Rhyl councillor Ian Armstrong, former commodore of Rhyl Yacht Club.
“I’m 100% behind the idea. I don’t think the bridge has had the attention it deserves in the past,” he said.

Lemar comes to town

Posted by Dan Owen on March 9, 2007 9:24 AM

RISING star Lemar still clings to some sound advice from king of laidback soul Lionel Richie. The 28-year-old singer and the US maestro sang Richie’s world-wide hit Easy together on TV’s Fame Academy, launching Lemar’s chart-topping career.
"He was great. He was such a nice guy," said Lemar. "He told me ‘Never stop learning. You have to stay at the forefront of your game. Or someone who is rehearsing now will take your place’."
Lemar added: "For all the millions he’s made, he’s such a cool character."
It’s been a dream journey for amiable Lemar. Born to Nigerian parents, he grew up in Tottenham. As a youth he mimiced The Jacksons with brothers Dwayne, Michael and sister Elaine using mops as microphones.
Since finishing third in TV’s Fame Academy he’s enjoyed a string of hits and sold two million albums. His latest single Tick Tock, released on March 19, comes from his platinum-selling album The Truth About Love.
And he’ll perform songs from it when he kicks off a 19-date UK tour at Rhyl’s Pavilion Theatre on Tuesday, before heading for major shows in Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff and ending up in London.
"I was there (in Rhyl) two years ago and it was great. I’m hoping for a repeat performance," he said.
So how does he describe his music? He reckons its "soulful" and counts his influences as the late James Brown, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.
He’s worked with Joss Stone and Mica Paris, among others, on his new album – "Mica was a nice lady. Joss is a happy-go-lucky girl."
So where next? "I’d like to produce more albums and maybe go into movies," he said.
Despite his success he seems relaxed about setbacks. At last month’s Brit Awards he lost out to James Morrison for the best male solo artist – but still reckons it kept his profile up.
Lemar performs at Rhyl’s Pavilion Theatre on Tuesday at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £18.50 available on 0870 330 0000

Age no object to Wendy

Posted by Dan Owen on March 7, 2007 10:11 AM

By Everybodyz Gym
Wendy1.jpg

Wendy Taylor came to work for us at EveryBodyz Gym in Rhyl and brought with her her enthusiasm and obvious love of people and exercise.

Wendy successfully completed, with top marks, the Fitness Instructors course with Focus Training. She recalls “ the course was very intense but very satisfying and has boosted my knowledge to the benefit of all our