The Abergele Visitor from Abergele, Clwyd, Wales • 2

2-THE VISITOR Thursday January 4 1996 Big thaw heralds in a soggy New Year Rhuddlan Borough District Sports Council Rhuddlan Borough Council HOCKEY COACHING RHYL SPORTS CENTRE SUNDAYS 10-11 Primary age 11-12 Secondary age (re-start Sunday 8th January 1996) For further details tel Nicki Harrison (01745)345000 Ext 383 -i time has been the accompanying east wind which with its chill factor has blown into and frozen overflow pipes that face east We even thawed out some houses which then he added There was havoc too on the roads with the RAC working at three times the normal capacity for this time of year Their spokesman Andrew Wet-ters said most of the calls were from people who had not prepared for the weather and have enough antifreeze in their cooling systems of the more unusual methods some used to try and defrost their car was to use a blow torch on the engine needless to say that caused severe damage in he said Motor accessory shops reported brisk business with many running out of anti-freeze and de-icer There was also a boom in sales of winter clothing Alan Middleman of the Famous Army Stores in Rhyl said they had sold Out of gloves and had a run on hats and wellies Alun Edwards manager of The Pet Place in Abergele said on Friday: had an increase in sales of wellies clothing and bottles of gas as well as the pet food By Karen Collin FREEZING weather brought a chaotic New Year to the region asl996 blew in on a blast of Arctic air Plumbers have been inundated with calls since Boxing Day to rescue householders from a very soggy Bank Holiday after water pipes burst have been working solidly since last Thursday Most of the work I have been doing is simply making houses safe and then be going back to do the actual repairs as soon as I said Kevin Hughes of Crescent Plumbing Services Abergele Fire crews were called out to deal with flooding but the only advice they were able to give was to shut the supply off and call out a plumber Owners of the Sandpiper Hotel on West Parade Rhyl came home at 5pm on New Years Day to find that their water tank had fallen through the ceiling at 430 in the morning have not even bothered to look at the damage yet We came home yesterday and the electricity had Doug Roberts and Winford Davies at Elwy Hall where it was a case of bailing out with buckets rity Shoot Bolts Hinges Gas Filled Glass Units Equal to SUPERB QUALITY SUPREME SAFETY FULL PEACE OF MIND INVEST IN THE BEST SPECIAL OFFER 7 Windows from £1890 Glass cannot be taken out from the outside making it almost impossible to break in FITTED AND INCLUDING VAT SPECIAL CHRISTMAS OFFER 75 OFF GLASS Ring for details WtftJ BEAUTIFUL CONSERVATORIES PORCHES INVEST IN THE BEST FOR PEACE OF MIND Frea Fun Design Service Free Estimates PVCu Hardwoo Softwood rloial Security Domestic Shutters Fit our safety shutters eg 2 windows 1 door from only Cl 485 SEND FOR BROCHURES INTRODUCING OUR PVC CLADDING White Brown Hardly needs maintenance CLADDING FACIAS SOFFITS GUTTERS Call in the experts for free estimates lid Johnson Sons Osrtord Road I Tal: (01746)345345 Mochdra Colwyn Bay Tal: (01492) $40941544(11 Tat: (01745) 501404571000 ava been turned off upstairs so we have seen the damage then because it was too dark We did manage to get the electric back on in the rest of the said a spokeswoman for the hotel At Elwy Hall Grange Road in Rhyl firemen were called to pump out the cellars on Tuesday morning Council workers were on constant standby as calls flooded in from council tenants beginning on Boxing Day onwards only sine way to stop burst pipes is to keep the heating on 24 hours a day in the freezing weather but unfortunately many of our tenants cannot afford this so they end up with explained Ray Edwards chief works officer for Rhuddlan Borough Council major problem this Hospital in water Feeling the freeze on farm ST ASAPH FURNITURE CENTRE SHOP EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS crisis A HOSPITAL was forced to cancel operations when the water supply was unexpectedly cut off Staff at Abergele Hospital had to resort to emergency measures last Thursday as pumps to the service reservoir failed And 10 operations scheduled for Thursday and Friday had to be cancelled until a later date while Welsh Water rectified the problem with their pumps Gian Clwyd Trust director of operations Mr Ian Bellingham said: reasonable amount of disrup-tion was caused as operating lists had to be cancelled and emergency supplies The water was off from 930am to 530pm but a spokesman for Welsh Water said the hospital was not left completely high and dry was water there it was just not getting pumped up to the The trust are hoping to re-schedule the cancelled operations for a weekend at the end of January For Glyn Roberts of Llanfair TH there was at least water in the well THE WORDS of the carol were right when farmers faced up to one of the bleakest mid-winters on record And it has proved to be one of the most difficult Christmases for farmers in decades according to Clwyd NFU Chairman Tecwyn Evans who farms at Plas Matw Llangernyw Advice given out nationally just after the Christmas period was for people not to travel and to stay indoors But for farmers who had to face the big freeze problems included freezing water pipes frozen farm machinery getting enough food to their livestock and cows suffering from pneumonia Mr Evans who farms at Plas Matw said: have been a hell of a lot of difficulties One of the main things is trying to unfreeze pipes so the animals can have water A wide range of 3-piece suites Sprung Edge Huge Reductions Any style colour a wide choice for immediate free delivery Bernard Malethan who sits as a member of the Council for Wales and farms at Pen Fron Gwyther-in was encountering other difficulties which included the possibility that snow drifts could stop tanker deliveries Mr Malethan said: of us are having to carry our milk to where the tanker can collect it But I think farmers are prepared for weather like this I think the further you go into the hills the more prepared people are animals are also very hungry and another problem facing us is that cattle are catching pneumonia think it has been the worst Christmas I can remember for weather and been farming for 45 years was Boxing Day when it really started up here there were six inch drifts lying all over the place and what really afraid of now is if a wind gets up and blows the snow onto the roads be cut REPRODUCTION FURNITURE I Welsh Dutch dressers corner cabinets Nathan Jack Sakol lounge furniture in stock Teak mahogany Hi- Fi units TVvideo units SHERBOl RNE IX LINERS SPECIAL OFFER Save t's Comfort Style Complete relaxation Benefits bring some cold comfort A COMPLETE FLOOR OF BEDROOM IT RMTI RE New in Silentnihl range Matching chests mirrors rohes etc Lower Denbigh St Asaph Tel: According to the Benefits Agency who receive Income Support with either an amount for a child under five or certain Income Support premiums may get an extra £850 for each declared cold weather period Cold weather payments are decided by area and the temperature of affected areas is taken at the local weather station The weather stations CHRISTMAS GIFTS Wine tables lamps mirrors that showed that Abergele and other local areas sank below the cold threshold are at Shawbury Capel Curig and Aughton The areas affected by very cold weather were those with the postcodes: LL 11-14 LL 15-19 LL 20-21 LL 22 and LL 24-27 People should get a giro in the post so there is no need to make a claim TO prove that every storm cloud has a silver lining the areas worst affected by the snow and who will be eligible for an extra payment because of the cold weather have been announced But the payments to support the cost heating and fuel will be paid automatically in the same way that people receive their giro FINANCE AkRANGED FREE CAR PARK FREE STORAGE Treat yourself this Christmas Mahogany leather executive desk Leather captain's chair to match Unbeatable value for money 16.