As mentioned here earlier in the week, the ITV drama about the sub-postmasters versus the Post Office, that was followed by a documentary about the issue, has clarified for all how this has been construed as ““one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history“. Alan Bates, former sub-postmaster in Craig-y-Don, has co-ordinated and led an incredible campaign. Click Here to catch up with the News about the Met’s ongoing investigation into potential fraud regarding monies that the Post Office recovered from sub-postmasters as a result of prosecutions.
Our Social Committee might like to consider this suggestion as an outing for Club Members in 2024. Mental gymnastics to keep everyone trim before next season – does that sound like a good idea? You decide. Click Here to Escape from here and find out more.
Gary J plans his escape over the wire to be followed by shinning up the handy drainpipe
How would you like to have your name written on a message in a bottle? And, how about that message being delivered to somewhere that is nowhere on Earth? Well, this year is your chance for just such an opportunity. NASA will launch the Europa Clipper in October 2024, sending it on its way to visit Europa, a very cold moon of Jupiter. This moon is rather icy so the mission hopes to identify whether there are places to support life below its icy exterior.
Ok, so it won’t actually be a message in a bottle but all the names will be etched onto microchips attached to the space craft to accompany a poem especially written for the event. So, your name could be journeying about 1.8 billion miles on the mission, ending up on Europa itself. There are other ways to participate too, so just trawl around their website to see for yourself. If you are afraid of alien retribution then don’t do it, but it looks fairly safe to participate! Click Here to learn more. (This will take you to the Earth based website for more details).
Elaine Beech and family spotted this item online so thanks to them.
Our thoughts are with all our friends and/or relatives who are not so well at present, and to their nearest and dearest. We send out best wishes and hope that 2024 will bring you better health.
Do you recognise this fresh-faced 13-year old schoolboy from a newspaper article in 1964 – a mere 60-years ago?
From 1964-1966 Ian Wilson, then aged 13-17, appeared a lot in the local newspapers and also in the Daily Express and the Sunday Express. At that time he lived in Penmaenmawr and was a member of the town’s crown green bowls club.
Why was Ian in the papers? Because he shook up the bowling world when, at the age of just 13-years, the youngest bowler ever, he was selected as a county bowls player. This was followed just a year later with a place in the Wales team. At 17-years old he played soccer for Wales too.
Photographs of Ian extracted from just some of the newspaper articles about his marvellous success
In response to his selection as a county bowls player aged-13, Johnny Neal, the Secretary of the North Wales League said, “Bowls is no longer an old man’s game and there should be no age barriers.”
Ian’s tutor in crown green bowls was his grandfather – Dafydd Thomas. When Ian won Penmaenmawr’s Bryan Cup, aged-13 in 1964, it was a very special moment for him and his family as his grandfather had won the trophy in 1932, the inaugural year of the Cup.
At the grand old age of just 14-years, just a year after shaking up the bowling community, he was unanimously voted in as the Skipper of his Penmaenmawr bowling club’s Wednesday evening team.
Still a Winner – Ian receives the Hornby Cup from Mary Hughes, President of Vardre Deganwy, in September 2023. (They don’t make Cups like they used to!)
If you’re out tonight with others celebrating the arrival of next year then remember to keep out of trouble and have a really good evening. If you’re on your own, or with one or two others, you also need to remember to keep out of trouble and have a really good evening.
Until we all meet up again on the other side of the midnight chimes have a Happy sober-or-not-quite-so-sober New Year.
P.S. Remember to check our website tomorrow morning for a little bit of special information!
Starting on 1st January 2024, and running over 4-nights, is the new ITV Drama: “Mr. Bates vs the Post Office“. It is based on real-life events following the introduction of a computerised system within the Post Office. The drama itself was filmed in Llandudno during the summer of 2023.
The final episode of the drama is followed, on Thursday 4th January, by a documentary about this issue which could be seen as “one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history“.
In the USA today, they will be celebrating “No Interruptions Day“. So, if you have friends and relatives in the States, then you can join in with their celebrations by not telephoning or emailing them. Be steadfast in your support.
Nigel demonstrates how not to interrupt Rog whilst he’s measuring
Vardre Deganwy Crown Green Bowling Club 