Showing posts from March, 2020
There was a dreadful pall hanging over Rhuthun/Ruthin this morning. It was like Lewis & Hunter but worse and widespread. Or perhaps like burning tyres. The smell even managed to get indoors. The scene over Glasdir this morning at 7a.m. It t…
Here's a new phenomenon. A couple of closed shops have cleared out their windows. You cannot blame them, even though, we trust, the likelihood of a smash 'n' grab is limited but each one nevertheless leaves an unsightly, drab and unattra…
In little over a fortnight, we have seen supermarket queues & stockpiling, a run on lavatory paper and on sanitsing hand gel, before some of us even knew we needed it. We've witnessed schools close, then cafés & pubs. Many people are now w…
What does lockdown mean for Rhuthun/Ruthin? Virtually no shops open and a solitary person this lunchtime on Well Street, three people on Clwyd Sreet and one person on the Square retrieving money from the HSBC cash machine to use, well, we aren't s…
My own exercise this morning was at exactly the same time as yesterday's . What struck me was the change in traffic. Yesterday, volumes were near normal. Today, far fewer cars were on the road. Yesterday was the day after the prime minister's …
Day One of Lockdown and I cannot report on the state of our town, because I'm heeding government advice and staying put. I was interested in an outdoor interview on the radio this afternoon with the Metropolitan police commissioner Cressida Dick. …
A beautiful sunny day, if a little chilly in a stiff breeze. Also, it's Mothering Sunday. Yet, in spite of both of these factors, it was so incredibly quiet. Traffic, yes, but fewer in number. We've all been warned that the kindest thing i…
Town was busier this Saturday morning than last, even though the picture below doesn't show it. We suspect this was simply because people continue to ensure they have their essentials and it was this that was driving business. And, the prime minis…
This is an incredibly sad day for Rhuthun/Ruthin. And already you can hear the click of tomorrow's headline writers' keyboards. "Time called on pub gatherings". "Last orders for Britain's pubs". Tonight, the town is s…
More and more signs are appearing on business doorways and windows. They inform patrons of changes to hours, expected changes of behaviour or complete closures, thanks to coronavirus and the school situation , as proprietors and staff get used to the …
The first day of working from home. I now have my office laptop, office monitor, office keyboard and office mouse alongside my own personal set-up. Oh, and I have my office chair. It's less comfortable but more adaptable. I seem to be staring down…
I watched while a colleague packed up her work belongings into a cardboard box and left, because her stepson had been sent home with a cough. With her went her laptop, her screen and her plants. She'll be off for 14 days but won't return, work…
Even before this evening's momentous though predictable proclamations, it was clear that County Hall was beginning to shut down. So, for example, today was the last day for the division within the Education department supporting schools,…
Traffic was moving about today but otherwise this morning the town was quite—till you reached B & M, the Co-op and Tesco. B & M's car park was full (but that doesn't take much) and there was a buzz of customer movement outside and with…
Absolutely no frozen peas in the Co-op this afternoon of any brand. Why these? Why pease? Is this the latest commodity to be in short supply? Well, no. The Co-op truck driver with today's bulk delivery—including peasen—had a crash. We can expe…
Was it the news from Ruthin Town FC that sparked today's Tesco rush? Was this enough to engender if not alarm then a mass wave of customers? Or was it the prime minister's statement yesterday? No one seemed panicked, rushed or ill-mannered but…
"President Conte signed the new declaration with further measures in relation to containment and management of the epidemiological emergency from Covid-19 throughout the country" (March 11th) It ain't gonna happen (at least not yet)…
There was no approval today for the 77 units planned by Clwyd Alyn housing adjacent to Taylor Wimpey's Glasdir . Councillors rejected the proposal by nine votes to four. This in spite of an officer recommendation for approval. If not here, wh…
In the light of world events , it may be a case of bad timing but the new owners of and manager at Ruthin Castle are really pushing things. They want locals to come, in a way that no other recent owner has (let's be honest, the Castle's never …
