11 November 2021 - FAIRY TALE HOME BUILT FOR $5,000

 

FAIRY TALE HOME 

BUILT FOR $5,000 

G'day folks,

Everyone has always wanted their life to be a fairytale, right? Either way, you know those stories that just make you smile, yes this will be one of those.

Meet Simon Dale, a family man who lives in Wales. His love for design helped him with his dream.

 One of the main reasons Simon built this home is because, “It’s fun. Living your own life, in your own way is rewarding. Following our dreams keeps our souls alive.”

 The home is constructed from wood, stone, straw, and has a sod roof. It’s heated with a wood fireplace and has a solar panel for power. Most materials were scavenged and refurbished appliances. The effect, though, isn’t of a run-down get-by-with second-best . It’s creative, artistic, elegant, and cozy. It is, in fact, magical.

 The attention to making the home eco-friendly extends to a compost toilet, the use of straw over a plastic layer for insulation, and a refrigerator that’s cooled with air that flows from under the home’s foundation. Cement is a high carbon emitter, so the interior walls are finished with lime plaster instead of cement plaster.

 

Clancy's comment: Wow. What a cute home.

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4 September 2021 - MASSIVE POT FACTORY FOUND IN TUNNEL IN WALES

 

MASSIVE POT FACTORY FOUND

 IN TUNNEL IN WALES 

 

G'day folks,

Recently in North Wales, police were tipped off about a legal mushroom farm. 

They arrived at the location which was located deep inside old abandoned railway tunnels. They were aware that this was a legal operation housing a mushroom farm in the underground tunnels. What they were called about had nothing to do with the mushrooms. Police raided the railway tunnels and found huge steel doors, a secret entrance, and gates which lead to something very serious.

 

 

They found 5 secret growing rooms, one of which a street value of over $373,000 dollars. The combined value of all five rooms equals to be over $3,315,000 dollars! During the drug bust, four men were taken into custody, all of which plead guilty.

 

 The abandoned railway tunnels served as a perfect secret place with ideal conditions to grow the class B drug in North Wales.

 

 The people who were caught, arrested, and charged are not the people behind the operation. They never found the ones responsible for funding the drug operation. They were simply employees of a legitimate mushroom business as well as the illegal marijuana grow operation. Authorities found 1,207 plants in various stages of growth in the 5 grow rooms. 

 

They also found 4 large irrigation rooms and a substation that powered the operation. Roads were rebuilt for use and huge steel doors were installed. This was no small venture. Police say that this was one of the best designed and constructed drug operations they have ever come across.

 

Clancy's comment: Mm ... a great idea has now gone up in smoke.

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31 October 2019 - REMAINS OF 1925 DAM DISASTER IN WALES

REMAINS OF 1925 

DAM DISASTER IN WALES

G'day folks,

Here is another dam disaster. The worst flood disaster in Welsh history might have been a lot worse if it had not happened on movie night. 

Llyn Eigiau, a lake at the edge of the Carneddau mountains in Snowdonia, Wales, was the origin of the worst dam disaster in Welsh history. The devastating flood of 1925 is commemorated by a plaque placed on the massive boulders that came to rest after destroying much of the village of Dolgarrog.

In 1911, a dam three-quarters of a mile long and 35 feet high was built across part of the eastern side of the lake to supply water for the hydroelectric power station in the village and power the aluminum works next to the station. A new tramway was constructed to bring materials for the dam from Dolgarrog.

It is reported that the original contractor withdrew from the project, unhappy that corners were being cut in the construction of the dam. And indeed, his misgivings were realized. In November, 1925, after 26 inches of rain fell in just five days, the Eigiau dam failed. The water flowed down to Coedty Reservoir, which rapidly caused its earth bank dam to burst as well and release billions of gallons of water.

The torrent of water, estimated at over 70 billion gallons, flowed down into the village of  Dolgarrog, creating massive damage and leading to the loss of 16 lives. The death toll could have been worse, but it was fortunate that the breach occurred on the night when the local community hall was used as a cinema. The hall was on slightly higher ground, and many of the town residents were safe inside.

The force of water carried some massive boulders (some as heavy as 200 tonnes) down to into the village, which was destroyed by the flood. Gwilym Wyn Roberts, whose mother survived the flood, told the BBC that “Cows were seen hanging from the trees and the aluminum works were submerged under 5 feet of mud.”

These boulders are now marked with a memorial plaque, and the village has been rebuilt away from the devastated area. The remains of the dam are easily accessible on foot from a parking lot about half a mile away from the breached dam wall.

A close look at the remains of the Eigiau dam today reveals that the foundations were insufficient, and close observation reveals large lumps of unmixed concrete. The dam material that can be seen through existing holes tends to break away easily and is clearly badly graded. After the disaster, an additional breach was created in the dam to ensure that water could not build up to dangerous levels. A Parliamentary investigation led to more stringent rules on British dam construction, as part of the Reservoirs (Safety Provisions) Act in 1930.

Today the lake covers an area of about 120 acres (about half the impounded area when the dam was in use) and is only about 32 foot deep.

Clancy's comment: It sure could have been a lot worse, eh?

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26 August 2015 - PRINCE WILLIAM

PRINCE WILLIAM

G'day folks,

Welcome to one of the more popular members of the royal family. Prince William is the eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales, and is next in line for the British throne after his father.

Synopsis

Prince William is the eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales and is the next in line to the British throne after his father. He was strongly affected by his parents' divorce in 1996 and his mother's tragic death in 1997 and expressed discomfort at the growing attention he received as he reached adulthood. William served in the Royal Air Force and supports numerous charities. On April 29, 2011, he made international headlines when he married his college sweetheart, Kate Middleton, at Westminster Abbey. The couple's son Prince George, third in line to the throne, was born on July 22, 2013. Their second child, a daughter, was born on May 2, 2015.

Early Life

Prince William was born Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor on June 21, 1982, in London, England, the eldest son of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Charles, Prince of Wales. His official title is "His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales."

 William attended Mrs. Mynor's Nursery school in West London (1985-87), Wetherby School in Kensington, London (1987-90), and Ludgrove School in Wokingham (1990-95). In 1995, at the urging of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William (nicknamed "Wills") entered Eton College, one of England's most prestigious secondary schools. A serious student with excellent grades, he also excelled in sports at Eton, particularly swimming. With his father and brother, he enjoys outdoor sports including riding, skiing, shooting and fishing.

As he is directly in line to the British throne after his father, Charles, he spends a good deal of time at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth, who is very concerned with his upbringing and career development.

Affected by both his parents' divorce in 1996 and his mother's tragic death in 1997, the tall and handsome young William publicly stated his dislike for the press, and expressed discomfort with the growing attention he received from love-struck adolescent girls. William gives the impression of being a well-mannered, responsible and mature young man who shows a strong sense of duty and loyalty to the royal family, fully aware of the role he is to play in the future as the King of England.

 Military Service and Philanthropy

 

Upon his graduation from Eton, William took a break from his studies to visit South America and Africa. He then attended Scotland's St Andrew's University, where he received a degree in geography in 2005. Following in the footsteps of his younger brother, Prince Harry, William joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as a military cadet and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry in December 2006. In 2008, he was appointed to be a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He is now training to be a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force.

Along with his military career, William supports numerous charities, including serving as patron to Centrepoint, an organization for homeless youth, and the Tusk Trust, which is dedicated to the preservation of African wildlife. In 2007, William and his brother Harry hosted a special concert to celebrate their late mother and raise funds for charities that Princess Diana supported during her life as well as charities supported by the princes.

 Kate Middleton

 

As the future king of England, William's personal life has been the subject of much media attention. He had been romantically linked to Kate Middleton; the couple met while attending St. Andrew's University. Rumors of a possible engagement swirled around the pair for months, but to the surprise of royal watchers, the couple announced that they were splitting up in April 2007. However, in the time since that announcement, Middleton had attended several public and official events, as well as traveled on vacation with Prince William. Speculation about a wedding engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton continued to swell.

On November 16, 2010, it was announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged. Prince William had popped the question in October during a holiday in Kenya, using his mother's engagement ring. It was also stated that the couple would live in North Wales, where Prince William is stationed with the Royal Air Force. Middleton is not of royal or aristocratic lineage, which is a break from longtime royal tradition.

 With his marriage at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, the Queen officially conferred her grandson with the title William, Duke of Cambridge, as well as the additional titles Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.

Royal Pregnancy

On December 3, 2012, after almost a year of baby rumors and much speculation, St. James Palace officially announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were pregnant with their first child.

Prince William's child with Middleton will be the Queen's third great-grandchild and will be the third in line, next to Prince Charles and Prince William, to become heir to the throne. 

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby," the official statement confirmed the pregnancy. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."

 In September 2014, the couple announced that Kate Middleton was pregnant with their second child.

Royal Births

Anticipating the arrival of Middleton and Prince William's first born, international media outlets camped out in front of St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington at the beginning of July 2013. St. Mary's was the same hospital where Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William and later Prince Harry.

On July 22, 2013, the palace announced Middleton had given birth to a baby boy, weighing in at 8 pounds and 6 ounces, at 4:24 p.m. local time. Two days later, the baby's name was revealed: George Alexander Louis, who will be known as "His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge."

Nearly two months after his son's birth, Prince William announced that he would be leaving the military. He has decided to focus on his royal responsibilities and his charity work. According to BBC News, Prince William will devote much of his energy to wildlife conservation. He explained that "The threats to our natural heritage are extensive, but I believe that this collaboration of the best minds in conservation will provide the impetus for a renewed commitment and action to protect endangered species and habitats for future generations."

While still maintaining his royal duties, Prince William announced in 2014 that he would be taking a position as a pilot for Bond Air Services, an air ambulance company. He started training for the position in 2015. With this new role, Prince William is believed to be the first British royal heir to work in the private sector. His salary will be donated to charity. 

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their second child on May 2, 2015. The Duchess gave birth to a daughter, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces, at 8:34 a.m. local time at St Mary's Hospital. The baby is the Queen's fifth great-grandchild and the fourth in line to the throne after her brother Prince George.   

Clancy's Comment: What a shame that most public figures, especially politicians, are not as genuine and likeable as this young bloke and his brother, Harry. Both of them are charming young men.

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