First postbox in Wales with King's cypher unveiled in Welshpool
The King's cypher consists of the initial of the monarch's name, Charles III, and title, Rex – Latin for King - beneath a Tudor crown. Postboxes were introduced across the UK in 1853 after a trial in the Channel Islands.The first in the UK bearing the King's cypher was unveiled in July last year in Cambridgeshire.
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Spectator
24-07-2025
- Spectator
The secrets of the Palm House at Kew
The news that the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, will begin a £60 million, five-year renovation in 2027 brought back to me a slew of memories from 1978, when I worked there for several months. The extraordinary fame and innovative nature of this unique Victorian building, with its curvilinear, cruciform shape, designed by Decimus Burton and constructed by Richard Turner, seemed to confer a kind of grandeur and significance on an otherwise pretty lowly and scruffy horticultural student. The special treat was the periodic 'weekend duty' when, after turning the enormous iron key in the door at eight o'clock on a weekend morning, for two blissful hours I had the entire building to myself, before the visitors began to wander in. Alone, that is, apart from the sparrows chattering high up in the palms and the menacing cockroaches that lived underneath the floor and came up through the vents to get at the bananas before we could. The temperature in the Palm House is kept at 21°C all year round, and my first task was to increase humidity by damping down the floors and spraying the leaves of tall palms, creating my own personal tropical rainstorm with a heavy-duty hosepipe. I wore the black leather clogs, with metal rails nailed to the wooden soles, that I had been issued on my first day at Kew, since they were much more comfortable and less slippery than wellington boots. The rest of the day was spent sweeping paths, 'picking over' dead leaves and watering pots on the staging – dull work enlivened by the presence of 1,000 plant species, from cocoa and rubber to jade vine and Madagascar periwinkle. The unpronounceable Latin name on the label protected the coca plants from theft. My only anxiety was that my inexpert watering might see off the oldest plant at Kew, an enormous cycad, Encephalartos altensteinii, from the Eastern Cape that had been collected in 1775 and lived in a crate in the Palm House since its opening. Every time I visit the Palm House, I give its leaning trunk an affectionate pat. One of the aims of the renovation is to change the heating system from gas boilers to air and water source pumps, in a drive to achieve carbon neutrality. That's a far cry from the original 12 coal-fired boilers, situated deep below the house, the smoke from which emerged from the Italian Romanesque campanile near the Victoria Gate. During the second world war, Kew's position close to the River Thames – a landmark used by Luftwaffe bombers to navigate on moonlit nights – resulted, on more than one occasion, in high explosive bombs falling on the gardens. One night, many of the panes in the Palm House were blown out, and the nearby Waterlily House (which is also to be renovated) was badly damaged. It must have been the devil's own job in wartime to source replacement curved panes of glass. Eighty years later, the 16,500 panes will be made of 'high-performance sealed glazing' to help confound the contemporary enemy, global warming. Things felt rather simpler in 1978.
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Rare coin released just two years ago sells for £70 after week-long bidding war – is one lingering in YOUR change?
Plus, we share easy tips to spot rare coins COINING IT Rare coin released just two years ago sells for £70 after week-long bidding war – is one lingering in YOUR change? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RARE coin released just two years ago has sold for 140 times its face value after a week-long bidding war. The 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p was sold for £72.09 to one lucky punter after fighting off offers from 26 other bidders. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The coin was sold for over £70 on eBay Only 200,000 of these coins have entered circulation, making it one of the rarest coins in the UK. And previous research by Change Checker found only around one in 335 people in the UK could have the chance of snagging one. To spot this coin look on the tails side of the piece for an Atlantic salmon leaping from the waves. The front features a portrait of King Charles III. And you could get more for than £72.09 for the valuable coin. In December last year, a seller paid £85 for the piece on eBay. More recently, in June, one punter paid £97 for the coin after beating 28 others in a bidding war. But a coin is only worth what bidders are willing to pay for it. In May, one buyer scooped up the coin for £47 after fighting off offers from 21 other bidders. Last month one seller managed to flog the coin for £61 after 11 bidders tried to get their hands on it. Olympic Aquatics 50p coin error The Atlantic Salmon 50p is not the only rare coin in circulation. The 2009 Blue Peter piece also recently sold for £180 after 21 bids. It was released in 2009 ahead of the London Olympic games in 2012. The coin features someone doing the high jump on one side, a design created by eight-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol. The final design was chosen from over 17,000 entries as part of a Blue Peter competition. Elsewhere, the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p was recently sold £110. How to spot rare coins and banknotes Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds. If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value. You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers. These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch's face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note. Also, if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky, you could cash in thousands. For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes. You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick "completed and sold items" and filter by the highest value. This will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes. But bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.
Powys County Times
22-07-2025
- Powys County Times
Welshpool High School put in special measures by Estyn
Welshpool High School has been put in special measures after its most recent inspection by Estyn. Powys County Council confirmed that senior education officers are working with staff after 'Estyn inspectors were of the opinion that special measures are required for the school'. In their report Estyn inspectors criticised standards at Welshpool High School and said that 'the quality of teaching is too variable'. Inspectors said: 'In half of lessons, shortcomings in teaching result in pupils not making the progress they are capable of. 'Teachers in these lessons often lack high expectations, provide insufficiently challenging activities, and fail to adapt their teaching to support pupils with weaker skills. 'Teachers, in general, do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to develop their Welsh language skills. 'Additionally, written feedback in a minority of cases lacks precision and does not effectively support improvement.' Estyn also raised concerns about the standard of leadership at the school, how it relates to teaching standards and support for lower income families. The report added: 'Despite leaders' commitment to raising the achievement of all pupils, over time leadership has had insufficient impact on important aspects such as the quality of teaching and skills development. 'Whilst whole-school attendance is slowly improving, the attendance of pupils eligible for free school meals in particular, is of concern. 'Senior leaders support the headteacher, but their work is not monitored or evaluated well enough. 'Furthermore, leadership responsibility is not evenly distributed and too often overlaps leading to unclear lines of accountability.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Powys County Council said that staff, pupils and parents will 'be fully supported during the improvement journey'. Cllr Pete Roberts, Powys County Council's cabinet member for a learning Powys, said: "Today I share the disappointment that everyone associated with Welshpool High School is experiencing. "This Estyn inspection report provides a clear and honest assessment of the challenges the school is facing and offers vital guidance on the steps needed to bring about meaningful improvement. "We are committed to working closely with the school's senior leadership team to address these challenges. Together, we will focus on the recommendations outlined by Estyn, building on the school's existing strengths while tackling the areas that require urgent attention. "This marks the beginning of a determined improvement journey for the school and its community." Jeff Johnson, Chair of Governors at Welshpool High School, accepted the finding of the report and said: "While being disappointed by some of the content of the Estyn report we recognise this as an opportunity to continue our journey down a road of improvement.
