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North Wales Live
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
North Wales landmark is one of the main 'characters' in dark, psychological thriller
A Welsh author has revealed how he has woven the plot of his debut novel around one of North Wales' most iconic landmarks. Llandudno's Great Orme is the setting for a dark, psychological thriller by Paul D. Coombs. The novel - called The Great Orme - was described as "Agatha Christie meets Stephen King" by one reviewer. The story revolves around one man's desire - Zacharay Llewellyn - to finally confess for the murders he and his friends committed as teenagers. Then years later, as their grizzly brand of retribution followed them into their new lives away from the Great Orme, Zac summons them all to return home under the gaze of The Great Orme headland and join his confession. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now But not everyone wants to lose everything they have built and someone is still out there killing. Paul says it's a "taut psychological thriller laced with moral ambiguity". Paul, who is originally from Cardiff, told North Wales Live: 'Being Welsh, I have a natural affinity for Wales, and particularly North Wales which is a relatively short drive from my home in Cheshire. I couldn't help but be inspired by the place. "The landscape, at the same time both beautiful and treacherous, seems to keep its own time, its own truths. I was thinking about the kind of people who do something terrible, carry it with them, and try to live like it never happened. "But what if one of them can't? What if one of them starts to unravel-because the truth won't stay quiet? "The landscape becomes part of the psyche, part of the punishment. Because in the end, I think it's less about the crime itself… and more about what it does to the soul of the person who can't let go of it.' He has long harboured an ambition to write a thriller. 'I had always wanted to write an Agatha Christie-style murder-mystery, with secrets and consequences... but darker," said Paul. "I love the Great Orme and it was crucial that the power of the setting is as much a principal character as any of the other characters.' Since its release, The Great Orme has had an amazing reception both home and abroad, but none more-so than in North Wales, said the author. He added: "The people here have a natural affinity with the ancient rhythm of the land, the Great Orme itself a place where the earth meets sky and sea, a place where you can feel like you are standing at the edge of the world. I have always been fascinated with landscape and its power to haunt." Paul added: "The name 'Great Orme' itself is thought to have Norse origins, meaning "sea serpent", and anyone who sees it or climbs its windswept crown, will sense it, wild, alive and unknowingly deep." * The Great Orme published by Northodox Press, out now, is available in bookshops including from the Great Orme Summit Complex shop, and the North Wales Wildlife Trust gift shop). Waterstones in Liverpool has made it a 'favourite read'. "The Great Orme" is currently in consideration for the Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award. Paul has had numerous short stories published in anthologies, magazines, and on podcasts. His collection of dark and speculative short stories, For Strangers Only, is available to purchase on Amazon. Paul's second novel, The Deadly Lives of Windsor, is slated for release in 2026 and is now available to pre-order from Northodox Press. It is described as "a futuristic Orwellian Animal Farm for our times".
North Wales Live
08-07-2025
- Climate
- North Wales Live
Flying ant swarms as large as rain clouds as Welsh experts advise action
Wildlife experts in North Wales have warned that swarms of flying ants are this summer set to be amongst the 'biggest in recent memory'. It follows ideal breeding conditions for the insects, with warm weather interspersed with wetter spells. Already swarms have been detected over parts of Britain that were so large, they were mistaken for shower clouds when picked up on radar this week. Near London they appeared as 'strange, flashing echoes' on Met Office radar screens. The forecaster noted: 'Radar works by emitting electromagnetic beams that reflect off small particles like raindrops. Flying ants, being similar in size to raindrops, can also reflect these beams, creating radar signatures that resemble precipitation. "This phenomenon, often seen during 'Flying Ant Day,' is a fascinating example of how biological activity can intersect with meteorological technology.' It is a common misconception that flying ants appear only one day every summer. But research has revealed the insects take flight on multiple occasions during the summer, typically from mid-July to the end of August. This year's warmer-than-average weather appears have triggered earlier swarms. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone Queen ants and males tend to leave their nests to create their own colonies when the weather is hot and humid - typically when the temperature exceeds 25C, there is little wind and there is a chance of rain in the following days. North Wales Wildlife Trust is warning householders to expect some inundations this year. A spokesperson said: 'Flying ants will be taking to the skies towards the end of July in a mating process which can actually last several weeks. 'The warm weather and wet conditions are likely to cause huge swarms this year - it's expected to be one of the biggest in recent memory! It's best to keep your windows and doors shut during their peak swarming time and leave them to it!" Ants mate on the wing because it increases their chances of reproduction. The queen will then attempt to start a new nest before losing her wings. Each nest will have a single queen, typically presiding over worker ants that can number between 5,000-15,000. Like most flies, the ants are attracted to sweet foods, so it's best to keep these covered if you don't want your house to be invaded. Fly screens will help prevent them entering homes. In hot weather – like that forecast for later this week – keeping curtains shut during the day will help to keep them out while also maintaining cooler temperatures. Flying ants can bite, although the bite is usually not harmful. In the UK, most of them are common black garden ants whose mandibles can't bite through human skin. On the other hand, red ants can bite if they feel threatened – and they do have a stinger. Their bites can cause a sharp, painful sting and may lead to a mild allergic reaction. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox North Wales Wildlife Trust said the pesky insects may be annoying but they actually have positive environmental roles. A spokesperson added: 'Although they may be a bit of a nuisance, black ants are an important source of food for birds, and a friend to butterflies. Their tunnelling is also vital for soil health.'
The Independent
06-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
‘Very chill' wild beaver filmed on river after return of species to UK after 400 years
A wild beaver has been filmed on a river in Wales after the species became extinct in Britain about 400 years ago. The semiaquatic rodent was previously hunted to extinction, but has made a comeback over the past two decades. There are four managed enclosures for beavers in Wales, but it remains unknown how many live in the wild at the moment. Naturalist Iolo Williams encountered the wild beaver on the River Dyfi, near Machynlleth. He told the BBC: 'I've seen some incredible wildlife in Wales, some amazing things, but this ranks up there, not just with the best, but as the very, very best. 'The last people to see wild beavers in Wales would have been the Welsh princes, who would have hunted them. So they've been absent for hundreds of years. It's hugely significant.' Mr Williams first saw the beaver while he was filming his BBC series Iolo's River Valleys. He said the animal 'didn't pay us any attention at all'. "It was very chill," he said. 'We were on the opposite bank, and we thought we better be quiet, don't move around. And the beaver just saw us and it just carried on feeding and swam.' Mr Williams said the beaver "didn't pay us any attention at all". Locals say they have spotted beavers along that same stretch of the River Dyfi in recent years, but where they come from has remained a mystery after a nearby beaver enclosure ruled out any escapes. The North Wales Wildlife Trust has been working on its Welsh Beaver Project since 2005 in a mission to return the animal back to the wild. While once widespread across Wales, beavers were hunted for their fur, meat and scent glands. The trust said beavers are 'very special' because they 'play a vital role in enriching biodiversity by restoring and managing river and wetland ecosystems'. 'They are known as a 'keystone species' because their activities can benefit a wide range of other animals and plants that live in rivers and wetlands,' it added. It is an offence in Wales to release beavers into open rivers without a licence, and Natural Resources Wales told the BBC that no licences of this type have been issued currently. England recently approved the reintroduction of beavers into the wild, and there are said to be about 500 of them in the wilderness and in enclosures. Meanwhile, there are thought to be more than 1,500 beavers in Scotland after they were reintroduced to the wild several years ago.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fears for wildlife after road scheme plan revived
A plan for a controversial road scheme which was scrapped by the Welsh government two years ago is being revived. The "red route", a new eight mile dual carriageway linking the A55 at Northop, Flintshire with the A494 and A550, was previously identified as the preferred option for relieving cross border congestion, but was one of the major building projects dropped in 2023 over environmental concerns. Now, a review of the route is part of the proposed Regional Transport Plan for North Wales which looks at ways of boosting the region's economy. Wildlife campaigners say they are "disappointed" with the revived plan. New £250m road backed for Flintshire More evidence sought on petition to scrap new road All major road building projects in Wales scrapped The 112 page consultation document by Ambition North Wales considers various forms of transport, including rail, road, bus, walking and cycling. It highlights the A494/A55 Flintshire corridor as one of its "priority routes" and includes the previously identified "red route" as one of the schemes for a rethink. But the suggestion the road could once again be considered has "shocked" campaigners who are concerned about the potential effects on wildlife habitats. The North Wales Wildlife Trust said that the original proposal for the road had been deemed "unsustainable, unjustifiable, and damaging" by the Welsh Government's Roads Review Panel and that it was "disappointed" to see it reappear in the new draft plan. A spokesperson said: "This 13km highway destroy ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and centuries-old hedgerows, while endangering species such as otters, bats, barn owls, and badgers. These irreplaceable wildlife habitats must be protected." It is now urging people to get behind their campaign to tell Ambition North Wales that the red route is "still the wrong choice". In the consultation document, Ambition North Wales says the aim is to "provide residents and visitors with more travel choices and better digital connectivity, while also reducing our environmental impact." It is also proposing the case for a third Menai crossing between Anglesey and the mainland should be progressed, an idea that was also shelved two years ago, as well as improvements to the A483 in Wrexham. The draft North Wales Regional Transport Plan is open for consultation until 14 April.
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Flintshire road scheme revival shocks wildlife campaigners
A plan for a controversial road scheme which was scrapped by the Welsh government two years ago is being revived. The "red route", a new eight mile dual carriageway linking the A55 at Northop, Flintshire with the A494 and A550, was previously identified as the preferred option for relieving cross border congestion, but was one of the major building projects dropped in 2023 over environmental a review of the route is part of the proposed Regional Transport Plan for North Wales which looks at ways of boosting the region's campaigners say they are "disappointed" with the revived plan. The 112 page consultation document by Ambition North Wales considers various forms of transport, including rail, road, bus, walking and highlights the A494/A55 Flintshire corridor as one of its "priority routes" and includes the previously identified "red route" as one of the schemes for a the suggestion the road could once again be considered has "shocked" campaigners who are concerned about the potential effects on wildlife habitats. The North Wales Wildlife Trust said that the original proposal for the road had been deemed "unsustainable, unjustifiable, and damaging" by the Welsh Government's Roads Review Panel and that it was "disappointed" to see it reappear in the new draft plan.A spokesperson said: "This 13km highway destroy ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and centuries-old hedgerows, while endangering species such as otters, bats, barn owls, and badgers. These irreplaceable wildlife habitats must be protected."It is now urging people to get behind their campaign to tell Ambition North Wales that the red route is "still the wrong choice". In the consultation document, Ambition North Wales says the aim is to "provide residents and visitors with more travel choices and better digital connectivity, while also reducing our environmental impact."It is also proposing the case for a third Menai crossing between Anglesey and the mainland should be progressed, an idea that was also shelved two years ago, as well as improvements to the A483 in Wrexham. The draft North Wales Regional Transport Plan is open for consultation until 14 April.
