Tag: visitwales

Two Weeks in Wrexham and North Wales: A Round-Up (11 to 25 September 2026)

On By DaveIn Wrexham NewsLeave a comment

Two weeks. That is all it took for North Wales to book itself onto the national news agenda. A jet wing production line worth 150 million pounds. A new national football museum opening on Friday morning. Kop Stand steel rising higher every day. A late Kieffer Moore header. A hydrogen hub with a green light. If you have felt like the region is having a moment, you are reading it right.

STōK Cae Ras and Wrexham city centre
The STōK Cae Ras and Wrexham city centre. Photo credit: Wrexham AFC.

The Big Picture at a Glance

Here is the aggregate view of what has landed in the last fortnight. It reads like a good news bulletin.

Story Value Jobs Where
Airbus A321 line £150m 480 Broughton, Flintshire
Holyhead Hydrogen Hub £22m TBC Parc Cybi, Holyhead
Flintshire tourism boost £1m Sector support Flintshire
Wrexham packaging firm grant Investment Zone 10 Wrexham
Tŷ Pawb market plans £72k TBC Wrexham
Fortnight Total £173m+ 490+ Across North Wales

Airbus Bets Big on Broughton

The headline number. Airbus announced a £150m investment at its Broughton site on 21 September. The former A380 wing production line becomes an A321 line. Around 480 new jobs land at Broughton in 2026. Roughly 250 of those sit in the refurbished factory. Airbus already employs about 6,000 people at the site.

Airbus Broughton factory
Airbus Broughton, home of wings. Photo credit: Airbus.

Broughton by the Numbers

Investment £150m
New jobs in 2026 480 (about 250 in the new factory)
Existing workforce at Broughton 6,000
A320 family global order backlog Around 7,500 aircraft
Share of backlog that is A321 Roughly 75%
A320 family aircraft takeoff or landing frequency Every 2 seconds worldwide
Conversion complete By end of 2026

“Today’s announcement of 480 new jobs is great news for North Wales.”

Adam Price, Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy. Source: Nation Cymru.

Football Museum of Wales Opens Today

Doors opened at 10am on Friday 25 September 2026. Free entry with pre booked tickets. The Grade II listed County Buildings have been reworked into what Wrexham Council calls a Museum of Two Halves. One half tells the story of the city and the county. The other half celebrates Wales as the birthplace of the Football Association of Wales. More than six million pounds of Welsh Government money sits behind the football side alone. Ticket booking opened at midday on Monday 14 September through wrexhammuseum.wales.

Football Museum of Wales interior
Inside the new Football Museum of Wales. Photo credit: Wrexham Council News.

Museum Visitor Info

Opening day Friday 25 September 2026, 10am
Location County Buildings, Wrexham city centre
Entry Free, pre booked timeslot required
Bookings via wrexhammuseum.wales
Public transport 200m to Wrexham bus station, 230m to Wrexham Central
Funding partners Welsh Government, National Lottery Heritage Fund, UK Government, Wolfson Foundation, V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Wrexham Council

“This is a fantastic milestone.”

Heledd Fychan, Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport. Source: Wrexham Council News.

Kop Stand Rises Fast

The Racecourse looks different every week. Steel keeps going up. Concrete keeps going down. The last two weeks have brought three visible milestones. Fans walking past on match day can now see the shape of the finished stand.

Kop Stand Progress Timeline

9 Sept
Final section of the primary roof truss lifted into place shortly after 8am. Cranes visible from across the city.

16 Sept
The 125 tonne inverted ribbon truss installed. Wrexham AFC called it a landmark moment.

22 Sept
Galvanised steel shuttering being fitted on the first floor. Glazing framework taking shape on the fourth. Changes now visible on the pitch too.

Stadium Capacity Journey

Current capacity (during construction)
10,771

Post redevelopment target
Around 18,000

New Kop Stand capacity
7,500 seats

Contract awarded to McLaren Construction, valued at £69.29m. Target for full opening: start of the 2027/28 season.

Kop Stand construction at the Racecourse
Kop Stand construction progress. Photo credit: Wrexham Reds via Roberts and Daughter.

Wrexham AFC: Southampton Reset

A West Ham hangover met a Southampton response. The 6 nil loss at London Stadium on 11 September was as heavy as Wrexham have felt this season. Eight days later Kieffer Moore headed the Reds in front against the form side in the league. Keven Schlotterbeck’s own goal in the 89th minute made it a first home Championship win of the campaign. Ten points from eight games. 14th in the table. Next up, Derby County away on 10 October after the international break.

Two Match Contrast

Date Opponent Result Moment
11 Sept West Ham (A) L 0 to 6 Heaviest defeat of the Hollywood era.
19 Sept Southampton (H) W 2 to 1 First home Championship win. Late Schlotterbeck own goal from an Ekomié cross.

Green Light for the Holyhead Hydrogen Hub

Anglesey gets a low carbon signal. On 9 September the £22m Holyhead Hydrogen Hub secured Growth Deal backing. The outline business case has been approved. The project is led by Menter Môn with Hynamics, part of the EDF Group. A 5MW green hydrogen production site will go up at Parc Cybi, powered by renewable electricity through electrolysis. The plan is to give local businesses a cleaner fuel option and cut fossil fuel reliance in the region.

Hydrogen Hub Key Facts

Total project value £22m
Growth Deal share sought Around £3.8m
Site Parc Cybi, Holyhead
Production capacity 5MW green hydrogen electrolyser
Lead partner Menter Môn, with Hynamics (EDF Group)
Site area (with expansion) 24 acres

City of Culture 2029: Shortlist Window Approaching

Wrexham’s bid for UK City of Culture 2029 is heading into its next stretch. The county is the only Welsh location on the longlist of nine. Blackpool, Inverness and Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Swindon complete the group. Each longlisted place gets £60,000 to develop a full bid. The shortlist of up to four is due in mid October 2026. Win the top prize and the region secures £10m plus a national spotlight for a full year.

2029 Bid Timeline

Summer 2026
Full application submitted to DCMS.

Mid Oct 2026
Shortlist of up to four locations announced.

Late 2026
Winner named.

2029
Winning city hosts a year long cultural programme.

Investment Zone Wins for Local Firms

Two Wrexham businesses have secured Investment Zone Programme support this month. A packaging manufacturer has funding for a new machine that will lift productivity by up to 40 per cent. The firm expects to grow annual production from 12 million units in 2025 to 30 million units within five years. Ten new jobs are part of the plan, alongside double the turnover. Derwen Joinery Ltd has also secured backing through the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone Programme.

Business Support Impact
Packaging manufacturer Investment Zone grant 40% productivity uplift, 10 new jobs, target 30m units by 2030
Derwen Joinery Ltd Investment Zone support Advanced manufacturing upgrade and sustainable growth plans

Culture, Community and Small Wins

A few smaller stories worth flagging.

Story Detail
Racecourse Ramble podcast The independent Wrexham AFC podcast picked up two national award nominations, announced on 10 September.
Tŷ Pawb funding £72,000 secured to develop plans to transform part of the market hall.
Flintshire tourism boost £1 million package announced on 17 September for tourism businesses across the county.
£1bn grid investment plan Green Gen Cymru proposals could open manufacturing opportunities for Welsh firms across the wider power network build.

What to Watch Next

The next fortnight has plenty in the diary.

25 Sept
Football Museum of Wales opens to the public.

Early Oct
Kop Stand facade continues to take shape as glazing arrives.

10 Oct
Wrexham travel to Derby County at Pride Park.

Mid Oct
UK City of Culture 2029 shortlist decision expected.

End 2026
Airbus A321 line conversion complete at Broughton.

The Takeaway

Two weeks. £173 million or so in fresh investment. 490 plus jobs announced. A new national museum. A rising football stand. A late winner in front of a full Racecourse. That is a lot of good news in a short window. Long may it keep coming.

Sources and Further Reading

Wrexham vs Southampton match report [2026]

On By DaveIn FootballLeave a comment


Wrexham won. After a week that felt heavy, that word is worth a moment. Kieffer Moore’s header, a late own goal, and the Racecourse in full song sent Southampton home with nothing. It was the first Championship home win of the season. It came against the form side in the league. It could not have been better timed.

Highlights via Sky Sports Football on YouTube.

Match at a Glance

Result Wrexham 2 Southampton 1
Competition Sky Bet Championship, Round 8
Date Saturday 19 September 2026
Venue STōK Cae Ras, Wrexham
Wrexham Scorers Kieffer Moore 35′, Schlotterbeck 89′ (og)
Southampton Scorers James Ward Prowse 50′
Referee Gavin Ward
Bookings Sheaf 14′, Hyam 85′ / Wood 69′, Manning 90+1′, Downes 90+5′
Kieffer Moore celebrates his opening goal for Wrexham
Kieffer Moore rose above the Southampton back line to head Wrexham in front. Photo credit: Wrexham AFC

The First Half

Wrexham started sharp. Callum O’Hare had two attempts inside the opening ten minutes. Josh Windass linked play well between the lines. The home crowd, still buzzing from a full throated round of Parkinson chants, made the noise you would hope for at a game like this.

Southampton settled quickly. They kept the ball, moved it side to side, and forced Wrexham deep. Cyle Larin, the Championship top scorer coming in, had a big chance on the half hour. He got in behind and chipped Anthony Patterson. The ball landed on the roof of the net. Wrexham held their breath.

Then the game turned. O’Hare drove at the Southampton box and forced Daniel Peretz into a save. Wrexham won the corner. Ben Whiteman stood over it. He whipped it in. Kieffer Moore rose above the defence at the far post and thumped a header into the top corner. Racecourse noise, off the charts. 1 to 0.

The Second Half

Southampton came out with fresh legs. Samuel Edozie replaced Léo Scienza at the break. Five minutes in, they levelled. James Bree drove a cross from the right. Dom Hyam could not cut it out. Ward Prowse pounced on the loose ball. His first attempt was blocked. He smashed the rebound home from close range. 1 to 1.

Then came a moment the Racecourse will replay for years. Moore chased down a loose Saints pass just inside their half. He looked up. He struck it. The ball flew towards the empty net as Peretz sprinted back. The keeper got a fingertip on it. Goal kick given. Wrexham fumed. Fans could not believe how close it came.

The visitors kept pressing. Patterson palmed away a Ward Prowse free kick. Ryan Manning volleyed over from a Bree cross. On 80 minutes Windass rolled a low shot at Peretz. Finn Azaz forced Patterson into a save five minutes later. Both keepers were working hard.

Then the winner. Jacques Ekomié skinned his man on the left. He clipped a low cross into the six yard box. O’Hare steamed in. Keven Schlotterbeck slid to clear. The ball flicked off his boot and rolled over the line. Own goal. 2 to 1. The place went up.

Wrexham players celebrate the late winning goal against Southampton
Wrexham celebrate the 89th minute winner. Photo credit: Wrexham AFC

By the Numbers

This was a smash and hold. Southampton owned the ball. Wrexham owned the moments.

Possession

Wrexham (33%)
33%

Southampton (67%)
67%

Key Stats

Wrexham Stat Southampton
2 Goals 1
33% Possession 67%
Few Shots 19
1 Goals from set pieces 0
2 Yellow Cards 3
5 Changes from last league game 0

Key Moments Timeline

2′
O’Hare tests Peretz early with a low shot from inside the box.

30′
Larin chips Patterson from a clear break. The ball lands on the roof of the net.

GOAL 35′
Wrexham 1 Southampton 0. Whiteman corner, Moore header, top corner.

GOAL 50′
Wrexham 1 Southampton 1. Ward Prowse smashes home the rebound from close range.

55′
Moore strikes from inside his own half. Peretz gets a fingertip on it. Just wide.

58′
Patterson palms away a Ward Prowse free kick.

85′
Azaz has a deflected effort held by Patterson.

GOAL 89′
Wrexham 2 Southampton 1. Ekomié cross, O’Hare pressure, Schlotterbeck turns it into his own net.

Player Ratings

Numbers are subjective. But when a team wins a game they should have lost on paper, the individual efforts stack up. Here is how the Wrexham eleven and their subs graded out.

Player Position Rating Note
Anthony Patterson GK 8 Stayed calm under pressure. Kept his side level in the second half.
Zak Vyner RCB 8 Aggressive on the right. Dealt with crosses well.
Dominic Hyam (C) CB 6 Missed the cross for the Ward Prowse goal. Booked late.
Callum Doyle LCB 8 Commanding. Read the game well.
Issa Kaboré RWB 7 Steady. Whipped in an early delivery that flashed across goal.
Ben Whiteman CM 9 Assisted the opener with a perfect corner. Ran the midfield.
Ben Sheaf (sub 65′) CM 7 Disciplined debut. Booked early. Withdrawn on the hour.
Jacques Ekomié LWB 8 Carved out the winning goal with a low cross from the left.
Josh Windass (sub 86′) AM 7 Clever between the lines. Forced a Peretz save at 80.
Callum O’Hare AM 9 Drove Wrexham forward all game. Won the corner for goal one. Pressured the second in.
Kieffer Moore (sub 72′) ST 9 Match winner header. Nearly scored from his own half. A menace.
Substitutes
Matty James (on 65′) CM 6 Helped stay organised. Struggled at times to control the middle.
Sam Smith (on 72′) ST 6 Worked hard. Little service to feed on.
Lewis O’Brien (on 86′) CM 7 Fresh energy in the closing minutes. Kept the ball high.
Man of the Match
Kieffer Moore
A towering header for the opener. A near miss from his own half. Constant physical threat. The number nine delivered when the club needed him most.

Alternative Highlights

Alternative angle via Southampton FC official YouTube.

Voices After the Whistle

“The togetherness of the group, you could feel it.”

Phil Parkinson, Wrexham manager. Source: Denbighshire Free Press post match report.

“One of Wrexham’s standout performers.”

On Ben Whiteman. Source: Yahoo Sports player ratings.

“You only win when you’re spying.”

Home fans’ terrace chant. Source: Sky Sports match report.

“Great will to win until the very end.”

Wrexham AFC via X. Source: Canadian Soccer Daily.

Wrexham squad and fans celebrate at full time
Full time at the Racecourse. Photo credit: Wrexham AFC

Where This Leaves the Season

A win before the international break is a good win to have. Wrexham move up to 14th on ten points from eight games. The next Championship match is three weeks away. That is time to breathe, to recover the injured, and to refresh the mood.

Updated 2026/27 Wrexham Record

P W D L GF GA GD Pts Pos
8 2 4 2 9 12 3 10 14th

Updated Form Guide

D
L
W
D
D
L
W

Last seven league matches, oldest to newest.

What Comes Next

The international break lasts three weeks. Wrexham travel to Derby County at Pride Park on 10 October. Then a home double against Hull and Sheffield Wednesday. Southampton head to Ipswich next. That one carries baggage from the Spygate case still hanging over the club. For now though, this Saturday is one to enjoy. Wrexham came off the floor. They responded. That is the message going into the break.

Sources and Further Reading

Corsa Campervan Adventures – Hope Mountain

On By DaveIn Campervan, DaysOut, Photography, RandomLeave a comment

Thought I would trial the ‘campervan’ somewhere close, so Saturday night I slept on Hope Mountain, which is on the border of Wrexham & Flintshire in North Wales.

CorsaCampervan

The campervan is basically at the prototype-stage…several black-out-blinds cut out to the shape of the back windows, and ducktaped on, a USB charger for the cigarette-lighter and an army-issue sleeping bag.

I tried my folding Judo-mat as a sleeping platform, but it was too hard and too high, so I’ve replaced this with a shed-load of thick-blankets (thanks Aunty Vicky). I’ve order some velcro-stickers to add to the car interior and the black out blinds and a unisex urinal. I might take the passenger- front seat-out, as it was a right pain getting in and out.

I want to build (or buy) a hollow sleeping platform with pull out bits for cooking utensils etc There’s a few ideas here.

Anyway, here’s Hope Mountain Sunrise:

HopeMountainSunrise1HopeMountainSunrise2HopeMountainSunrise3Sunrise4Sunrise5Sunrise6Sunrise7Sunrise8Sunrise81

 

Hope Mountain

I didn’t get bummed (chance would be a fine thing) or woken up by Police or wild animals (as predicted by friends), but I was a bit tired.

That sunrise was one of the best things I’ve ever seen, better than the one I saw in Death Valley or the rip-off skywalk thing in the Grand Canyon.  Amazingly peaceful too. So definitely worth losing some sleep over.

 

Halkyn Mountain

20170904_222204

2 nights later I slept on Halkyn Mountain, it was shit. I think it’s all about the sunrises really, so it’s definitely worth checking the weather forecast. Also I probably chose a bit of a crap spot

 

 

Moel Famau, Mold, North Wales – Car Park PostCode

On By DaveIn DaysOut, PhotographyLeave a comment

Follow the sign for Moel Famau and carry on past Loggerheads to your right.

Don’t do what I did and put “Moel Famau” into Google Maps, it took my right off the main road, past the entrance to Loggerheads and round in circles for about an hour around the mountain/hill/whatever it is.

The postcode for Moel Famau Car Park is CH7 5SH

If you put in “Coed Moel Famau NRW car park” to Google Maps, you’ll get a direct route/accurate route to the first car park. The second car park is about 2 minutes down the road, on the same side – if you come to the first car park and it is in your right, the second car park is on the right too (there’s a smaller one across the road anyway!)

Some pics from our camp on Friday.

moelfamau.png

 

It was minus 5 degrees C

Moel Famau

will update more pics when I can work out how to embed the Instagram images!

moelfam3moelfam4moelfam5moelfam6moelfam7moelfam2moelfam8

Moel Famau Post Code

– This is a bit of a mystery, even on Google maps there isn’t one shown, hopefully a SatNav will list it as a local attraction/landmark though. The postcode – CH7 5SG should bring you by Loggerheads, turn right after that down  Bwlch Pen barras road

wild camping snowdon

An Overview of North Wales – Part 1

On By DaveIn DaysOut, Holidays, Photography1 Comment

North Wales has always been a go-to holiday destination for many in the UK. It has traditionally been regarded as a great family destination for holidays and days out to the beach.

The regions’ reputation was greatly enhanced, when Lonely Planet declared that the region was one of the top regions in the world to visit – according to their Best in Travel list for 2017, ahead of areas including South Australia and The Tuamotus in French Polynesia and the only region in the UK to be listed.

Modern Attractions & Activities in North Wales

The region’s beautiful landscapes, mountains, waterfalls and islands provide endless placeless to explore and enjoy. In addition, recent investment in the area, with Zip World and Surf Snowdonia, make it an amazing place to visit for anyone who enjoys adrenaline-sports and activities.

 

Often described as the best outdoor playground in the UK, North Wales has an embarrassing number of tracks and centres for mountain biking and it’s mountainous landscapes are perfect for hiking, climbing and bouldering. Now the addition of modern facilities, such as Zip World’s 3 attractions – Velocity; Bounce Below and Zip World Fforest.
Surf Snowdonia is another recent attraction to the region’s impressive range of tourist attractions. In 2016 an addition £1m was reportedly invested in new facilities including and obstacle course and human catapult.

Snowdonia National Park

Mount Snowdon

Despite the modern investment in the area, the jewel in the proverbial crown of the region is still Mount Snowdon. Designated as a national nature reserve, it provides a number routes to the summit, some relatively easy, some terrifying! The Llanberis Path still requires a decent level of fitness to complete, but is the easiest ascent to the top of the mountain, whilst the Crib Goch route is more of a knife-edge than a path. Only attempted by seasoned walkers and climbers, it is dangerous when attempted without proper equipment or in less than perfect weather conditions.

Mount Snowdon is of course, only one of many attractions set within the National Park. The park itself comprises areas such as Conwy, Anglesey, The Carneddau and the Glyderau Heartland.

Snowdon is great for a hike, with the dog

snowdon with a dog

and even camping – although you’re not officially allowed to camp there – and if you do, make sure to take all your rubbish with you – please!

wild camping snowdon

snowdonnight
Photo Credit – Kris Williams – Wild Camping Group

 

Conwy

Conwy, is regarded as the gateway to Snowdonia and boasts an impressive and well preserved thirteenth-century castle and walls. It’s a wonderful place to visit for history buffs in particular, but has plenty to see and do, including an excellent beach and residential caravan park with an award winning restaurant – Aberconwy.

conwyvalley
Llyn Crafnant, Conwy Valley – Image Source

Plas Mawr is the “Great Hall”, which was built in the 16th Century and is described as the finest and most well preserved town house of the Elizabethan era to be found anywhere in the UK. Just as impressive;, are the reviews on tripadvisor, which have earned the attraction the elusive Certificate of Excellence.

plasmawr
Image source

 

Anglesey

The Isle of Anglesey is surrounded by dozens of spectacular beaches. A perfect destination for families, and adored by dogs (and their owners), there are many things to do on a visit to the isle. Regarded by many as one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK, Newborough Beach provides stunning views of the mountains of Snowdonia, you can walk the dog, go for a stroll or following one of the cycling or running routes in the area.
Other famous attractions of Anglesey include Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens and the South Stack Cliffs RSPB Reserve. There are dozens of other attractions, including the engineering marvels that are the bridges leading across to the isle. It is a favourite destination for sea fishermen, golfers, ramblers and dog-lovers. The Anglesey Coastal Path is a 124 mile footpath which, as you would imagine, follows the coastline of the isle (except for the bits by the Plas Newydd Estate and the estuary of the Afon Alaw.

Menai Bridge anglesey
Menai Bridge – Image Source

Also worth a visit on the island – is Barclodiad y Gawres, which is a Neolithic (very old) burial chamber located near the south coast of the island. It can be found in the village of Rhosneigr

If you like an ancient relic, then Bryn Celli Ddu is also worth visiting.

anglesey2Image Source

Beaumaris is also a great place to visit on the island. The name means ‘Beautiful Marsh’ in Norman-French. The castle was built at the end of the 13th century by Edward the first.
North Wales is dotted with hidden treasures that are not particularly well publicised. If you love history then be sure to visit St Winefride’s Well in Holywell, Flintshire – a site visited by pilgrims since the 7th Century.
There are dozens of other places to visit in Anglesey (please don’t just visit Benllech like the rest of the Range Rover yuppies with iPad kids). Llynnon Mill for example, an 18th century mill, Pant-y-saer – another chambered tomb, and Penmon Point to name just a few!

horseshoepass4

This Week’s Most ‘Liked’ Photo…

On By DaveIn Photography, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Was of Hope Mountain:

Here are some more pics of Hope Mountain


www.outdoornorthwales.com


www.go4awalk.com

 


weepagan.com

 

 

To get up there – park in Caergrwle car park.  Walk out of the exit (on the right as you enter), then turn left.
You can follow your nose and head straight up the street right in front of you, and there is a small stile you jump over – this way is VERY overgrown, but bloody awesome.

Alternatively you can come out of the car park, turn left and then turn left again and follow that road all the way up into what appears to be a cul-de-sac of houses. However, on the top right, there is a path you can follow, and turn left off of about 100m of the way up.

Finally, if coming from Wrexham towards mold on the Mold Road.  Turn left by the traffic lights in abermorddu.