Lloret de Mar, Spain

Lloret de Mar is a Mediterranean coastal town in Catalonia and one of the most popular holiday resorts on the Costa Brava. It is 40 kilometres from Girona and 75 kilometres from Barcelona and therefore easily accessible. With a population of 39,363 (to date 01/01/2009) it is the second largest town in the Selva comarca (county) of Catalonia.

For decades Lloret de Mar has attracted summer visitors on package tours and is considered as one of the most important resorts on the Costa Brava. Lloret de Mar's main beach (length: 1,630 m; width: 45 m; white sand) is one of the most popular Costa Brava beaches and is consistently awarded the Blue Flag for cleanliness.

Lloret’s nightlife attracts an 18-30s crowd mainly from the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, The Netherlands, Denmark and other, mostly European, countries.

History

There are historical remains of Iberian and Roman civilizations at various archaeological sites. The first written references to Lloret de Mar can be found in documents from 966 as Loredo from the Latin word "lauretum" (bay laurel). Like many Mediterranean coastal towns, Lloret was frequently invaded by the Saracens in the Middle Ages. It is said that the traditional Ball de Plaça (the Dance in the Town Square) dates from this era.

Until the 15th century, the town’s centre was located one kilometre inland, next to the Chapel of Les Alegries (the town’s main church before the Church of Sant Romà was built) to protect itself from attacks from English, French, Turkish and Algerian pirates. Lloret’s port became commercially important in the 18th century. It no longer exists but the Garriga Houses built by Americanos, rich returning Spanish immigrants to the Americas, remind us of this affluent era.

Sites of Cultural Interest

• Castle of Sant Joan: Medieval castle from the 11th century used to defend Lloret against any attacks from the sea such as that of the Genovese fleet in 1356 and during England’s war on Spain and France in 1805. The fortress is said to have been operational until the 17th century. Only the castle’s tower remains (restored in 1992) and offers an excellent view of the surrounding area.
• Monument to the Fisherman’s Wife: Bronze sculpture found at the end of Lloret beach erected in 1966 to commemorate Lloret de Mar’s Millennium. It is considered to be one of the town’s most emblematic symbols. Legend states that touching the sculpture’s foot while looking out at the horizon will make your wishes come true.

Links

Pictures of Lloret de Mar at Flickr

Newport Transporter Bridge, Wales, UK

The need for a Bridge

In 1896 John Lysaght from Wolverhampton announced his attention to build a steel works in Newport and so he was attracted to a site on the east bank of the River Usk. As most of the workers came from the west bank of the river and the only crossing at the time was the Newport Town Bridge. Tunnels and high level bridges were rejected because of the financial cost and traditional moving bridges were considered unsuitable.

The Borough Engineer of Newport at the time, R.H.Haynes had heard of the work of the French Engineer Ferdinand Arnodin and his ‘Aerial Ferry’ which appeared to meet Newport’s needs. So the council went  over to Rouen to inspect a similar Transbordeur designed by Arnodin, the borough elected to proceed without delay.

Parliamentary approval was obtained in 1900; Haynes and Arnodin were joint engineers on the project and in 1901 detailed plans were undertaken. In 1902 the construction of the bridge began and after 4 years of building the Transporter Bridge, it was opened on the 12th September 1906 by Viscount Tredegar at a cost of £98,000.

Operation

Arnodin produced a maintenance plan for the bridge, in this he proposed a programme of replacement of parts including the cable to extend the life of the bridge, which the cost could be spread over time. In the programme of replacement he wanted to replace parts that still had useful life. We can only conjecture as to whether, had this advice as been taken there would of been no problem with the bridge today and whether the whole life cost would of been different.

Arnodin was 60 when the Transporter Bridge opened in 1906 and he died in 1924. As the bridge lost money from the beginning his programme was not followed and a certainly lower standard of maintenance than he expected.

From 1906 the bridge operated from dawn to dusk everyday, with Sunday morning reserved for routine maintenance. By the closure of the bridge in 1985 the total workforce was 11. Although the bridge charged tolls, the bridge never paid its way and by 1919 was costing the council around £6000 a year.

Closure 1985

In 1985 wire breakages within the cables resulted in permanent closure. Before repairs of the bridge could be done a detailed structural survey was undertaken. A need to comply with CADW Welsh Historic Monuments requirements, without affecting the essential character and appearance of the bridge.

A £3 million scheme to refurbish the bridge began in 1992. The funding was provided by the European Regional Development fund and former Gwent County Council (now Newport City Council). The refurbishment of the bridge was carried out in the following stages which was done by (Gwent Consultancy);

Stage 1: Stairs and walkways replaced. Tower legs repaired and repainted.

Stage 2: Replaced anchor and suspension cables which included anchorage repairs. Replaced worn and damaged cable hangers and pins.

Stage 3: Gondola and Motor House refurnished, Main boom repaired and repainted, mechanical and electric works undertaken and floodlights installed.

The bridge reopened in 1995 and The Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge (FONTB) was formed. The bridge survives as a small part of the local transport system and has become on the best loved landmarks in Newport and a major tourist attraction.

Centenary

On the 12th September 2006 the Transporter Bridge was 100 years old and to celebrate the mayor of Newport City Council Miqdad Al Nuaimi, unveiled a special plaque on the gondola of the bridge. There on the day was TV crews from BBC Wales, local newspapers and councillors which they came down in an old Leyland Bus owned by Newport Transport.

During the weekend of 16-17th September 2006 there was also a festival called the Crowpoint Festival in Coronation Park, Newport to celebrate 100 years of the Transporter Bridge and over 14,000 people turned up over the weekend.

Closure 2008

In January 2008, it was announced that Newport Transporter Bridge would have to be closed because major faults was detected. The essential repairs needed, will cost more than £150,000 in capital funding. It was also announced in August it was going to cost more than £2 Million pounds to complete the repairs to the bridge not the pervious figure announced. But on Friday, 5th September 2008 at around lunchtime the bridge was put into emergency action after floods stopped hundreds of employees getting to and from work in Stephenson Street, after the road was closed off due to flooding.

Other Information

The Bridge forms part of the classified highway network and is also where route number 4 of the National Cycle Network crosses the River Usk and route 47 begins.

It was the focal point of the local millennium celebrations of 2000, where fireworks were fired from its length, and has been featured in several movies including Tiger Bay in 1959 staring Hayley Mills and television shows.

To travel across the bridge is free for all kinds of bikes and pedestrians, but the fare for cars is 50p. The walkway across the top of the bridge structure is open to the public on bank holidays.

Videos

Videos coming soon.

Links

Pictures of Newport Transporter Bridge at Flikcr

Newport Train Station (High Street), Wales, UK

Newport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales (after Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street), situated in the heart of the city of Newport. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services.
The main station entrance is located on Queensway, and a small section of road known as Station Approach links this to the High Street. The station was originally opened in 1850 by the South Wales Railway Company and was greatly expanded in 1928. British Transport Police maintain a presence at Newport.

History

The current station layout consists of four through-platforms numbered 1 to 4 from the south side. The original broad gauge station had only two 200ft-long through platforms and a bay platform at the east end of the down platform. On the closure of Dock Street and Mill Street stations to passengers in 1880, High Street station was greatly expanded: The up platform was made into an island - the north face 825ft in length, and the south side 814ft. The down platform was extended to 897ft with the west end bay extended to 428ft. Two scissors crossovers were provided on these new platforms, effectively dividing them into two. The original down platform became Nos. 1 and 2. The bay became No. 3, the south face of the up platform Nos. 4 and 5 and the north face Nos. 6 and 7. The bay platform was mostly used for Monmouthshire western valleys services, but with the quadrupling of the line in 1912 trains from the bay platform (on the south side) now had to cross the entire station to get to the Gaer Tunnel on the north side. To address this the former loading dock on the north side of the station was made into a passenger platform (No. 8).
April 1961 saw the introduction of colour Multiple-Aspect Signalling and associated modifications to the station layout. The north face of the island platform became the new up platform, with the south face becoming the new down. The platforms were also renumbered in the opposite direction, with No. 8 becoming No. 1, Nos. 6/7 becoming 2/3, Nos. 4/5 remained the same and Nos. 1/2 were combined as a new No. 6. Subsequent removal of the scissors crossovers saw a further combination and renumbering of platforms to the current layout.
Formerly named Newport High Street, the suffix High Street became unnecessary on the closure of Mill Street and Dock Street stations to goods traffic in the 1960s. Printed tickets and National Rail enquiries use the suffix "South Wales" to differentiate this station from its namesake in Essex. Newport Unlimited have suggested the station is officially renamed Newport City railway station.

2007 Redevelopment

The Welsh Assembly Government and Network Rail agreed a £20 million makeover for the station that provided a new concourse, a second pedestrian bridge over the tracks and a user-friendly bus-rail interchange at the station. The plans also included an extended platform 4 capable of accommodating up to twelve-carriage intercity trains and a new multi-storey car park for long-stay travellers.
The initial redevelopment of Platform 4 did not allow for disabled access, resulting in station staff using a locally-contracted taxi firm at £3 a passenger to move disabled and elderly passengers the half-mile from one side of the station to the other, in a complimentary service provision. The first phase, platform 4 extension, was completed on 2 July 2007, with design works completed by Atkins.

2009 Redevelopment

Planned to enable the station to cope with passenger traffic associated with the 2010 Ryder Cup, a second passenger bridge linking the whole station with a lift for all platforms, a new bus station developed and a 250-capacity multi-storey car park. Network Rail claimed accessibility and safety are at the heart of the new design. The new bridge will be clad in Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), the material which protects the Eden Project in Cornwall. The station was designed by Atkins Engineers based in the Cardiff and Swindon, with the support from Grimshaw Architects.

Links

Pictures of Newport Train Station at Flickr.

Newport City live Arena, Wales, UK (Former Odeon Cinema).

This grade II listed building now called “Newport City Church” used to be the Newport Odeon Theatre and was opened on the 12th March 1938 with Nova Pilbeam in “Young and Innocent” it is located on the east side of Newport, in the Maindee area.

It was designed by architect Harry Weedon and the job architect was Arthur J. Price, built in classic Art Deco style for the Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd.

It was a simple screen cinema with over 1545 seats, it remained the Odeon until it was sadly closed on 30th July 1981 with Elliott Gould in “The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark”. In the following years, it fell derelict and was facing demolition.

It was empty for 21 years apart from 1986-1991 when the ground floor was used for a snooker hall. For a short while it became Capone’s American Bar nightclub. However the building miraculously escaped demolition.

In 2003 the building was bought by a local businessman, and at a cost of over £1 million was transformed into a music and concert hall know as “Newport City Live Arena”.

The building has now been totally refurbished and has played host to some major music events and acts. The features within the building now included a large screen for sports events, keeping most its Art Deco style features and it has become a successful multi-purpose venue for large events.

Links

Pictures of Newport City Live Arena (Former Odeon) at Flikcr

Maindee Pools, Newport, Wales, UK

Built not long before the outbreak of the World War II, Maindee Swimming Pools is a bit of a grand old dame.

Starting life in 1938, scores of children had found their water wings under its roof. Sitting between Victoria Avenue and Albert Avenue, the Art Deco design of the building stands out among the Edwardian Houses around it.

With a fusion of generous curves and simple lines, the modernist influence of the early 20th century is clearly seen in the building, designed by Newport Borough architect C F Ward. This style was very much in vogue when the doors first opened on July 14, 1938. Its original flair maybe somewhat faded, but the style has certainly endured. Plans to open a new swimming baths in Newport were first considered in 1933, and a number of site options were explored before Maindee was chosen.

With good access to and from the town centre and close to local shops, the site was ideal. After tenders were invited for the works in March 1937, Messers E C Jordan & Son are recorded as winning the building contract.

Many innovations have happened on the way from 1938 to the 21st century. While some of its features seem prosaic today, Maindee Pool was an exciting addition to the Newport Leisure scene. Modern electrical methods were exploited for lighting, with multi-coloured underwater lights installed for competitions and special events. Further ambiance was added with lighting in the main pool, which was focussed up towards the ceiling so its source was hidden.

Three diving stands, with tallest at five meters, offered the more adventurous diver a challenge and some variety. The gala stands, which could seat an audience of 428 were reached from the Upper Hall, and were designed to give an uninterrupted view as spectators approached their seats. Watching the swimming, as well as doing it, was an important consideration. All this newness was a welcome novelty for the local people to enjoy, remembers Mrs Ruth Jones, who regularly visited the pool as a child during the forties.

She said: “It was awe inspiring – as children we considered it to be very posh. “It was new and even had stained glass windows. With the lockers, balcony and high diving boards, it was very modern. I remember it as a very popular pool, as it knocked spots off the old one on Stow Hill.”

And visiting didn’t put too much strain on the people’s pockets, Ruth recalls. “It was great for the working class, as it was very cheap!” Between the full-size and the smaller learning pool, or ponds as they where known, was the filtration plant. Although it might be hard to imagine any popular fascination with one today, it was purposely positioned there so swimmers could view it.

The idea behind this can be found in the original opening day brochure. "It is felt," the programme explains, "that this feature will have a sound psychological value."

Special attention was also given to the interior furnishings. Warm yellow-coloured cement was used for both inside and outside the building. Fashionable teak tiles were laid on the balcony floor, and the original café furniture was finished in green leather and chrome. While single-sex changing rooms are the norm, the pool originally included segregated staff rooms for women and men. Time has also introduced other changes, such as the greatly increased use of cars. Although the pool could boast bicycle storage, car parking provision was more of a space-age twinkle in the eye. The doors of Maindee swimming baths were firmly closed on December 23, 2005 and the pool, which gave so much fun for thousands of swimmers has now been drained. But newport swimmers need not dispair as a new state-of-the-art pool has opened at Newport's International Sports Village, close to the velodrome and athletics stadium at Spytty. A number of improvements have been made on the Maindee pool model, with a range of disabled facilities ensuring enjoyment for more people. A moveable floor is another feature, meaning that new activities like octopushy, which is like underwater hockey, can be played on a level bottom.

There are many benefits of the pool for the community, says Sports Village senior manager, Neil Sargeant. "There are eight lanes at the new pool, so Newport has gained more extra water space. Octopushy wasn't possible at Maindee pool, as the bottom wasn't flat. Now the new pool can be moved to two meters deep across. Some other programs will include synchronized swimming and water polo".

As a free daytime bus service operating from the centre to the site, he is positive that Maindee locals won't be put off travelling a little further. With the pool drained and the doors locked, Maindee swimming pool is now awaiting its future, only offering nostalgia to passers-by.

Gala weekend for pool opening

The people of Newport got their first chance to make a big splash at the new £5m swimming pool after it was officially opened at a special ceremony attended by guests including the mayor of Newport, Councillor Ken Critchley, the chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling and the leader of the council, Councillor Bob Bright.

A host of Newport school children were also present, and making the first splashes in the South East Wales Regional Swimming Pool, as it is officially known. The official opening was followed by an aquatic festival which showcased the range of water-based activities the new pool can offer. Councillor Ron Jones, cabinet member for culture and recreation, said: "Newport has a proud history of providing people with high quality swimming facilities and this excellent new pool certainly continues this tradition. "I would urge as many people as possible to take advantage of the outstanding family leisure facilities available at the Newport International Sports Village." The new pool has been funded by Newport City Council and the Sports Council for Wales, which has contributed £1.5m of Lottery funding towards the scheme. The chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling has high hopes for the Newport development. He said: "The impact that Lottery funding has on the development of sport and physical activity in Wales goes far beyond the simple allocation of grants for capital facilities such as this impressive new pool in Newport. "We have been delighted to work in partnership with Newport City Council and congratulate them on providing this facility. We must continue to work together to maximise the benefits that it has to offer the people of south east Wales as we work towards the creation of a healthier nation." The gala event included synchronised swimming, scuba, octo-push (underwater hockey), as well as competitive swimming.

Video

Links

Pictures of Maindee Pools at Flickr.