Jersey War Tunnels attraction bought by new owner
A historic tourist attraction in Jersey has been sold to a new owner for the first time in more than 60 years.Jersey War Tunnels (JWT) said the 29.5-acre (12-hectare) site in St Lawrence had been acquired by Trevellyan Operations from Daisy Hill Real Estate, which put the attraction up for sale in June.The 1km (0.62-mile) network of hillside tunnels were constructed during World War Two by enslaved workers from across Europe during Nazi Germany's occupation of the Channel Islands.Lance Trevellyan, head of Trevellyan Operations, said he wanted to enhance the site and its stories using the latest technologies in a "modern, immersive way".
'Fresh investment'
Mr Trevellyan said: "Sadly, as those with first-hand experience of living in occupied Jersey become fewer and fewer, there is a heightened urgency to record the facts of their experiences endured for the benefit of present and future generations."JWT said artefacts and exhibits at the site told the stories of people who had experienced life under Nazi occupation during the conflict.Damian Warman, general manager of JWT, said the new ownership represented an "exciting chapter" for the attraction."We are confident that Trevellyan Operations will bring fresh perspectives and investment to ensure the site continues to thrive, offering a unique and immersive experience for our visitors," he added.
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North Wales Live
a day ago
- North Wales Live
North Wales war hero's daring 1,200-mile escape after being shot down behind enemy lines
A heroic RAF pilot from North Wales whose Second World War escape makes the Colditz breakout look a breeze is the subject of a new book. Frank Griffiths, who was born on the Wirral but grew up in Denbighshire, was shot down while dropping supplies to the French Resistance near Annecy on August 15, 1943. Griffiths' six-man crew were all killed when his Halifax bomber slammed into a French village, with five civilians also dying, but somehow Frank survived. Badly wounded and alone in Nazi-occupied territory, Frank embarked on a 1,200 mile, 108-day escape through France, Switzerland and Spain, a journey made via the attic of a brothel, a chimney, a brutal hike over the Pyrenees and a Spanish prison cell. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Some 79 years later, Frank's great grandson Adam Hart set out to retrace his predecessors' odyssey. Hart, 25, from Pembrokeshire, said: 'Frank died four years before I was born, but growing up I always knew of his wartime heroics, he is a family legend. 'Retracing his escape from the Nazis across Europe was incredible and gave me an insight into his fortitude and resilience. It took him three nights to hike over the Pyrenees to Spain. I planned to do the same, but couldn't keep up with his pace, despite me being 22 at the time and having just completed Ironman Wales!' During the journey, Adam tracked down and met descendants of people who'd risked torture and execution at the hands of the Nazis to shelter, feed and guide Frank to safety. 'Meeting these descendants was truly incredible and is really what inspired me to write this book. These complete strangers, who I usually did not even share a language with, shook my hand, hugged me and even cried when they met me,' said Adam. 'I remember the granddaughter of a farmer who helped smuggle Frank into Switzerland told me he always said it was the honour of his lifetime to help an RAF pilot during the war.' Griffiths, born in West Kirby on May 1, 1912, grew up in North Wales and attended Mostyn House School on the Dee estuary. Aged 18, he decided to live on a boat drifting around North Wales fishing and sleeping rough in the summer, and mooring up in the Liverpool Docks in the winter when he worked as a labourer, mainly maintaining pubs. In 1936, after six years on the boat, he joined the RAF and was accepted as a pilot. After a stint in Malaya with 62 Squadron, Frank found himself back in the UK as a test pilot testing vital aviation technology that helped keep the upper hand over the Luftwaffe. Flying from RAF Defford near Malvern, Frank began to wrack up a list of derring-do anecdotes thanks to his maverick behaviour. This included flying underneath the Menai Bridge, parachuting a mangle to his aunt in an isolated valley in Eryri, (Snowdonia), almost colliding with a submarine in the Dee estuary and diving a WWI era biplane toward Rhyl beach in a successful attempt to put out a fire next to his cockpit. In April 1943, Frank applied to be made operational and was posted to 138 Squadron (Special Duties). This elite outfit were involved in clandestine warfare dropping SOE agents and war material into Occupied Europe. It was on one of these mission that Frank's plane took off from RAF Tempsford, the SOE "Special Duties" airbase in rural England. Frank and his crew were on a secret midnight mission codenamed Operation Pimento, but they were shot down near Annecy in southeast France, and he made his escape. Once back in Britain, Frank returned to test piloting and remained in the RAF until 1972. He retired to Ruthin where he lived out his days raising money for the riding for the disabled charity, note taking badly for the local RNLI branch, and grazing his sheep on various roundabouts. His ashes were spread near the summit of Moel Famau. Adam added: 'My generation are the first to not hear their ancestors' war stories first hand so it is more important than ever to keep them alive. "By doing so not only does it pay tribute to that incredible generation, but it also serves as a constant reminder of why war must be avoided at all costs. "The six lads on Frank's aircraft who were killed were all younger than me, and I'm only 25. Two left pregnant wives.'
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
North Wales war hero's daring 1,200-mile escape after being shot down behind enemy lines
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A heroic RAF pilot from North Wales whose Second World War escape makes the Colditz breakout look a breeze is the subject of a new book. Frank Griffiths, who was born on the Wirral but grew up in Denbighshire, was shot down while dropping supplies to the French Resistance near Annecy on August 15, 1943. Griffiths' six-man crew were all killed when his Halifax bomber slammed into a French village, with five civilians also dying, but somehow Frank survived. Badly wounded and alone in Nazi-occupied territory, Frank embarked on a 1,200 mile, 108-day escape through France, Switzerland and Spain, a journey made via the attic of a brothel, a chimney, a brutal hike over the Pyrenees and a Spanish prison cell. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Some 79 years later, Frank's great grandson Adam Hart set out to retrace his predecessors' odyssey. Hart, 25, from Pembrokeshire, said: 'Frank died four years before I was born, but growing up I always knew of his wartime heroics, he is a family legend. (Image: Adam Hart) 'Retracing his escape from the Nazis across Europe was incredible and gave me an insight into his fortitude and resilience. It took him three nights to hike over the Pyrenees to Spain. I planned to do the same, but couldn't keep up with his pace, despite me being 22 at the time and having just completed Ironman Wales!' (Image: Adam Hart) During the journey, Adam tracked down and met descendants of people who'd risked torture and execution at the hands of the Nazis to shelter, feed and guide Frank to safety. 'Meeting these descendants was truly incredible and is really what inspired me to write this book. These complete strangers, who I usually did not even share a language with, shook my hand, hugged me and even cried when they met me,' said Adam. (Image: Adam Hart) 'I remember the granddaughter of a farmer who helped smuggle Frank into Switzerland told me he always said it was the honour of his lifetime to help an RAF pilot during the war.' Griffiths, born in West Kirby on May 1, 1912, grew up in North Wales and attended Mostyn House School on the Dee estuary. Aged 18, he decided to live on a boat drifting around North Wales fishing and sleeping rough in the summer, and mooring up in the Liverpool Docks in the winter when he worked as a labourer, mainly maintaining pubs. In 1936, after six years on the boat, he joined the RAF and was accepted as a pilot. After a stint in Malaya with 62 Squadron, Frank found himself back in the UK as a test pilot testing vital aviation technology that helped keep the upper hand over the Luftwaffe. Flying from RAF Defford near Malvern, Frank began to wrack up a list of derring-do anecdotes thanks to his maverick behaviour. This included flying underneath the Menai Bridge, parachuting a mangle to his aunt in an isolated valley in Eryri, (Snowdonia), almost colliding with a submarine in the Dee estuary and diving a WWI era biplane toward Rhyl beach in a successful attempt to put out a fire next to his cockpit. In April 1943, Frank applied to be made operational and was posted to 138 Squadron (Special Duties). This elite outfit were involved in clandestine warfare dropping SOE agents and war material into Occupied Europe. (Image: Adam Hart) It was on one of these mission that Frank's plane took off from RAF Tempsford, the SOE "Special Duties" airbase in rural England. Frank and his crew were on a secret midnight mission codenamed Operation Pimento, but they were shot down near Annecy in southeast France, and he made his escape. Once back in Britain, Frank returned to test piloting and remained in the RAF until 1972. He retired to Ruthin where he lived out his days raising money for the riding for the disabled charity, note taking badly for the local RNLI branch, and grazing his sheep on various roundabouts. His ashes were spread near the summit of Moel Famau. Adam added: 'My generation are the first to not hear their ancestors' war stories first hand so it is more important than ever to keep them alive. "By doing so not only does it pay tribute to that incredible generation, but it also serves as a constant reminder of why war must be avoided at all costs. "The six lads on Frank's aircraft who were killed were all younger than me, and I'm only 25. Two left pregnant wives.'
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Abandoned UK Butlin's resort once wrecked by tornado is now huge holiday park
Tourists 'ran in terror' after a 90mph tornado flattened a popular Butlin's resort, uprooting trees from the ground and ripping roofs from chalets. Now, the site looks completely different Roofs were 'ripped like paper' from this once-thriving Butlin's resort that has now taken on a completely new breath of life. Back in 1947, a 150-acre stretch of rolling farmland - sandwiched in between mountains and sea - was transformed into a Red Coat holiday camp, after previously being used as a training centre for the Admiralty and Merchant Navy during World War Two. Located in Pwllheli, in Wales, it had the capacity to welcome a whopping 8,000 visitors at any one time, and even boasted its own miniature railway that whizzed holidaymakers from the centre of the complex over to the beach. Like any classic Butlin's site, the resort boasted a huge outdoor swimming pool with a five-tier water feature, along with a boating lake, ballroom, tennis courts, cosy cabins, and thrilling fun fair rides. In 1987, it is believed the camp bought the Vekoma Boomerang, a stomach-churning roller coaster that consisted of six loops (three of which went backward). When it came to entertainment, the Pwllheli site also did not disappoint. "Ringo Starr appeared at the camp during his pre-Beatles era," reports Butlin's Memories. "His group, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, appeared for a 13-week engagement in 1960. The booking was due to start on June 4, but Ringo declined due to his impending marriage. In the end, the marriage was cancelled so he could go to Butlin's." However, on August 14, 1989, the site was wrecked by a freak tornado that sparked carnage in the seaside town. According to North Wales Live, tourists 'ran in terror' as 90mph winds ripped roofs from lodges, chucked boats into the air, and uprooted trees from the ground. "I remember I'd just come back in from having tea. It had been a gorgeous day, the sun had been shining all day long," Ian Bond, who was at the camp when the tornado hit, said. "We went back into our chalets, then all of a sudden there was this huge bang and a crash. Then it went really quiet." Ian explained how when he looked outside, all he could see was 'grey dust everywhere' before the terrifying twister became visible. "It came up over the headland near where the cable cars used to be, and up over the boating lake. It literally split all the trees and you could see the path where it had been," he added. "Then it came towards the chalets. We ran back inside and then it hit us. It ripped everything to pieces. When it passed, we looked up and the roof of the chalets were just gone, ripped off." With the majority of the camp flattened, and more than 35,000 forced to cut their holiday short, the tornado caused an estimated damage of £2 million. A £30 million investment scheme was announced a year later, and the site rebranded as Starcoast World - boasting a new subtropical water-world known as StarSplash. But by the end of 1997, the Pwllheli camp was transferred to Haven Holidays - and the survivIng Butlin's features were bulldozed. Chalets were replaced with static caravans, and the funfair and miniature railway were removed. Now, the area is home to the Hafan-y-Mor Holiday Park, which was given an AA 5 Platinum Star award last year. The popular Haven site features an adventure village, water park and pool, as well as four-lane slide and flume. Visitors can now opt to stay in Caravans, Lodges, or Apartments - with three-night stays costing as little as £49.
