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North Wales Live
24-05-2025
- North Wales Live
Locals' verdict on whether Caernarfon really is one of UK's happiest places to live in
Thousands of people come to enjoy the delights of Caernarfon every year. It's in a stunning location on the edge of the Menai Strait with charming, narrow streets and the expansive Maes. Of course there is also its castle, which is part of a UNESCO heritage site. One of the most architecturally impressive buildings of the Middle Ages, it took 47 years to build this formidable fortress, the town walls and quay at a cost of £25,000. Understandably, most visitors can't help but be impressed by Caernarfon - and football fans may also get to enjoy improvements at Caernarfon Town FC. Now a survey by The Guardian newspaper has ranked it the third happiest place in which to live in the UK. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday North Wales Live asked locals what they made of the survey and whether they really are happy to live here. Former Mayor of Caernarfon Cllr Dewi Jones welcomed the survey results, with Caernarfon in third place behind only Berwick-upon-Tweed and Evesham. He said: "Local people all know how fantastic Caernarfon is. It's good to have that national recognition. "I am happy to live here. We are very lucky. "We have got some fantastic local businesses and some interesting places, especially when it comes to bars and restaurants, but also when it comes to nature on our doorstep, being very close to Eryri." He also hailed Y Foryd nature reserve which is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). It is home to a variety of wildlife and is popular with walkers, cyclists and anglers. Cllr Jones, of Peblig Ward, said: "It's lovely to sit on the front outside The Anglesey pub with a pint of beer on a summer's day seeing the birds which have migrated here from Africa." But Cllr Jones also said it's the "buckets" of community spirit which makes Caernarfon what it is. "We saw that especially during Covid," he said. "People really came together and really looked after each other - collecting prescriptions and food shopping. The community spirit has remained." There are also plenty of places to meet including Porthi Dre Youth Club which is run by volunteers and is free. On Caernarfon being the third happiest place in the UK Cllr Dawn Jones told North Wales Live: "I totally agree with that. I'm Caernarfon born and bred and there's nobody like the Cofis to rally round when we need support. There's nobody kinder." She added that the Gwyl Fwyd food festival, held recently, is one of the best things about the town, along with Cei Llechi (the artisan shopping village) and the marina. She said: "You see the decline of the high streets in England but we don't have many empty shops in Caernarfon. People take such a pride in their businesses." Tudor Hughes, 53, who owns Caffi Maes, is very happy to live in the Caernarfon area too. He said: "I have come from Anglesey but Caernarfon pulled me in." He added: "It's always nice to go away from home but there's nowhere nicer in the world to match Caernarfon. It's right on the shore of the Menai Strait and there are mountains nearby. "It's like a miniature New Zealand but it's a lot more accessible." He added: "It's very much a tourist town but everybody (who lives here) knows each other and it's still vibrant with young families." He added that the Welsh language is strong in Caernarfon with "90pc to 95pc" of his conversations that day being in Welsh. Others are drawn to live happily in Caernarfon. Pawel Przybyszewski runs the Tin of Sea giftshop on Palace Street. "Caernarfon is an amazing place, with its history and culture, especially in the summer when there are a lot of visitors," he said. "It's a unique place because it has the castle and the mountains in the surrounding area. That's why it makes people happy and that's why we moved from London to North Wales." On the contrast with the English capital, he said: "People in London are not as friendly. Local people here are so supportive and will chat to you in the street which we never had in London. We knew our neighbour very well but everyone else closes up." Indeed, another businesswoman and resident Ann Catrin Evans agreed people are happy in Caernarfon partly because of the friendliness. "You can't walk ten paces because you have to stop to talk to someone because you know them!" she smiled. "It's small and compact. It's not as big as a lot of other towns but that's its charm. This street (Palace Street) is fantastic because it has dozens of very small, independent shops and cafes. Everybody is giving it their all." She said. "We're slap bang between two of the main attractions in Caernarfon - the castle and The Black Boy pub, and very close to nature over the Aber (estuary)." Ann, who made the bronze door handles for the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff and won the Gold Medal for Craft the 1993 National Eisteddfod, runs Siop iARD jewellery and art shop.
Wales Online
27-04-2025
- Wales Online
Man dies in serious incident as police swoop
Man dies in serious incident as police swoop Tributes have been flooding in for the man who has died on Facebook Police were called to a serious incident on Saturday, April 26, shortly after 3pm in the Maes Barcer area in Caernarfon Police cordoned off a road in Caernarfon after a serious incident on Saturday, April 26, shortly after 3pm in the Maes Barcer area. The cordon remained in place for several hours, and in a statement issued on Sunday, police confirmed that a man had died and three people had been arrested. Officers say the investigation is ongoing, and they are asking people with any information which could help to come forward. No further details about the circumstances has yet been released. A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: "At 12:11 yesterday (26 April), North Wales Police were called to respond to the death of a man at an address on Ffordd Maes Barcer, Caernarfon. Article continues below "Three arrests have been made in connection with the incident and the investigation is ongoing. "We are appealing to anyone with any information to come forward by calling 101 quoting reference number C059028." Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here There was a major police response in the Maes Barcer area of the town after 3pm yesterday, North Wales Live reported. A police cordon was put in place on part of the road following this incident as an investigation was launched. Tributes have been paid online to a man, who has been named locally as Dylan Evans with scores of tributes paid to him on Facebook. Caernarfon Mayor Dewi Jones said: "This is very sad news and my sincere condolences are with Mr Evans' friends and family." There was an amount of commotion in the area on Saturday, as there was a call for calm in the area after the incident. Caernarfon town councillor Kenny Richards, also known as Kenny Khan, said people needed to remain calm and let the police get on with their jobs. He said: "We need to be careful about speculation, we do not want to this to escalate. 'We need to let the police do their jobs and have our thoughts with the families of all those involved here." You can follow live updates on this story here. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice. Article continues below
Wales Online
27-04-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
I didn't think I'd walk again after waiting two hours for an ambulance, but something extraordinary happened
I didn't think I'd walk again after waiting two hours for an ambulance, but something extraordinary happened Teacher Dewi Jones, who had to learn to walk again after an accident, is running the London Marathon (Image: Dewi Jones ) A teacher who had to learn to walk again after an accident at home is running this weekend's London Marathon. Dewi Jones from Cardiff fell 15 feet from a ladder while painting the front of his house in Cardiff. He fractured the ball of his femur, smashed up his wrist and it was a slow and painful recovery with "many dark times". He said: ' I was painting the outside of my house in Cardiff with a friend and was on a ladder at the first floor window - the ladder was on the deck and slipped and I came down 15 feet. I should have wedged the ladder in place. "I landed on my right foot and you could see the bone on my right shin. I broke the ball on the end of my femur - so I broke my hip. It was awful. I was trying to get an ambulance for two and a half hours. I was just lying on the deck." For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Article continues below Dewi has always been a runner and wanted to get back to it as soon as he could after his accident in 2017 Dewi smashed his left wrist in the fall too and was in a considerable amount of pain while his friend Mike Flemming, who was painting with him, called for an ambulance to take him to the University Hospital of Wales. Eight years after his accident and at the age of 57, Dewi is aiming to complete the London Marathon in under four hours. "I had a series of operations and was really worried I would never walk again because I could not put any weight on it at first. These things take such a long time and I had a lot of dark times - you don't know what will happen." Dewi, who is head of the secondary computing and design technology faculty at Abertillery, 3-16 Learning Community, had two major surgeries to repair his hip and wrist. He was then "back and fro" for more surgeries and visits to the fracture clinic and physiotherapists and couldn't even begin to try to walk again for six weeks. "I had to learn to walk again and was back and forth to the hospital after surgery. It was one step at a time" "I am good now but there will always be a weakness there. I had to sit and wait for it to heal before I could put pressure on it again and that took six weeks. 'It was a pretty nasty recovery. I had to go through the whole process of learning to walk again and it was slow. I was on crutches for a long time. "I have always run and when I was able to start running again, I must have looked comical because I still had a bad limp. But I kept going and gradually built my strength again. 'My limp improved the more I ran and in 2019 I joined a team of four runners to tackle the Classic Quarter in Cornwall, a 44-mile endurance run along the South West Coast Path from the Lizard to Lands End." The Brighton Marathon followed a few months later and now Dewi is heading to the London Marathon. "I've been within four seconds of four hours previously so I'm feeling confident of hitting my target. I will just be making sure I keep away from ladders now." Dewi , who has decided to get decorators in the next time his house needs paining, has has already raised more than £2,000 for Barnardo's Cymru and hopes to raise more on Saturday. He said: " I see first hand the importance of giving every child the opportunity to succeed, no matter their background. I am running the London Marathon to raise money for Barnardo's because they work tirelessly to support vulnerable children who face challenges like poverty, neglect, and mental health issues. Article continues below Contrbutions to Dewi's fundraising for Barnardo's can be made here
