WHY on earth were Armco barriers–- costing as little as £50 for 10-feet – not erected on the A5 bridge spanning the Ceiriog River near Chirk?

They are fast becoming a necessity because of the fragile and 10-times more expensive guard rails that are being pranged regularly? A two-feet wide solid concrete apron is conveniently there to accommodate them.

It not only makes economic sense to add cheap-as-chips Armco, to protect the pricey guard rails, but it comes with the huge bonus of life-saving safety!

Fickle hand of fate

THE restaurant trade is notoriously fickle and it’s always sad when one folds.

Take The Boathouse, the once ‘clubhouse’ of failed Chirk Golf Course you heard so little about, by not blowing its own trumpet to boost trade.

You have to be ahead of the game today, with posted speciality nights, offers and the menu all online. Last Tuesday, the first pub I visited was devoid of a single customer, while one a mile away boasting ‘two pies for the price of one’ was heaving!

Scammers’ delight

TWICE last week – first, by being asked if I was DP-J, on collecting an item ordered online, then secondly, by being ‘told’ my address on collecting a prescription – vital opportunities were lost to prove I was genuine.

By being asked and not told sees such vital facts negated. I’d read that very day about a man who ordered a £1,300 computer from John Lewis and was told it had already been picked up when he went to collect it. Too often in life we’re taken at face value – a scammers’ delight!

Vegan views

WHITTINGTON councillor Steve Charmley must deeply regret venting his anger on Arriva buses for accepting Vegan ads “in a great county built on agriculture”.

Apart from Shropshire Council immediately dissociating itself from his comments, as did social media, surely Cllr Charmley meant ‘livestock farming’ as ‘agriculture’ also produces the bits vegans love!

KinoKulture bargain

THOSE who packed Oswestry’s KinoKulture cinema to thrill to its sensational sound and vision system relaying André Rieu’s New Year concert, were so convinced by the reality of it all, they clapped each ‘act’. The night out, beamed 10,500 miles from Sydney, cost just £12 – just a hundredth the cost of flying down under!

Free parking please!

LET’S hope new parking machines planned for later this month at Sainsbury’s in Oswestry - to replace the current unreliable ones - get delayed.

We’ve all had a ball with ‘free’ parking since well before Christmas. Let’s hope Sainsbury’s witnesses how well it worked so it could prevent us having to fumble for a refundable £1 each time!

Bright future

BANKS were solidly built by rich organisations - and Llanfyllin’s HSBC is a great example!

So how wonderful it now faces a rosy future - as a niche countryside clothing store.