THOUGHTS FROM OUR SECRETARY
PORTH EIRIAS – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
THE GOOD – It is good to see those who are interested in water-sports using the excellent facilities available at Porth Eirias. The different types of craft available for use is extensive, with lessons in sailing on offer. The use of excellent changing rooms , toilets and quality showers and clothes cabinets, is available in the building. All of these, to me, are good features of Porth Eirias and I wish those running the water-sport business all success in their enterprise.
Another delightful feature of the complex are the two ceramic mosaic plaques ,created by school children, now placed on the walls by the entrance steps. The schools and the children involved must be congratulated on the quality of these works. Funding should be made available to encourage more children and schools to create more of these ceramic plaques to add further colour to these boundary walls.
The roof viewing platform is an excellent facility , giving superb views of the beach and bay.
The children’s outside play area with climbing frames, swings etc is also proving to be a good aspect of Porth Eirias. It is well used and appreciated with it’s soft surface in case of ‘nasty’ falls.
THE UGLY – My personal view and what seems to me to be turning into something ugly are the plants used to fill the beds on the way up to the glass-sided viewing area. The natural grasses and plants chosen are those which survive a windy and salt-sprayed seaside environment. However, I feel they do not do the over-all appearance of Porth Eirias any good whatsoever. Far better , to my mind ,would be to fill the beds with more colourful shrubs and bedding plants ( hardy fuschias and hebes come to mind.)
THE BAD – ( or rather , the disappointing, the worrying and the money wasting) Those responsible for finding an organisation to provide catering at Porth Eirias need to hang their heads in shame. What a shambles ! Delays – not fit for purpose – expenses to provide and install suitable equipment – finding a suitable tenant, and a lack of transparency are all matters that are causing concern amongst the general public. I’ve heard it said that McDonalds, KFC or Little Chef are the sort of tenants needed in that sort of sea-front establishment, or even a locally owned cafe. As for transparency – I’m sure the County’s ratepayers would like to know – is entitled to know- the terms of the lease related to the catering at Porth Eirias.
A heart-felt Request – Will whoever is responsible for the ‘Visitor Centre’ at the entrance to Victoria Pier please take it away ? It is not helping the tourists’ image of Colwyn Bay.
A few more ‘GOODS ‘ to end my notes :- It was good to see the super beach being opened up again for all to enjoy.
It was good to see the new little ‘Train’ taking families from Rhos to Porth Eirias and back again.
It was good to see a 20MPH speed limit applied along the sea-front road from Victoria pier to Porth Eirias. If I had my way, that 20MPH limit would apply from Old Colwyn to Penrhyn Bay- especially through the summer months.