Scrap to Steam - One Month of Fundraising in Caernarfon

For one month only Caernarfon is hosting a unique fundraising event in its Town Square, where the Welsh Highland Society in association with Brunswick Ironworks will be using a steam locomotive as a centre piece attracting the public to donate towards a restoration project. Scrap to Steam will be opened by the Town Mayor, Councillor Hywel Roberts on August 3rd 2009, when he will make the first donation of this event towards the restoration of the narrow gauge NG 15 Locomotive.

The unique fundraising method chosen is based on a mathematical formulae "if you saved one penny on day one, doubled it on day two, doubled it again on day three and so on, how long would it take to save a million pounds? The answer is 27days! The aim is to test the theory and see how near to £1 million pounds the fundraisers can get in 27 days, with all proceeds going towards the restoration.

The event is being run by Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri, the Welsh Highland Railway's supporting society and the organisation behind the restoration; however it is also being supported by Brunswick Ironworks Limited, Caernarfon. The NG15 restoration team are holding the month long fund-raising event at Y Maes (Castle Square), Caernarfon from the 3rd to the 29th August 2009. The event's primary aim is to raise funds for the restoration of Locomotive 134, but is being staged in Caernarfon to raise awareness of the Locomotive amongst the local population.

In addition to funds the Welsh Highland Society hopes to inspire more people to take an active interest in working on the restoration project, joining a growing band of local volunteers new to the Welsh Highland Railway, which now runs between Caernarfon and Porthmadog through spectacular Snowdonia Scenery.

The locomotive actually on display will be Number 133, sister to Number 134 (the subject of the restoration project but is currently dismantled while it is being worked on).

Whilst accepting that with the credit crunch and job insecurity, this is not a good time to ask for donations, the organisers feel that by getting the local community involved, and hopefully with many people giving a little, the appeal could yet cause a surprise.

Tim Davies of Copper Phoenix ( http://www.copperphoenix.co.uk/ )helping to promote the event said "This is a fascinating new way to raise money for appeal funds and many fundraisers will watch the event with interest. It will be great to see No 134 eventually getting from Caernarfon to Porthmadog under its own steam!"

You can follow daily progress of the appeal on Twitter, see http://twitter.com/NG15134

Any donations, however small, can be either brought in person to the Square during August, or they can be sent direct to the Brunswick Ironworks, Peblig Mill, Llanbeblig Road, Caernarfon Gwynedd LL55 2SE. Cheques to be made out to "NG 15 Appeal". See also the appeal site http://www.ng15-134.co.uk/ or http://www.brunswickironworks.co.uk/

Edward Jenner Museum Ghost Image

Edward Jenner Museum Ghost Image
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies

This was the picture that started the massive media hype for The Edward Jenner Musem. Copper Phoenix has now been asked to develop ghost tourism at the Museum, as a much needed extra income stream. This will be boosted by the recent filming by Living TV's "Most Haunted" at the Museum.

The ghost is seen in the doorway. Who is the ghost? We'll let you know if we find out from any of the groups, who intend to visit the haunted attic!

Getting the Web Bit Right

Websites are so important that it is amazing that so many tourism organisations still get it wrong.

Getting started

Develop your own website including your information in other famous tourism websites.

Do a cost benefit analysis and don’t forget to include the cost of keeping your website up-to-date.

Work with an experienced or professional website developer, it pays to pay for this.

Ensure they deliver an easy to navigate website that is best value for your needs and budget.

Online consumers are reluctant to read large amounts of text but while images can be very effective, too many images will slow down the time it takes for the consumer to see the page on the screen.

Ensure your site is accessible to all types of users – some people have slow computers, slow Internet access, and small monitors or could be visually impaired.

Highlight your contact details and maintain pricing and make sure you reply to any enquiries within 24 hours!

Site Promotion

A majority of website traffic is delivered via search engines. Your site should be built by a reputable developer who can also make it search-engine friendly.

Ensure all literature, emails etc refers to your website address.

Consider expanding the reach of your product online through community, government, and commercial website partners.

You should include your information on other websites such as Local Tourism Associations, regional tourism organisations, etc.

You could consider marketing through advertising on non-travel-specific websites and commercial travel sites. Common social sites like Face Book and Twitter also provide a platform where one can easily reach a big audience with the products on offer.

Post travel happenings and stories to the social media sites. The post will go to all fans and be seen by those who visit your site. Ensure you drop a comment with a link to your website.

Maintain your website

Ensure that technically your site is ‘available’ to Internet users all or close to all of the time.

Your content must be accurate, current, relevant and compelling – this will be a site visitor's initial experience of your busines, your professionalism and your product.

Online bookings and payments if managed effectively can help your business, if they dont work it will reflect badly on you.

Develop arrangements to ensure bookings and payments made online are secure. Decide which payment options will be accepted and illustrate it fully on the website booking form.

Simple steps but so, so importantto getting the right image and utilisation!

For help with your website see www.copperphoenix.co.uk

Gloomy Predictions from South West Tourism

I'm disappointed that we are allowing negative publicity to rule our industry again.

To quote from the BBC website:

A stern warning has been issued about the future of tourism in the West.

In a new booklet, Malcolm Bell, Director of South West Tourism, says optimism the 2009 summer will be a bumper year may be misplaced. Assumptions a good Sterling/Euro exchange rate would favour the region may not materialise, he said.

Mr Bell predicts rising unemployment and ongoing economic uncertainty could see visitor numbers drop between three and eight per cent.

He said: "Even if we do get reasonable numbers of displaced visitors, they may just replace losses from loyal customers who cannot visit due to reduced incomes from savings, or lower earnings because they have lost their jobs."

South West Tourism covers Bath, Bristol, Bournemouth and Poole, Cornwall and Scilly Isles, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.


Surely it would be better to promote the benefits of the South West's undoubted excellent tourist facilities rather than hint that it will be a bad summer. We are so media driven these days that any bad news means we instantly assume the worst.

Come on South West Tourism, promote us all and be positive! I'm all for being realistic but let's see what happens.

To help make the most of your business in these tricky times see www.copperphoenix.co.uk

BBC to Film at Jenner Museum

BBC Points West will film the dig by the University of Bristol and the Saxon Nunnery they've found in the Museum's garden on Friday 12th June.

Hpefully this will further increase the awareness of the Museum in Berkeley so we can continue with the necessary fundraising to prevent its closure.

Copper Phoenix is applying for restoration grants but the Museum will need more assistance from the general public too.

Watch this space.

Just Jane

Just Jane
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies

A sepia version of me in a Lancaster cockpit. One of the many ambitions on my list fulfilled.

Dr Stuart Prior Explains

Dr Stuart Prior Explains
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies

Dr Stuart Prior explaining one of the Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical buildings (7th - 9th Century) found in the garden of the Edward Jenner Museum. This was likley to have been accomodation for the nuns on this site, and several oyster shells were found here too, as oysters were the staple diet of the time.

Saxon Nunnery in Museum Garden

The annual archaeological dig in Berkeley, Gloucestershire by University of Bristol believes that it has found the first ever excavated Saxon Nunnery which was part of a Mynster (Monastery), with domestic buildings in the garden of The Edward Jenner Museum and the remains of the Nun’s Church by the tower in the churchyard at the end of the Museum’s garden.

The Berkeley Project to find Saxon Berkeley and the missing nunnery has been going for five years. This year the Saxon Church has been found at the foot of the Edward Jenner Museum’s garden, by the church tower. The current tower dates from 1753 replacing an earlier tower damaged during the Civil War. The original Saxon Church that was part of the Mynster was recorded as far back as 1541 but had by then fallen into disrepair.

Of great interest to the Edward Jenner Museum was a rubbish pit found at the site of the church dating to the time of Dr Jenner: three broken snuff bottles were found amongst broken chinaware and other domestic waste, which is contemporary with the date that Edward Jenner lived in The Chantry. Sarah Parker (Museum Director) said: In the 260th Anniversary year of Jenner’s birth to find such a personal tangible link with him is a huge bonus on top of the other exciting but much earlier discoveries in our garden.

The remains of a high status Saxon building have been found underneath the Museum’s lawn, complete with a cobbled entrance and a refuse pit with oyster shells, staple food in the medieval period.

Other small finds in this area have included a William the Conqueror coin, a coin from the reign Henry I, and various medieval items from horse bridle furnishings and buckles to clothing pins. Some Roman coins and materials have also been discovered

Dr Stuart Prior of University of Bristol said that if the church was associated to the buildings and they do turn out to be part of the Anglo-Saxon nunnery it will be the first time that a nunnery of this date (7th - 9th Century) has ever been excavated and all the evidence to date including the Anglo-Saxon records support this Hypothesis! Which is very exciting.

With one more week to go it is hoped that there will be more finds and further developments of this fascinating story.

- ENDS -



Notes to Editors:


1) The Edward Jenner Museum & Conference Centre is based in Dr Jenner’s former home, The Chantry, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Dr Jenner lived in the house from 1785-1823. It was from this (Grade II* Listed) house that he pioneered world-changing vaccination against Smallpox. Joint tickets with Berkeley Castle can be bought at either venue.

2) 2009 is the 260th anniversary of Edward Jenner’s birth and a series of events throughout the year are marking the occasion. See www.jennermuseum.com for more details

A Lack of Tourism Support

I've just returned from a meeting of the Cotswold Attractions Group and was horrified to hear the apparent lack of support tourism has in these difficult times.

The Tourism Officer for the Cotswolds has been made redundant, there are funding cuts and the Tourist Information Office in Stow has been closed - mad! How are we supposed to capitalise on what is supposed to be a real chance of attracting more home visitors to our industry if we get no support from the existing infrastructure?

We can see from reports that the hotels and guest houses are suffering from a lack of bookings so the day trip market is up, as well as camping of course! But what good is this increase in potential business if there is no support network for tourists visiting the area, or the attractions and businesses relying on the extra promotion?

Anyway, it just shows how important it is to promote tourist attractions and heritage in general - especially now.

Guess what? We can help! See www.copperphoenix.co.uk and get in touch. Take advantage of this time, protect and build your business.