JANUARY

OLYMPICS 2012 TRAINING CENTRE - Holyhead was selected as a location for a 2012 Olympics weightlifting training centre, to be sited at the Holyhead Weightlifting Club in Millbank. Holyhead has a very strong record in the sport, inlcuding some international medals.

WATEFRONT DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENT - Stena entered into a joint venture with the Conygar Investment Company plc in order to develop surplus non-operational land currently owned by them in Holyhead. Conygar has committed £7M to the joint venture to fund project development costs with Stena contributing land. Conygar are already involved in developing a major waterfront scheme for Pembroke Dock - see www.martelloquays.co.uk for details.

LAND TRAIN WINS TOURISM AWARD - Holyhead's new Road Train has been judged to be Anglesey's best new visitor attraction, and received the award at the Annual Anglesey Tourism Awards ceremony at Treysgawen Hall Hotel.

TOWN QUALIFIES FOR REGENERATION FUNDS - Holyhead has been included on a list of 44 settlements in Wales which will qualify to apply under the EU Convergence programme Priority 5 budget of £100M ERDF funds for "Building Sustainable Communities". The funding will provide for physical regeneration, including town centre improvements, and for community development activities.

NEW BUILDING FRAME CHANGES SKYLINE - The steel frame of a new £2M development is changing the town centre skyline. The new cafe/bar and office scheme next to the Celtic Gateway bridge forms part of the mainly EU funded £4m town centre improvement package. Other related works to improve ugly property rears and create a visitor car park are also underway on Victoria Road http://www.propertypilot.co.uk/pdf/160+785.PDF

FEBRUARY

WORK STARTS ON NEW BUSNESS UNITS - Contractors have started work on a new block of four small business units on Penrhos Business Park. The development of 150sqm units by Anglesey County Council to meet the growing local demand for such premises is expected to be completed by August.

£15M REGENERATION PLAN LAUNCHED - The new "Mon a Menai" strategic regeneration funding plan was launched in the Trearddur Bay Hotel by Welsh Assembly Government Minister Leighton Andrews. It is expected that Holyhead will receive a major share of this  new Assembly funding towards projects such as the waterfont improvements and new cruise ship terminal.

PRAISE FOR NEW BISTRO - The new Mala's Bistro restaurant in Holyhead Town Centre has been described as "excellent" in the Daily Post Taste Test review.

MARCH

CINEMA OPENS - The Empire Cinema in Holyhead has re-opened (3/08)

TWINNING LINK CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY - The Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire Link organization celebrated its tenth anniversary with a St.Patrick's Day Dinner at the Trearddur Bay Hotel. Holyhead Link stalwart Jeff Evans was presented with an award and a personal letter of thanks from Irish prime minister Bertie Aherne.(3/08)

APRIL

STEAM TRAIN EXCURSIONS TO HOLYHEAD - Two steam trains carrying 800 passengers visited Holyhead in April. The Princess Elizabeth train visited Holyhead on Saturday the 19th April, followed by a second steam train on Saturday the 26th April.   A total of ten steam train excursions are due to visit Holyhead during the spring / summer of 2008.

TOWN CENTRE STORE REVAMP - The large Co-op store in Market Street has received a £300k private investment, including improvements to the shop frontage and interior.

INNER HARBOUR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT - Holyhead Forward Board chair Steve Jones has announced the existence a concept plan by consultants for a major long-term re-development of part of the Inner Harbour, which was revealed to the Board at its April meeting (4/08)

MORRISONS STORE DEVELOPMENT - Siteworks have started at Penrhos as part of the building of a major new Morrisons superstore, and the steel frame is now being erected. Morrisons have advertised for a store manager and deputy managers (4/08)

SLIPWAY & BOAT STORE - A £500k scheme to improve small boat fishing infrastructure near Bol Sach in the Outer Harbour has started. The scheme is being jointly funded by the EU Fisheries Fund and the Welsh Assembly Fisheries Department.(4/08)

MAY

PHONE BOXES CLOSURE PLANS - Rising mobile phone usage has led to BT proposals to remove many public telephone boxes, including four in Holyhead. BT has asked Anglesey County Council planning department for its views.

SCHOOL PROJECT WINS LOTTERY CASH - Morlo Communities First Partnership have been awarded a £9,828 Big Lottery Breathing Places Grant for environmental improvements around the Ysgol Llanfawr primary school grounds. 

ELECTION CHANGES ON HOLY ISLAND - Four of Holy Island's seven wards have new County Councillors, following the 1st May local elections. There are also a small number of new Town Councillors. For further details see www.anglesey.gov.uk

JUNE

BRONZE AGE RING FOUND - a gold ring found by archaeologists at the Parc Cybi business park has been dated to around 2,000 BC.

CRUISE SHIP CALL IN - The 600-passenger "Saga Rose" visited on Friday the 6th June, which berthed on the aluminium jetty as a trial.  The next large cruise ship visit will be in September.

SAILING SHIP VISITS - The 47 metre Kaskelot square rigged sailing ship visited Holyhead on the 4th and 11th June, providing 3-hour sailing trips from the Public Quay See www.square-sail.com for details.

TESCO PLANS EXTENSION - plans have been revealed to almost double the floorspace of the existing Holyhead store at Penrhos, and build a new car parking deck. The plans have been placed on public display, and a planning application is expected.

HISTORIC SCHOOL TO BE DEMOLISHED - Anglesey County Council has confirmed its intention to demolish the old Cybi School building, which is now vacant, and is not a listed building.

TOWN REBRANDING PLAN - Anglesey County Council have authorized a bid for EU Interreg funds towards an image makeover for Holyhead, as part of a scheme involving four towns, including also Rhyl, Athy, and Dun Laoghaire.

POST OFFICE CLOSURES PLAN - Three sub-post offices in the Holyhead area are included in a list of 52 that may close in North Wales. These are : Church Terrace, Llaingoch Community Centre, and Four Mile Bridge. The proposals by the Post Office are subject to a seven-week consultation. See www.postoffice.co.uk under "network change update".

NEW FOOD WEBSITE - A new website has been launched to promote local food and eating out venues in Holyhead. See www.holyheadfood.com

JULY

HOLYHEAD FESTIVAL WEEKEND - The annual Holyhead Festival on the weekend of the 26th and 27th July was very successful. Crowds enjoyed the fun fair, history re-enactments, military displays, classic vehicles, hovercraft trips, craft stalls, and other activities. There was also an evening event on Saturday night featuring an Abba tribute band and the Steve Brolin Hypnotic Show.

ANGLIA ANCHOR RECOVERED - An anchor recovered from the wreck of the Anglia was returned to Holyhead on the 15th July and was met by Town Mayor Cllr Ailia Lewis and representatives of the Maritime Museum. The Anglia ferry boat was requisitioned during World War I for use as a hospital ship, and was sunk near Dover. The anchor is now in the port on the sea bed waiting conservation work.

AUGUST

EURO FUNDS TO EXTEND CENTRE - London Road Community Centre will be extended in the next few months, thanks to £200k funding from Objective One and a Town Improvement Grant awarded to the Morlo Partnership. Aug 08

RAILWAY EVENT SUCCESS - Hundreds attended a miniature railway exhibition in St Mary's Hall on the August Bank Holiday, coinciding with a steam train visit from Liverpool. Exhibitors were very pleased with the turnout, and are anxious for the event to be repeated next year. Aug 08

MORRISONS RECRUITMENT OPEN DAYS - Over 700 people attended a three day recruitment event held on August 3rd/4th/5th by Morrisons in Holyhead Town Hall to promote job opportunities at their new retail store, due to open at the end of 2008. Aug 08

ECONOMIC HUB DESIGNATION - Holyhead has been designated as one of six "economic hubs" in North Wales by Welsh Assembly planners. The 2008 Update of the Wales Spatial Plan also defines Holyhead as a "Key Regeneration Area" and a "National Gateway." Aug 08

SEPTEMBER

CRUISE SHIP VISIT CANCELLED -The cruise ship Jewel of the Seas' planned visit to Holyhead on Thursday September 11th had to be cancelled due to rough seas, making it too hazardous to bring passengers ashore in tenders. Various welcome events in the town centre for the anticipated 2,500 passengers were cancelled. This has reinforced the calls for a purpose-built cruise berth to be built, to avoid the need for tendering. Sept 08

LAND DEAL FOR RAIL DEPOT RELOCATION - Anglesey County Council has reached agreement with Anglesey Aluminium to buy land for the relocation of a rail depot now sited in the town centre, to make way for new port access / exit infrastructure and other improvements to the area

OCTOBER

FUEL COSTS HIT FAST FERRY TIMES - Rising fuel costs have forced Stena to slow down its fast HSS ferry sailing between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire. It will now take an additional 16 minutes to cross.

RMS LEINSTER 90th ANNIVERSARY - The Irish Post Office has issued a special stamp to comemmorate the sinking by torpedo in 1918 of the Holyhead to Kingstown ferry boat RMS Leinster with great loss of life. A remembrance service is due to take place in St.Michael's Church in Dun Laoghaire on the 10th October at 12 noon.

RURAL GRANT BOOST - Holy Island and other areas of Anglesey will receive £2.6m of European funds for Rural Development projects over the next 3 years, covering heritage, tourism, local food and other activities.

CRUISE BERTH PLAN MOVES CLOSER - Four engineering compaies have been invited by the Welsh Assembly Government to tender for the work to design a new cruise berth and an extension to the Anglesey Aluminium jetty. Oct 08   

NOVEMBER

'TIM CYBI' YOUTH & BUSINESS INITIATIVE - A new partnership between major local employers and Holyhead High School has been launched. Nov08

MARKET CROSS EXTENDED - As part of town centre improvements, the modern stone cross in Market Square has been extended so that it now stands 4 metres high, and stone seating has been installed around it. It has an inscrition in four languages -Welsh, English, Irish, and Latin. Nov08

LOG CABINS PROPOSAL - A planning application has been made to site 51 holiday log cabins at the Bagnol & Tyn Tywyn Caravan Park in Trearddur Bay. Nov08

NEW MORRISONS SUPERSTORE OPENS - The new £25M Morrisons retail store was opened by Holyhead Mayor Ailia Lewis on Monday 17th November. A total of around 250 new jobs have been created at the new store at Penrhos near Junction 2 of the A55.

NEW LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN - Anglesey planners have unveiled their draft new local plan for guiding development in the county until 2021, including specific plans and land allocations for Holyhead.

ANOTHER POST OFFICE TO CLOSE - The Church Terrace Post Office is one of five further post offices in North Wales that are due to close under the rationalisation plans.

PARC CYBI ROAD OFFICIALLY OPENED - Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM officially opened the access road for the new £13M Parc Cybi Business Park on the 24th October 2008. The scheme includes a direct link from A55 Junction 2, and provides more direct access between the A55 and Trearddur Bay.

FERRY SAILINGS CUT - Both Stena and Irish Ferries have announced that their fast ferry sailings will be reduced to one service a day from November 2008 onwards, due to high fuel costs and reduced traffic levels over winter.

NEW TOURISM PLAN FOR SOUTH STACK - Local development consortium YLD Limited have submitted a planning application to redevelop the South Stack cafe to create an iconic new visitor centre, with cafe, retail area, and 10 holiday apartments.

DECEMBER

WOOLWORTHS TO CLOSE - 19 jobs will be lost as the national chain store company closes its Holyhead store on the 27th December, as part of a national closure programme. Crowds of shoppers have flocked to spend in the store in response to discount deals. Three jobs are also being lost as the Fads shop closes. Dec08

HOLYHEAD HIGHLIGHTED IN NEW TOURISM PLAN - The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a new coastal tourism strategy which specifically refers to supporting resort and town centre improvements in Holyhead. Dec08.

FIVE STAR RESTAURANT - The recently refurbished Seacroft 'restaurant with rooms' in Trearddur Bay has been awarded a prestigious five star rating by VisitWales. See www.theseacroft.com Dec08

NEW FAST TRAIN SERVICE TO CARDIFF -Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM launched a new faster train service between Holyhead and Cardiff, saving about 30 minutes on previous journey times. Dec08.

NEW BUILDING COMPLETED - The official opening of "Ty Celtaidd" - a new building in Holyhead Town Centre, was announced by Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Deputy First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government, on the 12th December 2008. The building was created as part of a £6M package of improvements to the town centre during 2005-2008. 

RIO TINTO ANNOUNCEMENT FEARS - The worldwide Rio Tinto metals Group has announced plans to axe 14,000 jobs. They are part-owners of Anglesey Aluminium, and it is not yet known what the impact of this will be on the Holyhead-based company. Dec08.