Homes were evacuated earlier this evening after the explosion occurred near Cardiff Road, Abercanaid, in Merthyr Tydfil.
Investigations into the cause of the explosion are still underway, and fire crews are still working to close down the 30′ high flames.
There are no reports of any injuries and it is not thought that properties have been damaged, however, burning debris has been reported mid-river. Temporary shelter has been set up in the church hall.
More information is available via a news report on the BBC News web site and can be viewed by clicking here.
More information on this incident will be passed on here as soon as it is made available. Stay tuned to the Twitter page for more up to the minute information.
EDIT: The fire and utilities crews managed to resolved the issue by 8am the following morning, and thankfully, no one was injured. Apparently kids had been seen ‘hitting the pipes’ before hand, although what exactly it was that they had been hitting the pipes with, I have no idea. Maybe the youths of Merthyr are now armed with jackhammers or pneumatic road drills…
Either way, investigations as to the cause of the problem are still underway.
It’s that time of year again where the Monnow Fisheries Association run their annual auction and, as per previous years, there are some stupidly fantastic items available for you grubby bunch’s bidding happiness.
Last year the MFA managed to raise a whopping £3.5K (which went back into the river Monnow for restoration work) and if you’re willing to help again/for the first time this year, all proceeds taken will be doing much the same.
There are some truly fantastic items on offer here, and some of the waters on offer are syndicate, or even private waters, plus, it’s all for a fantastic cause.
Take a look at the auction’s terms and rules by clicking here, all items available on the auction can be seen by clicking here.
An amazing river system, run by an amazing bunch of guys. Good luck and good bidding!
A few jewels from the Monnow waters…
For more information on the Monnow Fisheries Association please visit their website at http://monnow.org/.
…and when the Lord got bored, he decided to let it rain some more.
Unfortunately this photo does the day no justice…the rain is actually bouncing off the water’s surface.
The EA had reported river levels of 0.73m (mean summer level being approximately 0.52m), so I should’ve known better and stayed in bed. Needless to say, conditions were hard, very hard, and water visibility was pretty much zero. That said, a number of small fish were picked up from the margins on small tungsten bead-head nymphs and where the water clarity was dropping to the improved consistency of thick coffee.
Still, fishing’s fishing, and you can’t have the good without the bad. The weekend before, mwahaha, now THAT was a good weekend, and I’m just putting the finishing touches to a report on just that. Stay tuned!
For those of you who enjoyed the previous and fantastic DVDs by the Fish On Productions team (Early Season Trout Fishing, and Small Stream Fly Fishing), the next instalment, entitled The Complete Mayfly, will have you watering at the mouth.
Presented, once again, by five times English national rivers champion John Tyzack (AAPGAI guide and instructor) and actor Dean Andrews (star of multi award winning Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes), the DVD offers more of the high quality and in-depth advice and techniques that we’ve come to know and love from the previous two titles. This time, however, we see John and Dean focus on the phenomenon of the Mayfly hatch.
The Complete Mayfly
The Mayfly… probably the most eagerly anticipated hatch in the flyfishing year.
Join actor Dean Andrews (Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes) with professional guide and five times English national rivers champion John Tyzack (AAPGAI) for an unforgettable trip to Derbyshire’s River Wye.
John shows Dean how to get the most from a day’s Mayfly fishing, using nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners to target the Wye’s trout, many of which are wild breeding Rainbows.
John and Dean also meet with the river keeper for an in depth chat about the reintroduction and supplementation of Mayfly using techniques that can be applied on any venue.
Back at the tying bench John shows in detail how to tie each of the flies used and discusses tackle selection and leader makeup.
The Complete Mayfly… not only a definitive guide to tying and fishing every stage of the lifecycle but also how to ensure thriving populations of this iconic fly for generations to come.
This DVD will be launched at the BFFI show 7th and 8th November 2009
For more information on this latest double-disc, eight page release (or any of the previous releases by Fish On Productions) please visit the Fish On Productions web site by clicking here.
I’ve been using these boots for the last couple of seasons, and I was instantly amazed at just how well these boots handle the tough environs of the Welsh freestone streams and rivers and, in particular, that of the river Taff catchment.
Due to extended use and complacency, I rather forgot just how good these boots are. It was only when I was forced to use an alternative brand for a short period that I realised just how good the Henry’s Fork II’s are…and how much I instantly missed them!
Hiking over long distances and wading over gravel, mud, or mossy boulders – easy peasy lemon squeazy, and comfy as hell.
The Orvis Henry’s Fork II Premium Wading Boots…comfy comfy comfy!
See the Orvis web site for more information by clicking here.
