Daily Post

New York ; a Winter Wonderland for Bargain Hunters

TRAVEL part two of our holiday A-Z, luxury in Devon ... and loads of great, late deals

Black Pudding Salad (Serves 4) ; Food&Drink

ingredients 150gsaladleaves

Black Magic ; Food&Drink

T OMORROW everybody will be partying and celebrating the beginning of the New Year, but I always find it more of a time to reflect on the year that has passed. At Tyddyn Llan we have had great highs this year with winning four high profile awards and a good seasonal trade - I thank everybody for their loyalty.

Eastern Promise Is Sure to Prosper ; Food&Drink Taste Test

IN keeping with tradition may I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year. And that is what the owners of a new Chinese restaurant in Rhuddlan were hoping for when they named their premises last year. Prosperity may be a rather strange name for such an establishment, but if the early signs are anything to go by then it could turn out to be prophetic, as it has already gained something of a reputation as a quality eating-place and has a regular clientele.

Gardening: What to Do This Week ...

Divide and plant rhubarb. Clumps can be lifted and prepared for forcing in early spring. Clean and store bamboo canes in the shed to ensure they're still in good condition for next year.

Gardening: Sow the Seeds for a Bright 2007

IF you are already planning next year's summer borders, there's a plethora of new plants to grow from seed in 2007 in all the colours of the rainbow. But how do you know how they are going to turn out? Gardening Which, the Consumers' Association magazine, commissioned Janis Wales, garden manager at Capel Manor in Enfield, to grow 26 new flower varieties, while more than 3,000 gardeners across the UK trialled four new flower varieties.

Gardening: Winter Turnips

AS you reach the New Year, haggis may be on the menu along with the traditional neeps and tatties - so fresh turnips are essential for this New Year fare. Main crop varieties, which can be harvested from mid-October, should be sown between July and August. They need a firm, non-acid soil with reasonable drainage in a sunny spot. If necessary, apply lime to the soil in the winter before planting.

Gardening: Week in Erddig

THE gardeners and garden volunteers have all been enjoying the Christmas holidays this week. This is possibly the first real break they have had since before the apple festival. Twenty years ago, when I came to Erddig, The property used to close to visitors at the end of September and open again at Easter. These days the hall remains open until the end of October, then we immediately start our Christmas season with seasonal events, Christmas dinners and Christmas shop.

Days Out: Welsh Wanders ; Weatherman Derek Brockway Leads Us On His Favourite Walks

DEREK Brockway is perhaps best known for his daily appearances on our TV screens, predicting the weather for BBC Wales. And the latest series of his TV show Weatherman Walking starts on BBC Two Wales on Tuesday January 9. To accompany the series, Derek's published a book Weatherman Walking (Y Lolfa pounds 7.95) outlining some of his favourite walks.

Days Out: The Black Falls and Huw Llwyd

THE falls get their name from the lichen living on the rock -it turns black when wet, giving the location an sheen, 365 days of the year. The danger of those black waters was part of the attraction of the gorge to old Huw Llwyd. A native of the area, he was born around 1580 and travelled to the continent as a mercenary. He fought all over Europe in various feudal conflicts, and even wrote a book about warfare and military tactics. But Huw wasn't just a fighter' he was also a skilful poet and ...

Holed Up and Happy in Westward Ho! ; Travel so This Little Corner of Devon Is Past Its Prime, Is It? Not a Bit of It, Says Kath Freer

FIVE star luxury? In Westward Ho!? To be honest, we had our doubts. Secondhand reports painted a rather uninspiring picture of an old school holiday resort that was somewhat past its prime. Fortunately, the point of our group mini break was to give all four of us city workers a chance to take time out and relax. So it didn't really matter where in the world we were.

Bargain City ; Travel Eloise Parker On Why New York Is a Winter Wonderland for Shoppers

IF you're feeling the pinch after Christmas but still have the budget for a New Year getaway, make the most of your money with a long weekend in New York City. Pack your hat, scarf and gloves and enjoy a magical mix of unique culture, fine food and outstanding sales shopping in the city that never sleeps. With the US dollar hitting a 14-year low against the British pound, favourable exchange rates of almost two dollars to the pound mean that while you'll still be spending, you'll be making su...

Quiz Time: New Year Quiz ; Test Your Memory of 2006 with Ian Parri's 20 Teasers

1 Former archdruid Dr Robyn Lwis quit Plaid Cymru in January in a row over which politician's wife's decision to accept the OBE? 2 Crazy Ladies Dancewear from Rhosymedre, near Wrexham, manufactured the pink leotard worn by whom on Celebrity Big Brother in January?

Pen Pal ; People Playing Beatrix Potter has Inspired Renee Zellweger to Seek a Quiet Life

ONE is the quintessential English children's author, adored by youngsters for her quaint tales of talking animals - the other a rich, glamorous Hollywood star. Superficially at least, there's little to link Renee Zellweger with Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit's creator. But the 37-year-old star admits there was an instant bond when she was asked to play the world famous children's writer in Miss Potter.

Dorinda Mccann ; People

AS a child the New Year passed with more of a whimper than a bang - to my parents it was just another day. The only celebration if you can call it that was to share a glass of my mother's homemade wine as we listened to the bells ringing in the new year on the wireless. On New Year's Day all the children would gather in Gaerwen Farm and off we'd go to collect 'calenig' - a Welsh custom. I don't know if it's peculiar to west Wales or whether it happened in other parts of the country.

Books: Great Escape From Georgian Captors ; Bethan Lewis, of the Welsh Books Council, On the Latest Page Turners Tv Star Reveals Himself

HOLE by Peter Shaw (Accent, pounds 7.99) In June 2002 Peter Shaw, a banker from Cowbridge in South Wales, was brutally kidnapped by a pseudo military organisation in a busy suburb of Tblisi, the capital of Georgia in eastern Europe.

Picture Perfect ; Chloe Beesley Uncovers a Home with Views You'd Normally Only See On a Postcard in Association with Fish4

THERE are certain scenes you only imagine seeing on a postcard. When you're on holiday it's always fun to pick out the most stunning picture you can and send it to friends, making them green with envy. So just imagine how envious they would be if you got a picture postcard view each time you opened your curtains.

Back to Black ; Helen Baxendale Reveals Why a Dark Comedy has Attracted Her Back to Tv Dead Clever New Year's Day, Itv1, 9pm

It's been three years since Helen Baxendale was last a regular face on our TV screens. While playing Rachel in Cold Feet made her a household name in the UK, it also gave her a short stint on the world's most successful sitcom, Friends. Helen famously hated the Friends experience and for a while it looked like she had been put off acting for good.

Overheard

Having solved a problem like Maria, Andrew Lloyd Weber (left) is now asking: How do you fly a naked girl across Moscow? He needs to know as the scene will form part of his next big project - a stage musical called The Master and Margarita, based on a controversial Russian novel.

Cymru: Boy Wonder ; It Takes More Than Early Morning Abuse From Chris Moyles to Wipe the Smile Off Radio One Producer Aled Jones' Face Jonathan New Year's Eve S4c, 10pm

'I'M definitely a person whose glass is half full," says BB Aled as he prepares to toast the end of a rollercoaster year with a full glass of bubbly. I've just asked him if he's always happy. He always seems to be, chirping away merrily on the Chris Moyles Show where he is its producer. Even after three years of early mornings in the show's Breakfast Show slot and fielding abuse from presenter Chris Moyles, his enthusiasm remains bright and shiny.