Dragons prove to be hot property

● Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor’s Engineering Department on the Dolgellau campus are gaining a bit of a reputation for their steel dragons. Their innovative dragon design was originally showcased at Caernarfon Castle’s centenary commemoration of the fallen at Mametz Wood in the Battle of the Somme, echoing the dragon sculpture which is located near the real Mametz Wood in France. Plas Heli, the Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre in Pwllheli, spotted it and were so impressed by the quality of the workmanship and the uniquely Welsh appeal of the dragon design that they decided to order 20 dragons to use as prizes in competitions. These dragons are made of mild steel, jointed and welded together, giving it a 3-D appearance. The metal structure is spray- painted red and set into a local slate plinth base, sourced from nearby Blaenau Ffestiniog. Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor’s Engineering tutor Gwyn Williams said: “The dragons are being made by the Welding and fabrication Level 2 and 3 learners and this project has allowed them to learn Entrepreneurship and Engineering skills as well as the importance of teamwork and project planning. They have seen how to run with an idea and transform it into commercial reality. The design has been a real and unexpected hit and orders keep on coming in. Several of them were recently presented to VIPs in Thailand by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Business department, for example. A little piece of Wales in far flung corners of the world.”