This year's Llangollen Christmas Appeal is launched

 

Castle to be lit up for Baby Loss Awareness Week

 

Castell Dinas Bran is to be specially lit up to mark Baby Loss Awareness week from October 9-15.

As they have done in previous years, the illumination of the ancient landmark, which can be seen for miles around, will be arranged by local company ORB Sound and Lighting between 7 and 8pm next Thursday October 15. It is part of the Global Wave of Light.

The special week will also see a Tree of Remembrance set up in St Collen's parish church as a special place to remember little ones who are much loved but never forgotten.  

Silver Band launches new beginner music programme

Llangollen Silver Band has announced "Brass Explorers," a new beginner music programme funded by a grant from Llangollen Town Council. 

This free, eight-week course is open to children aged seven to 14 who want to learn an instrument and experience the joy of making music together.

The weekly sessions will run on Thursdays from 6.15-7pm, beginning October 15, in the Band Room on Parade Street, Llangollen. 

Using interactive games, the programme teaches fundamental musical skills. Children will have access to lightweight, age-appropriate instruments, including pBuzzes, pBones, and pCornets, selected to match each participant's ability.

Upon completion, graduates will be fully prepared to transition into the organisation's Training Band. 

* Registration is now open via the group's official Google Form. For enquiries, please email llangollensilverband0@gmail.com

Further school place applications open for next academic year

Parents and guardians can apply for nursery places from for children who are born between 1st of September 2023 and the 31st of August 2024. 

The application window is open until the 15th of February.

The window for Reception places is open up until the 15th of January for children born between the 1st of September 2022 and the 31st August 2023.

Parents and guardians can enrol their child in a reception class in the September following the child’s 4th birthday.

Junior school places for 2027 are open up until the 15th of January for children born between the 1st of September 2019 and the 31st of August 2020.

To apply for a place, parents and guardians will need to create an Education Self-Service account to apply directly. These can be created at any time within or after the school term.

Any applications outside of this window will be treated as late.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Education, Families, Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage said: “We are pleased to announce that the application windows for Nursery, Reception and Junior school places for next year are now open.

"Starting school is always an exciting time for families, and we hope that these application windows allow plenty of time for Parents and Guardians to choose the schools they prefer.

"I would like to urge parents to get their applications submitted within the windows, as this ensures that the application can be processed in a timely manner.”

* See link: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/education-and-schools/school-admissions/school-admissions.aspx

After 14 months Dyfan is back home in 'sunny Llangollen'

The teenager from Llangollen seriously injured in a crash with a truck in China as he and his two friends were on a cycling marathon to Thailand is now back home.

Dyfan Hughes was badly hurt as he and fellow 19 year olds Louis Dennis from Garth and James Thomas from Wrexham - together known as the Westheads - were on one of the final stages of their 10,000-mile cycling trip in memory of Tony Edge, the father of their friend Harrison, who died following a heart attack in 2024, and along the way raised well over £50,000 for the British Heart Foundation.  

Dyfan was rushed to hospital in the city of Chengdu with a catalogue of injuries to both legs, spine, neck and scalp and a few weeks ago had major corrective surgery lasting for many hours.

Following a flight of over 13 hours from China he arrived back at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital just over a week ago where he took part in a question and answer session about his ordeal with llanblogger this Monday. See: https://llanblogger.blogspot.com/2026/10/llanblogger-speaks-to-dyfan-about-his.html

At the time he said he hoped to be back home in Llangollen within days and this morning (Wednesday) he was on social media reporting that he had arrived at last.

* Dyfan tries out his mobility in a physio session on the hospital stairs.

Speaking to camera he says: "After just a week at the Maelor Hospital they have now said it is safe for me to go home.

"So I'm on my way home - I'm going back to sunny Llangollen!

"They say I've got to go back to have a couple checks and an operation and the physio will be in either Chirk or Rhos.

"I'm just buzzing to get back."

The post goes on to show Dyfan having physio up and down the stairs in hospital, tucking into a large lunch there, meeting up with his mate Louis, being driven home and being greeted by the family dog.

He then declares: "There's nothing is quite like your own bed. I had such a good sleep in here last night. First time, I slept in there for 14 months, I just feel amazing to be home.

"And hopefully, all I've got left now is taking the wire out of the left foot, and then I should be all done, and I'll be fully into the physio and the rehab side of things." 

Railway's special events for Food Festival weekend

* A special Ales from Wales will run on the Saturday evening.

Llangollen Food Festival is back this Saturday and Sunday October 10 and 11 promising a packed weekend celebrating local produce, cuisine and crafts.

Well over 10,000 people are expected to travel to Llangollen for one of the region’s biggest culinary celebrations, with more than 100 stalls, 22 local music acts performing in Riverside Park and Centenary Square, cooking demonstrations at Blas Culinary School and a huge choice of food and drink.

With so many visitors expected and parking at a premium in Llangollen town centre, Llangollen Railway is encouraging people to leave the car outside the town and travel to the Food Festival by train.

Visitors can join services at Corwen, Glyndyfrdwy, Carrog and Berwyn, enjoy a journey through the spectacular Dee Valley and arrive by train at Llangollen Station, right in the heart of the Food Festival action.

With five trains in each direction on both Saturday and Sunday, the Railway offers a relaxing and memorable alternative to driving into a busy Llangollen town centre.

Once visitors arrive, Llangollen Railway will itself be part of the Food Festival, with food producers at Llangollen Station, a Real Ale Bar, the Railway Café and special food and drink experiences throughout the weekend.

Alex Elborne from Llangollen Railway said the Food Festival was “one of the great weekends in Llangollen”, adding: “With well over 10,000 people expected, Llangollen is going to be incredibly busy and parking will inevitably be at a premium.

“That’s where the Railway can really help. Rather than worrying about driving into the town centre and finding somewhere to park, people can join us at Corwen, Glyndyfrdwy, Carrog or Berwyn and make the train journey part of their Food Festival day.

“You can sit back, enjoy the spectacular Dee Valley scenery and arrive at Llangollen Station right in the heart of the action. Then, when you’re ready to head home, simply catch the train back.

“It’s a practical way to get to the Food Festival, but it’s also a much more enjoyable way to arrive. With steam and heritage diesel trains running throughout both days, the journey becomes part of the experience.”

From 9am on Saturday, Llangollen Station will welcome some familiar Food Festival favourites, including Bourne’s Cheese, Pen Y Llan Pork, Sunrise Patisserie and Lucelas Chocolate Rum.

There will also be plenty of new flavours to discover.

Newcomers include Greek on a Grill, serving souvlaki and gyros; Joules Gourmet, with fancy sausage rolls and pies; The Korean Corndog Station, bringing Korean street food to the station; and Tuktuk Llangollen, serving chilli paneer wraps and chaats.

The Railway Café will be open on both Saturday and Sunday, serving quality produce and refreshments throughout the Food Festival weekend.

For two days only, the Railway’s historic Waiting Room will be transformed into a Real Ale Bar, showcasing beers from three Welsh breweries: Purple Moose from Porthmadog, Hafod from Mold and Magic Dragon from Wrexham.

Wine lovers will be catered for too, with Blas Wines joining the celebrations.

* Afternoon Tea on the Dee services will run throughout the weekend. 

The Railway’s food offering will extend beyond Llangollen Station, with special dining experiences giving visitors the opportunity to combine the scenery of the Dee Valley with something delicious.

Special Food Festival Afternoon Tea on the Dee services will run throughout the weekend, departing at 12.20pm on Saturday and at 12.20pm and 3.15pm on Sunday.

Passengers can settle into their own reserved table aboard a heritage carriage for a return journey from Llangollen to Corwen while enjoying a traditional afternoon tea.

The experience includes a selection of sandwiches, fruit scones with jam and clotted cream, sweet treats and cakes, and a choice of tea or coffee. Passengers can also upgrade their experience with a glass of sparkling wine.

Food remains firmly on the menu on Sunday with The Glyndŵr Steam Roast.

Passengers leave Llangollen aboard the 12.20pm steam service for Corwen before making the short walk into the town centre, where a table will be reserved at the community-run Owain Glyndŵr Hotel for a traditional Sunday roast.

After lunch, passengers can enjoy some time in Corwen before returning on the 4.20pm steam service, arriving back in Llangollen at around 5pm.

Jordan Edge, Catering Manager at Llangollen Railway, said: “Food is going to be a huge part of the Railway’s celebrations, which is exactly how it should be for Llangollen Food Festival.

“Our Café will be serving quality produce throughout the weekend, we’ve got fantastic food producers joining us at the station, and then there are experiences like Afternoon Tea on the Dee and The Glyndŵr Steam Roast for people who want to make food part of their railway journey too.

“Afternoon Tea on the Dee is a particularly lovely experience. You have your own reserved table, a traditional Afternoon Tea and the wonderful scenery of the Dee Valley passing your window. Tickets are already getting low, so I’d encourage people to book soon if they want to join us.”

There will be plenty happening beyond the station too, including activities for younger visitors.

The team from Xplore Science! in Wrexham will run workshops in the Llangollen Silver Band Room, with messy and fascinating experiments exploring DNA, diffusion and kitchen chemistry.

It means younger visitors can get hands-on with science while the grown-ups explore everything else the Food Festival has to offer, including whiskey and wine tastings at Blas Culinary School.

With well over 10,000 visitors expected in Llangollen and town centre parking at a premium, the Railway will operate a busy timetable on both days of the Food Festival, with five trains in each direction.

Visitors are being encouraged to leave the car outside Llangollen and let the train take the strain, joining services at Corwen, Glyndyfrdwy, Carrog or Berwyn before travelling through the Dee Valley directly into Llangollen Station.

The journey provides an attractive alternative to negotiating busy town centre traffic and searching for parking, while also giving visitors the chance to experience one of Wales’s scenic heritage railway journeys as part of their Food Festival day.

Services will alternate between steam and heritage diesel, giving visitors the chance to travel behind GWR Heavy Freight locomotive 3802 “The Carthorse” and Class 47 diesel “The Dutchess”.

Trains from Llangollen to Corwen will depart at:

10am Steam | 11.05am Diesel | 12.20pm Steam | 1.45pm Diesel | 3.15pm Steam

Trains from Corwen to Llangollen will depart at:

11.05am Steam | 12.20pm Diesel | 1.45pm Steam | 3.15pm Diesel | 4.20pm Steam

Services call at intermediate stations, giving visitors from along the line the opportunity to make their journey to and from the Food Festival by rail.

For those travelling from the western end of the line, Corwen provides the perfect starting point for a Food Festival day out, with passengers able to board the train, travel through the Dee Valley and arrive at Llangollen Station in the heart of the festivities.

The Food Festival atmosphere will continue into Saturday night with a special Ales from Wales train, with Llangollen Railway deliberately keeping tickets to just £20 per person to make it an affordable night out during one of the town’s biggest weekends.

Departing Llangollen at 5pm, the steam-hauled special will be in the hands of 3802 “The Carthorse” for an evening celebrating Welsh beer, wine, live music and heritage rail travel through the Dee Valley.

Passengers will be able to enjoy real ales from three Welsh breweries: Purple Moose in Porthmadog, Hafod in Mold and Magic Dragon in Wrexham.

And it isn’t just for real ale drinkers. There will also be three wines handpicked by Pip Gale from Blas Wines for those who would prefer wine.

Providing the live soundtrack will be The Sidekicks from Wrexham, a four-piece band playing rock, blues, rhythm and blues, 60s and indie music and promising “Great Entertainment”.

There is also a special invitation to the traders who have travelled to Llangollen for the weekend to put down their aprons, close their stalls after a busy Saturday and join the Railway for what promises to be the ultimate Food Festival night out.

The special starts at 5pm and returns at 10pm, with tickets priced at just £20 per person.

James Veal, Events Coordinator at Llangollen Railway, said: “We wanted Ales from Wales to be the ultimate Saturday night out during Food Festival weekend, and we’ve deliberately kept the ticket price down to just £20 so as many people as possible can come and enjoy it.

“We’d love to see people who have spent the day enjoying the Food Festival come down to the station and carry on their evening with us. But this isn’t only for festival visitors. Everyone is welcome.

“We particularly want to invite the traders who have travelled to Llangollen and worked incredibly hard all day. Once the stalls close on Saturday, come down to the Railway, relax and enjoy the evening yourselves.

“You’ve got steam haulage behind 3802 ‘The Carthorse’, three fantastic Welsh breweries, wines handpicked by Pip Gale from Blas Wines, quality food and live music from The Sidekicks. For £20, we think it’s going to be the best-value night of the weekend.”

LLANGOLLEN RAILWAY AT THE FOOD FESTIVAL

YOUR WEEKEND DIARY

SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER

From 9am | Food Festival at Llangollen Station
Returning favourites and new food producers join the celebrations at the Railway.

All day | Railway Café
Quality produce and refreshments throughout the day.

All day | Waiting Room Real Ale Bar
Welsh ales from Purple Moose, Hafod and Magic Dragon, alongside Blas Wines.

Food Festival trains from Llangollen:
10am Steam | 11.05am Diesel | 12.20pm Steam | 1.45pm Diesel | 3.15pm Steam

Food Festival trains from Corwen:
11.05am Steam | 12.20pm Diesel | 1.45pm Steam | 3.15pm Diesel | 4.20pm Steam

12.20pm | Afternoon Tea on the Dee
Enjoy a traditional Afternoon Tea at your reserved table while travelling through the Dee Valley, with the option to add a glass of sparkling wine. Tickets are getting low.

5pm | Ales from Wales, just £20 per person
The ultimate Food Festival Saturday night out. Everyone is welcome, including Food Festival visitors and traders. Join 3802 “The Carthorse” for an evening of Welsh ales from Purple Moose, Hafod and Magic Dragon, wines handpicked by Pip Gale from Blas Wines and live music from The Sidekicks.

10pm | Ales from Wales returns to Llangollen

SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER

All day | Food Festival at Llangollen Station
Another full day of food, drink and producers at the station and across Llangollen.

All day | Railway Café and Waiting Room Real Ale Bar
Quality produce from the Café, with Welsh ales and Blas Wines in the Waiting Room.

Food Festival trains from Llangollen:
10am Steam | 11.05am Diesel | 12.20pm Steam | 1.45pm Diesel | 3.15pm Steam

Food Festival trains from Corwen:
11.05am Steam | 12.20pm Diesel | 1.45pm Steam | 3.15pm Diesel | 4.20pm Steam

12.20pm | Afternoon Tea on the Dee
Take your reserved seat for Afternoon Tea and a journey through the Dee Valley.

12.20pm | The Glyndŵr Steam Roast
Alternatively, travel by steam to Corwen for a traditional Sunday roast at the community-run Owain Glyndŵr Hotel.

3.15pm | Afternoon Tea on the Dee
A second opportunity to enjoy Afternoon Tea aboard the Railway.

4.20pm | Glyndŵr Steam Roast return
Steam Roast passengers depart Corwen for Llangollen.

Around 5pm | Back in Llangollen

BOOK YOUR FOOD FESTIVAL RAILWAY EXPERIENCES

Ales from Wales, £20 per person:
https://llan.hops.org.uk/tickets/products/real-ale-train

Afternoon Tea on the Dee:
https://llan.hops.org.uk/tickets/products/afternoon-tea

The Glyndŵr Steam Roast:
https://llan.hops.org.uk/tickets/special-events-in-2026/theglyndwrsteamroast

Three new traffic regulation orders for the town centre

* Market Street where a parking bay will be relocated.

Denbighshire County Council is to introduce a new Traffic Regulation Order (TPO) aimed at addressing some localised parking issues in and around Llangollen Town Centre. 

Briefly the proposed TRO includes for:

*  The the relocation of an existing time-limited parking bay on Market Street

* The introduction of a new time-limited parking bay on Hill Street and

* The introduction of a new ‘Prohibition of Wating At Any Time’  - double yellow lines - on Willow Street and Maes Helyg. 

The proposed TRO was advertised in a public notice which appeared in the local press, on the council’s website and was displayed at various locations on the affected lengths of road over a five-week period from May 13 to June 17 last year.

The council says the consultation generated a total of 10 responses. Of these, six included feedback on the proposal for Market Street, including one objection, three negative responses and two indicating support or no objection.

* Hill Street (Hall Square) where a new parking bay will be introduced.

Seven responses were feedback on the proposal for Hill Street, including no objections, two negative responses and five indicating support or no objection.

Eight responses included included feedback on the proposal for Willow Street/Maes Helyg, which included no objections, six negative responses and two indicating support or no objection. 

Explaining the reasoning behind the orders, Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards said: "The removal of two parking spaces in Market Street is due to their close proximity to the junction with Castle Street and the main thoroughfare. 

"Large vehicles, including buses and coaches, are currently experiencing difficulty turning into Market Street, leading to congestion and restricted movement. Additionally, when large vehicles park in these spaces, they obstruct the visibility of nearby business premises and create safety concerns for pedestrians exiting Market Street car park.

"To mitigate the loss of parking provision, one of these spaces will be relocated to the opposite side of the road through the conversion of one of the existing taxi rank spaces."

She added: "The TRO for Hall Square is to formalise a clearly defined and legally enforceable short-stay 'pop and shop' parking area. The aim is to support local businesses by improving turnover of parking spaces while ensuring appropriate and consistent use of the area.

"The order for Willow Hill is that due to the steep gradient of Willow Hill parked vehicles can restrict access and create hazards for drivers. 

"The introduction of double yellow lines along the left-hand side of the road is to maintain safe passage. In addition, a short section of double yellow lines on the opposite side of the road, directly opposite the entrance to the youth club is to ensure safe and unobstructed access for vehicles entering and exiting the premises."

* Willow Hill where double yellow lines will be introduced along the left-hand side of the road to maintain safe passage.