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.

llanblogger speaks to Dyfan about his crash and future plans

* Dyfan Hughes is glad to be back home and is making plans for the future.

Earlier today (Monday) llanblogger went to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital to visit Dyfan Hughes, the 19-year-old Llangollen man now recovering after being seriously injured in China in early August as he was on a mammoth cycling trip to Thailand.

With the permission of his mum, Nia Hughes, we spent a few minutes speaking to him about his ordeal and of his encouraging rehabilitation over past weeks.

Dyfan was hit by a truck 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 is at last back home ... and promising he'll be back in the saddle as soon as he's fit enough. 

Here is llanblogger's quick question-and-answer session with Dyfan:

Q: So how's it feel to be back home in Wales after what you've been through?

A: It feels amazing, a real breath of fresh air - being able to speak English to the staff members, seeing all my family and friends as well. It's just a really big boost for my brain! And getting up, being able to sit up practising hopping around. It feels really good to be able to move again. 

Q: What about the people who've been in to visit you now your'e at the Maelor?

A: There's lots of people been in to visit me. It's been packed in here. Really, packed out with my friends and family, which is so nice. It makes the days go really quickly as well. 

Q: What stage is your treatment at? Your mum tells me there's a possibility you might be coming home sometime this week.

A: Yeah. Well hopefully. I do still have a a big metal rod in my leg that they need to remove maybe in a couple weeks or so. And then after that it should be all done. 

Q: What sort of a blow was it to you and the other lads - but you in particular - having to stop your journey because of the accident, especially after you had covered around 10,000 miles up to that point?

A: It was a huge blow but at that time I didn't really realise the extent of my injuries. I thought I'd be back on the bike in two months, but obviously, that was just me being a bit dizzy after the fall. And then I realised, oh gosh, we're gonna have to go home. I won't cycling again for another year or so, which is hard, but I know we'll be going back to finish it off as soon as I'm ready.

Q: You said a couple of times on your social media you'd be going back on the road when you're able. Is definitely your intention? 

A: Yeah, definitely. We'll finish it. We'll start off where the crash happened and head down to Thailand. Maybe we'll take a different route as well, make it a bit longer. But guaranteed. I'm hoping that in around 10 months I'll be able to go and finish it off. 

Q: How did your friend Harrison in Thailand, who you were heading out there to see, feel about you having the crash?

A: Well, it was just a huge change. You know, the plans have completely changed and it was sad that the crash happened, but he knows we'll be back down to see him as soon as we can. 

Q: During the trip you raised a fantastic amount of money. How much is it now?

A: I think it's now £55,000, which is absolutely amazing.

Q: You have had lots of support from back home throughout the trip and particularly after the crash. How do you feel about that and do you have a message for everyone who supported you?

A: We can't thank everyone enough. They made that trip possible and to raise £55,000 when our original target was just £5,000 has just blown us all the way. Yeah, so really we can't thank everyone enough for the support they gave us.

Bananarama bound for Llangollen next summer

* Bananarama, Tony Hadley and Claire Grogan.

The most successful British female band of the 80s – will bring their Too Hot To Handle Greatest Hits Summer Tour to North Wales next summer as part of a run of headline dates across the UK.

The iconic group will headline Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Sunday July 4, and they’ll be joined by special guests Tony Hadley and Altered Images for an unforgettable night of favourites and pop classics.

Tickets go on sale at 10am Friday via llangollen.net and ticketmaster.co.uk

This summer, Bananarama celebrated 40 years since the release of their landmark studio album True Confessions, with a special anniversary edition reaching Number Six in the UK Album Chart.

As holders of the Guinness World Record for the highest number of chart entries by an all-female group, Bananarama have enjoyed a remarkable career spanning more than four decades. Their Too Hot To Handle Greatest Hits Summer Tour promises to be a party to remember.

Announcing the shows, Sara Dallin said: “Summer 2027 we are so ready for you! We can’t wait to perform all of our biggest hit singles and bring the Bananarama party to some of the UK’s most brilliant outdoor venues!” 

Bandmate Keren Woodward added: “We promise a night of real 80s nostalgia and along with our special guests, guarantee an evening that will have everyone dancing and singing along!”

With more than 30 million records sold and 10 UK Top 10 hits Bananarama are one of the most successful female groups of all time. Since bursting onto the scene in the early 1980s, they have amassed a catalogue of timeless hits including Cruel Summer, Venus, Love In The First Degree, Nathan Jones, Robert De Niro’s Waiting and I Heard A Rumour.

Their appeal has continued to span generations. Following the 2024 release of Glorious: The Ultimate Collection, which celebrated more than 40 years of chart success for lifelong friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward, the duo continue to be one of the UK’s most enduring and beloved pop acts.

Their Too Hot To Handle Greatest Hits Summer Tour will see them perform across the UK, giving fans the chance to enjoy a career-spanning set packed with some of pop’s biggest and best-beloved songs.

Joining Bananarama will be 80s icon and one of Britain’s most acclaimed vocalists, Tony Hadley, whose unmistakable voice helped define the soundtrack of a generation.

As the frontman of New Romantic pioneers Spandau Ballet, Hadley enjoyed worldwide success, helping to deliver some of the era’s defining hits including True, Gold, Only When You Leave and Through the Barricades. Almost 40 years from the beginning of his Spandau Ballet career, Tony’s distinctive vocals still brim with the same passion and energy that first captivated audiences. Combined with a successful solo career, it has cemented his status as one of the UK’s most respected and enduring artists.

Opening the night will be Scottish new wave favourites Altered Images, fronted by the charismatic Clare Grogan. Bursting onto the music scene in the early 1980s, the band became synonymous with infectious pop melodies and a distinctive post-punk edge, scoring hits including Happy Birthday, I Could Be Happy and Don’t Talk to Me About Love. Decades on, their energetic live shows continue to capture the joy and nostalgia of the era, delighting audiences with a timeless soundtrack to the 80s.

The headline concert is presented as part of an ongoing partnership with Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor. 

Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Dave Danford said: “One of the great strengths of our Live at Llangollen Pavilion series is the breadth of music it brings to audiences each summer, and this latest announcement adds another very different flavour for 2027.

“Bananarama, Tony Hadley and Altered Images have all enjoyed long and successful careers, with songs that will be instantly familiar to generations of music fans. Bringing them together for one evening adds even more variety to an already wide-ranging programme, and helps ensure there really is something for everyone at Live at Llangollen Pavilion next summer.”

Bananarama join Holly Johnson, Alfie Boe, Ronan Keating, James Morrison and Jack Savoretti among the first headliners announced for Live at Llangollen Pavilion 2027. 

For more information go to llangollen.net