Plas Newydd hosts a wuthering wonderful day of dance action

 

* A cavalcade of Cathy Earnshaws "go for it" in the main wuthering event at Plas Newydd.

It has been a wuthering wonderful day at Plas Newydd where 230 red-clad Cathy Earnshaws from all parts of Britain went through their stylish paces in Llangollen's first ever mass recreation of the famous Kate Bush 1978 dance sequence.

For the past couple of years similar events have been held across Britain to raise thousands for charitable causes. 

The local woman behind this fantastic extravaganza, which filled the grounds of the stately home with music, movement and laughter, was Moira Gleed who organised the event soon after learning that she was terminally ill.   

Last October her imagination was fired by a WhatsApp film of a Wuthering day elsewhere in the country and she decided that Llangollen really ought to do something similar.

She gathered around her a hard-working bunch of volunteers who helped her put everything together to make today a memorable success, with all money raised going to Welsh Women's Aid.

Advertising of the event began on social media early in the year and within just 11 days the entire stock of over 200 tickets was sold out.

Today dancers came flocking from all parts of the UK - from London to Scotland and Yorkshire to Cardiff - and also more locally.   

After three practice runs led by the two choreographers which set the high standard for the main event, town mayor Cllr Damon Richards-Gwilliam officially declared the proceedings open, saying he hoped everyone would have a "wuthering wonderful" time, which indeed they did judging from the enthusiastic way they threw themselves into the action again and again on a rather warm afternoon.

The area's MP, Becky Gittins, was also hand to announced that Moira and her daughter Rowena, who helped her tremendously with the event organisation, had been jointly awarded her Community Champion of the Month award for June.

After lunch it was time for the big dance itself, which came with three encores.

And far from being a female-only affair, there were at least four guys who had entered into the spirit of things by dancing along in red dresses.

Just before the grand finale performance Moira came to the microphone to admit that the day's turnout of dancers plus with spectators had exceeded her wildest dreams from last autumn. 

She thanked the team that her helped to build the whole thing from scratch and then told the waiting dancers to "really go for it," which they duly did.

The whole sequence was faithfully filmed by a number of people in the crowd and one man told how his live recording had been beamed thousands of miles to a friend serving on board the British Antarctic Survey ship Sir David Attenborough on the southern ice shelf shelf where he and fellow crew members had been dancing along enthusiastically with the action back in Llangollen.

Certainly it was a day to remember with global reach.   

* The town mayor, Cllr Damon Richards-Gwilliam, gets the event underway. 

* Becky Gittins MP announces that Moira and her daughter Rowena had won her Community Champion award for June.

* Town crier Austin "Chem" Cheminais, wearing his specially dyed-red beard, dances along with the action.

* Organiser Moira Gleed (right) with deputy town mayor, Cllr Charlie Jones, who was the event compere.

* The MP stayed to join in the dancing.

* Town crier Chem grabs a celebratory dance with Moira Gleed. 

* Dancers fill the Plas Newydd field with red-clad action.

* A pause in the action during the legendary Kate Bush dance sequence.

* Keeping a close eye on the choreographer to get things just right. 

* Not just for the girls: Mike Gleed, husband of organiser Moira, steps out with the best of them. Below: another male interpretation of the routine. 

* Close to the end and the dancing is as energetic as ever. 

* The big dance winds up with a scaffolded Plas Newydd - where entry was half price on the day for dancers - in the background.

Town will see red today at Most Wuthering Heights Day

Llangollen will be seeing red today. Lots of it, in fact.

Because that's the colour at the heart of the town's first Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, in which over 200 Kate Bush fans from across Britain will come together in the grounds of the Plas Newydd historic house to dance to the singer's iconic 1978 hit of the same name.

For the past couple of years similar events have been held across Britain. But this will definitely be a first for Llangollen.

And it's all the more remarkable given that the local lady whose brainchild it is and who has spent months leading the dedicated team making her dream come true began her task soon after learning she was terminally ill.

Moira Gleed explained: "A few months back in 2025 someone sent me a video of one of the Most Wuthering Heights Days Ever and what a revelation it turned out to be.

"It arrived in my WhatsApp at a grim time in my life after having received a diagnosis that I was terminally ill with cancer and would start palliative care. 

"What motivated me to look further into the possibility of putting on an event like this ourselves here in Llangollen was the looks on the participants' faces of pure joy and glee I saw on that video.

"Frankly, it delighted me and bucked me up hugely to see such positive jubilation on a big scale. I thought, why can't we do that here in Llangollen and enable folk to have a similar experience?

"So, today we'll have our own event, with over 200 participants dancing to that famous song by Kate Bush.

"All tickets were sold within 11 days back in March with scores of enquiries for more but we couldn't increase capacity due to health and safety. 

"We believe up to 100 spectators will also be coming along to Plas Newydd to see the event unfold and local people are also invited to watch."

As they arrive dancers, wearing red dresses or items as requested, will be led to the lawned area with the stone circle where the dance will take place. 

At noon there will be picnics, with entertainment during lunch being provided by the day's MC Charlie Jones plus local musicians. 

Gates open at 11am and the actual performance starts at around 1.30pm - with a few encores. The whole dance sequence will be recorded by a professional videographer and photographer. 

Moira added: "People are coming from far and wide - London to Scotland and from Yorkshire to Cardiff and of course more locally.

"None of this could have been done without our amazing team who have driven this thing ever forward. 

"All money raised today will go to Welsh Women's Aid to help with the amazing work they do across our country."

Riverside Park toilets – temporary provision secured and refurbishment brought forward

Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards has this evening issued this statement about the problem public toilets in Riverside Park: 

"I have been working with Denbighshire County Council regarding the ongoing issues with the public toilets at Riverside Park and have sought assurances that a solution would be put in place as quickly as possible.

 

"Given the importance of Riverside Park to residents and the many thousands of visitors who come to Llangollen throughout the summer, particularly during the town’s festivals and major events, I raised concerns about the lack of toilet provision and pressed for both immediate temporary provision and an accelerated timetable for the permanent refurbishment.

 

"I am pleased that the Council has now confirmed that a temporary Portaloo will be installed at the park and that the planned refurbishment of the existing facility has been brought forward, moving from a completion target at the end of the summer season to the 14^th August. Work on the new permanent toilet facility is expected to commence in the coming weeks.

 

"I have also sought assurances regarding the management of the temporary facility and have been advised that it will be cleaned and serviced daily by the Council’s public convenience team. In addition, I have asked that the siting of the unit be reviewed, and officers have agreed to explore whether it can be relocated closer to the existing toilet block whilst balancing the health and safety considerations associated with servicing the facility.

 

"I will continue to monitor progress as the works move forward."

 

Penalty charge warning for thoughtless parkers at Horseshoe Falls

Denbighshire County Council has put out a warning on its social media that anyone breaching parking restrictions near Llangollen's Horseshoe Falls this weekend face receiving a penalty charge by civil enforcement officers on duty there.

The get-tough message comes after narrow roads leading to the beauty spot became clogged with scores of parked vehicles last bank holiday Monday leaving some local residents unable to get to or from their homes.

The problem has already been the subject of discussions between Llangollen Town Council and the police. 

Now, on its Facebook page today (Friday) the council says: "Horseshoe Falls, Llangollen. With a busy weekend expected, the council is working to manage the increase in visitors and has made a number of preparations.

"The council is also aware of parking issues at the tourist spot and will be deploying civil enforcement officers to manage the site.

"People are reminded parking restrictions are important for both road safety and ensuring there is a fair turnover of parking spaces.

"Drivers not complying with parking restrictions risk receiving a Penalty Charge Notice.

"The council is also working with North Wales Police to manage the tourist spot and areas around it.

"Visitors are reminded to be respectful to those working to ensure the safety and enjoyment of visitors and residents." 

£300 raised in minutes after Westheads bike destroyed in desert crash

Llangollen Barber Shop boss Emma Davies quickly cut to the action when she heard that the bike of one of the Westheads lads heading for Thailand had been destroyed in a crash in the Chinese desert.

Dyfan Hughes, 18, from Llangollen, Louis Dennis, 19, from Garth, and James Thomas,19, from Wrexham are making their 1,000 journey in aid of the British Heart Foundation in memory of Tony Edge, the father of their friend Harrison who died following a heart attack in 2024. 

They have so far raised over £30,000 for heart research.

The trio are currently making their way through the punishing conditions of the Taklaman Desert, which they must cover as quickly as possible to stay within the limits of their visits.

But the last message on their daily video log shows that disaster struck when Louis ran into the back of a car as he momentarily looked down at his map, leaving his Dawes bike "a total goner", he explained.

Luckily, Louis himself was unhurt.

Emma from the barbers, who is a friend of the lads, picked up the message and acted on it immediately.

She put out a plea for help on her own Facebook page and within minutes she had secured a pledge of £300 towards the cost of a new bike for Louis.

"Ten minutes it took me. £300 to get Louis Dennis back on the road. Come on you Westheads!"  she said on social media.

 

Llangollen Youth Centre set to re-open

Denbighshire County Council has announced the official reopening of Llangollen Youth Centre tomorrow (Wednesday). 

It says the centre will once again provide a welcoming, safe, and supportive space for young people in the community.

Open Access Youth Club sessions will take place every Tuesday from 6pm to 7:30pm during term time. Sessions are open to young people aged 11 to 17.

The space is also used during the daytime by the Youth Service to support young people with a range of needs, including targeted work, accreditation, and youth voice activities. The building will also host a range of partner organisations to ensure it is used effectively and to best serve the needs of young people and the wider community across Denbighshire.

Having a designated space for young people within their community is extremely important, and the aim is to create a vibrant and safe environment for young people and the wider community.

Following investment into the centre, a new Families First and Flying Start hub will also open at the facility. The Families First and Flying Start team will now be working alongside Denbighshire Youth Services from Llangollen Youth Centre to help provide support, activities and opportunities for local children, young people and families.

The Families First and Flying Start team will be running engagement events from the hub, starting next week until the end of the summer holidays, where the team can get to know the families and find out what families would like to be offered from the centre.

The reopening marks an important step in strengthening local youth provision and ensuring young people have access to opportunities that support their personal and social development.

Councillor Diane King, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to see Llangollen Youth Centre reopening its doors to young people in the community. Youth services play a vital role in providing safe spaces where young people can build confidence, develop new skills and form positive friendships.

“I am also really pleased to see that our amazing Families First and Flying Start team will now be working side by side with the Youth Services team at the Youth Centre.

"This integrated approach will allow families and young people to get the best out of the help and support that is offered by both services.

"This reopening reflects our continued commitment to investing in youth provision across Denbighshire and ensuring young people have access to high-quality support close to where they live.”

In addition to the Llangollen provision, open access youth club sessions are also available in Corwen every Wednesday evening from 6pm to 8pm during term time.

More information about youth clubs and centres in Denbighshire can be found on the Council's website. 

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