Railway supporters encouraged to become Trust members

* GWR Heavy Freight No. 3802, a striking 2-8-0 locomotive built for hauling serious tonnage.

Llangollen Railway Trust is encouraging supporters to become members as one of Wales’ leading heritage railways celebrates its landmark 50th anniversary year.

With close to 1,000 members and around 400 active volunteers, the Trust plays a vital role in preserving and developing the award-winning railway, which runs for 10 miles through the spectacular Dee Valley.

There is still plenty to enjoy during the remainder of 2026, beginning this Sunday, 9 August, with the first Glyndŵr Steam Roast. 

The new experience combines a steam-hauled journey through the Dee Valley with a traditional Sunday lunch at the community-run Owain Glyndŵr Hotel in Corwen. It will then run every Sunday until 8 November.

* Teams behind the scenes support the local heritage railway.

On 12 and 13 September, the railway will hold its spectacular 50 Years Finale Celebration Weekend, featuring an intensive timetable of steam locomotives, diesel locomotives and heritage diesel multiple units. Special rover tickets will offer unlimited travel throughout the weekend.

The Heritage Railcar Gala follows on 17 and 18 October, celebrating Britain’s much-loved first-generation diesel multiple units. On 7 November, Ride the Rocket will take passengers from Llangollen to Corwen for an evening steam journey culminating in a major fireworks display.

The festive season begins with Santa Specials from 28 November through to Christmas Eve, followed by the railway’s special Welsh-language Siôn Corn Arbennig experiences. The Mince Pie Specials will then operate from 27 to 31 December, with an additional service on New Year’s Day 2027.

Membership subscriptions help support the restoration and maintenance of locomotives, carriages, historic buildings, infrastructure and railway artefacts. Every new membership helps safeguard this important part of Welsh heritage.

Peter Holton, from the Llangollen Railway Trust Membership Team, said: “There has never been a better time to become a member. Annual membership starts from just £30, and members receive a 25 per cent discount on heritage travel throughout the year, including the Branch Line Gala and our other services and events.

“You only need to visit the railway a few times during the year to make back the cost of membership. Hundreds of our active volunteers already enjoy the discount while giving their time to support the railway they love.

“Membership is about much more than saving money. It is about becoming part of the railway family and helping to preserve something very special. We are also asking every existing member to encourage a friend, relative or fellow railway enthusiast to join us. Every additional member makes us stronger.”

Members receive a quarterly magazine in digital or printed format, a say on how the railway is run at Annual General Meetings and access to an exclusive Online Membership Zone.

The Online Membership Zone will feature regular Trust reports, behind-the-scenes news, restoration updates, advance information about projects and events, exclusive content and additional member-only offers and discounts.

Peter added: “We want our members to feel closer than ever to the railway. The Online Membership Zone will be the place to discover exclusive news and content that will not be available elsewhere.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who renews their membership each year. Their loyalty helps keep the railway alive, not only in steam, but in spirit.”

* To join or renew, visit https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/membership/, call the Membership Team on 01978 860979 or email membership@llangollen-railway.co.uk.

Mountain team's two local callouts to rescue injured walkers

* The NEWSAR team rescue the climber who slipped on Offa's Dyke Path near Llantysilio last Wednesday. Picture: NEWSAR

Mountain rescue teams have recently been called twice to the Llangollen area to help walkers who had gotten into difficulties.

The first callout for North East Wales Search and Rescue (NEWSAR) came on Wednesday August 5 when a team was requested by North Wales Police to assist a walker who had sustained an ankle injury after slipping on the Offa's Dyke Path near Llantysilio.

A NEWSAR spokesperson said: "A forward party quickly made their way to the casualty to assess the injury, while additional team members brought the equipment needed for the evacuation.

"Following pain relief on scene, the casualty's injured ankle was splinted before she was carefully evacuated to the rendezvous point using a stretcher fitted with a stretcher wheel.

"The casualty was then taken to hospital by a friend for further assessment and treatment.

"A huge thank you to all of our volunteers who responded, as well as the local landowners and everyone involved in achieving a safe and positive outcome. We wish the casualty a full and speedy recovery."

* The team treat the walker who sustained a leg injury in the hills above Llangollen last Thursday. Picture: NEWSAR

The second incident for NEWSAR came only the day after, on Thursday August 6, when a team was asked by the police to help a walker who had sustained a leg injury while walking on the hills above Llangollen.

"A forward party quickly made their way to the casualty while additional team members brought the necessary equipment to the scene. Following assessment and pain relief, the casualty was carefully evacuated by stretcher to the waiting ambulance for onward travel to hospital," said a NEWSAR spokesperson.

"A huge thank you to all of our volunteers who responded, as well as our colleagues from Welsh Ambulance Service and everyone who assisted during the incident.

"We'd also like to thank the staff at the nearby care home, who kindly allowed the team to use their car park while the rescue was underway. We wish the casualty a full and speedy recovery.

"Our team of volunteers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days responding to those in need throughout Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham & parts of Conwy & Powys. To donate, please click the link www.newsar.org.uk/donate"

Community gathers for Mayor's annual Civic Service

* The Mayor, Cllr Damon Richards-Gwilliam, lights the Community Candle during the service as a sign of shared responsibility and hope for every part of life in Llangollen. Looking on is Father Lee Taylor who led the service. Picture: Andrew Daniel

Like many other things in life, churches change and evolve, which is certainly true of Llangollen's ancient parish church.

And that's because faithful stewardship isn't about freezing a building in time. It's about ensuring it continues to bless the people it exists to serve, according to its priest-in-charge, Father Lee Taylor.

In his address during the Mayor's annual Civic Service at St Collen's yesterday morning (Sunday) Father Lee outlined the measures being taken by the ongoing Genesis Project to make the building fit for the future while carefully preserving its glorious heritage.

He told the congregation of town councillors and officers headed by the Mayor, Cllr Damon Richards-Gwilliam, county councillors and representatives of a range of local organisations and neighbouring local authorities that he was listening to the radio recently as familiar sayings of parents and grandparents were under discussion when one struck a particular chord, "I remember when all this was fields".

* Father Lee delivers his address.

He said: "It’s the sort of phrase that seems to get truer the older you get. Of course, places do change.

"New houses appear. Shops come and go. Roads are rerouted. Communities grow and evolve. Before long, somewhere that once looked familiar looks quite different.

And yet, when we think about Llangollen, most of us aren't really thinking about buildings. We're thinking about people. 

"It's the neighbour who keeps an eye on someone living alone. The volunteer who gives up evenings to help run the Eisteddfod, the railway or one of our many community events. The teacher whose encouragement is remembered years later. The familiar face behind the counter in a local shop. Councillors who seek the common good. Churches, charities, and community organisations, each playing their own part.

"The strength of a community has never depended on whether everything stays the same. That's how communities work as well. 

"That truth is perhaps illustrated by the very building in which we are gathered today.

"At the back of St Collen's hangs a painting showing the church before the great Victorian restoration of the 1860s. Look closely and you'll notice just how different it was.

"The tall oak box pews have disappeared. The south aisle had not yet been built. There was no west entrance. Even the chancel did not exist."

Father Lee went on: "The St Collen's we know and cherish today was itself the result of bold decisions taken by an earlier generation.

"When those works were carried out, the Shrewsbury Chronicle explained why. It said they were undertaken: 'On account of the growing wants of this thriving and attractive town, it was felt that additional church accommodation was imperatively required.

"Our predecessors looked around them and asked not, 'How do we preserve everything exactly as it is?' They asked instead, 'How do we best serve the people of Llangollen?"

"That same question continues to shape us today. Many of you will know about the Genesis Project. Over the summer we've been fairly quiet, and I've had plenty of people asking whether anything is happening. The answer is yes.

"I want to reassure you that a great deal continues behind the scenes. Projects like this take time, and we're enormously grateful for the support we've received, including significant grant funding, as we continue through the necessary approvals.

"The vision hasn't changed. Just as our Victorian predecessors adapted this building to meet the needs of their generation, so our hope is to preserve this remarkable heritage while creating a church that is warm, welcoming, accessible and equipped to serve the people of Llangollen for generations still to come.

"Faithful stewardship isn't about freezing a building in time. It's about ensuring it continues to bless the people it exists to serve."

After the service the Mayor, Cllr Richards-Gwilliam commented: “It was a real privilege to welcome our community, alongside visiting guests, dignitaries and local groups to my Civic Service.

"My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who was involved in making it such a special occasion. It was wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces come together, both at the church service and afterwards for refreshments at the Town Hall. It was a lovely reflection of the community spirit we are so fortunate to have here in Llangollen.

“Father Lee’s sermon also felt particularly fitting for the Civic Service, focusing on the Genesis Project and the vision for the future of St Collen’s Church. 

"As such a prominent and much-loved part of our town, the church has an important place in our community, and the message of creating a welcoming space at its heart is very good to see. I look forward to watching the work progress and wish everyone involved every success for the future.”

Following the service a reception was held at the Town Hall to the accompaniment of a musical selection from the Silver Band.

* The procession, including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Charlie Jones, arrives for the service.

* Llangollen Silver Band plays during the service.

* John Gambles, chair of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, reads the first lesson.

* Dyfed Thomas gives the second reading.

* Dyfan Parry reads the poem Dream a World.

* Vera Heath leads the intercessions.

* The Silver Band plays during the town Hall reception which followed the service.

One of Westheads lads in hospital after being hurt in accident

* The Westheads' Facebook post.

One of the three Llangollen area teenagers making a mammoth cycling trip to Thailand has been involved in an accident as they pedalled through China.

They give the bad news in their latest daily video diary in which they say 18-year-old Dyfan Hughes from Llangollen is currently being treated in hospital for his injuries but is in a stable condition.

Mates Dyfan Hughes, Louis Dennis, 19, from Garth, and James Thomas, also 19, from Wrexham, are making their mammoth 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.  

In the video log they say: "We didn't expect to be making this post 

"Dyfan has been in an accident and we are currently in hospital. He has a head, neck and leg injury but he's stable and in one of the best places in the world for this kind of accident to get the best recovery out of him.

"We don't know what this means for the trip right now but one thing is for sure, we will stick together and when we arrive in Chang Nai, Thailand it will be the three of us no matter how long it takes. We will give more updates in the next few days. Thank you." 

The lads and their journey have a large social media following and the post has so far attracted hundreds of likes and comments.

Latest update given on facelift of the Star Inn

* The new-look bar area takes shape at the Star Inn.

The new owners have given their latest Facebook update on the major renovation they are undertaking at the Llangollen's famous Star Inn on Queen Street.

They say in the short video that they've had "another fantastic week" with the lighting system being installed "giving evermore character and atmosphere to the pub."

As the camera tracks around the various interior spaces they go on: "We've also completed the zoning of our new heating system meaning we can create the perfect ambience."

The Star had been closed and derelict for some time until it was bought last year by former Ysgol Dinas Bran pupil David Anderson whose company is carrying out a major facelift operation to turn it back into a community pub - or hub - with the emphasis, he says, on making it a place where people feel safe and comfortable. Work is due to be complete this summer.

Wrexham submits formal bid to become 2029 UK City of Culture

Having been longlisted earlier this year, Wrexham has submitted its citizen-led formal bid in the competition to become the next UK City of Culture in 2029.

Led by Wrexham Community & Culture Trust, the independent charity established with the support of Wrexham County Borough Council, the Wrecsam2029 bid draws on the city’s international reputation for radical playwork, on its centuries-long history as a place of enterprise and innovation, and on its borderland identity.

The Wrecsam2029 bid goes further than ever before in the way it is involving local people and communities across the county. 

From the outset, it has been community-led, with thousands of people helping to shape its development over the past four years, including over 1,000 schoolchildren, as well as residents, artists, performers, schools, businesses, and groups such as Wrexham's County Voluntary Council, Youth Parliament, North East Wales Multicultural Hub, and Adventure Playgrounds.

The process has included funding for local creatives to experiment with new ideas they would love to develop and turn into reality by 2029, whilst dozens of cultural leaders have helped co-produce a new 10-year cultural strategy covering 2027-2037 to support the bid.

Amanda Evans, Director of Wrexham’s UK City of Culture 2029 Bid, said: "Our vision is for Wrexham to be the world's most playful place, where playfulness informs every aspect of daily life and frames our emergence as a hotbed of creative enterprise and innovation, a globally significant visitor destination and a place where every young person gets the best possible start."

Latest local roadworks updates from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks updates from Denbighshire County Council are:

FELIN BACHE PONT, BACHE MILL ROAD, 11/08/2026 - 21/08/2026, Gwaith Ar Bont / Bridge Works QUANTUM TM (DCC), Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A539 Heol y Farchnad / Market Street, 10/10/2026 - 11/10/2026, Gwyl Fwyd Llangollen / Llangollen Food Festival CHAPTER 8 SOLUTIONS LTD, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

FELIN BACHE PONT, BACHE MILL ROAD, 10/08/2026 - 11/08/2026, Gwaith Ar Bont / Bridge Works KM CONSTRUCTION ( QUANTUM) Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

FELIN BACHE PONT, BACHE MILL ROAD, 22/08/2026 - 23/08/2026, Gwaith Ar Bont / Bridge Works KM CONSTRUCTION ( QUANTUM) Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

A539, OUTSIDE PROPERTY KNOWN AS GLANABER, BACHE MILL ROAD, 24/08/2026 - 26/08/2026, Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY

ADJACENT DRILL HALL, WERN ROAD, 09/09/2026 - 11/09/2026, Adnewyddu Polyn / Renew Pole PLATINUM TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

SIDE OF 9 TO ADJACENT 4 ABBEY ROAD, 23/09/2026 - 25/09/2026, Gwaith BT/ BT Works SUNBELT RENTALS (DCC), Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A542, ADJACENT PLAS BACH HALL STREET, 01/09/2026, Gwaith BT/ BT Works GT WILLIAMS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Geraint, Llangollen, 21/09/2026, Torri Coed / Tree Cutting CHEVRON TM

OUTSIDE PROPERTY DOL Y BONT, GREEN LANE, 19/08/2026 - 21/08/2026, Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

OUTSIDE PROPERTY KNOWN AS GLANABER 2 BACHE MILL ROAD, 24/08/2026 - 26/08/2026, Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

O/S CANNING RISE, TOWER ROAD, 17/08/2026, Torri Coed / Tree Cutting CORE HIGHWAYS WREXHAM (DCC)