Castle lit up tonight to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week

Castell Dinas Bran has been specially lit up this evening (Thursday) to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week from October 9-15.

The illumination of the ancient landmark, which can be seen for miles around, is arranged by Katy Davies and Sian Davies using local company ORB Sound and Lighting. 

It has been lit between 7 and 8pm and is part of the Global Wave of Light.

The special week has also seen 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.  

Although the view of the castle was rather marred by the rain and mist, some great pictures have been supplied to llanblogger by Orb Sound and Lighting.  

Social media star spends time visiting 'amazing' Llangollen

                 * Sam Bagshaw meets Denise at the Tourist Information Centre.

A young social media content creator who makes videos about his life with a stammer has been visiting Llangollen. 

Sam Bagshaw, 27, from Yorkshire, started posting videos on TikTok during Covid lockdown and now has over 600,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.

Rather than letting his stammer hold him back, he’s been putting himself out there, documenting his experiences and hopefully helping others who face similar challenges.

Liv Lumsden of the Riversdale House air B&B in Llangollen is one of his many followers and recently invited Sam to spend some time in the town.

She said: "I first came across Sam’s videos around two years ago and was really touched by his determination. Having followed his journey, I offered him a complimentary three-night stay at Riversdale House so he could experience somewhere new.

"Sam had never been to Wales before, and Llangollen seemed the perfect place for his first visit.

"Over the last few days, he has been exploring the town, meeting local people and making some lovely memories along the way.

"He’s enjoyed an aqueduct tour with Bearded Men Adventures and visited the Llangollen Railway, where Dave Hennigan, the Trust Manager, kindly took him behind the scenes. He’s also spent time with Denise at the Tourist Information Centre, who works tirelessly to welcome visitors and promote everything Llangollen has to offer."

Liv added: "What makes Sam’s visit particularly special is that every new person he meets and every conversation he has is another step in building his confidence.

"The people of Llangollen have been incredibly welcoming, and it’s been lovely to see local people giving their time and encouragement to someone who is working so hard to overcome his own personal challenges.

"I think Sam is a real inspiration. He’s not allowing his stammer to define what he can do, and by sharing his experiences so openly, he’s helping others understand something that is often misunderstood."

Sam said: "I didn’t know what to expect when I first arrived here from Sheffield and what I would be getting up to. 

"Llangollen has been amazing, I’ve loved every minute and been out and about experiencing what Llangollen has to offer, there is so much to do I’m really happy with what I’ve done and the people I’ve met and how friendly people are and welcoming.

"I will be definitely coming back again in the future and do more experiences that I’ve not done yet I would recommend people to visit Llangollen. Thank you so much everyone."

* Sam was invited to stay at Riversdale House.

* Meeting Trust Manager Dave Hennigan at the railway.

* 'Llangollen has been amazing'

Town's former mayor sings with his choir on BBC Breakfast

* Aled Morris, second from right on back row, sings with the Hawkstone Choir at BBC Breakfast this morning.

Llangollen's former mayor and his choir featured on BBC Breakfast this morning (Thursday)

The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, founded by Jeremy Clarkson, won Britain's Got Talent earlier this year.

And their TV appearance today marked the release of their first single, entitled Absolution, which recognises the "daily grind" farmers go through. An album will follow shortly.

Singing with the choir at the Salford BBC studios was Aled Morris, himself a working farmer and a Llangollen town councillor who was last year's mayor.

In announcing the Breakfast debut of Absolution on his social media this morning he said: "If you're anything like me ... it will be in your ear all day."

Free family fun event for Halloween at youth centre

Llangollen will host one of two free family Halloween events in south Denbighshire during the upcoming half term period.

Open to all families, both events, arranged by the council’s Families First and Flying Start team, will include lots of Halloween and Autumn based activities, including arts and crafts and more.

The Llangollen event will be at the Youth Centre on Friday October 30, from 10am until 12pm.

The first event will be held on Wednesday, October 28 at Llygadog, Clawdd Poncen, Corwen, from 10am until 12pm.

As well as the Halloween and Autumn based activities, families will be able to get up close and personal with a whole host of scaly and creepy crawly creatures, as Scaly Safari, who deliver calm, ethical reptile experiences, will be in attendance at both events.

A spokesperson for the council’s Families First and Flying Start team said: “We are really excited to be hosting these events in Corwen and Llangollen over the half term period. It is the first time that we have held these events at the Hubs, and we hope that families come along and celebrate with us.

"There is no need to book to come along, and families can attend in their scariest costumes if they like!”

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Education, Families, Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage, said: “Providing families with free activities during the school holiday periods is vital.

"Open to all families, these two events will give families a free and fun resource during the October half term week.”

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is:

Q: I’m doing everything I can to save money on my energy bills, and I’ve recently heard about new plug-in solar panels. I can’t get traditional panels installed because I rent a flat, plus they’re very expensive. Are plug-in solar panels a suitable alternative for people like me?

A: Plug-in solar panels are designed to sit outside on a balcony or in a garden, and plug directly into your mains electricity to generate power. Like traditional panels, they can help cut your energy bills by generating electricity you can use in your home. Though they produce less power, plug-in kits are cheaper upfront and more accessible to renters or flat-dwellers with outdoor space, as they don't require roof access or professional installation.

There are a few things to consider before you buy. Firstly, you’ll need to make sure it’s right for you and your home. You'll need an unshaded outdoor space that ideally faces south, though east or west will still catch some sun for part of the day. The government estimates you could save up to £110 a year on your energy bills with a plug-in solar kit, but your actual savings will depend on things like where your panels are located and if you have the flexibility to use appliances during the day.

One big difference to be aware of is that unlike traditional panels, you must use or lose the power you generate. Current rules mean most people won’t be able to store electricity in a battery, and you can’t get paid for any unused power generated by your kit.

It’s important to check if you need permission before you make a purchase. Read the government’s official online guidance to see if you need approval first. The key thing to know is that if you rent or live in a leasehold property, you should speak to your landlord or freeholder. And if your home is a listed building or in an area with planning restrictions, you should speak to your local council.

Follow the government’s safety rules, included in the online guidance, before plugging in a new kit. Key rules include plugging your kit into a safe wall socket (never an extension lead) and sticking to the strict limit of one kit per household.

To ensure your kit is compliant with UK regulations, only purchase an all-in-one kit that features a 3-pin UK plug and a UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark. If you’ve already bought one that doesn’t meet these criteria, see if you can return it, or contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for advice.

Finally, you’ll need to register your kit with your electricity network company. Your electricity network company provides the wires to your home and is different from the company you pay your bills to. You can find your network company via your electricity bill or by visiting the Energy Networks Association (ENA) website.

Plans for new National Park "likely to be shelved" says report

Plans for a new national park in north Wales - including Llangollen - are likely to be shelved after a government minister told the Senedd he did not want to set it up.

* For the full story on the BBC, go to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c59vze7vy2vlo 

* Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive of Campaign for National Parks said: “Welsh Government has failed to show the leadership required to put National Parks at the heart of nature, the climate and their rural resilience agenda with today’s decision. 

"The failure to back a public local inquiry at this time is a bitterly disappointing retreat from Wales’s National Park ambitions which demonstrates a telling lack of faith in the power and potential of Welsh National Parks from the new Government."

 

Westheads interviewed for ITV news about their epic trip to Thailand

* The Westheads in their TV appearance yesterday. From left, Louis, Dyfan and James.

The three Westhead lads featured in yesterday's ITV Wales news, with one of them telling how a crash with a truck in China brought a premature end to their mammoth cycling trip to Thailand to see an old friend and the other two describing the whole adventure as being like a dream. 

Nineteen-year-olds Dyfan Hughes from Llangollen, Louis Dennis from Garth and James Thomas from Wrexham were on a 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.  

But on one of the final legs of the journey Dyfan was seriously injured after being hit by the truck near the city of Chengdu.

After treatment in a local hospital he was back home last week after a 13-hour flight from Asia in a specially adapted plane with a doctor and nurse on hand. 

After some initial observation at Wrexham Maelor he at last returned to his own home and has started his rehabilitation process.

Speaking about the crash, which left him with a catalogue of serious injuries, on yesterday's news he told reporter Rob Shelley: "You never really think it's going to happen to you, then I just woke up in a hospital bed.

After scenes of him being stretchered into hospital in the Chinese city of Chengdu he added: "We just had 50 days left to finish the trip."

Asked about the people they met along the trail, Louis said: "The people in Asia were the nicest to us - people with the least amount of stuff."

Later in the report Louis said: "Being back home feels really weird. It feels like it (the trip) never really happened. It's like a dream I've woken up from."

Both he and James were certain that they'd be back in the saddle and bound for Thailand again as soon as Dyfan was fit enough and then Rob Shelley suggested that maybe after they'd completed the journey from the point where they were forced to leave off they'd just keep on going, with Louis agreeing they just might.

The reporter then explained that the lads had called themselves the Westheads as it was Llangollen slang for "slightly mad" but added: "but maybe just a little bit inspired."