Police send out message about extra anti-social behaviour patrolling

 

* The police social media picture of an officer walking the beat in Castle Street.

Police say they will be stepping up their presence in Llangollen for the rest of this summer in a bid to prevent further outbreaks of anti-social behaviour and disorder.

This comes after extreme concern was shown by the Town Council and local county councillor about the situation last bank holiday Monday when rowdy behaviour blighted the town centre and illegal parking blocked roads around the Horseshoe Falls.

County Councillor Karen Edwards compared the area around the Castle Street bridge as like the Wild West after young lads were jumping into the river as onlookers cheered them on and dropped mounds of litter.

Residents took to social media to criticise the police for having no presence in either area when all this was happening. 

The weekend's unruly behaviour prompted new Town Mayor, Cllr Damon Richards-Gwilliam, to send an open letter via llanblogger to Llangollen residents and businesses expressing his concern about what had happened and assuring them he and the Town Council would be demanding more help from the police to prevent such scenes in future. 

This led to a crisis meeting last week between the local inspector for North Wales Police and councillors from Llangollen and Llantysilio in whose area Horseshoe Falls is.  

Now, police have taken to their own social media to reveal that some action has been taken.

A post last night on the NWP Conwy & Denbigh Rural page says: "There has been an increased police presence in Llangollen today. 

"This will continue into the evening and throughout the summer, at peak times, to prevent ASB and disorder which often increases during the warmer weather."

The post was accompanied by a picture of a police officer walking the beat near the library steps in Castle Street. 

The Mayor said: "This is extremely important to me and to us as a Town Council. We have been clear in raising residents' concerns, and I strongly welcome this proactive approach from North Wales Police.

"Visible policing is vital in reassuring residents, business owners and visitors alike, while also deterring antisocial behaviour. For too long, Llangollen has faced these challenges during periods of warm weather, and I fully support this initiative to protect our community, restore confidence and deliver the positive impact our town needs.”

Unconfirmed reports of major police incident in town

* The river is said to have been the focus of the police activity early this morning.

Questions are being asked on local social media about what sounds like a major police incident in the centre of Llangollen in the early hours of this morning.

llanblogger has been told that from around midnight at least one helicopter was airborne over the town, shining its powerful searchlight into the area in and around the river.

A drone was also spotted hovering around the same area at about the same time.

Further reports are that a large number of police cars were involved and perhaps even an ambulance, although this is unconfirmed.

Some of the activity, which is said to have gone on until around 3am, was verified by Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards who confirmed the sightings of the helicopter and searchlight. She is now making official enquiries into the incident.

So far nothing has been mentioned about any incident on the North Wales Police social media.

Cost of parking to increase from next month

* Market Street where the cost of parking for over three hours will rise to £10 from next month.

The cost of using Llangollen's main Market Street car park for over three hours is to rise by a quarter from next month.

Denbighshire County Council reveals in a statutory public notice it is making changes to the fees for using all its pay and display car parks from July 6, including the five in Llangollen.

Most expensive place to park from that date will be the large facility in Market Street, which has 147 spaces and is used by most visitors.

The charge there for over three hours will go up from the current £8 to £10, or 25%.

It's the same percentage rise for up to 30 minutes, which goes up from 80p to £1 at Market Street and over 33% for up to one hour, which goes from £1.50 to £2. 

Up to three hours at the same car park rises from £3 to £4, which is also 33%.

* For comparison purposes here are the existing and new charges for all local car parks:

Existing charges

Brook Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £0.80

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £2.50

Over 3 hours £4.00

East Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £0.80

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £2.50

Over 3 hours £4.00

Hall Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £0.80

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £2.50

Over 3 hours £4.00

Market Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £0.80

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £3.00

Over 3 hours £8.00

Mill Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £0.80

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £2.50

Over 3 hours £4.00

NEW CHARGES

Brook Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £1.00

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £3.00

Over 3 hours £4.00

East Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £1.00

Up to 1 hour £2.00

Up to 3 hours £4.00

Over 3 hours £10.00

Hall Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £1.00

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £3.00

Over 3 hours £4.00

Market Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £1.00

Up to 1 hour £2.00

Up to 3 hours £4.00

Over 3 hours £10.00

Mill Street, 8am to 11pm

Up to 30 minutes £1.00

Up to 1 hour £1.50

Up to 3 hours £3.00

Over 3 hours £4.00

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."