Over £4,000 pledged towards celebrity cat's treatment after his accident

* Over £4,000 has been pledged to help pay for Raymond's treatment.

UPDATE FROM HIS OWNER AROUND 9AM:

"Just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated towards rays vet bills people have been so so kind and generous. 

"Just been to see him and cried 😭 

"Just waiting to see if he will be going for a CT scan today."

Just over £4,000 has been pledged by hundreds of well-wishers to help pay for treatment to Llangollen's celebrity cat after he was accidentally hit and injured by a car two days ago.

The famous moggy, who has his own Facebook page - Raymond the Ginger Cat - is known and loved by scores of admirers for his wanderings around the town, nipping in and out of shops and hotels and even attending a church service on Christmas morning. 

On Sunday there was an outpouring of shock and disbelief after it was announced on Facebook that he had been hit by a car in the town centre while being chased by a dog. 

Scores of messages of sympathy for his family and best wishes for his speedy recovery began to be posted on social media. 

And there was been a surge of donations to an online funding account set up by a friend to help pay for his treatment. 

The owner took to Facebook on Raymond's page to say his pelvis had been injured on the left side and the bill for treatment was likely to be between four and five thousand pounds, adding that they would pay although and donations would be welcome.

Since then pledges to the Gofundme page have been mounting rapidly and by yesterday afternoon had gone over the £4,000 mark.

The page now displays a note to say the organiser has disabled new donations to the fundraiser "at the moment".

On Monday morning the cat's owner posted on Raymond's page that he was "comfortable and pain free," and they were waiting to hear when he would have surgery. 

* Llanblogger will bring you further updates on Raymond's progress as and when we have them. 

Raymond the celebrity cat receives treatment after serious road injury

 

* Raymond pictured on his own Facebook page by his owner after the accident.

UPDATE FROM HIS OWNER MONDAY MORNING: 

"He’s comfortable and pain free. Waiting to hear when he will go for surgery either today or tomorrow."

Llangollen’s celebrity cat is receiving treatment at the vets after being accidentally hit by a car. 

And an online funding page has been set up to pay for the surgery he needs.

The famous moggy, who has his own Facebook page - Raymond the Ginger Cat - is known and loved by scores of admirers for his wanderings around the town, nipping in and out of shops and hotels and even attending a church service on Christmas morning. 

Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon there was an outpouring of shock and disbelief after it was announced on Facebook that he had been hit by a car in the town centre while being chased by a dog. 

Within the hour there was over a hundred messages of sympathy for his family and best wishes for his speedy recovery. 

The comments have continued to flood in overnight, some posted from as far away as Wiltshire, Cardiff and Sheffield. 

There was also s surge of donations to an online funding account has been set up to help pay for his treatment. 

Shortly after the news broke Raymond’s owner gave details of what had happened to the cat on Facebook. 

They said: “Raymond’s been hit by a car. I don’t know who hit him or why they wouldn’t stop.

“We have taken him to the vets and his vitals are all good but he can’t stand and looks like he might of broken his back legs. He’s gone for X-rays now so will let you know how he is as soon as we know." 

A little later they posted again, saying: “UPDATE. He has fractured his pelvis on the left side. They’re keeping him in tonight.” 

The owner added: “Also, would just like to put that apparently the driver did stop and look for him which I am grateful for, Raymond’s usually good with roads but obviously he’s been chased and ran out scared. Which isn’t the drivers fault."

A friend of the owner then set up a Gofundme page to help meet the bill for

Raymond's treatment.

She says on the page: "Unfortunately the famous Raymond the Ginger Cat (who is a celebrity in Llangollen) was accidentally hit by a car on 29/12/24. Some kind person took him in, and the owners (my friend) got to him quickly and took him to an emergency vets.

"This quirky, cheeky little cat is in and out of shops, goes to supermarkets, local pubs and even to church this Christmas! He’s a well known, funny little character in our home town, and his adventures and antics are documented and loved by many far and wide.

"He has broken his pelvis and if anyone could help this little chap have the operation he needs and get back to his little adventures, we’d be so grateful. Even the smallest amount.

"We all wish Mr Raymond the speediest recovery!"

At around 6am this morning (Monday) Raymond's owner posted a further update which says: "Thank you all for your kind words and support for Raymond. He’s always been street smart but unfortunately yesterday he was scared by a dog in to a passing car my poor little man got hit and fractured his pelvis on the left hand side surgery is going to be around 4-5k which we will pay, but any donations would be amazing my friend has set up a go fund me page so if Ray's ever brought any joy in to your life a small donation would be much appreciated no matter how small."

* The Gofundme page can be found at: https://gofund.me/3eea2e10

* Llanblogger will bring you further updates on Raymond's progress as and when we have them. 

Llangollen makes newspaper's list of Wales's best winter walks

Llangollen features in a list of winter walks in Wales "to blow away the Christmas cobwebs" produced by a Welsh national newspaper.

* For the full story in Wales Online, see: 25 winter walks in Wales to blow away the Christmas cobwebs - Wales Online

Neighbourhood Watch warns about QR code scam

North Wales Community Alert has issued a warning about a seasonal scam which last year cost its victims over three-quarters of a million pounds.

Neighbourhood Watch says: "Cyber Criminals are using QR technology to scam victims.

"They create their own malicious QR codes designed to trick people into sharing their banking or personal information. Victims are tricked into believing that they are navigating to legitimate sites.

"Last festive season, over £764,000 was lost to QR fraud.

"Stay safe this Christmas— stop and think before clicking a link or scanning a QR code. If you receive an email with a QR code use caution - it could be a scam.

"If unsure - open the website address that you need to visit in a fresh browser rather than navigating there via the QR code. This will help to keep your data safe.

"Read about how someone fell victim to fraudsters in railway station QR code scam here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-67335952

#NWPCyberSafe #12Frauds

llanblogger wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas!

lanblogger wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas

Christmas Festival raffle winners announced

* The parade which launched this year's Christmas Festival.

The draw for the raffle at this year's Llangollen Christmas Festival has taken place and all winners have been notified. 

A spokesperson for the organisers said: "Thanks to everyone who bought tickets for the raffle. We had a tremendous response and managed to sell 4,000 tickets. We made £4,000 which we will share with Wales Air Ambulance, local groups and next year’s Christmas Festival.

"Thank you to our sponsors and the local shops, traders and businesses for donating prizes. A special thank you to Ian Parry and Jane Williams for organising the raffle and the fantastic ticket-selling skills of the members of the Christmas Festival Group and their friends."

Here is list of prizes and winning tickets:

01069                  Five days fishing on the River Dee

02680                 Voucher For Dee Valley Produce 0

03566                  Voucher for  Jades Hair Stylist

02655                   A bottle of Scotch from the Liberty Tavern

00985                  A food hamper from the Llangollen Oggie Shop

01385                 A flight for three people in a light aircraft

00358                  A flight in a glider

1728                   Whitewater rafting for two people

02222                 Family ticket for Llangollen railway

02201                   Family tickets for a canal boat trip

05070                 Trip in a  Tuk-Tuk

01166                 Voucher for bike hire from Drozi  Bikes

00024                 Voucher for the Bridge End

02538                 Pair of tickets for the Llangollen Comedy Club

03376                 £200 worth of food vouchers

00665                 Laura’s Tearoom Llangollen voucher

04041                 2 course meal for two at The Cornmill Llangollen

01062                 Voucher for a meal at the Sun Trevor

02720                   2 tickets for Llangollen Eistedfodd

03654                 Voucher for Riverbanc in Llangollen

05056                 Round of golf for two in Llangollen

00469                 Afternoon tea at the Wild Pheasant

01124                 Knitted dolls from Homemade Llangollen

01481                 Voucher for Foozies

00906                 Toy from Shop in the Clouds

00880                 Massage from Sue Walker “The Verve”

02192                 2 bottles of wine from Gales Wine Bar

01873                 Candle from Lily Rose Interiors

04117                 Christmas wreath Eistedfodd Floral Committee

00902                 2 tickets for Garden Railway Show

00293                 Voucher for Porters Delicatessen

00581                 Coffee from Chapel Street Coffee Company

Warning about thefts of Christmas parcels from doorsteps

* Warning: Sam Rowlands MS.

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is warning constituents about the increase in thefts of parcels left on doorsteps. 

Mr Rowlands is backing a call from North Wales Police who have issued advice to reduce the risk of doorstep theft.

 

He said: “Noth Wales Police have received a number of reports about the increase in thefts from doorsteps in recent weeks and have issued a timely reminder to us all.

 

“Unfortunately there are unscrupulous people out there who will be on the lookout for unattended parcels.

 

“In the run up to Christmas it is especially important that if you are expecting a delivery make sure you take the necessary precautions so that a loved one’s present is not taken from your doorstep.”

 

North Wales Police have issued some advice to make sure you don’t become a victim of crime this festive season.

 

To reduce the risk of doorstep theft:

1. Track your parcel to ensure someone is at home for the delivery.
2. If you are not going to be in, provide the delivery company with details of a safe location to leave your parcel.
3. Arrange a delivery time if possible when you know someone will be home to take the parcel.
4. Consider installing a ring doorbell; this can be connected to your mobile phone so you are notified immediately of any delivery and is easier and more affordable than CCTV systems.
5. Install security lighting. 
6. Arrange for you parcel to be delivered to a trusted neighbour, family or friend.
7. Use an off-site locker service for frequent deliveries or for expensive items, these parcel boxes are more likely to be in safer locations such as supermarkets, petrol forecourts etc.

Nominate someone 'special' for community awards

The High Sheriff of Clwyd's Community Awards nomination process for 2025 is now underway. 

And Llangollen people are invited to nominate someone special who does great things here in Denbighshire. 

The awards were launched in 2013 to recognise individuals or voluntary/community organisations or groups (with charitable aims) that have made an outstanding contribution to their respective communities.

There will be three awards as follows:

* Two awards for individuals from each of the principal areas, namely Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham that form the preserved County of Clwyd

* One award for a voluntary/community organisation or group (with charitable aims) operating within each of the principal areas, namely Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham that form the preserved County of Clwyd.

All nominations regardless of county of origin should be sent to Community and Voluntary Support Conwy (CVSC) at volunteering@cvsc.org.uk

Closing date for nominations is noon on Friday January 17, 2025.

Historic pub close to Llangollen goes on the market

A historic close to Llangollen, formerly named best pub of the year in Wales, has gone on the market with a guide price of £575,000.

* For the full story in the Denbighshire Free Press, see: West Arms pub in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog goes up for sale | Denbighshire Free Press

Yellow weather warning for wind on Saturday

Yellow Weather Warning for Wind

Between 07:00 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024 and 23:59 (UTC) on Sat 21 Dec 2024

 

Following a receipt of a yellow weather warning for wind affecting Denbighshire on Saturday, the county council has issued the following advice for residents:

A period of strong winds on Saturday is likely to lead to some transport disruption

Strong westerly winds are expected to develop through the course of Saturday, with gusts of 50-60 mph developing quite widely across this region, and a small chance of gusts reaching 70 mph around some coasts and high ground areas.

This has the potential to cause delays to public transport and some disruption to the road network, which may have a greater than usual impact given the busier pre-Christmas weekend travel. Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard.

What to expect

• Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely
• It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves
• Probably some bus and train services affected, with some journeys taking longer
• Some short term loss of power and other services is possible
• Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely
• There is a small chance of isolated, short term loss of power
• 
  

DCC has additional resources on standby throughout the warning period to respond to any weather-related incidents should they arise.

 

Further updates will be provided if deemed necessary.

 

Please report any issues to our Customer Service Team between 8:30am – 5pm Monday to Friday, by:

1) email to customerservice@denbighshire.gov.uk

2) telephone 01824 706000

3) visit in person a One Stop Shop.

4) use an online web form, available on Denbighshire’s website:

www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/online-forms/online-forms.aspx

In the event of any emergency situation requiring an immediate response, contact should be made directly via the out of hours contact centre between 5pm – 8:30am including weekends on 0300 123 3068.

 

UK market gets 'Six Million Dollar' new Prius after all

Toyota Prius drive by Steve Rogers

Take a look at this beauty and thank your lucky stars we have the chance to buy it.

Toyota called time on Prius a couple of years ago because hardly anyone here was buying it, and as a punishment the UK was not going to get the sleek new model.

But they changed their minds and two years after its launch Prius Mk5 arrived on our shores.

Yes, this really is a Prius, and what a transformation. They haven’t just tinkered, this is a Six Million Dollar man makeover with a stunning rakish body, and a new engine which is nearly twice as quick off the line as the sluggish old model.

The body silhouette is beautiful with a swept back windscreen and roofline; the A pillar must be angled at about 40 degrees which is not without its problems. It is thick and can obscure the driver’s view while the low roofline means stooping low to get in. This is not a car for people with back trouble.

Taxi drivers will take the hump because the new car has gone up market. This Prius is unlikely to be wearing their livery, apart from which the boot is way too small.

What we have now is one model. A plug-in hybrid with a 13.6kWh battery which has a useful all electric range of up to 53 miles and I came close to the max. That sort of range will suit a lot of daily commutes and can be topped up from zero in just over four hours using a home charger.

Mate the electric motor with the 2-litre petrol engine and Prius has a healthy 220bhp, so there is a fair amount of punch off the line. It’s same old, same old, when accelerating hard through the CVT gearbox - the engine gets noisy.

Economy is eye popping according to the official figure of 430-565mpg although in reality it is a bit of nonsense. Not that there is any reason to be downhearted. Over 600 miles of mixed driving returned just over 60mpg and that is excellent. On a 150 mile drive through the hills and mountains of mid Wales I ran out of electric power after 49 miles and my car was on 19in rims, the 17in wheels give a little more, so another good result.

Prius is also a lovely car to drive, a road hugger, with nicely weighted, direct steering.

Having done such a great job on the body I expected a bolder dashboard layout. While there is not much wow factor It is very functional with a big central touchscreen backed up by a banks of neatly laid out switches for heating, along with controls for the heated and cooling ventilated front seats.

The interesting area is the driver’s digital display. It is positioned above the steering wheel almost at the base of the windscreen. Peugeot pioneered this approach 10 years ago with the 308 but it was difficult to see the speedometer. This is much better with a big digital speedo and suited my driving position. But it is not a one size fits all solution and some drivers might struggle.

At first I was bothered about the rear vision, It is not that good out of the rear window which has no wiper and takes a while to clear using the heated elements. Side vision is non-existent but the rear camera has good definition, when not covered in road grime, and satisfied my needs particularly with the safety net of rear cross traffic braking. An improvement would be a 360 degree surround system.

There are only two models, Design and Excel with a 40 grand price tag. It sounds a lot but not out of step with other plug-in hybrids.

So what are we to make of the new Prius? Think about it, forget it, or buy it? I would definitely buy it.

Fast facts

Prius Excel Plug-in hybrid

£39,955 (Design £37,315)

2-litre petrol + electric motor 220bhp

0-62mph 6.8secs; 110mph

430-565mpg

12g/km. VED: Zero

Insurance group 31

Boot 284 litres

Daytime at the Eisteddfod launched for 2025

* Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth.

Llangollen International Eisteddfod has put tickets on sale for its packed daytime events which take place from July 8 to 13 2025.

This follows last week’s announcement of concerts next summer featuring Roger Daltrey, KT Tunstall, Il Divo and Bryn Terfel. 

In 2025, 4,000 competitors from choirs, dance groups and ensembles will head to Llangollen from around the world, along with 57 groups from across the UK. This represents the highest number of international competitors for many years, as the town once again welcomes the world to Wales.

Groups confirmed for Llangollen 2025 come from as far away as Burundi, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kurdistan, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Républic of Congo, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, USA and Zimbabwe. There will also be 22 non-competing groups bringing a variety of choirs, dance and ensembles.

* Amagaba, Burundi.

The festival’s choral, dance and instrumental competitions are hosted in its iconic 3,500-seater pavilion from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 July 2025. In addition to 25 world-class competitions, there will also be plenty to see and do on the Eisteddfod field. 

There will be two outside performance stages, featuring live music from across the world, as well as local bands from North East Wales. There will be showcases from Community Rhythm and Roots Wales (where 6 groups from across the country will perform), a Welsh language afternoon (featuring up and coming Welsh Language performers), and much more. 

The annual peace message will be presented on Wednesday 9 and Saturday 12 July and is the focal point of a number of activities promoting the Eisteddfod’s message of world peace.

* New Zealand Youth Choir.

In addition, there will be pop-up performance areas, a dedicated Kids Zone (featuring fun and educational activities, including circus skills), and a sensory den (providing a safe space for those who need it). There will also be arts and crafts from local makers, along with plenty to eat and drink.

Chair of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, John Gambles said: “Our 2025 Eisteddfod will be much more than a series of amazing concerts - our field will be a hive of colour, music, and dancing. There really is something for everybody. 

"Our daytime in Llangollen will be as vibrant as our evening concerts. This year, we have had an amazing number of applications from across the world. It’s clear that the Llangollen International Eisteddfod still reaches out to the world, and our festival in 2025 will be bigger and better than ever.”

New Zealand Youth Choir, Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth and Amagaba, Burundi, just three of the groups who will be visiting Llangollen next summer.

Daytime, season and Live at Llangollen Pavilion tickets are available at https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/event_picker/in-the-pavilion/

What's on in the Pavilion?

Wednesday 9th July

This first full day of competitions is not to be missed as the junior, senior and children’s open choirs take centre stage. As a way of celebrating the fantastic work that is done with children and young people, our Young Choir of the World Trophy and an additional £500 for the highest scoring choir from the children’s choirs will be awarded at the end of the day. We are also joined by children’s folk dance groups along with vocal and instrumental solo competitors.

There will also be the premier of Community Rhythm and Roots, Wales where 6 culturally and linguistically diverse groups and communities based in Wales will share their stories with Wales and the World, using music, dance and literature.

Later on, we’ll be holding the Parade of Nations, our annual spectacle where participating groups from across the world dance, sing and play their musical instruments as they weave their way through the streets of Llangollen. Wearing their national costume and flying their flags and banners, the groups process through the streets to the delight of the throngs gathered to welcome them to the town. 

Thursday 10th July

Today in the pavilion we kick off with our instrumental ensemble competition. With a wonderful variety of ensembles from all over the world, it’s sure to get you ready for a full day of competitions. With dance, children’s choirs and vocal/instrumental solo finals it’s a day not to be missed!

Friday 11th July

Join us for a spectacular day in the Pavilion with open, and adult folk song choirs, our Young Voice of Musical Theatre competition, the semi-final of our Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, and our international folk soloist competition. In addition, we have our choreographed/stylized dance group competition, as well as our individual dance competitions (solo, duet, trio). A truly varied day!

Saturday 12th July

Our community band competition will start the day on the pavilion stage, and it’s going to be spectacular! Later, the male voice, female voice, youth and mixed choirs will battle it out ready for the Choir of the World final in the evening. Who will be our ultimate champion for 2025? We will also see a variety of different dance ensembles in the Llangollen Dance Off, and anyone who missed our Peace Message on Children’s Day will have the opportunity to hear it today.