DJ Paulette to join Pete Tong's Ibiza Classics at Llangollen Pavilion

Award-winning DJ Paulette (pictured) will join dance music pioneer Pete Tong when he brings his iconic Ibiza Classics show to Llangollen Pavilion this summer.

Pete Tong’s world-renowned Ibiza Classics – featuring The Essential Orchestra – will headline TK Maxx presents Live At Llangollen Pavilion on Thursday June 25, and he will be joined by DJ Paulette for an unforgettable night celebrating the sound, spirit and energy of the White Isle.

Final tickets are available now from llangollen.net 

A true trailblazer of the dance music scene, DJ Paulette has spent more than 30 years shaping club culture both in the UK and internationally. Born and raised in Manchester, she remains a respected tastemaker, known for consistently “smashing” every set she plays.

One of only two women to hold a monthly residency at Manchester’s famous Haçienda, she has also held iconic residencies at London’s Heaven and Ministry of Sound, Brighton’s Zap Club, and internationally in Paris and Ibiza, before returning home to continue influencing the scene.

Her career is decorated with major accolades, including DJ Mag Top 100 Lifetime Achievement, Keychange Inspiration Award, Night Time Industries Association Ambassadors of the Night and DJ of the Year at the Northern Music Awards - recognition of her enduring influence and trailblazing impact on dance music worldwide.

* Pete Tong.

DJ Paulette continues to light up clubs and festivals around the world, from Warehouse Project and Glitterbox to Homobloc, Hi Ibiza, Defected Malta, Flow Festival and Fatboy Slim’s Weekender, delivering disco, house, and techno with her signature energy. Crowds in Llangollen are in for a treat this summer when she brings that unstoppable vibe to Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics.

From the sun-soaked shores of Ibiza to the world’s biggest stages, Pete Tong has redefined live dance music. Last year, he celebrated the 10th anniversary of Ibiza Classics with four sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall alongside The Essential Orchestra and such greats as Becky Hill, Barbara Tucker, Damian Lazarus, David Morales, Paul Oakenfold, and Seth Troxler.

Throughout his remarkable 30-plus year career, Pete has championed dance music on a global scale, constantly pushing boundaries and supporting new talent. His contributions were formally recognised with the prestigious Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS) in 2021, honouring his outstanding impact on music and broadcasting.

Pete Tong joins a stellar lineup including Texan pop punk legends Bowling For Soup and folk punk royalty Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, iconic Welsh trailblazers Super Furry Animals, pop star Rick Astley, Scottish chart-toppers Deacon Blue, Britpop mastermind Alex James’ Britpop Classical, multi-platinum selling hitmaker Tom Grennan, global music icon Billy Ocean and legendary singer-songwriter David Gray who will all headline the iconic Welsh venue this summer.

For more information go to llangollen.net    

FOLLOW PETE TONG IBIZA CLASSICS WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

FOLLOW DJ PAULETTE WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE

Work well underway on Active Travel scheme near A5/Brook Street junction

Re-shaping the junction of the A5 with Brook Street now seems to be well advanced, with kerbs re-aligned and pavements slightly widened.

The work is the initial stage of a major project by Denbighshire County Council, funded by the Welsh Government as part of its Active Travel Fund, to improve walking routes in the Brook Street and Pengwern areas of Llangollen.

The aim is to reduce the number of short everyday journeys that are undertaken in motor vehicles and to increase levels of active travel.

These works are intended to increase the levels of active travel in the area through creating safer walking routes to key local amenities such as schools and the town centre.

The improvements, which taking place between January and March, are being carried out by contractors Pronin Ltd.

Temporary traffic lights are in place either side of the A5/Brook Street junction, which are causing some congestion at busier times of the day.

llanblogger's pictures of the work, taken this morning, show considerable work on pavements and kerb-lines has already taken place.

* If you have any queries regarding the scheme, contact Denbighshire County Council via walkingandcycling@denbighshire.gov.uk or 01824 706000.

* Work at the junction on the Regent Street side.

* Adjustments to the pavement close to the junction on the City Church side of Brook Street.

* Above and below: Slight widening to the pavement outside City Church.

Former First Minister Mark Drakeford visits Ysgol Dinas Brân

Former Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford was a guest at Ysgol Dinas Brân last Friday for an inspiring discussion on the importance of the Welsh language.

Sixth Form pupils studying Welsh Second Language A level, along with enthusiastic learners from Years 10 and 11, took part in a Q&A session, asking thoughtful, insightful questions and engaging confidently throughout.

Calum in Year 13 not only organised the event but also led the session with maturity and professionalism, according to a post on the school's Facebook page.

The message from Mr Drakeford, now Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, was clear and powerful: “Use your Welsh."

Mr Drakeford also presented the school with the Cymraeg Campus Bronze Award following the success of the Criw Cymraeg, who helped the school achieve the award this week.

What's on at Pengwern Hub

 

Latest news from Llangollen Museum

As of the middle of January 2026, all of our grants for saving and improving the Museum have ended.

The final work included our fantastic new entrance doors (many thanks to Ben Black for making the doors and to James from Worthy Signs Ltd. in Conwy for the frosted window logos), re-varnished/painted windows and doors (thanks here to Glenn Found) and our new website going live (thanks go to Mark Anderson, Thomas Crane Associates and Claire from the Museum).

January 15th saw the first session of our newly founded Young Archaeologists Club being well attended. Eleven budding young archaeologists came along and thoroughly enjoyed their “Introduction to Archaeology”. 

Sessions will be held at Llangollen Museum from 6-8pm on Thursday evenings and we are still accepting application forms for new members. Please email cdv.yac@gmail.com for more information or if you want to come along. 

You can visit the Clwyd and Dee Valley Young Archaeologist’s Club at https://www.yac-uk.org/clubs/clwyd-and-dee-valley. The next meeting is on 12th February and we will be building a model Iron Age roundhouse. For details of the themes for upcoming meetings please look at our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/share/14TB2VbYbL6/.

Llangollen Museum will be closed from Friday 23rd to Friday 30th January inclusive, for our annual spring clean. We will re-open on Saturday 31st January. When we open, our new item of the month display will show a selection of documents that we recently acquired at an auction. The documents cover a whole range of subjects, from road tolls to council tenancy agreements and works. 

A new display will feature items on loan from Pentre Hall, Bronygarth, together with a history of the Hall. Some items in the new display (e.g. a hazel wood wand) have been displayed before, but there will be many items that have not previously been displayed. Come along to the Museum and see all of these fascinating items.

Our popular talks programme continues, although there will be no talk in January or February. The first talk will be on Sunday 22nd March. Cathy Cox from Tasmania will give a talk entitled "A Different Kind of Valour - Remembering Australian Heroines of the First and Second World War". 

On Wednesday April 29th, Dr Jack Hunter’s presentation will be "Re-Thinking Haunted and Paranormal Objects". Wednesday 27th May will see Andy Harrop-Smith talking about "The Folklore of Birds". On 10th June, we will have Dr Jenny Day examining the poetry of Gutun Owain and other Welsh poets (see below) and on 24th June, Gill Smith will continue looking at churches in North Wales, with a presentation entitled “Hidden Histories and Folklore of North Wales Churches Pt II”.

On 29th July Sam Thomson will give a talk entitled "Everest 1924 - The First Summit?" Talks and dates can be subject to change, so keep an eye on our social media for announcements. All talks start at 7:00pm at the Museum. Tickets are £3 at the door with refreshments provided. Do get the dates in your diaries - we hope to see you there!

On our Facebook page, we are running a series of regular posts on historical excavations at Valle Crucis Abbey. From the earliest clearances by Wynne and Dungannon, to geophysical surveys in 2001, and then excavations at Pandy and Eliseg’s Pillar in 2008 and 2012, the posts will summarise what work was done and what has been found. Go to our Facebook page to discover more details about what the different finds can tell us about the history of the Abbey and its immediate surroundings.

The next exhibition in the Janet Wakefield Gallery at the Museum will be by Grace Hughes, and is entitled 'My Little Welsh Home - Landscape and Nature in North Wales'. Grace is a local artist from Carrog and paints landscapes inspired by the beauty of the local area. The exhibition will run from the end of January until the beginning of March. There is an open evening at the Museum for Grace's exhibition, on Thursday 5th February at 7pm, so do come along.

In March we have Emma Petruzelli's exhibition, showcasing her photographs from Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Sites and entitled "The mysticism of Stonehenge and Avebury". It will run from 2nd to 30th March.

Do keep an eye on our Facebook page for the April and May exhibitions. However, in June and July, we have an exciting blend of art and history, with an exhibition, entitled ‘Poetry and Commemoration at Valle Crucis Abbey’ / ‘Cerdd a Chof yn Abaty Glyn-y-Groes’, created by a research project on the scholar and poet Gutun Owain (gutunowain.cymru). 

Drawing together new artwork and interpretative material, it will portray aspects of medieval art and culture from the Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis. As well as the magnificent and distinctive burial monuments surviving at the abbey, the exhibition will present the literature produced or performed there, including chronicles, genealogies and a variety of elegies and praise poems. 

The poetry, composed by Gutun Owain and others, provides particularly evocative impressions of life at the abbey, from the generous feasts the poets enjoyed, to their appreciation of the heavenly voices of the choir in the abbey church.

The ‘Gutun Owain and the scholarly culture of north-east Wales in the later Middle Ages’ research project is funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and is being carried out by a team of researchers, Dr Jenny Day, Dr Gruffudd Antur and Dr Martin Crampin, at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth, and in partnership with CADW and the National Eisteddfod. 

The exhibition is being developed in collaboration with Llangollen Museum and complements our existing displays on Valle Crucis and CADW’s own interpretative materials for the abbey ruins, which are in their care.

For all of the latest information about what is happening at the Museum, do keep an eye on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/Llangollen-Museum-100057657969751/.

Finally, as with many voluntary organisations, we desperately need more volunteers, especially to cover the weekends. If you want to be more involved with the history of the area, and become a volunteer at the Museum, please contact our manager Gill Smith at gilliansmith2@hotmail.co.uk or on 07516 023524.

Train ticket allows half-term visitors to sample Dee Valley delights

* A train leaves picturesque Berwyn station for Llangollen.

Llangollen and Corwen Railway has announced the launch of the Berwyn Explorer during February half term that invites visitors to discover some of the Dee Valley’s most scenic walks and landmarks by train, starting from Llangollen Railway Station.

The Berwyn Explorer will operate five return services from Llangollen on Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Wednesday 18 and Saturday 21 February, offering families, walkers and visitors the chance to combine affordable heritage rail travel with fresh air, exploration, and adventure during the school holidays.

Berwyn Railway Station is also said to be one of the most romantic places to celebrate Valentine’s Day, with the period tea rooms a beautiful setting for a romantic afternoon.

Designed to offer flexibility and freedom, the Berwyn Explorer is ideal for those who prefer a gentle ramble, a scenic pause by the river, or a leisurely pint by the Chain Bridge. 

It is particularly suited to families with younger children, walkers, history lovers and visitors looking for a shorter yet deeply satisfying taste of heritage railway travel. The service will be operated by one of the railway’s treasured vintage diesel railcar’s, which offer a nostalgic, comfy and warm travelling experience. The railcars also have excellent views from their large windows, including at the end of the carriages, where it is possible to see the driver at work.

The initiative encourages visitors to travel by rail and step straight into the landscape, providing easy access to a network of countryside walks, riverside paths and iconic local attractions, including the world-famous Chain Bridge, Llangollen Canal, Horseshoe Falls and Llantysilio Church, with its famous display of snowdrops, which will be in bloom when the services run. 

By combining a train journey with the great outdoors, the Berwyn Explorer offers a relaxed and sustainable way to experience this beautiful part of North Wales. Berwyn Station is restored to its mid-1920s Great Western Railway appearance, with heating provided by roaring coal fires in the waiting room and tea room.

Adding to the appeal, Berwyn Railway Station was ranked as the most beautiful railway station in the UK in 2025, recognition that reflects both its historic character and its exceptional setting within the Dee Valley landscape. The railway also offers the idyllic Berwyn Stationmaster’s house as a holiday let. More details can be found at: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1349885700423975837

The railway says tickets are deliberately priced to be accessible and family friendly, making the Berwyn Explorer the perfect affordable half-term day out.

Ticket Prices:

Adults (16+): £10.00

Children (3–15): £5.00

Infants (under 3): Free

Dogs: £3

Kayaks: £3

The ticket allows passengers to travel on any of the day’s 5 services, providing a self-paced experience with the freedom to return from Berwyn on a later train of their choosing.

What’s Included:

 

•         Return travel between Llangollen and Berwyn.

•         Freedom to explore local footpaths, landmarks and scenery at your own pace.

•         Easy access to nearby attractions including the Chain Bridge, Horseshoe Falls, Llangollen Canal and Llantysilio Church.

•         A perfect short break for walkers, sightseers and families.

•         The opportunity to enjoy refreshments in the railway’s period tearoom or at the Chainbridge Hotel across the river.

Berwyn Station is ideally placed for walkers of all abilities, with routes ranging from gentle and level river and canal-side strolls to more challenging countryside walks, making it a natural gateway to the Dee Valley and the famous Dee Valley Way path.

Peter Dickinson, Station Master at Berwyn Railway Station, said: “The Berwyn Explorer is about opening up the landscape around us and making it easy for people to enjoy it, especially during the school holidays. Berwyn Station is a fantastic starting point for some truly special walks, including routes to the Horseshoe Falls, and travelling by train adds to the sense of adventure. Being recognised as the most beautiful station in the UK only reinforces what a special place this. Our beautifully restored station is an attraction in itself; from its open coal fire to its wonderful little tearoom, which will be open on Berwyn Explorer days.”

The initiative forms part of the railway’s wider ambition to encourage visitors to explore beyond the railway’s destination towns, supporting rural communities and promoting sustainable travel and outdoor wellbeing.

Looking ahead, the Berwyn Explorer also represents an important step towards the railway’s longer-term plans to introduce a sustainable shuttle connection between Berwyn Station and Horseshoe Falls from 2028, helping to reduce car dependency while improving access to some of the Dee Valley’s most popular attractions.

The launch of the Berwyn Explorer comes as the railway prepares for one of its flagship events, their annual Branch Line Gala, taking place from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 April 2026. The three-day gala will feature intensive steam and diesel services, visiting locomotives, brake van rides, shed tours and family-friendly attractions across the line.

* Full details of the Berwyn Explorer are available at: www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/berwyn-explorer

* Full details of the Branch Line Gala are available at: https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/branchline-gala/

Another vehicle heads out to Ukraine with love from Llangollen

Members of a Llangollen church have sent out another vehicle to the Ukrainian battle zone.

Just weeks after a team including their Minister returned from the war-torn country after handing over a Honda CR-V for ferrying battle-weary troops to and from the front line, the congregation at City Church in Penllyn have supplied a Nissan X-Trail 4x4 which will be used for carrying medics to fighting hot-spots. 

The £1,500 cost of buying the Nissan and fitting it with winter tyres comes from the £5,000 pot raised by the church to support Ukraine's war to expel the invading Russians from their country.

Danny Fairbourn, who sourced both vehicles for City Church, said: "It's currently -20C in Ukraine so the tyres are very necessary. 

"The 2000-mile drive out there began yesterday (Sunday) with a volunteer named Kyle from Middlesborough at the wheel.

"He be filling up with aid in Luton, then crossing the Channel from Dover. From there he'll be heading for lviv then on to Dnipro." 

Danny, from Llangollen, personally paid for around 20 trips to Ukraine, mainly arranging the purchase, conversion and delivery of frontline ambulances and other vital vehicles to the army.

Through the Mission Ukraine organisation, he has since assembled the crucial components for more than 30 further trips, including those financed by City Church.   

The previous vehicle sent to Ukraine with love from Llangollen just before Christmas was taken out by Pastor Brian Smith, along with experienced Ukraine travellers Paata Samsonidze, the husband of Anna, the lady who runs the Oak Street cafe named after her, and Mark Birkhill from Corwen, an old hand at ferrying supplies to the battle area.

THURSDAY UPDATE ...

The Nissan X-Trail with Kyle at the wheel has now arrived safely in Ukraine.

* The next major local effort for Ukraine will be a fundraiser in St Collen's Community Hall at 6.30pm on February 6. 

Latest local roadworks alerts from county council

Latest local roadworks notified by Denbighshire County Council are: 

A542 ABBEY ROAD, 13/04/2026 - 30/04/2026, Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC HIGHWAYS, Confoi 10 mya/10 mph Convoy

A542 OUTSIDE NUMBER 9 CASTLE STREET, 01/02/2026, Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST (DCC)

LLANGOLLEN PAVILION CAR PARK ENTRANCE - ADJ NO. 9 ABBEY ROAD, 28/02/2026 - 20/03/2026, Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST UTILITIES, Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A542 Carriageway HORSESHOE PASS, 24/03/2026 - 02/04/2026, Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC HIGHWAYS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

A542 ON JUNC WITH TRACK FROM BRYN DETHOL ROAD TO TY UCHA BRYN DETHOL ROAD FROM A5 TO MAESMAWR ROAD, 09/02/2026 - 11/02/2026, Gwaith Dwr / Water Works SEVERN TRENT WATER (DCC), Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

OAK STREET, 22/02/2026 and 01/03/2026, Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC HIGHWAYS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

AT JUNCTION OF BROOK STREET, PENGWERN, 24/02/2026 - 30/04/2026, Gwaith Teithio Llesol / Active Travel Works PRONIN LIMITED

Latest Denbighshire Citizens Advice column

Q: I'm worried about losing power due to stormy weather. I keep imagining being stuck in the cold, struggling to feed the kids, with no way of contacting people. What should I do if this happens, and is there anything I can do to prepare?

A: Power cuts can be unexpected and worrying, especially if your power doesn’t come back on quickly. So it’s good to know who to report an outage to and what you can do to prepare.

If you lose electricity due to stormy weather, or another unexpected cause, your electricity  network operator is responsible for fixing it. They provide the wires to your home, and they’re different from your electricity supplier, which is the company that sends your bills. To report an outage, call 105 - a free line that puts you through to your electricity network operator.  

In most cases, it’s your electricity that will go off in a storm, but it can seem like your gas is disrupted because you usually need electricity to start up a gas boiler. Gas pipes tend to be underground, safe from storm damage, unlike pylons and overhead cables. That said, if you smell gas or your carbon monoxide detector is beeping, turn off the boiler, go outside, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. 

If you’re on a heat network, also known as district heating, your supplier should contact you or your landlord about an outage. Citizens Advice can provide specialist heat network advice if you’re without power and haven’t heard from anyone.

You might be entitled to compensation if a power cut isn’t fixed within 24 hours, so check the charity’s website to see how much you could get. It’s also worth noting that some power cuts are planned, and you should be told in advance if there’s going to be one in your area.

After an unexpected outage, your power might not come back on straight away. So, here’s a checklist of things you can do to prepare for the worst:

• Check you’ll be able to keep warm. There’s a high chance you won’t have any central heating without power, so make sure you have access to blankets and extra layers. If you’d feel safer, you might want to plan to stay with friends or family, or check if your local council has any public places you could use to stay warm.
• Check you’ll have a way to contact people. It’s important to stay in touch with people during a power cut, if you can. Charge all devices like mobile phones and tablets using battery power banks, and if you don’t have anything like this, write down important phone numbers and keep them safe - an analogue phone line might still work during a power cut.
• Have food at home which you can easily eat. Ideally, stock food with a long use-by date, like tinned fish, beans and soups. If you’re not able to boil water to make baby formula, you should use pre-mixed formula. 
• Check if you can sign up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). This can give you extra support during a power cut, like regular updates and a special number to ring if you need extra support. You might be able to sign up if you’re disabled, pregnant or have young children. See the full list of eligibility criteria and how to sign up on the PSR website.

* For more information and advice about power cuts, visit the Citizens Advice website.

Rhos Choir's tongue-in-cheek TV appearance

* The choir join the comedians on the set of Eight Out of Ten Cats Does Countdown.

The famous Rhosllanerchrugog Male Voice Choir put in an appearance on a popular Channel 4 comedy show last night (Friday).

The award-winning ensemble based just round the corner from Llangollen guested on Eight Out of Ten Cats Does Countdown singing in a rather different way than usual.

At a certain point in the madcap show, which saw comedians Jon Richardson and Roisin Conaty take on Rob Beckett and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, host Jimmy Carr declared that he was fed up with the usual Countdown music and had therefore arranged for the "Countdown Tongue Choir" to belt out a replacement.

That's when members of the Rhos appeared and began to sing Can't Help Falling in Love with their tongues jammed between their teeth.

Their novel recital won compliments from the comedians and warm applause from the studio audience.

Revealing how it all came about, regular choir member Mike Connolly from Llangollen - who wasn't able to join them on this occasion - said: "The choir were contacted by a production company and offered the engagement.

"The rehearsal required all those who would be involved to be physically present over two consecutive weekdays and I was not available for both.

"Then, from those who could go along on both days, the production company chose on day one those who would take part from about 40 possible entrants as they could only accommodate this relatively small number.

"Although it involved appearing on national TV, for the choir, it was just another engagement and demonstrates how flexible we can be.

"At the same time in 2024 we were singing in the big conference venue on the river front in Liverpool to an audience of 1,200 at a firm's annual dinner."

* Host Jimmy Carr conducts.

* The choir tongue their way through the song.

* Comedians Jon Richardson and Roisin Conarty enjoy the performance.

Oak Street closed on two Sundays for resurfacing

Denbighshire County Council has notified that Oak Street, Llangollen will be closed for the two Sundays February 22 and March 1 to allow resurfacing of the carriageway to be carried out.

Free cooking workshops at Pengwern Hub

South Denbighshire Community Partnership are running a series of free cooking workshops in Hwb Pengwern. 

Two of these will be specifically for men, two evening workshops for adults and two for families during February half term. 

All participants will learn to cook food that they will be able to take home with them, all for free. 

Places are limited, so booking beforehand is required. To book, contact SDCP: office@sdcp.org / 01978 280 365.

Police investigate burglary at Llangollen bistro

Police are investigating a burglary at a riverside bistro in Llangollen.

The incident occurred at the Dee Side Cafe Bistro, situated just off Castle Street in the town centre, in the early hours of January 16.

* For the full story, see the Denbighshire Free Press at: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/25786129.police-probe-break-in-llangollen-riverside-bistro/

Resurfacing work to start on Bonwm Bends

Traffic Wales has given notification that resurfacing works will be carried out on the A5 Bonwm Bends, about one mile east of Corwen, between next Wednesday, January 28 and Sunday, February 8.

This could result in a higher than usual level of noise at intervals, warns Traffic Wales and they have apologised in advance for any inconvenience incurred.

The resurfacing works will be carried out under two-way temporary signals with convoy working at 10mph, which may cause some delays during the day, between 8am and 6pm.

There will be a width restriction in place for vehicles over 3.0m wide and a diversion route will be via A494/A5104/A542 and vice versa. All Abnormal loads over 3.0m are prohibited from travelling along the diversion route.

NMWTRA will distribute a letter to properties alongside the works area informing residents/businesses.

Arrangements will be put in place to allow customers/workers to access and leave the properties within the closure.

* Further information, including regular updates, regarding this project can be obtained on the website of the Welsh Government’s Traffic Information Service www.traffic.wales.

Can you spare an hour for county's birds this weekend?

Can you give an hour this weekend to help gather support for Denbighshire and UK birds?

From this Friday (January 23) until Sunday (January 25), the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch will take place.

The campaign that has run for over 40 years encourages people to put aside an hour in their own garden or local park to help count how many of each bird species lands nearby.

UK skies over the last 50 years have seen around 38 million birds lost, with popular species such as house sparrows and starlings continuing to struggle.

Denbighshire residents of all ages who want to lend a helping hand to local bird populations and do not have access to a back garden, can visit one of the many county parks and nature reserves that are available near their homes.

Denbighshire County Council Senior Biodiversity Officer Liam Blazey said: “Across Denbighshire you may see birds including the Long-tailed tit (who move around together in small flocks), goldfinches, starlings (who can form very large flocks over winter, and sometimes perform aerial displays called murmurations), redwings (a relative of the blackbird, who breed in the north of Europe, and visit us over winter).

“If you give your time to support this great campaign in your back garden you might also see blue tit, great tit, and robins who are common visitors to household gardens.”

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion said: “It is so important to keep track of the state of our local bird populations so we can help the birds that have decreased in numbers. Giving your time to this survey can really help protect the future of all county and UK bird populations.”

* To submit your findings to the survey, log on to https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch

North Wales “sleepwalking” into chaos says care body

* Mario Kreft MBE, Chair of Care Forum Wales.

Social care in North Wales is “sleepwalking into a crisis” unless a funding system that forces families to “pay twice” for essential support is ripped up, providers have warned.

The alert comes as Care Forum Wales (CFW), which represents more than 400 care homes and home-care companies, launches a hard-hitting manifesto ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections.

The organisation is urging the new Welsh Government to hold the nation’s 22 councils and seven health boards to account for creating a postcode lottery that can see funding for identical needs differ by as much as £20,000 a year per person.

CFW says national guidance is being ignored, leaving families to shoulder unfair costs while vulnerable older people are denied the financial support they need and deserve – all under the guise of local democracy.

According to CFW, the lack of a national fee model has left many homes and domiciliary care companies struggling financially.

It’s left some providers unable to cover basic costs and relying on third-party “top up fees” from families – a charge they describe as a “tax on care based solely on where people live”.

In a challenge to ministers ahead of the polling, CFW warns that crumbling funding, inconsistent assessments and the collapse of the international recruitment route are driving staff out of the sector.

As a result, extra pressure is being put on the NHS with hospital beds blocked because community care can’t cope.

CFW chair Mario Kreft MBE said: “A whole generation has been let down since the advent of devolution.

“Essentially, we are campaigning for equality for vulnerable people, many of whom have dementia and cannot speak up for themselves, so they can  have the same funding towards their care, no matter where in Wales they live.

“That’s because we have a situation where two people with the same needs can receive funding that differs vastly - by up to £20,000 a year in the case of health boards and up to £13,000 a year for local authorities - depending solely on their postcode.

“That’s not just unfair – it is indefensible. Families are effectively paying twice for care and that is a tax on vulnerability.

“We don’t need more consultations. The evidence is already overwhelming. We already have a national approach to regulation and a national fee methodology would end the chaos, introduce fairness and transparency and finally reflect the true cost of providing care.

“Partnership should not just be a slogan. It means respecting every voice at the table, working collaboratively and ending artificial barriers that prevent integrated care from working as it should. Without trust and fairness, the system collapses under its own weight.

“We welcome the commitment to the Real Living Wage but it is meaningless unless the money reaches the frontline. You cannot pay care workers fairly if the fees themselves don’t cover the basic costs of running the service.

“As the former First Minister, Mark Drakeford said, social care is the scaffolding that holds up the NHS.

“When care providers are underfunded, hospitals overflow, waiting lists lengthen and outcomes worsen. Investing in care isn’t optional. It is essential for the future of our health service.

“You cannot build a stable care system on short-term funding. We need core, long-term investment so local authorities can plan properly and citizens know they will receive the support they need, when they need it.

“Rebalancing was never meant to pitch the public sector against independent providers. Yet in some area public bodies are competing directly with smaller homes instead of supporting a mixed economy. That drives up cost and reduces choice for citizens.

“Independent providers deliver extraordinary value for money. They are rooted in their communities, rigorously inspected and often more cost-effective than public provision. But they cannot operate on fees that fail to meet the true cost of care.

“Wales has a similar size population to Manchester. Yet we have 29 different approaches to funding and commissioning care. That is bureaucratic, inefficient and unfair on the people we serve. We need national consistency – and we need it now.

“This is a pivotal moment. The decisions made by the next Welsh Government will shape social care in Wales for a generation.

“We are urging every political party to put fairness, sustainability and dignity at the heart of their plans.

“If politicians fail to act now, they will be choosing crisis by design. This is the last chance to fix a broken system before it fails another generation.

“A civilised nation does not balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable people. This is a test of who we are as a nation.”