78 pairs of tickets up for grabs in Eisteddfod treasure hunt

* Tom Jones headlines at last year's Eisteddfod. Picture: Desh Kapur Cuffe & Taylor.

Music fans can get their hands on the hottest tickets in town ready for another season of live music with TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion and Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

Last summer more than 50,000 music lovers flocked to the town for a month of spectacular shows, and the excitement returns next month as global stars including Texas, Rag’n’Bone Man, James, The Script, Olly Murs, The Human League and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell all head to Live at Llangollen Pavilion from June 26 to July 5.

 

The stellar line-up continues with the Llangollen International Eisteddfod from July 8, featuring headline shows from Sir Karl Jenkins, KT Tunstall, Il Divo, Beyond Time: The Music of Hans Zimmer, Choir of the World with special guest Lucie Jones, and Bryn Terfel joined by Fisherman’s Friends and Eve Goodman. The festival also offers a full daily programme of competitions and field entertainment.

To kick off the celebrations organisers are bringing back the hugely popular treasure hunt giving people another chance to bag themselves free tickets on Monday May 26.

To mark 78 years of the international festival 78 pairs of tickets will be hidden at various locations around the Llangollen Pavilion grounds.

Artistic Director of Llangollen International Eisteddfod Dave Danford said: "Last year’s treasure hunt was such a hit.

"It really helped build a buzz in the town ahead of a truly incredible summer so we knew we had to bring it back. It’s a fun way to kick things off and gives fans the chance to bag tickets to some of our biggest shows.

"With world-class artists and the unique magic of the Eisteddfod, this year is going to be something special. Let the hunt begin!"

The Treasure Hunt will run from 10am until 2pm on Monday.

* 78 special envelopes will be hidden around the grounds. Each envelope contains a unique code linked to a specific headlining concert or the Family Fun Day.

· Lucky finders must bring the envelope and code to the main entrance of the Pavilion to redeem their pair of tickets.

· There's a limit of one pair of tickets per person. Tickets must be redeemed before the Pavilion closes at 2 pm on Monday May 26.

· All under-16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

This year, as Llangollen International Eisteddfod marks the ‘Year of Croeso – Only in Wales,’ more than 4,000 competitors from 35 countries will head to Llangollen from July 8 to 13 for a vibrant week of competitions and performances. 

For the first time, TK Maxx will join Live at Llangollen Pavilion as presenting partner, as part of an extended agreement with Cuffe & Taylor shows across the country including Lytham Festival, Live at Lincoln Castle, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Live at The Piece Hall, Derby Summer Sessions, Depot Live, Plymouth Summer Sessions, Bedford Summer Sessions, Southampton Summer Sessions and Powderham.

* For more information and to purchase tickets go to llangollen.net and ticketmaster.co.uk 

What's on:

Live at Llangollen Pavilion 2025 

June 26 – Texas with support from Rianne Downey  

June 27 – Rag’n'Bone Man with support from Elles Bailey and Kerr Mercer  

June 28 - UB40 Ft Ali Campbell with very special guest Bitty McLean and Reggae Roast 

June 29 – James with support from The K’s and Tom A. Smith  

July 3 – The Script with very special guest Tom Walker

July 4 – Olly Murs with very special guest Lemar and Absnt Mind 

July 5 – The Human League with support from The Christians and Altered Images  

Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2025

July 8 – Beyond Time: The Music of Hans Zimmer in concert

July 9 – Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins

July 10 – KT Tunstall with The Absolute Orchestra

July 11 – Il Divo with special guest Laura Wright

July 12 – Choir Of The World with special guest Lucie Jones

July 13 – Bryn Terfel: Sea Songs with special guests the Fisherman’s Friends and Eve Goodman

Small army of Evel Knievels arrive at Llangollen station

 

* The Evel Knievels arrive on Llangollen station.

Llangollen Railway welcomed an army of Evel Knievels to the Dee Valley as they toured Wales to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the stunt bike legend's mighty jump at Wembley Stadium.

They also aim to raise funds for the NSPCC. The group have already collected an incredible £30,000 for the children’s charity this year.

The Evel Express left Corwen station at 11.05 am this morning (Thursday) and arrived at Llangollen just before noon.

Around 60 of the Ride Cymru Knievels travelled aboard the railway's Class 109 Wickham railcar. 

They were all wearing Evel’s distinctive jumpsuit, cape and boot and were accompanied by some of his family, including Kelly his eldest son. 

The Knievel posse are due to return from Llangollen to Corwen, where they have been staying, at 3.15pm today.

 

Railway press officer Terry Pickthall said: “We were really looking forward to the Ride Cymru Knievel’s visit and helping them to raise funds for the NSPCC." 

Tomorrow (Friday) the 14^th annual Ride Cymru Knievels event will be starting from Pontcysyllte Aqueduct with the Telford Inn as its morning HQ. 

The Knievel family will be attending and organisers say supporters are welcome from 8am with the ride beginning at 9.15am. 

The event is also in aid of the NSPCC. 

For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/ridecymru/?locale=en_GB

St Collen's celebrates patron's day with choral service

* Father Lee Taylor leads worship at the service.

Members of  St Collen's Church celebrated their patron saint's day with a service of choral evensong yesterday evening (Wednesday)

Led by priest-in-charge Father Lee Taylor and supported by a choir, this included hymns, psalms and prayers.

Lessons - from the Old Testament, read in Welsh by Gethin Davies, and from the New Testament, in English, by June Cook, interspersed the worship.

The church is grateful to the Choral Evensong Trust for awarding a Patronal Festival Grant which supported the service and enabled refreshments to be served afterwards in the Community Hall. 

St Collen was a 6th-century monk believed to have travelled from Brittany before settling in Llangollen.

The name Llan-gollen means “the church of Collen.”

* Gethin Davies reads a lesson from the Old Testament.

* Above and below: The choir play their part in the service.

* June Cook reads the lesson from the New Testament.

* Congregation members enjoy refreshments in the Community Hall after the service.

* ... and enjoy the food served.

Jobs fair at St Collen's Community Hall has a busy morning

Working Denbighshire, in collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Careers Wales, is holding a Jobs Fair today (Wednesday) at St Collen’s Community Hall in Llangollen.

The event, which is running until 3pm, offers an opportunity for job seekers to meet with a wide range of local and regional employers across multiple industries.

Organisers say it has been a successful event with the various stands kept busy throughout the morning and early afternoon.

Next events organised in Llangollen are:

* Canal Boat Art at the Dory Gallery on Regent Street on Monday June 2, from 1-3pm

* Corn Dollies Workshop also at the Dory Gallery on Tuesday June 3 

Your chance to find out more about shows at the Pavilion this summer

Residents and businesses are being invited to a public meeting ahead of this year’s TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion and Llangollen International Eisteddfod events.

This summer more than 50,000 people are expected to come to Llangollen, providing a huge boost to the local economy. 

The meeting will take place at 7pm on Thursday May 29 at Llangollen Pavilion when representatives from both the volunteer team behind the festival and co-promoters Cuffe and Taylor will be on hand to answer and address all questions covering subjects such as traffic management, noise alleviation measures and access to the site. 

Chair of Llangollen International Eisteddfod, John Gambles, said: “In just a few weeks’ time, the doors of our iconic Pavilion will welcome tens of thousands of people for our TK Maxx Presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion and the Llangollen International Eisteddfod events. 

"This meeting will be an opportunity for Llangollen residents and businesses to get the latest information, as we gear up for a summer of fun. It’s important to us to keep residents in the loop, to ensure the impact on our town is positive.”

Numerous steps are being taken to maintain a safe environment for the public during event days, including a one-way system in certain areas. A dedicated phoneline will also be launched to allow residents to contact the Eisteddfod team with any issues during the festival.

* Tickets for all TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion and the Llangollen International Eisteddfod are available from llangollen.net

* The Kaiser Chiefs on stage at the Pavilion.

Army of Evel Knievels to arrive in Llangollen tomorrow

Llangollen Railway says it is looking forward to welcoming an army of Evels to the Dee Valley as they tour Wales to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of stunt bike legend Evel Knievel’s jump at Wembley Stadium.

They also aim to raise funds for the NSPCC. The group have already collected an incredible £30,000 for the children’s charity this year.

The Evel Express will leave Corwen station at 11.05 am tomorrow (Thursday) and arrive at Llangollen at 11.49.

It see around 60 of the Ride Cymru Knievels travel aboard the railway's Class 109 Wickham railcar. 

They will all be wearing Evel’s distinctive jumpsuits, capes and boots and will be accompanied by some of his family, including Kelly his eldest son. 

The Knievel posse will return from Llangollen to Corwen, where they have been staying, at 3.15pm.

 

Railway press officer Terry Pickthall said: “We are really looking forward to the Ride Cymru Knievel’s visit and supporting them raising funds for the NSPCC. 

"As a child of the 70s I was the proud owner of one of the legendary Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle toys, which was one of the bestsellers of the decade. 

"I think this toy did nearly as much damage to my parent’s house as the real Evel did at Wembley! 

"We promise that the Evel Express won’t be attempting to recreate any of Evel’s legendary stunts and will cross the River Dee in the usual manner, using the beautiful Dee Bridge, at a sedate 10mph."

The following day (Friday) the 14^th annual Ride Cymru Knievels event will be starting from Pontcysyllte Aqueduct with the Telford Inn as its morning HQ. 

The Knievel family will be attending and organisers say as supporters are welcome from 8am with the ride beginning at 9.15am. 

The event is in aid of children’s charity NSPCC and the aim is to be raise over £20,000. 

For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/ridecymru/?locale=en_GB

 

* Llangollen Railway is celebrating its own 50^th anniversary this year. 

Whilst Evel Knievel was attempting to jump over 13 single decker buses at Wembley Stadium on his Harley Davidson, volunteers of the Flint & Deeside Railway Preservation Society were just taking possession of a derelict Llangollen Station and taking their first steps to try and reopen 10 miles of the Ruabon to Barmouth line between Llangollen and Corwen. 

The railway started this special anniversary year in fine style with a very successful steam gala in April and more events are planned through the year, including a 50^th birthday party weekend on the weekend of September 12-14.

South Denbighshire Community Partnership has two local jobs on offer.

South Denbighshire Community Partnership currently has Llangollen-based two positions on offer.

All supporting documentation can be found on their website https://www.canolfan-ni.org/vacancies-at-sdcp

 

They will also be attending to promote these and our volunteering opportunities at tomorrow (Wednesday's) Llangollen Jobs Fair at St Collen's Community Hall .

The first is:

SDCP is seeking an energetic and enthusiastic person who is passionate about, and committed to, Community Development to join our award-winning team as a Community Development Officer to deliver the NLCF People and Places III, “Your Place or Ours - Dee Valley” Project.

The post holder will primarily be based at the Pengwern Community Hub in Llangollen but will also engage in outreach work as required. Responsible to the Senior Community Development Officer, in partnership with Denbighshire County Council Housing Department, for its day-to-day operation.

The Role requires applicants to hold a full driving licence, have their own transport and be able to drive the organisation fleet vehicles. The ability to communicate in Welsh would be an advantage.

By engaging with the community, developing and implementing a programme of services and activities to improve the quality of life for local people and build stronger communities and contribute ideas for the improvement of the facilities, its future development and its long-term sustainability.

Ensuring that Pengwern Hub is a warm welcoming centre that provides appropriate services that tackle social isolation, rural poverty and improve access to services.

Job Type: Full-time, £27,711.00 per annum

Hours: 35 hours Monday to Friday 9.00am – 4.30pm (Although some flexibility will be

required for evening and weekend events)

Education & Experience:

•

GCSE or equivalent (preferred)

•

A good general level of education with a minimum Level 2 qualification in a relevant subject (Community Development, Health & Social Care)

•

A minimum of 3 years’ experience working within a community support role required.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the application form along with your C.V. please visit our website for all vacancy documents:

https://www.canolfan-ni.org/vacancies-at-sdcp

Equal Opportunities

SDCP recruits’ staff and volunteers on the basis of their skills, experience, temperament, and ability to carry the role without regard to race, nationality, gender, age, sexuality, disability, or religion.

Application deadline: Thursday 12th June 2025 by email to Sian@sdcp.org

Shortlisted Candidates will be contacted by Monday 23rd June 2025.

Interviews to be held on Monday 30th June 2025.

Expected start date: Monday 30th July 2025

* The second opportunity is:

Administrative Assistant vacancy with South Denbighshire Community Partnership.

SDCP is seeking an experienced, energetic and enthusiastic person to join our very busy Team to carry out reception duties and deal with enquiries from Centre users and the public. To present an effective and efficient front of house service at Pengwern Hub, Llangollen and to support the Pengwern Team with administrative tasks to deliver the NLCF People and Places III, “Your Place or Ours - Dee Valley” Project.

The Role requires applicants to hold a full driving licence, have their own transport and be able to drive the organisation fleet vehicles. The ability to communicate in Welsh would be an advantage.

The post holder will primarily be based at the Pengwern Community Hub in Llangollen. Responsible to the Operations Manager.

Ensuring that Pengwern Hub is a warm welcoming centre that provides appropriate services that tackle social isolation, rural poverty and improve access to services.

Job Type: Part-time

£23,656 per annum pro rata

Hours: 20 hours Monday to Friday 9.30am – 1.45pm (including unpaid break of 15 minutes daily)

Education & Experience:

•

Good general level of education

•

Experience in a customer facing/administrative service role and demonstrate a mature, common-sense approach

•

Experience of using general office computer packages

•

Experience of administrative systems

•

Be able to work on your own initiative and as part of a team

•

Able to demonstrate a can-do attitude, willing to go the extra mile

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the application form along with your C.V. please visit our website for all vacancy documents:

https://www.canolfan-ni.org/vacancies-at-sdcp

Equal Opportunities

SDCP recruits’ staff and volunteers on the basis of their skills, experience, temperament, and ability to carry the role without regard to race, nationality, gender, age, sexuality, disability, or religion.

Application deadline: Thursday 12th June 2025 by email to Sian@sdcp.org

Shortlisted Candidates will be contacted by Friday 20th June 2025

Interviews to be held on Friday 27th June 2025

Expected start date: Monday 28th July 2025