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Monday, February 24, 2020
Roadworks notified by Traffic Wales
Sunday, February 23, 2020
First steam train of season leaves Llangollen
The first steam service of the 2020
season left Llangollen yesterday (Saturday) with locomotive No.7822 Foxcote Manor
hauling the 1040 departure for Carrog.
In the off-peak season steam trains
will operate three-times a day at weekends, departing 1040, 1300 and 1510 for
the journey down the Dee Valley.
With the River Dee running high and fast after
all the recent rain, the views from the train in places are quite dramatic.
On weekdays the heritage railcar
operates the off-peak service. See: www.llangollen-railway.co.uk for details.
Listen carefully ... Twenty Club to stage 'Allo 'Allo
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* Gordon Kaye in the smash-hit TV version of 'Allo 'Allo. |
Llangollen Twenty Club are heading back to occupied France during the Second World War for their latest production, 'Allo 'Allo.
This famous farce penned by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft centres around Café Rene in a small village.
It was a smash-hit TV comedy in the 1980s and is brought to the Town Hall stage from Thursday-Saturday, March 19-21.
Rene, the café owner, is a likeable but weak man who lusts after all his female staff apart from his long-suffering wife, Edith.
He hides two British airmen in
the café as they await their chance to escape back to Britain.
Centrepiece of the play is a stolen
painting, The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies, of which there
are copies but the genuine one is so well hidden that no-one but Edith knows where
it is.
However, the original is much sought
after by the occupying Germans and it is because of that the café becomes a hotspot for
subterfuge and various goings-on.
Gestapo man Herr Flick desperately wants
it, as does Hitler and there appear to be more than one Hitler doing the rounds
- one can count at least four at one point!
Michelle, a smart resistance woman,
issues orders to Rene and the bumbling English policeman, Crabtree, tries
to keep order and respect. To no avail.
Characters are all larger than life,
from the randy Italian army officer Alberto Bertorelli and the German colonel with a
wiglet fetish, to Yvette and Mimi, the two waitresses in the café and the
bumbling Leclerc, and from the sinister Herr Otto Flick and his officer "friend"
Helga, to the wooden-legged General Schmelling.
Supported by a lively cast of café
customers, a capable pianist who links together the scenes and helps herself to
the odd tipple, this play is as absurd as only a Croft/Lloyd
collaboration can be.
It is humour at every turn, a little risqué and
more than a little non-PC.
Twenty Club promises a stunning set, wonderfully funny
characters all very true to the original ones and lots of fast- paced action.
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Ladies' tomb is blessed during diversity service
* Above and below: Father Lee blesses the tomb of the Ladies of Llangollen.
* Jazz singer Ian Shaw performs diversity-related numbers at the keyboard.
The tomb of the Ladies of Llangollen in St Collen's churchyard was blessed by the vicar during a moving service celebrating diversity this afternoon (Saturday).
The aim of the current LGBT History Month is to celebrate the lives of notable LGBT people, both past and present.
And, according to St Collen's vicar Father Lee Taylor, the town had the famous Ladies of Llangollen, Sarah Ponsonby and Eleanor Butler, who found love and joy in each other.
Special guest was award-winning Welsh jazz singer, presenter and actor Ian Shaw who performed three numbers linked to the diversity theme, including a love story in Welsh and Come in From the Cold by folk singer Joni Mitchell.
Another guest was Chris Elsworth from Plas Newydd, their home, who gave a brief history of the Ladies.
Members of the congregation were than ceremonially anointed by Father Lee.
Later they followed him into the churchyard where he performed the tomb blessing ceremony using traditional incense.
In his sermon Father Lee said: "We should accept, embrace and love those considered to be different.
"In his life Jesus Christ broke down barriers to challenge the status quo. He was a rebel, a revolutionary and we forget that sometimes. He was concerned with raising up marginalised people.
"Being a human being and having solidarity with humans, especially those who from marginalisation, were the things that were important to Him. So I pray that we follow that same pattern and have the same priorities that He did."
The special service was one of sacred and secular music, readings and poems.
Another guest was Chris Elsworth from Plas Newydd, their home, who gave a brief history of the Ladies.
Members of the congregation were than ceremonially anointed by Father Lee.
Later they followed him into the churchyard where he performed the tomb blessing ceremony using traditional incense.
In his sermon Father Lee said: "We should accept, embrace and love those considered to be different.
"In his life Jesus Christ broke down barriers to challenge the status quo. He was a rebel, a revolutionary and we forget that sometimes. He was concerned with raising up marginalised people.
"Being a human being and having solidarity with humans, especially those who from marginalisation, were the things that were important to Him. So I pray that we follow that same pattern and have the same priorities that He did."
* Congregation members are anointed by Father Lee.
Collen Players stage third successful music hall show
* The full cast take a bow at the end of the show.
They were all there is glorious colour and thrilling exuberance as the Collen Players staged their third successful Old Time Music Hall show at Llangollen Community Centre last night (Friday).
The troupe was formed late last year by the St Collen's vicar Father Lee Taylor who has a passion for the roistering genre.
The first two shows were staged during the latter part of 2019, both winning appreciative full-house audiences,
This third outing was no less successful at thrilling with a capacity crowd who sang and cheered along with the action.
As always the re-creation of a late Victorian performance venue was superb but this time enhanced with the addition of rich red backcloth curtain evocative of the era.
As always the show was expertly welded together by Father Lee in the role of verbally dextrous and sometimes naughty chairman.
Then talent tumbled upon talent from the likes of Phil Robinson who went cruising down the river and shying at coconuts, Neil Barrett and Dave Lyne with their Cissie and Ada style comedy routine, Jennifer Rose who appeared in both first a second halves with a plethora of sing-along and poignant songs, June Cook bemoaning the fact she'd be jilted at the church and Sue Stokes who gave us a treat with renderings of You Made Me Love You and Danny Boy.
Helping them all along marvellously on the keys was Owen Roberts.
Costumes, all prepared by their wearers, were once again brilliant, as was a delicious traditional music hall supper provided by Fabiano Silva.
* All pictures by Jeanette Robinson.
* Phil Robinson during his opening act.
* Neil Barrett and Dave Lyne do their bit of banter.
* Jennifer Rose at the microphone.
* Chairman Father Lee guides the action.
* Sue Stokes rounds off the performances.
Friday, February 21, 2020
Concern raised over quality of county's pothole repairs
* Above and below: large potholes in the carriageway on the town's famous bridge.
Denbighshire County Council has discussed the way it deals with potholes.
At its cabinet meeting last Tuesday when the issue was raised one councillor voiced his concern about the way in which repairs were being carried out.
For the full story, see the Denbighshire Free Press story at: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/18251653.concern-denbighshire-pothole-repairs-temporary-solution/?fbclid=IwAR0zSvgQ175CVhwAlewIurKcUWtI2_Te48IWuaN9jXCfbcbWXVcpT72lEtM
Concern over potholes on Llangollen bridge
* Concern has been expressed to llanblogger about the size and depth of high-profile potholes in the carriageway on the town's famous bridge.
We have passed the above pictures which show the problem to local county councillor Melvyn Mile who is seeking an answer from county officials.
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