One-way system put in place on Hall Street

 

A one-way system has been put in place on Hall Street, Llangollen by Hafren Dyfrdwy, to facilitate urgent water works.

Railway and two others from Llan scoop top tourism awards

* From left, Jonathan Seldon of the sponsors, Tom Taylor, General Manager of Llangollen Railway, Phil Coles, Chairman, and Oliver Seldon. Pictures by Jane Widdowson.

Volunteers at Llangollen Railway have been hailed as tourism heroes after coming back from the brink of collapse.

The heritage attraction was  among the big winners at the prestigious Go North Wales Tourism Awards last night (Thursday).

On the night two other Llangollen businesses were also in the honours - Bearded Men Adventures and Riversdale House B&B.

The glittering annual event organised by North Wales Tourism celebrates the dedication, skill and achievements of the region’s tourism and hospitality industry.

This year the ceremony at Venue Cymru in Llandudno was hosted by ITV Wales journalist Carole Green and the headline sponsor once again was Harlech Foodservice which supplies many of the region’s hotels, guest houses and restaurants.

Llangollen Railway was named Go Attraction of the Year after staging a remarkable comeback.

The railway is now back on track after mounting debts caused by Covid disruptions forced its operating arm into receivership.

It steamed forward thanks to the dedication of the volunteers of the Llangollen Railways Trust who took over the railway’s operation.

Earlier this year the organisation achieved a long-held ambition to open the new £1.25 million station in Corwen, enabling passenger-carrying trains to return to the Denbighshire town first time in four years.

Llangollen Railway Chair Phil Coles said: “It’s been a lot of very hard work over two and a half years with an awful lot of input from visitors and staff.

“Very many people have gone over and above in their dedication to the railway and this award is the icing on the cake for us after going bust in the pandemic.”

Tom Taylor, General Manager, added: “We had to work with the rest of the tourism industry just to survive but we have taken the railway out to Corwen now and we’re already making a big difference to the town there.

“We’re looking towards National Park status now and we need to be a really polished product.

“We need to stabilise, recover and build for the future and the staff have been key to that and this award is for them.”

At the same ceremony the Go Marketing and Media Recognition Award 2023 sponsored by  Heart North and Mid Wales was won by Bearded Men Adventures of Llangollen.

Go B&B/Inn and Guest House of the Year 2023 sponsored by  Aber Falls Distillery was won by Riversdale House, Llangollen.

* Carole Green, from ITV Wales, who hosted the awards ceremony.

Jim Jones, the Chief Executive of North Wales Tourism, said: “We are grateful to Harlech Foodservice and all our other sponsors for stepping up to the plate to support the Go North Wales Tourism Awards.

“Tonight is an opportunity to celebrate the best of best in the tourism and hospitality sector.

“The sheer volume and quality of entries this year has underlined why North Wales is a truly world class destination.

“I would like to congratulate all the winners but I would also like to stress that all the nominees are playing a vital role in championing what we have to offer visitors from home and abroad. They do an exceptional job in putting North Wales on the map.

“The priority now is to try to get back up to where we were in 2019 and to increase the spend of the visitors who come here by raising the quality of what we are doing.”

David Cattrall, the Managing Director of Harlech Foodservice, said: “We are delighted to once again be the headline sponsor of this wonderful awards ceremony and it’s very much a vote of confidence in the tourism and hospitality sector which has endured such a difficult time in recent years.

“This is our opportunity to give something back and celebrate the achievements of our core customers.

“That’s also why we have launched our new Trust Our Prices campaign with over 300 popular lines having their prices cut and frozen until January 1.

“The fundamental reasons why North Wales is such an attractive place to visit are still there and will continue to be in demand in future.

“We have amazing scenery and world class facilities so I am sure the sector will go from strength to strength.

“That means that the tourism and hospitality sector can play a big role in leading the economic recovery in North Wales.”

Winners at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards 

Go Large Hotel of the Year 2023 sponsored by Castell Howell Foods Ltd and won by Rossett Hall Hotel, Wrexham 

Go Small Hotel of the Year 2023 sponsored by Carbon Zero Renewables and won by Plas Dinas Country House Hotel, Bontnewydd 

Go Self Catering of the Year 2023 sponsored by  Pario Leisure Group and won by

The Rocks at Plas Curig, Capel Curig, Betws y Coed 

Go Glamping, Camping, Caravanning and Holiday Park of the Year sponsored by  GreenWood Family Park and won by Tan y Bryn Glamping & Touring, Llandudno Junction

Go Attraction of the Year 2023 sponsored by SF Parks and won by Llangollen Railway

Go Experience of the Year 2023 sponsored by Snowdonia Hospitality & Leisure Ltd and won by Go Below Underground Adventures 

Go Best Event of the Year 2023 sponsored by Penderyn Distillery, Llandudno, and won by Always Aim High Events, Llangefni 

Go Eating Out Experience of the Year 2023 sponsored by Office Equipment Systems Ltd and won by The Lemon Tree, Wrexham 

Go Tourism Supplier of the Year 2023 sponsored by Booking.com and won by Parisella’s Ice Cream, Conwy 

Go Young Person in Tourism & Hospitality Award 2023 sponsored by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and won by  Megan Harris, Abergele Golf Club 

Go Skills Enhancement in Tourism & Hospitality Award 2023 sponsored by Wales Ambassador Scheme and won by  Rhian Jones, Conwy Tour Guide 

Go New Tourism Business of the Year 2023 sponsored by  Thornley Leisure Parks and won by Tree Tops and Train Tracks, Mold 

Go Cruise North Wales sponsored by Cruise Wales and won by Wales Best Guides 

Go Pet Friendly Award 2023 sponsored by  Holidaycottages.co.uk Travel Chapter and won by Rivercatcher, Corwen 

Go Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Award 2023 sponsored by Development Bank of Wales and won by Llandudno Bay Hotel 

Go Resilience and Innovation Award 2023 sponsored by  Plas Dinas Country House Hotel and won by Go Below Underground Adventures 

Go North Wales Service to Tourism Award 2023 sponsored by  Tir Prince Leisure Group Llandudno Pier Trading and won by Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay 

 

Former Dinas Bran student nominated for top music industry award

* Eluned Ashwood has worked with a wide range of celebrities and is now in the running for an industry award.

A young stage technician who went to school in Llangollen and went on to work with stars such as Ed Sheeran and Lionel Ritchie has been nominated for a prestigious industry award.

Eluned Ashwood, 28, grew up in Trevor and went to school in Garth and Ysgol Dinas Bran.

Her first live sound experience was on a week’s work experience from school with Wigwam Sound Crew during the Llangollen Eisteddfod and she continued to do this as a volunteer for the next few years.

Eluned did sound and backstage work for productions by Llangollen Operatic Society and its Young ‘Uns’ junior section and also gained more experience during the Focus Wales festival in Wrexham.

After initially considering a career in science, she switched to doing a Live Sound course in Manchester.

Since then her career has blossomed, starting with a Lionel Ritchie tour she has gone on to work with celebs as diverse as Anton du Beke and Ed Sheeran, Pete Tong, and done orchestras and festivals including Isle of Wight and the Capital FM Summertime Ball.

* The 2023 Eurovision in Liverpool is one of the events for which she has been nominated.

Eluned has also worked behind the scenes at events in venues such as Buckingham Palace and Wembley.

She has now been nominated in the stage technician category of the Women in Live Music Awards for her work on the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool and The National's UK/EU tour. The presentation evening is in London on December 12.

Eluned’s proud mum, Sally Ashwood, said: “Women working in the live music scene is still a minority, so she has done extremely well to reach the position she has in her career.

“Llangollen, considering it’s a small town, has nurtured many successful techs in the creative industries and Eluned is one of them.”

* You can still vote for Eluned in the awards by going to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VF3JRF2

Scroll to category 29, Stage Technician, look down the list for her name and then check the box.

Entertainment programmes for tomorrow's Christmas Festival

This year's Llangollen Christmas Festival takes place tomorrow (Saturday).

It features:

* Free parking

* Market from 10am

* Parade at 1pm

* Sion Corn's Grotto

* Market stalls, crafts and street food

* Balloon sculpture and face painting

* Grand raffle

* Live bands, choirs and circus performers

* Fairground rides

* Punch and Judy 

* Bouncy play

* Christmas lights switch-on

* Fireworks display sponsored by The Wild Pheasant, Llangollen 

Eisteddfod aims to bring Llangollen community together again

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will be holding another community meeting on Monday December 4 at St Collen’s Community Hall at 7pm. 

The hybrid session will be an opportunity to provide an update on the 2024 concert programme, answer questions about their plans for next summer, and to invite residents to join the growing team of volunteers.  

It will take place on the same day the Eisteddfod announces its evening concerts for the core Eisteddfod week, which takes place from Tuesday to Sunday July 2-7.  

The Eisteddfod has been one of the highlights of Wales' busy cultural calendar since it was launched in 1947 to promote peace through song and dance. This is the third community meeting since the summer providing information to the local community. 

Since the Eisteddfod announced the partnership with Cuffe & Taylor, they have announced numerous gigs before and after the core Eisteddfod week, which will see the likes of Manic Street Preachers, Suede, Paloma Faith, Nile Rodgers, Jess Glynne and Kaiser Chiefs heading to North Wales next summer. 

Organisers will announce their full concert series for 2024 on Monday December 4, before bringing the community together for the public meeting.

Vice Chair Chris Adams said: "It is vital for us to communicate at every level with Llangollen and wider community.  

"There is a real sense of excitement about next year's Eisteddfod so why not bring our community together on the day we announce our concert programme.  

"The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has promoted peace through music and dance since 1947.  

"Like any other Eisteddfod, we have had to adapt to challenges and that is why we are delighted to be working in partnership with Cuffe and Taylor.  The aims and ethos of our unique Eisteddfod remain and we can't wait for the Summer.  

"It is important to us that residents have the chance to ask us questions and take advantage of their chance to jump the queue to buy the hottest tickets in North Wales this summer."

Talk on the history of St Collen's at the museum next Wednesday

Llangollen Museum presents ‘A History of St Collen’s Church’. an illustrated talk by Suzanne Evans, at 7.30pm on Wednesday November 29.

Llangollen-based Archaeologist Suzanne will give a presentation looking at both the history and the future of St Collen’s Church. 

She will examine the fascinating history and archaeology of the church building, as well as explaining the planned research and changes that will result from the St Collen’s Genesis programme that she is managing for the church.

In legend, St Collen, after whom our town is named, established his cell or church in Llangollen. Whether that original cell was on the same site as the church that stands today is not known. 

The surviving architecture of the present building points to a stone church of 13th century date, with changes in the 15th or early 16th centuries and other major alterations in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Entrance is £3 which includes refreshments.

Judy, 78, runs up a total of £1,105 from Great South Run

* Judy Smith in Portsmouth after completing the Great South Run at 78.

A Llangollen woman has raised over £1,100 for a cancer charity by completing a half-marathon at the age of 78.   

Judy Smith strode to success in last month's Great South Run in Portsmouth in memory of her late friend and well-known former local vet Sandra Woodhall with whom she founded and organised the famous Llangollen Round Challenge which has raised many thousands of pounds for Cancer Research UK since it began in 2012. 

Judy's first estimate of the amount her run had raised for the same charity was just over £450.

But the final tally after her fundraising page closed is a magnificent £1,105.  

Judy had originally planned to compete in the Great North Run but a broken wrist put paid to that and instead she began training for the less demanding southern event of "only" ten miles rather than 13. 

Now she says: "I would like to say a very big thank you to all those who supported my efforts on the Great South Run in memory of Sandra Woodhall. 

"The total raised was £1,105, a fitting tribute to a remarkable and much-loved person, and Cancer Research UK will be very grateful for every penny of it.  Thank you!

"I had to change my plan to take part in the Great North Run but, unfortunately, I managed to break my wrist falling over at the Erddig Parkrun a few months earlier and had it in plaster, so the Great North Run would not have been a good idea. I therefore switched my entry to the Great South Run in Portsmouth.

“I manage to complete the run and, in truth, it was quite good fun and I actually enjoyed myself.

“The atmosphere was fantastic, with 25,000 runners, lots of bands playing, and cheering people lining the streets make you feel good and keep you going - even if you can't quite manage four miles an hour. I wouldn't have wanted to do it again next day though.”