Rehearsals going well for Twenty club's Blackadder

* Miranda Richardson and Rowan Atkinson in TV's Blackadder.

Rehearsals are going well for Langollen Twenty Club's next production, a stage version of the smash-hit TV comedy series Blackadder.

Fresh from their most recent success with the gripping Dinner with Otto, the group are lightening the mood by staging three episodes of the iconic show written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton.

They've chosen to depict Blackadder's Elizabethan-era incarnation in the play which runs at Llangollen Town Hall from November 7-9, each performance starting at 7.30pm.

Director Chrissie Ashworth said: “We have chosen three episodes which we considered to be the best mix and most suited to perform at our home at the Town Hall.

"We've assembled a fantastic cast, of a number of them new to Twenty Club, and rehearsals are going extremely well. In fact, sometimes it's hard to get anything done because we're all laughing so much at the lines and the plot situations."

She added: "We're aiming for a close ‘copy’ of the original TV characters, as that is what people remember and the humour that goes with it. The three episodes are entitled respectively Head, Beer and Bells. 

“Blackadder is hilarious. It is farce, quick witted and when staged well is a gem." 

To book tickets, go to www.twentyclub.co.uk

Town Hall to host special music event

Brexit uncertainty damaging to social care, says boss

* Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales. 

A social care champion is calling for certainty over Brexit.

Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, says the current state of flux was hugely damaging.

He was speaking in the wake of the publication of the UK Government’s Operation contingency planning document, Operation Yellowhammer.

According to Mr Kreft, who is also the proprietor of the Pendine Park Care Organisation, the political paralysis surrounding Brexit was already driving up prices and had led to European workers returning home.

He said: “Operation Yellowhammer suggests the worst-case scenario would be very serious with some smaller care homes closing within a fortnight because of escalating prices and larger providers under threat within a month or two.

“The current uncertainty is already causing issues for social care because is ratcheting up prices while the issue of people not wanting to come and work in this country becoming a real problem.

“We’ve seen a lot of talented care practitioners and nurses leave Wales already and this is a major concern because we have an aging population and, planning ahead for the next 15 to 20 years, we are going to see a 100 per cent increase in the number of people aged over 85.

“Regardless of what happens with Brexit, the demographics are going to cause enormous issues but this uncertainty and this appearance that we no longer welcoming people who have talent and want to work here is causing even more problems because the NHS is already under tremendous pressure.

“We have been fortunate in recent years but if we have a bad winter, you would see pressures on the NHS that we have never seen before.

“Social care underpins the NHS and what business wants and what social care wants is an end to this uncertainty.

“While Westminster decides whether it’s a deal or a no deal Brexit, what the social care sector needs is certainty to be able to continue to provide services for the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Ian completes his marathon walking challenge

* Ian Parry is jubilant after completing his big walking challenge.

Llangollen's Ian Parry has completed his big September walking challenge to raise cash for the fight against prostate cancer.

Ian, who is secretary of Llangollen Prostate Cancer Support Group, decided to take up his personal walking marathon in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.

Each year, 11,000 men die from this form of cancer and therefore the charity felt that taking 11,000 steps - by walking, running, jogging or even dancing - every day during the month of September would be an appropriate fundraising challenge, with each step being in memory of a life lost this year. 

The money raised across the country will go towards research that will help spot prostate cancer sooner with more accurate tests, faster treatments with fewer side effects and emotional and practical support for everyone affected.

Ian has now completed the challenge after completing a total of 406,761 steps and approximately 178 miles during the month. 

And that means he has raised a healthy £635 of his target figure, although contributions are still very welcome, he says.

Ian began the challenge on September 1 by walking from his home to Trevor Basin along the canal and registering his 11,000 steps. 

He has been recording his daily steps mainly along the canal from the Horseshoe Falls to Trevor Basin, from there towards Chirk and from Chirk to Lion Quays. A couple of days were spent in Chester walking around the city walls and riverside.

* If you would like to support Ian in this challenge by making a donation and helping Prostate Cancer in its research you can do so by visiting the Just Giving website at:  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ian-Parry9

Town Council election is tomorrow

The election to fill the vacancy created by Karen Edwards on Llangollen Town Council will be held tomorrow (Thursday).

The three candidates are:

KEDDIE, Paul (Annibynnol/ Independent)

PALMER, John Christopher

ROBERTSON, Gillian (Independent)

Christmas Festival puts out the call for helpers

* Sion Corn arrives at an earlier Llan Christmas Festival.

Organisers of this year’s Llangollen Christmas Festival have put out an urgent call for able-bodied people to help run the big show.

Thousands of seasonal revellers are expected to come flocking to Llangollen for the town’s annual Christmas Festival on Saturday November 30.

Kicking off at 1pm with the famous parade which sees Sion Corn - the Welsh Santa – being escorted into town over the historic bridge by a colourful cavalcade of entertainers and local groups, the event features children’s fairground rides, food stalls, choirs, craft stalls, circus acts and face painting.

For the past few years there have been enough volunteers to help with the heavier work of putting up the wide range of stalls, sideshows and other equipment needed to make the festival a success.

But as the show grows in popularity more people are needed this year to lend a hand with this work.

Chairman of the festival committee Austin ‘Chem’ Cheminais, who is also the local town crier and a member of the town council, said: “We’ve usually had enough volunteers on hand to help with the heavier work but as the event gets ever more popular there’s more to do and we could do with a few extra willing hands.

“Three or four people would be enough but, due to the nature of the work, they’d need to be physically up to doing some of the heavier jobs.

“This is a key part of the behind-the-scenes festival organisation and we’d be delighted to hear from anyone interested in helping us out. They can contact us through our Facebook page, which is https://www.facebook.com/Llangollen-Christmas-Festival-311747955653208/

During the festival, which will once again benefit Wales Air Ambulance and local charities, there will also be a chance for youngsters to visit Sion Corn in his glorious grotto and during the afternoon visitors can look forward to an eclectic mix of musical entertainment from local groups on two outdoor stages and other on-street entertainment.

The fun-packed day rounds off at 5pm with the ceremonial switching on of Llangollen’s legendary Christmas lights and a firework extravaganza. 

Llangollen Christmas Festival is organised by a group of dedicated community volunteers. It costs over £4,000 to stage each year and is self-funding.

The festival aims to provide a free family-orientated event in the safety of the town centre with surplus funds being donated to Wales Air Ambulance and local community groups.

Over the last couple of years the police have estimated that the spectacular event draws over 2,000 people into town during the course of the afternoon.

For the third year the festival has teamed up with Light Up Local Food, a project aimed at promoting Llangollen-based food and drink producers.

Festival organisers have also arranged for free parking throughout the day at local car parks.

Questions asked about Vicarage Road area

Former Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies (pictured) has let llanblogger have a copy of the letter he has just sent to Denbighshire's development manager Paul Mead and current local county councillor Melvyn Mile.

The development below my house in Vicarage Rd has triggered a new water storage facility being built to the west of it in the green belt.

It is a couple of hundred yards away from me and immediately below my neighbours.

From my time on the planning committee I know that putting in an application triggers a process. If it could be controversial, neighbours are advised and if they respond then it goes to committee.

This is an enormous development in a sensitive area, and yet neither myself or neighbours were advised or given the chance to comment and so it looks like it was a delegated decision to grant.

I finally managed to find the papers on line, the website is useless by the way.

It was done in haste, the agent for Welsh Water has a recurring theme in that she wanted it done quickly.

We heard and saw a tree being pollarded the other day, it turned out to be a walnut, in the words of the tree expert from Flintshire, extremely rare in North Wales.

They cut down the easterly one, the nut bearing one. So no more rare walnuts in this area. The tree expert allowed it in the application.

So, question, why weren't the neighbours consulted about the application? Why was a rare tree allowed to be cut down without any public consultation?

Is it because Welsh Water were on a mission to do it quickly?

There is another issue arising, there were springs in the field, the earthworks appear to have opened them up, with this rain we are experiencing, the water and spoil is running down across the excavations across Vicarage Road and in to the new housing development. Special soak-aways have been constructed both there and under Hall St car park to deal. Houses in Hall St on the A5 have cellars which could be affected when those soak-aways get full.

Concerns have also been aired to me about the excavation and access road levels on the site. Could somebody check them please?

* Stuart Davies has received a response from a county planning officer which says the correct processes have been followed, adjacent residents notified and the responses of statutory consultees/technical informed. 

Chamber sends out invites to "critical" meeting

Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism is to hold a critical meeting next month to discuss its future membership.

Numbers attending the chamber meetings have dwindled in recent years and it is felt that a new focus and direction is required to reinvigorate the organisation. 

The chamber says this comes as Llangollen undergoes a number of changes and begins to attract significant new businesses and development to the town. 

Llangollen's thriving tourism sector also makes an important contribution to the town’s success and the chamber is keen to attract more tourism and service businesses to complement the retail and food representatives.

The chamber is invting more new business representatives from the following areas to attend the next meeting at The Three Eagles, Bridge Street, Llangollen on Tuesday, October 8, at 5.30pm.

·       Tourism

·       Food

·       Hospitality

·       Retail

·       Leisure

·       Business

·       Entertainment

·       Creative/Arts/

·       Health & Well-being/Lifestyle

Existing members of the chamber are also encouraged to attend where positive ideas and contributions will be welcomed.

Chamber chair David Davies said: “Llangollen is in a unique position to elevate its position as a ‘must see’ destination when visiting North Wales. 

"We are included in the eleven mile corridor of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct’s World Heritage site and with our beautiful valley landscapes, the River Dee, Dinas Bran Castle and Steam Railway, not to mention excellent eateries and high quality accommodation attracting visitors, it is right that as a chamber we should push our town to the forefront of the minds of potential visitors and the media. 

"It is also important that our town benefits local residents from providing quality employment opportunities and an eclectic mix of shops to bolster the ‘shop local’ movement.  

“We want to attract new businesses to the Chamber and to Llangollen that complement our existing infrastructure. We are looking to work with entrepreneurs, schools and key stakeholders to support the town’s development in order to boost visitor footfall all year round, not just from Easter to October half-term.

“We look forward to getting stuck in and reinvigorating the Chamber with gusto and enthusiasm and encourage as many people as possible to come and join us at this exciting time.”

Toyota's comeback kid is good for Wales

* The new Toyota Corolla, outside and inside.

Toyota Corolla road test by Steve Rogers

When it comes to comebacks there have been some corkers.

Winston Churchill famously said "I'm finished" after he was sacked as First Sea Lord in 1915 and look what happened to him. 

Muhammad Ali regained his world heavyweight boxing title against the odds having spent years in the wilderness for refusing to fight in the Vietnam war, and who would have given Dennis Taylor a chance against Steve Davis when he was 8-0 down in the 1985 world snooker championship final. He won on the black ball in the final frame!

There are scores more, many less notable, and into that category falls the Toyota Corolla. The world's best selling car disappeared from our roads in 2006 to be replaced by the Auris but it never slipped easily into the Corolla's big boots so after 13 years in exile Corolla is back.

What's more the Japanese favourite is built in Derby and the hybrid engine built at Toyota's factory on Deeside which is good for Wales and the UK in general.

It is hardly worth comparing new and old Corolla because so much has changed since 2006 so what we are really looking at is how the new model compares with Auris.

Toyota will have spent billions of Yen developing Corolla, in particular making sure it will suit the needs of the vast European market where competition is so fierce it is like walking into a den of lions.

The upshot is a totally new car. It sits on the same platform as the C-HR, one of my favourite crossovers, and is a completely different animal to the nondescript Auris.

Corolla is a very decent car to drive and goes to show it is not just Volkswagen and Ford who build top notch hatchbacks, in fact you can now add a lot of other car makers to that list.

Toyota's focus is on petrol hybrid engines, 1.8 and 2-litres, with a conventional 1.2 turbo for those who do not want the extra cost of an electric motor. There is no diesel.

My test car was the 1.8 litre and I had my doubts when I saw it produced a lowly 120bhp, not much for such a big engine. Yet with the help of the 53kW electric motor it is quite lively up to 60mph when performance tails off and the engine starts to sound a little gruff. At least the combination of engine and electric motor provide enough mid-range pick up for confident overtaking.

The big question is what's it like on economy? This is a self charging hybrid so travel on electric power is generally limited to slow speed movement around town although it comes in handy when scraping along in heavy traffic reverting to electric power so saving fuel and cutting exhaust emissions.

I have driven lots of hybrids in the last 10 years and more often than not have been disappointed with fuel consumption but I can have no complaints with Corolla. Over 750 miles of mixed driving the computer showed 66.2mpg and on one 300 mile round trip I hit 70mpg. Now that's what a hybrid is all about.

To get the best results from a hybrid driving style has to be moderated, no harsh acceleration or heavy braking, particularly into roundabouts, and that is exactly the tactic I employed on the trip that returned 70mpg.

On the motorway I kept to a steady sixty and drove as evenly as possible on A roads. I doubt I would have done any better in a diesel.

Corolla had to be a better all rounder than Auris and it is. It sits on Toyota's new platform, is 60 per cent stiffer, has new multi-link rear suspension, and steering which is sharper and gives the driver a much better feel for what is going on down at the front wheels.

Everything is neat and tidy along the dashboard with a central 8in touchscreen, clear instrumentation and a variety of graphics to monitor hybrid progress.

Cabin space is just on par as is boot space so if the latter is an important factor then check out the opposition because there are some that do better.

As comebacks go Corolla has achieved its aims. It is well built, has numerous safety features and a decent spec list although I am damned if I could find a USB charging point. Surely they haven't forgotten to fit one?

Verdict: Corolla isn't as engaging to drive as a Golf or Ford Focus but is up there with Mazda3, Seat Leon and Kia Ceed. 

part from an enthusiastic driver who is going to notice? And anyway, this isn't a car for the enthusiast, it is a full- blown family motor and the family is going to be very happy with it.

Key facts

Corolla Design Hybrid

£25,830 (starts £21,080)

1.8 litre; 120bhp

0-62mph 10.9secs; 112mph

55.4-65.9mpg combined

83g/km. 1st year road tax £110

Boot space: 361 litres

Insurance group 15

Police appeal for witnesses following collision

Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious collision on the B5126 Mold Road near Northop this evening at 17.55hrs.

They say: "We were called to reports of a collision between two cars, a Toyota and a Chevrolet. One of the drivers was taken to hospital in Stoke with serious injuries.

We are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage to get in touch on 101 Ref X143181

The road is currently closed and will remain so for the next couple of hours."

Rotary seeks Dial a Ride drivers

Range of local groups showcased at Cittaslow event

* Visitors check out some of the stalls at the Sunday event.

* A range of local food and drink on display.

Sixteen local groups, as diverse as Llangollen Guides to the Quakers and from South Clwyd Beekeepers to Friends of the Earth, took part in Cittaslow Sunday yesterday.

Cittaslow is an international network of towns in 30 countries across the world that have adopted a set of common goals and principles to enhance their quality of life for residents and visitors.

Cittaslow Llangollen hosted the special Sunday event at the front of the Town Hall to showcase the wide range of organisations which contribute to the life of the town.

Also with stalls were the Twenty Club amateur dramatic group, Llangollen Health Centre, Dial a Ride, the International Eisteddfod, Run Free Fell Runners, the RAFA Club, Extinction Rebellion, Llangollen Christmas Festival, Llangollen Prostate Support Group and Shape My Llangollen, which is preparing the local contribution to the county's next Local Development Plan.

Freshly-made local food and drink was available throughout the event.

TV chef to champion Welsh meat at food festival

* Hot stuff: Chris Roberts will give an outdoor cookery demonstration at the food festival.

A larger than life TV chef will be championing Welsh beef and lamb with an outdoor cookery demonstration at a top food festival.

Chris “Foodgasm” Roberts, who has his own television series on S4C, will also have a starring role at the popular Llangollen Food Festival on Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20.

He went from being a man who cooked on an old-fashioned spit roasting fire with his friends, without anyone watching, to overnight fame as a Facebook foodie with thousands of fans.

The first TV series, Bwyd Epic Chris, produced by Caernarfon-based Cwmni Da, was a big hit on S4C and the second series will be going on air in November.

Chris, who lives in Caernarfon, is looking forward to his first visit to the festival which has now established itself as one of the highlights in the culinary calendar and has been named as one of the Top 10 food festivals in the UK.

According to Chris, the inspiration for his cooking style has come from Patagonia, the Welsh colony in Argentina.

He said: “My dad went to Patagonia and told me how they cooked. I never really thought about it at first but a couple of years ago I thought I’d give it a try and cook the Gaucho way. Gauchos are basically cowboys.

“It just took off really and people just seemed to like what I was doing. I was asked to do a TV series for S4C and we are just filming the second series.

Chris added: &quot: "There is always variation when cooking on an open-fire, instinct needs
to be used when adapting to the climate outdoors.

“You must feel the food, the heat, test the temperature and be patient. When the food’s ready, it’s ready. I’m not just putting food in the oven and waiting for three hours, I work with the elements and the experience is always different.

“I want to show that we have amazing local produce, to showcase and celebrate the local food. Food is the best way of bringing people together, it makes life worth living and makes everyone feel good.”

“I’ll almost certainly cook up some Tomahawk Welsh Black steaks in Llangollen as well as some lamb. We have the best meat in the world in Wales. It comes from animals that have had a good life. A happy lamb is a tasty lamb in my humble opinion.

“Welsh lamb that has been out on the hillsides eating succulent grass, berries and herbs and that comes through in the flavour of the meat. It’s the same with grass fed Welsh beef.

“And if you buy Welsh meat that has the PGI mark - Protected Geographic Indicator – then it’s fully traceable right down to the farm and the animal it originated from. That’s important.”

“I’m looking forward to Llangollen and showing people what an amazing product we have in Welsh meat and how to cook it Gaucho-style. I can assure meat lovers they won’t taste anything better!”
Llangollen Food Festival committee member Phil Davies says the festival is the perfect platform for Chris Roberts to demonstrate his love of Gaucho-style cooking.

He said: “The idea of the food festival is to inspire people to try new products, and see what we have to offer here in Wales.

“Chris’ Facebook videos have been viewed an incredible number of times and his first TV series was so popular we thought he’d be the perfect fit for the Llangollen Food Festival.

“We are delighted he’s agreed to come along and demonstrate his amazing cooking. There is no doubt that Welsh meat, be it lamb or beef, is a really high quality product and deserves to be championed.

“Cooking meat the way people of Welsh heritage learned to cook when they arrived in Patagonia just makes it extra special.”

* For more information about the Llangollen International Food Festival, visit www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

Five-vehicle smash causes A5 closure

Oswestry SNT

@OsCops

·

5m

5 vehicle RTC A5 between Whittington and Gobowen islands. North bound carriageway closed - road blocked.

Llangollen goes on the market for $34 million

* The Llangollen estate in Virginia, USA.

Llangollen is on the market for a cool 34 million dollars.

But before the panic starts, that's not our famous town but an enormous mansion of the same name in the state of Virginia, USA.   

First American diplomat and publisher Jock Whitney, then Donald Brennan, a former Morgan Stanley exec, built up the equestrian mecca and now it’s somebody else’s turn, according to an article on the Bloomberg news website.

The story says that of the roughly five million acres in Virginia granted to the Fairfax family by the kings of England in the 17th century  600 acres or so ended up in the hands of the Powell family by 1827. Politicians and gentleman merchants, the Powells built a lovely mansion they called Llangollen, which then passed from one illustrious owner to the next.  

The Bloomberg piece goes on: "When Donald Brennan, the former head of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, saw the house at the start of the 21st century, it was one of the pre-eminent properties in blue blood American horse country. 

"The acreage had been expanded—the plot had become 1,100 acres—and the house enlarged, most notably in the 1930s by John Hay “Jock” Whitney, a gilded age playboy-millionaire. 

"Brennan and his family officially took ownership of Llangollen in 2006 and he is now putting the property back on the market for $34 million.

"The estate, in its present form, is largely unaltered from when Jock Whitney and his wife Mary Elizabeth purchased it. Whitney inherited his wealth but did an excellent job putting it to good use. He financed Gone With The Wind, was a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art, bought the New York Herald Tribune, and served as ambassador to Great Britain. 

"The Whitneys founded the Llangollen Race Meeting, a steeplechase that attracted 20,000 spectators, and built ancillary buildings on the property, including the now-famous “horseshoe stables” for their show-ponies. They added a polo field, nine houses for guests, a race track, a training track, and, most impressive of all, a hyper-sophisticated water system that remains to this day. 

“The property has about 400 acres of forest that sit on the east face of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” 

Brennan says. “In order to produce water for the property, there are springs whose water is pumped to the top of the mountain, at which point it comes down through streams that go into a large concrete cistern, which Whitney built into the side of the mountain above the house.”

"There’s a distribution system that sends water to 120 points across the property—“the homes, the water troughs for horses, the stables, the polo facilities … it’s an incredible engineering feat,” Brennan explains. Should water levels run low, an electrical system sets off pumps in wells at ground level, sending water up to the cistern.

"When the couple divorced, Mary Elizabeth Whitney kept the estate and lived there until her death in 1988."

* To see the Bloomberg story, go to: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-23/llangollen-virginia-horse-country-historic-estate-for-sale

Talks held on Kronospan emission concerns

* From left, town councillor Jackie Allen; Susan Elan Jones MP; Ken Skates AM; county councillor Terry Evans and Kronospan’s environmental manager Keith Baker at Chirk Parish Hall this morning.

Politicians have held 'constructive' talks about concerns over emissions from the Kronospan factory in Chirk.

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates and Susan Elan Jones MP met with Terry Evans, county councillor for Chirk South and Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Economy and Regeneration this morning (Friday).

They were joined by Chirk town councillor Jackie Allen, who is also chair of Chirk Environmental Liaison Group, and Kronospan’s Environmental Manager Keith Baker.

Mr Skates said: “I was pleased when Wrexham Council contacted me to arrange this meeting. I know Terry as the local member gets a lot of complaints as the council are currently responsible for monitoring emissions.

“It was a constructive meeting and Susan and I are pleased to be working alongside Terry and Jackie to address residents’ ongoing concerns.”

Ms Jones said: “We know this is a long-standing issue for some of our constituents so this was a welcome opportunity to discuss what the council and company are doing to mitigate their concerns. It’s vital we work together on issues like this which are important to local people, so I'm pleased Cllr Evans from Wrexham County Borough Council and town councillor Allen were able to attend.

“Ken and I have made numerous representations on behalf of our constituents in the Chirk area to Wrexham Council and the company itself over the past few years to convey residents' concerns. Most people say they don’t want the factory closed as it’s one of our area's biggest employers and closure would devastate hundreds of local families. However, I’m strongly of the view that more has to be done to deal with the very legitimate environmental concerns that local residents have.”

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is set to take over sole responsibility for monitoring emissions from Kronospan next year.

Mr Skates said: “I know there continues to be some confusion and misinformation with regard to Kronospan, which is why the Welsh Government has issued a direction to ensure that the site has a single regulator in the future, which will be NRW.”

Kronospan currently has two environmental permits. One is issued by Wrexham Council, which relates to the wood-related production. The other issued by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which relates to formaldehyde production. NRW is currently determining an environmental permit application received from Kronospan and is expected to complete this process by early 2020.

A recent letter to Mr Skates from Wrexham Council’s chief planning and regulatory officer, Lawrence Isted, confirmed that the authority is currently responsible for emissions to air, land and water, as well as noise.

Mr Isted said: “Upon receiving complaints on such matters, my officers would consider the likely source of the alleged pollutant and assess the controls implemented by the company against the requirement of the permit.

“Officers would also consider the effect of the pollutant on human health and the environment with reference to relevant environmental standards issued by the World Health Organisation and relevant air quality standards regulations. These standards are used to protect the health and wellbeing of the local population.”

He added: “Recent air quality monitoring indicates that air quality levels within the Chirk area complies with relevant statutory guidelines.”