Businesses contribute £540 for 80-plus steel poppies

*Karen Edwards, left, and Deputy Town Mayor Cllr Issy Richards with the display of new metal poppies in Llangollen’s Centenary Square.   

Fundraisers have been on a special mission to raise over £500 to pay for enough metal poppies to cover every name on Llangollen’s two war memorials in time for this year’s Remembrance Day service.

Former town councillor Karen Edwards persuaded three businesses from the area to donate a total of £540 to buy 117 of the Royal British Legion poppies, which is enough to represent every name inscribed on the First and Second World War memorials in the town’s Centenary Square.

With the help of Deputy Town Mayor, Cllr Issy Richards, Karen has spent for the past week carefully arranging the red and black steel flowers in the banking behind the memorials.

They will all be unveiled for the first time on Sunday morning when a large group of bikers visit the square as part of a marathon ride around north Wales to mark the official launch of this year’s annual Poppy Appeal.

Karen said: “With the generous donations from Fouzis cafe bar, Linguassist Translation and Interpretation Services, Lily Rose Interiors, Witzend Gallery and Cornerstones B&B we have managed to raise enough cash to cover the cost of one poppy for every person named on our two memorials and I thank each of them for the kind assistance with this project.

“We will now keep the poppies and set them up in the square in time for each Remembrance Day.”

Just before 11am on Sunday around 40 bikers will gather in the square for the traditional Service of Remembrance which will launch the 2019 Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

They are beginning their 180-mile ride in Wrexham and, after calling at Llangollen and other towns along the way, will end up in Llandudno.

The service, at which the local Legion branch will parade standards, will include the sounding of Last Post and Reveille and the observation of the minute’s silence at 11am. It will be led by the Vicar of Llangollen, Father Lee Taylor.

Megan sees line of her poem go up in lights

* The Chirk tunnel frontage where Megan's poetic words are projected.

* Megan's full poem.

A youngster from Llangollen has had an extract from a poem she wrote projected on to the front of an iconic canal bridge as part of a luminaire celebration.

Megan Mascarenhas, 11, and a pupil at Ysgol Dinas Bran, entered the poetry competition organised by  Gandŵr Cymru,  the Canal & River Trust in Wales, earlier this year to mark ten years since the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal was inscribed as a World Heritage Site.

The theme of the competition was ‘Go with the Flow’ and young entrants aged between five and 11 years were asked to take inspiration from visits to the canal and it's surrounding natural beauty.

A line from Megan’s poem will be projected on to the Chirk Tunnel frontage, a Grade II Scheduled Monument, from today (Wednesday).

Poetry competition organiser Lynda Slater from the Canal & River Trust said: “We were very impressed with Megan’s competition entry. We wanted youngsters to create a poem that would inspire others and show how being next to water makes them feel and why our canals are so special to them. 

"Megan demonstrated this in her poem and we are delighted that she was the overall winner and that we are able to light up a line from her poem on the Chirk Tunnel frontage during this special event.”

Megan was delighted to receive the news and said: “I’m excited to see part of my poem up in lights. It’s a real honour and I enjoyed taking part as I love living so close to the canal and visiting when I can with my family.”

The luminaire event runs until this Sunday as a celebration of Thomas Telford’s breathtaking nineteenth century Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at Trevor Basin being given the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2009.

Each site is unique and is either graded, a scheduled monument or both and is lit up by expert lighting company Enlightened of Bristol for two hours each evening from 7.30pm - 9.30pm.

The sites lit up are:

Aqueduct, Chirk (Grade II Scheduled Monument)

Viaduct, Chirk (Grade II)

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Trevor (Grade I Scheduled Monument)

Dinas Bran Castle, Llangollen (Scheduled Monument)

Horseshoe Falls, Llangollen (Grade II)

Chirk Tunnel Frontage

Due to the popularity of the Luminaire visitors are reminded to avoid traffic congestion and avoid stopping on nearby lanes. They are kindly requested to use designated car parks in the vicinity of each of the sites (which aren't stewarded):

PONTCYSYLLTE: Acrefair Football Club, Gate Rd LL20 7RH
CHIRK: Glyn Wylfa, LL14 5BS

DINAS BRAN: Llangollen Town Centre, car parks

HORSESHOE FALLS: LL208BN

MP says more about her Brexit stance

On her own website yesterday Clwyd South Labour Mp Susan Elan Jones WROTE AN ARtICLE  further clarifying her position on the current Brexit debate. She has given permission for it to be reproduced by llanblogger ...

JOHNSON'S 'CAMOUFLAGED' NO DEAL BREXIT 

Ex-Tory Chancellor Philip Hammond has described Boris Johnson’s proposals as a “heavily camouflaged No Deal” Brexit – and I think most of us who have read the details have come to the same view.

The hard right of the Tory Party who refused to back Theresa May’s deal are now almost unanimously in favour. Suspicious? We should be. Tory right-winger John Baron MP let the cat out of the bag at the weekend, saying: “Boris Johnson has torn up that backstop, which means that if the trade talks are not successful… up to December 2020 – that’s how long they could take, then we could leave on no-deal terms.”

Unlike Theresa May, Boris Johnson refuses to publish an economic impact assessment of his plans. That’s not because Johnson has suddenly gone shy, it’s because he’s got a good idea of what an assessment would say.

His proposals have been opposed by farmers, like the ones I met near Corwen on Friday, who know the lack of EU market access and the flooding of our market with inferior produce will mean the end for many Welsh farms. They’re opposed by the TUC who represent millions of workers because of what would happen to employment rights. They’re opposed by Make UK, the body representing business people in manufacturing and engineering, who are against a transition deal, which stretches to just 14 months, and the lack of commitments to maintaining the closest possible trading relationship with the EU. And they’re even opposed by the Tory Party’s former political partners in the DUP as they would create a border in the Irish Sea and lead to the breakup of the UK.

As MP for Clwyd South, I have kept to my word. I’ve also been prepared to compromise, voting for some things even when they weren’t my preferred option. I voted to trigger Article 50 as I said I would and I voted for a Customs Union. And, as I said in the Wrexham.com online hustings before the 2017 General Election, “if the deal is rubbish, I won’t vote for it”.

But what’s quite clear now is that Boris Johnson’s Government isn’t prepared to compromise at all. They are pushing a hard Right, English nationalist agenda that would devastate workers’ rights and communities like ours. And Johnson and his gang are so extreme they’ve shown they’ll get rid of any elected Tory MP – like Antoinette Sandbach just across the border and ex-Attorney General Dominic Grieve – who stands up to their extremism.

What is being offered now was not offered by any campaign – Leave or Remain – in 2016.

If Boris Johnson genuinely believes his proposals are good for the UK, he should have the guts to put them directly to the people. If he does,

I will vote for a confirmatory referendum where the British people get to choose between Johnson and the status quo.

Susan Elan Jones MP (21/10/19)

County to discuss waste collection changes

A series of recycling initiatives aimed at helping communities across Denbighshire gear up for significant changes in waste and recycling collections in 2021 will be outlined to members of Denbighshire’s scrutiny meeting this week.

In December 2018, Cabinet approved significant changes to the system for collecting household residual waste and recycling and for the introduction of segregated kerbside weekly recycling service and four weekly refuse collection. The key focus is on putting plans in place to introduce the new services in 2021.

The council is also working with partners to find alternative solutions for those households who find managing their waste more challenging, as the Council recognises that one size does not fit all. Projects that will be introduced over the next two years include:

• A food waste recycling initiative
• Launch of an eco schools awards and working directly with schools
• Purchase of new kerbside recycling vehicles
• Roll out of gull proof recycling sacks in West Rhyl
• Staggered roll out of new communal bin facilities
• Fortnight free opt-in kerbside recycling service for nappies and incontinence pads,
• Recruitment drive for additional workforce
• New larger black bins offered to residents
• New Trollibocs delivered to homes over 12 week period, and blue bins recovered

Plans have also been drawn up for a waste and recycling transfer station on the Colomendy Industrial Estate, Denbigh.   

This site would replace existing services at our Ruthin and Kinmel Park depots and allow the Council to separate and bundle recycling on location, rather than transferring it to a site in Flintshire.   

Pre-planning consultation begins in late October and subject to planning permission, it is hoped that work will begin on site in early Summer 2020, ready for use in September 2021.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways,Environmental Impact,Waste and Sustainable Travel, said: “We want to work with communities over the coming months to make sure they know about the changes that are coming their way between now and the main roll-out in 2021.   

"There is more focus than ever on councils across Wales improving their recycling rates, with the expectancy that the rates will be set even higher in the coming years and we want to be ready for those changes.

“The introduction of the new services will help the county improve its recycling rates and improve the quality and value of the recycling we collect. In the meantime we want to work with residents to encourage more recycling as quickly as possible .  

"We will be doing this through a range of initiatives, publicity around how people can recycle and speaking directly with communities through roadshows, drop-in sessions and social media coverage, to name but a few initiatives.

“By working together, we can ensure that the changes in 2021 are introduced as seamless as possible and that people will feel empowered to recycle more."

Warning over fraudsters claiming to be police officers

North Wales Police are warning the public to be alert to courier fraud scams after Police received a number of reports from members of the public last week.

Residents have reported receiving phone calls from scammers claiming to be from Westminster Police or the Serious Fraud Office with the caller identifying himself as DC Cole or DC Ryan. The fraudster goes on to tell the victim that their bank account has been compromised and their details used to make large purchases in an Argos store in London. 

The fraudster convinces the victim to withdraw a large amount of cash from the bank to protect their money. Once the victim has the cash in their home the fraudster will send a courier to collect the money from the address with the promise that the money will be kept safe.

In one case an elderly female victim, not in North Wales, was asked to go to her bank and withdraw £9700 in cash in order to protect her money. The victim was also told by the scammer not to inform the bank staff of the reason for the withdrawal and to make an excuse for wanting such a large amount of money. The victim was advised to call 111 to confirm it was the police she was speaking to.

Financial abuse safeguarding officer DC2675 Rachel Roberts said “luckily there have been no financial losses in North Wales reported as yet but similar scams have been seen across the UK with victims handing over large amounts of cash to fraudsters.”

 “Often the victims have no reason to doubt the fraudsters as they appear to know the victims personal details. The fraudsters will urge victims to act quickly and create a fear that the victims money is in danger of being lost.”

Police have issued the following advice to residents

If you receive a telephone call from ANYONE asking you to move or withdraw your money END THE CALL IMMEDIATELY. 

• Your bank and the police will NEVER ask you to withdraw your money or transfer your money into a different bank account.
• Beware of cold calls even when the caller appears to have personal information such as your address, date of birth or bank account details and do not give out your personal details to callers.
• If you are concerned or receive a similar request use a different phone or neighbors phone to call 101 to report the matter or wait 10 minutes to make to call to ensure the scammers have cleared the phone line.

 For further information visit the North Wales Police public web page and clicking on the fraud information box. Here you will find advice on various types of fraud and a link to Action Fraud (www.actionfraud.police.uk) or call on 0300 123 2040.

Food festival organisers thrilled with turnout

* Jim Norman and Damon Richards-Gilliam from Ysgol Dinas Bran filming Osian Roberts, Elis ap Gwynfor, Osian Gruffydd and Owain Beech during  a taste test.   

* Michelle Davies of Nuts about Cinnamon.     

* Katie Lancashire with the ridiculously rich by Alana fudge cakes.                   

      

Thousands of food lovers got a taste of the Welsh language at a popular festival – as well as sampling the international language of coffee.

Organisers of the Llangollen Food Festival were thrilled with the turn-out over two bustling days at the popular event which has been hailed as one of the highlights in the UK’s culinary calendar.

Visitors also given the opportunity to sample the delights of  the Welsh language as they browsed more than 100 stalls at the famous International Pavilion.

The festival teamed up with Menter Iaith Sir Ddinbych, one of a network of organisations established across Wales to promote the language, and pupils from the nearby high school, Ysgol Dinas Bran and Ysgol Brynhyfryd, in Ruthin.

The youngster set up  a taste-test panel and produced a Vlog which was posted on YouTube.

Menter Iaith Sir Ddinbych chief officer Ruth Williams said: “Llangollen Food Festival is a brilliant event, attracting thousands of people yearly and a perfect chance to get more people who don’t normally converse in Welsh to try basic sentences.

“Welsh-language speaking exhibitors agreed to wear lanyards signifying they are bilingual. It meant fluent Welsh-language speakers could talk to them in their native language, but learners and complete beginners also knew immediately that they could have a go at conversing with the stall holder in Welsh.

“We had leaflets produced to distribute among festival goers providing basic translations of words which might be useful in a culinary environment. They include Blasus (tasty), Cacen (cake), Siocled (chocolate) and bread (bara).

“The project’s been a great success with really positive feedback from people who enjoyed trying out Welsh in such relaxed, fun surroundings.”

Ysgol Dinas Bran media studies students Damon Richards-Gilliam, 15, and Jim Norman, 16, filmed the taste-test vlog.

Damon said: “We’ve worked with the food festival Menter Iaith team for three years and always found that talking about food is a great way to break down language barriers.”

One exhibitor invented his own language to promote his Rhyl-based Mug Run coffee roasting business.  Tim Parry had postcards printed for distribution to customers, teaching them the novelty sign language.

He said: “I’m really proud of it. I formulated it as a result of years of experience. I realised that when customers talk about coffee brewing machines and methods, they use different hand signals.

“A flat hand pressing downwards, for instance, means a cafetiere, a clenched fist is a stove top method, a finger pointing down indicates a drip pour machine. I became so expert at interpreting them that I eventually decided to catalogue the different signs by hand-drawing small sketches of them to print on my postcards.”

Tim has exhibited at Llangollen for five years but for the first time he delivered a workshop for people to taste different coffee flavours and have a go at making their own. He also produced a blend of roasted coffee, called Hamper, in celebration of the 2019 food festival.

“It’s a great event I always enjoy so I wanted to create a blend especially for it,” said Tim who was helped on his stall by his mum Meryl Bowker.

Neil  Moffat and wife, Claire Hemingway-Moffat, who launched Hemingway’s pesto in Churton, near Farndon, cooking up their special recipe in their home kitchen, were also having a great time.

Neil said: “We’ve got four children who all went off to university, but none were very good cooks.

“When they would come home Claire would make up a giant jar of her delicious pesto sauce for them to take back to their digs.

“We used to call it Red Cross pesto because it was designed to give them something healthy and nutritious to eat. It was so well liked by their student friends that we began making more and more of it and now it’s really taken off and become a mini-business.”

Famous entrepreneur and star of television’s The Apprentice, Alan Sugar, recognised the potential for success in the fine foods market when he invested in the cake making business of 2016 The Apprentice winner Alana Spencer. Her company, Ridiculously Rich, also had a stall at this year’s Llangollen Food Festival, manned by Katie Lancashire.

Katie said: “I love being Alana’s ambassador. To be able to display and sell her delicious cakes in an arena like this is a fabulous opportunity. Llangollen festival lives up to its reputation of being a great event for foodies of all ages.”

The festival has been named one of the Top 10 food festivals in the UK by the Independent and Daily Telegraph newspapers.

Organiser Phil Davies said: “We’re absolutely delighted. It went very, very well. Our exhibition stands were full and included some newcomers to the festival which is always nice to see, and everyone had positive feedback on both the trade stands and the interactive workshops and demonstrations.”

Latest Citizens Advice column

Q: My mum has a non-visible disability, which causes her walking difficulties.  I heard something on the news about how she may now be eligible for a blue badge. How can I find out about this and help her apply? 

A: On 30 August, the Blue Badge scheme was extended to people who live in England and have non-visible disabilities or conditions which affect their ability to walk. As a result, your mother may now qualify for a badge.

Your mother will be automatically eligible if she gets certain types of benefits. These include some categories of Personal Independence Payment and the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance.

If she’s not automatically eligible she can still apply for a badge. Her local authority will use evidence from doctors and other healthcare professionals to determine whether she qualifies or not.

Your mother can check her eligibility and apply for a local authority-issued Blue Badge at gov.uk/apply-blue-badge. If she can’t do this herself, you can apply on her behalf.

You’ll need a recent digital passport-style photo, proof of her identity, address, details of any benefits she receives, her National Insurance number, and evidence of how her non-visible disability or condition affects her mobility.

MP explains her position on yesterday's Commons vote

* Susan Elan Jones MP. 

Clwyd South Labour MP Susan Elan Jones has explained why she was among those who voted for the "Letwin amendment" and not Boris Johnson's Brexit deal in Parliament yesterday.

"I know many constituents were watching BBC Parliament on Saturday - and I was delighted to receive so much feedback locally over the last few days. I am doing my best to respond to each email and letter individually.

"A constituent made the point very well: 'The Tories are saying that people are fed up with delays and that’s why they should vote for it, I feel that it doesn’t matter how long it takes we should not vote for a bad deal which this is, let’s not forget that Bluster Boris voted against it twice'.

"A couple of right-wing Tory MPs also let the cat out of the bag when they said they were voting with Johnson because they’d been assured it would ultimately lead to a Crash Out Brexit.

"The Letwin amendment protects against that. We know that Johnson and his ilk support fewer employment protections - and I am concerned by that. Having met with local farming representatives on Friday, I have renewed concerns about deals that would see massive tariffs imposed on local farmers for access to their current markets. I am also troubled about the creation of a border in the Irish Sea.

"In addition, whether my constituents are Hard Brexiteers, convinced Remainers or somewhere in between, I am firmly of the view the decision must belong to them - not just the politicians - in a confirmatory referendum."

A Glorious piece of off-key comedy takes the stage

* A scene from Glorious with, from left, Chris Jones, Cheryl Kendrick, 

Helen Belton and Brian Gilbert.  Picture by Stephen Cain Photography. 

Review: Glorious at Grove Park Theatre, Wrexham

A woman is born with a burning ambition to sing.

The only trouble is she can’t sing.

In fact, she has the kind of excruciating voice that makes grown men weep, dogs howl and music teachers run for cover.

But that doesn’t stop her singing at every opportunity. And if her wretched recitals are in public then so much the better.

Her ambition might have been restricted to very small audiences if it hadn’t been for her daddy leaving her very comfortably off.

She uses tons of his cash to literally buy herself a stage on which her performance dream can take ear-busting flight – and even uses her influence to personally interview potential audience members who she thinks most likely to keep the secret of her chords of discord.

If all that seems a little far-fetched then just Google Florence Foster Jenkins and you’ll see all this is painfully true.

Meryl Streep starred in the film based on her story a few years back and the play on which this was based, entitled Glorious!: The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the Worst Singer in the World by Peter Quilter, is being staged by a superlative amateur cast at Wrexham’s Grove Park Theatre until October 26.

To play someone who sings as badly as Flo you have to be a pretty good singer yourself – remember Les Dawson deliberately and hilariously making a hash of playing the piano?

Luckily, that’s precisely what Helen Belton can do, as she’s proved time and again with the various singing roles she’s had, mainly with Llangollen Operatic Society, over the years.

She needs every ounce of her considerable vocal talent to mangle the notes just like Flo, at the same time as delivering a superb comedy performance.

This piece, set in New York in 1944, is packed with laughter – mainly at Florence’s expense – but the humour is always clever and never too cruel.

Helping the laughs along in a big way is Chris Jones who is excellent as Flo’s resident pianist Cosme McMoon and has a delivery that’s as dry as a bone.

Also memorable in her role as the dotty Dorothy, Flo’s neighbour and helper, is Cheryl Kendrick.

Another outstanding piece of comedy acting comes from Heather Kingnorth as Flo’s very odd Mexican maid Maria. And Brian Glibert is simply spiffing as her superannuated English actor boyfriend St Clair.

Ade Garrett has a walk-on part as the appalling Mrs Verrinder-Gedge. But her appearance on stage makes quite an impression.    

The play is directed by David Underwood.    

School's petition demands curbs on plastics

Environment-conscious students at Ysgol Dinas Brân in Llangollen are doing their bit to save the planet.

A petition they organised calling for the abolition of single-use plastics was formally presented in Parliament on their behalf earlier this week by Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones.

The petition call for a halt to the use of non-essential plastics in all UK schools by the end of this year and also demands the immediate banning of Styrofoam from all schools.

This is the culmination of a long and continuing campaign led by the student council to make all schools sustainable and environmentally responsible in a bid to protect the future generations and prevent a climate emergency.

Ms Jones said: "The petition was very widely supported in the school and it has been excellent to work with the school council and other students on this. 

"I am hoping to continue to do more campaigning and practical initiatives with them on environmental issues."

* To see the presentation of the petition in the House of Commons, go to: 

https://www.facebook.com/YsgolDinasBranSchoolLlangollen/videos/796321770787032/

Police warn over fake banknotes

Police are warning businesses to be vigilant after several incidents of passing counterfeit notes have occurred in the Gwynedd south area over the last 24 hours.

The individuals concerned have mostly attempted to pay for low value goods using fake Bank of Ireland £50 notes in Penrhyndeudraeth, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Porthmadog.

The two men and a woman are travelling in a dark blue Ford Transit, and have Irish accents. One of the men has what is described as having an “Angel wing” tattoo on the left side of his neck.

It is believed that these individuals may travel throughout the North Wales area, and as such we advise anyone who is offered a Bank of Ireland £50 note to undertake the usual checks, and if any suspicious circumstances occur, please contact police on 101 or via the live webchat. Likewise, any sightings of the distinctive vehicle pictured which has Irish number plates should be reported immediately.

Llangollen Business Improvement District (BID) update

Kevin Brownell, project manager of the consultants Mosaic Partnership, has prepared this update, exclusively for llanblogger, on the Llangollen Business Improvement District (BID)

Consultation over the proposed Llangollen BID is continuing. 

A BID is an arrangement whereby businesses get together, decide what additional improvements they want to make, how they are going to manage and deliver those improvements and what it will cost them. 

This all goes into a business plan which is voted on by all those who would have to pay. 

The BID can last for a maximum of five years and must be able to demonstrate how it has benefited businesses who have funded it.

The BID organisers have been in Llangollen this week speaking to businesses to discover their priorities for the town centre.

The feedback from this consultation will go into a producing a summary business plan which will outline potential project area’s the BID could focus on to deliver improvements for businesses. 

This will form the basis for further consultation in November where potential levy payers will have further opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on the proposals.

Following this period of consultation, the BID organisers with the help of the BID Task Group, a representative group of businesses that volunteer to work towards developing the BID, will produce the Final Business Plan. 

This will outline exactly what the BID is proposing to deliver, how it will be governed, and funded. 

This will be sent to all businesses in the proposed BID area in January 2020 before a full 28-day postal ballot begins in late February. 

This will be the businesses' chance to decide if they want the BID to go ahead.

* To find out more about the BID please visit www.llangollenbid.co.uk or contact Project Manager Kevin Brownell on 07496 718580 or kevin@themosaicpartnership.co.uk

Thousands will head for town's food festival

* Food festival committee members Phil Davies and Pip Gale raise a glass of Chateau Loughlin in honour of event saviour Colin Loughlin.

* Booze Brothers Gruff and Ieuan Jones.

* Chirk Trout Farm and Smokery's Rachel Simpson with new smoked pancetta product.

Thousands of food lovers will be beating a path to Llangollen this weekend to sample the culinary delights of the town’s annual food festival.

Llangollen Food Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday at the international pavilion.

The event, which will provide a shop window for more than 100 stallholders, has been named as one of the UK’s Top 10 food festivals by the Daily Telegraph and Independent newspapers.

It will also provide a major boost to the local economy which stands to benefit from a total spend of £400,000 by visitors.

Among those plying their trade there will be the Wrexham-based Booze Brothers who  will be launching a new cocktail in honour of two aristocratic women who scandalised 18^th century society when they eloped together from Ireland and settled in Llangollen.

The concoction called Ladies’ Dee-light will celebrate the lives of the Ladies of Llangollen, Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby.

The new drink is the brainchild of two brothers,  trained mixologists Gruff and Ieuan Jones,  whose micro bar business is taking North Wales by storm.

Also being launched is a new wine to honour the memory of the man who saved the popular festival – and will be used to raise money for his favourite charity.

Friends and colleagues were devastated by the sudden death of the “larger than life” former wine distributor Colin Loughlin, 76  after he suffered a heart attack at his home on the outskirts of the town in February.

The red wine, appropriately called Chateau Loughlin, will be unveiled at this year’s festival and the label features a colourful caricature of Colin.

The proceeds will be used to help fund a defibrillator on a new boat, the Lady Winifred, that’s recently been launched by the Vale of Llangollen Canal Boat Trust which Colin supported for many years.

Back in 2011, Colin came to rescue of the Llangollen Food Festival and led a team of volunteers who took it over when the previous organiser pulled the plug on the event.

Festival committee member Pip Gale, who also runs Gales Wine Bar in Llangollen, sourced the Chateau Loughlin wine.

Pip said: “Chateau Loughlin is a lovely, easy drinking wine from the South of France, made with predominantly with Syrah grapes.  I’m sure Colin would approve."

A trout farm and smokehouse whose delicacies once tickled the taste buds of James Bond has lined up a legendary new treat for visitors the  festival.

Chirk Trout Farm Shop and Smokery, which has supplied smoked trout to the Orient Express among other prestigious establishments, will be unveiling its luxurious new smoked pancetta.

“It’s great to be returning to one of the loveliest food events in the country with a new product,” said former veterinary nurse Rachael  Simpson, 40, who joined the firm run by the Simpson family after marrying her husband Richard, 44, who manages the smokery and trout farm. 

Festival committee member Phil Davies said: “We have a wonderful array of fantastic food producers clustered in the area for whom we can provide a shop window.

"I'm glad to say we're also making a positive contribution the local economy with food lovers travelling from far and wide because the festival is now firmly and rightly established as a major highlight in the UK's culinary calendar."

* For more information go to www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

AM expresses concern over milk sector

Following this week’s news that Wrexham-based dairy firm Tomlinsons has gone into administration, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood (pictured) questioned the Welsh Government yesterday over what action it is taking to protect the milk processing sector.

Administrators were appointed after the company, which was established in 1983 and employed more than 300 workers, experienced "significant cash flow pressures." 

As well as its base in Minera, Wrexham, the dairy company has operations in Chester, Shropshire and across the North West.

During yesterday’s Topical Questions in the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood expressed concern regarding the closure and, with it being the second milk processing plant in Wales to close, asked what action the Welsh Government is taking to protect the sector.

He said: “Five million, I believe, of the £22 million investment in Tomlinsons in 2017 came from the Welsh Government, and, of course, that raises questions about the degree of contractual protection for the public pound. 

"But, as we heard, this is the second milk processing plant in Wales to close, meaning that more than half of (Welsh) milk production is now having to be transported elsewhere. The Dairy Leadership Board last met four years ago, but its conclusions still stand, including the need to attract top-end processors into Wales.

“Wales is a top milk producer. Across the European continent and beyond, milk production is moving north and west because grass grows better here. How, therefore, are you, or have you, since that recommendation from the Dairy Leadership Board four years ago, taken the actions necessary to develop and protect the processing sector in Wales, not only in terms of milk, but also in maximising the commercial opportunity to develop the components of Welsh milk, which offer exciting chances to deliver rural economic growth in the future, and marketing that to new potential owners, as you seek someone who will take it on as a growing concern?”

In his response the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters AM, said: “The £5 million grant was for a specific scheme to help them develop and become more resilient, and the food business investment grant, which was carried out in line with due diligence and all the grant conditions were discharged - the additional support was from the Development Bank for Wales, which was to help them with cash flow and other matters, and, clearly, along with the commercial investors, we have not been able to secure the full repayment of that. But if we can be accused of anything, it's certainly not of not offering enough support to the company.

“But there are things that we can't control. The markets are at play here, and commercial, individual companies make decisions, management make decisions, and there are consequences to those decisions. We remain confident that there is a good business to be run here, and we hope the administrators are successful in providing alternative providers. We'll work with them to continue supporting them. On the broader points that the gentleman makes about support for the industry, I'll ask my colleague Lesley Griffiths to write to him to provide a detailed response.”

Speaking outside the Chamber, Mr Isherwood responded: “The technology on the site is excellent. With over 300 employees directly affected, plus many more in the local economy, the investment here must not be lost and priority must be given to seeking someone who will take on the plant as a going concern."

Rhys Meirion to star in eisteddfod's Christmas concert

* Rhys Meirion will headline the eisteddfod's Christmas concert. 

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will be celebrating the launch of its 2020 programme by hosting an International Christmas concert with Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion and presented by Nic Parry, on Sunday December 15.

The eisteddfod favourite will be returning to perform at the concert, which aims to raise funds for the festival. 

He will headline the festive evening with his impressive vocals and will be joined by Wrexham songbird Elan Catrin Parry. 

The schoolgirl left the audience in awe last year with a performance of her debut album Angel and will this year present a selection of festive melodies.

Guests will also be able to enjoy the musical talents of pianist Julian Gonzales, international folk dancers and the band of Ysgol Dinas Brân.

Rhys Meirion said: ‘I am really looking forward to singing at the iconic Llangollen Pavilion once again.

“The eisteddfod has a very special place in my heart as I remember seeing Pavarotti perform there in the mid 1990s and it was one of the moments that inspired me to take the plunge and pursue a career in music.”

Eisteddfod artistic director Dr Edward Rhys-Harry said: “We are thrilled to welcome internationally renowned Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion to Llangollen for our Christmas concert. We hope that the audience will enjoy this year’s festive celebrations which will showcase a selection of outstanding musical talent.

“It promises to be an enchanting evening with fantastic performances to get us all into the Christmas spirit.”

The evening will include a new initiative, The Gift of Giving Reverse Grotto. Guests are encouraged to donate food items to be left under the Christmas tree, which will be handed to the Llangollen Food Bank.

Elise Jackson, Community Engagement Officer at the International Eisteddfod, said: “Christmas is a time to celebrate peace and goodwill – core values that our festival nurtures and promotes. We’re delighted to launch an extra element to our carol concert this year, with the Gift of Giving initiative with the local food bank. We’d encourage everyone to bring long shelf-life food donations on the night to help support local people who struggle to provide for their families at Christmas.”

* Tickets for the concert will be available at Llangollen Food Festival being held this weekend at the Llangollen Pavilion. Tickets are priced at £13 for adults, £5 for children (under 5s go free) They are also available from the Eisteddfod Office and Llangollen Tourist Information or online at www.llangollen.net