1950s coach has £5k facelift by railway volunteers

* The new coach is seen on arrival at Carrog on Friday.

Carriage restoration enthusiasts are celebrating the completion of their project to return a 1950s compartment coach to working condition at the Llangollen Railway.

The coach, once used on commuter trains in and out of London Kings Cross, is described as a Brake Second Suburban unit. 

It has taken three years of volunteer effort to restore it at the railway’s Carriage & Wagon Works. 

The coach features six separate compartments for passengers with a guard’s compartment. 

It will join an existing rake of four previously-restored suburban coaches. Together they will offer a unique train operating formation on Llangollen Railway.

Coach No.E43359 was taken for a trial run with the 11am departure from Llangollen hauled by the Class 26 diesel locomotive No.5310, recreating a scene from the late 1950s when such trains ran on the Eastern Region lines in north London.

During the restoration the opportunity was taken to provide additional capacity for the less able passengers to travel.

The luggage space within the guard’s compartment was partitioned off and fitted with seats and space to accommodate wheel chair users and their carers. An added feature is the installation of two windows in the end wall which offer an observation coach view of the line when at the rear of the train.

* Project team members Peter Jump and Paul Bailey with LRT deputy chair Phil Coles sample the new compartment for mobility impaired passengers

Project leader Peter Jump said: “When the coach was acquired in dilapidated condition from another railway its restoration was considered a major job.

“So it proved to be and three years later the Llangollen Railway Suburban Group members are more than pleased with the outcome of their endeavours.

"It shows what dedicated volunteers can achieve working one-day-week in the open air with a minimum of facilities. 

"This style of coach has 18 doors, half of which had to be replaced and the rest repaired. The bench seating in each compartment has been reupholstered with a Scot Rail machete material and each compartment has four framed reproduction prints of British Railways countrywide scenes, each sponsored by supporters. 

"The project has cost about £5,000, plus innumerable volunteer hours of work.”

Llangollen Railway Trust deputy chairman Phil Coles acknowledged the successful completion of the project by the group of volunteers.

He said: “On behalf of the Trust, I congratulate them for their dedication to see the work completed, especially during the period of the pandemic.

“The Suburban coaches will provide the regular set for weekend trains during the autumn period running through to Halloween. Either a steam or diesel locomotive will haul the train and offer an example of what it was like to travel into the City of London in pre-electrification days.”

To be formed as a five-coach rake, the Suburban set offers a modern-day seating capacity of around 300. 

This is rather less than the number of commuters British Railways wanted to cram in 60 years ago when travellers were a lot thinner and a compartment was expected to take 12 adults in cosy comfort.

Today the availability of all the compartments makes the coaches ideal for maintaining social distancing, as well as offering an unusual rail experience at Llangollen Railway.

* The Class 26 diesel and train at Carrog.

Have your say on council services in Denbighshire

Residents are being invited to have their say on Council services and their local area.

Denbighshire County Council is launching an online survey to find out how well the Council is performing and we want to know what you think.

The results will be used to help improve services that are important to you, as well as monitor the progress of our current Corporate Plan.

If you are a Denbighshire resident and take part in the survey, you are in with the chance to win a month’s Denbighshire Leisure membership.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, the Council’s Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets, said: “This is a chance to tell us what you think about services that Denbighshire County Council provides, and how you feel about your local area. Whether you live, work or own a businesses in Denbighshire, you can take part in the survey.

“Asking the views of our residents helps inform our decision making and allows you to tell us what our priorities should be.

“I would encourage as many people as possible to take this chance to help improve services and your local area.”

The online survey is running between September 13 and October 24.

* To take part and have your say, please visit https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/project/612 and paper copies are available in all Denbighshire libraries.

Wider choice of test providers for those returning from abroad

 

A wider choice of test providers will be available for people returning to Wales from overseas to book PCR tests from 21 September, Health Minister Eluned Morgan confirmed today.

The change comes as new standards and spot checks are being introduced, which will help to address long-standing concerns and issues about the market for PCR tests for all travellers returning to the UK. The Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) has also made a series of recommendations to the UK Government to further improve the travel testing market. All travellers returning to the UK from overseas must take PCR tests on their return home to help identify any new cases of coronavirus and prevent its onward spread. Until now, these must be NHS tests for Welsh residents – people living in other parts of the UK have had a wider choice of test provider. But concerns have been raised about issues with some of the private test providers, including inaccurate and misleading advertised prices, slow delivery and processing of tests and results not flowing into Welsh systems. New legislative standards for private test providers will come into force from 21 September. They will include ensuring that test results and genomic sequencing – which is used to identify any new variants – are processed and reported quickly and within a comparable time period to NHS tests.  Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: “Given the new regulations and the impact on standards for private tests, we will make changes to the rules to enable people travelling to Wales to book tests with private sector providers, if they wish. NHS tests will also continue to be available to book. “These changes will come into effect from 21 September to coincide with the new standards coming into force in England. “I welcome the progress that has been made in addressing the significant concerns we have raised with UK Government, especially with the introduction of new regulatory standards on 21 September. I also expect further improvements following the publication of the CMA report and acceptance of the recommendations to further improve outcomes. “It’s important to remember that coronavirus is still with us, and our advice continues to be that people should avoid all non-essential international travel.” If you do need to travel overseas, you can check the current guidance on the requirements for arriving in Wales here. The current list of eligible private test providers can be found on the gov.uk website.

Tip campaigner takes matters to a higher level

* The household waste site at Plas Madoc. 

A local tip campaigner says he is taking things to a higher level after the county council rejected his argument in favour of providing access to Wrexham's Plas Madoc household recycling centre for residents of the Dee Valley.

Earlier this year Phil Jones organised a 900-signature petition calling for an agreement between Denbighshire and Wrexham councils which would mean local people would no longer have to drive over to Ruthin use the to tip there. 

In his latest update on the campaign he says: 

"Have you ever marked your own homework? Well Denbighshire County Council has and it gave itself an A*. 

"You may recall that the new Chief Executive, Mr Graham Boase, decided that my letter to him, asking him to take a fresh look at the whole issue of recycling in the Dee Valley, should be processed as a ‘complaint’. 

"I was then informed that the person appointed to deal with my complaint would be Mr Tony Ward, head of service for waste. 

"I asked for a different head of service to be appointed to review the case because Mr Ward is the ‘responsible officer’ for the service which is the subject of the complaint.

"How could Mr Ward be relied on to review the facts objectively, you may wonder. Well, my request was rejected without any attempt to justify or explain why it was appropriate for a head of service to be judge and jury in the review of a complaint made against his own service. 

"You will not be surprised to hear that Mr Ward tells me 'the decision not to pursue the option of paying WCBC to enable residents from the Dee Valley to access the Plas Madoc recycling centre was a properly made decision'.

He also tells me: 'You are correct that this (the pop-up service at the Pavilion) is not the same level of service as you would have if you lived closer to one of our HWRC sites, but it generally seems to be well received by residents in the Dee Valley'. 

"‘Well received’ by whom you might ask? 

"Mr Ward makes no mention of the 900+ people who signed the petition, who are very dissatisfied with the service.

"The outcome is very clear. DCC will not listen to the express wishes of its rate-payers and will continue to spin the facts to claim it is a paragon of recycling. 

"Our only recourse now is to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman. It seems the fight is not yet over, and if you feel angry about this get your friends and neighbours to sign the petition if they have not already done so. 

"When elections come around its worth remembering that of the town and county councillors who are currently elected to represent the rate-payers of Llangollen, only two, Cllr John Palmer and Cllr Stuart Davies, have spoken in support of our campaign. Cllr Mile confirmed publicly that he has ‘never supported’ the campaign, why you might ask? Is anybody listening to YOUR views?"

Kamiq is a plain Jane but with tardis-like space

Skoda Kamiq drive by Steve Rogers

Remember the Yeti, Skoda's ground breaking family SUV with the Tonka toy looks?

This is its replacement, the Kamiq, and instead of chunky toy think Dr Who's tardis.

Kamiq is the smallest in Skoda's trio of SUVs coming under Karoq and the big seven seat Kodiaq, and shares much of what you will find in a Seat Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross which are all part of the VW family.

It might be classed as small but is anything but once inside hence the tardis reference. This is a spacious package all round with a healthy amount of legroom for back seat passengers. Plenty of space for adult legs here and it has not been achieved by slicing into boot capacity, which is a handy 400 litres and not far off best in the class.

It is family practical too with a wide opening tailgate and a few hooks and tethering points to stop things rolling around. The double sided boot mat is really useful but is a 75 quid extra. Come on Skoda that should be buckshee.

Skoda always tries to throw in some 'simply clever' touches so here are four things to make you smile: a mini sized umbrella slotted into the driver's door frame, just like a Rolls Royce; an ice scraper tucked into the fuel filler cap; a seat belt slot to stop them disappearing when the split back seats are lifted back into place; and a funnel on the windscreen washer bottle. Now isn't that thoughtful but I put on my glum face at the sight of a hand brake rather than an electronic parking brake. That is so 20th century, just like an ignition key. Thankfully this Kamiq has a starter button.

Does Kamiq catch the eye of onlookers? Hardly, it is a plain Jane up against Renault Captur, Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 or Ford Puma and it is the same inside, not much character and lots of black although there should be no complaints with trim and build quality, and isn't space the key here anyway.

What I do like about the dashboard is the simplicity whether it is the driver's binnacle where you can toggle between the various menus, or the centre console which retains physical switches for heating and that is a bonus these days.

The standard central touchscreen is eight inches but you can spec up to the 9.2in version that includes navigation and voice control. It will set you back £930 and is tempting because it is a super clear, fast reacting system and so easy to use.

I was in it all the time switching off lane assist which is annoying on anything other than motorways. Trouble is the default setting is 'on' when the engine is fired up, so it is tap this, tap that, five annoying times to turn it off. Why can't we have a simple switch?

On the petrol engine front the choice is three-cylinder one litre with 94 or 114bhp and a 148bhp 1.5 four cylinder. I was glad to have the 114bhp version because it is a cracking engine with lively pick up and fuss free cruising thanks to the six speed gearbox. The lower output makes do with a five speed.

The delivery driver set the economy bar high with 51mpg for his 160 mile mainly motorway journey, too high for me as I ended the week on 45.2 some way off Skoda's 52.3mpg average, but I could live with that as Kamiq is a no nonsense fun car to drive on any road and is pretty comfortable into the bargain.

Kamiq's spec sheet is reasonable from the start but the next along the line SE is the favoured model and has just about all that is needed including wireless smartlink, two USB-C ports, one touch front and rear electric windows, LED headlights, a range of safety features and rear parking sensors. No reversing camera on SE is a disappointment and the low slung front passenger seat needs a height adjuster.

A fair question is why bother with a traditional family hatchback when you can pay less for a small SUV with just as much space? Kamiq is good value with only the Dacia Duster beating it on price.

Kamiq will never enjoy the cult following of the Yeti but when wading through the long list of small SUVs it has to be a contender.

Fast facts

Kamiq SE 6sp manual

£20,985 (starts £19,095)

1-litre TSI 108bhp

0-62mph 10.2secs; 120mph

52.3mpg combined

124g/km. 1st VED £175

Insurance group 13

Boot 400-1395 litres

 

Tidy Town Team remakes part of Centenary Square

Members of Llangollen Tidy Town Team, pictured, have undertaken a remake of the corner garden area of Centenary Square. 

The area had deteriorated with people walking over the plants, dogs being allowed to foul the area, the growth of persistent weeds and cigarette ends being dropped.

On behalf of Llangollen Town Council and with the expert guidance of Chris Morris, some plants were repositioned, the area dug out, levelled, lined and filled with some 2.5 tonnes of local slate by members of the team who are all volunteers.

Two local roadworks alerts

 

The following local roadworks alerts have come from one.network:

Hill Street 13 September — 31 March   Delays unlikely - Some carriageway incursion   Works description: 13/09/21-31/03/21/Jayne Valentine/Junction Realignment Scheme 18412...   Works location: Hill Street   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Denbighshire County Council.   Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: QR015S000000001774   Market Street 13 September — 17 September   Delays unlikely - No carriageway incursion   Works description: The excavation and reinstatement of the footway for the connection of electrical supply to Street Fu...   Works location: Column 2, In Car Park By Public Toilets...   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Denbighshire County Council.   Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: QR30100039998

llanblogger takes a short break

llanblogger is now taking a short break and will be back in a few days

Viaduct checks mean overnight traffic diversions through Llan

Essential works to investigate the structural security of the viaducts in the Dee and Ceiriog Valleys will result in overnight diversions through Llangollen, according to Wrexham.com

* For the full story, see: https://www.wrexham.com/news/full-closure-for-part-of-a483-planned-for-viaducts-inspections-division-through-llangollen-due-to-newbridge-landslip-208538.html

Another local roadworks notified by one.network is: 

Brook Street 06 September — 08 September   Delays possible - Traffic control (multi-way signals)   Works description: TM Purposes Only   Works location: brooke street junction of queens street...   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.   Responsibility for works: Openreach   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: BC006MQONSAWNWC4WC5MWN1P

Collen Players back live for their latest hit music hall show

* The Collen Players take their curtain call at the end of the show. 

Pictures by Jeanette Robinson

* Father Lee Taylor in the chair.

* Neil Barrett and David Lyne as Barbara and Joyce.

 * Phil Robinson as Champagne Charlie.

* Magician Paul Edwards - the Welsh Wizard.

* Susan Stokes - Danny Boy.

* Gethin Davies - Have Some Madeira M'Dear.

* Mike Connolly on the Road to Mandalay.

* Louise Cielecki closes the show.

After a gap of many months due to the pandemic The Collen Players were back in front of a live audience last night for their latest music hall and variety show in the Community Hall.

In the chair as usual was St Collen's vicar Father Lee Taylor - a devout fan of traditional Victorian music hall - introducing the evening's packed programme which featured a host of talented entertainers.

Following his opening breezy bout of patter and comedy songs first up came a favourite of Players audiences Susan Stokes with the catchy K-K-K Katy and a moving Danny Boy.

They've done a similar routine for previous Collen shows and there was another warm welcome for the double-act Neil Barrett and Dave Lyne doing their hilarious skit on gossips Barbara and Joyce.

Phil Robinson then took to the authentically-dressed stage to present the music hall staples Champagne Charlie and The Spaniard Who Blighted My Life.

During the interval a well-enjoyed buffet meal was served for the audience prepared by Fabiano Silva.

In the second half of the show Father Lee resumed the chair to present a rousing musical medley of golden oldies including Tulips from Amsterdam, Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer, Loch Lomond and Let’s Go Fly a Kite.

For something a little different there was Paul Edwards presenting some amazingly cunning magic tricks in his guise as The Welsh Wizard.

Staying in lighter mood Gethin Davies followed with the ditty Have Some Madeira M’dear and The Spanish Guitar, both accompanied on the piano by his wife Eulanwy.

Mike Connolly's powerful and well-received contributions were Keep the Home Fires Burning and The Road to Mandalay before Barrett and Lyne returned to take an hilarious peek at George and Leonard, husbands of Barbara and Joyce.

Louise Cielecki rounded off in fine style with a couple of big-hearted show numbers, Little Girls from Annie and I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.

All that was left was for the chairman to lead the entire cast in a rousing chorus of one of the best-known of all music halls songs, Down at the Old Bull and Bush.

Locals encouraged to use valley sightseeing bus

* The bus stops at the Ponderosa on the Horseshoe Pass.

* Another stop at the Wenffrwd pocket park just outside Llangollen.

Llangollen people are being encouraged to try a trip aboard a bus service which is spending the summer touring some of Dee Valley's key beauty spots. 

The Dee Valley Picturesque Bus service is a circular route which runs every Saturday until October 2021.

It links Llangollen and the surrounding villages to popular local attractions including Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wenffrwd Nature Reserve, Horseshoe Falls, Valle Crucis Abbey, PlasNewydd Historic House and the Horseshoe Pass.

The service aims to enable people to visit these key locations without the need of a car and reduce the need for parking spaces, making it easier for those without their own vehicle to access these places, and helping to reduce congestion at some of the busiest sites in the Dee Valley.  

The service also provides both visitors and local residents the opportunity to explore the wider area.

The service has been made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, and delivered in partnership by Denbighshire County Council and the Our Picturesque Landscape project, a landscape partnership scheme which is working to conserve and improve access to the inspiring landscapes of the Dee Valley and Pontcysllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.

The Dee Valley Picturesque Bus Service, number 199, operates Saturdays only until October 30. 

* For the full timetable and ticket prices for the Picturesque Bus service , see Denbighshire bus timetable webpage or pick up a leaflet from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.

Kate Thomson, Partnership Officer for the Our Picturesque Landscape project, said: “This project was due to launch in 2020 but was delayed by the pandemic, so we are really pleased that this service was able to run in 2021 and hopefully for many years to come.  

"By working in partnership with Denbighshire County Council, we have been able to ensure that the service complements existing public transport provision.  

"Connecting to bus timetables from Corwen and Wrexham makes the Picturesque Bus service the ideal option for planning walks in the area.  

"We are grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Walesfor making this service possible, and hope it will go on to be a great success and a real legacy for the Our Picturesque Landscape project.”

Driver shortage means pause on council bulky waste collections

Denbighshire County Council is pausing new requests for the removal of bulky household items due to rising demand and a backlog of existing collections.

The Council is unable to take new bookings for this service until Monday, September 13, due to driver shortages.

Cllr Brian Jones, the Council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “We are doing everything we can to keep all services going at this time.

“We would like to apologise to residents for any inconvenience caused and thank them for their understanding.

“Our priority is to collect requests from existing customers, with wait times currently around six weeks.

“We are seeing a rising demand for the service and this is exacerbated by driver shortages currently affecting many industries. 

“To enable the service to continue, the Council is working with Denbigh-based firm CAD Recycling who are providing staff to carry out collections.

“The Council is currently managing to keep all other waste services operating, despite staffing issues, and we hope this short suspension will ensure those who have already booked a bulky waste collection have their items cleared more quickly.”

Many bulky items collected by the Council can be reused or recycled if they are kept dry and clean until they are collected.

Residents are asked to keep items inside or protected until they are notified of their collection day.

Business is booming for Llangollen hotel after pandemic

* The Wild Pheasant is welcoming more brides than ever before, it says. 

* The spa is now open again following the pandemic.

A Llangollen hotel is reporting record business in the wake of the pandemic. 

The Wild Pheasant on the A5 stayed open throughout the Covid-19 crisis to accommodate key workers and is now rapidly getting back to normal. 

Fresh from its caring role The Wild Pheasant is once again welcoming the more usual kind of guest to its 47 bedrooms, restaurant and spa and the weddings side of the operation is booming. 

It was back in 2016 that the hotel was acquired by the Evenbright company which in its stable of hotels also numbers Rossett Hall, two in Lake District, Stonecross Manor and The George, as well a new one in Llandudno. 

Wild Pheasant guest accommodation includes standard double/twin rooms, executive king rooms, the Dinas Bran & Berwyn Suite and the Dee Valley Penthouse with private hot tub on the balcony. 

When it comes to dining there’s the Courtyard Restaurant and The Glasshouse with the Glanrafon Suite catering specifically for weddings.

 

A hotel spokesperson said: “The Wild Pheasant Hotel & Spa has always been a popular choice for weddings in North Wales.

 

“Our Glanafon Suite is ideal for weddings up to 100 people and boasts its own private bar area.

 

“In 2020 we were awarded the title of best countryside wedding venue regionally and nationally That was a fantastic achievement for all the team, which includes over 40 full and part-time staff.”

 

Following the pandemic the hotel’s Llangollen Spa is now open for access to its hydrotherapy pool and treatments.

 

The hotel says the sauna and steam room will be open at a later date once it is felt safe to do so.

 

A spokesperson said: “The Wild Pheasant and its team are delighted to welcome people back after the easing of Covid restrictions, although we remained open throughout to accommodate key workers. 

“The recent pandemic took the world of hospitality from one extreme to the other. But since the easing of lockdown restrictions all Everbright Hotels have enjoyed incredible levels of business and it seems as though the trend is set to continue. 

“Both The Wild Pheasant and Rossett Hall have seen levels across every area of their business exceed any previous record. 

“By the end of the year each hotel will have welcomed more brides and grooms than ever before, having rescheduled some weddings as many as three times during the pandemic. 

“The two hotels have also experienced unprecedented numbers of leisure guests coming into the area for their holidays and short breaks. 

“Restaurant and bars have been constantly busy with many passers-by and locals calling in to eat and drink. This has resulted in record numbers of enquiries from the local community already getting in early with their Christmas bookings.”

Politicians call for Universal Credit increase to go ahead

North Wales politicians are calling on the UK Government to abandon plans to halt increases to Universal Credit after it emerged their constituencies would be among the hardest hit in Wales. 

Ken Skates and Lesley Griffiths have urged MPs to ‘show some humility’ and fight for their constituents by opposing Westminster’s plans to withdraw a proposed £20-a-week rise in payments – equivalent to £1,040 a year – from October 6.   

Both Members of the Senedd say they have received emails and telephone calls from ‘extremely anxious’ constituents about the UK Government’s plans, but as benefits are not devolved to Wales it is incumbent on Members of Parliament to vote against the cut.   

“We continue to hear daily soundbites from the Tories at Westminster about ‘levelling up’, which all sound pretty hollow when they’re complicit in plunging low-income families into further financial problems,” said Mr Skates, Member of the Senedd for Clwyd South.   

“I would implore Members of Parliament to stand up and be counted. People have long memories and they won’t forget it if their MP supports the Tory Government taking this much-needed money away from them. It’s time for them to show some humility.”  

Figures recently published by the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation revealed that all but four Welsh constituencies will see over a third of working-age families with children hit by the cut – including all six won by the Tories from Labour at the 2019 General Election.   

In Clwyd South, which includes Llangollen, 42% will be affected, it says.  

Ms Griffiths, Member of the Senedd for Wrexham, said: “In just a few weeks, the UK Government will impose the largest reduction to the basic rate of social security since World War Two. It’s impossible to over-state how hard this will hit local families, and it’s heart-breaking.   

“As we cautiously emerge on the other side of the pandemic, governments should be aiding social and economic recovery, but the statistics prove significantly reducing the support offered by Universal Credit will have a detrimental effect on many Wrexham residents.”  

It is estimated that 22% of all working-age families in Wales will see a £1,040-a-year cut to their incomes from October 6. A huge 42% of families with children in Wales will be affected.   

Across the UK, more than a third (38%) of those who will see their income reduced are in employment – while one in six (16%) are under 25.   

The Welsh Labour Government, along with the UK's other devolved administrations, has written to the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, Thérèse Coffey, expressing ‘grave concerns regarding upcoming plans to withdraw support to the poorest in our society’.