Latest work planned by contractors for Denbighshire County Council on the Llangollen 2020 project in the town centre is:
Below is a summary of the work planned in different areas:
To mark this annual time of Remembrance llanblogger has a special feature on the historical World War One soldiers' graffiti found near Berwyn station, for which concern has been expressed
A man who recently visited Berwyn station and saw the poignant World War One soldiers’ graffiti on the underpass there has voiced concerns about its deterioration.
As they waited for trains on their way to fight in the trenches a series of young squaddies inscribed their thoughts on the white glazed brickwork of the underground passage which leads down from the station platform towards the Chain Bridge.
A number of these young men never returned home from the killing fields of France and Belgium.
What remained of the pencilled markings were officially recognised many years later, in the early 2000s, when they became the subject of media attention and a special exhibition at Llangollen Museum.
Although a major programme of renovation and protection was thought to be necessary it is understood that the high cost of such an exercise meant it was never undertaken.
Now an email from a concerned visitor has revived interest in the historical graffiti.
John Linley, of Treuddyn, wrote to llanblogger: “I was in Llan yesterday and took a friend to see the underpass and was shocked and disappointed to see how bad the deterioration was on the writings there.
“I first visited the site way back in the late 90s.
“It put tears in my eyes to read the writings including one dated Christmas Day by one of the soldiers waiting for a train.
“The chain bridge was closed then with all the planks missing. I scrambled over the bridge to the hotel.
“Then I read that Stephanie Booth had bought the hotel and promised to repair the chain bridge. I was alarmed that it put the writings in danger of further damage due to people then defacing the writings.
“I alerted the council and the Great War records people and I believe photos were taken.
“I have a suggestion that could help: Chase out a line of mortar above the writings and insert a length of angled plastic to take the water away and drip clear of the wall.
“Then pick a single brick to clean just with water and a soft cloth, to see if the writing can be made clearer after all the moss removed.
“If successful, then carefully clean the rest of the bricks & spray with a clear lacquer.”
In 2018 Peter Dickinson, one of the founding members of the railway's Heritage Group and an active volunteer at Berwyn station from 2012 until 2018, gave a fascinating insight to llanblogger into the on-going efforts to preserve the graffiti.
Now, shown the email from Mr Linley, he said no major conservation work of the graffiti had taken place.
And he added: “Without the improvements to the drainage and new membrane being installed over the structure, I believe that it would be counter-productive to undertake any conservation work on the graffiti.
“The efforts to carefully uncover and record the individual messages would be soon undone by the continuous flow of water over the surface of the white-glazed bricks.
“A two-stage approach is needed and the stumbling block has been the lack of funding for this project from the railway's previous management.
“I am very keen to be involved with this project going forwards, especially given the poignancy and national importance of the structure.
“For some unfortunate souls, the last thing the soldiers did on Welsh soil was to sign the bricks before boarding trains bound towards the Front and destined to make the ultimate sacrifice. The very least we should do is preserve their memory for future generations.”
During the mid-2000s the pencil messages were first spotted by David Gepp, a lecturer in photography at the Herefordshire College of Art.
His discovery led to him arranging a temporary exhibition on the signatures in Llangollen Museum in 2007.
Volunteers at the museum began researching some of the messages.
One of these is by AJ Candy which reads "I really want --is baby".
One
entry on the walls shows that E. M. Morris and R. Roberts shared a cigarette
together there on 6th July 1913.
Some of the other scribblings indicated soldiers in light-hearted mood, including the messages 'Balls from Belgium', 'Berlin Last Stop' and 'Hoof Hearted'.
Research into Candy’s life and military career has revealed that he is incorrectly listed on the Llangollen war memorial and was actually named Albert rather than Alfred.
It transpires that Albert James Candy was born in Cardiff in July 1887. His father died when Albert was only three and tragically his mother died in May 1895.
Albert
and his older brother Frederick were soon admitted into an orphanage in
Somerset, where the trail temporarily goes cold. However by 1911, he had found
work at a bakers and confectioners’ shop in Llangollen.
There is currently no record of when he joined up, but from the Commonwealth War Graves we have found that on 17th April 1917 James Candy 675653, Royal Field Artillery, “D” Battery, 285 Brigade was killed.
He was buried at plot 4, Row D, Grave 14 in Le Grand Hasard Military Cemetery, in Morbecque, Northern France.
At the time of WW1 commemorations efforts were made to increase public awareness of the graffiti through free information packs and temporary displays at the station, including the display of commemorative wreaths and even a GWR WW1 stretcher.
* Llangollen Railway's new Visitor Guide, which is being released in February, will feature an article about the significance / history of the subway. https://www.mortonsbooks.co.uk/product/view/productCode/15044
* Above and below: campaigners on the steps of the square.
* A youngster wears a "Flaming Earth" head.
* Another young supporter holds a climate change banner.
* The powerful symbol of a tree was on show.
The demonstration, timed
for the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow chaired by the government, was
arranged by Llangollen Friends of the Earth (FoE) and included families and
children along with walkers, cyclists and kayakers.
With the message “Earth’s on Fire” the campaigners highlighted what they allege is the government’s “hypocrisy” in claiming to be a world leader on climate whilst continuing to support fossil fuels here and abroad.
Friends of the Earth says the government is currently supporting a
new oil field off Shetland, investment in new oil in Mozambique - fuelling conflict in the region - and
supporting a new coal mine in Cumbria.
The organisation is calling on the government to drop their
support for these projects and to concentrate on securing a future for young
people.
To chants from the crowd of "climate action now!" Warren Davies, Llangollen FoE group co-ordinator, said: “We’re
asking people to write to their MP to express their concerns about government
support for fossil fuel projects, to share their concerns about climate change
and to call for action.
“We all want less waste, we all want a healthier society and we
all want to protect future generations. By taking climate action we can achieve
these things, but the effort must be felt by all of society, that is in the UK
and globally.
“A YouGov survey found 67% of voters felt that the UK should
strive to be a global leader on climate change.
“People have done all they can individually, they’ve reduced their
energy use, they always recycle. But we’re at a brick wall. To get further we
need the government to lead and enable people to reduce their emissions.
“Climate change solutions can bring many positives, especially to
rural areas. Local energy generation, insulation businesses and local food
production can all potentially create decent, secure jobs.”
He added: “In recent years we have experienced unprecedented
flooding and drought cycles. We’ve had flooding on the lower Dee and upland
fires on Llantysilio Mountain.
“During these times the local population has pulled together,
supporting local firefighters. But as these weather patterns get worse and more
frequent, we will be spending more and more of our efforts sorting them out. Of
course climate change is a global issue, and so every community will face
similar or worse challenges.
“Unique features of the valley including the beautiful Llangollen Whitebeam
tree are also under threat. This is unique to the area and is struggling to
survive as a species. Climate change will only make its fate more precarious.
“Our government, as hosts of the UN climate talks, must take this opportunity to take decisive action.”
Warren Davies said later: "We think around 200 people attended at various stages."
* Ken Chesworth and his wife Angela at the wedding of their son Mark and daughter-in-law Rebecca.
A man was able to witness his son’s wedding thanks to hospice staff who stepped in to get him spruced up and ready to join the family celebration.
Ken Chesworth, 70, has a rare form of Motor Neurone Disease, known as man in a barrel syndrome.
It means those with the condition can eat, talk, and walk but have no use of their arms.
It makes caring for the former Kellogg’s worker doubly difficult, and Ken relies on wife Angela for all his care needs at home.
When the couple’s son Mark announced his marriage to fiancé Rebecca, they felt it would be too overwhelming for Ken and he would miss the big day.
Ken, from Wrexham, was adamant he wanted his wife to enjoy the occasion, including the preparations, without her having to worry about getting him ready. Angela often stays awake at night to monitor Ken’s breathing so is regularly sleep deprived.
The couple were delighted when Nightingale House staff suggested he came to the hospice for respite care over the wedding weekend.
Ken arrived at the hospice the day before the wedding and staff helped him get showered and dressed to attend Mark and Rachel’s big day at The Guildhall in Wrexham the following morning.
Ken, who attends the hospice every week, had previously had six days of respite at the hospice in the spring and the couple knew the positive impact the stay had on them both.
It was a double benefit for them both as Ken didn’t miss out on the wedding and Angela had a well-deserved pamper, relax and some much-needed sleep, knowing her husband was being well cared for in Nightingale House.
Ken said: “It was a wonderful day and the nursing staff at the hospice couldn’t do enough to make the celebrations as stress-free as possible for us, and most importantly for Angela, who didn’t have to worry about me.
“Many people think a hospice is just for end-of-life care but it’s so much more than that. I come to Nightingale House knowing people here care for me. I thought it was only for people with cancer, so when they said I could come here to it was a nice surprise and I haven’t looked back since.”
Ken says Motor Neurone Disease has robbed him of everything as he is no longer able to drive or enjoy hobbies or feed himself.
He says he has accepted his condition will get worse, but the hospice team have helped him, and Angela come to terms with his illness because “they are good listeners, and you can say things to them that you can’t share with your family”.
Ken added: “I can’t believe that this service is entirely free. It feels like a hotel where no money is involved, and everyone knows your name. To all those who fundraise and donate to help people like me thank you so much.”
Yesterday (Thursday) saw another significant step in the project to
extend Llangollen Railway all the way to Corwen.
Further
ballasting was carried out through the new station area to reach the end of the
line at the buffer stops above Green Lane.
The hopper wagons went through the west end points to drop stone in what
is called a headshunt section and later the ballast plough on the engineer's
Shark van was used to spread the stone.
The Shark became the first rail vehicle to reach the buffer stop as
shown in selection of photos taken by George Jones, the railway's publicity
officer.
He said: "This is not the end of the ballasting operation, but it is a significant step in the Corwen project which will lead to the tamper being brought into pack and align the track within the station."
Llangollen residents are being asked to be considerate to neighbours and pets while enjoying themselves this Bonfire Night.
With a number
of organised displays not going ahead this year, those holding their own
display are asked to inform their neighbours in advance.
Cllr Mark
Young, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection
and Safer Communities, said: “We want everyone to enjoy themselves on November
5 in a safe and considerate manner.
“Bonfire Night
can have a serious impact on pets and we would encourage everyone to attend an
organised display where possible.
“Where households
are having their own display then we ask them to be considerate of others and
that they inform their neighbours well ahead of time, by calling in person or
by popping a note through their letterbox.
“Many
complaints spring out of people not telling their neighbours they are planning
to hold a firework display and most importantly when the fireworks were going
to be let off.
“Neighbours
then have a chance to make arrangements in relation to any pets they may keep,
or to make plans to go out if they don't want to listen to the noise.”
Under
fireworks regulations there is generally a curfew preventing people from
letting off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, but this is extended to midnight on
November 5.
To keep your
animals safe on Bonfire Night:
• Keep dogs and cats inside during celebrations
• Walk dogs during daylight hours
• Lock cat flaps once cats are indoors
• Try to avoid leaving your pet alone in the house during fireworks
• Ensure dogs and cats are wearing visible identification (animals may try to
escape if panicked)
• During fireworks put pets in one room, draw curtains and put on the TV or radio
as an alternative noise
• If you think your pet will be seriously distressed approach your vet for advice
on sedation or pheromone sprays
• Try to bring outdoor pets indoors during celebrations, if not turn hutches to
the wall and cover with blankets/duvets
Early next month the whole town will get the chance to have a say on the “people’s plan” for the future of Llangollen.
Shape My Llangollen (SML), the group of volunteers
tasked with producing a Place Plan for the area on behalf of the Town Council, recently
published its draft blueprint containing 90 suggestions for improving
Llangollen and its quality of life and work over the next four years.
And during the first week of December members of
the team will be showcasing their plan, entitled Caru (Love) Llangollen, and
explaining what it means during the final phase of public consultation outside
the Town Hall.
Everyone will have the chance to see it and – most
importantly – be able to give their
feedback on its proposals before it goes back to the Town Council for final
approval and adoption.
SML has been working for the past three years to
produce a Place Plan for the town covering the years 2022-2026.
The group was given the task by the Town Council
back in the summer of 2018 and, as part of what is thought to be the largest
exercise of its type ever undertaken, has since carried out a series of public
consultations asking the people of Llangollen – residents, businesses and
organisations – a number of key questions about their hopes and aspirations for
the future development of their area.
Questions including what they liked or disliked
about the town and features they would like to see kept or changed were posed
in face-to-face interviews at locations such as the health centre, local
superstores and Centenary Square.
This exhaustive testing of grassroots opinion
brought in over 1,700 replies and was reinforced by online consultations with
major stakeholders in the town, ranging from the International Eisteddfod to
the county council and from the Canal & River Authority to representatives
of Castle Street shops.
Although
the pandemic slowed up the project it never came to halt and in the latter
stages, to make up for any lost time and with the aid of a small National
Lottery grant, a firm of expert consultants was brought in to help bring the
results of the consultation together in Caru Llangollen, the Draft Action Plan.
The views and opinions of the people of Llangollen
form the core of the plan, which
includes almost 90 separate action points in six sections of aims with headings
including “A Community That Works Together Stays Together”, Our Younger
Generation Will Be Able to Stay or Return to Live and Work in our Community”,
“A Community That Supports a Vibrant Town Centre With Its Own Unique Identity”
and “A Community That Provides Essential Services for Its Residents.”
The plan also lists those organisations, such as
the town and county councils, responsible for taking the action points forward
and gives a time scale for achievement.
The plan in draft form was unanimously approved by
the Town Council last month.
And the final round of public consultation will
take place outside the Town Hall on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, December 1,
2 and 3, between 10am and 3pm, and on Saturday December 4, from 10am-1pm.
Following this exercise and armed with the public’s
latest impressions on the draft, SML will then produce the final Action Plan
ready for publication early in 2022.
Phil Robinson, who chairs SML, said: “This final
round of public consultation is extremely important as it will be the last
chance for people to have their say on this vital and far-reaching vision of
the town’s future development.
“As we have stressed all along, this is the
people’s own plan, echoing the things they have told us about how they would
like to see our town shaping up through the years ahead, so we are hoping as
many people as possible can join us for the consultation process in December.
“I would once again like to thank all those who
have assisted our work so far and taken part in our earlier rounds of
consultation.
“Without you we could never have completed this
rather daunting task the like of which has never before been seen in
Llangollen.”
* To look through the action plan, go to: https://pubhtml5.com/gaql/ahfd
North Wales Police say they continue to see an increase in reports of scam text and Whatsapp messages targeting elderly parents.
The messages claim to be from their adult children asking for money to be sent urgently for various reasons such as the need to pay a debt or bill.
Victims are told that their child has a new mobile number and in some cases the
scammers engage in text conversations for some time before asking for money
making the messages appear legitimate.
An increasing number
of residents have lost money because of this scam whilst believing they are
helping their children.
Through the Neighbourhood Alert network, police say that if you receive any unexpected message requesting money or vouchers you should make additional checks
to confirm the request is genuine.
They also suggest that people who have elderly parents should discuss this scam with them to ensure they do not become a victim.
The new trust board of Llangollen Railway has issued a statement about their annual general meeting which was held yesterday (Tuesday).
This was the first AGM since the PLC trading arm was placed into administration, and therefore the first opportunity for the membership as a whole to discuss the outcome and quiz the new board in a lively Q&A session afterwards.
The main message was that the trust is now in a healthy financial state.
The statement says: "The 31st December 2020 accounts were presented. These show a small loss of £7,252 after write-offs of £220,000, mostly in connection with the PLC trading arm now in administration. No further write-offs in that respect will be required.
"The Trust is in a healthy financial state with a positive bank balance, no debt and minimal creditors.
"Phil Freeth, finance director, reported the up-to-date position showed the bank balance had increased significantly since thanks to a mixture of generous donations from supporters and the general public, grants, delays in rehiring staff, operating fewer steam trains, relying on DMU (Diesel Multiple Units) and diesel for midweek operations in particular, and passenger loadings had been about 10% above forecast.
“'We would like to take the opportunity to again thank all our supporters and members of the public who have made generous donations and visited the railway since we reopened in July,'” said Phil. We also wish to thank again the Welsh Assembly Government and Denbighshire County Council for their support, and the media without whose generous coverage and supportive stance our plight would not have reached so wide an audience.'
"The board was also able to announce that approximately £200,000 had been approved under South Clwyd’s Levelling Up fund application towards the cost of the canopy at Corwen.
"Richard Dixon-Gough, project manager for the Corwen Station development, was delighted to say, 'This is the final piece in what has been a massive jigsaw. There are still a number of critical steps required before the station can open, and dozens of non-critical tasks to be done before the job can be considered complete.'
"To much applause, Richard thanked his team of volunteers, average age 68, who have progressed the works in all weathers over the last 8 years, having overcome numerous challenges along the way.
"Tom Taylor, an adviser to the board on organisational structure, governance and planning matters, gave an update on progress of his One Railway initiative. Although only in its very early stages, Tom has received over 70 responses so far to the online consultation survey and conducted numerous 1-1 interviews.
"Feedback has been mixed but as Tom said, 'There’s no such thing as bad feedback. It’s only by reaching as many members as possible and capturing their views that we will be able to shape the organisation for the future, and put it on a sound footing that is fit for purpose.'"
The statement comes with a picture of one of the engines which has become the backbone of its renewed operations.
Railway publicity officer George Jones explained: "By way of illustration, and in acknowledgement of the major part played in the 2021 season's operation, the photo shows the diesel railcar two-car set at Carrog station.
"Operated by the volunteers of the Llangollen Railcars Group, their fleet of heritage diesel units have provided the bulk of the train services on the line when steam has been in short supply.
"By their last day of service in 2021 on Sunday November 7 they will have
operated on 85 days and carried over 23,000 passengers in the course of running
3500 miles on the Llangollen line since services resumed to Berwyn on July 9.
"Their appeal to the modern generation of visitors is as trains on which they perhaps went to school or to work 40-50 years ago.
"Visitors riding these trains appreciate the viewing opportunities from the all round windows when taking in the Dee Valley scenery and observing the driver and the operation of the railway. All such interesting opportunities are denied in the modern units now employed on Network Rail, so they are pure nostalgia for some."
A Virtual Dementia Tour Llangollen will be held at St Collen's Church, Llangollen, on Wednesday November 17, from 1.30-3.30pm and 2.30-3.30pm.
It is described by organisers, Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council, as a "window into dementia".
They say places are limited and advise booking is essential.
Register at: https://bit.ly/DAD_VDTLlangollen1711; email, engagement@dvsc.co.uk; or call 01824 702441.
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The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop, has confirmed the presence of avian influenza H5N1 in poultry and wild birds
at a premises in the Wrexham County Borough area. |
|
Temporary Disease Control zones of 3km and 10km have been imposed around the small infected poultry premises, to limit the risk of disease spread. A veterinary
investigation is underway, however, dead wild birds found in the area have
tested positive for the virus and are believed to be the source of infection. The risk to
public health from the virus is considered to be very low and these cases do
not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. Members of the
public are encouraged to not pick up or touch any sick or dead birds and
instead contact the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. The last
recorded case of avian influenza in Wales was in January this year. Today’s
confirmation follows the announcement of similar findings of avian influenza
in the UK and Europe. All keepers are
strongly advised to be vigilant for signs of the disease such as increased
mortality or respiratory distress. If keepers have any concerns about the
health of their birds, they are encouraged to seek prompt advice from their
veterinary surgeon. The Chief
Veterinary Officer for Wales said: “Avian Influenza has
been found in poultry and wild birds in the Wrexham area. This is further
evidence of the need for all keepers of poultry and captive birds to ensure
they have the very highest levels of biosecurity in place. “Public Health
Wales has said the risk to the health of the public from Avian Influenza is
very low and the Food Standards Agency has made clear it does not pose a food
safety risk for UK consumers. “Temporary
control zones have been imposed to help prevent further spread of the
disease. “Suspicion of
avian influenza or any other notifiable disease must be reported to the
Animal and Plant Health Agency immediately.” * Further
information on how to report and dispose dead wild birds can be found at: Report and dispose of
dead birds | GOV.WALES |
Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:
|
04 November — 04 November Delays unlikely - Some
carriageway incursion Works description:
Disconnect and Remove Kiosk... Works location: OPPOSITE
NUMBER 4, MARKET STREET, LL20 8PT... 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 BT. Responsibility for works: BT Current status:
Advanced planning Works reference: BC005PP25W00001978861982 |
Electors in Llangollen may soon have to get used to living in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (Maldwyn a Glyndŵr).
That’s because the present Clwyd South is proposed for
the axe in a major review of parliamentary constituencies being proposed by the
Boundary Commission for Wales (BCW).
And people now have just a couple of days to have their
say on the plan as the eight-week consultation period comes to an end this
Wednesday.
The shake-up aims to redraw the
political map of Wales.
Old
constituency names will disappear, such as Clwyd South, Arfon, Vale of Clwyd
and Clwyd West.
The
proposals from the BCW, published in the summer, follow a decision to reduce
the number of Welsh seats in Westminister from 40 to 32.
Under
rules set out in the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, each constituency
proposed by the Boundary Commission for Wales must contain between 69,724 and
77,062 electors.
Some
constituencies will see changed names while some are fully absorbed into
neighbouring constituencies.
Previous Boundary Commission
proposals were abandoned because it wasn’t possible to get them through
Parliament.
In making its recommendations, the BCW says it considered geography -
such as lakes, rivers, and mountains - and current boundaries such as local
authority and ward boundaries.
The commission also considered local ties, such as shared history and
culture.
If the plan is approved by the UK Parliament, Llangollen will become
part of the new Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (Maldwyn a
Glyndŵr) constituency.
This, says the BCW, would combine the
existing Montgomeryshire constituency with wards from Wrexham and Denbighshire.
Included would be nine wards from the old Clwyd South
constituency and three wards from the old Clwyd West constituency.
As
well as existing Montgomeryshire wards, the new constituency would have the
following wards (electorate size in brackets):
Clwyd
South (Wrexham) – Cefn (3,768), Dyffryn Ceiriog/Ceiriog Valley (1,685), Chirk
North (1,846), Chirk South (1,503), Llangollen Rural (1,631), Penycae (1,525),
Penycae and Ruabon South (2,026), Plas Madoc (1,169) and Ruabon (2,078).
Clwyd
South (Denbighshire) – Corwen (1,799), Llandrillo (931) and Llangollen (3,302).
Size: 72,363 electors, 1.4% below the UK quota.
Proposed name: Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr. The official
alternative is Maldwyn a Glyndŵr.
Why? Existing electorates in the Montgomeryshire
and Clwyd South constituencies are too small.
The
Commission chose to combine the existing Montgomeryshire constituency with an
area that effectively forms the southern electoral wards of the former Glyndŵr
district council.
All of the responses to the first consultation are to be published and
there is a six-week period of 'secondary consultation', during which people can
give their views to BCW on what others have said in the first consultation.
During this six-week period, BCW will also hold a limited number of
public hearings across Wales, more details of which will be made available
closer to the time, it says.
After analysing all the responses from the first and second
consultations, the commission will make appropriate changes to its initial
proposals and publish these revised proposals for a final four-week period of
public consultation in late 2022.
After analysing all the responses to the third consultation, BCW will
make appropriate changes to its revised proposals, and submit the final report
and recommendations by July 1, 2023.
* Full details of the boundary proposals can be found
at: https://www.bcw-reviews.org.uk/node/6468?postcode=LL208EQ
Before the closing date of November 3, the public can send their
views on the proposals to an online consultation portal at bcw-reviews.org.uk,
which features the proposals in full.
People can also emailing bcw@boundaries.wales or write to the Boundary Commission for Wales, Hastings House, Cardiff, CF24 0BL.
Latest work planned for the ongoing 2020 project in the town centre foe the coming week is:
Below is a summary of the work planned in different areas.
Pave footpath outside of the Royal Hotel.
Install new kerb line.
Continue with excavation for the new footpath.
Laying of the paving.
