Council offers advice on problem internet connections

Denbighshire County Council is offering advice to residents who may be having difficulties with their internet connection.

They say the move supports the council’s objective to encourage the wider use of digital technology and work with communities to improve digital connectivity and broadband infrastructure in Denbighshire.

With more residents using technology to work from home, the council is offering advice on how to improve connection speeds.

These improvements can often be made with just slight tweaks and adjustments whilst others are solved by partnering with Openreach and the UK Government to bring Fibre to your area.

There are many ways to obtain a reasonable internet speed and Denbighshire’s Digital Officer would be happy to discuss options with you.

* For more information or to discuss how to increase your internet speed, please contact communitydevelopment@denbighshire.gov.uk

Alfie Boe kicks off Eisteddfod's 2023 evening concerts

* Alfie Boe will headline the first evening concert of the 2023 Eisteddfod. 

Singing star Alfie Boe will head Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod's 2023 evening concert line-up. 

He will feature at the Pavilion on Tuesday July 4 in a piece created just for Llangollen when he joins forces with musical theatre super-group, Welsh of the West End.

Priority booking opens 10am Tuesday 6 December - join from £12 for students

Public booking opens 10am Tuesday 13 December all details www.llangollen.net 

#Llangollen2023 #AlfieBoe #MusicalTheatre #LlangollenEisteddfod

* Further concerts announcements will be made by the Eistedfodd in due course.

Tractor parade lights up the town

* The tractor cavalcade makes its way down a packed Castle Street.

Hundreds braved the cold and rain to watch Llangollen's first ever illuminated tractor run rumble through the town centre yesterday (Sunday) evening.

Around 20 mighty agricultural machines from the local farming community made their way from the Pavilion field to St Martins and back again to raise money for two good causes in an event jointly organised by Llangollen Young Farmers and the new Vale of Llangollen Rotary Club.

On the field the best-decorated tractor was judged by a group including the Town Mayor, Cllr Paul Keddie, who then waved off the convoy which made its way down Abbey Road and along Castle Street and Regent Street towards Chirk and the Shropshire border.

Hundreds of cheering people lined the route through the town to see the tractors pass by, each sounding their horns in acknowledgment.

There were similar numbers lining the streets in Fron, Chirk, St Martins, Overton, and Ruabon, with smaller groups outside even the tiniest hamlets along the route.

Volunteers from both organisations were out collecting donations in buckets.

All cash raised will go to Wales Air Ambulance and the DPJ Foundation, a Welsh charity which supports those in agriculture and rural communities with mental health problems.

Winning tractor was chosen as a 175 horsepower Valta, one of three entered by Llysfasi Coleg and driven by Gareth Williams, which was adorned with two lifelike model sheep on the front.   

* The tractor run has its own dedicated Justgiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sharon-jones-186?utm_term=nzvZ6g5Q8 

Or the two organisations can be contacted through their respective Facebook pages:

Llangollen Young Famers: https://www.facebook.com/LlangollenIlluminatedTractorRun

Vale of Llangollen Rotary: https://www.facebook.com/ValeofLlangollenRotary

* Crowds cheer as the tractors rumble by.

* Above and below: Tractors ablaze with light turn into Castle Street.

* People inspect the tractors lined up on the Pavilion field.

* The prize for best-decorated tractor goes to Gareth Williams of Coleg Llayfasi.

Fourth gen Fabia is up there with best - and no joke

Skoda Fabia drive by Steve Rogers

A lot has happened to the Skoda Fabia since I drove the first model 22 years ago. For starters we stopped making jokes about the brand.

Not that the Czech company was too bothered, in the early years it encouraged them with some brilliantly funny mickey taking TV advertisements. It was all good publicity and got people into the showrooms.

That’s history, now Skoda sits on the top table and the car that has done most to grow the brand is Fabia. This year saw the launch of the fourth generation model and with it comes a new look. The old model was a fine car but the tall, boxy styling was a bit dull alongside the pretty Peugeot 208 or Ford Fiesta.

We have seen the smart new face of Skoda with the Kamiq and Karoq crossovers and that sleeker design can be seen in Fabia which along with a stack of top tech will appeal to a younger audience.

Skoda has gone to town with a slick infotainment system that features access to online data and wireless connections. If that doesn’t attract the young pack, nothing will.

There is a choice of five models, five petrol engines, ranging from 65 to 150bhp, five trims and a tempting starting price of just under £16k for the S. I have not been behind the wheel of   the S with a 65bhp engine but looking at the figures this is for people who don’t care about performance because it takes around 16 seconds to get to sixty.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. The new model is the first Fabia to be built on Volkswagen’s modular platform which covers lots of models in the group, including the VW Polo, Audi A1 and Seat Ibiza. The ride comes in the firm to soft category, a bit like Honda Jazz, so not as comfortable as a Citroen C3 or Peugeot 208, and not as sporty as its Seat Ibiza cousin or the peerless Ford Fiesta.

If that was too much to take in be assured Fabia is pretty comfortable and handles well enough if pushed.

My test car was the Colour Edition which is near the top of the range. This gets the one-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine and pumps out a healthy 108bhp so it is pleasantly zippy but lacking any wow factor. For a bit of extra performance look to the range topping 150bhp Monte Carlo.

Should you want to fork out for the DSG gearbox you will enjoy lightening quick changes although it does suffer a small amount of lag from a standing start and when calling for full beans for overtaking. Using the manual change option does get things moving a little quicker should the need arise otherwise it is smooth and efficient.

Skoda figures suggest an average of around 50mpg which is achievable but there is more to be had on a long run because I averaged 60mpg on a 150 mile round trip.

As a family supermini Fabia is now hard to beat. This is a top to bottom makeover and the cabin is as stylish as the new shape. The top models get the all singing and dancing digital dashboard with a configurable 10.2in driver’s binnacle and eight or nine inch central display.

On board navigation is an expensive extra even at the top of the range but with smart phone connectivity it is more sensible to sync a mapping ap to the screen.

For a car this size cabin space is one of its strongest features although a chunky transmission tunnel will hinder an adult sitting in the middle of the back seat, but there is bags of room for three children.

The boot is brilliant, a small suitcase bigger than a Polo, and much bigger than a Fiesta. It has two levels and there is still space for a full size spare wheel.

Equipment level is on par with LED lights, rear parking sensors and a reasonable suite of safety features, and there is the umbrella that slots into the driver’s door panel and the ice scraper in the fuel cap flap. Nice touches.

Fabia has been a good car from the get go but this fourth generation is up there with the best and has to be a contender for anyone looking to buy at a family hatchback.

Fast facts

Fabia Colour Edition 7sp DSG

£20,400

1.0 litre TSI 108bhp

0-62mph 9.9secs; 127mph

136g/km. 1st tax £230

Boot 380-1190 litres

Insurance group 13

Police seek witnesses to serious collision near Chirk

West Mercia Police are seeking witnesses to a serious collision on the A5 near Chirk on Friday evening.

The say that around 7pm on Friday December 2  their officers received reports of a multi-vehicle collision near the Gledrid roundabout.

They add: "A black Nissan Qashqai collided head on with a white Nissan Juke on the bridge over the Ceiriog river. The Nissan Qashqai was travelling southbound on the A5, heading in the direction of Oswestry.

"The driver of the Nissan Juke, a 49-year-old man, sadly died at the scene. The driver of the Qashqai was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with serious injuries.

"A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder."

Detective Chief Inspector John Weaver said: “We’d like to hear from anyone who saw the incident or witnessed anything of concern on the A5 shortly before 7pm on Friday.”

“If you have any information, or dash cam footage, that could help please email alexander.sullivan@westmercia.police.uk quoting reference 554 of 2 December.”

New Rotary club backs creation of area's first stoma friendly public toilet

* From left, Rotary's Mike Lade, Colostomy Girl Emily Hackworth and Connor Solon of Caffi Wilfa with the door stickers indicating that the disabled toilet there is stoma friendly.

The town's new Rotary club has teamed up with specialist volunteers to support the creation of the area's first stoma friendly public disabled toilet. 

Vale of Llangollen club worked with "Colostomy Girls" Emily Hackworthy and Rhianne Ball from Colostomy UK to have the toilet at Caffi Wylfa in Castle Road, Chirk designated as a place which has additional facilities for those living with colostomy or stoma.

A stoma is an opening on the abdomen that can be connected to either the digestive or urinary system to allow bodily waste to be diverted into an external bag. 

This may be necessary for a number of reasons from disease to conditions but it’s estimated that 200,000 people are living with a stoma in the UK today.

People with a stoma and a colostomy have additional needs when using the toilet. Even a simple day trip can be a potential source of anxiety when faced with the challenge of changing their colostomy bag when out and about in shop or restaurant toilets.

Project lead for the Rotary club Mike Lade said: “It should be very easy and cost very little to make disabled toilets more suited to those living with a stoma and would make such a difference to their lives.

"More information on the additional fitting like a small shelf, clothing hooks on the door, a bin and a mirror can be found on our club website under “Projects” or by simply contacting us for an email-able fact sheet. 

"In the case of the Caffi Wylfa disabled toilet, everything was well designed and everything required was already in place so well done to the Glyn Wylfa Development Trust.”

Mike added: “We very much hope that the town council, shop owners and restaurant owners will also get behind us on this project to improve people’s lives – locals and tourists alike.” 

* Vale of Llangollen Rotary meets at 7.15 for 7.30pm at Liberty Traven and Wine Bar, 20 Market Street, Llangollen LL20 8PS on Monday evenings.

More information is available on Face Book @valeofllangollenrotary, contacting Mike on 07803 038858, via email at valeofllangollenrotary@gmail.com or through the web site www.valeofllangollenrotary.com.

Collen Payers present their spectacular Christmas show

 

* The Collen Players take their bows at the end of the night. All pictures by Jeanette Robinson.

The Collen Players came up with their most diverse show so far when they staged their Christmas production of Deck the Halls at the Community Hall last night (Friday).

There was everything of offer, from traditional music hall songs to clog dancing and from powerful ballads to a magic act.

Taking the chair for the two-acter with its highly appreciative audience was Father Lee Taylor in his guise as Mr Leopold Naylor, once again getting proceedings jauntily underway with his patter and sing-along songs from the music hall era.

First of the many acts was returning Collens favourite Esme Sallnow who presented a stirring yet hard-rending version of First World War number Keep the Home Fires Burning.

Next up came company regular Susan Stokes who, accompanied by Josie Kynaston Meredith Jones, sang O Holy Night and, on her own, Mary Did You Know? They were backed on guitar by Leonie Kirby.

Another couple of returning Collen favourites welcomed back by the audience were the double-act of Neil Barrett and David Lyne doing their own interpretation of an hilarious cross-talk between old Lancashire ladies. They were back with another of these crowd-pleasers in the second half of the show.

In a first for the Players next up came the clog-dancing duo of Barbara Cole and Ray Langton who are actually members of the Shrewsbury Cloggers troupe.

After the interval pianist Chris Sims entertained with a selection of seasonal songs with which the audience joined in with gusto. Jayne Belton accompanied a number of the acts on piano - and accordion.

Things stayed at a lively level when the chairman himself performed some sing-along numbers before Phil Robinson took to the stage with a medley of Al Jolson hits.

Shea Ferron had the poignant Tell My Father from the American Civil War to perform alongside Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas before John Jones contributed a moving Bring Him Home from Les Miserables.

In both halves there were some fantastic performances from Colin Bourdiec - in the first a logic-defying magic routine and, to wind up the whole show, his speciality George Formby tribute.

Things were neatly and seasonally rounded off with a chorus of White Christmas.

* Esme Sallnow.

 * Susan Stokes and Josie Kynaston Meredith Jones.

* Leonie Kirby.

* David Lyne and Neil Barrett.

* Clog dancer Barbara Cole. 

* Mike Connolly.

* Chairman Leopold Naylor.

* Phil Robinson.

* Shea Ferron.

* John Jones.

* Colin Bourdiec.

* Accompanist Jayne Belton on accordion.

Luca's design takes a top place in MP's Christmas card contest

* Luca Burgoyne's entry in the card competition. 

An 11-year-old pupil of Ysgol Bryn Collen in Llangollen has come up with one of the top entries in the annual Christmas card competition run by Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes.

The design by Luca Burgoyne was one of two runners-up in the contest which Mr Baynes organised amongst schools across his constituency with the aim of producing his 2022 card.

The MP said judging the competition was a very difficult process due to the high standard of entries but, after a lot of thought, he has congratulated the winner Mila Griffiths (8) of Ysgol Penycae and the two runners-up, Luca Burgoyne Ysgol Bryn Collen and Darcy-May Anslow (6) of Rhosymedre Community Primary School.

Mila will receive a £20 book token and Luca and Darcy-May will each receive £10 book tokens.

The winning design will front Mr Baynes' Christmas card which will be sent to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other public figures in Government and beyond, with the designs from the runners-up featured on the back of the card.

Mr Baynes said: “I was delighted to hold my annual Christmas card competition again this year and would like to take this opportunity to thank all the primary school pupils who took part and congratulate the winning entries. The standard of entries was extremely high and it was very difficult to decide on a winner.

"However, I would like to congratulate Mila Griffiths on her excellent design and also Luca Burgoyne and Darcy-May Anslow on being runners-up. I was extremely proud to see the wonderful artistic talent we have here in Clwyd South.”

County council has new A-Z recycling guide

Do you know how to recycle your old bike, or how to dispose of your roller blinds? 

Denbighshire County Council has launched a handy Recycling A to Z guide to help you recycle as much as you can and dispose of your waste safely. 

The easy-to-use guide includes information on how to safely recycle or dispose of almost every item you can think of in handy alphabetical order. 

We throw away all sorts of items from our homes every day and lots of these things that are thrown in the bin can be recycled, such as clothes and electrical items. 

The average person creates around seven times their body weight in waste each year, therefore it is important this waste is recycled as often as possible. 

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said: “This easy-to-use guide provides brilliant information on how to recycle or dispose of almost any household waste you can think of.  

"This helps us create a greener Denbighshire and helps clear up any confusion with recycling some of the more complicated items." 

* For more information go to: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/bins-and-recycling/a-to-z-recycling-guide/a-to-z-recycling-guide.aspx

Timings given for Sunday's illuminated tractor run

Organisers have given more details about Llangollen's first-ever illuminated tractor run which roars away next Sunday.

The event is being jointly run by Llangollen Young Farmers and the new Vale of Llangollen Rotary Club as a charity fund-raiser for the community.

Tractors will muster at 3.30pm at Llangollen Pavilion and, after judging, will be waved off at 5pm by town mayor Councillor Paul Keddie and Rotary district governor Paul Dutton.

The route goes up Castle Street on to the A5 and then through Froncysylte, Chirk, St Martins, Overton, Ruabon, Trevor and back to Llangollen. 

Short stop-overs are planned in Chirk and Rhyn Park School car park in St Martins for local people to walk around the tractors and for children to get their photo taken with our Santa.

Organisers have just posted an approximate timetable on Facebook which goes:

* 3.30pm – Tractors arrive at Llangollen Pavilion decorated and ready for viewing and judging

* 4.50pm – Drivers' briefing

* 5.00pm – Tractors leave Pavilion grounds and set off on the Run. Santa will hopefully be in one of the lead tractors

* 5.30pm – (5 miles) Arrive and travel through Froncysyllte

* 5.50pm – (3.3 miles) Arrive and travel through Chirk

* 6.05pm – (1.3 miles) Pass Dobbies Garden Centre

* 6.15pm - (1.2 miles) Arrive and stop at St Martin’s School car park

* 6.30pm - Leave School car park

* 6.55pm – (5.6 miles) Arrive in and travel through Overton

* 7.20pm – (5.2 miles) Arrive in and travel through Ruabon

* 7.40pm – (2.6 miles) Arrive in and travel through Trevor

* 8.00pm – (4 miles) Arrive back at Llangollen Pavilion

These times are approximations based upon average speeds of some of the vehicles

The post adds: "We will also be aiming to have a tracker with Santa so you can follow him and know when he is getting close to you. The link will be published on her at 4.45pm. The link relies on a mobile signal. If we loose signal we will try any to remake the link and publish the new link here.

"Please let people know here when they are passing you and lets have your photos and make this a real community event."

Roadworks alerts from county council

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

Chapel Street CHAPEL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Un Ffordd/ One Way

Wrth / Nr Winton ABBEY ROAD 24/11/2022 01/12/2022 Gwaith Trydanol / Electrical Works O'CONNOR UTILITIES (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A539 OPPOSITE 3 HILL STREET HILL STREET 21/10/2022 21/10/2023 Gwaith ar Dwll Archwilio/ Man Hole Works MJ QUINN (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall street Llangollen HALL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Atal Parcio / Parking Suspension Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Bryn Dethol Road BRYN DETHOL ROAD FROM A5 TO MAESMAWR ROAD 28/11/2022 02/12/2022 Gwaith Draenio / Drainage Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall street Llangollen HALL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Atal Parcio / Parking Suspension Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure.

Inner Wheel's Christmas Cheer event is back this year

Llangollen Inner Wheel has announced that its popular Christmas Cheer event will be back this year after a break of two years due to Covid. 

Organisers say thanks for Christmas Festival success

* The lights go on in Castle Street. Picture: Barrie Potter.

Organisers of last Saturday's Llangollen Christmas Festival have sprung into verse to say thanks to everyone who made it such a huge success.

Thousands of people packed the town centre throughout the day to see the popular event return after a three-year pandemic delay.

In a statement to llanblogger the organisers say: "We would like to thank all the people who donated their time, effort, skills, equipment, money and expertise to make the Llangollen Christmas Festival such a successful event."

And they've penned a poem, entitled  The Night Before the Festival (With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore), to sum up their feelings. It goes:

‘Twas the night before the Festival and all through the town

Not a creature was stirring not even a sound. 

But we leapt from our beds with a loud joyous cry

When we looked out the window to see it was dry. 

The morning was busy, the feeling electric

As the stalls were put out and the gazebos erected. 

As the town clock struck one, the buses delayed,

When over the bridge came the Christmas parade. 

Ahead went the Fire Engine in case on the night

Sîon got stuck in the chimney and his beard was alight. 

Seated in luxury with his chain gold and shiny

The mayor looked magnificent in all of his finery. 

Behind the Town Cryer was Llan’s Silver Band

It surely must be the best band in the land. 

Then following behind was a wondrous array

Of faeries, a TukTuk, a bike and a sleigh. 

No Donner, no Blitzen, no reindeer at all

Just kids on their scooters who were having a ball.

At last came Sîon Corn drawn along in his sleigh

His sack full of gifts to distribute that day. 

The procession was over, the choirs in the tent

Kept the crowds entertained throughout the event. 

As the afternoon darkened, in the street the folk came

They listened to speeches in spite of the rain. 

The countdown began and Bob Lube pressed the switch,

The lights flooded the streets with nary a hitch. 

Then over the Castle was a sight to behold,

The fireworks exploded in silver and gold. 

The excitement was over, the crowd drifted away

And everyone went home at the end of the day. 

But I heard Sîon Corn shout as he went out of sight

Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.

Mean E-machine with colossal performance

Genesis electric drive by Steve Rogers

I am getting vibes that driving electric cars is going to make life very boring.

A couple of friends, neither of whom have driven an EV, predicted we would be moving like snails frightened of running out of power before finding a charging point. And then there was the ‘you can’t beat the thrill of a red hot hatch’ jibe.

My reply was ‘that’s the past’ and then said I have been driving a electric hatchbacks with acceleration to sixty only a second behind a Ferrari or McLaren supercar. The pace of these cars really is electrifying.

Like it or not we have to prepare ourselves for E Day in 2030 by which time the majority will already be driving EVs or hybrids. Car companies are going hell for leather building electric models for all tastes, and from the ordinary to the outrageous.

For the outrageous cast an eye over Genesis. For those not familiar with the brand, Genesis is the luxury arm of Hyundai and launched here early last year with a range of saloons and SUVs targeting premium players like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lexus, and not forgetting the rising star that is Volvo.

This year has been all about electric power for the G80 saloon and GV60, and this week saw the launch of the GV70 electric SUV which is predicted to be the best seller.

Realistically we are talking hundreds because the brand is still making its mark and cars are generally built to order in Korea with a waiting time is around five months.

The all wheel drive GV70 has an electric motor on each axle, together pumping out nearly 500bhp and an equally colossal 700Nm or torque. To cope with the power the chassis has been stiffened by 24 per cent over the petrol model.

Honestly, the performance is manic and if you are not satisfied with hitting 62mph in 4.8 seconds a boost button provides 10 seconds of increased power bringing the time down to 4.2 seconds. Going from 50-75mph using boost takes a frantic 2.5 seconds.

Drive like that all the time and it is unlikely you will get anywhere near the 283 mile electric range but you will have the satisfaction of sitting in one of the fastest electric cars in its class.

With a price tag of £78,090 you sit in the lap of luxury, pampered with top class materials but many buyers choose add-ons which can amount to another £11k.

GV70 can take a 350kWh charge which can top up the batteries to 80 per cent in 18 minutes. A similar range from a 50kWh post takes 73 minutes.

Although this was the big news of the day I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the electric GV60 Sport+, smaller and lighter but with the same power output and even quicker at FOUR seconds with the help of the boost button which is perfectly placed on the steering wheel as is the drive mode switch on the opposite side. The body styling is stunning and it is ditto inside with a futuristic layout.

An innovative feature are interior side cameras instead of door mirrors. They are a £1,240 extra but drivers need to experience them first because they take a bit of getting used to and can be a distraction with everything swishing by in the eyeline as well as offering no real perspective. I would give them a miss.

You pay a top price for top technology and premium features so £65,405 was no real surprise but I would be tempted to fork out £740 for the stunning lime green paint finish.

Even though Genesis is part of the Hyundai group there are no showrooms. Customers are given a virtual tour of the models at city centre studios before buying online with the help of a personal assistant who looks after the customer in a cradle to grave operation. After that it is five year warranty, servicing, courtesy car, road side assistance and map updates.

At the start studios were set up just in the south east, bosses believing this would be the only sales territory because of the high price of the cars, but they got a reality check with half the sales being scooped up throughout the rest of the country.

E-Day officially is 2030 but Genesis is not hanging around and want all their cars running on electric power by 2025. That is a strong message to the competition.

Christmas quiz will support children's charity

 

Elvis joins another brilliant Abbey Road Christmas creation

* Elvis, complete with giant sideburns, jumpsuit and mic, joins the Three Kings.

* The shepherds, surrounded by sheep, rinse out their socks ready for Christmas and hang them to dry on the fence.

 * An angel looks down on the tableau from above.

* Some handy signs around Elvis.

The crafty Christmas constructors of Tan Y Ddol have been busy again producing what must be their most adventurous seasonal tableau to date.

Over the past few years they've set the festivities off in style with a series of ingenious creations outside their court off Abbey Road. 

They've just put the finishing touches to their latest masterpiece - a three-part nativity scene featuring the Three Kings - including Elvis, the King of Rock 'n' Roll - and a group of shepherds washing their socks by night in a corruption of the famous hymn lyrics.

And presiding over the whole seasonal scene from a perch atop a brick pillar is a magnificent angel.

A close-up look shows a couple of clever signs on the Three Kings scene, one held by Elvis declaring there's "No Room at the Heartbreak Hotel" and another, on the wall, pointing the way to Bethlehem. 

Llangollen trio shine in fundraising dance competition

                                                                      

* Vicky from Tyn Dwr Hall and her partner Mario in their winning quickstep routine.

* Father Lee dances the tango with Julie.

* Norah with her partner Alex do the foxtrot.

Three fleet-footed competitors from Llangollen waltzed to stardom in a glitzy dance competition to raise funds for a hospice on Saturday night.

One of them, Vicky Jones from the team at the Tyn Dwr Hall wedding venue, took the coveted glitterball trophy in the Strictly Nightingales contest at Liverpool’s swanky Titanic Hotel on a night which saw over £36,000 raised for Nightingale House.

Two others – Llangollen’s showbiz vicar Father Lee Taylor from St Collen's and Norah Pye from the Vale of Llangollen Golf Club – were amongst the best scorers on the night, which attracted hundreds of hospice supporters.

The terrific trio were dancing against five other pairs, each comprising an amateur contestant plus a professional partner, from businesses and other organisations in the area served by Nightingale House.

All had trained for months to polish their dancing styles.

Vicky Jones, the eventual winner with both judges and audience members who also had the chance to vote, danced an extremely proficient quickstep with pro Mario Zwolinski.

One of the judges, James Wilson, described her performance as “absolutely fantastic”, adding: “You are a naturally gifted dancer.”

Father Lee is no stranger to the limelight as a key member of the British Music Hall Society and also founder and on-stage chairman of Llangollen's Collen Players which stages regular old time music hall and variety shows at the town's Community Hall – the next one this coming Friday evening.

He teamed up with Llangollen-based professional dancer Julie Thomas, who also partnered another dancer on the night, to display a dramatic Argentine tango which put them halfway up the leader-board.

Head judge Chloe Hewitt praised the routine and said it left her wanting to see more.

Also in the honours was Norah Pye, the local golf club’s lady captain. Dancing the foxtrot with professional Alex Whyatt, she won praise from head judge Chloe for her elegance of style and the 99 per cent efficiency of her footwork around the floor.