Isherwood's challenge over homelessness

Shadow Housing Minister Mark Isherwood has challenged the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty over her statement on  Homelessness Legislation, stressing that homelessness figures will only fall once the housing supply crisis facing Wales has been addressed.

 

Mr Isherwood (pictured below) referred to the fact that in England, housing waiting lists have fallen by over 300,000, from 1.7 million, since 2010, yet a report commissioned by the Welsh Government reported four years ago that housing waiting lists in Wales stood at 90,000 and the October 2014 Homes for All Cymru Manifesto starts: “‘There is a housing crisis with more than 90,000 households on waiting lists’.

 

He therefore asked the Minister: “Do you therefore have figures for waiting lists in Wales, and if these figures are correct, why do you believe they have fallen by 300,000 in England and are still stuck at 90,000 in Wales?

 

“You state in your statement that you expect the duties on local authorities ‘to prevent homelessness in at least three out of four cases initially and, in due course, even more.’ Clearly, that can be the case, working particularly with third sector providers on things like tackling substance misuse, supporting former veterans, perpetrator programmes, domestic abuse, and so on, to keep households together. But, of course, that doesn’t tackle the housing supply shortage.

 

“How will you ensure that, therefore, we don’t get a repeat of the situation in 2004, when the Welsh Government intervened after housing waiting lists had grown by more than 120 per cent, and the housing charities subsequently announced that though homelessness fell, hidden homelessness - sometimes called ‘sofa surfing’ - had more than doubled?”

 

Mr Isherwood, who on Tuesday attended the Let’s Keep On Supporting People in Wales campaign event where he spoke of his support for Supporting People Services and called for the budget to be protected, reiterated this call in the chamber.  

 

Speaking outside the chamber, he added: “Labour’s massive social and affordable housing cuts from devolution in 1999 caused the housing crisis in Wales that is condemning tens of thousands to waiting lists, overcrowding and homelessness. It also cannot be emphasised strongly enough that services funded by the Supporting People Programme grant deliver better lives whilst saving NHS Wales and Local Authorities money.”   

New town trails leaflets from county council

* Councillor Huw Jones with Fiona Dolben from the Destination,

Marketing and Communications team launch the new town trails. 

A NEW set of leaflets promoting town trails across Denbighshire is hot off the press.

The county council’s Destination, Marketing and Communication Unit has redesigned its suite of Town Trails in Llangollen, Corwen, Ruthin, Denbigh, St Asaph, Prestatyn and Rhuddlan, including a brand new one produced for Rhyl.

Councillor Huw Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Promoting Denbighshire said: “We are delighted to launch these new look town trails they will be extremely useful for local tourism businesses to promote the area and to inform visitors who are interested in local history wishing to explore the interesting architecture in Denbighshire as well as delving into its fascinating stories and past.

"These free leaflets will be available from the Tourist Information Centres Tourist Information Centres and libraries in Denbighshire."

* For further information or a free copy of any of the towns, contact Denbighshire’s Destination, Marketing and Communications Unit on 01824 706072.

Health centre to be sold on open market

* The existing health centre in Berwyn Street.

LLANGOLLEN Health Centre is to be put up for sale on the open market, according NHS chiefs.

The move comes after the building in Berwyn Street, which is due to be replaced this summer by the new £5 million primary care resource centre currently being built in Mill Street, was offered for possible redevelopment as affordable housing and there were no takers.

The fate of the current health centre, which houses the area’s GP practice, was the subject of a Freedom of Information request to its owners, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), by Llangollen resident Mike Edwards who says he is “extremely disappointed” with the response.

Mr Edwards asked a number of questions, including whether the board has the building on a freehold basis, exactly how it was declared surplus to requirements, if the property is listed and if the board intends consulting the community about its disposal.          

In its reply the board confirms it owns the freehold and says: “The decision to transfer the GP practice to a new primary care resource centre was made at the BCUHB meeting in January 2013, following formal public consultation. 

“The papers from that board meeting outlined clearly how services would be changed, as a result of which the premises are no longer required.

“These changes included the development of a Primary Care Resource Centre (PCRC) in Llangollen.  This is currently under construction and is due to open in the summer of 2015.

“The site option appraisal undertaken for the replacement PCRC development discounted the use of the current health centre and the site was declared surplus to use. 

“There are statutory obligations with regards to listed buildings, and buildings in conservation areas, therefore if it was applicable these requirements would be taken into consideration.

“The health board has considered community benefit in the sense that the property has been offered for affordable housing and advertised on the e-PIMS website. There are no further plans to consider community benefit.”

The board’s reply adds that health boards in Wales are obliged to offer any surplus land or buildings considered to have potential for residential development for the development of affordable housing in the first instance.

And it adds: “The availability of Llangollen Health Centre was offered, however this did not produce a result.

“The health board now intends to offer the property for open market sale.”

Mr Edwards said of the response: “I am extremely disappointed at the length of time it has taken to answer my request which was made originally back on April 8.

“The board's initial reply referred to the wrong property although I clearly identified the subject property with its postcode. I can only conclude that the health board is being deliberately obtuse and employed delaying tactics.

“It is alarming to find that that the board has no intention of consulting the local community about the future of a building which was originally constructed as a school with the support of public contributions. 

“The property is in a conservation area so any future schemes need to be tastefully designed in sympathy with the buildings in the immediate area, particularly St Collen's Parish Church and Llangollen residents need to be consulted.”

He added: “The board are clearly proposing to sell the property on the open market to the highest bidder when in fact they came by the property through a transfer from the former Secretary of State for Wales (pre-devolution) and are now endeavour to profit from its disposal whilst totally ignoring the views of the residents of Llangollen. 

“They appear to have learnt nothing from the recent proposals in relation to maternity services at Glan Clwyd which we all know is subject to Judicial Review because of the inadequacies in the way they imposed their decision on the public.”

Chain Bridge walk cancelled

llanblogger is publishing the following emergency notice on behalf of The Rotary Club of Llangollen.  

 

Chain-Bridge pre-opening walk to raise funds for charity

Sunday 24^th May 2015 has been cancelled

 

Please accept our apologies that the pre-opening crossing of the Chain Bridge planned by The Rotary Club of Llangollen for this coming Sunday, 24^th May 2015 will not be going ahead due to reasons beyond our control.   Thank you for your ongoing support of the community via Rotary and we are sorry if this has caused you any inconvenience.   For any further information about the activities of Rotary in and around Llangollen please contact Club President Mr. Nigel Rainsbury on: nigelandJennifer@nrainsbury.plus.com  

 

 

Libraries put out call for young volunteers

Libraries in Denbighshire are offering volunteering opportunities for young people this summer to support children who are taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge.

By getting involved, says the council, young people can gain valuable work experience and volunteer hours, an opportunity to develop confidence, social skills, employability and literacy skills, and an opportunity to make a positive contribution to their communities and make new friends.

“If you’re looking for something to do this summer, want to develop skills and confidence that could help with college or job applications, or need to be involved with volunteering for the Welsh Bacc or DofE this could be ideal for you,” said Bethan M Hughes of Denbighshire Libraries.

“We’re looking for young people aged 14-24 who can offer us a minimum of 3 hours a week over at least four weeks between July and September.

"You’ll need to have good communication skills and preferably a willingness to engage with children and families in both Welsh and English, an interest in supporting and working with children, and in books and reading, and you’ll need to be flexible, friendly, and reliable.

“You will help children to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge, which this year is called Record Breakers. You will chat with children about what they’re reading, help them choose books to read and use the Challenge website, and encourage them to complete the challenge.

“This year, the volunteering opportunities are on offer in Prestatyn, Ruthin and Denbigh libraries.

"There will be an open information evening at each library when you can find out more about the volunteering opportunities: Prestatyn Library on June 1, Ruthin Library on June 2 and Denbigh Library on June 8, all between 5.30-7pm.

“If you think you’d like to join our team of Young Volunteers, just contact one of these libraries to pick up an application pack or go to denblibs.wordpress.com”

In 2014, 4692 children in Denbighshire took part in the Mythical Maze Summer Reading Challenge in their local library. This year’s challenge will be called Record Breakers and follow the theme of Guinness World Records.

Sainsbury's pulls out of Llan store development

 

llanblogger exclusive ...

 

* Contractors started work only recently on the steel frame of the new store.

* Now with comment by Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates at the foot of story

SAINSBURY’S have pulled out of plans to take over the supermarket now being built for them in Llangollen.

And the shock move leaves a question mark hanging over the 130 jobs promised by the development.
 
The store giant says it is now looking for another business to take over the 34,000 square foot building currently being built on the former Dobson & Crowther printworks site off the A5.

It was known as that as a result of tough trading conditions the store giant embarked on a review of planned new stores across the UK at the end of last year.

And this morning (Thursday) a Sainsbury’s spokesman confirmed they would be pulling out of the Llangollen development.

The spokesman said: “Following a review we have decided we will not be going ahead with the store on the site in Llangollen.

“We have not taken this decision lightly and are very disappointed we are not able to open a new shop in Llangollen.

“Since the proposals were first announced, shopping patterns have changed considerably and following a review, the scheme is no longer viable for us.

“There has been a fundamental shift in the retail market and in ways of shopping, such as convenience and online which means the scheme is no longer viable.

“It was a tough decision because we had worked really hard to get the support of the local community and to get their backing for the plan.”

The spokesman added: “J-Ross are developers on the scheme and we will be taking the building in August.

“We are now speaking to a range of different businesses to gauge interest and looking for someone to occupy the building.

“We want to make sure we get someone in there as quickly as possible and do it in a way that is complementary to the town.

“We are open to ideas.”   

Stuart Davies, one of the town’s county councillors, said he had been given the bombshell news by Sainsbury’s official by telephone just before he headed off on holiday abroad early this morning.

Cllr Davies, who has been a keen supporter of the controversial development, said he was “saddened” by the announcement and hoped the new store, currently in the early stages of construction on the former Dobson & Crowther site off the A5, could still be taken over by another supermarket company such as Aldi or Lidl.

He added: “The news that Sainsbury’s won’t be coming after all is a real shock.

“The company did say recently that it would be reviewing its programme of store openings, including the one in Llangollen, due to difficult trading conditions.

“I was hopeful that this review would bear out the case for them coming here but now they have finally decided to pull out it is very saddening.

“Much will now have to be decided about the future of the building now going up on the old printworks site but I trust that it can still be used as supermarket, bringing much-needed jobs into the area.

“I will be asking our county economic development team to provide what assistance it can in ensuring Llangollen gets a new supermarket of some form.

“I don’t mind whether it ends up being Aldi or Lidl if they bring some jobs with them.”

The Sainsbury’s development on the old Dobson & Crowther site was part of a deal in which the print company was assisted to move to a new purpose-built factory just further along the A5 on former farmland at Cilmedw.

The firm took up occupation of its new headquarters last year and contractors moved in to clear its former site.

Work on the steel structure of the new supermarket has started in the past few weeks and the store was due to be trading by the end of the year.

The Sainsbury’s plan caused a welter of opposition from its announcement in 2012, which continued through its approval by the county council later that year and beyond.

Opponents, led by campaign group Keep Llangollen Special, argued that the town did not need such a large new food store and that it would badly damage the trade of small shops in the town.

They were particularly against the inclusion of a café in the development, which they claimed would have a ruinous effect on local food outlets. 

Doubt was cast over the future of the development late last year after Sainsbury’s announced a half-year loss before tax of £290 million.

Like other large supermarkets they have been under pressure from the rise of discount chains like Aldi and Lidl.

Martin Crumpton, chair of Keep Llangollen Special, said: “This is a victory for common sense and persistence.

“KLS is thrilled an delighted and it’s cause for celebration from one end of the town to another.

“In terms of the site, we see this as a golden opportunity to bring in something like a technical park or warehousing that will bring in employment – skilled and semi-skilled jobs.”  

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates said: “While I am disappointed that Sainsbury's has decided not to occupy the building, it will be completed and it will be occupied.

 

"This latest development offers us an opportunity to see an alternative retailer such as Aldi or Lidl come to Llangollen if that is what people want.

 

“We also have an opportunity to say what business use or type of retailer we’d like to see here, so I will be relaying the views of residents to Sainsbury’s as they look to sub-let this brand new building. I would ask my constituents to get in touch and tell me what they want.

 

“The key demand is that we continue to safeguard and create jobs in Llangollen, as well as build on the town's fantastic reputation.”

 

 

 

 

* An artist's impression of the completed Sainsbury's store.

Nepalese dancers still aiming to be at Eisteddfod

* Sue McEvoy and Ben Sawin from Llangollen Eisteddfod

with  Todd Lochhead who is co-ordinating efforts to

bring over a dancing troupe from Nepal called

The Rising Culture Group to next year's Llangollen

International Eisteddfod and Lisa Lochhead.

Members of a Nepalese dance troupe  still hope to be at this summer’s Llangollen Musical Eisteddfod - despite the devastation caused by two earthquakes.

More than 30 dancers from the Rising Culture Group from the World Heritage site of Bhaktapur, about 10 miles from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu and around 100 miles from Mount Everest, had hoped to  attend this year's festival.

A major fund-raising campaign had been launched to  enable them to travel 5,000 miles from their country on the roof of the world to compete at Llangollen 2015 in July.

 

But their dream of coming to Llangollen suffered a huge setback when the first 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on April 25, damaging large areas of the country and claiming over 8,000 lives.

 

Then, just as its people were trying to recover, Nepal was hit by a second large quake of 7.3 magnitude on May 12 which killed hundreds more and caused even further destruction.

 

In the wake of the second disaster, Todd Lochhead, the Bristol man leading the effort to bring the dancers to the Eisteddfod, decided to fly over to Nepal to visit Bhaktapur.

 

He wanted to offer what support he could to members of the group which is based at the Rising English School in the town run by his friend Kapil Banebepali and his wife Chandika who he first met when he was teaching English there 20 years ago.

 

One of the people 45-year-old Todd, a New Zealander who works as a financial consultant, greeted at the school on his arrival from the UK was the young drum-master of the troupe, Manish Shilpakar.

 

Speaking from the school, where he is now living after his home was badly damaged by the first earthquake, 24-year-old Manish said: “A lot of my family members and friends have also lost their homes.

 

“Conditions are pretty bad over here but we are coping by joining together as a community.

“Before the earthquakes we were all looking forward to coming to Llangollen and I am still hopeful we will be able to get there.”

 

Todd said he had been shocked to see the destruction on the ground when he arrived.

 

And while he stressed that day to day living was still the first priority for people associated with the dance group, he revealed he was due to discuss the possibility of at least a small number of them making a token visit to the Eisteddfod if at all possible.

 

Describing what he had found when he arrived in Bhaktapur at the weekend, Todd said: “When I see the result of the two earthquakes all around me the word devastation takes on a whole new meaning.

 

“I believe about 600 people in the town were killed in the first earthquake and I’ve heard that one or two died in the second one.

 

“I’d say 80 to 90 per cent of the houses in the town have either been completely demolished or are in an unstable condition.

 

“The great fear for many people is actually going outside into the street in case buildings fall on top of them.

 

“Although the front of the school collapsed in the first quake it was still semi structurally safe because it’s built of concrete.

 

“This means people from the area have been using it as a refuge. There were initially about 150 people sleeping outside in the school grounds.

 

“As I speak there are still about 100 people sleeping there – including myself – and they are on very simple matting.

 

“They are cooking and sharing what food they have. The shops are open, which is amazing when you see what destruction there has been.

 

“There are relief teams in the area, including the Chinese and Turkish Red Cross and Indian troops are helping with the clear-up operation.”

 

Todd, who is due back in the UK later this week, added: “Thankfully, no-one from the dance troupe has been injured or killed but some have lost relatives.

 

“The dance teacher, Mukti, has had his house completely destroyed which means he and his two children, son Roshik and daughter Rhosika, who are both around 10 or 11 years old, have been left homeless.

 

“Another family who are part of the group, Lashmi, and her three daughters, Manisha, Unisha and Ubisha, also lost their home. Nobody knew where they were for 10 days after the first quake but then they were found and I have now visited them in a Red Cross refugee camp.

 

“In the second earthquake earlier this month the two grandparents of one of the children at the school were both killed.

 

“In the April quake one of the adjacent buildings fell on to the school toilet. Ten people were killed but three children were rescued.”

 

Todd said that while daily survival was the main priority, before leaving Nepal he was due to speak to his friend Kapil about the possibility of a small number of the troupe trying to get over to visit the Eisteddfod.

 

“I will discuss whether one or two people might yet come over. I very much hope this could be done but it is still early days.

 

“After the two earthquakes I’d have said it was definitely not going to happen but every day there’s a bit more hope. We’ll just have to see how it goes.

 

“The number one priority for everyone sheltering at the school at the moment is shelter.

 

“I’m looking for a large tent along the lines of a marquee for them. They’re certainly going to need it if there’s another earthquake and, also, the monsoons are coming.

 

“If someone back in the UK could supply one of these it would be a godsend.

 

“As soon as I come home I’ll be trying to raise some money for the people in Bhaktapur.

 

“They need targeted aid for things like altering the school building to make it better able to withstand further earthquakes.

 

“These people are very resilient but these two disasters have had a huge impact on them.”     

 

Rising English School founder Kapil Banebepali said: “We are very much focusing on ensuring everyone is safe and it is difficult to think about anything else but that at the moment.”

 

Todd first came across the dancers when he journeyed to Nepal in 1995 to work as a teacher at the Rising English School.

 

Founded by Kapil and Chandika, who is now the principal, it offers lessons to children aged three to 13, many of whom would otherwise have ended up having to go out to work.

 

Kapil also started the dance troupe which performs traditional and highly colourful routines, one of the most striking of which is the stunning masked dance that has its roots deep in Hindu culture.   

 

Todd saw them perform and was so impressed that it became his dream to see them compete at Llangollen.

 

He visited the Eisteddfod office in Llangollen Pavilion a few days before the 2014 festival and arranged for them to register for the Children’s Folk Dance, Traditional Dance and Cultural Showcase competition categories.

 

Todd then set about the mammoth task of asking business contacts and friends to help him raise the estimated £40,000 to bring 34 people, including 20 dancers aged eight to 16, and musicians over to Llangollen.  

 

Fundraising was going well until the earthquakes hit Nepal with such catastrophic effects.

    

MP says hunting ban should stay

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones (pictured below) says Members of Parliament should be prepared to "vote through the night" to stop David Cameron's Government bringing in legislation that would repeal the Hunting Act.

Speaking on the day she took her oath in Parliament in Welsh and English, she said: "The Conservatives and Plaid may be keen to bring back fox hunting, but I and the bulk of people around here are certainly not. 
"As someone who comes from and is proud to represent a rural area in Parliament, I support population control of foxes. But what I am totally against is that so-called sport where a pack of dogs chase foxes and then rip them from limb to limb.

"A previous Labour Government was right to ban that cruel practice - and I promise local residents that I will join other Labour MPs and I hope some MPs from other parties who care about animal welfare to make sure that foxes, hare and deer are protected from the kind of abuses that sadly used to be legal in this country."

Help available with superfast broadband says AM

Welsh Government help is available for residents and businesses struggling with slow broadband speeds, says an Assembly Member.

Ken Skates, the Labour AM for Clwyd South, has been distributing details to households in some of the more rural parts of his constituency to make people aware that support is available while they wait to be connected to the Superfast Cymru network.

Mr Skates said anyone who lives in Clwyd South can contact him for more information about what is on offer from the Welsh Labour Government.

He said: “If your home or business can’t yet access high-speed broadband, the chances are it’s on its way as a result of the Welsh Government’s Superfast Cymru programme.

“We are investing record sums in North Wales and most exchanges in Clwyd South are now live – such as Brymbo , Rhos, Ruabon, Cefn Mawr and Llangollen – or soon will be, like Chirk and Glyn Ceiriog. Few other nations have adopted such an ambitious plan, and we are on track to deliver it with the help of European money.

“If you are still waiting, there is other support available from the Welsh Labour Government. 

“Access Broadband Cymru is a grant of up to 90% of the costs of installing a fast broadband system, for example a satellite connection, and is also available for community solutions. If your current connection speed is slower than two mega-bits per second, you can qualify.”

Anyone based in Clwyd South who is interested in seeking the support is asked to email ken.skates@assembly.wales for more information and an application form.

Mr Skates added: “You can visit www.superfast-cymru.com/where-and-when to see when you will be connected to the network.

“Superfast Cymru is a pioneering £425m project which aims to address the market failure of telecommunications companies, who have invested in urbanised areas where profits can be maximised instead of connecting homes in rural areas.

“We are on target to have 96% of homes and businesses linked up to the network by next summer – making us one of the best-connected countries in the world.”

Councillor's concerns over pass road closure

* A council map showing the closure and alternative route.

LLANGOLLEN county councillor Stuart Davies says he has “grave concerns” about the temporary closure of a stretch of the Horseshoe Pass just as the busy summer season begins.

Cllr Davies has learned that Denbighshire County Council recently made an order banning vehicles from using a length of the A542 pass – one of the main approach routes to the tourist town – between the Ty Cerrig/PIas Norway junction and the White Hart/Pentredwr junction to allow carriageway reconstruction and resurfacing work to go ahead.

The county council public notice detailing the order says it will come into force on June 8 and remain in place for 18 months or until the completion of the works, whichever is the earlier.

However, the county says it is anticipated that the works will take about five weeks to complete.

The altemative route available for traffic will be via the A542, A5104, A494, Castle Street, Abbey Road and A542 and will be signposted accordingly.

Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the period of closure.

Cllr Davies said: “I have grave concerns about this closure leading up to one of the busiest times of the year for the town.

“It will mean people having to divert through Corwen adding six miles or so on to their journey.

“I will be getting in touch with officers to make sure that the works are done as quickly as possible and to ensure that the closure is kept to a minimum period of time.”

Dog fouling campaign gathers pace

Denbighshire County Council's campaign against dog fouling is gathering pace, with 97 people receiving fixed penalty notices for allowing their dogs to foul in public without cleaning up the mess since January 2015.

Ninety-five people paid their fine within the given time period.

Action was taken after an individual failed to pay their fixed penalty notices for allowing dogs to foul in public.

This meant that the council needed to pursue the matter through the courts process.

A case heard at Llandudno Magistrates Court where the matter was proved in their absence. The defendant was fined £75, costs of £145 and a victim surcharge of £20.

There were also 43 prosecutions against people who had received a Fixed Penalty Notice for littering by dropping cigarette butts. The amount of fines issued by the court (including court costs and victim surcharge) totalled over £9,000.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet lead Member for Environment, said: "The majority of the residents of Denbighshire act in a responsible manner by cleaning the mess left by their animals.

"However, there continues to be this anti-social behaviour from a minority of people who think it's ok to leave dog mess. Not only is this anti-social but it also affects the visual image of the area and the quality of life for residents.

"That is why the Council has been running a campaign, to educate the public about the dangers, but also to enforce the law where people are willingly refusing to clean up after their animals.

"Littering is also a problem that has been highlighted as a concern by residents and we are asking people to take their rubbish home with them or use the bins provided on the county's streets.

"Taking action through the courts is very much a last resort - we would prefer not to need to issue fixed penalty notices in the first instance."

* To report problems with dog fouling in Denbighshire, go to: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/dogfouling or call the Customer Services Centre, on 01824 706101.

Residents may get speedguns combat rat runners

A story on the Denbighshire Free Press website today (Monday) says residents of Maesmawr may be given speed guns to counteract the "rat running" traffic they are enduring as a result of roadworks on the A5.

For the full story see: http://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/148070/llangollen-rat-run-makes-residents-lives-hell.aspx

Llan school triumphs in arts competitions

Llangollen schools have done well in county-wide creative arts competitions.

For the first time ever, Denbighshire schools entered competitions covering art, creative writing, film-making and music composition as part of the festival, Denbighshire Enrichfest 2015 - Get Inspired! 

Staged in collaboration with the Arts Council of Wales, the festival aims to showcase the talents of children and young people across Denbighshire who have been challenged and inspired to produce a wide range of work, adding value to their work in the classroom across the curriculum. 

This unique Denbighshire initiative reflects current thinking that the creative arts can have a beneficial knock-on effect on children's well-being and self-esteem and can engage them in a new and innovative way and get them inspired as never before. 

Having been inspired via enrichfest.2015, many of these children and young people, it is anticipated, will go on explore careers opportunities in the increasingly important creative arts industries sector in Wales and further afield.         

No sooner has the competitions phase of Denbighshire Enrichfest.2015 reached its climax in May and a glittering Awards ceremony staged, the exciting performance elements get underway, involving 200 Primary, Secondary and Special school pupils in performing arts workshops and masterclasses, tutored by leading practitioners from the world of musical theatre, led by Mark Puddle, a native of North Wales and a leading West End London performing arts entrepreneur.

The climax to these week-long workshops, which are being held in the north and south of the county, will be Showcase Performances at Llangollen Pavilion on Friday June, 19 from 5-6:15 pm and Rhyl Pavilion Theatre on Friday June 26, from 5-6:15 pm, when the public, including parents, teachers, governors, councillors and other organisations can see for themselves the fruits of all the hard work undertaken by the children and young people.

Overall Schools Competition winners are:

Young Artist: Daniel Bailes, Year 7, Blessed Edward Jones High School, Rhyl
Young Writer: Alexander Whetstone, Year 6, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen
Short Film Competition:  Ysgol Bryn Collen (KS1), Llangollen
Young Musicians: Ysgol Dewi Sant (Year 6), Rhyl 

Councillor Eryl Williams, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, said: "We have been thoroughly delighted with the response to the Enrichfest initiative.  It has captured the imagination of our children and young people and shows that there is a real interest in Denbighshire in the creative industries sector in Wales." 

Full competition results: 

Young Artist Competition 

Reception/ Year 1 and 2:
1st  Alice Jackson, Year 1, Ysgol Bodfari.
2nd Sasha Davies-Jones, Year 1, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen
3rd  Ryan Jones, Year 1, Ysgol y Parc, Denbigh 

Years 3 and 4
1st Courtney Cox, Year 3, Ysgol Clawdd Offa, Prestatyn
2nd Alex Davies, Year 3, Ysgol Pendref, Denbigh
3rd Tom Priestley, Year 3, Ysgol Bodfari. 

Years 5 and 6
1st Ioan Beating, Year 5, Ysgol Mair, Rhyl
2nd Lori Roberts, Year 6, Ysgol Emmanuel, Rhyl
3rd  Jan Ranci, Year 6, Ysgol Mair, Rhyl 

Secondary
1st  Bayley Wilkinson, Year 9, Rhyl High School
2nd Daniel Bailes, Year 7, Blessed Edward Jones High School, Rhyl
3rd  Kieron Nolan, Year 7, Blessed Edward Jones High School, Rhyl 

Young Writer competition 

Reception, Years 1 and 2
Winner: Danielle Jones, Year 2, St Asaph Infants 

Years 3 and 4
Winner: Matilda Cook, Year 4, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen 

Years 5 and 6:
Winners: Libby Morrissey, Year 5, Ysgol Clawdd Offa, Prestatyn & Alexander Whetstone, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen 

Short Film Competition;
1st Ysgol Bryn Collen (KS1), Llangollen
2nd Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Corwen
3rd  Ysgol Bryn Collen (KS2), Llangollen 

Young Musicians: Music Composition On-line Contest:
1st  Ysgol Dewi Sant, Year 6, Rhyl
2nd Roan Pritchard, Year 6, Ysgol Emmanuel, Rhyl & Christopher Jones, Year 10, Rhyl High School. 

Major music event coming to Pavilion

Details of the programme are:

Both evening concerts begin at 7.30pm and will finish about 11.30.

Tickets are limited and you can buy from the website. (£15)

Friday eve.  7.30 pm
Whitefern Mountain String Band
Blossom Hill Bluegrass band
Baker's Fabulous boys
Ruben and Matt & The Truffle Valley Boys

Saturday eve. 7.30pm
Mind The Step (Appalachian Dance)
Kentucky Cowtippers
Grass Snakes
Ruben and Matt & The Truffle Valley Boys

WORKSHOPS
Sat (10 am - 12 noon)
Workshops - Banjo/Guitar/Mandolin/Fiddle/Dobro/D.Bass

1-30pm  - Vocal Harmony
2pm  - Appalachian Dance
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.30 pm    OPEN MIC

PICKIN' AROUND THE SITE

Cream of young talent in Mayor's Charity Concert

* Members of the Young 'Uns reprise their recent show, Half a Sixpence.

 

Pictures courtesy of Malcolm Potter.

 

THE cream of Llangollen’s young talent took to the stage at the Town Hall last Friday for the annual Mayor’s Charity Concert.

The show, proceeds from which are to be split between the town’s Christmas festival and the Wales Air Ambulance, opened with members of Llangollen Operatic Society’s junior section, the Young ‘Uns, performing scenes from its recent successful production of the musical Half a Sixpence.

They were followed by the recorder group and a specially formed rock outfit from St Collen’s School who played a song they had personally penned for the occasion.

Next on the bill came pupils from Ysgol y Gwernant with songs and recitations in the Welsh language.

During the interval the retiring Mayor, Cllr Bob Lube, presented cheques of £300 each from his charity fund to six local youth organisations.

The second half of the show began with a rousing set from Llangollen Silver Band and continued with solo musical pieces from harpist Lucy Mwale and acoustic guitarist Jamie Thomas who performed a number of his own compositions.

Finale came from the Silver Band who were called back for an encore at the end of their set.

The show was neatly compered by Llangollen’s town crier Austin Cheminais.   

 

 

* St Collen's recorder group during their performance.

* An up-tempo number from Collen Rockers.

* The girls from Ysgol y Gwernant take the stage.

Castle Street meeting planned for May 26

Town councillor Phil Thane has sent the following message about the Castle Street traffic initiative he is promoting:

Earlier this year Cittaslow Llangollen ran a Crowd Funding scheme to collect enough money to get renowned traffic engineer Ben Hamilton-Baillie to take a look at Castle Street and suggest some
possible solutions.

They got the money, booked Ben, and it's happening on May 26th at 7pm in the Town Hall.

Cittaslow Llangollen are hopeful this one day visit and presentation will kickstart some new thinking about an old problem. Everyone has an opinion about Castle Street, but Ben is an expert who has tackled many similar problems.

The presentation will last about an hour, and there will be time for questions. There will be free refreshments too, provided by the Spar.

* For more information about Cittaslow Llangollen, please visit
www.cittaslow.llangollentowncouncil.co.uk or
www.facebook.com/CittaslowLlangollen.

To download a flyer about the event on May 26th, click here:
http://bit.ly/1zVvP2s

Youngsters will raise curtain on Llangollen 2015

 

* Young people from the Eisteddford parade through Llangollen town centre.

 

AROUND 4,000 schoolchildren will join in a day of music and fun to raise the curtain on this summer’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

 

They will be heading for the International Pavilion to take part in a concert entitled Bongos, Brass and Plenty of Dance which is the centrepiece of Children’s Day, the traditional prelude to the annual cultural festival being staged from July 6-12.

 

The 40-minute musical extravaganza will be staged twice, at 10.30am and again at 12 noon, on the opening day, Tuesday July 7.

 

The crowds of young visitors will later head out on to the Eisteddfod field to enjoy a packed programme of street theatre complete with clown, stilt walkers and Bollywood dancing.

 

There will also be music and dance performances on the outside stages and a series of workshops.

 

The junior choirs competition will be at 1.30pm and the centrepiece of the day will be the colourful parade of competitors which will start winding its way through the town at 4.30pm.

 

The concert will feature a rousing performance by The Alto Brass Ensemble, which includes a quintet of some of Wales’s finest brass players plus two percussionists, one of whom, Owen Gunnell, was voted a BBC Musician of the Year in 2000 and has gone on to become a star of the international performance circuit.

 

Children's Day is being sponsored by the Pendine Park care organisation who are also supporting the Alfie Boe concert on the Thursday night, July 9.

 

Other big draws include Oscar-winning music legend Burt Bacharach, the immensely popular Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and TV choirmaster Gareth Malone.

 

There will also be the world premiere of a new work to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Welsh colony in Patagonia in a concert that will also star former royal harpist Catrin Finch.

 

For the final concert, Ali Campbell, the voice of UB40 who sold 70 million records, who'll be reunited on the eisteddfod stage with two other founding members of the group, percussionist, trumpet player and vocalist Astro and keyboard player Mickey in a concert sponsored by the Village Bakery.

 

The Children’s Day concert programme has been tailored to appeal to a young audience and includes such popular numbers as the rousing themes from the blockbuster movies Pirates of the Caribbean and Monsters Inc.

 

Owen Gunnell is famed for his expertise in introducing children to the excitement of music.     

 

In 2003, he graduated from the Royal College of Music and has appeared as a soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, BBC Philharmonic, Britten Sinfonia, Macedonia Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia Viva.

 

He is one half of the percussion duo, O Duo, who have won many prizes and performed and been broadcast on television and radio all over the world.

 

O Duo are also well known as artistic directors for Children's Classic Concerts in Scotland, curating and performing in a variety of concerts ranging from chamber size to symphony orchestra size.

 

Owen, who is based in East Anglia but has family ties in South Wales through his parents, promised that the event would be “fun, slick and interactive”.

 

He said: “I’ve worked quite a lot with children over the years, so I know that you’ve got to give them something that’s entertaining. I think we’re definitely going to do that with the programme we’ve chosen.  

 

“We also plan to get some of the children in the audience up onto the stage so they can try for themselves some of the percussion instruments we’ll have like xylophones and vibraphones.

 

“I’m looking forward very much to being at Llangollen for such a fantastic occasion.”

 

Apart the ensemble, there will also be some dazzling performances by a number of the dance groups who are performing at the Eisteddfod later in the week and musical workshops which the children will be invited to join in.

 

Another highlight of the concert will be the delivery of the traditional Peace Message.  

Since 1952, young people have sent out a poignant Message of Peace and Goodwill from the stage of the Eisteddfod during the Children’s Day concert.

 

This year the message will be delivered by pupils from Mountain Lane Primary School in Buckley.

 

Later on Children’s Day there’s a further musical feast planned to thrill the young audience in the Pavilion in the shape of a junior children’s choir competition featuring singers from 10 schools.

 

Contestants come from across Wales, England and as far afield as St Paul’s Co-ed Primary School in Hong Kong.

 

Throughout the day from 8.30am young Eisteddfod visitors can enjoy a colourful selection of children’s activities on the field including Bollywood dance workshops and street theatre featuring clowns, musicians and stilt walkers.

 

Rounding off a busy day will the iconic International Parade in which competitors from across the globe will process in their national costumes, flags fluttering, through cheering crowds from the Eisteddfod field to Llangollen town centre led by bands and Eisteddfod president Terry Waite in an open-top vehicle.

 

Eisteddfod Musical Director Eilir Owen Griffiths said: “The whole Children’s Day programme will have the accent firmly on entertainment.

 

“It promises to be an excellent day out which matches many requirements of the National Curriculum, linking awareness of global citizenship and culture with a pleasurable experience.

 

“The concert by The Alto Brass Ensemble has been designed to introduce children to the brass family of musical instruments and should be the Eisteddfod’s most interactive concert experience ever.

 

“The concert programme includes two pieces – the themes from Pirates of the Caribbean and Monsters Inc – which children can very much relate to and enjoy.

 

“We are delighted to have Owen Gunnell as one of the ensemble who is a percussionist of international repute and famed for the way he works with children in an enjoyable and interesting way.

 

“This year’s Peace Message, to be delivered by the children from Mountain Lane Primary School in Buckley, is on the theme ‘one voice’ which signifies the way countries from many countries come together to sing together with one voice at the Eisteddfod.” 

 

* To book tickets and for more details on the 2015 festival go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

 

Operatic reprises Sister Act at Dolywern

* Leonard Cheshire's Syliva Jones, left, explains to society

members how the money they raised from Sister Act will be used.

Thirty members of Llangollen Operatic Society visited Leonard Cheshire Disability in Dolywern to entertain the residents and staff with songs from heir recent smash-hit production of Sister Act.

Society spokeswoman Louisa Jones said: "We sang a selection of songs from the show, lasting around 45 minutes.

"All those who had played nuns wore their habits to add to the effect and our audience all seemed to enjoy the performance.

 

"At the end, we presented Sylvia Jones, the volunteer coordinator and activities organiser, with a cheque for £882.

 

"This, together with a donation from HSBC, who very kindly matched the sponsorship raised by Elaine Ansloos, its manager in Chirk, came to £1,000.

 

"Sylvia thanked us for the donation and said the money would be used for residents' activities such as arts and crafts, IT, in-house entertainment and outings.

 

"It would also help to support two Japanese volunteers who stay with them for a year a time and do activities with the residents."

 

Louisa added: "It is a pleasure for our members to go and perform at the home following our production each year and we are always given such a warm reception.

 

"It really is a fantastic organisation and we are proud to have been able to raise funds on their behalf.

 

"The remainder of the money raised by the Nun Run, the charity event we did just before the show, will be used to cover Sister Act production costs and specifically, the costume spend, which was significant as all of the fantastic habits were made from scratch, by hand, by our very own costume team." 

Silver Band plays at VE Day event

* Llangollen Silver Band members with veterans at the

VE Day anniversary celebration in Bellevue Park, Wrexham.

Llangollen Silver Band were delighted to be invited to play at Bellevue Park, Wrexham last Monday  as part of the VE Day 70th anniversary celebrations.

On a beautiful Bank Holiday afternoon the band began by accompanying hymns in a service led by the Rev Gerald Griffiths.

Tributes were also paid by Councillor David Griffiths and the chairperson of the Friends of Bellevue Park, Barbara Jones.

Attending the service were a number of World War Two veterans and all in attendance observed a two-minute silence to remember the fallen.

The band's principal cornet player, Mia Thomas, ended the silence with the haunting call of The Last Post.

Following the service the band performed a varied musical programme whilst the veterans and audience enjoyed a tea party in the sunshine.