Betty recalls 50 years of Eisteddfod volunteering

* Betty Roberts with one of her Eisteddfod souvenirs.

A veteran volunteer at an iconic festival is adding her voice to an appeal for new recruits to the army of unpaid helpers who have helped Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod reach its 70^th year.

Betty Roberts, from Johnstown, Wrexham, has been one of the vital cogs in the festival’s wheel for 50 years, meeting Diana, Princess of Wales and finding accommodation for thousands of competitors in that time.

She was once faced with the mission impossible of finding beds for 67 hungry Hungarians late one evening in North Wales back in the summer of 1980.

But thanks to Betty’s network of contacts and friends within hours every one of them had been found a place to stay and given a good meal.

The amazing piece of organisation, and many others like it, have all been part of the job for Betty, now a sprightly 84, who is celebrating 50 years as a very active member of the Eisteddfod’s Hospitality Committee, half of that time either as secretary or chairman.

As the 70^th festival approaches in July Betty has been looking back over her incredible half century as an Eisteddfod volunteer and has added her support to an appeal for new volunteers.

Working closely with her fellow committee members it has been her responsibility to lay out the welcome mat and find accommodation for thousands of overseas competitors at the festival since 1966.

Most of the time things have played out as smoothly as one of the festival’s choral programmes. But there have been some challenging times too.

Betty, who has a son and a daughter and three grandsons aged 11 to 35, recalled the time the Hungarians arrived so unexpectedly on that evening 36 years ago.

She said: “In 1979 I was asked to take on the post of Secretary of the Hospitality Committee and I’ll always remember my first year in 1980.

“It was around 7pm on the Tuesday evening. I was in the reception area on the Eisteddfod field on my own when the telephone rang and it was a young man from Llangollen who was at Ruabon railway station and he said there were 67 Hungarians there and no coach for them.

“I had 67 beds to find at 7pm and in those days everyone stayed in private homes so I rang a couple just outside Wrexham to see if they could help. They rang me back to say they’d been out knocking on doors and, unbelievably, they had found 67 beds.

“The Hungarians, who we had fed while they were waiting, wept tears of joy as they couldn’t believe that people would open their doors at such short notice.”

Rhys Davies, Chairman of the Eisteddfod and a volunteer himself, said: “It’s people like Betty who make the event what it is and ensure that it carries on and is now in its 70^th year.

“The volunteers do a fantastic job and are real ambassadors for Llangollen and for Wales and we do need more of them – and they get as much out of the job as they put in.

“That’s why people like Betty and others have been with us for so long and it’s what makes Llangollen unique among festivals.”

Betty’s long association with the Eisteddfod had its roots way back in 1953 when, the year before she was married to late husband Vernon, she met two members of an American singing group who were staying with her mother, Sally Oliver, in Cefn Mawr.

She said: “They were with the Purdue Glee Club from Indiana and I got to know them quite well.

“In fact, I kept up a regular correspondence with one of them, a lady named Bertha Fleming, until she died at the age of 92 over 20 years ago.

“It was meeting her at my mother’s and talking about the Eisteddfod that whetted my appetite for becoming a volunteer. That and a little encouragement from my friend Joyce Davies who was also from Cefn Mawr and Secretary of Hospitality.

“At first I was responsible for finding accommodation for the competitors in Johnstown, where I’ve lived for the past 60 years, but later I became Secretary myself for 13 years and then served as Chairman for another 12 years, finishing in 2004. I was also on the Eisteddfod board for 24 years from the 1980s onwards.

“Things have changed a lot over the years and when I first started we had to find beds for about 2,000 every year, all in private homes in an area stretching from Bala to Whittington in Shropshire.

“Now most stay in schools and hotels but we still have many who want to have the experience of staying with someone and we’re always keen to hear from people who would like to put people up.

“All of us on the committee are still kept very much on our toes and we’d be delighted to welcome new recruits – they won’t regret joining us.”

Over the years Betty has made lots of friends through her work in hospitality and she met the Prince and Princess of Wales when they visited the Eisteddfod in 1985.

Betty remembered: “Diana, who was a very nice girl and seemed to have done her homework about the Eisteddfod, said she hoped I’d be getting tickets for the evening performances as I had been working so hard.

“I recall telling her that we hardly ever got to see the performances because we were too busy, although we do now because we have a TV screen in our hospitality building on which we can watch them as we work.”

Now the festival’s official Hospitality Liaison Officer, Betty never misses an opportunity to promote the Eisteddfod to a wider audience and gives talks to groups across North Wales.

Meanwhile, Tickets sales for the concerts at this year’s Eisteddfod, which begins on Tuesday, July 5, are already going well, especially for the opening night when superstar Katherine Jenkins gets the programme off to a sensational start as she sings Bizet’s Carmen.

Wednesday will be International Children’s Day and will include choral and dance competitions and also a new Under 16s solo competition while the evening will feature the Voices of Musical Theatre.

The great Bryn Terfel will headline the 70^th Classical Gala Concert on Thursday evening while the day will see the crowning of the Children’s Choir of the World.

Friday will celebrate Rhythms of the World and will be a feast of music and dance from the best of the Eisteddfod’s international competitors with the Dance Champions of the World competition climax at the evening concert.

It will open with a Caribbean Carnival Extravaganza, followed by the International Peace message delivered by Theatr yr Ifanc, Rhosllannerchrugog.

In a change of the scheduling Friday will also see the Parade of Nations, led by Eisteddfod President Terry Waite, switched from Tuesday in anticipation of bigger crowds and more competitors being present.

Saturday is dedicated to the top choirs and concludes with the Choir of the World competition for the Pavarotti Trophy while Sunday sees the Eisteddfod let its hair down for Llanfest before the climactic final concert.

To book tickets and to become an Eisteddfod volunteer for the 2016 festival go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Ken Skates wins promotion in new-look Welsh cabinet

* The new Welsh Government cabinet lines up.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates has won promotion in the Welsh Government's new cabinet.

Mr Skates (pictured below) steps up from Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism to the key position of Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure.

Announcing the new line-up, First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said: “I am delighted to introduce the team who will be taking Wales forward over the next five years. They will have a central role to play in delivering our priorities and leading and directing the work of the Welsh Government on behalf of the people of Wales.

“As I said in my statement to the Assembly yesterday, this will be an open, inclusive, and transparent administration, ready to work with others where it is in the national interest.

“A critical 5 years lie ahead. My relentless focus, and that of my Cabinet and Ministers, will be on driving improvement in our economy and in the vital public services that the people of Wales rely on every day.

“I am confident this is the team with the talent, the vision and the ideas to deliver opportunity for all, and build a united, connected and sustainable Wales, now and for future generations.”

Cabinet and Ministers

Ken Skates
Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
Vaughan Gething
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Mark Drakeford
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Kirsty Williams
Cabinet Secretary for Education
Lesley Griffiths
Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs
Carl Sargeant
Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Jane Hutt
Leader of the House and Chief Whip
Julie James
Minister for Skills and Science
Alun Davies
Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language
Rebecca Evans
Minister for Social Services and Public Health

Murder probe police search property in Gobowen

As part of an on-going investigation by North Wales Police following recent information that an unidentified man has been murdered and disposed of on the outskirts of Wrexham, detectives yesterday searched a property in Gobowen. 

Area Commander for Wrexham, Supt Sian Beck, said  “Detectives executed a search warrant in Gobowen for evidence in relation to an on-going murder investigation.

"No one was arrested at the property but during the search the expertise of military personnel with specialist search equipment was required and they remain at the scene.

“This action follows a number of searches conducted over the last few days in the Wrexham and Gobowen area, and is believed to be linked to a historic murder.  

"This is an on-going investigation and we are still attempting to identify the man and where his remains have been deposited.  

"If anyone has any information to assist I’d ask they make contact with us.”

North Wales Police say they would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and may have witnessed events to contact them on 101 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.   

Alternatively, contact the control room direct via the new web live chat /contact/chat-support.aspx
 

Church concert will mark centenary of the Somme

Llangollen will remember the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme at a special concert in St Collen’s Parish Church on Thursday June 30.

Starting at 7.30 pm, the event is being staged on the eve of the start of the battle which has come to signify the horrors of the First World War.


The concert will reflect on the battle and the cataclysmic events of 1916.

The concert will feature the Glyndwr University Community Choir, conducted by Owen Roberts, performing Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem interspersed with war poetry and other readings by students from Dinas Brân High School.

The Rev Andrew Sully of St Collen's said: "At the end of June a century will have passed since the beginning of the Somme offensive, and it will be a fitting time to gather to acknowledge before God the service and sacrifice of so many people.

"Those 19 weeks of fierce warfare undoubtedly changed the course of history, and it is right to pay tribute to all those who had to bear the enormous human cost.

"During Thursday June 30 and Friday July 1, national and local services and events will be held to commemorate the Battle of the Somme, and to provide everyone with an opportunity to remember those who fought and survived as well as those who fell during the offensive."

Government demands more details of Vicarage Road plan

The Welsh Government has told the county council not to decide on the controversial plan to build 99 homes in Vicarage Road, Llangollen until major road issues are clarified.

Castlemead Homes recently submitted an application to the council for the development, which includes a mixture of two, three and four bedroom detached and semi-detached properties.

* Mike Edwards's picture showing heavy traffic,

including a mobility scooter user, heading

for the busy Hall Street/A5 junction.

But the scheme has sparked fears amongst people in the area that local roads will not be able to cope with the extra traffic it will generate both during construction and when the new homes are occupied.

As part of the usual consultation process, the council asked the Welsh Government for its views on the application.

In a letter seen by llanblogger an official from the government’s Department for Economy, Science and Transport writes: “I refer to your consultation of 14 April 2016 regarding the above application and advise that the Welsh Government as highway authority for the A5 trunk road directs that permission be withheld until further notice while additional information is sought from the applicant and/or information provided by the applicant is analysed to enable appropriate highway observations to be made.”

The letter adds: “The applicant must provide previous and proposed Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) values for Hall Street/A5 junction.

“The applicant must increase the future year assessment from 2020 to 20 years from year of opening.”

Mike Edwards, a member of the action group which has raised concerns about traffic generation, welcomed the government’s response.

He said: “Members of Vicarage Road Housing Development Group are very concerned, together with having worries about several other issues with the application, that the Hall Street/A5 junction cannot cope with increased vehicle movements to and from a development of 99 houses.  

“The majority of the dwellings will be three, four and some five bedroom properties which would mean there could be between 200 and 250 additional cars using this junction.

“Llangollen residents know only too well of the existing problems they encounter at this junction where Hall Street/Hill Street meets the main arterial tourist route through town exasperated by traffic queuing at the Castle Street traffic lights.

“It is particularly difficult at peak times when people are going to and returning from work. This junction also gives access via Hill Street to the infants and junior schools together with visitors including coaches accessing Plas Newydd.

“The junction is also a hazard for pedestrians, wheelchair, mobility scooter users and parents with pushchairs trying to cross the A5 to access the Town Centre. So we are very glad that this aspect is being looked at carefully by the Highway experts from Welsh Government.”

Planning permission to build 54 houses on land adjacent to Vicarage Road was granted on appeal by Denbighshire back in 2001.

Attached to the original application was a Section 106 agreement under which the developer was legally bound to build a new access road to the site before the scheme was started.

The field above the main site has since been included in the Local Development Plan at the request of the Planning Inspectorate to encourage the building of more houses to meet local demand.

And Castlemead  recently submitted a new application to build a further 45 homes, making a total of 99 houses on four parcels of land.

A statement issued on behalf of the company by planning consultants in support of the application says it would not be economic to build the access road before construction work starts on the houses and suggests it should be put in place by the time the 31^st dwelling has been occupied.

Llangollen Fringe programme unveiled

* The Selecter are amongst headliners at the 2016 Fringe festival.

THIS summer’s Llangollen Fringe aims to build on the growing success of the music and arts festival of the past few years, say its organisers.


Latest figures show that its audience has more than trebled since 2009, shooting up by 29 per on the previous year in 2015, and they are hoping to build even further on that this July.


Rising interest in the festival was revealed a the launch of this year’s programme at Llangollen Pavilion and Fringe bosses say it is bigger and more diverse than ever before.  
     
The concert programme opens with Ska band The Selecter on Thursday July 14 in Llangollen Town Hall and continues on the Friday with an appearance by VanGoffey, Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey’s new band.

* Classical pianist Luke Jones plays at the Fringe.

An evening of music combining punk and reggae hits the Town Hall stage on Saturday July 16 in the shape of Jah Wobble who has created his own hybrid style. Sunday July 17 sees poet Sarah Howe, winner of the TS Eliot Prize, showcasing her work at the same venue.

Musical collective Easy Star All-Stars are the headline act at the Town Hall on Tuesday July 19, bringing together rock, dub and indie.

Wednesday July 20 is designated Welsh night at the Town Hall when the key performer is Gwenno, creator of layered, home-fi keyboard sounds wrapped in echoed vocals, and songwriter and musician Duke hits the same stage on Thursday July 21.

Gang of Four play the Town Hall on the evening of Friday July 22, while electro-dub outfit Dreadzone appear there on Saturday July 23.

The grand finale concert comes on Sunday July 24 when Ultra High Flamenco from Madrid perform at Valle Crucis Abbey.

A musician from Wrexham who was the youngest performer at the Fringe in 2005 makes a triumphant return this year.       


Pianist Luke Jones was just 10 years old when he played at the festival 11 years ago.

Now 21 and after studying at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, the Conservatorio di Musica in Italy and the Royal Northern College of Music, he is back to present a classical programme of Chopin and Mozart with the cellist Jane Oliver at St John’s Church on July 19.

The spoken word continues to feature in festival programming, with the Taking Flight Theatre company staging Romeo and Juliet at Valle Crucis Abbey on July 15 and 16, and Wrexham playwright Peter Read putting on his own The Ghost of Dylan Thomas at Plas Newydd on July 20.

Poetry also figures with Levi Tafari’s Poetry Slam at the Bridge End Hotel in the town on July 16.

Levi is a well-known rasta poet from Liverpool who performed at last year’s Fringe. He will share some of his own work as well as encouraging people to get involved and perform their compositions.

The Orange Blossom Special Train will be running on Llangollen Steam Railway on Sunday July 17.

Inspired by the Johnny Cash song, there will be live country and western music throughout the evening on platforms and on the train during its return journey to Carrog.

On July 13 Llangollen’s New Dot community cinema screens the film Cabaret.

Fringe director Graham Timms said: “We have designed our programme to provide something to interest everyone.

“Featuring some very well-known performers has enhanced the reputation of the festival and grown its audience over the past few years.


“The target was a 10 per cent increase in audience numbers in 2015. The actual attendance increased by 29 per cent.
 
“In fact, since 2009 our audience has more than trebled, consistently showing a steep upward trend and the directors are encouraged to be even more ambitious in the coming years.”


The full programme will be out in mid-June but further details and booking is available on the festival’s website at www.llangollenfringe.co.uk.

You can get in touch at: contact@llangollenfringe.co.uk or telephone 0800 1455 779.

Art exhibition

The Fringe launch also saw an exhibition of work by Llangollen Artists, including Carys Roberts, Jan Murray, Mike Flory, Simon Collinge and Sue Hall, and some of the exhibits are pictured below.

New North Wales tourism campaign unveiled

* North Wales Tourism Managing Director  Jim Jones and Gareth Daniels.

A tourism campaign has been launched to help boost the North Wales economy by £200 million a year.

The Go North Wales brand is being showcased on a new website that also includes an online booking, attraction bookings and an E shop.

The drive is being masterminded by North Wales Tourism, the biggest destination management company in Wales which has a growing membership of more than 1,000 on its books.

According to managing director Jim Jones, tourism already generates over £2 billion a year and employs 40,000 people in the region.

They are now working to the target set by Visit Wales to grow tourism earnings by 10 per cent or more by the year 2020.

Mr Jones said: “The new www.gonorthwales.co.uk website for us is the digital gateway to tourism in North Wales, so it’s incredibly important that we get it right.

"We’ve invested a lot of time, a lot of energy and a lot of money in making sure we’ve got a state of the art website with fresh branding and fresh imagery.

"We particularly want to go out to try and assist as much as we possibly can to make life easier for our members so we've included an online booking service for accommodation providers and attractions as part of the new website.

"We've deliberately pitched our commission rate at a very low level service that undercuts big name rivals.

"It is significantly lower than most of the big name operators who often charge double that percentage or more."

The development of the website has been overseen by Gareth Daniels, the head of digital experience at North Wales Tourism.

He said: “The website is a way for visitors to find information more easily and in more depth than you would find on Trip Advisor or other bigger websites.

"There's a comprehensive listing of all activities and attractions, from white water rafting to zoos and aquariums. It’s all listed on the website with incredible content and imagery.

"We’ve worked with some award winning photographers as well as the Visit Wales image libraries so we have had access to some incredible pictures."

Mr Jones added: “This is a huge opportunity for North Wales Tourism, our membership is growing, and the key to our future success will be bringing everybody to work in partnership - the private and public sectors - to work for the greater good.

“In marketing North Wales, we need to speak with one voice and work collaboratively so that we can upgrade the tourism infrastructure. Together we'll be a power to be reckoned with.

"The North West, the Midlands, Yorkshire, and Cheshire are all our key target markets and we also want to raise our profile in London.

“North Wales has got everything going for it. We have spectacular scenery and brilliant attractions in abundance, all in close proximity to each other.

"We have some really world class assets in the form of Snowdonia National Park and our three Areas Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"Equally, we’ve got world class heritage sites with the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the castles at Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Conwy. 

"Whether the customer comes here to enjoy an outdoor experience or a heritage experience, we must fulfil and exceed their expectations.

"We are supportive of Visit Wales’s ambitions, and we rely on their support.

 "North Wales is definitely going places. We want to take tourism to the next level and the new branding and the new website are key staging posts on our path to prosperity."

Picture shows Hill Street traffic blues

* Vehicles inch past one another in Hill Street.

Campaigner Mike Edwards has sent in this picture he took on Saturday showing how difficult it is for vehicles to pass on the “pinchpoint” in Hill Street.   

This, he says, is even before extra traffic is generated by a development of 99 homes in Vicarage Road for which planning permission is currently being sought by developers Castlemead and a group of residents, including Mr Edwards, are opposing.

He said: “I took this photograph this morning and this illustrates the existing problem for road users - pedestrians, wheelchair users, mums and dads with pushchairs and drivers

“I have written a letter to Graham Boase, head of planning and public protection at the county council, with a copy of this photo pointing out that this road is already hazardous and will not accommodate additional traffic.

“The planning application, 03/2016/0300, proposes that construction traffic will use Hill Street and Willow Street until the 31st dwelling is occupied and Willow Street is widened and reconstructed.”

A5 closed by road accident

The A5 just outside Llangollen has been closed in both directions following an traffic accident.

A tweet from North Wales Police just before 7.30pm says:

North Wales Police ‏@NWPolice 9m9 minutes ago

RTC A5 Llangollen. Road blocked near Ty'n y Wern Hotel. Officers on scene diversions in place. Please avoid if possible. Thank you.

A fire engine was seen just a little earlier speeding in that direction along Regent Street, followed by two police cars.

A further tweet from the road agency says:

North & Mid Wales ‏@TrafficWalesN 5m5 minutes ago

#A5 : Both directions : Llangollen : Incident : Road closed : Due to Accident

Sources said a vehicle had overturned and the driver has been taken to hospital.

Churches come together for open-air service

* Worshippers at the open-air service gather around the bandstand. 

Churches in Llangollen came together earlier today for a joint open-air service for Pentecost Sunday which also marked Christian Aid Week, from May 15-21.

Over 80 members of the various congregations gathered around the bandstand in Riverside Park for the worship, led by the Rev Andrew Sully of St Collen’s Church and the Rev Phil Poole of Llangollen Methodist Church.

Hymns were accompanied by Llangollen Silver Band and a collection was taken in aid of Christian Aid.

* The Rev Andrew Sully leads the service.

Operatic land am dram "Oscars" for Sister Act

* Tracey Rawlinson holds up the Best Production award.

Llangollen Operatic Society has landed two amateur stage “Oscars” for its production of Sister Act last year.

The society received three nominations for the NODA Wales and Ireland regional awards for 2015, which aim to honour the cream of amateur shows.

And at the presentation evening in Hereford last night (Saturday) it was awarded Best Production  and Best Performance 2015 for Sister Act which it staged at the Town Hall a year ago.     

The society’s version of the musical, the stage version of the hit Whoopi Goldberg film, attracted large audiences throughout its week-long run and much critical acclaim.

The Best Performance award went to Elen-Haf Taylor for her portrayal in the lead role of Deloris Van Cartier. 

The show was co-produced by Michael Jones and Tracey Rawlinson who was also artistic director, with musical direction by Elen Mair Roberts.

AM attacks county over halting Right to Buy

Shadow Housing Minister and North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has criticised Denbighshire County Council’s decision to stop people buying their own council houses for five years.

Denbighshire has voted to stop ‘Right to Buy’, following in the footsteps of Anglesey, Flintshire, Carmarthenshire and Swansea councils.

The council has said there were 10 applicants for every vacant council home in the county and right to buy "threatened investment in new homes".

But Mr Isherwood (left) claims the take-up of ‘Right to Buy’ is no longer significant enough for its suspension to reduce housing pressure.

He said: “I believe this is the wrong way forward. Abolishing ‘Right to Buy’ in Denbighshire will deny the prospect of home ownership to tenants and will not in itself increase the supply of affordable housing.

“Further, current legislation only allows Councils to suspend the Right to Buy’ for a limited time in a specified area, which would make a negligible contribution to improving the availability of affordable housing, given findings by leading expert Professor Wilcox that tenants remain in occupation for 15 years on average.

“As the Welsh Affairs Committee found, the suspension of the Right to Buy would not in itself result in an increase in the supply of affordable housing.

“The proposed scrapping of Right to Buy is a smokescreen and would not do anything to create more homes or increase the numbers of households with their own front door.”

Mr Isherwod says Welsh Labour has mounted a sustained attack on ‘Right to Buy’ and  in 2015  halved the ‘Right to Buy’ discounts from £16,000 to £8,000 and signalled its intention to scrap the ‘Right to Buy’ altogether.

He added: “Welsh Conservatives would instead protect the ‘Right to Buy’ for tenants wanting to buy their council home and reinvest ‘Right to Buy’ proceeds into new social housing, providing more homes for more people languishing on Labour’s waiting lists, increasing the number of people who are able to find a home to meet their needs.

“‘Right to Buy’ has already dwindled under Welsh Labour. During 1999-2000, 3590 ‘Right to Buy’ Council Home sales were completed in Wales, rising to 6,865 during 2003-04, but since falling to just 176 in 2014-15.  

“The social housing crisis is the result of Welsh Labour policies, not right to buy. During its first 3 terms in Welsh Government,  Labour cut the supply of new affordable homes by nearly three quarters and slashed the total number of social homes in Wales by nearly 30,000.

"As the 2012 UK Housing Review stated "it was the Welsh Government itself that gave housing lower priority in its overall budgets, so that by 2009/10 it had by far the lowest proportional level of housing expenditure of any of the four UK countries".

“National House Building Council’s figures show that Wales was the only nation in the UK to decrease new homes registrations in 2014-15.  Compared with a 7% increase in the UK overall, Wales is lagging behind with a 2% reduction.”

Valley Girls raise £3,000 for hospices from calendar sales

* Valley Girls hand over a cheque for £1,500 to Hope House Hospice.

Members of Valley Girls WI have said a big public thank you to everyone who has helped their Llangollen Vintage Calendar raise a total of £3,000 for two charities.

The money will be split between Nightingale House Hospice and Hope House Hospice.

A group spokeswoman said: "We'd like to thank the Chamber of Trade and Tourism for their support and for encouraging local business to stock and sell the calendar and also the businesses themselves, who were all very supportive, co-operative and even had staff giving us an extra plug at the checkout, which bumped up sales.

"We're so grateful to all of our local supporters who took this project to their hearts and made many sales to friends, relatives, colleagues, members of their dance class or patients in the waiting room.

"No opportunity was missed. Everyone can feel proud, this really was a community project.

"The Valley Girls are taking a break from calendars this year to concentrate on something a bit different.

"It will all come together around the time of the Fringe Festival.

"Members are hoping to show off some of their creative skills but nothing has been confirmed yet as details are a bit woolly!"

* Another £1,500 cheque goes to Nightingale House Hospice.

New police boss pledges to serve all the people

* New North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.

A new police boss has pledged to serve all the people of North Wales without fear or favour - and to make tackling domestic violence a top priority.

Former police inspector Arfon Jones, the second ever North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, was speaking on his first official day in office (Thursday, May 12) after succeeding Winston Roddick in the job.

Standing as a Plaid Cymru candidate, he swept to victory with a massive majority of 25,364 votes.

According to Mr Jones, a member of Wrexham County Borough Council, it was one of the proudest days of his life to lead the force he served for 30 years, both in uniform and as a detective.

A native of Harlech in Gwynedd, he is married with two daughters and four grandchildren and lives in Gwersyllt, near Wrexham.

Mr Jones is now in charge of a budget of £147 million and is responsible for making sure the money is spent effectively to keep the people of North Wales safe and secure.

In doing so, he vowed to represent everybody in North Wales, regardless of their political affiliations.

He said: "It's very important.  I agreed 100 per cent with what Sadiq Khan said when he became Mayor of London, that he represented all the people of London.  I think that is perfectly correct.

"I think all politicians should do that, no matter who has voted for you, you represent all your electorate without fear or favour. It’s part of being sworn in.  I have promised to do this and I take my responsibilities seriously.

"I plan to consult widely about the policing priorities for North Wales to make sure we have a good idea of what it is that the people of North Wales want us to deliver over the next 12 months.

"Once I publish the plan I will then scrutinise the force and hold the chief officers to account to make sure that the plan is realised."

One of the commissioner's first priorities will be tackling the issue of domestic violence.

Mr Jones wants to extend the use of body-worn video to all front line police officers in North Wales so that evidence of crimes can be captured as they happen.

A total of 128 video camera kits have already been deployed across North Wales and have proved a big success, particularly in relation to domestic violence.

Mr Jones said:  "Domestic violence is a hideous crime and one I feel passionately about.

"The fact that seven victims of domestic violence are killed every month in England and Wales makes it an obvious priority. 

"There’s an emotional cost, there’s a cost to society and there’s a financial cost and I think it’s a responsibility to us all to prioritise things of this nature.

"I would very much like to provide every front line officer in North Wales with a body-worn video. 

"I think that the evidence that is coming out from the use of body worn video is that the number of offenders who are arrested and charged and brought before the courts has increased.

"I would certainly encourage victims to come forward, either by reporting the matter directly to the police or by getting in touch with a partner agency.

"When people come forward to report such an offence, it's often the case that it will have happened dozens of times previously.

"To be fair to my predecessor, Winston Roddick, he did a lot of work on this issue and I’m looking forward to carrying on this work and developing it further."

Another priority for Mr Jones keeping children out of the criminal justice system to ensure they are not criminalised at a young age, blighting their future prospects.

One of the problems, he said, was the absence of a consistent approach in the way young justice services were delivered in different parts of North Wales.

I’ve been leading Children’s Services for Wrexham County Council with responsibility for Youth Justice which comes under the Ministry of Justice at Westminster.

"It is financed by the Welsh Government, the office of the Commissioner, North Wales Police, the probation service and the health board and it is all dealt with differently across the whole of North Wales.

"Responsibility for youth justice should be devolved to Wales because at the moment the way it works is that it’s like a postcode lottery and I think that children and young people deserve a better service.

"We should intervene earlier when the children are younger and break the cycle of crime before it happens."

Chief Constable Mark Polin wished Mr Jones well in his new role. He said “I would like to congratulate Mr Arfon Jones and welcome him as the new Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales. 

"I look forward to working closely with him to deliver the Police and Crime Plan and ensuring North Wales remains a safe place to live, work and visit where vulnerable members of society are protected from harm.”

New Dot Cinema has an horrific offering

Tonight's screening at Llangollen's New Dot Cinema in the Town Hall council chamber is one of two films specially chosen to appeal to a young adult audience.

Critically acclaimed Swedish horror Let The Right One In (pictured below) is a vampire movie unlike any other.

Less trashiness, more intelligent suspense.

Doors open tonight (Friday May 13) at 7.30pm.

Be warned: this film contains sex and nudity, violence and gore - not for the faint-hearted!

Then next month's film is Dear White People showing on Friday June 10.

A low budget, independent recent release from the US, this stylish, sharp talking and beautifully shot movie tells a story about being a black face in a white place.

New Dot organiser Keiron Preston has encouraged several new volunteers from the 18-25 age group to assist at this special screening.

Together they've tweaked the refreshments for a new market and will be present on the night to run the proceedings.

This initiative is part of an on-going strategy to reach out to different sectors of the community in the Dee Valley.

New Dot Cinema is a not-for-profit organisation, run by volunteers. Watch this space for news of a spectacular summer screening in conjunction with The Fringe Festival!

More information: http://www.facebook.com/NewDotCinema/

Tickets, priced at £5 each, are available online or from Baileys Deli of Llangollen. Also available on the door, unless sold out.

MP calls for women's pension re-think

* Susan Elan Jones with other MPs in Parliament calling

on the government to re-think its pension plans for women born in the 1950s.

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones joined WASPI Westminster, a cross-party group of MPs that is calling on the Government to look again at pension provision for women born during the 1950s.

The Labour MP said: "The Government urgently needs to make fair transitional arrangements for all women born on or after April 6 1951 who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA).

"Hundreds of thousands of women have had significant changes imposed on them with a lack of appropriate notification. This isn't fair or right.

"It is a big issue for many women in our area and indeed across the UK. Planning means everything when it comes to pensions."

She added: "At the heart of the campaign is the 1995 Conservative Government’s Pension Act included plans to increase women’s SPA to 65, the same as men’s.

"Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), agree with equalisation, but don’t agree with the unfair way the changes were implemented – with little/no personal notice (1995/2011 Pension Acts), faster than promised (2011 Pension Act), and no time to make alternative plans."

RAFA Club to host charity concert

A charity concert will be staged at Llangollen RAFA Club at 8pm on Saturday May 28.

Featuring Alan B, who has toured with singing greats including Rob Orbison, all proceeds from the event will go to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital stoke unit. There will also be a raffle.

Tickets, at £5, are available from Gwyn the Butchers, the RAFA Club or on the door on he night.

No confirmation over supermarket tenants

* Neither Aldi nor Home Bargains will confirm an interest in the new supermarket.

Neither of the two retail giants suggested as potential occupiers of Llangollen’s “ghost” supermarket will say for sure whether they have an interest in taking it over.

Sainsburys, who built the 34,000 square foot store off the A5, announced a year ago that they wouldn’t be running it directly due to adverse economic conditions and revealed they were looking for potential tenants.

The pull-out also dashed hopes for 130 promised jobs.

There has since been speculation that supermarket chain Aldi and discount group Home Bargains were ready to sign a deal to jointly occupy the building.

But this week both companies remained non-committal.

A spokesman for Aldi told llanblogger yesterday (Tuesday):  “Aldi, the award-winning discount food retailer, is keen to develop a new food store in Llangollen.

“There is a clear need for greater shopping choice in the area and Aldi is looking at a variety of sites that fit both suitability and convenience for local shoppers.”

And a spokesman for Home Bargains said today: “Unfortunately, it’s a no comment from us, as we work to a strict planner of confirmed stores.”

Tory candidate says thanks for support

Simon Baynes, the Welsh Conservative Assembly Candidate for Clwyd South in last week’s election, has thanked supporters and says he will continue to campaign on local issues in Clwyd South.

He said: “Many thanks to the thousands of people who voted for me and supported me in my campaign in Clwyd South.

"I congratulate Ken Skates on his re-election as AM for Clwyd South and wish him well."

Mr Baynes (pictured) added: "I greatly enjoyed the campaign and am proud of the huge effort that the Clwyd South Conservatives made in knocking on thousands of doors the length and breadth of the constituency which played its part in increasing the turnout from 37% to 41%.

"I will continue to help and campaign on local issues and problems in Clwyd South alongside our North Wales Regional Assembly Member Mark Isherwood AM and our local Councillors.

"I can always be contacted on 07880 786573 or baynes@bodfach.com if I can be of assistance.”

 

Designer Sarah creates poster for 70th Eisteddfod

* Sarah Meade with some of her previous posters and post cards.

A designer from the town is creating a poster and post card marking this summer’s 70th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Sarah Meade, who runs the Honey Pots gifts emporium and ceramic studio in Castle Street, said: “It will feature Katherine Jenkins and Jools Holland, who are both starring at the festival.

“I've been working with the Eisteddfod to make sure I feature as many of the flags of the competing countries as I can and it's this element of the poster that I'm just completing.

“It will have a railway poster-type feel to it, the same as the previous postcards and posters that I have designed. We're hoping to get this one reproduced on to tea towels as a souvenir for this year as well.”

Sarah currently has a joint promotion running with the nearby Witzend Gallery.

She explained: “People can come into our shop and pick up a poster and then pop over the road to Witzend to have it framed, or alternatively we have a few they prepared earlier to purchase in store now.”