Town clerk apologises for incorrect council meeting dates

Llangollen's Town Clerk has apologised for any confusion caused by the incorrect postings of meeting dates earlier this due to "an administrative error".

Gareth Thomas says a number of meetings have also had to be rearranged due to the recent national period of mourning and therefore a revised schedule of meetings for the Town Council is detailed below:

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS 202219/23 MUNICIPAL YEAR20
27 September 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
11 October 2022	Cittaslow Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
18 October 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
25 October 2022	Asset Management Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
15 November 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
22 November 2022	Human Resources Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
20 December 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
17 January 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
24 January 2023	Asset Management Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
31 January 2023	Cittaslow Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
07 February 2023	Human Resources Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
21 February 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
21 March 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
18 April 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
25April 2023	Asset Management Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
02 May 2023	Cittaslow Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
09 May 2023	Human Resources Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
Schedule excludes Task and Finish Groups and Extraordinary Meetings.

 

MP welcomes two-year energy bill cap

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes (pictured) has welcomed news of a two-year energy bill cap, meaning energy bills for a typical household will be capped at £2,500 per year for two years. 

Mr Baynes has praised the recent announcement by the Prime Minister, Liz Truss MP, which will help families in Clwyd South and across the United Kingdom. 

Businesses, charities and public sector organisations will be offered equivalent support for a six-month period, which will be reviewed every three months going forward. 

A new Government fund will also be created to support residents not covered by the cap, including those who use heating oil, as well as residents who have communal heating schemes. 

Previously implemented cost of living measures will also remain, ensuring that every household will receive £400 off their energy bills, and a £650 cost of living payment will be made to every household on means-tested benefits. 

In addition, a £300 pensioner cost of living payment will be given to every pensioner household in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment.

Simon Baynes MP said: “I welcome the announcement by the Prime Minister about the energy bill cap, which I know will be welcomed by so many in Clwyd South as energy prices have been of great concern to my constituents and families across the United Kingdom. 

"This will see energy bills capped at £2,500 per year for two years from 1^st October 2022, whilst businesses, charities and public sector organisations offered similar support for a six-month period, which will be reviewed every three months."

Vicarage Road: emergency closure

According to Denbighshire County Council, Vicarage Road, Llangollen, has been closed to facilitate urgent works to rebuild a fire hydrant chamber by Hafren Dyfrdwy.

Railway's Heritage Railcar Gala coming soon

Llangollen Railway's Heritage Railcar gala will take place in over the weekend of October 8 and 9.

A railway spokesperson said: "Our railcar group really have been amazing this year, working well over 100 operating days, an awesome achievement for an all-volunteer team operating trains in some cases older than 60 years. 

"They are celebrating their achievements this year with this nice event that includes a Saturday evening 'landcruise' trip to Carrog and back, complete with a hotpot supper. 

"Provided the weather is on-side, the event is a great way to see the evening autumnal splendour of the valley."

The spokesperson added: "Our Ride the Rocket firework train tickets for November 5 sold out in record time but we also have decided to cancel our Halloween train on the previous weekend to try and reduce the pressure on our small teams of volunteers who deliver special events.

"Santa special tickets also continue to sell well and the Austerity steam locomotive is also proving popular. It is due to be in steam on both September 24 and 25 and then October 1 and 2."

New Rotary Cub collects unused bras for a good cause

* Llangollen Co-op's Emma Lloyd, Naomi Hughes and Mandy Hughes with the Bra Bank.

* The Nisa team of Ceri Rowland and David Gough.

The new Vale of Llangollen Rotary Club has taken on the task of collecting old and unwanted bras as one of its environmental and international projects.

It also supports one of the UK Breast Cancer charities.

At the Co-Op and Nisa (Stans) in Llangollen, you will find the pink Against Breast Cancer Bra Banks bin where the bras can be deposited.

The club says it doesn't matter what condition the bra is in but they still want it to be laundered.

This initiative also keeps valuable textiles out of landfill, helps support Against Breast Cancer and helps families in Africa.

When you drop a bra in one of our Bra Banks, ill-fitting or unloved bras will be whisked away to start a new life on the other side of the world.

Here they are used to help small businesses for African women to support their families by selling the bras in the markets in places such as Togo, Ghana and Kenya. 

A club spokesperson said: "Bras are impossibly expensive to make and buy in places like Africa. One of the unexpected gains of the initiative is that now these bras are affordable in town markets, more women are wearing bras and sexual assault has gone down.

"Many of the bras are resalable as they are. Some are taken apart by the African women and remade as cottage industries. The ones that are not reusable in any way are broken down and recycled as cotton waste and metal. Everyone is a winner."

Against Breast Cancer have teamed up with a UK recycling company who help small businesses in Africa.

The recycling company are donating £700 to cancer research for every tonne of bras collected, that's only 9,000 bras.

Vale of Llangollen Rotary is ready to welcome individuals and couples of 18-plus from the local community who want to be “people of action”. 

Members normally meet face-to-face at Liberty Tavern in Market Street, Llangollen on Monday evenings at 7.30pm. Alternatively, people can join the meeting via a Zoom connection.

* For more information on what Rotary has to offer contact Mike Lade on 07803 038858, valeofllangollenrotary@gmail.com or see www.valeofllangollenrotary.com

Railway used to film scenes for ground-breaking Welsh opera

* One of the railway's loco crew, Matthew Davies, took this picture on Tuesday night of filming taking place on the station.     

Llangollen Railway is being used to film scenes for the first ever Welsh-speaking opera to be screened on British TV.

Over the past couple of days S4C and Channel 4 have been filming for the period-themed Un Nos Ola Leuad (One Moonlit Night) which is based on a novel by Caradog Prichard.

Set at the end of World War One, it touches on the themes of poverty and mental health. 

It is based on the author’s childhood experiences of taking his mother to the local asylum from where she was never to return and continues to be powerfully relevant today.

The score will be composed by Gareth Glyn and performed by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and the cast is a combination of established Welsh opera stars and new, up-and-coming talent.

A spokesman for the heritage railway said: "We are delighted that the Llangollen Railway has been chosen for such a significant milestone in Welsh literature, art and music. 

"Filming has taken place at several locations around the railway, including the iconic Llangollen station, and involved our visiting steam locomotive No 68067, which will be staying with us until the end of the year and working public trains over the next two weekends."

It is understood that a production base has been set up at the nearby Eisteddfod field where, yesterday, actors could be seen near the pavilion in period costume and a large number of vehicles, including a large trailer, were parked.

* More information about the opera can be found at: https://nation.cymru/culture/s4c-and-channel-4-commission-first-ever-welsh-language-opera-to-be-broadcast-on-uk-tv/

Pupils asked to post a message to create a better future

Denbighshire pupils are being asked to post a message through time to help create a better future.

Young people have to imagine we have moved ahead to 2050. Each are asked to send a postcard back to their younger selves to explain how climate change is potentially impacting on their lives.

Those taking part are encouraged to imagine what has been done over the years to help the environment and reduce climate change, the impact of new technology on people and the environment, how animals are surviving in the future and the effects of the weather.

Denbighshire County Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency in 2019 and committed to seeking to become a Net Carbon Zero and Ecologically Positive Council by 2030.

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Pupils across Denbighshire have a really good understanding of how climate change is impacting on their lives. They have great ideas and carry out a lot of good work themselves to try and support tackling climate change.

“We want to open the floor to them through this competition to really listen to how they view climate change and help us learn more about what we can do working together.”

“We are asking every pupil taking part to imagine what they would say to their younger self or a relative for them to take action now and change their behaviour for the good of our environment.”

Schools taking part will be provided with a postcard template to use.

The winning pupils and schools will be revealed on December 12.

Winners will have the chance to read their own postcard to Elected Members of Denbighshire County Council, help their school receive a talk from the County Council's Biodiversity Team and a collection of plug plants to help create or improve a wildflower area and a selection of environmental books for the school.

The competition is also supported by the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) zero carbon Britain. CAT is an educational charity dedicated to researching and communicating positive solutions for environmental change.

* For information on the competition is available here -  https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/education-and-schools/schools-competition-postcards-from-the-future.aspx

Council urges residents to apply for Cost of Living schemes

Denbighshire County Council is working through applications for the Cost of Living Discretionary Fund and the main Cost of Living Scheme on behalf of Welsh Government.

Already a total of 4312 payments worth £495,195 have been made for the Cost of Living Discretionary Fund to qualifying residents in Band E who pay by Direct Debit.

An application form for more qualifying residents will be available from September 21 for this fund and will stay open until March 31, 2023.

For the main Cost of Living Scheme, a total of 27,014 of £150 payments have been made to qualifying residents, totalling to a value of £4,052,100.

The main Cost of Living scheme closes on the September 30, 2022 and a large number of qualifying residents have still not applied, so the council is urging those to complete an application form as soon as possible to ensure they receive their payment.

Councillor Gwyneth Ellis, lead member for finance, performance and strategic assets said “The council is working very hard to process these payments as supporting our residents is a key priority in the current economic climate.”

“We want to urge all those eligible for support and have still not applied, to do so. Those who are unsure whether they are eligible should use the council website to check requirements before it is too late.”

* For further details about the two schemes available please visit the Council’s website via - www.denbighshire.gov.uk/cost-of-living

'Moving performance' of man's life journey comes to Community Hall

* Phil Okwedy will speak at St Collen's Community Hall on September 30. 

Cardiff-born dual-heritage storyteller Phil Okwedy has created a moving performance about his life journey, based on a collection of letters from his father to his mother.  

And he will present to an audience at St Collen's Community Hall on Friday, September 30, at 7.30pm.

Phil was brought up in foster care and never lived with either of his parents.  He only found the letters after both his parents had died. Phil’s father came to Wales from Nigeria.

This performance piece, The Gods are All Here, skilfully weaves myth, song, folktales and legends of the African diaspora with Phil’s personal story, uncovering his experiences of growing up as a child of dual heritage in Wales during the 1960s and 70s.

Phil said: "In sharing this show, my intention is that it resonates with other people, with their individual family stories, but also with the audience as a whole, because it is by working together that we ensure that equality, justice and freedom are experienced by all. 

"It is important to me to bring this work to Llangollen, which prides itself on being ‘Where Wales welcomes the world’ because of the International Music Eisteddfod held here every year since 1947."  

Tree expert to give illustrated talk at Glanrafon

Professor Julian Evans will be returning to Llangollen to give the second in his series of illustrated presentations entitled God’s Trees on Saturday September 24 at Glanrafon Chapel in Princess Street, Llangollen. 

Professor Evans is a forest scientist and author of God’s Trees – trees, forests and wood in the Bible. 

He is a Commissioner of the Forestry Commission (England), a past president of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and has published numerous books and scientific papers.

The illustrated talk will begin at 5pm and will last for approximately 45 minutes.

Contact coedclwyd@gmail.com for further details, or to book a place.

Copies of God’s Trees will be available for purchase.

Local roadworks update from county council

Latest local roadworks notified by Denbighshire County Council are:

AT JUNCTION WITH A5 QUEEN STREET BIRCH HILL 26/09/2022 30/09/2022 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYRFDWY (EMMA) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure.

OPPOSITE CLOGWYN GERAINT LLANGOLLEN GERAINT until 19/10/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works PLATINUM (DCC) LLANGOLLEN

Cyffordd / Jct A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD SUN BANK 03/10/2022 07/10/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN'S (SCOTT POWELL) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights.

Town's showbiz vicar to appear on Hattie Jacques TV documentary

* Hattie Jacques at the height of her career.

Llangollen’s showbiz vicar is due to make another national TV appearance tonight (Saturday). 

Fresh from his guest spot on the BBC’s Song of Praise just a few weeks ago, Father Lee Taylor, priest-in-charge of St Collen’s, will this time pop up on a Channel 5 documentary about much-loved comedienne Hattie Jacques, starting at 8pm. 

He is among family, friends, fans and co-stars who will chart the highs and lows of her career. 

Father Lee is a leading light in the Victorian music hall revival and regularly chairs and appears in the variety shows staged at London’s famous Players’ Theatre, known as the home of British music hall. 

In Llangollen he also founded the Collen Players which presents music hall shows at the Community Hall. 

And, as he will recall on screen, it was there that Hattie Jacques, who went on to huge acclaim as a star of the Carry On films, had her start in show business more than 70 years ago. 

* Father Lee Taylor in his music hall guise.

The theatre in Bloomsbury Way dates back to 1936 when it was co-founded by Leonard Sachs, the tongue-twisting, gavel-wielding compere of smash-hit TV series The Good Old Days in the sixties and seventies. 

Since then it has become the venue most associated with the music hall revival, attracting legendary entertainers such as Hattie Jacques, Ian Carmichael, Clive Dunn, Daphne Anderson, Maggie Smith, Marion Grimaldi, Margaret Burton and Sir Peter Ustinov who in 1996 became its honorary president.

Father Lee said: “The Player's Theatre was the launch pad for Hattie Jacques's career. It is where she made her first stage debut, developed her persona, formed many acting partnerships, met her lover Major Charles Kearney and her future husband John Le Mesurier. 

“During the Second World War nearly all London theatre closed but not The Players! The Players moved from its Covent Garden location to the basement premises at No. 30 Albermarle Street. 

“It is here where Hattie's brother, Robin, was working as a lift operator and cloakroom attendant. He introduced Hattie to The Players while she was working as a Voluntary Aid Detachment Nurse. Hattie fell in love with The Players and would regularly attend the 'Late Joys' as well as help out backstage.

“It was in the summer of 1944, at the age of 22, that Hattie had her first audition with Leonard Sachs. She sang Call Round Any Old Time , a song originally sung by music hall performer Victoria Monks, and A Little of What You Fancy Does You Good, a song popularised by Marie Lloyd.

 

“She sang in the style of Marie Lloyd which impressed Sachs as he was on the lookout for just the right person to perform in the style of Lloyd. He hired her on the spot. That was a Thursday afternoon. The following Monday night Hattie was on the bill at The Players' Theatre.

“Hattie was a hit with the audience. They loved her warmth, energy, comic timing and her teasing glances. Hattie would also interact with the MD  - a six-piece band consisting of one pianist and five absentees - adroitly making innuendo over the short musical interludes in the score.

 

“The audience would chant, 'We want Hattie!' and she soon became known as 'The Queen of The Players' or 'Queen of The Joys'.

“Hattie performed in many pantomimes, plays and revues at The Players up until the 1960's. She appeared regularly as The Good Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty in The Wood. The Times reported that she was most definitely one of the 'funniest fairies' to be seen on the stage!” 

Llan Inner Wheel has first meeting of new season

* Above and below: Inner Wheel members at their latest meeting.

Llangollen Inner Wheel held their first meeting of the season on Wednesday evening. 

The meeting started with a minute silence in remembrance of the Queen. 

The President, Enid Law, welcomed members and guests, Karen Davies, President of Inner Wheel GB and I, Melanie Nichols, Administrator of IW London Office, and speaker, a representative of the Welsh Air Ambulance. 

The meeting was held in St. Collen's Community Hall where members enjoyed a good buffet supper.

* A poster for the Inner Wheel's coffee morning later this month in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Charity.

Day Eddie Butler re-opened Chain Bridge is fondly recalled

* Llanblogger's picture of Eddie Butler re-opening the Chain Bridge in May, 2015.

One of the ceremony’s organisers has been recalling the day former Wales rugby union captain and legendary broadcaster Eddie Butler, who has died at the age of 65, officially opened the Chain Bridge at Berwyn.

Mr Butler passed away in his sleep while on a charity trek in Peru, aged 65, and tributes to him have been pouring in from across the country.

On May 28, 2015 he opened up the world-famous bridge after it had been in a state of chronic disrepair for 30 years.

One of those who invited him to perform the ceremony was Maggie Smith, then chair of Llantysilio Community Council which had teamed up with Llangollen Town Council to bring the historic footbridge across the River Dee back to life.

* Eddie Butler was one of the first to walk across the newly-opened footbridge.

Remembering the occasion, she said: “I travelled with Eddie on the train from Llangollen Station to Berwyn Station and then back to Llangollen on a canal boat after the opening ceremony.

“He was lovely to chat to and was interested in the bridge refurbishment and about Llangollen generally. He enjoyed both the train ride and the boat trip.”

In his speech, Mr Butler said it was good to be back in an “absolutely fabulous part of our country”.

“It is not the biggest bridge over the River Dee, and we know it’s not the strongest bridge over the River Dee – but it has been rebuilt,” he said.

“I visited here four years ago and there was just the notion that ‘just one day, wouldn’t it be good if we could get this bridge rebuilt?’

“It is a very special bridge, because it was built in the first place by a man with one of the greatest names of all time – Exuperius Pickering.

“And when your bridge is built by an Exuperius, you know you’ve got something special.”

After opening the entrance to the bridge, Mr Butler was among the first across – along with dignitaries including the Mayor of Llangollen Cllr Bob Lube and Clwyd South representatives Ken Skates AM and Susan Elan-Jones MP.

The project to bring the bridge back in to public use has been ongoing for about five years, after the Llangollen and Llantysilio Community Councils bought it from former owner, the late businesswoman Stephanie Booth, for just £1.

After receiving £350,000 in grants, the councils were able to commence work on rebuilding the bridge with Shemec Ltd – with about two-thirds of the rebuild making use of original materials from the bridge.

After rising to prominence with club side Pontypool, Mr Butler played 16 times for Wales between 1980 and 1984, captaining the side on six occasions and scoring two tries.

The number eight was called up to the British and Irish Lions squad that toured New Zealand in 1983.

After retirement he became a respected rugby broadcaster.

He started his newspaper journalism career with the Sunday Correspondent in 1988 before stints with Observer and the Guardian and returned to BBC Wales in 1990 after being brought back in by new head of sport Gareth Davies.

After McLaren's retirement, he became the BBC rugby lead commentator where he formed a notable partnership with the likes of former England hooker Brian Moore and ex-Wales fly-half Jonathan Davies.

In 2010, Mr Butler joined a host of former Wales captains who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise funds for Velindre Hospital, Cardiff's specialist cancer treatment centre.

Butler presented history series on the BBC including Wales and the History of the World, Hidden Histories, Welsh Towns at War in 2014 and two series of Welsh Towns in 2015.

He was also an author after publishing three novels and two non-fiction books.

Away from rugby and broadcasting, Butler campaigned for Welsh independence in recent years.

Cwrt Glan Y Gamlas resident Mary celebrates 100th birthday in style

* Mary Trenant with her niece Jennifer Cooil.  

* Mary, top row in centre with dark hair, as a Land Girl in World War Two.

* Birthday past: Mary aged one with her older sister.

Fellow residents of Cwrt Glan Y Gamlas in Llangollen helped Mary Ternent celebrate her 100th birthday this afternoon (Thursday) at a party arranged there in her honour.

Along with her relatives, they made sure she was toasted in style with plenty of champagne and birthday cake.

Mary was born in Bangor in September 1922, the second of her parents' four children.

During the Second World War she enlisted in the Women's Land Army, working on a farm in the Menai Bridge area Anglesey. It was there she met her future husband Harry.  

After the war the couple lived mainly in the north east of England at towns including Middlesbrough and Darlington. Harry eventually rose to become chief valuer for the region.

For a number of years the couple bred Welsh terriers and showed some of them at Crufts.

Because of the death of Elizabeth II last week Mary wasn't able to get the traditional message from the Queen. However, she still hopes to receive a few words of congratulation on achieving her century from the new King Charles III.      

* The residents' lounge at Cwrt Glan Y Gamlas decked out ready for Mary's party. This picture and the one below by Sylvia Rawlings.

* The 100th birthday cake ready to be cut.