Stunning new film highlights case for change at St Collen's

* A drone camera aerial shot of St Collen's place at the heart of the town featured in the film.   

Stunning aerial shots of St Collen's Church and the surrounding town of Llangollen feature in a new film just premiered on Youtube.

It was commissioned by the team leading the scheme to adapt the historic place of worship to meet the needs of the 21^st century and who invite people to get involved.

The Genesis Project had a professional film-maker create the short video in which priest-in-charge Father Lee Taylor warns how St Collen's - dating back to the 7^th century - could share the same fate as places of worship across Britain which have been forced to close, unless it makes a number of changes to create a more “flexible and inclusive” building for community use.

* Father Lee Taylor outlines the case for changes to the church. 

The project team is currently putting together an application for a substantial amount of Heritage Lottery cash to pay for the adaptions.

To a background of ecclesiastical music and interspersed with shots of the church plus stunning aerial sequences filmed with a drone camera, Father Lee stands in front of the altar and says: “The church dates back to the seventh century when Collen came here and parts of it are at least 13^th century.

“It has got some amazing architectural features such as the medieval hammerbeam roof and the legendary Ladies of Llangollen’s tomb in the churchyard.

* The magnificent medieval hammerbeam roof.

“But we have to move forward in order to meet the social and spiritual needs of the 21^st century and to do that we need to make some very big changes.

“Over the decades the Church generally has seen a downward trajectory in attendances and this has meant that a number of churches in Wales and in England have had to close.

“We don’t want that to happen here at St Collen’s, so what we propose to do is make a few alterations to the fabric of the building, taking away pews to make a space for a stage platform which will enable us to host more plays, concerts and school nativities and bring in more sections of the community.

“There is also a desperate need for toilet facilities and better heating and lighting to generally allow the building to have more flexibility and inclusivity, allowing people to feel part of this building when they visit.”

* An aerial shot of the tomb of the Ladies of Llangollen in the churchyard.

He adds: “The church has always been the focal point of the community and is always here to serve the needs of the community.

“We very much want our community in Llangollen to get involved with the Genesis Project. We’d love to hear from you – tell us what you think about it, whether you’d like to get involved.

“We very much want to see all organisations and groups coming into this building - which is your building – and using and using it to its full potential capacity.”

* Anyone wanting to find out more about the project or to become involved with it is asked to email the project team at: genesisteam1300@gmail.com

* The film can be viewed on Youtube at: https://youtu.be/7HFpmclaElI

 

MS wants to see police officers 'fully focus' on their job

North Wales MS Sam Rowlands wants to see police officers being able to fully focus on their jobs.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Rowlands, Welsh Conservative and Shadow Minister for Local Government, asked what efforts had been made to allow police officers to focus on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. 

He said: “One of the best ways of reducing crime and anti-social behaviour is ensuring that our hard-working police officers and PCSOs are able to fully focus their time and efforts on their very clear areas of responsibility. 

“Back in July, I raised the issue that police forces are facing across Wales at the moment, often being distracted from their clear priorities and focus. Police officers to have to deal with work that usually sits in other public service areas, such as in health or in social services. 

“Minister, you stated that many of these issues are being raised through the policing partnership board whilst working with policing colleagues. 

“In light of this, I was wondering whether you have an update on what efforts are being made to reduce police time having to focus on non-policing issues to enable them and allow them to focus on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.” 

Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt agreed that PCSOs play a crucial role in promoting community safety and tackling anti-social behaviour and acting as ears and eyes on the ground for police forces. 

However, she added it was also about local relationships and so many of those are with local authorities, with social services, housing, youth workers, et cetera, as well as with health colleagues. It is very inter-related in terms of tackling crime. 

Mr Rowlands responded: “While I appreciate that the police do have to work closely with other organisations I still feel there is not enough being done to take away those pressures. 

“This increase has seen police officers dealing with defibrillators, tied up in A&E for hours on end, at times, waiting for those they may have arrested to be seen, along with assisting with mental health issues. 

“I am concerned about our police forces being taken away from their traditional work of solving crime and dealing with anti-social behaviour.”   

Council's reminder over free school meals for reception classes

Reception pupils in Denbighshire schools have started to receive universal free school meals since the start of the new term and parents/guardians currently not taking advantage of the scheme are urged to consider doing so. 

Following receipt of £859,000 from Welsh Government to support the roll out of Universal Primary free school meals across Denbighshire, works have taken place to increase the capacity of the authority’s Primary school kitchens. Work commenced before the start of the Summer holidays at 13 sites across the county. 

In December 2021 Welsh Government (WG) announced plans to offer free meals to all Primary school pupils. WG later announced a phased delivery approach to be implemented from 1st September 2022 to September 2024 and reception aged pupils have now started to receive the meals in Denbighshire schools. 

Councillor Gill German, Lead member for Education Children and Families said, “Delivery of Universal Free School Meals to all Primary pupils is a top priority for the Authority. This project has been a significant challenge with tight timescales, and I am delighted to see excellent cross service working by council teams and outstanding support from local suppliers, contractors and Welsh Government to introduce the programme. 

“There are parents and guardians out there that are not taking advantage of the Universal Primary Free School Meals offer and I would encourage everyone to consider whether they would like their child in reception year to receive the offer. There is no application process – it is simply the case of your child letting their class teacher know."

The council says the next phase of the works will focus on ensuring that all Primary schools are able to deliver to Year 1 and 2 by Easter 2023.

Author who wrote mead success story to guest at Llan Food Festival

 

* Tony  Cornish will spotlighting his Stone Circle Mead at Llangollen Food Festival on October 15. 

A former North Wales author who has written his own success story by becoming a key producer of the ancient drink of mead will make a guest appearance at this year’s Llangollen Food Festival.

Tony Cornish, who used to specialise in penning historical books, was fascinated by the many mentions the honey-based tipple receives in the Mabinogion, the legendary collection of stories detailing life in 12^th century Britain.

He recalls being so inspired by them that he immediately bought a bottle from the local supermarket and this led him to start up his own mead-making business which has since gone from strength to strength.

Tony is among an array of food and drink producers and experts from across North Wales and beyond who will be appearing at the one-day Llangollen festival on Saturday October 15 when he will offer visitors a chance to try his range of lovingly produced mead.

He said: “It was in 1990 that I first developed the ambition of making my own mead after reading the stories about its popularity centuries ago.

“I did lots of preparation and research and began fermenting my mead in demijohns at the place where I then lived in Llangollen a couple of years later.

“Unfortunately, I had to take quite a long time off through ill-health but I re-established the business in 2018 and moved into a purpose-designed meadery in Wrexham.”

From there 60-year-old Tony operates the burgeoning Stone Circle Mead with the help of his wife Beth and has the capacity to produce up to 750 bottles of mead a day using mainly hand-operated machinery.

Many of the super-fresh ingredients he goes foraging for around the local countryside in places such as the Panorama near Llangollen which he particularly favours for the edible gorse flower growing there.     

A range of fantastic Stone Circle flavours includes Old Sarum Apple, Litha Rhubarb, Mabon Plum & Damson, Yule Spiced and Stánhenge – named after the famous stone circle - which he supplies to major customers such as the National Trust and Portmeirion Village.

When his business was hit by the pandemic a couple of years back he was thrown a financial lifeline by the Welsh Government’s Covid Recovery Fund through which he was able to join the SMART Recovery project run by Aberystwyth University.

Its AberInnovation laboratory facilities have enabled him to become involved in a fascinating project researching the health-giving properties of the honey on which mead is based.

While Tony has previously only visited Llangollen Food Festival as a visitor he is well aware of its high reputation within the foodie community and he says he can’t wait to be a first-time exhibitor.

“It’s the perfect place to showcase my mead and to give people who come from such a wide area of the UK the chance to sample it,” he explained.

“Most people’s experience of mead seems to come from the stuff they tasted at a medieval banquet back in the 1980s when they found it much too sweet for their liking, so they should really try mine which is much different.” 

This year’s Food Festival will be coming from a variety of venues in the centre of Llangollen and is open to the public from 10am-5pm.

An array of around 40 stand-holders are waiting to display their products - ranging from the best in home-grown Welsh artisan delicacies to Bolivian street food - at the Town Hall, in the main entrance to Llangollen Steam Railway and at Gales Wine Bar, where Tony will have his mead stand.

There will also be some exciting hands-on workshops on offer, including local experts giving the kids – and adults too – the chance to test their skills at decorating cupcakes or creating a clay masterpiece on a real potter’s wheel.

Gales Wine Bar will be playing host to a mini beer festival in its garden area and throughout the day there will be dishes on show from top local chefs.

After the main daytime event, people are invited back to the Town Hall from 6pm to challenge their senses with a special one-off tasting event from the experts of Wales’ own Penderyn Whisky for which there will be a charge of £15 a head.     

During the day there will be a selection of live outdoor entertainment in Llangollen’s centrepiece Centenary Square, including selections from Corwen ladies’ choir and local bands.  

* For more details about Llangollen Food Festival, check out:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/llangollenfoodfest

Instagram: @LlangollenFoodFestival

Contact Stone Circle Mead on: 07939 338028. 

Theatre to stage Bertie Wooster farce

* A scene from rehearsals for Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense.

Audiences are being guaranteed an "absolutely spiffing time" at the latest production from Wrexham’s Grove Park Theatre. 

Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, by the Goodale Brothers, was written in 2013 using the beloved PG Wodehouse characters. 

This update of 1938’s The Code of the Woosters sees hapless toff Bertie Wooster recounting a “perfectly frightful weekend” spent trying to pinch a collectable antique on behalf of his ferocious Aunt Dahlia with the help of his unflappable butler, Jeeves. 

Bertie finds his path to success blocked at every turn by frightful fascists, drippy damsels and a newt-obsessed pal named Gussie. 

The twist is that all 11 characters are played by just three actors in a series of increasingly frantic exchanges. 

Director Lisa Ford says: “Perfect Nonsense is such a fun production, a witty script, well loved characters and the charm of the Charleston era. My directorial debut with Grove Park has been 'all round top hole, chaps!'” 

Run entirely by volunteers both on stage and off, Grove Park Theatre is finally able to present Jeeves & Wooster, which was originally scheduled as part of its 2020-21 season but was cancelled as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. 

Matthew Richards is Bertie Wooster while Stephen Giles and Tim Williams play everybody else from Jeeves to femme fatale Stephanie “Stiffy” Byng. 

The play won the 2014 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and its West End cast included Matthew Macfadyen, Stephen Mangan and Robert Webb. 

Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense is on at Grove Park Theatre from October 25-29.

MP says happy 100th birthday to Mary at Cwrt Glan Y Gamlas

* Simon Baynes MP hands some flowers and a congratulatory note to Mary Trenant.  

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes went along to Cwrt Glan Y Gamlas in Llangollen yesterday (Friday) to wish a happy 100th birthday to one of its residents, Mary Trenant.

Fellow tenants of the Abbey Road flats helped Mary to celebrate her century last month by toasting her in champagne at a specially-arranged party in her honour.

And the visit from the MP, also fixed up by her friends, came as the icing on the birthday cake, of which there were a few served at a new celebration in the residents' lounge.

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 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.      

Mr Baynes handed Mary a bouquet of flowers and a note from himself wishing her a very happy birthday.

Hospice fundraisers host Christmas card sales

* The Horseshoe Falls Christmas card which will be on sale. 

Llangollen fundraising group of Nightingale House is hosting two Christmas card sales sessions during October in aid of hospice funds.

Both will be outside the Town Hall, from 9.30am-1pm. First session is on Tuesday October 11 and the second is on Tuesday October 25.

A group spokesperson said: "There are some fabulous cards for sale including one of the Horseshoe Falls and also one of Rudolph at The Racecourse in Wrexham."

Dragon spotted on the new pathway out of town

 

* Phil Meyers, a regular contributor to llanblogger, has sent in his picture of the realistic-looking dragon which has been created from a tree on the pathway from town to the new caravan park alongside Mill Street. Phil believes it is the work of Matt Baker.

RSPCA team rescues sheep from disused quarry

* An RSPCA picture of the successful rescue.

The Denbighshire Free Press is reporting how a sheep stranded on the ledge of a quarry near Llangollen was rescued by an RSPCA team.

Footage of the incident, on Tuesday, shows specially trained officers from the animal welfare charity safely capture the ram after abseiling around 30 metres down at the disused Moel Y Faen Quarry.

* For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/23022922.rspca-rescue-team-save-sheep-trapped-llangollen-quarry/

* Footage of the rescue can be seen on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pn-sB5-t00

Fines a thing of the past in Denbighshire libraries

Denbighshire’s Library service has announced it is scrapping traditional library book fines – and will launch a drive to encourage more people to visit their local library. 

The fines announcement was made yesterday to coincide with National Libraries Week 2022 where there is a focus on people using their libraries to continue lifelong learning. 

All historic fines have been cancelled and library users who may have books at home that are past their due date can return them to their local library without fear or worry. 

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Cabinet Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage, said: “Getting rid of our fines system is definitely the way forward. It’s an old and dated system and is perceived as being a significant barrier to library use. This has an impact on people being able to access free resources and facilities to support their literacy, learning, skills and wellbeing.

“Now that services have returned to normality following Covid, it’s given us a great opportunity to rebuild the physical in-person library offer and encourage people to visit and use their local library and its wide range of services.

“Fines are very much a thing of the past and people can return books without any fear or worry, especially in the current climate around costs of living. Our teams in libraries will be delighted to see more people coming through the doors and accessing the wealth of free information and events available to them."

Replacement charges will remain for items which are not returned. These are different to fines and are levied when an item is either not returned, lost or damaged by the borrower.

* Visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/libraries to find out more about all of the services and activities that Denbighshire Libraries have to offer throughout the year to engage our diverse community. Keep up to date with the latest news and updates, by following @DenbsLibs and Denbighshire Libraries on Facebook and Instagram.

Grow Llangollen's first public event a great success

* People listen to one of the presentations at the gathering.

* Local food on display at the event.

* Refreshments made with locally sourced ingredients. 

Grow Llangollen’s first public event at St Collens Community Centre recently was a great success, say organisers.  

Grow Llangollen is a community group that has been established with the aim of increasing the quantity and affordability of cultivated crops that are grown in and around Llangollen, and to increase the amount of local produce sold in the area.

The project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Around 35 people visited the Growing Local Food Forum throughout the day, to listen to and question speakers from Flintshare, Mostyn Kitchen Garden and ADAS Horticulture.  

Many attendees stayed for most of the event, enjoying the array of local food that had been provided, including some delicious soup made by St Collens' Fabiano Silva from vegetables from local producers.  

The day ended with a round table discussion about what actions would be most useful, and it was decided that regular get-togethers should be held to share ideas and support each other.

Grow Llangollen's Ros Stockdale said: “It was fantastic to meet so many enthusiastic people and find out about their ideas. We hope we can support the projects that people are planning.  One thing we all decided on was that we should stay in touch and meet regularly to help each other out.”

The group's next step is to visit Mostyn Kitchen Garden with some of the ADAS team for a growing workshop tomorrow (Friday October 7).  

Ros added: "This will be a great opportunity to see how things are done in a successful commercial and community garden and to take part in some practical demonstrations. The day runs from 10.30am to 3.30pm and lunch will be provided.  Anybody wanting to go should get in contact via the Grow Llangollen Facebook page, and we’ll organise lift shares.

The other crucial part of the work is doing, she said, is the surveys.  Separate surveys have been designed for:

Farmers and Growers:https://forms.office.com/r/kKzbDnDqUL

Local Businesses:        https://forms.office.com/r/2AVuJSvAgy

Local residents:          https://forms.office.com/r/ir4B4F114h

"The links to the surveys are also on our Facebook page, and there will also be flyers and posters around town.  

"We'd be very grateful if people could take the time (5 to 10 minutes) to complete one of them.  The more people that join in, the more useful the study will be in building a better project and attracting funding to support more growing."

Masterchef star to guest at Llangollen Food Festival

* Neil Robertson, sous chef at The Wild Pheasant Hotel and Spa, perfects his culinary skills for his appearance at Llangollen Food Festival on October 15.

A young culinary wizard who reached the quarter finals of TV’s Masterchef: The Professionals will showcase his skills at this year’s Llangollen Food Festival.

Neil Robertson honed his cooking expertise in the kitchens of an impressive range of top hotels in the UK and overseas before becoming sous chef at The Wild Pheasant Hotel and Spa in Llangollen last June.

He is among an array of food and drink producers and experts from across North Wales and beyond who will be appearing at the one-day Llangollen festival on Saturday October 15 when he will present a mouth-watering one-pot dish using the best of fresh Welsh ingredients.

Neil, 23, is originally from Johannesburg in South Africa but came with his family to live in Newport, South Wales at the age of 14.

At 16 he became an apprentice chef at Cardiff’s Marriott Hotel. After completing his training there Neil decided to specialise in fine dining and his first role in that arena was at the luxurious Llangoed Hotel in Brecon where he was chef de partie.

His next professional move took him across the world to Melbourne, Australia where he built on his experience by working in the kitchen of a hotel boasting three Michelin stars.

Returning to the UK after six months Down Under he became junior sous chef at the famous Albrighton Hall Hotel and Spa in Shrewsbury and then it was on to Nottingham to take on his first leading chef position at the city’s Lace Market Hotel.

This summer he joined the busy team at The Wild Pheasant.

Back in 2019 he vividly recalls reaching the quarter finals of Masterchef: The Professionals and being tasked with making the perfect Omelette Arnold Bennett  early in the contest.

“To be honest, I hadn’t even heard of it before but I quickly found out it’s based on smoked haddock with a mornay sauce. That was quite nerve-racking but I got through to the quarter finals with a dish comprising pigeon with wild mushrooms, truffles and blackberry jus, which the judges loved.”

Neil says he is enjoying his time at The Wild Pheasant, explaining: “It’s a great place to work in a lovely location and we get such a fantastic range of customers as it’s a top-class hotel with a spa.

“Although I haven’t been to the Llangollen Food Festival before I’ve heard lots about it as it’s known across the UK as a major event in the foodie calendar.      

“North Wales has some of the best produce in the world and Llangollen has it all in terms of its location and accessibility.

“At the festival I’ll be presenting a special dish prepared in a single pan featuring lovely fresh Welsh produce including Conwy mussels, a Penderyn whisky cream sauce, smoked pancetta served with lava bread butter on crispy sourdough bread.”

This year’s Food Festival will be coming from a variety of venues in the centre of Llangollen and is open to the public from 10am-5pm.

An array of around 40 stand-holders are waiting to display their products - ranging from the best in home-grown Welsh artisan delicacies to Bolivian street food - at the Town Hall, in the main entrance to Llangollen Steam Railway and at Gales Wine Bar.

There will also be some exciting hands-on workshops on offer, including local experts giving the kids – and adults too – the chance to test their skills at decorating cupcakes or creating a clay masterpiece on a real potter’s wheel.

Chef Neil will be masterminding the cupcake demonstration at the Town Hall and says he is looking forward to having plenty of fun with it.

Gales Wine Bar will be playing host to a mini beer festival in its garden area and throughout the day there will be dishes on show from top local chefs.

After the main daytime event, people are invited back to the Town Hall from 6pm to challenge their senses with a special one-off tasting event from the experts of Wales’ own Penderyn Whisky for which there will be a charge of £15 a head.     

During the day there will be a selection of live outdoor entertainment in Llangollen’s centrepiece Centenary Square, including selections from Corwen ladies’ choir and local bands. 

* For more details about Llangollen Food Festival, check out:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/llangollenfoodfest

Instagram: @LlangollenFoodFestival

Bowel cancer screening age lowered to 55 in Wales

Bowel cancer screening will be made available to more people in Wales as home testing is expanded to include 55-57 year olds. 

The expansion will mean 172,000 more people in Wales will start to receive easy to use kits that test for the early stages of bowel cancer. The move is part of a phased approach to lowering the screening age to 50 by October 2024. 

People aged 55, 56 and 57 will start to be invited for screening from tomorrow, October 5 and will receive their home testing kits in the post. The programme will be rolled out to the newly eligible age group gradually over the next 12 months. 

Part of a £16 million investment package by the Welsh Government, the funding has supported the introduction the new, easier to use, FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) at home testing kit. The new home testing kits have helped improve screening uptake to 65% and have improved sensitivity to better detect those at risk of bowel cancer. 

More than 2,500 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019. Screening plays an important role in detecting cancer earlier and helps to improve cancer outcomes in Wales. 

The lowering of the screening age is based on the recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee. 

Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said: “It is great to see the next phase of our plan to widen access to bowel cancer screening come into effect. 

“We have previously introduced the more user-friendly test and started inviting those aged 58-59. This next phase of the programme widens access to those aged 55-57. 

“This move will help us to identity more bowel cancer cases early and support improvement in survival rates."

MS calls for review of 'failing and dysfunctional' health board

Bold intervention is required to rescue a "failing and dysfunctional" Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board which is losing public confidence, according to Senedd Member Mabon ap Gwynfor.

The member for Dwyfor Meirionnyd, who fought for the retention of Llangollen's Cottage Hospital a decade ago, says in an article in the Cambrian News that bold steps should be taken as a matter of urgency to safeguard the future of stability of health services in north Wales and is calling on First Minister Mark Drakeford to carry out a review.

* For the full article, see: https://www.facebook.com/100058081990475/posts/pfbid0vFbSiJaJj5PSNr4M1agLCDQKfxF3mwZGgfHsvoUvwr6Z8gVEDAp1ogjDPX13PBgpl/

Nothing much not to like on new Honda CR-V

Honda CR-V drive by Steve Rogers

In the words of the great Bob Dylan The times they are a-changin' and so it is for the Honda CR-V, the founding father of the sports utility.

Back in 1995 it was it was a new breed of car, it looked like an off-roader but drove like an oversized family hatchback. It opened the floodgates and became a must-have for car companies. Even Rolls-Royce and Bentley have joined the clan.

People grew to love CR-V because it was so roomy, carrying a family of five and all their holiday paraphernalia, and there was the same love affair with caravanners who liked the ease at which the diesel engine towed.

Back to the here and now and the 5th generation model is all about energy efficiency and doing its bit to make the air we breathe cleaner. So no more diesel engines, just a cleaner petrol hybrid, and you can forget about towing because the 750kg limit is little more than a titchy trailer.

If this is painting a bleak picture it is not meant to; the Honda has not lost any of its other attributes and is still a popular big family car.

CR-V is offered only as a self-charging hybrid, which is surprising given Honda’s experience in this area, so emissions are not as low and economy not as good as a plug in hybrid. You will only get around a mile of driving on electric power and that will be at low speeds.

Driven with a sensible foot on the fast pedal the batteries are quickly recharged and the process can be speeded up using the steering wheel paddles for brake regeneration.

Performance is on the good side of average but you will get irritated by the drone from the CVT gearbox when accelerating. This is the norm for this type of transmission because the automatic box is a law unto itself sometimes hanging on to a gear for what seems like an eternity. It is not a deal breaker and the 2-litre engine is responsive and smooth.

Economy is rather good, expect to average around 43mpg, and on a 240-mile round trip I just nudged 50mpg although I was driving solo with nothing in the boot.

It is ditto on handling - the good side of average. CR-V is tuned for comfort which, let’s be honest, is what the majority of owners want. This model is a little stiffer than what has gone before so not too much body roll given its SUV status. If you crave something sporty try a Mazda CX-5.

Space is the trump card here, whether it is rear legroom, headroom, or boot space which is cavernous with a low loading height, table top flat with the back seats down and a wide aperture with the tailgate open. Pretty much a masterpiece of SUV design.

The layout up front leaves me a bit perplexed. Everything is clear, whether it be the driver’s binnacle, which has a digital speedometer and various bits of information accessed from the usual steering wheel buttons, or the central console which has clear markings. Yet it looks outdated compared to its rivals.

The touchscreen is a mere seven inches which is minute by today’s standards. It is not the easiest to fathom either, the navigation graphics look like something out out of a child’s picture book, finding the DAB radio list took a while, and I still haven’t worked out how to increase the voice volume for navigation. Level 11 was not enough but was as far as I could get.

Back to the positives and the quality of the fixtures and fittings is very good as is the spec, right across the five model range, so plenty of premium bits and bobs along with a full suite of safety technology.

There are always little niggles with the best of cars and CR-V is no exception, but there is nothing much not to like about a car that offers so much.

Fast Facts

CR-V EX e-CVT AWD

£41,155 (starts £32,815)

2-litre petrol hybrid; 280bhp

0-62mph 9.2secs; 112mph

39mpg combined

163g/km. 1st tax £585

Insurance group 24

Boot 497-1638 litres

Skates praises work of North Wales Police in Senedd

* Ken Skates MS, right, on patrol with Sgt Nathan Harvey from North Wales Police. 

Two politicians have praised police officers for their dedication to protecting the public during a Senedd discussion about anti-social behaviour. 

Ken Skates and Lesley Griffiths both placed on record their admiration and respect for frontline North Wales Police officers.

Trefnydd and North Wales Minister Ms Griffiths, deputising for Mark Drakeford during First Minister’s Questions, was asked by Welsh Labour MS Jane Bryant (Newport West) what the Welsh Government is doing to tackle anti-social behaviour. 

Crime and policing is not-devolved to Wales, and falls under the remit of the UK Government. However, the Welsh Government says it has increased the number of frontline officers it funds in the wake of huge cuts to police budgets from Westminster. 

“While policing is a reserved matter currently, we are committed to continue to doing all we can to help reduce anti-social behaviour, working closely with the Home Office, said Ms Griffiths. 

"We are currently funding 600 police and community support officers to help keep people and communities safe across Wales.”

Mr Skates, MS for Clwyd South, said: “Can I thank Jayne Bryant for raising this important issue today? Trefnydd, I was in Coedpoeth, a community that you're familiar with, very recently on patrol with the local police there. I was astonished by just how much they know about the communities that we serve and the people that live in them. 

“Would you join me in thanking all of our police forces, and in particular those community support officers that do so much to contain and limit anti-social behaviour across Wales?” 

Ms Griffiths responded: “Yes, I absolutely would join with you in commending the work that they do. They're very visible on our streets, in our villages, and obviously I know Coedpoeth very well. 

“I think the reason that we brought forward the funding for another 100 PCSOs, plugging Home Office gaps, shall we say, was in relation to making sure that that support is on our streets, making people feel safer.”

After his recent patrol with Sgt Nathan Harvey from North Wales Police’s Wrexham Rural team, Mr Skates said: “It was a really interesting morning, and it was great to get out with Nathan and get an idea of what our frontline officers are dealing with day to day in keeping the public safe.”

Drosi teams up with company to recycle bikes

* Bryson's Gerwyn Williams with Beth Ward of Drosi Bikes CIC. 

Bryson Recycling has joined forces with Drosi Bikes CIC in Llangollen to collect bicycles for reuse at their Recycling Centre in Ruthin, which they run on behalf of Denbighshire County Council.

This new initiative will help give unused bicycles a new lease of life while also promoting the environmental and wellbeing benefits of cycling. 

Drosi Bikes CIC are a local social enterprise who refurbish and sell bikes, with all profits generated being used to support their social and environmental activities. Any bikes not suitable for reuse are recycled for parts

Since May 2021, Drosi have recycled and refurbished over 165 bikes, many of which have been sold or rented out to promote cycling as a genuine alternative to driving. 

They upskill and empower under-represented groups through workshops and classes to support individuals to cycle and have also donated a number of bikes to local refugee and asylum seeker charities.

Commenting on the new scheme, Gerwyn Williams, Team Manager at Bryson Recycling, said: “At Bryson, we are always looking at ways to help make our local area greener and are keen to look at ways to reduce waste while benefitting the local community in the areas where we work. We are delighted to work with Drosi Bikes CIC and think this a great way to encourage local residents to choose to reuse their bikes."

Beth Ward, Director/Co-founder of Drosi Bikes, said: “One of our main aims at Drosi Bikes CIC is to offer accessible solutions to climate change. We are really excited to be working with Bryson Recycling, helping them to reduce waste in Denbighshire and empowering people to have a positive impact on the world. 

"We’re looking forward to seeing some of these bikes back in action! Any bikes that are donated should be in good condition with no obvious signs of rust or damage. Both adults and children’s bikes are accepted."

* If you wish to donate a bike, please take it to Ruthin Recycling Centre, Lon Parcwr Industrial Estate, Ruthin. LL15 1BB. For opening hours and further details please visit www.brysonrecycling.org.