Biggest parade in years kicks off Christmas Festival

Special llanblogger report and pictures

* The firework display lights up the town.

* Town crier Chem leads the festival parade into town over the bridge.

The biggest parade in years, featuring everything from a penny farthing bike to a Rolls Royce and a cavalcade of vintage tractors to a tuk tuk, kicked of this year's Llangollen Christmas Festival in fine style watched by a huge crowd.

And later the mayoress of Llangollen - now probably better known as Big Brother housemate Sarah Griffiths - assisted the mayor Cllr Aled Morris, rounded off a great day by switching on the town's Christmas lights.

As the rain held off things began early with the opening up of a wide array of around 30 stalls and a traditional children's ride in Market Street, which were all kept busy throughout the day.     

Centenary Square saw stalls showcasing the contribution of local community groups and outside the Tourist Information Centre there were more stalls manned by  charity and community groups.

The square also housed a programme of musical entertainment and morris dancing displays.

 

Throughout the day there was a treasure hunt involving many of the town's shops.

The big festival parade came through just after 1pm, starting at the Pavilion and heading into town along Abbey Road, Castle Street, Bridge Street, Chapel Street, Oak Street and back onto Castle Street stopping off outside the Town Hall. 

 

During the afternoon the Town Hall was the scene of children’s entertainment with Sion Corn’s Grotto, circus school, face painting, balloon sculpture, bouncy play and morris dancing, all of it free of charge.

 

Just after darkness fell came the highpoint of the switching on of the Christmas lights by the mayor and mayoress followed by a massive fireworks display touched off from the hill overlooking the town which lit up the sky and delighted the crowds.

All the proceeds from the festival will go to local charities and good causes.

* Llangollen Silver Band sets the parade tempo.

* A vintage car delights the crowds.

* A brewery dray hauled by two magnificent horses came in all the way from Stockport to join the parade.

* The first of many decorated tractors thunders in.

* In contrast came youngsters on their scooters.

* A WW2 Jeep and veteran car were next in line.

* A penny farthing cyclist followed by a colourful tuk tuk.

* Back on foot for the morris dancers.

* A couple of cute four-legged friends clip-clop in.

* Sion Corn in his sleigh greets the crowds on the bridge.

* One of a group of vintage tractors in the parade.

* Cheering occupants of a tractor-pulled trailer.

* A vintage Rolls Royce brings up the rear of the parade.

* Saying it with stilts.

* Market Street was temporarily closed to allow the stalls to be set up.

* A street performer plays in Market Street.

* The hook-a-duck stall does a brisk trade.

* Clywedog Steel Band plays in Centenary Square.

* A colourful bunch out collecting for the Christmas Festival.

* The mayor and mayoress, Cllr Aled Morris and Sarah Griffiths, are greeted by town crier Chem outside the Town Hall.

* The mayor greets Sion Corn at the Town Hall.

* Karl Joseph performs in the square.

* Chris Burton performs a Beatles medley with a Christmas flavour.

* The mayor and mayoress switch on the lights.

* The fireworks display. 

... and at the end of the day some long bus queues home

Llangollen ready for its annual Christmas Festival today

* The massive fireworks display that brought last year's Christmas Festival to an end.

Llangollen's annual Christmas Festival, all completely free and with proceeds to local charities, is today (Saturday) and here is the full programme of events:

 

10am

 

Christmas Market – Approximately 30 Stalls

 

Market Street - The majority of stallholders will be local crafters

 

Centenary Square – Local community groups

 

Outside Tourist Information Centre – Local charity and community groups

 

Throughout the day - Treasure hunt around town

 

12am – 5pm

 

Musical entertainment and morris dancing in Centenary Square

 

1pm

 

Christmas Festival Parade, starting at the Pavilion and heading into town along Abbey Road, Castle Street, Bridge Street, Chapel Street, Oak Street and back onto Castle Street stopping outside the Town Hall. 

 

1pm

 

Town Hall - Open children’s entertainment with Sion Corn’s Grotto, circus school, face painting, balloon sculpture, bouncy play, morris dancing. All free.

 

5pm

 

Switching-on of the Christmas lights (Town Council) Fireworks

Llangollen's MP votes in favour of assisted dying Bill

The House of Commons has approved at second reading a bill to allow some terminally ill people to end their lives with medical assistance in England and Wales.

A total of  330 MPs voted in favour of the Bill while 275 voted against.

Among those who supported the legislation was Clwyd East's Labour MP Becky Gittins whose constituency includes Llangollen.

Roadworks notification for A539 near Sun Trevor

Denbighshire County Council has issued the following notification of forthcoming roadworks in the area:

Collen Players' present their Christmas show next month

 

Urgent appeal launched to save historic roof of St Collen's

* The magnificent medieval hammer-beam roof of St Collen’s.

* A medieval carving of an angel which adorns the church’s ceiling.

* Genesis Project leader Suzanne Evans looks at the historic ceiling.

St Collen's Church has launched an urgent funding appeal to save its internationally-famous medieval roof from decay and possible loss.

Llangollen's parish church has put out the call to the community for help with repair and conservation after being told that Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, is unable to contribute.

The church itself is one of Wales’ cherished historical treasures and its magnificent medieval hammer-beam roof dating back to the 16th century is acknowledged as a masterpiece of craftsmanship.

Yet concerned church officials say this architectural gem, visited and enjoyed by hundreds of people from across the world every year, faces a critical moment as it is in urgent need of conservation.

Suzanne Evans, who leads the Genesis Project which is currently overseeing the re-ordering of St Collen’s to make it fit to meet the needs of the 12st century, warns: “Without prompt attention the roof is at serious risk of decay and we risk losing an irreplaceable piece of Welsh history that has weathered many centuries.

“The roof at St Collen’s is no ordinary structure. It is an extraordinary testament to the skill and vision of our ancestors. Its timber beams have watched over centuries of Welsh tradition and storytelling, and have housed the bardic voices of our past.

“With its hammer-beam architecture—a technique popular during the medieval period and seen in few places across Wales—the roof is as much a monument to our cultural identity as it is an architectural wonder.”

She added: “Each beam and carved detail echoes the lore of our forebears, standing as a symbol of community, resilience and the artistic heritage that has defined Wales.

“But now the beauty and history of this roof are at risk. Years of exposure have weakened its timbers, and urgent conservation is required to prevent irreversible damage.

“The cost of preserving this heritage is beyond the means of the church’s current resources, and Cadw has confirmed that they are unable to contribute to the essential funding needed to preserve it.

“We have therefore launched a community fundraiser to rally support to save this historic roof for future generations.

“The goal is to raise money to fund the conservation work required to stabilise and restore the structure, ensuring it remains a fixture of Welsh heritage for centuries to come.

“This appeal calls upon the people of Wales, heritage enthusiasts, and supporters worldwide to step forward and help safeguard a piece of history that belongs to all of us.

“This is a unique opportunity to unite for our shared past, to protect the spirit of the bardic tradition, and to secure a lasting legacy for our nation.

“Every contribution, however small, will bring us closer to preserving St Collen’s. Let us come together to restore, protect, and celebrate this invaluable link to our cultural identity.

“Donations can be made through the JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/suzanne-evans-1731940087347 and we invite everyone who holds Welsh heritage close to their hearts to support this cause and help us save an amazing piece of Wales for the generations to come.”

Skates says re-opening Newbridge Road will be 'invaluable'

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates has said the reopening of Newbridge Road will prove "invaluable" after a frustrating four year wait. 

* For the full story, see the Leader at: Newbridge Road reopening will be 'invaluable': Ken Skates | The Leader

New National Park would 'build on all that's best' say campaigners

* Front cover of the report from the Campaign for National Parks and supporters.

The creation of a new National Park in North East Wales provides an important and timely opportunity to build on all that is best about the existing Designated Landscapes in Wales and maximise the benefits of designation.

That’s the message from the Campaign for National Parks in a new report focused on the new National Park plan for North East Wales which includes Llangollen.

It has been produced by the Campaign, which is a registered charity, in conjunction with the Alliance for Welsh Designated Landscapes and a range of supporters including the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, North Wales Wildlife Trust, the National Trust, Ramblers Cymru, the World Wildlife Fund and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds.

The 27-page report says: “We believe that this new National Park, the first to be designated in Wales for over 60 years, should be an exemplar for nature, climate and people.

“This new National Park can build on the existing model of National Parks, whilst recognising the challenges of today and the opportunities to do some things differently that sets the standard for future designations.”

However, the report adds that delivering this ambition will only be possible if the right supporting framework is in place which supporters believe should include:

·    * Increased funding: A commitment to new and ongoing funding at a level which will enable the new National Park to achieve its full potential whilst ensuring that there are no detrimental impacts on the existing Designated Landscapes in Wales.

·    * Modernised governance arrangements which ensure that those involved in making decisions about the new National Park are representative of both the local population and the wider population of Wales and have the necessary skills.

·    * A single planning authority: A dedicated National Park Authority (NPA) with responsibility for both plan-making and planning decisions across the whole of the newly designated area.

·    * An emphasis on species recovery: A programme of support which focuses on reintroducing lost species and reversing the decline of vulnerable ones.

The report's narrative adds: “Whilst we recognise that some of the above will require legislative changes in the longer term, every effort should be made within the existing National Parks framework to achieve as much progress as possible without delaying this designation.

* The report is available on the Campaign for National Parks website here 

One of a series of special consultation events being held by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on the National Park proposals is planned for Llangollen Town Hall on December 10, from 3-7pm.

Santa's Fun Trail to feature in Saturday's Christmas Festival

* Santa Bear with the special Fun Trail badge to look out for.

A game specially with youngsters in mind will be a key feature of this year's Llangollen Christmas Festival which takes place next Saturday, November 30. 

Like last year, there will be lots of characters for the players in the Fun Trail to discover displayed in the windows of various businesses around the town.  

There will be more windows than ever in the game this year and characters are all cuddly toys.

As some of the shops already display toys, to distinguish Santa Bear's friends from any other toys they'll all be wearing the special Fun Trail badge as modelled by Santa Bear himself in the picture above.

When the players have found as many as they can, they can take their form back to the Town Hall to claim their own Fun Trail badge and a small prize.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

 

10am

 

Christmas Market – Approximately 30 Stalls

 

Market Street - The majority of stallholders will be local crafters

 

Centenary Square – Local community groups

 

Outside Tourist Information Centre – Local charity and community groups

 

Throughout the day - Treasure hunt around town

 

12am – 5pm

 

Musical entertainment and morris dancing in Centenary Square

 

1pm

 

Christmas Festival Parade, starting at the Pavilion and heading into town along Abbey Road, Castle Street, Bridge Street, Chapel Street, Oak Street and back onto Castle Street stopping outside the Town Hall. 

 

1pm

 

Town Hall - Open children’s entertainment with Sion Corn’s Grotto, circus school, face painting, balloon sculpture, bouncy play, morris dancing. All free.

 

5pm

 

Switching-on of the Christmas lights (Town Council) Fireworks

Festival chair Austin “Chem” Cheminais, said: “Llangollen Christmas Festival is organised by volunteers from the community who freely give their time and expertise to organise and run the event. It is not a Town Council event, although they do support us.

 

“The festival is a not-for-profit community event aimed at local people. We aim to make the Christmas Festival a totally free event, with no charge for activities or entertainment.

 

“We are funded through fund raising events, donations, sponsorship, a raffle and grants when available. Annually the group has to raise about £4,000 to fund the event." 

Visitor levy Bill to go through Welsh Government

* How well would a visitor levy go down in the tourist town of Llangollen?

Bill to give local authorities the option to introduce a small visitor levy in their area to re-invest in local tourism, is today introduced by Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford.

The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill proposes that people staying overnight in Wales and enjoying everything the country has to offer will pay a small charge. The money raised will support local tourism activity and infrastructure.

The introduction of the legislation marks the delivery of a key Programme for Government commitment and will help to invest in the future of Wales as all visitors staying overnight would contribute to the preservation of the country’s beauty and heritage.

It would provide local communities the opportunity to generate additional revenues. If all Welsh local authorities choose to introduce a visitor levy, it is estimated it could generate up to £33m a year.

The levy would be set at:

• 75p per person per night for people staying in hostels and on campsite pitches.
• £1.25 per person per night for those staying in all other accommodation types. 

The legislation also includes a requirement to establish and maintain a register of visitor accommodation in Wales, which would – for the first time – provide a register of the broad range of visitor accommodation available across the country.

Local authorities will decide if they want to introduce a levy in their area, based on what is best for their communities. It is estimated the earliest this could happen is 2027 after a local authority has consulted their community.

Visitor levies are used successfully in many parts of the world, including Manchester, Greece, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and California. The funds raised are used to support a healthy visitor economy by protecting and investing in the infrastructure and services guests enjoy.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “This Bill is rooted in the principle of fairness. We know tourism makes an important contribution to the Welsh economy and to Welsh life. We want to ensure its long-term sustainability.

“That’s why we believe it is fair visitors contribute towards local facilities, helping to fund infrastructure and services integral to their experience. Visitor levies are common around the world, benefiting local communities, tourists and businesses – and we want the same for Wales.

“Money raised through a levy would be retained by local authorities and re-invested back into their local areas to support local, sustainable tourism. It’s a small contribution that could make a big difference.”

A statutory registration scheme for all accommodation providers is expected to start operating in 2026 to support the collection and administration of a visitor levy.

It will include details about who is operating in the sector, where they are operating, and how they are operating, and help establish a better understanding of the sector and support future policy decisions at a local and national level.

Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, WLGA Leader, said: "This Bill will give councils the option to introduce a visitor levy on overnight stays. It’s a way to raise extra funds to support local services and improve amenities that benefit both visitors and the community.

“Each council will decide how to apply the levy based on what’s best for their area, recognising that it may be suitable in some parts of Wales but not in others. Councils will carefully consider local circumstances and ensure residents are consulted before any decisions are made.

“We’re glad to have worked closely with the Welsh Government on this and look forward to seeing the draft legislation in the coming weeks, which will mark an important step forward for Wales' tourism and local economies.”

Town's Christmas tree is lifted into place ready for the festival

* The lifting operation begins ...

Llangollen's official tree is now taking pride of place in Centenary Square ready for this Saturday's annual Christmas Festival.

It was finally lowered carefully into its fixing point this morning (Monday) by members of the Tidy Town Team assisted by a crew from Pengwern Hall Farm using special lifting machinery. The exercise was arranged by the Town Council and Christmas Festival Committee. 

This was actually the third attempt to put the 18ft tall fir tree in place.

Last Friday morning there was too much snow around the area of Glyn Ceiriog from where it was acquired to bring it safely back to Llangollen.

But following another technical hitch on Saturday it was all systems go this morning and much relief when it was finally put into position.      

* The team gets the tree upright ...

* It's inched into place ...

* Adjustments are made ...

* Final fixing takes place and the job is finished.

Plan for Llangollen tourist development goes out to consultation

* A computer-generated image of how one of the Eirianfa houses would look.

Nearby residents have been asked for their views on a plan to build 22 two-bedroom “eco homes’ for tourist accommodation on land off Berwyn Street in Llangollen.

The developers, who have put out the scheme to local consultation ahead of submitting a formal planning application to the county council, claim the proposed new Eirianfa Country Park, beside the river and close to the closed-down White Water Hotel, would attract up to 4,500 visitors a year and pump over £1m into the local economy.

The plan by Ledbury-based Herefordshire Dwellings Ltd, is to use the site of what they describe as a “failed” leisure development in the same location for their development.

* A plan of the site with Berwyn Street on the left.

 

They say the scheme will provide high quality, sustainable and premium accommodation, with the houses clad in black stained larch to match the neighbouring landscape.

 

Emphasising the development’s “green” credentials a design brief made available as part of the consultation process says the properties will feature thick insulation, air source heat pumps and solar arrays with battery back-up to reduce electricity use. A waste treatment and septic tank system would also be installed.

 

The developers add that the site layout, with enhancements to existing trees and planting on site, aims to ensure “minimal” impact of the scheme from Berwyn Street and from the towpath across the river.

 

The houses would be assembled off-site using a modular method to cut construction time from 18 to nine months.

 

The design brief claims £1.46m would be spent with local contractors during the scheme with the creation of 26 part and full-time jobs. Once under management seven part and full-time jobs would be created to run the site long term.  

 

The developers also claim the finished scheme, which would come with parking, would bring 4,500 visitors a year into Llangollen and they estimate that £1.144m would be spent with local businesses.    

 

In a letter to people living around the site, who have until December 20 to let the developers know their views on the plan, Andrew Brundan of Herefordshire Dwellings Ltd says: “We are a relatively young pair of developers who hope to create jobs in the town and boost the local economy by attracting tourists to the area with high-quality self-catering accommodation.

 

“We feel  the scheme is well designed to blend into the beautiful valley in which it sits.”   

 

* The design brief can be seen at: EIRIANFA