Absnt Mind to open for Olly Murs in Llangollen Pavilion this summer.

* Absnt Mind.

Rising stars Absnt Mind are set to get the party started when Olly Murs brings his 15 Years of Hits UK tour to Llangollen this summer.

One of Britain’s biggest and best-loved stars, the Troublemaker and Marry Me star, is headlining Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Friday July 4. 

It has already been announced Olly will be joined on the night by very special guest Lemar and it is now revealed acclaimed five-piece band Absnt Mind will open the show.

Final tickets are on sale now from llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Formed just over a year ago, Absnt Mind – Alex Benson, who hails from nearby Chester, Ashton Henry-Reid, Conor Marcus, Freddie Meyer and Oscar Williams – co-write every song and are driving forward the group's musical evolution with latest single Wardrobe released today (April 25).

This year, they have already played sold-out headline shows at London's Bush Hall, Manchester's Academy 3 and Belfast's Oh Yeah Music Centre, on top of their 2024 sold out tour and two sold out London 02 Islington Academy shows. Live is where this band excels so Llangollen can prepare for the perfect start to their night with Olly Murs.

Olly first rose to fame on ITV’s The X Factor in 2009 and has since enjoyed a hit-filled career with no less than four Number One singles, seven studio albums and six BRIT Award nominations.

* Olly Murs.

Last year, he attracted a whole new army of fans after a successful stint as special guest on Take That’s This Life tour.

With his infectious energy, Olly presents a catalogue of fan-favourites including such hits as Please Don’t Let Me Go, Heart Skips A Beat, Dance With Me Tonight, Dear Darlin’, and Wrapped Up promising an unforgettable night as he makes his Llangollen debut.

Joining Olly as very special guest will be multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Lemar. One of the most successful male British solo artists of the last two decades Lemar has enjoyed considerable chart success in the UK and Ireland releasing 10 top 20 singles, seven of which peaked in the top 10, and selling more than two million albums.

Lemar is a double Brit Award and triple MOBO Award winner who has worked with many of music’s greats, from Lionel Richie to Justin Timberlake, Mary J Blige, Beyonce and Mariah Carey. In 2023, Lemar released his 7th studio album Page In My Heart and earlier last year he starred alongside Beverley Knight in Sister Act in the West End before joining chart toppers JLS on tour.

Olly Murs joins the Summer 2025 lineup, which will also feature headline shows from James, The Human League, Rag’n’Bone Man, Texas, The Script and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at the iconic Welsh venue.

The headline concerts are presented in a partnership between Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor and Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

 

CONNECT WITH OLLY MURS

WEBSITE I INSTAGRAM | X | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE I TIKTOK

 

CONNECT WITH LEMAR

WEBSITE I X I FACEBOOK I INSTAGRAM I YOUTUBE I SPOTIFY

CONNECT WITH ABSNT MIND

TIKTOK I FACEBOOK I INSTAGRAM I YOUTUBE

NOTES TO EDITORS: Pics of Olly Murs, Lemar & Absnt Mind attached

 

Live at Llangollen Pavilion 2025

June 26 – Texas with support from Rianne Downey 

June 27 – Rag'n’Bone Man with support from Elles Bailey and Kerr Mercer 

June 28 - UB40 Ft Ali Campbell with very special guest Bitty McLean and Reggae Roast

June 29 – James with support from The K’s and Tom A. Smith 

July 3 – The Script with very special guest Tom Walker   

July 4 – Olly Murs with very special guest Lemar  and Absnt Mind

July 5 – The Human League with support from The Christians and Altered Images 

Famous Town Hall clock should be ticking again soon

* The famous Town Hall clock should be working again soon. 

The famous Llangollen Town Hall clock, which stopped working some days ago, will be be back in action again soon.

That's the word from a Town Council spokesperson who said: "The clock and its regular chimes are well-known features of the town.

" Unfortunately, it has stopped working due to a problem with the mechanism but our specialist has been called and, hopefully, it will be ticking back into life very soon." 

Latest local roadworks alert from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks alert from Denbighshire County Council is:

NEXT TO NUMBER 28 MILL STREET, LL20 8SA MILL STREET 09/06/2025 09/06/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC)

10 Regent Street JNC QUEEN STREET AND CHURCH STREET Llangollen LL2 BROOK STREET 19/05/2025 06/06/2025 Gwaith BT/ BT Works SUNBELT RENTALS (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Verge ABBEY ROAD 31/01/2025 13/06/2025 Gwaith Ar Wal Gynnal/ Retaining Wall Works DCC HIGHWAYS

A542 Llandyn Hall Farm Culvert TRACK TO LLANDYN HALL FROM A539 28/04/2025 23/05/2025 Gwaith ar Gylfat/ Culvert Works (DCC) Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Home bakers asked to provide 'fuel' for Llangollen Round Challenge

  * Entrants fuelled by cake on a previous Llangollen Round Challenge.

The famous Llangollen Round Challenge is often said to be fuelled by home-made cake.

So organisers of the fifth challenge, due to take place over the weekend of May 31/June 1, have put out the call to local home bakers to come up with contributions to keep those taking part in the often-gruelling event well topped up with tasty treats.

One of those in charge, Judy Smith, said: "The challenge has become a major fundraising event for Cancer Research UK  and we have a record number of entries this time. 

"The event has gained the epithet 'fuelled by home-made cake', so if you can help us maintain that, we'd be more than grateful.  

"If you can bake a cake, please email (thellangollenround@gmail.com) or phone me on 07905 330788 to let us know. 

"Traybakes like flapjack are easiest for us, but variety is needed too, so whatever you like to bake will be gratefully received. And thank you so much for your help."

Twenty Club have a cunning plan for their next play

Llangollen Twenty Club are having an open read-through for their November play, Blackadder Goes Forth, tonight (Wednesday, April 23) at the Town Hall Council Chambers in Parade Street, starting at 7pm. What 3 Words - https://w3w.co/salt.thumbnail.trouble 

One of the main aims of the read-through is to decide which four of the six episodes they will perform, although they say it’s certain that the final episode ‘Goodbyee’  will be amongst the four.

 

Anyone interested is asked to email: contact@twentyclub.co.uk

 

An audition for the play sometime in July will be announced in due course.

 

Refreshments will be provided at the read-through. Here's what happens in each episode:

 

Episode 1: Captain Cook

To escape the horrors of trench life, Captain Blackadder volunteers to become the army’s official war artist—hoping it will get him far from the front lines. Unfortunately, General Melchett insists the artist should be right at the heart of the action. Baldrick’s bizarre painting is mistakenly hailed as a masterpiece, and Blackadder’s plan falls apart. The episode sets the tone for the series: darkly comic, sharply satirical, and scathing about the futility and bureaucracy of war.

Episode 2: Corporal Punishment

Blackadder lands himself in serious trouble after shooting a messenger pigeon—unaware it belongs to General Melchett. Tried for murder, he faces court-martial, with Baldrick and George as his hopeless defence. The absurd trial mocks the blind justice of wartime protocol and the incompetence of those in charge. Blackadder is only saved when Melchett inadvertently incriminates himself, highlighting the arbitrary nature of military authority.

---

Episode 3: Major Star

With morale at rock bottom, Melchett orders a concert party to lift spirits. Blackadder spots an opportunity to escape the trenches by sending Baldrick and George to perform in Paris. But things go awry when George falls for Baldrick in drag, and Melchett does too. The episode satirises wartime distractions, gender stereotypes, and leadership delusion. Blackadder’s plan, once again, is undone by the buffoonery around him.

---

Episode 4: Private Plane

Believing life as a pilot will be safer and more glamorous, Blackadder joins the Royal Flying Corps—only to discover the skies are just as deadly. After being captured by the Red Baron, he and Baldrick are rescued in a farcical escape mission. The episode pokes fun at the romantic myths of wartime aviation, exposing it as yet another deadly theatre of war, ruled by incompetence and misplaced heroism.

---

Episode 5: General Hospital

When a spy is suspected of leaking battle plans, Blackadder is sent undercover to a military hospital. His investigation, driven more by self-interest than patriotism, leads to a surprising discovery: the affable George has been unwittingly leaking secrets. The episode skewers military intelligence, hospital life, and the idea of loyalty in war. Despite solving the mystery, Blackadder’s efforts—as always—yield no reward.

---

Episode 6: Goodbyeee

As orders come to go “over the top,” Blackadder, George, and Baldrick face the inevitability of death. The tone shifts as gallows humour gives way to poignant reflection. Blackadder’s last attempt to escape fails, and the episode ends with a haunting charge into No Man’s Land. Fading to a field of poppies, it remains one of the most moving scenes in British television—a final reminder of the human cost of war.

* Monies raised from the raffle at last month’s The Importance of Being Earnest performances by Twenty Club are being donated to three causes close to the hearts of Keith Hall and Dave Roberts, and their families. Keith and Dave, both dear friends of The Twenty Club passed away at the end of 2024.

 

The three good causes are:

 

The Alzheimer's Society

Nightingale House

 

North East Wales Search & Rescue