WI enjoy great afternoon out

Members of Llangollen WI enjoyed an afternoon out at the Coed-y-Dinas garden and home centre, near Welshpool, on Thursday.

Member Myra Stoddart broke off from tucking into her own tea and scones to take these delightful pictures of the group specially for llanblogger.

 

Government boost for tourism

This announcement today from the Welsh Government about investment in tourtism may be of interest to those working in the industry in Llan:


* Llan - a prime tourist area.

Three hundred new jobs have been created, with another 50 jobs safeguarded since last year, as a result of a Welsh Government scheme to support the tourism industry in Wales.

Thursday 02 August 2012

The Tourism Investment Support Scheme (TISS) has allocated £3.8million to tourism businesses in Wales since April 2011, creating and safeguarding 350 jobs. The fund is open to existing and new businesses for the purpose of upgrading the quality of facilities and increasing capacity where there is a gap in the market.

Welcoming the news, Business Minister Edwina Hart said "The creation of 300 new jobs in one of our key growth sectors is excellent news for Wales and is especially welcome during these difficult economic times for the UK. It also shows that despite the disappointing seasonal weather, the future looks bright for tourism in Wales.

"Tourism is worth around £4bn a year to the Welsh economy and there is enormous potential to expand so we cannot afford to sit on our laurels. To be able to compete against stiff competition elsewhere in the UK and beyond, it is vital that we must keep bringing new quality products to the market and improve the visitor experience.

"It has been good to see that take-up of our TISS funding has been very healthy over the last year as tourism businesses across Wales have striven to improve the quality of their product offering and go from strength to strength."

TISS investment since April 2011 has totalled more than £3.8 million, with total capital costs of Welsh projects exceeding £14.1 million.

One business which benefited from TISS support is Ruthin Castle Hotel in Denbighshire. It received £500,000 from the scheme to upgrade its premises to a 4-star hotel and develop a spa facility.

Anthony Saint Claire of Ruthin Castle commented: "The hotel has just completed the upgrade of the final 38 of its 60 bedrooms to 4-star standard and created a distinctive Welsh spa experience knows as 'The Moat'.

"In the current economy, the Tourism Investment Support Scheme has been essential to our plans for Ruthin Castle. To see those plans come to fruition is very rewarding for us, but more than that, to be able to offer this kind of facility in Ruthin will benefit the whole area by drawing tourism into Wales and creating more employment."

Quest for the perfect pint is over ...

*A toast to the new Holy Grail Ale at Valle Crucis Abbey in time for the Llangollen Food Festival with Robert Price from Cadwyn Clwyd and Ynyr Jeffreys-Evans of Llangollen Brewery.


The quest forthe perfect pint is finally over.
The award-winning Llangollen Brewery has created a new beer called Holy Grail Ale.
It's been inspired by a local legend involving the great Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis and Dinas Bran Castle, on the hilltop towering over the town.
According tothe story, the castle is the final resting place for the Holy Grail, the cup that Christ drank from at the Last Supper and that there is a tunnel all theway down to the abbey below.
Holy GrailAle will be launched at Hamper Llangollen 2012, the annual food and drink festival on Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21.
The brewery is aiming to quadruple production this year and the new beer is central to their expansion plans.
But they would probably have needed even more capacity had the monks been around still -they each drank up to eight pints a day.
The idea for Holy Grail Ale came to head brewer Ynyr Jeffreys-Evans  came after reading a book called, The Keys to Avalon.
Author and historian Steve Blake claims there is evidence from modern Grail myths that Joseph of Arimathea came to North Wales.
Steve said: "These Grail romances actually state that Joseph of Arimathea landed in Nor Gales, which is North Wales, and was captured by the King of the region Crudel.
"On being rescued by Avalwch, after whom Avalon is reputedly named, he travelled to Castle Corbenic where the Holy Grail was held in safe keeping.
"Corbenic is French for crow or raven which, when translated back into Welsh becomes Castell Dinas Brân, the spectacular ruin which overlooks the town of Llangollen."
Roger Farnham, Lead Custodian at Valle Crucis Abbey, which is looked after by the ancient monuments organisation, Cadw, was delighted to hear about the new beer.
The 13th century abbey is a popular destination for visitors with up to 10,000 people making a pilgrimage there every year.
Roger said:"Some people believe there’s a tunnel leading from here up to Dinas Bran.
"I love the idea of the legend living on in the form of this new beer. The monks enjoyed a drop of beer, they drank eight pints a day because they couldn't trust the water.
"The beer had a very low alcohol content - the term small beer is named after what monks used to drink.
"I think they would have approved of Holy Grail Ale because there would have been brewery here, right next door to the church."
Ynyr is in partnership with his cousin, Steven Evans, who has been the landlord of the  Abbey Grange Hotel for more than 25 years and is also a real ale aficionado.
He said:"We started the brewery which is based next door to the hotel about five years ago.
"It's got to the point where we need to increase the capacity again,  so this October we’ll be going four times bigger to cope with demand.
"All of our bitters are traditional whereas Holy Grail Ale is a new style of bitter, it's a lighter, more citrusy style of bitter - and very refreshing. This one isgoing to be about four per cent proof.
"The reaction we have had to our tasting sessions has been phenomenally positive, I believe the quest for the perfect pint is finally over.
"We chosento launch Holy Grail Ale at the food festival because it is such an important event for us.
"It provides us with a public showcase and an opportunity for people to taste our beers.
"There is a growing demand for real honest to goodness beer so we have high hopes for Holy Grail Ale. We're confident it will take off really well."
It will be one of a host of fine beers being featured at this year's festival which is supported by the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd.
Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution came via the Rural Development Fundfor Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund forRural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.
Starring at this year's event will be a trio of Wales's top chefs.
Graham Tinsley, the star of ITV's Taste the Nation and a former captain of the Welsh Culinary Team, will be joined in the show kitchen by S4C favourite Dudley Newberry.
Completing the hat-trick will be the ever popular Dai Chef, who is returning to the event after an absence of several years.
Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd's agri-food project officer, said: "In addition to many favourites, we have lots of new food producers wanting to come this year.
“Thanks to a whole host of indigenous companies, North East Wales is rapidly establishing a reputation as a centre of excellence for high quality cuisine.
“The food festival is a perfect shop window for the companies who form the backbone of our rural economy.
"The location of the Pavilion is absolutely spectacular - I can't imagine that any other food festival in the UK has a more beautiful setting."
For more information about Hamper Llangollen 2012 visit www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

Protest group plans public meeting over hospital closure proposal

* A poster advertising the public meeting.

Llanblogger exclusive

A new protest group has organised a public meeting about the proposed closure of Llan Cottage Hospital.

Llangollen Protest was formed by campaigner Martin Crumpton only last week to contest plans announced recently by the local Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to close the community hospital with a view to replacing it with a new health facility on the site of the derelict former River Lodge just up the road.

Some services currently provided at the Cottage could be transferred to Chirk, a report by the health board says.

Mr Crumpton, who is separately chair of the group Llangollen Preservation which is opposing plans for a new Sainsbury’s supermarket on the Dobson & Crowther factory site in Berwyn Street, says he has now gathered the signatures of six local residents needed to call a public meeting on the hospital issue.

This, he has announced, will be held at the Hand Hotel in the town on Thursday, August 9, at 7pm.

Posters being distributed across the area say that guest speaker on the night will be Mark Isherwood AM, Shadow Minister for Community and Housing in the Welsh Assembly.

Mr Crumpton predicts that during the meeting the required number of signatures will be gathered to force a referendum in Llan on the hospital closure question.

In a statement, Mr Crumpton said:  “Every grown-up knows that when Llangollen’s hospital beds leave, they will never return.

“Llangollen is an elderly town, with a high average age and a considerable number of residents in their seventies, eighties and nineties, many in sheltered housing and care homes – Llangollen has many of them, and our town still acts as a magnet to retirees, as it has for decades.

“Brief stays in the Community Hospital are commonplace in this group, and it’s easy for friends and relatives to visit patients there and far less distressing for the patients

“The Llangollen Community Hospital was bequeathed to the town by the Best family of Vivod, and it’s where blood tests are taken, annual retinopathy screening takes place, physiotherapy, minor injuries and dressings, and consultations by doctors both local and from Wrexham Maelor are held, plus many other routine medical procedures.

“The hospital is a testament to the value of local health care.

“The only bus from Llangollen that passes Wrexham Maelor is the two-hourly Barmouth X94. No bus service goes directly to Chirk hospital.

“The regular bus services for both Wrexham and Chirk involve walking a considerable distance to their respective hospitals, which many simply cannot do. For those without cars, it’s hospital transport or nothing. The closure must be stopped."

He added: “We are required, by procedure, to notify the Town Council that we will hold a public meeting if we can gather six signatures of local electors. We have them.

“At the meeting, it requires 10 electors to call for a referendum. We will get them.

“Under Schedule 12, Part 3, Paragraph 18 of the Local Government Act 1972, we will have our referendum. With it, we will send a message loud and clear to Betsi Cadwalader and the Welsh Government that our hospital is vital to us and we won’t let it go

“The issues are complex but a negotiated compromise is always better than a fait accompli.

“Enough is enough. First there’s the town-killing supermarket issue hanging over us, then the much-needed and supported Community Centre of Powys Fadog at Riverside Lodge was politically sabotaged – now they want to close our hospital.

“We’re being systematically asset-stripped and we’ll soon be a candidate for regeneration.

“In a matter of just a couple of years, the charm, the warmth, the very character of Llangollen is being torn asunder.

“Has someone got it in for Llangollen?”

Silver Band announces the passing of its highly respected musical director

* Albert Hammonds died on July 31.

It is with great regret that Llangollen Silver Band has announced the death on July 31 of its musical director Albert Hammonds, long service medal holder and well respected member of the brass band community in North Wales.

Albert had been a keen brass band player since childhood and was a member of Llangollen Silver Band for over 66 years.

In his youth he would happily play for any band in the North East Wales area that needed a baritone player, and he often boasted that in those days it was possible to play at rehearsals for a different band every day of the week with minimal travelling.

A well-known figure in Llangollen, he has more recently been able to enjoy the pleasures of walking his dogs, looking after his grandchildren, playing bowls and chatting with his many friends, but most of all he will be remembered for his dedication to the survival and prosperity of the band.

His role over the years encompassed playing the baritone horn, conducting, organising and fundraising, especially towards the costs of the building of the new band-room.

Although his health had been failing him since March this year, fellow band members were delighted that he was well enough to be with them for the grand opening of the new band hall on June 16.

Band spokeswoman Lynda Kay said: “Albert’s enthusiasm and sense of humour kept the band going through good times and bad, and his unshakeable belief in the band helped carry it through some difficult times and aided it in becoming the successful organisation it is today.

“I know I speak for all of Llangollen when I say that we will sadly miss the man we have come to think of with great affection, our dear friend Albert.”

The funeral will be held at 11am on Tuesday, August 7 at St Collen’s Church, Llangollen.

Railway showcases its extension plans

* Ken Skates AM views the railway extension

exhibition.

Llangollen Station is hosting an exhibition showcasing its plans to extend the famous heritage railway line to Corwen.

It is based in a special coach situated behind the signal box.

A new feature shows the route of the trackbed from Carrog and Corwen and highlights various features along the 2.5 miles length of what is Phase 1 of the extension project

A selection of photos shows what has been achieved so far and aspects still to be tackled.

Track has been re-laid as far as Plas Bonwm Farm and a further extension of the track near to the site of the former Bonwm halt will complete stage 1 of Phase 1.

The gate from the A5 road at the former Bonwm Halt site provides the only access for the delivery of materials to the site and will, of necessity, remain available whilst stage 2, the final stretch onwards to Corwen, is prepared.

There are significant items of infrastructure requiring attention on this stretch, including repairs to over bridge 28, various culverts and under-passes, as well as the provision of the temporary platform and the access ramp to it at the Corwen end.

All these aspects need to be tackled before any further track is laid in 2012/2013.

Laying track may be the exciting element of railway expansion, but is the relatively easy part of the overall exercise once the structures are in place.

However, even with volunteer labour, all this costs money and funds to allow for the continuation of the project are needed to ensure its completion and the return of trains on this section in 2013.

The Railway says you can help by making a donation to the Llangollen Railway Trust’s Corwen Appeal.

In the exhibition coach a donations bucket will welcome your small change at the very least and it will contribute towards the match funding needed to complete this exciting project.

Otherwise, forms are available to provide for gift aid donations or sale of the traditional Edmondson type tickets in support of work on the extension.

The exhibition coach is open subject to availability of volunteer supervision during the summer period.

Details of other aspects of the Llangollen Railway are also on show and information about volunteering is available

The exhibition was recently visited local Assembly Member Ken Skates.

Railway spokesman George Jones said:  “He was interested and pleased to see the progress achieved and what remains to be done.”

The display was also viewed by First Minister Carwyn Jones when he visited the railway on July 5.

Pensioners could get council tax help

Denbighshire County Council has been successful in securing £148,209 as part of the Welsh Government's grant for helping pensioners with council tax.

Pensioners who are in receipt of state pension, are liable to pay council tax in Denbighshire and the address they are claiming for is their main home will qualify for a part of this grant.

They should write in to: Pensioner Grant Scheme, Revenues Department, Russell House, Churton Road, Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 3DP, quoting their state pension reference number, their address (including postcode) and their council tax reference number.

The closing date for applications is 1 November when the Council Tax department will arrange to credit the council tax accounts of all applications. This credit will be based on the number of applications received.