Top bikers in Llan for British race final

* Ace rider Matt Simmonds burns up the track.

Over 300  of the UK’s top bike riders will be heading for Llangollen next weekend (September 22 and 23) for the final round of the British Downhill Series.

They will face a tough challenge on the steep and loose terrain and the all-new “Squirrel track” which is being introduced specially for the event.

The national series is widely regarded as the most prestigious in the world.

British riders are currently dominating the world cup scene in both the male and female categories.

Many of the UK’s fastest riders will be competing at Llangollen and will  provide some thrilling racing for spectators.

One of those in action will be Steve Peat, a downhill mountain bike legend who has more world cup podiums than any other rider in history and has now represented Great Britain in 20 World Championships.

Team Chain Reaction Cycles riders will again be fighting for the win with Matt Simmonds leading the way and hoping to win the elite series title.

Adam Brayton, the winner of Rd 3 and Rd 4 of the Halo BDS, will be looking to overtake Simmonds in the points and also take the title.

The Llangollen track is the steepest in the UK and is a high speed affair negotiating tight sections littered with drops and jumps before the riders descend into the finish field.

Live timing and commentating creates an exciting atmosphere.

It is free to come and spectate, with a race village and team pit area where you can see the riders, ask for signed autographs as well as a retail village for stocking up on bike parts, accessories, body armour, helmets and casual clothing.

The venue opens on Friday and practice takes place all day on Saturday with entertainment in the evening.

On Sunday riders have a short practice session before racing begins with a seeding run at 11 and the finals at 2.30pm.

Heading to Llangollen Pass through the village of Froncysllte and three miles later see the Llangollen Golf Club on the right below the road.

After the bends following the golf club, take a left turn approximately one mile before Llangollen on to Maesmawr Road. Follow the signs for Tyn Dwr Outdoor Activity Centre (UCLAN). Pass the entrance to UCLAN and the event field is half a mile further on.

Event location:

O/S Co-Ordinates are Grid Reference SJ 231 405 nearest postcode: LL20 8AR

About the Halo British Downhill Series

• 6 races per year through-out the UK

• An additional National Championships race

• Current World Champion is British

• 300+ riders at each round

• 1,500 + spectators at each round

• 2000+independent bike shops around the UK

• Family and youth appeal as well as participating sports fans

 

 

Church members' colourful harvest display

Members of the English Methodist Church in Llan worked hard to create this colourful display of produce and flowers for their Harvest Festival service this morning (Sunday).

They will have their annual harvest supper tomorrow (Monday) evening.

Dates for your diary ...

Calling walkers 

Denbighshire Countryside Services are aiming to establish a walking group in Llangollen.

They are looking for people to volunteer as walk leaders.

Those chosen would lead short walks in the area.

A training course is being held at Loggerheads Country Park on Thursday, September 20, from 9.45am-2.30pm.

To book, call Katrina Day on 01745 356197, or e-mail her at katrina.day@denbighshire.gov.uk

 

Perennials talk

Llangollen Gardening Club are hosting a talk entitled Perennials Throughout the Year by Dr Nicola Reynolds at the Hand Hotel on Tuesday, September 18, at 7.30pm. All are welcome.

 

Lifeboats event

The RNLI have a coffee morning at the Memorial Hall in Market Street, Llangollen, from 10am-noon on Tuesday, September 18.

Admission is 50p and the event offers tea and coffee along with the sale of bric-a-brac and RNLI Christmas cards and gifts.

For peace ...

Activities to mark Peace One Day will be held at the bandstand in Llangollen between noon and 2pm on Friday, September 21.

Wrexham plans warm welcome home for Olympic stars

 

Wrexham will welcome its London 2012 Olympians in style on September 28 with a free public celebration event on Llwyn Isa, the green in front of the Guildhall.

 

The WOW – Wrexham’s Olympic Winners event will see circus acts and sporting activities, music and song for all the family to enjoy.

 

The event will take place between 4.00 and 6.00 pm.

Two of Wrexham's Olympians, Tom James and Chris Bartley are able to attend the celebration being held in their honour and are looking forward to being back in Wrexham.

Wrexham's young sporting ambassadors and elite athletes have all been invited and will form a special guard of honour to escort the athletes to the Guildhall where they will receive a civic welcome by the Mayor before making an appearance on the balcony and taking a walk on the green.

A big screen will be set up on the green which will show footage of Wrexham's young athletes and of course highlights from the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics that have raised everyone's spirits these past few weeks.

Music and entertainment will be provided by Wrexham's Community Choir and Nofitstate circus who are making their first appearance in Wrexham for over 10 years.

Sporting clubs and associations from around the county borough will be providing demonstrations and tasters to encourage youngsters to take up a sporting activity.

Cllr Neil Rogers, Leader of Wrexham Council, said: "We want this event to be an occasion that everyone can enjoy and show their appreciation for the significant achievements of our three Olympians.

"The theme of the London 2012 Olympics was to inspire a generation and these athletes have certainly done that for young people in Wrexham.

"There are many clubs and associations in Wrexham that offer olympic sports' training such as swimming and fencing, tennis and gymnastics and we hope the London 2012 Olympics and the successes of Tom, Chris and Vicky will inspire them to want to achieve success in sports. Everyone will be welcome to enjoy the activities on the green and give a very warm Wrexham welcome to our returning Olympians."

All planned activities will be weather dependent. In the event of rain, some activities may be moved to an alternative location.

Travelling Troupe's town hall triumph

* The Travelling Troupe present a number from the musical Chicago. Picture by Barrie Potter.

Llangollen Operatic Society’s Travelling Troupe stopped travelling long enough to wow a home audience last night (Friday).

The group of strolling performers, which sings gigs around the region to raise money for the society, was presenting the first of two showcase evenings entitled Lost in Music.

The second comes tonight at the same venue, starting at 8pm – with tickets still available.

On the programme for both nights is a powerful selection of songs from some of the biggest shows around and a few other well-known belters that aren’t.

The entire 15-strong outfit got straight down to business by blasting out their interpretation of Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera before Simon Orton-Jones fronted the Anthem from Chess.

The full troupe – attired in their usual black with colourful trimmings – was back on stage to rattle out the intricate Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, then it was off to Chicago  where impressive soloist Tessa Orton-Jones told us what happens When You’re Good to Mama.

We stayed in Chicago while the ladies of the troupe Razzle Dazzled us and then gave us All That Jazz.

A switch in time, pace and geography conveyed us to Dickensian London where the throaty and magnificent Bill Hughes assumed the grisly mantle of Fagin to inform us he was Reviewing the Situation – leaving the stage afterwards to inform us that the kids in his thieves’ kitchen were “all for sale”. Nice atmospheric touch!

Quest for Camelot was the musical that was tabled next, with Helen Belton and Simon Orton-Jones giving us a poignant rendition of The Prayer.

The graphics department shone as bright as the singers in the next number – Gary Barlow’s Diamond Jubilee piece, Sing. 

A huge moving depiction of highlights from Elizabeth II’s reign flickered from a screen sunk into the backcloth as the full troupe augmented by kids from the operatic society’s junior section, The Young ‘Uns, led us delightfully through the number.

It was then back over to the States for a medley by the full troupe from Guys & Dolls.

Everything was true to the original, right down to the authentic Nu Yoik accents.

From Manhattan in the 1930s it was a quick dart across time and the Atlantic to Paris in the 1840s for the next piece – I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables presented by the creamy-voiced Helen Belton.

We stayed with Lez Miz for the final three numbers – On My Own from super soprano Louisa Jones, Bring Him Home from the big-voiced Bill Hughes and One day More delivered with suitable verve by the entire troupe.

A marvellously entertaining evening thus came to a close - to the delight of a jam-packed town hall audience.

The whole thing was a credit to the on-stage performers and musical director Elen Mair Roberts and to the versatile four-member band that so faultlessly accompanied them.    

Don’t forget tickets are still available for tonight’s show at £8 and £5 concessions.

* The full troupe on stage for another powerful number. Picture by Barrie Potter. 

 

 

 

New plans to help the terminally ill in Wales

New plans to improve end of life care for terminally-ill patients and their families have been published.

Combining compassion with high quality care is at the centre of the plan.

Building on the achievements of the Palliative Care Implementation Board to strengthen existing services, the Welsh Government’s Together for Health – Delivering End of Life Care plan sets out how NHS Wales will improve inequalities in end of life care up to 2016.

Key aims of the plan include providing 24/7 support to all people entering the terminal phase of their illness and ensuring pain and symptoms are controlled. Access to appropriate support and symptom control must be the same wherever a person dies – at home, in hospital, in a care home or a hospice.
The plan also stresses that those who wish to be cared for, and to die at home, should be supported in this choice.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths, Assembly Member for Wrexham, said: "Everybody is affected by the death of a family member or friend who has gone through a final phase of illness. I want, as far as possible, to reduce the amount of distress in the terminal phase of illness for the patient and their family.
“Not only do people need rapid assessment and the best possible treatment, but they also need ongoing support and information about choices when treatment may no longer be effective.
“I want patients to have access to information to help them make decisions about their care and treatment so they have an element of control at the end of their life.
“The NHS must be committed to taking the lead, working with its partners in Wales to deliver this at every single stage of the patient’s journey. All NHS organisations in Wales will be required to publish an annual report on end of life services to enable the public to track progress.”
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Professor of Palliative Medicine, Cardiff University and Velindre NHS Trust, said: "I went into palliative care because I wanted to improve conditions for patients at the end of their life. When I was a junior doctor, palliative care was neglected, leaving patients and their families isolated and scared.
"Things have improved hugely since then, most recently thanks to the work of the Wales Palliative Care Implementation Board established in 2008. However, more can still be done to ensure good quality end of life and palliative care is readily available, universally.
"The plan published today shows a deep commitment on the part of the Welsh Government to improve end of life care across Wales for patients and their families."
Together for Health – Delivering End of Life Care sets out the requirements of the NHS in Wales and explains how success will be measured.

Mike Edwards' response to superstore approval story

llanblogger has received the following response from Mike Edwards, chair of Keep Llangollen Special, to our story earlier today about the Sainsbury foodstore/Cilmedw planning applications:

The original application by J Ross claimed there
would be 220 jobs created on the new D&C site, the 109 is what they employ
currently according to what we were told on a site visit.

The report provided to DCC by Roger Tym & Partners is fatally flawed
because:

1. It failed to take into consideration the new supermarket built in Cefn Mawr
by Tesco which is only 5 miles away from Llangollen and readily available to
people who commute to work in Wrexham, Chester or further afield;

2. It also refers to in a report dated June 2012 to Stan's super store having
been granted planning consent when in actual fact it had been trading since
February of this year:

The application for the new supermarket is NOT in accordance with Planning
Policy Wales(PPW) in terms of its affect on the vitality and
vibrancy of the Town Centre and fails the guidance on sustainability because it
will increase vehicle journeys and cause further congestion on the A5 which is
a main arterial tourist route through town.

DCC have been in favour of these applications from the word go and probably
because if they refuse them they are afraid that J Ross/Sainsbury's will use
their financial muscle and appeal the application and employ top planning
barristers to argue their case which a Local Authority are not able to match.
Is that a valid reason to approve the application and ruin Llangollen and turn
it into another Clone Town similar to the hundreds of others around the UK. You
only have to look at what has happened to Wrexham, Oswestry, Ruthin etc with
empty shops everywhere in their main streets.

Mike Edwards