Latest roadworks in the area

Denbighshire County Council has given details of the following roadworks in the area: 

Pendre Road, Berwyn, road closure from until December 6 for bridge works by the county council. 

Berwyn Road, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights from November 15-17 for water works by Dee Valley Water. 

Hatchery Lane, Trevor, from A539 to junction opposite Trevor Mill, road closure for drainage works by Dee Valley Water.

 

County's free Christmas parking present

Denbighshire County Council is getting into the festive spirit by offering free parking after 3 p.m. in all of its car parks from November 21 until December 31, to encourage people to shop in the county’s town centres. This compliments a number of reduced charging schemes implemented in several Denbighshire car parks during recent months and supports the five free parking days allocated for use at the discretion of town councils. Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “The council feels it is vitally important to show support to our town centres and encourage people to find what local businesses have to offer. “We are hoping that people will take advantage of the parking offer in the run up to Christmas and the New Year celebrations. Regenerating communities is one of the council’s key priorities and we feel that offering this arrangement over Christmas will encourage residents to think local as an alternative and see what they have to offer.”

Residents warned over doorstep cookware con

Denbighshire residents are being warned to be on their guard against doorstep callers offering to sell cookware and cutlery.

Residents of Corwen who have been subject to the cold calling by the trader were told that they had been to a trade fair and wanted to sell the rest of their goods before returning home in the south of the country. 

The goods which appear well presented and packaged are labelled ‘St Moritz’ and are belived to be counterfeit copies.

Residents have also been told they are Swiss made when, in fact, they are made in China.

Ian Millington, of Denbighshire Trading Standards, said: "It appears this is an ongoing issue across the country and we understand that the callers will even allow people to pay by credit card with a card reader and asks for the amount to be paid in euros.

"We understand that there are cases where consumers have paid as much as £1,500 for goods when the true value will be considerably less. 

"Reputable traders do not trade in this way and if you are offered such goods, please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06 or if the trader is still in your area phone North Wales Police on 101.”

Fascinating food writer recalled in TV show

* Presenter Lucy Worsley with one of Dorothy Hartley's recipes involving a pig's head.

One of Britain’s most fascinating food writers – who once lived in nearby Fron - went under the spotlight in a new BBC 4 television show.

Food in England: The Lost World of Dorothy Hartley, which was screened at 9pm last night (Tuesday), was written and presented by historian Lucy Worsley.

It told the fascinating story of Dorothy Hartley who was born in 1893.

Her father was the headmaster of a boys' school in Skipton, and her mother, who taught music, was from Fron where the family owned quarries and property.

In 1933 Miss Hartley moved to Fron House where she lived for the rest of her life.^[2]

She spent the 1930s as a roving reporter on rural Britain, capturing a disappearing world of country ways.

She had a weekly column in the Daily Sketch newspaper for which she hunted out recipes, customs and folklore.

Travelling by car, bicycle or on foot, she was so dedicated to her task that she would sometimes sleep in a hedge, relying on her skill of lighting a fire to boil tea within 20 minutes whatever the weather.

She saw off would-be suitors with talk of Viking burial customs, and had a life-long habit of signing letters "D Hartley (Miss)", to draw attention to her single status.

Miss Hartley wrote up decades of her research in her great work on the nation's stomach, Food in England.

Published in 1954, it became an instant classic that's never been out of print.

Much more than a recipe book, it also covers fire, magic, fungi, Elizabethan households, salting and "tracklements" (sauces).

"Overheard in Wigan market" is a not uncommon source for a recipe.

Her concern was forever the food of ordinary people, not the rich.

As she writes in her introduction to Food in England: "Our old big house has been divided and let, and I have lived for 20 years in a workman's cottage, with a gas-stove in one room and a log fire and pot crane in the other, and cooked – as convenient – on each. It's been a happy time."

Following the death of her niece and the subsequent owner of the family house in 2004 and 2010, Dorothy Hartley's archive came to light.

Roger Mansbridge was responsible for dealing with her papers, documents and various archives, and releasing the archives has resulted in a biography-in-the-making of Miss Hartley, the TV programme and the book, 'Lost England 1933 -36.’ 

Mr Mansbridge said: “This programme had been in the making for around 12 months and there is a book to accompany it. 

“Although Miss Hartley died in 1985, her most famous book Food in England has never been out of print - she published many books in her lifetime.” 

 

• Lost World, a collection of Hartley's journalism, is published by Prospect Books.

Gardeners enjoy a wild weekend

* At work in Llangollen Community Garden. 

Members of Llangollen Community Garden recently enjoyed a wild weekend.

They were taking part in the national Keep Wales Tidy, Wild Weekend, which involved creating
habitat piles, natural fencing and a wild flower area all with the aim of encouraging wildlife.

They also ran a bat box building activity for children, and are grateful for the assistance of the countryside services staff for making the activity possible.

Tea, biscuits and cake were all provided for those taking part, keeping energy levels up and
allowing time for a chat.

Everyone involved with the garden has commented on how satisfying they have found the working sessions, seeing great progress being made every week.

Group sokesman Warren Davies said: "Community gardening is a great way to start producing your own vegetables.

"You don't need to be an expert, have your own tools, or your own land. All the work is shared, meaning less commitment while still getting great results."

He added: "Next month we intend to plough on with getting the site ready for planting in the spring. Marking out areas for planting, continuing our natural fencing and building compost bins are just some of the planned activities."

The group now has its own Facebook page. This can be found by searching in Facebook
for, 'Llangollen Community Garden'.

Information is also available from the website: www.llangollengarden.co.uk, emailing info@llangollengarden.co.uk, or calling.texting 07525 016503.

 

* Gardeners enjoy some refreshment.

Poppy Specials run at Llan Railway

 

 

 

 

* Railway visitors watch the departure of the first Poppy Special at 11am on Saturday.  

 

LLANGOLLEN Railway played its part in remembering the war dead at the weekend. 

On Saturday and Sunday, it ran a series of Poppy Special trains, each hauled by a vintage steam locomotive and proudly wearing its own large poppy on the front of the engine.  

The service departed Llangollen Station at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on both days for a period of quiet reflection. 

Visitors over the weekend also had the chance to find out about the LMS Patriot Group’s new steam engine, The Unknown Warrior, currently built in the heritage railway’s own engineering works. 

Adopted by The Royal British Legion, the aim is to have it ready to steam into London on November 11, 2018 to mark the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War.  

The Poppy Specials were pulled by loco number 3802, a Great Western heavy freight engine dating from 1938, which was restored at Llangollen a few years ago for a group based in Plymouth and is now back there to delight steam enthusiasts. 

Members of Llangollen’s army cadet contingent sold poppies aboard the train and on the platform and attrated good support from passengers.

Among visitors on Sunday were a family from Perth in Western Australia who landed early at Heathrow and drove straight up to Llangollen to see a steam train.

 

* Army cadets with the Poppy train. 

* A short video film of the departure of the first Poppy Special of the day on Saturday can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVvpKK4RoZg 

Skates demands full-scale child abuse investigation

* Ken Skates AM.

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has called for a whole scale criminal investigation into institutional child abuse in the UK.

Over the past week evidence has emerged that was not considered as part of the original inquiry into child abuse in North Wales during the 1970s and 80s.

 

It follows criticism from Steve Messham, one of hundreds who were sexually abused during that period.

The Children's Commissioner for Wales has written to The First Minister this week to request a new, fresh inquiry with wider terms of refereMr Skatesnce than the original Waterhouse inquiry which examined cases of child abuse in care homes in former county council areas of Clwyd and Gwynedd between 1974 and 1990.

However, the AM said that with so many inquiries being commissioned it was time for one overarching criminal investigation into the abuse allegations.

Raising the issue with the First Minister in the Senedd on Tuesday, who was also a journalist at the time of the original Waterhouse inquiry, said: “The abuse that went on in care homes in the 1970s and 1980s was truly sickening and horrific.

“The problem of institutional abuse goes well beyond the confines of North Wales. That is why I believe that merely looking at the issue as isolated cases of abuse in North Wales care homes or within institutions such as the BBC won't get to the root of the problem.

“I believe Operation Yewtree, the criminal investigation into alleged abuse by Jimmy Savile and others, should be broadened into an overarching investigation to include allegations of abuse of children residing in care homes.

“Clear themes and lines of enquiries are already emerging, so Operation Yewtree needs to become a much wider investigation with the power and resources to examine child abuse and organised paedophile rings right across the UK.

“Whilst a lot of important lessons came out of the original Waterhouse report, the restraints of the inquiry mean some of the victims feel they have not had their say and that some child abusers have not been brought to justice.

“Steve Messham's claims, as well as those of others who might come forward in the next few weeks and months, need to be investigated fully and offenders brought to court.”