Llan Railway works on historic loco facelift

* Llangollen Railway is in a three-way partnership to restore an historic locomotive.

Llangollen Railway is co-operating on an ambitious project to facelift a vital piece of Welsh locomotive history.   

It is working alongside the Gwili Railway-based Gwili Vintage Carriage Group (GVCG) and the National Railway Museum on the cosmetic restoration of Taff Vale Railway ‘O1’ class 0-6-2T No. 28, the last surviving Welsh-built standard gauge steam locomotive.

The aim is to return the loco to showroom condition and display it with the only Welsh-built standard gauge railway carriage to survive into preservation, Taff Vale Railway Brake Third No. 220.

James Buckley, of the GVCG, said: “As custodians of No. 220, this project reflects a long-held aspiration to display the carriage within an appropriate context, and uniting it with the sole-surviving Welsh-built standard gauge steam locomotive in South Wales is a fantastic proposition.

“This project has three major benefits in that we will move a step closer to creating a train that consists solely of Welsh rolling stock, the Llangollen Railway will get to re-assemble No. 28, and the locomotive will be out on public display for the first time in over two decades.

“We look forward to working closely with both the Llangollen Railway and the National Railway Museum to achieve this aim.”

An appeal for £10,000 to complete the restoration and transport the locomotive to the Gwili Railway has been launched by the GVCG on behalf of the other two partners.

Neil Evans from Llangollen Railway said: “It will be great to get this loco back to ‘showroom’ condition.

“Llangollen Railway’s workshop is the largest standard gauge steam loco workshop in Wales, so we’re very happy to be involved with the project.

“Since TVR 28 arrived at Llangollen we have already worked on some parts of the locomotive, and a successful fundraising exercise will help us to complete the job.”

Anthony Coulls of the National Railway Museum said: “It has long been our ambition at the National Railway Museum to get TVR 28 looking in tip-top condition and it’s great to have such enthusiastic partners in Wales to help us achieve this aim.

“Although Wales is well-known for its narrow-gauge lines, perhaps TVR 28 will help remind everyone of Wales’ standard gauge railway heritage; the coal hauled by this engine helped to develop Britain.”

Oakleigh will be private residence again

* Oakleigh on Abbey Road will be a private home again.

 

llanblogger exclusive

A family returning to make their home in Llangollen have now completed the purchase of Oakleigh, the former mental health resource centre on Abbey Road, Llangollen, which has been lying empty for over two years.

Agents Legat Owen, whose Chester office has been handling the disposal of the imposing property in front of the Eisteddfod field, has told llanblogger that vendor Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), has now formally handed it over to the new owner.

Stephen Wade, director of business space for Legat Owen’s Chester office, said on Friday: “We are pleased to confirm that BCUHB have today completed the sale of Oakleigh hospital in Llangollen.

 

“The property has been sold to a family who are looking to return to Llangollen.

“They intend to use the property as a private residence.

 

“The sale was completed following an informal tender process.

Asking price for Oakleigh had been £350,000 although Legat Owen said the terms of the agreed sale would remain confidential.

This latest development comes at the end of a formal bidding process which closed on January 18.

The property has been empty since September 2010 when it was sold off by the board as surplus to its requirements.  

Legat Owen’s details for the sale show that Oakleigh covers 306 square metres (3,293 square feet) on a site of 0.28 hectares (0.69 acres). 

The description continues:“Oakleigh comprises an attractive two storey period propertyfof brick construction under a pitched timber framed roof with clay tile covering.  

“Internally the property retains many of its original features.  

“The property has a rateable value of £10,000 and is available for sale freehold. 

“The property offers potential for a variety of alternative uses subject to securing the appropriate planning permission.  

“Planning permission has recently been granted for a change of use to a residential dwelling.”

A Freedom of Information request submitted to BCUHB by llanblogger last year showed the annual cost of maintenance and security of the property while it remained empty was £500 a year.  

Oakleigh had often been mentioned in connection with proposals by BCUHB for major changes to health services in Llangollen but the sale now rules it firmly out of the running.

Operatic looking for show sponsors

Llangollen Operatic is looking for sponsors for their forthcoming production of Anything Goes by Cole Porter, which will be staged from April 16-20 in Llangollen Town Hall.

Society spokesperson Louisa Jones said: For just £100, we are offering local companies and individuals the opportunity to sponsor one of our five performances.

"In return for this, sponsors will receive tickets for front row balcony seats for four people, a drink each from the bar, programmes, prominent display of your/your company's name and the chance to display and distribute your marketing material during the evening.

"We believe this is a very good deal and in addition to getting an evening of great entertainment you will be making a valued contribution towards the cost of putting on what is guaranteed to be a fantastic show.

"If you consider a full price ticket is £9 this year, it's particularly good value for money."

* For more information, contact: louisa.jones@live.com, or tel: 07989 985644.

Twenty Club aims for smash hit with Glass Menagerie

* Anna Turner, who plays Laura Wingfield.

Llangollen’s Twenty Club’s will present the American classic, The Glass Menagerie, on three nights next week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 7, 8 and 9) in the Town Hall.

This play is seen as the most touching, tender and painful of Tennessee Williams’ works and is the gripping portrayal of a post-depression family in crisis.

Buy Local Day in store for next Friday

Local shops can supply you with smaller, useable quantities of food at the right price – unlike the large packs supermarkets try to persuade you to buy.

That is one of the key messages from community group Keep Llangollen Special (KLS) as it organises its next Buy Local Day.

Timed for next Friday, March 8– usefully just a couple of days before Mothering Sunday – this will see a number of businesses in Llangollen offering special deals to savvy local shoppers.

KLS chair Mike Edwards (pictured left) said: “We are distributing printed colour flyers to residents in the next few days - Maesmawr is already done - and also getting a version of the new Buy Local poster to the shops around town.

“We are encouraging shopkeepers to make a special offer to local residents on the day and KLS are co-operating with the Slow Food initiative supported by the Town Council.”

Mike added: “We would strongly recommend residents to buy fresh quality local food and not travel outside Llangollen and support the local economy and supply chain.

“KLS has found from a survey carried out that local produce is actually very competitively priced and its possible to buy quantities you actually need not large packages which supermarkets encourage you to buy with resultant high levels of wasted food.

“So our strong message to Llangollen people is Buy Local next Friday.”

River's future discussed at meeting

* The River Dee in Llangollen.

The future of the River Dee over the next 20-30 years was discussed at a meeting in Llangollen’s Wild Pheasant Hotel on Thursday.

Four bodies – the Environment Agency, Environment Agency Wales, Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales – jointly commissioned specialist contractors Jacobs to carry out a major ecological study taking in over 50 kilometres of the Dee, along with some of its tributaries such as the River Ceiriog, from Bala to Chester Weir.

The study was based on information from previous surveys and also included the results of new inspections which took place late last year.

The aim was to record the physical conditions of the rivers  and habitats along them to give an understanding of their physical processes and identify potential restoration actions.

Data from the survey was used to compile technical and management reports and it was these that were highlighted at a consultation workshop for a range of interested individuals and groups at the Wild Pheasant by members of the survey team.

The reports reveal that in places the physical form of the rivers have been altered by weirs, flood embankments, bank protection and straightening - all of which can reduce habitat quality, quantity and variety and affect the movement of fish, water and sediment.

No specific restoration actions were put forward, although a range of options was outlined by Dr Andrew Brookes (pictured right) from Jacobs.

He explained that the waterways put under the microscope included two separate Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), one in Wales and one downstream in England, which provided habitats for species such as Atlantic salmon, lamprey, otter and club-tailed dragonfly.

He said that when it came to the physical condition of the rivers there was “a lot of room for improvement” with only 28 per cent of surface waters in the Dee catchment area being classified as ‘good’ or ‘high’ ecological standard and the majority of bodies of water having been heavily modified over the years.

Dr Brookes added: “There are challenges and not a lot of money available.”

But he stressed: “There are sources of funding and we are talking about a long-term strategy with a time frame of 20 to 30 years.”

He then answered a number of technical points put to him by members of the audience.   

Consultations on the reports will continue amongst interested parties, including landowners, fishing clubs, river and wildlife trusts.

Comments made by them will then be considered and amendments made to the final restoration plan before it is published at the end of March. 

Greetings of the day from llanblogger

Happy St David's Day to all llanblogger readers!