Llangollen stars in new fantasy thriller novel

Llangollen features prominently in a new e-book in which the villains are a breed of malevolent fairies intent on world domination.

And its author has explained how the idea for the fantasy thriller The Last Changeling came to her in a dream. 

Fiona Maher, who writes under the name of F R Maher, said: “We’ve had wizards and vampires, and I wondered what other supernatural beings would appeal to readers. 

“After a dream, I came up with the idea that it would be fairies - not the cutesy pink confections of modern cartoons, but the ancient malign creatures that haunted the forests, and stole children. 

“I called them metahominids - literally 'other men' - and I ask what if population pressure meant they started moving out of the country, and began invading our city spaces, like urban foxes? 

“What if we've been at war with them for centuries and the evidence was all around us? 

“If myxamatosis hadn't been developed for rabbits, but to spray on the barrows, the metahominid strongholds?”

Hero of the book is a young policeman named Watkin who gets caught up in a battle between a secret government department and metahominids in Kew Gardens.

In the melee, he is injured, and believes he has been involved in a UFO incident. 

However much he tries to find out what really happened, the government organisation, D9, evades all of his investigations. 

Dispirited, he gives up that line of research, and returns to his interest in UFOs. 

Watkin travels up from London to investigate the Beings of Bodfari, a legend that has been linked to UFO activity. 

En route, he stops off in Llangollen of which the author gives a vivid description taking in a number of well-known local sights and businesses such as Dinas Bran Castle, the Corn Mill, the station, the florists in Oak Steet and the Watkin Williams store in Regent Street. 

Coincidentally in Llangollen at the same time as Watkin is a D9 operative, travelling under the name of Sarah Deakin.

Her weapon of choice is a meaty survival knife, which she has brought to Llangollen to have its edges laced with silver - a lethal metal to all metahominids – at a local jewellers shop.

The author knows Llangollen well because although she lives on the Wirral, she works in the town and has been associated with the area for the past 30 years.  

The Last Changeling can be seen at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Changeling-Enigma-Wars-ebook/dp/B00B90EIRQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365110490&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+changeling

Latest Buy Local day planned for April 12

The Keep Llangollen Special (KLS) campaign group is arranging the latest in its series of Buy Local days in the town next Friday April 12.

The group is distributing printed flyers to residents in Llangollen to encourage them to support their local independent business.

KLS chair Mike Edwards said: "We are inviting everyone to support Llangollen's traders and get quality, personal service and value for money.

"You will be making an important contribution to the local economy."

If any business needs copies they can contact Mike Edwards at chair@keepllangollenspecial.org.uk

Railway extension plan hits the headlines

 

* The current edition of The Railway Magazine in

which the Corwen extension article features. 

 

 

The current (May2013) edition of The Railway Magazine features a 5 page article about Llangollen Railway's plan to extend the line all the way to Corwen.

 

Compiled by Cliff Thomas as part of the magazine's Lazarus series - railways brought back from the dead - it looks at the recent history of the project, current status and the prospects of finishing phase 1 to Corwen East.

 

The article features numerous pictures of trains, mostly on the extension, as it currently exists to show what is in prospect when the line is operational on its full length.

 

Railway spokesman George Jones said: "Let's hope it attracts the rail fans and brings in some much needed donations to allow for completion in 2014."

 

Mr Jones explained that extracts from the article will be put on show as part of the Corwen exhibition in the coach at Llangollen Station.

Birch Hill to be closed to through-traffic for three weeks

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is set to begin survey work on its wastewater network on Birch Hill, Llangollen.

The work will start on Monday 8 April and is set to take three weeks to complete. 

While the work is ongoing it will be necessary to close Birch Hill to through traffic.

However, access will be maintained for residents, according to Denbighshire County Council.

The council has informed residents and visitors that from Monday the alternative route available for traffic is via Birch Hill, the A5 (Queen Street to area boundary) and Maesmawr Road, and will be sign posted accordingly.

Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the period of closure

Welsh Water Communications Manager Jill Roberts said: “We appreciate the disruption work such as this can cause but these measures are necessary to ensure the safety of road users, pedestrians and our workforce.  We would like to thank people in advance for bearing with us while the work is ongoing.”

Welsh Water is investing heavily and working hard to ensure top quality services to all the communities it serves. The company is investing £1.5 billion in its water and sewerage network between 2010 and 2015.

It is a ‘not-for-profit company’ which has been owned by Glas Cymru since 2001. Welsh Water does not have shareholders, and any financial surpluses are reinvested in the business for the benefit of customers.

Welsh Government help with council tax bills

Council tax reduction schemes are now operating in Wales to assist 330,000 households in paying their bills.

 

The new schemes replace council tax benefit which has been abolished by the UK Government as part of its welfare reform agenda.

The coalition government has also cut the funding available for replacement schemes by at least 10 per cent.

Welsh Ministers have repeatedly challenged this reduction in funding and remain profoundly concerned about the financial implications of the welfare reforms for some of the most vulnerable people in Wales.

The Welsh Government has taken on responsibility for developing new arrangements to support households in Wales in meeting their council tax bills. Extensive work has been undertaken with local government to minimise the impact on claimants and to ensure the new arrangements are viable and affordable.

For 2013/14 the Welsh Government is also providing an extra £22m to support local authorities in providing all eligible claimants with their full entitlement to support, despite the shortfall in funding transferred from the UK Government.

Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Local Government said:"In collaboration with local government, we have introduced schemes to provide vital financial assistance to approximately 330,000 households in Wales. The additional funding we have provided means some of our most vulnerable individuals will be protected from the UK Government’s cut in funding for council tax support."

Trio's charity bike marathon

Denbighshire County Council leisure officer Haydyn Jones, Greg King, leisure attendant at Llangollen Leisure Centre, and Alex Roberts, duty officer at Corwen Leisure Centre will be taking part in a sponsored bike ride in aid of Sport Relief 2013 across all seven of the county's leisure centres on Sunday (April 7).

Starting in Rhyl Leisure Centre at 9am, they aim to finish at Llangollen Leisure Centre at around 1pm after covering a total of 55 miles. 

All three have been training hard for the challenge as this is the first time that they have taken part in such an event.

Donations would be gratefully accepted and anyone can donate either pre or post event by contacting Llangollen Leisure Centre on 01978 861830 or Corwen Leisure Centre on 01490 412600.

Government urged to provide maximum help for snow-hit farmers

Denbighshire County Council is calling on the Welsh Government to ensure that as much support as possible is made available to farmers who have lost animals during the recent severe cold weather.

And the Leader of the Council, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, has invited the Minister to visit Denbighshire to hear of the impact of the losses.

Welsh Government Minister Alun Davies has announced a temporary agreement from midnight on April 3 for farmers in Denbighshire to bury sheep, lambs and calves over the next seven days, if a stock collector cannot access farms.
 
The Government says that farmers will be required to provide evidence that collectors were unable to access the farm.

Any farmers wanting advice or intending to bury their animals must notify the Council's Animal Health Team at County Hall, Ruthin on 01824 706086.

Farmers will be asked to record the burials  in their movement book, with tag numbers if appropriate and the burial site location.

Councillor Evans said: "As a farmer myself, I can truly appreciate the plight of farmers in many parts of Wales that have suffered losses as a result of the severe weather.  The extreme amount of snow that fell in Denbighshire and surrounding counties was unprecedented and for many residents it caused extreme inconvenience.

"For many the snow will eventually thaw and lives will return to normal.  However, there are some farmers that have lost a lot of animals and in the short term their main consideration is disposing of those animals. In the long term, farmers will need to consider the financial loss.

"We welcome the fact that the Welsh Government is to relax rules for seven days which allows farmers to bury their dead animals on their own land if stock collectors cannot access farms,  but unless the snow thaws quickly, the seven days may not be enough time.

"The full extent of the impact on individual farm businesses may not be known for some time and only when the snow has thawed that a full inspection of the holding can be completed. We would like the Minister  to see for himself how farmers and their families in Denbighshire have suffered."

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: "Farmers in Denbighshire and other areas have suffered tremendously as a result of the heavy snow and only over the next days and weeks will the true extent of the issue be known. The Council has worked tirelessly to clear country lanes as quickly as possible, to allow feed to get to farms, but there is only so much we can do.

"Also,  with farming being the backbone of the rural economy, it is essential that farmers also have the best level of assistance possible to try and recoup some of their losses, not only from perished animals but also from damaged fencing that will need to be replaced.

"We hope that the Welsh Government engages with the agricultural sector long after the snow has thawed, to gauge the impact and what assistance may be required."