Loco restoration is a family affair

 

 

 

* The Hymas family group with No.72 at Llangollen.

 

* The engine on arrival at Carrog later.

 

Three generations of an Essex family came together to celebrate the successful completion of a steam locomotive restoration project at Llangollen Railway.

 

James Hymas, 42, was joined by his partner Bobby and their eight-week-old baby son, Tristram, and father Dick to see their other pride and joy, No.72, a six wheel saddle tank steam engine, back in operation after a nine-year personal project to restore it from scrapyard condition.

 

After No.72 successfully took the 1pm train from Llangollen down the Dee Valley line to Carrog and back an ecstatic James said: "That was terrific! For the engine to be able work its first ever passenger train in its entire career was worth all the time and effort involved in its restoration."

 

Father, Dick, who now lives in Penrhyndeudraeth, and who originally bought the engine from the scrapman at South Hetton Colliery in Northumberland in 1973, said: " It is fantastic to see the engine back in working condition. When I bought the engine it had been literally run into the ground by the National Coal Board.

 

"Everything possible on it was worn out and its restoration was going to be a big challenge when I took it to the Colne Valley Railway in Essex."

 

That challenge was taken on by his son James in 2004 when he set about rebuilding the mechanical parts, renewing the smokebox and bunker and arranging for a boiler repair.

 

Seeking expert help and advice he brought the kit of parts to Llangollen in 2006. 

 

This move allowed a difficult task to be brought to a successful conclusion earlier this week when the locomotive in a smart black NCB livery as No.72  had a steam test and then ran with a service train.

 

James said: "The engine is the last known example of the wartime Austerity type built at the Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows in 1945, as part of an order for the British Army and was delivered to the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire.

 

"However, it was sold on to the National Coal Board for work hauling heavy coal trains in the Northumbrian coal field, a task for which it was well suited."

 

Dave Owen, chief engineer at Llangollen Railway, said: "No.72 is a powerful locomotive and performed well on its two trips down the line. 

 

"It is always satisfying to see a steam locomotive come back into service after a long restoration job and we are pleased to have played a part in ensuring that the ambitions of Dick and James have been finally fulfilled here at Llangollen."

 

George Jones, press officer for Llangollen Railway,  said: "During the trip down the line the steam train attracted the attention of two Army Air Corps helicopters on low level flying exercises.

 

"They came past for a close look and it seems incredible that they unwittingly acknowledged the special occasion for a former British Army locomotive!

 

"Their interest in the occasion was enjoyed by all."

Statement on measles outbreak

Public Health Wales has issued the following statement about the current measles outbreak:

"You may be aware that there is a very large outbreak of measles in Swansea that is spreading across Wales.

The illness spreads very quickly through schools if many of the pupils have not been protected by having two Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine injections.

There have been 38 children admitted to hospital during this outbreak as a result of their measles infection.

We are likely to see cases of measles in North Wales and it is possible that we will have a school outbreak soon, as MMR uptake is not high enough to stop measles circulating.

If your child/teenager has not had MMR vaccine/s or you think they might have missed a vaccination you should contact your GP, health visitor or practice nurse now to get them protected.

Children who are allergic to eggs can receive the vaccine as normal. If your household or close family contains young babies, pregnant women or family members with serious immune conditions who cannot have the MMR vaccine, please make sure that all children and teenagers in the house are fully vaccinated. This will help protect these vulnerable individuals.

Measles is highly infectious and is spread from person to person by coughs and sneezes. Early symptoms include a high temperature, cough, cold and conjunctivitis (painful, red eyes).

A red, blotchy rash appears 3 to 7 days later which usually begins on the face and spreads down over the rest of the body. The person is usually quite ill and often prefers to lie quietly in a darkened room. Serious complications can occur.

Any child who develops symptoms of measles should not attend school for four days after the start of the rash.

If your child is not fully protected please act now to protect them and those around them. You can get more information on measles on the Public Health Wales website: 
http://www.publichealthwales.org/measles

* For further information about measles or MMR please contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47."

Denbighshire backs North Wales prison plan

Councillors in Denbighshire have supported calls by the North Wales Regional Leadership Board to have a prison built in the region.

Representatives of the Board, made up of Leaders from the six North Wales Councils, the Police and Crime Commissioner, the North Wales Police,The North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board  have lobbied the Ministry of Justice for over five years.

Their campaign was backed by Denbighshire members meeting at County Hall, Ruthin today (Tuesday).

Councillor Hugh Evans, Leader of Denbighshire County Council said: "It is great news that North Wales is on the shortlist of regions to be considered for a new prison and councillors in Denbighshire unanimously supported the proposal.

"We are excited about the potential of a prison being built in North Wales. It would involve a substantial investment in the region's economy and could create hundreds of new jobs.  We need the investment and the jobs but we also need to have a prison where the Welsh Language Act applies so that Welsh culture can be recognised in the prison system.

"We believe there is a strong argument for securing a prison in North Wales and the Regional Leadership Board will continue to lobby the Government. It is very early days, but we will continue with dialogue and await a decision on whether our region has been successful."

All systems go for Llan Eisteddfod

* Eisteddfod Musical Director Eilir Owen Griffiths. 

 

It's all systems go for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Snow damage caused to the Royal International Pavilion in Llangollen is being repaired this week by Denbighshire County Council.

The weight of heavy snow had caused a rip to a panel of the roof at the building, the home of the popular international festival which attracts thousands of visitors to the town every July.

A spokesperson for the Pavilion said that a temporary panel had been fitted and that the programme of events at the Pavilion had been unaffected with an antiques fair taking place at the weekend and a comedy night scheduled for Saturday, April 20.

Gareth Edwards, Siting Officer for the Eisteddfod, said: “We have had one or two enquiries as a result of the snowfall which caused some minor damage but we have an excellent relationship with Denbighshire County Council who have put a temporary cover on the damaged panel.

“They will be completing the repairs this month and we have been assured that the Pavilion will be ready long before we take it over for a month from June 24.”

This year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod takes play from Tuesday, July 9, to Sunday, July 14, and features six days of high quality concerts and top class music and dance competitions.

Strictly Come Dancing stars James and Ola Jordan are part of a stunning lineup at this year’s Eisteddfod.

They will perform with Cuban maestros Buena Vista Social Club and other top attractions are Jools Holland, harpist Claire Jones, tenor Noah Stewart and percussionist Evelyn Glennie.

In addition there is the VERDI 200 on the Friday night of the Eisteddfod, a 200^th anniversary performance of Verdi’s Requiem with Claire Rutter, Mirouslava Yordanova , Gwyn Hughes Jones, Jonathan Lemalu and accompanied by the Eisteddfod Orchestra conducted by Andrew Greenwood.

And the event will open on the Tuesday with the colourful procession of the competitors to the Royal International Pavilion, led by Eisteddfod President Terry Waite, CBE, the former Archbishop’s Special Envoy and a long-time supporter.

Eilir Owen Griffiths said: “I am delighted to have put together such a strong line-up and one that is truly global in its scope and one that shows that Llangollen still attracts the very best to come and perform here.

“It’s a very exciting programme and is very different and we need to show that we can do that and remain true to the spirit of the International Eisteddfod.

"The Choir of the World competition is internationally recognised and we want to elevate dance to the same level by giving it a place on the stage on the big night.

“We have a truly worldwide line-up which is a real mixture but I feel it is a good fit.

“We have international class performers from around the world and that combined with the colour and atmosphere generated by our competitors and the welcome they receive makes this a unique event.”

This year’s event is from Tuesday, July 9, to Sunday, July 14. For more information go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/llangollen

Police and council team up to tackle dog fouling

North Wales Police is lending its support to a major campaign by Denbighshire County Council to tackle dog fouling in the county.

A multi-media campaign has been launched by the council after persistent complaints from residents about problems with dog fouling.

The campaign looks at education people on the dangers of dog fouling, taking enforcement action against those that allow their dogs to foul in public without clearing the mess and getting the community involved in reporting problems to the council.

Now the North Wales Police team in Denbighshire has instructed Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Community Beat Managers to issue fixed penalty notices if they spot any dog-fouling incidents and to provide information to the council on where there is a problem with dog fouling as part of their day to day duties, .

Councillor David Smith, Denbighshire's Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: "We are delighted that North Wales Police is joining forces with the council to rid our streets of dog fouling.

"It is anti-social form of behaviour and will not be tolerated by the Council or the police, or indeed local communities. Residents tell us it is one of the issues of greatest concerns. We are listening to our communities and working with them to address the issue."

Graham Boase, Denbighshire's Head of Planning & Public Protection, said: "We have officers working for the council who patrol areas across Denbighshire and will take action against those who fail to clean up after their dogs.

"The officers have the powers to issue fixed penalty notices and will do so if they witness individuals who carry out these offences. It is however difficult to be in the right place at the right time - that is why we need the public's help.

 "If people have information about those responsible, we need to know. In the past some people have been unwilling to provide the Council with relevant information and we recognise this concern. However, to put a stop to this anti-social behaviour and to take action against the culprits, we need local people to speak up on behalf of their communities and tell us who is responsible or provide any other information that can help us capture those who are responsible."

Local Policing Area Superintendent Wayne Jones said: "North Wales Police are committed to working closely with Denbighshire County Council to tackle crime, anti social behaviour and keep the public safe.

"We recognise the impact that crime and anti-social behaviour can have in our communities and we will do everything in our power to help reduce crime, protect people and work hard to improve the quality of life for all. We will continue to build on our partnership working in order to provide the best quality of service for the people of Denbighshire."

The campaign has launched a dedicated freephone number for residents to report dog fouling culprits and hot spot areas 0800 230 0234.

Operatic is hothouse for young stage talent

* From left, Joanna Stallard, George Nelson, Laura Halliwell and Danielle Short.
  

LLANGOLLEN  Operatic Society has become a real hot-house for nurturing new theatrical talent.

A host of young members, past and present, have either already embarked on stage careers or are planning a future in the performing arts.

A magnificent seven rising young stars are appearing in the society’s latest production, the Cole Porter evergreen Anything Goes, which hits the stage for a five-night run at Llangollen Town Hall on Tuesday, April 16.

They are all studying performing arts at A Level or aiming to take the subject next year.

Laura Halliwell, who joined the society this year, is studying IT at Yale College in Wrexham but is applying to do the BTEC in Performing Arts next year.

Luke Meyers, who also joined the society this year, is studying for the BTEC in Performing Arts at Yale and aiming to go on to take the same subject at university next year.

He was part of the chorus in the debut of new musical entitled Ruby and the 13th Door performed by The Magical Opera Company in York last December.

Luke also performed with the Llangollen 20 Club in its recent production of Fawlty Towers.

 
Appearing alongside Luke in York was another Llangollen newcomer George Nelson who is also studying for the BTEC in Performing Arts at Yale.

George is looking to get some acting work next year before deciding whether to go on to further study.

Elysha Cookson, who was previously part of Llangollen’s junior stage group,  the Young ‘Uns, is currently studying for A Levels including drama at Ysgol Dinas Bran and hoping to go on to study it at Warwick University next year.

Joanna Stallard, who also cut her dramatic teeth in the Young ‘Uns, is taking A Levels including drama at Dinas Bran this year and also considering it as a possibility for university in two years.

Danielle Short is studying A Level Drama at Dinas Bran and hoping to go on to study Theatre at Derby University next year.

Aaron Davies has landed a place at the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama in London to study Muscial Theatre next year.

He recently appeared in Llangollen 20 Club’s production of The Glass Menagerie.

Among the former society members who have moved on to become professional performers is Matthew Quinn who gained a first class degree in Performing Arts at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and is currently playing Mike in new musical Carnaby Street after appearing in a number of professional productions such as Dreamboats and Petticoats and The Rocky Horror Show.

Ceri-Lyn Cissone moved on from Llangollen Operatic Society to appear in the Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.  

A fine singer, she has also featured as a soloist in A Night of 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall in London.  

Chrissie Ashworth, who is producing the society’s production of Anything Goes later this month, said: “Our society is a real hothouse for bringing on top-class stage talent of the future. 

“Many of our past young members have gone on to carve out professional careers for themselves and some of the large number of youngsters we have with us at the moment look set to do the same thing. 

“It’s fantastic to think that an initial grounding with the society has produced so many potential stars of tomorrow.” 

Tickets for Anything Goes, priced at £9 and £7.50 concessions, are available from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre, or Gwyn's the Butchers in Castle Street.  

Latest North Wales crime figures released

Latest figures show that North Wales Police is succeeding in making the region safer with significant reductions being made in a number of key crimes.

 

Figures for the end of the 2012-13 performance year show that:

 

·         Victim based crime is down 11.6%, with 4,381 fewer victims.

·         Violence with injury is down 7%, with 314 fewer victims.

·         Violence without injury is down 5%, with 217 fewer  victims.

·         Domestic burglary is down 16.2%, with a reduction of 304 victims.

·         Burglary other than dwelling is down 14.3%, with a reduction of 502 victims.

·         Robbery is down 8.8%, with 14 less victims.

·         Vehicle theft is down 17.3%, a reduction of 123 victims.

·         Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) is down 11.6%, a reduction of 3,550 incidents.

 

Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard said: "The year was a challenging one, with many serious incidents for the force to contend with, which makes these successes even more significant.  

I am grateful for all the hard work, commitment and application teams have put in to reducing crime and ASB, their efforts have made a real contribution to making North Wales safer. Everyone has contributed, it has been a real team effort from all operational areas and support departments."

 

On a national level North Wales has comparatively low levels of crime in terms of robbery, other theft and vehicle crime. But there are however high levels of crime in terms of violence against the person and there has been an increase in sexual offences, with rape up 27.9%.

 

ACC Pritchard added: "We recognise that there is still work to be done to reduce violent crimes and sexual offences and there are a number of initiatives underway across the Force to address this. For example, we will shortly have a dedicated rape and sexual assault team who will ensure that victims have a high standard of care and that investigations are thorough and detailed. Many of these crimes are historical in nature and it is good that victims have the confidence to report these serious offences."

 

The force says it will continue to work towards reducing violent crime across North Wales, focusing on all types of violence including domestic abuse and alcohol related violence.

 

The figures also suggest that preventative strategies and awareness raising campaigns are contributing towards changing attitudes and behaviour.

 

Calls into the force's control room were down 10% (55,165) and there were 289 fewer people injured in road traffic collisions.