Anything Goes opens tonight

Llangollen Operatic Society's production of  Cole Porter's Anything Goes takes to the stage tonight (Tuesday) for a five-night run at the Town Hall.

Set on board an ocean liner bound for England in the 1930s, this lively, witty musical tells the story of stowaway Billy Crocker who, aided by a glamorous evangelist turned nightclub singer and a New York gangster, sets out on a mission to get his girl before she marries an ageing English gentleman.

This show has everything from comedy to romance, poignant solos and rousing chorus numbers guaranteed to have your toes tapping.

Porter’s jazzy score is a triumph and recognisable songs include I Get a Kick Out of You, Blow Gabriel Blow and the title number Anything Goes.   

Tickets are priced £9 and £7.50 (concessions) and are on sale now from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre, Jades Hair & Beauty or for telephone bookings call Stella Bond on 01978 860441. 

KLS chair hits out at planners

Local planning authorities “run scared of corporates and their highly paid professional advisors” and fail to protect independent local businesses as they did when granting planning consent for an out-of-town Sainsbury's supermarket, to the detriment of Llangollen town centre.  

That is the view of Mike Edwards, chair of Keep Llangollen Special (KLS). 

He was reacting to a new report that says the Welsh planning system should be focused on economic development and not climate change or affordable housing.

The report, from newly launched think tank Gorwel, claims that discussions about planning have too often centred on issues that Wales cannot address on its own and much more should be done to drive the economy forward.

Evidence of the failure of the planning system to help local businesses can been seen, authors Steve Belzak and Russell Deacon claim, in the “increasing homogenisation of town centres” and the development of “out-of-town retail centres dominated by large, often multinational corporations”.

Mr Edwards said: “In their panic to avoid a costly planning enquiry local planning authorities ignore Planning Policy Wales and fall down in front of speculative property developers and corporate supermarkets. 

“Building out of town increases traffic journeys and is not environmentally friendly. Wales needs to give priority to town centres and independent Welsh businesses and support the employment and income generation from shops and local suppliers.  

“This keeps money recirculating in local economies to the community's benefit, whereas supermarkets export money out of local economies to corporate HQs mainly in the South of England. 

“Elected representatives need to stand up for local businesses and the employment they provide and not encourage corporate businesses and the low-paid part time work they offer whilst exploiting local communities and suppliers.”

Explosions at Boston Marathon

The BBC and other media are reporting that two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon race have left an unknown number of people injured.

For the full BBC version of the story see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22160691

Power cut homes urged to seek compensation

Susan Elan Jones, MP for Clwyd South, is urging any of her constituents left without power for 24 hours or more during the recent severe weather who has not yet received a compensation payment to contact their energy supplier as soon as possible.
 
As soon as the bad weather spell began, Ms Jones was in contact with ScottishPower, the main energy supplier in the Dee Valley, which was one of the worst affected areas in the UK with 10 foot high snow drifts and 6,000 customers left without power. 
 
Ms Jones has now received a comprehensive response from ScottishPower.

In it, the company advises customers who were without power for 24 hours or more and have not yet been contacted by staff to put in a claim. ScottishPower customers can do this by calling 0330 1010 158 or visiting www.spenergynetworks.com
 
"I pay huge tribute to power company engineers, local authority staff and so many other people who battled really treacherous weather conditions in the cause of their public duty last month," said Ms Jones
 
"However, I would also like to remind local residents not to forget to make a claim from the power companies if they are entitled to one. Any of my constituents who is entitled to a compensation payment should either contact their power company direct, or get in touch with my office via my website susanelanjones.co.uk, by phone on 01978 824288 or by letter to me at The Enterprise Centre, Well Street, Cefn Mawr, LL14 3AL.”

Supermarkets to cut petrol prices

The ITV news website is reporting that four supermarkets are to cut the price of petrol from tomorrow.

See the full story at http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-04-15/four-supermarkets-reduce-petrol-prices-from-tomorrow/

New Llan community book previews at museum

* Guests at the book preview in Llangollen Museum where the exhibition

continues until May 3. 

Around 30 local people - many of them featuring in it - were at the town's museum on Friday evening for the preview of a new book recording images of everyday life in Llangollen.

The book, entitled Llangollen Community, includes stunningly atmospheric pictures of about 100 groups and organisations based in the area.

The glossy 144-page work is the brainchild of local man Simon Collinge who has directed the project while Llangollen-based cameraman Andrew Gale has taken the pictures. 

They have been working steadily away since late last year and the pictures have all been taken in the muted style of Old Masters painters such as Rembrandt and Frans Hals.  

Simon said: “We have produced the book as we felt it was about time that a documented pictorial history of these groups was recorded for posterity – it also seemed rather a fun idea.” 

He and Andrew thought originally that there would be about 50 groups from the area needing to be photographed but the final tally was over 100 groups, societies and organisations.  

These included outfits as diverse as Llangollen Silver Band and the Christmas Festival Committee. 

Simon added: “The book is now back from the printers - all on schedule for revised launch date of  Thursday, April 25 at Llangollen Town Hall, starting at 7.30pm. 

“We’ve invited Courtyard Books, Llangollen Library and the museum to bring along copies of their local Llangollen history books to make this a literary evening to remember.”

Selected images from the book are on exhibition at Llangollen Museum until May 3.

For more information on the book, see http://llangollencommunity.co.uk

Town's Cittaslow bid on track

* Tessa Holland talks to Gill Thomas at the Country Market in Llangollen Town Hall. 

PhD student Tessa Holland from Newcastle University came to town on Friday to meet some of the Cittaslow bid team and look around the town.  

Tessa's research is focusing on how the various Cittaslow towns in the UK network with each other, learn from each other and from the global Cittaslow movement. 

She's only just started her research and is visiting existing Cittaslow towns, to get a sense of what they are doing.  

She is interested in Llangollen as a town that is just starting out on the Cittaslow process.  

Bid group leader Phil Thane showed Tessa around town and introduced her to several team members.

Llangollen's Cittaslow group is on track to complete the application process by June.