Women's festival gets Town Hall rocking

* Dani Chamberlain as Agnetha and Jo Potts as Anni-Frid in the Abba tribute.

The Seventies often come in for quite a bit of stick.

But if the fashions were a bit dodgy, there was certainly nothing wrong with some of the music that came from that decade.

Well, not if it’s presented in the way that it was at Llangollen Town Hall last night, because it literally had the joint rocking.

It was day two of the Women’s Festival of Music and Arts and on the evening’s entertainment bill were acts who provided a perfect evocation of the days when flares were all the rage and you could still smoke in the office.

Setting the Seventies agenda was Tracey Rawlinson as Debbie Harry.

Not only looking uncannily like the Blondie star, she also belted out some of her greatest numbers with competence aswell as confidence.

Another gob-smacking performance came from Justine Bradley as Tina Turner, whose talent was so big it spilled out from the Seventies into subsequent decades.

Although Barcelona, the barnstorming number he performed with opera singer Monstserrat Caballe was from the Eighties, Freddie Mercuy was definitely a creation of the Seventies.

And the powerful recreation of that song was a credit to Aaron Davies and Karen Davies who graced the Town hall stage later.

There was a brief and memorable departure to more modern times when the highly talented 11-year-old Maisy Paton belted out a couple of power ballads including Warwick Avenue, then it was back headlong  into the Seventies for a full-belt tribute to Swedish supergroup Abba from Dani Chamberlain as Agnetha and Jo Potts as Anni-Frid.

A highly polished six-piece band backed them and the famous songs, from Waterloo to Dancing Queen, came pouring out to get a couple of hundred people on their feet to shake the Town Hall foundations before the evening finished.

The three-day  festival, which began on Friday with acts as diverse as Llangollen Operatic’s Touring Troupe to a touch of burlesque from Lauren Kay as Lolly Liquer, continues throughout today when on the programme are everything from Aikido self-defence to an act called Cambrian Queens.

Proceeds from the festival will go to local mental health charities, MIND and AVOW.

AM rooting out support for national tree survey

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates is asking for people to take part in a new national survey of trees in their local area.

 

The Welsh Government is supporting the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) Tree Health Survey that encourages people to investigate and record the trees in their locality.

 

The survey activities include identifying and measuring trees, examining the trunk, branches and leaves for signs of poor health and recording the presence of pests and diseases. The results contribute to a national research programme on the state of the nation’s trees and the factors affecting them.

 

The AM is making the plea following the recent loss of the 1,200 year old Pontfadog Oak in Wrexham.

 

Mr Skates said: “Lots of people were very sad to lose the ancient Pontfadog Oak because it could have been saved if more had been done to protect it.  We must now turn our attention to the other fantastic trees in the area that need our help and attention.

 

“That’s why the OPAL project is so important.  It shows we all have an important role to play in protecting our natural environment.

 

“I want people in the area to get online, download the free OPAL survey pack and start investigating and recording the fantastic local trees we have in North East Wales as part of the survey.

 

“It’s a fantastic thing to do with younger family members in particular and a great way to get them interested in our natural environment.

 

“Though we have now lost the Pontfadog Oak, there are a significant number of ancient and veteran trees, particularly around Chirk and at the Grade 1 Listed Capability Brown gardens in Ruabon that need greater support.

 

“In addition we have a vast array of younger trees in gardens and public spaces right across North East Wales that we need to know much more about.

 

“Get out there, get tree hunting and let’s help protect our local trees.”

Council offers online access tips

Drop-in taster sessions on how to access online services are being offered by Denbighshire Library Service to coincide with Adult Learners Week.

The free sessions will be held at Denbigh Library on Monday, 20 May between 4.30pm and 6.30pm and at Ruthin Library on Tuesday, 21 May between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

People can learn how to access the following:

• E-books
• Online Newspapers
• Family history - Ancestry and Find My Past
• Learn a language
• Oxford Reference - dictionary , music and art
• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• BFI screen online - film and TV history
• Who else writes like?
• Renewing  and reserving items online and searching the catalogue

For further information, please contact the Library Service on  01824 705274.

Eisteddfod party for Verdi's 200th birthday

Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi will get a 200^th birthday to remember at this year’s Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod, according to an Anglesey opera star.

Tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones, from Llanbedrgoch, (pictured right) will join a stellar cast on stage at the Eisteddfod in July in a spectacular performance of Verdi’s Requiem.

Alongside Gwyn, fresh from performing in New York, will be Claire Rutter, from England, Bulgarian Mirouslava Yordanova and New Zealander Jonathan Lemalu.

They will be accompanied on the Llangollen stage by the Eisteddfod Orchestra which will be conducted by Andrew Greenwood for the Verdi 200.

Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral mass for four soloists, double choir and orchestra.

It was composed in memory of Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni and was first performed in Milan in May 1874.

Llangollen is familiar territory for Gwyn who says he is looking forward to returning to the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod having competed there many times in his early years.

He said: “Verdi was such a wonderful composer and his work helps showcase opera around the world. The subject matters he chose were so important and I trained as a singer so I could perform Verdi.

“There are so many wonderful pieces but Requiem has to be right up there with his best and most emotional work.

“I’m looking forward to teaming up with Claire Rutter, Mirouslava Yordanova, and Jonathan Lemalu who are all wonderful soloists in their own right.

“But being an opera singer can be a lonely existence in some ways. You can work with another performer and then perhaps not see them for five years but you remain friends.

“I’m certainly looking forward to what should be a magical night in Llangollen.

“I have just finished performing Il Trovatore in New York and Madama Butterfly with the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff.

“I’m now preparing to play Rodolfo in La Boheme in London with the English National Opera. So Llangollen will signal the start of a short summer break for me.”

Eisteddfod Musical Director Eilir Owen Griffiths said: “It’s wonderful that Gwyn is taking part in what will be a wonderful night and a really impressive performance with four great soloists, a double choir and orchestra.

“The fact that he has also competed at Llangollen several times before emphasises the enduring connections of the Eisteddfod.”

Gwyn says he is on a mission to ensure as many people as possible get a true taste of opera.

He said: “there was always a stigma about opera. People thought it wasn’t for the masses and you had to be of a certain class to appreciate it.

“People are now spending less than half of what they would spend on a ticket to a Premier League football match to attend a concert and realising they actually like what they see and hear.

“The more people that have access to opera the better. As an art form it has taken me to places I would only have dreamt about, from America to Japan and the Far East and right across Europe.”

But Gwyn, who now lives in Cardiff with his American-born wife, says the Eisteddfod stage is such a magical place to perform and he is excited about returning to Llangollen.

He said: “It really is an iconic venue whether you’re an aspiring young singer or musician or a top international star. Verdi’s 200th birthday should be celebrated and we intend to make it a birthday party to remember.”

Verdi 200 is just one of a galaxy of star-studded evening concerts at this year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July.

It kicks off on Tuesday, July 9, with International Children’s Day including interactive performances from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and 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.

The evening concerts start with Tuesday night’s Carnival of Nations featuring four of Wales’s finest male voice choirs, the Rhos Orpheus, Cor Godre’r Aran, Cor y Brythoniaid and the chart topping Fron Choir, performing on the 60^th anniversary of the historic visit of Germany’s Oberkirchen Choir. They will be joined by the St Melodians Steel Band, from Trinidad and international competitors.

Wednesday night will feature An Evening with Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie who will be joined by the rising American tenor Noah Stewart and harpist Claire Jones, former official harpist to HRH the Prince of Wales, along with the Eisteddfod Orchestra and the Santo Tomas Choir from the Philippines, twice Choir of the World winners.

Thursday will be Strictly Cuban, a celebration of Latin dance rhythms with James and Ola Jordan and the Buena Vista Social Club while Friday will be VERDI 200.

Saturday is Choir of the World which this year will also feature Only Men Aloud, Last Choir Standing TV winners while for the first time dance will be teamed with choral music on Saturday night as the Eisteddfod’s top two dance troupes dance off for the new Dance Champions 2013 Trophy.

On Sunday keyboard king Jools Holland will bring the house and the curtain down with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and a special guest.

The Eisteddfod runs from Tuesday, July 9, to Sunday, July 14, at the Royal International Pavilion site and as well as star-studded concerts there are top class music and dance competitions.

Tickets for this year’s concerts are available from the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk and more information is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/llangollen

£30M boost for affordable housing welcomed

Housing Minister, Carl Sargeant has welcomed a £30m boost to funding for affordable housing in Wales.

 

The £30m, which was announced by the Finance Minister in Plenary, will be split into £20m to respond to the housing demands of families and individuals adversely affected by UK Government changes in Housing Benefit, and £10m to deliver additional affordable homes by bringing more long-term empty properties back into use.

 

The Minister said: “This funding boost is very welcome and very timely. Since the UK Government changed the welfare benefit rules, we have seen increased demand for smaller, one and two bedroom properties. We are therefore allocating an additional £20m to provide Social Housing Grants that will mitigate this need and help those individuals and families that have been adversely affected. 

 

“I’m also pleased that we have resources to expand our successful Houses into Homes pilot scheme, which is bringing empty homes back into use.

 

“The Welsh Government’s target is to bring 5,000 empty properties into use during this Assembly term and the money we have invested already will bring around 450 units of accommodation back into use.

 

“This additional £10m will bring around 500 more empty properties back into use. And, when the loans are repaid the money will be used again as new loans so that we maximise the number of empty properties that are returned to use. 

 

“As well as increasing the supply of housing in Wales, this funding will bring wider socio-economic benefits by providing employment for local builders and restoring confidence in previously run-down communities.

 

“In these difficult economic times it is essential that we make the most of capital investment, not only for better housing outcomes, but for the continued support of our construction industry and the growth of our economy.”

Warning over Carrog burglaries

A reader has sent llanblogger a copy of an e-mail from the local Neighbourhood Watch warning about burglaries in the Carrog area, which says:

"Following two burglaries that have occurred in the Carrog area of Corwen sometime between 11:30am and 5:30pm on the 07.05.2013, North Wales Police would urge residents to be vigilant with their home security.

"Please ensure windows are closed and doors are locked.  Most criminals are opportunists and will quickly take advantage of any lapse in your security."

Hospital closure row rages on

* Llangollen Hospital may now be lying empty but the row about its closure rages on. 

The following is a letter from the chair of the campaign group, Keep Llangollen Health Services, regarding developments in the saga of the closure of the town's Cottage Hospital:

Keep Llangollen Health Services has called for the Older People's Comissioner to investigate the decision to close Llangollen hospital, with the loss of 18 beds, because we have real concerns about the well-being of our elderly residents in the Dee Valley.

It was therefore with dismay we read the Health Board's response claiming to be 'saddened' by this latest development, which they claim is causing alarm and concern (Leader 3 May 2013). Let me remind them that it is they who closed the hospital and caused alarm and concern. They closed it in early March at a week’s notice.

Two months on and we are still waiting for details of the promised enhanced care at home scheme and there are no plans or even a business case in place yet for a new health centre. This will take at least three years to materialise, assuming it happens at all.

We were told Chirk Hospital would take the patients but we’ve discovered that Chirk is already 98%. So where are Llangollen patients now going?

We have already heard of patients having to be moved to Mold and Deeside to get hospital beds. Ambulances are queuing daily at the Wrexham Maelor hospital due to beds not being available – causing stress to patients and preventing paramedics from doing their work properly.

Is it really us causing “alarm and concern” or is it a failing health board that cannot run our NHS efficiently?
 

We are glad that the Older People's Commissioner is investigating this matter and are looking forward to providing evidence to her independent inquiry.
 

I understand that there has been a clamp-down on whistleblowers within the Health Board, though many are concerned about the ongoing changes. We would urge anybody wishing to share their experiences to contact us on keepllanhealthservices@gmail.com

Sincerely

Mabon ap Gwynfor
Chair, Keep Llangollen Health Services