Steam loco damaged as yobs leave log on the track

* The Black Five locomotive, which was damaged in Saturday’s incident

on the track, pictured on a Santa Special Train near Berwyn.

An historic steam engine was damaged by yobs leaving a wooden log on the track … as it hauled a murder mystery special carrying over 100 people on the heritage railway line from Carrog to Llangollen on Saturday.

A railway chief says the incident could easily have caused a derailment and serious injury to passengers and crew.  

North Wales police, who say extensive damage was caused to the train, are now investigating the incident which took place at around 9.20pm and have launched an appeal for witnesses.

Railway spokesman George Jones said:  “Llangollen Railway Plc holds a number of evening events throughout the year.

“On Saturday evening, the summertime Murder & Mystery Special operated along the line from Llangollen to Carrog with the Black Five steam locomotive No.44806.

“During the return journey from Carrog, when the locomotive was working tender first, an incident took place involving the placement of a wooden log between the rails of the track at a remote point below Pen-y-Garth, between Glyndyfrdwy and Deeside loop.

“The locomotive involved has been examined and has been found to have sustained damage to the running gear of the tender and locomotive.

“An assessment is being made as to the repair costs, but it will be out of service for some time and this means that no stand-by engine will be available during the busy summer season.”

Railway chairman, Jim Ritchie, commenting on this incident, said: “The board of Llangollen Railway is pleased that, although this incident could have resulted in the derailment and potential injury of crew and passengers, it was fortunate that no one was injured and the train was able to continue its journey back to Llangollen.

“The board attaches the greatest priority to the safe operation of the railway and such an act of vandalism by persons unknown is of the deepest concern.

“The object placed on the track was of a size which could potentially have caused a derailment to a smaller locomotive or a diesel railcar. With over 100 passengers on the train that would have resulted in injury or worse to crew or passengers.”

He added: “The Llangollen Railway is co-operating with North Wales Police who are investigating this incident and appeals for anyone who has information to provide it to the police. The incident has been reported to the Office of the Rail Regulator.

“The penalty for trespassing on any railway, including heritage lines such as Llangollen Railway, is £1,000 and, of course, anyone involved in such practice endangers not just themselves, but also the train crew and passengers using the railway.” 

·         Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact PC 2820 Sarah Smith at Llangollen on 101. Alternatively, anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Man rescued from river near Chirk

The BBC news website is reporting this morning (Wednesday) that a man was rescued from a river near Chirk yesterday evening.

See the full story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-23337829

Butchers praised for its apprentices

A young butcher from Llangollen shows how a small business can benefit from having apprentices, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said.

 

Twenty-three-year old Tomi Lee Jones is the shop manager at Jones’ Butchers in the town and is an apprentice himself since 2010.

 

Based on his experience of apprenticeships he is also training two of his employees, Jac Jones and Chris Roberts, through an apprentices scheme using support from the Young Recruit Programme, which is funded by the Welsh Government backed by the European Social Fund.  

 

Tomi is also VQ Learner of the Year 2013 and the Welsh Young Butcher of the Year 2012.

 

Last week as he visited the eisteddfod, the First Minister called into Jones’ Butchers to hear how the business is benefiting from having apprentices.

Later he said: "The success Jones’ Butchers has had with apprentices shows how smaller businesses can benefit from schemes such as the Young Recruit Programme.  Training our young people for the workplace is vital for creating sustainable growth and is a key part of our Programme for Government.

“The Young Recruits Programme was introduced to support apprenticeship training during the economic downturn and in 2012-13 we exceeded our target of supporting 2,000 places through this scheme.

“I am pleased to see the results of the scheme here in Llangollen, and to see young people successfully embarking on their careers.”

Tomi said “The apprenticeship allowed me to learn the skills I needed to do the job while gaining experience at the same time.  That’s why I wanted the rest of the staff to have the same opportunity so that they can learn the skills they need and be part of the business.”

Vandals damage train with timber on track

Police are appealing for information after timber was placed between two rails which caused extensive damage to a train.

 

At around 9.20pm on Saturday, July 13, an offender or offenders placed a large timber log between two rails on the Glyndyfrdwy to Llangollen train track.

 

Extensive damage was caused to one train but no one was injured.

 

Anyone with information is regarding the incident is urged to contact PC 2820 Sarah Smith at Llangollen on 101. Alternatively, anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

 

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AM slams Welsh Government over its NHS management

The Welsh Labour Government has “catastrophically mismanaged our NHS”, claims the Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales Aled Roberts.

His criticism follows the publication of a report by the Wales Audit Office which reveals scheduled operations were postponed and hospital waiting lists allowed to grow as the Welsh NHS struggled to cut costs in the last year.

Managers balanced the books but need to save £404m this year, the report concludes.

Aled Roberts (pictured left), who is a member of the Welsh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, said: “The Welsh Labour Government explicitly warned that it would not bail out Health Boards that lost control of their finances. 

“Yet, the Welsh Labour Government went back on its word and dished out additional funding totalling £92 million.  As the report acknowledges, this inconsistency sends out unhelpful mixed messages.

“The Welsh NHS is under a colossal amount of strain.  The report notes that the NHS is likely to struggle to sustain current levels of service and performance. 

“Wales has the longest ambulance waiting times in any part of mainland UK, cancer waiting times not met since 2008 and A&E targets that have never been met.  To think some of our NHS services could continue to deteriorate further is shocking. "

Mr Roberts slammed: “The truth is the Welsh Labour Government has catastrophically mismanaged our NHS and it is the people of Wales who are paying the price for Labour’s failure. 

“How can we expect Health Boards to be financially prudent when, as the report acknowledges, there are unfunded commitments in the Welsh Labour Government’s manifesto and programme for Government?

“Of course it’s important that Health Boards meet their financial targets.  But this isn’t just about money, it’s people’s lives that we are talking about. The report highlights that NHS bodies reduced activity to help manage financial pressures

“I found it particularly galling last week when the Health Minister congratulated Health Boards on their ‘careful financial management’.  This is despite knowing that Betsi Cadwaladr UHB was only able to do so by allowing waiting lists to grow and cancelling routine operations.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford said the NHS "remains resilient" despite challenging circumstances.

Agenda for tonight's Town Council meeting

LLANGOLLEN TOWN COUNCIL

COUNCIL MEETING 16th JULY 2013

AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence. To receive apologies for absence. 2. Declaration of Interest. To receive any known declarations of interest in items on the agenda. 3. Presentation To receive a presentation form Haf Wyn-Hughes, Workplace Skills Officer on the Essential Skills in the Workplace project, on behalf of the Welsh Government. 4. Mayors Announcements. To receive announcements form the Town Mayor. 5. To receive statements from the public.

6. Minutes of Meeting. To authorise the Chairman to sign the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on the held on the 21st May 2013, as a correct record.

7. Minutes of the Annual Council Meeting.

To authorise the Chairman to sign the minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on Tuesday 21st May 2013.

8. Planning Committee.


To accept the Minutes of the meeting Planning Committee held on 23rd April 2013, previously circulated.

9. General Purposes Committee


To adopt the Minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 19th February 2013, previously circulated.




10. Financial Matters.
To consider financial matters and make any necessary decisions thereon.

a) Financial Statement

b) Authorised Payments.

c) Donations.
d) Annual Return.
11. Members Reports.



To accept reports arising from Members attendance on outside bodies, and to make any necessary decisions thereon.
12. Notices of Motion.



Cllr S Burrell: That the Town Council compile and produce an amenities directory.

Cllr M Mile: That the Town Council consider on street parking issues in Church Street.


13. County Councillors Report.
To receive reports form County Councillors.
13. Casual Vacancy.
To consider applications for consideration to be co-opted as a Member of the Council
14. Clerk's Reports.
a) Monthly update.

b) Chain bridge project; to confirm acceptance of grant in aid from the Heritage lottery Fund.

c) Standing Orders; to consider the adoption of the National Association of Local Councils / One Voice Wales Model Standing Orders, copy attached.

d) Consultation Document Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, copy attached..
15. Correspondence
To consider correspondence received and to make any necessary decisions thereon.  

Eating at the yellow Aqueduct is certainly no peril

llanblogger taste test

* The startlingly yellow Aqueduct Inn at Fron.

THE new vivid yellow external paintjob might be a little startling but there’s nothing disturbing about the welcome and the food at the Aqueduct Inn in Fron.

If discerning Llangollen folk would care to travel just a couple of miles up the road to sample Sunday lunch there, they are not likely to be disappointed.

The historic pub in its prime position overlooking the Dee Valley and the World Heritage site was empty for quite a few months but, just as the place where we did our last taste test, the Sun at Rhewl, enterprising new people have now moved in and are doing their best to make a go of  what was once a thriving village boozer.

Despite the canary-like exterior, the interior of the Aqueduct is still reassuringly old world, from its muted, heritage-style painted walls to the old-fashioned tables and chairs.

The guy behind the bar when llanblogger went there recently was extremely welcoming and chatty and offered us something cool to drink as soon as we stepped in looking hot from the sun-baked A5.

There was a couple of interesting-looking real ales and one of them made a very refreshing pint of bitter shandy.

The Sunday lunch menu was hardly vast but featured the essential roasts – good old beef and lamb.

There was a slightly wider choice of starters, including the tasty garlic mushrooms we ordered at £3.95.

We then went for a couple of beef main courses at a very reasonable £5.99.

The beef was succulent and came with all the usual trimmings – mashed and roast potatoes, two veg, a Yorkshire pudding and some very pleasant gravy.

Helpings weren’t lavish but perfectly adequate and left enough room for a couple of desserts.

The last helpings of chocolate cake and cream having been snaffled just before we got around to ordering, it had to be apple pie and ice cream times two for us, at £2.50 apiece.

But that was certainly no imposition as these were delicious, with a nice crust, plenty of apple filling and two scoops of vanilla ice cream to top them off.

Service came with a smile, the landlord called at our table for a chat and we were able to sit in one of the two main rooms and look out over an idyllic canal scene as we enjoyed lunch for a very digestible total of £26 including our shandies.

The Aqueduct is definitely worth driving up the A5 to try.