Chain Bridge facelift can go ahead thanks to £350,000 grant

* The historic Chain Bridge is to be brought back to life after 30 years of dereliction.

A VISIONARY scheme to bring Llangollen’s world famous Chain Bridge back to life is set to go ahead after receiving a £350,000 cash boost.

At their meeting last night (Tuesday) members of the town council were given the good news that their grant application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) – made jointly with neighbouring Llantysilio Community Council – has just been approved.
 

And Llangollen’s mayor said he was hopeful the historic bridge spanning the River Dee, which has been closed for safety reasons for 30 years, will be re-opened to the public early next year.
 

The two councils bought the bridge from its previous owner, businesswoman Stephanie Booth who also ran the adjacent Chain Bridge Hotel, in 2007 and have since been working to secure the funding necessary to see it repaired and returned to its former glory as a major tourist attraction.
 

First injection of cash came a few years later when the HLF made a grant of £28,900 to pay for the preparation of a detailed report on how the bridge could be restored.
 

The project took another step forward last month when it landed a grant of £50,000 from WREN, a not-for-profit business which awards cash to community, environmental and heritage projects.
 

The bridge crosses the river, which itself runs parallel to the Llangollen heritage railway line on one side and Llangollen Canal on the other near its source, the Horseshoe Falls.
 

The plan is to fix the bridge and create disabled access via nearby Berwyn Station along with an exhibition and other community events.
 

The HLF grant bid included working with community groups such as local schools and history groups, including Llangollen Museum.
 

One of the aims is to see tourists travelling along Llangollen Canal via horse-drawn boats and then crossing the bridge to take a steam train ride back into Llangollen.
 

The original bridge was built around 1817 by Exuperius Pickering, a local entrepreneur dealing in coal, limestone, slate and iron bar, who is reputed to have called on engineer Thomas Telford to help with the design and construction.
 

The new bridge allowed Pickering to monopolise the local coal trade as it gave him access to the adjacent London to Holyhead road - the A5.
 

It also meant he avoided paying tolls to cross the main bridge over the river in Llangollen.
 

In 1876 the bridge was replaced by Sir Henry Robertson, a part owner of Wrexham's former Brymbo Ironworks.
 

In 1928, freak flooding washed away most of the bridge and it rebuilt in a style similar to Anglesey's Menai Suspension Bridge.
 

It was closed in the mid-1980s due to concerns over its safety.
 

At the Llangollen Town Council meeting, town clerk Gareth Thomas told members: “Our Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £350,000 has now been confirmed.
 

“All things being equal we should now be able to proceed in August.”
 

The mayor of Llangollen, Cllr Bob Lube, said later: “This is fantastic news.
 

“We now look forward to creating a circular route for tourists between the canal and the railway via the bridge, which I am sure will add to the visitor experience we already have.
 

“It is great that the council has been able to do this. Work can now go ahead and we are hopeful the bridge will open again early next year.” 

Man dies after river rescue drama

A man has died after getting into difficulties while in a river on the Shropshire-North Wales border.

Emergency services were called to an isolated location near the confluence of the Rivers Dee and Ceiriog, near Chirk, shortly before 7pm last night.

A search was carried out involving officers from West Mercia Police and North Wales Police and the man was located in the water at around 7.50pm.

He was airlifted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where he was pronounced dead late last night.

The Fire and Rescue Service and Ambulance Service also attended and the North Wales Police helicopter assisted in the search.

The man has not yet been named but is believed to a 21-year-old from Shropshire.

West Mercia Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances and renewed warnings about swimming or cooling off in open water.

A force spokesperson said: “There have been a number of recent tragedies in Shropshire and neighbouring counties where people have got into difficulties after entering rivers or quarry pools.

“Please don't be tempted.  These types of water can be highly dangerous with strong under currents, low temperatures which can cause muscle cramps and hidden obstacles beneath the surface.

“Sadly, we are now dealing with another such tragedy.”

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.