Royal baby is a boy, says palace

The BBC reported just after 8.30pm tonight that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy, according to Kensington Palace.

The baby weighed in at 8lbs 6ozs at 4.24pm.

Alexei Sayle guns up the Fringe audience

Why is it that Roy Chubby Brown has performed in Wrexham when Alexei Sayle has not?

According to Mr Sayle himself, that's because no-one bothered to shoot "the ****" with a Heckler & Koch rifle before he took to the stage at Glyndwr University last November.

This was one of Sayle's characteristically blunt answers to a question from a member of the audience during his own appearance at the Llangollen Fringe last night (Sunday).

* Alexei Sayle copies of his books for fans
after the show. 

Of course it got a big laugh, as did his expletive-seasoned references to some other big names of showbiz, including former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion who is due to make his own appearance at the Fringe on Thursday.

In fact, his verbal attacks on the great man became sort of a running gag threading its way through Sayle’s two-hour some show in a packed Town Hall.

The gig revolved around the 80s comedy legend’s readings from his two books, Stalin Ate My Hamster and, the latest, Overtaken – copies of which he signed for delighted fans at the end of the evening.

These were amusing enough, as Sayle recounted his unusual Liverpool upbringing by parents who were both committed Communists.

His recollections sound funnier coming from the foul mouth of the Scouser himself rather than being paraphrased here.

But one that doesn’t lose too much in the re-telling was the story about how, in his early teens, he used a couple of heavy duty swear words to shock his mother only to discover to his horror that his own outburst brought forth a torrent of  language from her foul enough to shock a Liverpool docker.

The second half of the show was taken up with the question and answer session that prompted his attacks on old-style comics such as Roy Chubby Brown and Jim Davidson.

There were also some vicious side-swipes at the likes of Eddie Izzard and Alan Davies which again seemed to go down very well with the audience.   

He got a similar reaction when he had a pop at the late Lady Thatcher, saying he considered himself lucky to have been on a stage the day she died.

But one suspects it was nothing like the acclaim the same attack would have won him in the halcyon days when he was known as the abusive fat bloke in a too-tight suit.

Sayle’s now heading for the Edinburgh Fringe where, he admitted, he’d be louder and jump about quite a bit more on stage.

But judging by his warm reception in Llangollen, he can afford to dump that hackneyed old routine – now every bit as clichéd as the Roy Chubby Brown’s jokes he so obviously despises – and be just as funny by being gentler with his audiences.   

He also promised his Fringe audience that one day he will appear in Wrexham.

That’s presumably just as long as he’s not picked off first by a Chubby Brown fan with a high powered rifle.

AM re-opens hospital closure argument

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood is concerned that the Health Minister has overlooked “very serious reservations”  expressed by the North Wales Community Health Council regarding community hospital closures.  

 

The Labour Health Minister Mark Drakeford’s Written Statement to Assembly Members ‘Changes to Health Services in North Wales’ on 17 July failed to refer to the “very serious reservations” expressed by the North Wales Community Health Council about the transition and implementation plans in the communities affected by hospital closures and related service withdrawal - Flint, Llangollen, Prestatyn and Blaenau Ffestiniog.   

 

Concerned by the omission, Mr Isherwood has written to the Minister asking him to “detail the agreed transition and implementation plans in the communities affected by hospital closures and related service withdrawal.”

 

His letter states:  “In your Statement, you state that you are ‘very pleased to report that I have now received a joint letter from the CHC and Health Board which confirms agreement has been reached on the outstanding issues’. 

 

“You further state that the elements of the Health Board’s proposals which the CHC referred to the former Minister for Health and Social Services for determination on 4 March related to:  minor injury services in South Gwynedd;  the removal of X-Ray services from Tywyn Hospital and older people’s mental health service for people living in Gwynedd.

 

“However, specific reference is not made to other elements of the Health Board’s proposals referred to by the North Wales Community Health Council in their letter to the former Minister for Health and Social Services.

 

“This includes the statement that “The CHC has already confirmed that it will not be referring the changes to four of the nineteen community hospitals in North Wales to the Minister. However, the CHC’s letter also says that it has ‘very serious reservations’ about the transition and implementation plans for these community hospitals…….”.

 

“Serious concern about this remains in the communities affected by withdrawal of local services. If these are not addressed, it is of little comfort to them if “the CHC is now content, subject to the outcome of the agreed monitoring and review."

Local directory "is a good idea"

A reply to the story below from Gill Thomas ...

The local directory suggested by the Town Council is a very good idea.

Just to let you know the Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism is in the process of listing Professional & Emergency Services on the www.llangollen.org.uk website in the Information section.

We are also undertaking a disabled access survey and the results will also appear on the website.

We would be grateful for any information on access and facilities for people with disabilities, provided by local businesses. Details can be sent to Gill Thomas, email: thomastheelms@hotmail.co.uk

At-a-glance local directory idea wins approval

Llangollen Town Council is to look into the possibility of financing the production of a quick guide to local services.

The idea was put forward at Tuesday night’s council meeting by Cllr Sheena Burrell (pictured left) who said it would be handy if there was a single sheet containing the contact details for local services such as doctors, hospitals, council offices and the opening times for public toilets.

“I think something like that could be very useful for people who are staying here for a week or so on holiday and want to use local services. It might also be of use to local people,” she said.

“I think we should take this on board because it could raise the profile of the town council.”

Members voted to have the town clerk look further into the idea.

Police urge us to keep an eye on schools during holidays

As the school holidays begin a scheme which encourages everyone to keep an eagle eye on schools across North Wales and safe from crime over the summer break has been launched.

 

School Watch aims to get parents, residents, and teachers as well as the emergency services and the local authorities working together to keep schools and their immediate surrounding areas safe and free from crime and anti-social behaviour.

 

The latest launch happened in Conwy at Ysgol Bro Gwydir in Llanrwst on Monday, July 15 following launches last week in Denbighshire, as well as in Gwynedd and Flintshire.  

 

At the latest launch pupils in Llanrwst got to opportunity to learn a little more about the initiative and keeping safe over the summer holidays by Community Safety Officer Ifan Hughes and School Community Liaison Officer PC Meirion Williams. The youngsters then got to explore the police and fire cars present and speak with members of the Arson Reduction Team, the Fire and Rescue Service and Conwy County Borough Council.

 

“School buildings can become a target for graffiti and vandalism during the summer break and along with encouraging pupils and their parents to keep an eye on their school, members of the local community living nearby are also urged to do the same,” said Ifan Hughes.

 

“It is important that people continue to support the initiative by being vigilant and contacting us should they see any suspicious or criminal activity in and around the schools.”

 

Head of Ysgol Bro Gwydir, Meinir Jones said: “School Watch is a good initiative that raises awareness and encourages children to take responsibility for looking after their school.”

 

Inspector Julie Sheard, who is responsible for the North Wales Police Community Safety Department said: “Schools have a limited budget and valuable resources which should be used to educate children are being diverted to combat theft and criminal damage. School buildings can also become a target for graffiti and vandalism during the long summer break.

 

“We rely on members of the public for their support and encourage all to report incidents to the police or anonymously via Crimestoppers.”

 

Leaflets and posters have been distributed throughout North Wales, reminding the public of the scheme which also aims to help stamp out mindless acts which not only affects the school, but the whole community.

 

Anyone who witnesses suspicious behaviour in or around schools or at school buildings is urged to contact North Wales Police. If you witness a crime in progress always dial 999. Non-emergency calls should be made to 101 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

 

Town's CCTV system undergoes an upgrade

Repairs to part of Llangollen’s inefficient CCTV had to be speeded up when police needed to look at it for evidence.

This was revealed at Tuesday’s town council meeting as town clerk Gareth Thomas was giving an update on repairs to the system.

At the June meeting, town councillors agreed to spend around £5,000 on upgrading the eye in the sky camera network, which helps keep a watchful eye on the streets around the town centre.

They heard how the ageing system has become increasingly unreliable and badly in need of an upgrade. 

Two of the cameras had completely broken down while others were faulty – one due to interference from a third party wi-fi system – and another was verging on a breakdown, they were told. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Thomas said two new cameras had now been fitted but that the one overseeing Riverside was “beyond its sell-by date." 

However, he added: “We have done all we can this year.”

He then revealed how the system’s hard disk, which had also been giving problems, had needed to be repaired as speedily as possible recently when West Mercia Police asked to look at it for possible evidence in a case they were working on.