AM questions disabled access at Chirk and Ruabon stations

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has submitted a written question to Transport Minister Edwina Hart regarding the lack of disabled access at Chirk and Ruabon train stations following recent concerns raised by disabled rail users.

 

Mr Isherwood, who is  Co-Chair of the Assembly Cros s Party Group on Disability, has long been calling for improved disabled access at railway stations across Wales and was therefore pleased when in 2012 former Welsh Government Minister for Local Government and Communities, Carl Sargeant, responded to calls to address the poor disabled access at Chirk station.

 

Chirk, and the other four stations (Llandaf, Machynlleth, Radyr and Ystrad Mynach) were awarded funding from the UK Government and a letter from Mr Sargeant stated: ‘The Department For Transport will fund 50% of the costs of this programme at those stations and my officials are currently finalising funding details with each relevant regional transport consortia, which will fund the remaining 50% of costs over the lifetime of these projects."

 

However, Mr Isherwood is concerned that this promised work on Chirk station has still not been carried out and has therefore submitted a WAQ to Transport Minister Edwina Hart, asking what plans the Welsh Government has to improve disabled access at Chirk and Ruabon railway stations and when this will happen.

Mr Isherwood: “This work at Chirk was promised by the Welsh Government at the beginning of last year, but we are still waiting. I have been campaigning for improved access at these stations since 2006 and I am concerned that nothing has yet been done.

“Speaking in the Assembly in 2011 I highlighted that only 8% of stations in Wales are completely disabled friendly and referring to Chirk Station, stated that Disabled Athlete and former Wrexham Sports Personality of the year Gareth Stafford travels out from Chirk Station, but cannot return there as the platform is then on the other side of the track.

 

“More recently Ruth Drake, the mother of five-year-old-girl with cerebral palsy, has been told she will have to pay for costly taxis to Wrexham station because of the lack of disabled access at Ruabon and Chirk stations – this is totally unacceptable and the improvements at Chirk and Ruabon need to be carried out as a matter of urgency. Disabled rail users should have the same access to travel as every other rail user and I will continue pressing the Welsh Government until they do.”  

Fringe final figures up again

This  year’s Llangollen Fringe Festival saw another increase in audience figures, according to organisers.

The 16^th Fringe ended last Sunday evening with a soggy finale concert at a rain-soaked Valle Crucis Abbey.

But the thundery weather failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the 300 or so people who turned out to see it.

Festival spokesman Graham Timms said: “The Fringe closed on Sunday after 11 days of concerts and events throughout the town. 

“As usual a huge range of events were included in the programme. 

“Where else could you see former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion one night and then r 'n' b infused punk band The Blockheads another?

“Audiences were up again in general - most events being almost sold out - meaning that the Fringe survives into another year.“

He added: “We decided to go ahead with the Valle Crucis concert after an agonising decision made first thing on Sunday morning.

“Yet at 7.20pm we thought that we'd made a wrong call as a thunderstorm went directly overhead. 

“Although the rain bounced down for about 10 minutes, by the starting time, the rain stopped and the music began.

“The magical setting in the abbey was enhanced by the menacing clouds overhead.

“Around 300 people attended and were rewarded by a superb evening hosted by the appropriately named local performance poet Rain Dei.

“I’d like to say thanks to the local community for all the tremendous support and goodwill it gives to the festival.”

New amateur theatre group makes its debut

A brand new amateur theatre group is on the hunt for actors and musicians to take part in its inaugural production.

Llangollen Musical Theatre Group is holding a Meet and Greet event on Tuesday, August 6 at the Llangollen Pavilion.

The event, which starts at 7.30pm, will provide the opportunity budding performers to find out about the group's production of Return to the Forbidden Planet, which will be staged at the Pavilion in November.

Paul Brown, the group's chairman, said: "This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in getting involved in musical theatre to come and meet our production team. Whether they've been treading the boards for years or just starting out, everyone is welcome.

"Return to the Forbidden Planet is a fantastic show full of rock and roll classics including Great Balls of Fire, Good Vibrations, She's Not There, The Young Ones and The Monster Mash.

"It takes the plot of Shakespeare's The Tempest and sets it on a spaceship to a soundtrack of 60s and 70s hits.

"Considering Llangollen is such a small town, there are already several theatre groups, including the Twenty Club and the Operatic Society, but this will be the first time such a modern production has been staged.

"There's not many other shows for which you could audition to play a spaceship's captain, a renegade scientist or a talking robot. There's even one part for which the ability to roller-skate would be an advantage!"

The group are also looking for musicians to join the on-stage band for the production. They are particularly looking for those who want to join the spaceship's crew playing trumpet, trombone or alto saxophone.

More information can be found on the group's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/llangollenmusicaltheatregroup or by emailing llangollenmusicaltheatregroup@gmail.com.

Summer sportzone at town's leisure centre

Llangollen Leisure Centre is running a multi-sports camp, called sportszone, during the school summer holidays.

For boys and girls aged six to 13, it features swimming, hockey, netball, cricket, basketball, football, rugby, athletics and badminton.

Places are limited so booking is advised.

For more details visit the website www.denbighshireleisure.co.uk, or call the leisure centre on 01978 861830.

£6.5 million earmarked for palliative care in Wales

Health Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed that £6.5million will be allocated to specialist palliative care services across Wales in 2013-14, of which £2.4million will go direct to hospices.

 

Hospices play an essential part in the Welsh Government’s aims to reduce inequalities in end of life care and to maintain the dignity of an individual in their last days of life; as set out in the Delivering End of Life Care Plan, published in April 2013.

 

The said: "How well we care for our dying reflects how we care as a society.

"We have set out plans to ensure end of life care is consistently good across Wales, whether a person wishes to die in hospital, at home or in a hospice.

"For many people facing the end of their life, and their loved ones, hospices provide vital medical and emotional support. They provide skilled nursing care tailored to the individual’s needs, free of charge.

"Our End of Life Care Delivery Plan recognises the importance of the hospice sector in providing a co-ordinated end of life care service, alongside the NHS and other partners. It is therefore important we fund hospices properly and I am pleased to confirm the allocation of 2.4m direct to hospices for this financial year."

Individual hospices will be receiving notification of funding this week.

Last link of Chain Bridge facelift funding put in place

* Final funding for the restoration of the Chain Bridge is now in place. 

THE last financial link of the ambitious project to bring Llangollen’s world famous Chain Bridge back to life has now been put into place.

 

Welsh conservation body Cadwyn Clwyd has just approved a £20,000 grant for the scheme, which means restoration work can now go ahead with the aim of having it re-opened to the public early next year.

 

Largest slice of the funding for the project, which undertaken jointly by Llangollen Town Council and Llantysilio Community Council, was approved in early July when the Heritage Lottery Fund approved a grant of £350,000.   

 

Following news yesterday (Wednesday) that the Cadwyn Clwyd application for the final tranche of cash to start facelift work had been give the thumbs up, Llangollen’s mayor, Cllr Bob Lube, said: “I am delighted with the award from Cadwyn Clwyd.

 

“This means that the project is now fully funded and both Llangollen Town Council and Llantysilio Community Council can now press ahead with the practical work of restoring the Chain Bridge.”

Gareth Thomas, Llangollen’s town clerk, said: “This final grant award means that phase two of the project can now start in earnest, and meetings are planned with the Heritage Lottery Fund, Cadwyn Clwyd, Denbighshire County Council and Ramboll, the consulting engineers, to move the project forward.

“There is still a lot of work to do, but these are exciting times for the project.”

The bridge, which spans the fast-flowing River Dee just outside Llangollen, has been closed to the public for safety reasons since the 1980s.

The two councils bought the run-down structure 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 this June 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 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.

Llan folk invited to National Play Day

* The big sand pit that was a huge success in 2012.

Wrexham town centre will once again be host to National Play Day on Wednesday, August 7, between 12 noon and 4 pm. 

People of all ages are invited to join in this free and fun event.

Amongst the attractions for this year's event are a giant sand pit that proved a big hit last year, a water slide and lots of water fights, making and inventing things from loose parts and junk, a big volleyball, a maze and an early years area.

Cllr Mike Williams, Lead Member for Children's Services and Education, said:
"This a fantastic national event that has become part of the town centre calendar and is a firm favourite with children, their parents, grandparents and carers. 

"There's plenty on offer to entertain our young people and I hope they all take very happy memories home with them."

This year's Play Day Campaign is "Playful Places" and calls on all adults, from those in national and local government to parents and other community residents, to work together in removing barriers to play in the wider public realm. 

They are asked to foster playful attitudes that support rather than restrict children's play. 

The campaign recognises that children can and will play in all sorts of public places when given enough free time, space and permission to do so.  Play isn't just important for children as everyone can benefit from being a bit more playful because play brings people together and can help people feel better.

Last year over 2500 people visited the town centre for Play Day and this year's organisers hope to make it even bigger and better. 

All you have to bring with you is a playful mood and some clothes you don't mind getting wet and messy. 
Visitors are also invited to bring along a picnic and stay all afternoon.