Railway steams into another exciting year

* Volunteers celebrate the latest Llangollen Railway milestone. 

After the golden moment on December 27 when the two lengths of rail were joined at Bonwm, another grand occasion for Llangollen Railway came for volunteers on January 2 when a ballast train ran from Carrog to Bonwm. 

For the first time since the scrapman’s train came through in 1968/69, a diesel locomotive and train paused at the site of the former Bonwm Halt.

Later it proceeded west of underpass bridge 28 to drop stone on the newly-laid track.

Volunteers celebrated with a group photograph in front of the class 26 locomotive No.D5310 at the end of its run. 

The contractors finished repairs to the brick arch and abutments of the over bridge in early January and the scaffolding was dismantled, although some final pointing of the lower layers remains to be done. 

This opens up the way west for the final half mile of track into the Corwen station site and will involve the laying of 46 panels of rail. 

Track laying depends on the provision of further supplies of concrete sleepers and fittings, as well as base ballast, and sources for these are being investigated for early delivery.

Good support has been received for the Sleeper Appeal organised by volunteer Paul Bailey and the appeal remains open for further contributions towards the £20,000 target.

Pending further track laying the volunteers are hard at work clearing the over grown vegetation on the sides of the cutting beyond Bridge 28A and on the final approach into the station site. Bridge 29 has been rebuilt to provide pedestrian access to the riverside nature reserve.

The access on site of the contractors for the Corwen Flood Alleviation Scheme to provide an outflow into the River Dee neared completion in early January.

Restatement of the level at the location of the former bridge 30, where out flow pipes were installed, is now complete and has allowed renewal of vehicle access from the Corwen end on to the trackbed.

On January 15 the railway’s contractors marked out the locations of the footings for the bases of the five coach length platform.

Excavations on the embankment quickly began and, with concrete being poured, completion due in week ending January 24.

Completion of this section is dependent on the provision of materials and the continuing spell of mild weather.

Based on past performance, half a mile of track can be laid by the volunteer workforce in approximately 12 work days, equating to six weeks, once the base ballast is laid and sleepers are distributed along the length. 

The application of resources, both manpower and financial, are the key elements to the completion of this project.

If you wish to help, your donation for the Corwen Sleepers Appeal can be made by cheque, payable Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd, and addressed to: Mr P Bailey. Dolwen, Bryneglwys, Corwen, Denbs, LL21 9LY. Gift Aiding your donation will add to the financial benefit obtained.

Bus timetable changes announced

Some bus times affecting Llangollen are changing with effect from Monday, January 27. They are:

5:  Wrexham - Corwen and X5: Corwen - Ruthin|

There is an additional journey on Mondays to Saturdays from Wrexham at 13.45 via Llangollen (14.19) to Corwen (arriving 13.39). The bus continues as service X5 to Ruthin.

The 07.30 X5 from Corwen to Ruthin & Denbigh operates Mondays to Fridays, but operates at 07.35 during school holidays. It also runs on Saturdays at 07.35.

The 08.10 X5 from Corwen to Ruthin operates Mondays to Saturdays throughout the year.

64, 64A: Llangollen - Ceiriog Valley|

All journeys from the Ceiriog Valley and Chirk towards Llangollen operate one minute earlier from all stops between Chirk and Llangollen.

The 08.55 from Chirk is unchanged.

The 18.25 from Llanarmon DC will now depart two minutes later.

All journeys from Llangollen towards Chirk operate one minute earlier from Chirk.

X94: Barmouth - Corwen - Llangollen - Wrexham|

This service is now being run by a different operator, and the times have changed.  

 

You can view the changes at:|

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/resident/parking-roads-and-travel/public-transport-information/bus-changes-timetable-x94.pdf

All buses are serving Llangollen Parade Street and Ruabon Station Approach.

 

Council merger proposals unveiled

Denbighshire could join with Conwy and Wrexham with Flintshire under plans to merge local councils in Wales outlined in a report today.

For the full report see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-25776603

Well-known doctor backs save plas Madoc campaign

The campaign to save Plas Madoc's leisure facilities has been backed by prominent local doctor Peter Saul.

In a message of support to the Save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre campaign the Rhos-based GP said: "I'm sorry and concerned to hear of proposals for closure of Plas Madoc. I am very worried that services for local people will not be maintained.  We use the centre for exercise referrals which serve an important function.

"I think the council must have in place:

1) Facilities to suport health, wellbeing and recovery from illness.

2)These should be accessable to people in the Rhos, Penycae, Johnstown and Ruabon areas.

3) the network of professionals supporting these activities should be maintained."


Darrell Wright, from the Save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre campaign, said: "What is becoming more and more obvious as our campaign gathers momentum is the knock-on effects this planned closure would have for
the health of our communities.

 "Many people have contacted us to say how important Plas Madoc's unique facilities are for their fight for fitness or health. Now we have a local GP saying loud and clear that the centre is vital for referrals.

 "It's high time the council looked beyond the pounds and pence of this matter and saw the wider impact their decisions will have on health, wellbeing and community life. How much extra will it cost the
NHS not to have these facilities in place?"
The campaign, which organised a huge demonstration outside the leisure centre last week, is gearing up for another big turnout outside the Guildhall in Wrexham on February 4 at 1pm, when the council discusses its options before making a final decision.

Llan resident's letter to Health Minister

Below is a copy of a letter sent by Llangollen resident Martin Crumpton to Wales' Health Minister Mark Drakeford about a looming cut to his benefits.

 

 

Dear Mr Drakeford,

 

Is this my punishment at having the temerity to complain about the dire state of hospital transport in North Wales? While I await the considered reply you personally promised me on Twitter, something else has occurred which I’d like to draw your attention to.

 

On December 24th 2012, just over a year ago, my GP and he Heart Failure Team at Wrexham Maelor Hospital told me I had six months left to live. Though happily still alive, I face an uncertain future and chronic cardiac failure combined with many other disorders, including an extremely rare genetic defect is a formidable obstacle. Since I cannot walk or even stand for more than a couple of minutes, I have the district nurse every two days to change the dressings on my ulcerated feet and need a two-man ambulance crew to get me and my wheelchair from home to ambulance and back when I make my fortnightly appointments with the diabetic ulcer podiatrist, the letter I received today from the DWP came as a surprise (attached).

 

It seems they regard me as capable of work and my benefits will be curtailed in just a few weeks’ time to below a level I can survive on. I’m already in fuel poverty and have had to choose between eating and heating. It seems I must attend interviews.

 

Of course, there’s an appeals procedure, but the stark reality is, as so many have discovered, the benefit cuts happen quickly but the appeals take six months or more to be heard. This leaves me in a most invidious position. I already have to sleep in a Red Cross hospital bed in my living room because I cannot climb stairs.to be with my wife – should I decamp entirely to a hospital ward and watch my wife suffer further as her Carer’s Allowance is stopped?

 

I am now quite relieved that the Ambulance Service’s “Putting Things Right Team” wanted to examine my medical history, despite wondering what possible relevance that has on the dreadful waits for Hospital Transport when no form of triage is conducted when booking them except to determine if I qualify for it.

 

Minister Drakeford, is it too much to ask for swift intervention from you before I’m forced into NHS care, separated from my beloved wife and back into clinical depression? (It’s in my medical notes, along with my deformed spine, diabetes, cardiac and degenerative mitochondrial myopathies, neurological memory disorder, fallen arches and muscle atrophy among others.) Perhaps you could find me some decent work from home for the Welsh Assembly Government, and I’m skilled with English and IT. I’d love to be independent from benefits and bureaucratic insensitivity.

 

With kind regards,

 

Martin Crumpton

Llan panto does popular turn again with Dick Whittington

Last year it was a tribe of Welsh Red Indians, this year it was a French dame.

Llangollen Pantomime Society always manages to come up with something a little different for each subsequent production.

The latest show, a lavish and often hilarious version of the classic Dick Whittington, was certainly no exception.

Once again the Pavilion’s big stage was taken over by a huge contingent of talented performers, from tiny tots to those who now count as panto virtuosos.

One of the attractions of panto is that various groups can interpret it in any way they choose and this one from Llan was certainly novel.

As always, the plot is hardly significant and traditionally has more holes in it that a well-worn pair of principal boy’s tights. But this Dick Whittington seemed to make quite a bit of sense.

Our hero, Dick, turns up on stage at the end of a neat little short film, beamed on to an enormous backdrop, which shows him progressing from his start-point in Acrefair – meagre baggage tied to a stick – via every pub en route.

After arriving in Llangollen, where most of the action is set, he soon meets up with Alice, the pretty young daughter of Alderman Fitzwarren, who naturally becomes the object of his desires.

Dick is usually played by a girl but this one definitely benefitted by being portrayed by panto old hand Dean Richards, who has the ready ability to get his audience on his side and can sing a bit too.  Olivia Dentobn, who took the role of Alice, is very young but was still sweetly accomplished.

Nico Decourt helped pen last year’s Peter Pan but this year swapped his laptop for a false bra and big wig to display his undoubted talents as Sarah, who works in the Fitzwarren kitchen.

In a naughty but nice way he made the most of his genuine French accent to bring a highly unusual touch of ooh la la! to the role of the dame, traditional main pivot for panto fun.   

Helping Nico to keep the action purring briskly along was the talented Jo Potts as Tommy, Dick’s talking cat, another singer of note.

At one point in the plot Dick and his crazy entourage have to take a voyage to a far off foreign land – this time Memphis where they meet up with the Sultan who looks and sounds uncannily like Elvis thanks to an accomplished performance by Gez Harrocks.

Another neat cameo came from Tracey Rawlinson as Queen Neptune, who also skilfully played a couple of other parts.

Prompting a suitable chorus of boos at her every appearance was Justine Bradley as baddie Atticus Ratticus, queen of the rat pack, who has designs on becoming mayor of Llangollen but sees her evil intentions thwarted in the nick of time by Dick and his team.

Helping them achieve a happy ending is Fairy Liquid played with aplomb by Tess Orton-Jones.

The role of Alderman Fitzwarren is usually played by a man but this time was presented very competently by Jo Pearson.

The jokes came agreeably thick and fast and the songs, like Village People’s In the Navy, engaged the audience to just the right degree, helped by a brilliant six-strong band ensconced at the back of the stage.

The whole thing, which ran from Wednesday to Saturday at the Pavilion, including a matinee on the final day, was a credit to director Simon Orton-Jones and the large team of helpers behind the scenes. 

 

AM calls for NHS staff sickness to be tackled

NORTH Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to address the causes of staff sickness in the Welsh NHS.

 

This comes after a Freedom of Information request this month revealed that thousands of NHS Wales employees haven taken more than seven days sickness absence because of mental health conditions in the past three years.

 

Questioning the Health Minister over the revelations in the Assembly Chamber this week, Mr Isherwood asked what action the Welsh Government is taking to support NHS staff.

 

He said: “Organisations with effective staff development and performance management are those with lower absenteeism and sickness rates. Yet, you will be aware that the results of a freedom of information request published this month show that almost 10,000 NHS Wales members of staff have been off for more than a week through stress, anxiety and depression since 2011. A third of those were in Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board.

 

“Given the concerns raised in the Wales Audit Office report on NHS finances and the Wales Audit Office and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales report on corporate governance in Betsi Cadwaladr, what action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that those effective staff development procedures are implemented to support the staff affected?”

 

The Minister said the issue of sickness levels in the Welsh NHS is matter of concern to him. 

 

He said: “It varies from place to place as the Member identified. There are LHBs in Wales that do better in this area than others. We have services in Wales, occupational health services, that work within the NHS to assist staff. There is no doubt that the impact of austerity is felt in the lives of people who work in the NHS. There is no wonder that, sometimes, those pressures come with them into the workplace. However, the Welsh Government is fully engaged in this agenda, working at a senior level to assist our local health boards to address it actively.”

 

Mr Isherwood added: “High levels of sickness absence are an indicator of a sick management culture and we should be tackling the causes of sickness rather than simply treating the symptoms.”