Operatic's Young 'Uns to stage Oliver! at Town Hall

For its 25^th annual show Llangollen Operatic Society’s junior stage group, Young ‘Uns, will be presenting the musical Oliver! at the Town Hall from Thursday-Saturday, February 6-8.

More than 40 young performers, aged five to 18, are involved in the production, which features a host of evergreen songs such as Food Glorious Food, Where is Love? Who Will Buy?, Consider Yourself and Reviewing the Situation.

Based on the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist, the show, with words and lyrics by Lionel Bart, is a tale of Victorian orphans, workhouses, crime and tragedy.

Some of the key players are Joanna Stallard, as Nancy, Beth Evans as Bet, Wilf Wort as the villainous Bill Sykes, Rhys Penge as Oliver, Charlie Hackforth as The Artful Dodger, Connor Phillips as Mr Bumble; Holly Broadbent as Widow Corney, Megan Howlett as Mrs Sowerberry and Will Edwards as Mr Sowerberry.

Guest starring from the adult operatic group is Christopher Sims as the scheming and charismatic Fagin.

The Young ‘Uns are delighted to welcome their new artistic director, Christine Dukes. Christine, who was artistic director of the Youth Theatre at the Stiwt in Rhos for 14 years, brings a wealth of skills and experience to her new role.

Musical director is Elen Mair Roberts and there is full orchestral support. Production co-ordinator is Deirdre Smith.

Shows are at 7.30pm on Thursday 6,  Friday 7 and Saturday 8, February, with a matinee on the Saturday at 2.30pm. 

Tickets are available from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre (01978  860828), Jades Hair and Beauty, Gwyn Davies, Butcher, or Stella Bond (01978  860441). Tickets cost £8 for adults and £5 for concessions.

County agrees new budget

Denbighshire's Full Council has approved the budget proposals which have identified savings of £8.5m.

The Draft Local Government Settlement indicates the Council needed to find in the region of £8.5m in savings for 2014/15.

The budget process to date, initially resulted in savings of £1.7m, which were approved by Members in September plus a further £4.7m, which again was approved in December. This latest phase, agreed by Cabinet earlier in the month identifies a further £2m in savings, which has now been ratified by Full Council.

Cabinet Lead Member for finance, Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill said: "Denbighshire really has had a tight budget settlement from the Welsh Assembly Government - the lowest in Wales for 2014/15.

"At all times we have attempted to protect frontline service and jobs whilst minimising the impact of council tax increases to our residents.

"We will continue to look at all services to see if we can be more efficient in the way in which we work, whilst maintaining the best possible services for the people of Denbighshire."

Councillors also agreed an increase in Band D Council tax of 3.5% for 2014/5.

Ambulance response times come under fire

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, has criticised the Welsh Labour government’s handling of the ambulance service, after figures show that the 8 minute emergency target was significantly missed.

 

Only 57.6% of emergency responses to Category A ‘immediately life-threatening calls’ arrived within 8 minutes.  This is despite the Welsh Government’s target for 65% of these calls to be responded to within this time.  It is also a decrease in performance compared to the previous month when 63.2% of calls were responded to within 8 minutes.

 

Kirsty Williams AM said: “These shocking figures seriously undermine the Labour Health Minister’s assurances that response times are improving.

 

“The Minister may blame winter pressures, and it is true that there were a high number of emergency calls, but the fact remains that poor ambulance response times take place all year.

 

“Having 65% of life-threatening calls responded to within 8 minutes is not an ambitious target, yet the Welsh Labour government consistently fails to meet it.  The Minister needs to be looking at why, after one month of achievement in October, response times are once again on a downward spiral.

 

“It’s a sad fact that the Welsh Labour government is failing patients across Wales.  Whether it is inadequate cancer care, poor ambulance response times or dire A&E waiting times, the Welsh Labour government is not offering a health service that patients in Wales deserve.”

Live comedy comes to Pavilion tomorrow

Live stand up comedy makes a welcome return to the Llangollen Pavilion this Friday evening.

Throughout 2014, Llangollen Comedy Club promises to bring some of the best talent from across the comedy circuit to the town's Pavilion.

The first show takes place this Friday, January 31.

Headlining the first show is Keith Carter in the guise of loveable Liverpool 'scally' Nige.

A previous winner of Comedian of the Year at the Liverpool Echo Arts Awards, Keith has also been a runner up in the BBC’s New Comedy Awards and Channel 4′s “So You Think You’re Funny”.

Apart from being a gifted character comedian, Keith is also a talented comic actor and writer. His credits include work for BBC Radio 2 and 4 as well as a play for Liverpool's Unity Theatre.

Compere on the night is Ray Peacock (pictured right). A prolific writer and performer, Ray is one of the most popular comperes and headline performers on the circuit.

Since 2009 he has co-hosted the award winning Peacock and Gamble Podcast. The Guardian listed the show as one of the top 10 comedy podcasts, describing it as "35 minutes of pure gold".

His TV credits include acting roles in Doctor Who, Skins and Harry Hill’s TV Burp and stand up on Russell Howard's Good News.

Completing the line-up is Welsh comic Kiri Pritchard-McLean. Named Breakout Act of the Year by Nottingham Comedy Festival, she combines a charming stage manager with a quick, deft wit.

The shows are a joint venture between Llangollen based Radiant Events and Kill For A Seat, who also run comedy shows at Mold's Theatr Clwyd.

Tickets for this Friday's show, priced at £8.50, are available to buy online at www.llancomedy.co.uk or in person from the Llangollen Pavilion or Gales of Llangollen. Doors open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8pm.

Body discovered in local garden

The Daily Post website is reporting this afternoon that the body of an elderly woman has been found in a Llangollen garden following an overnight search involving the police helicopter.

See the full story at:
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwyneth-morris-elderly-womans-body-6639537

County council approves £8.5 million cuts

Denbighshire County Council has now approved cuts of £8.5 million to its budget for the next financial year.

See the full story at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-25904612

Railway plans trek to view new track

* A view from the site of the buffer stop looking east towards Carrog.

Llangollen Railway is inviting people to join a walk to view the extension of its track to Corwen on Saturday, February 1.  

 

Railway spokesman George Jones said: “Although the weather forecast for next weekend seems rather undecided, in the expectation there is no snow in the offering, an escorted walk is being arranged for a party to view progress on the track extension project as it nears the last half mile into what will be Dwyrain Corwen East.

 

“The party will get away from Carrog station at 11.45am, following the arrival of the first train of the season - a DMU service from Llangollen.

 

“The route will be via the riverside path, crossing the railway and going up on to the main A5 road then along the pavement to Bonwm where the new track comes into view.

 

“Continuing along t he A5, the track extension is visible as far as Over Bridge 28A, hence the trackbed clearance activity through to the outskirts of Corwen.

 

“From here the site of the platform is now evident with the footings in place and the progress with the flood relief scheme works.

 

“The walk will end at the car park from where a Route 5 bus ride back to Carrog is available at eight minutes past the hour, allowing perhaps for refreshment in the town. This is the option to see where the trains will run and terminate later in 2014.

 

“The distance of the walk is about 2.5 miles, duration with stops for viewing/information of perhaps 100 minutes.

 

“Stout footwear and weatherproof outdoor clothing essential, and yellow hi viz vests may be appropriate for some of the party to wear on the main road stretch where the pavement is narrow and requires single file progress. The footpath conditions may be boggy in parts.”

 

Those interested in joining the party are asked to advise their attendance by email to: llangollen.railway@btinternet.com for a final confirmation to be sent.

 

Work on the footings for the site of the phase 1 station at Corwen was completed on scheduled by the contractor last week.

 

Sixty-six concrete footings are now in place on the embankment.

 

The work now awaits the laying of base ballast and the track panels, after which it is expected that platform sections will be delivered by rail for erection on site.