AM challenges Barclays over future of branches

Plans by Barclays Bank to reduce the number of branches have been challenged by Plaid Cymru Assembly member Llyr Gruffydd.

 

The North Wales AM said it was vital that communities across the North were made aware of Barclays’ intentions to avoid the painful mistakes of other bank closures.

 

Mr Gruffydd said: “I have challenged Barclays bosses to come clean about their plans for our local branches. Their Welsh manager has refused to rule out closing branches, despite us seeking assurances.

 

“Many communities in the area have lost shops and other banks. In some cases we’ve seen bank customers shifted to from one closing branch to another, only for that one also to close. There has been a gradual centralisation of services away from our small towns to larger towns and the least customers and staff deserve from Barclays is transparency about their plans.

 

“We are told that customers can choose online banking, which ignores the poor broadband service in many parts of Wales and the fact that many people like to bank with people they know and trust. That personal touch is in danger of being lost by this centralising agenda.

 

“As thing stand, the bank is refusing to offer a timetable or specify which branches could close. But, of the 30 local branches listed,  I would fully expect a quarter to face the axe.”

 

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru’s Clwyd South spokesperson, said: “Barclays have tried to row back from the original story which suggested that they were looking to close a quarter of their branches. However their clarification leaves an axe hanging above each of our branches, as they admit that there will be reductions. Llangollen and the Dee Valley has seen a number of services closed or downgraded over the last few years and our businesses can’t afford to lose vital banking services.

 

“Claiming that more people do on-line banking doesn’t wash here, because broadband provision is so poor. Also many people, especially the elderly, don’t have access to on-line banking services or don’t trust them. Customers tend to be loyal to their banks, so it would be nice to see that loyalty reciprocated.”

 

Barclays has a branch in Llangollen.

Oliver with a Llangollen twist

Cast members from Llangollen Operatic Society's Young 'Uns have been making final preparations for their production of the musical Oliver! to be staged at the Town Hall  from Thursday-Saturday, February 6-8.

And local photographer Barrie Potter has taken some delightful pictures of the young performers in costume, including Rhys Penge  as Oliver (pictured right), which he has kindly supplied to llanblogger. 

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.

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. 

 

Limelight looking for male singers

Award-winning theatre company LimeLight Productions are on the look out for male singers to join them in their forthcoming production of Jekyll & Hyde The Musical to be staged at Llangollen Town Hall June 4-7. 

Rehearsal takes place in their own studio rooms on Ruthin Road (opposite Morrisons). 

Although the show's main characters have now been cast, there are still a few male characters to be had.

A spokesperson for Limelight said:  "This is a prime opportunity for male singers who have never tried Musical Theatre to come along and have a go. "

Under the musical direction of Kevin Whitley, with beautiful songs such as This is the Moment, to the more dramatic musical chorus numbers of Façade, there is plenty of opportunities to get involved in all with a friendly,  talented and successful theatre company.

A concert version of the music will also be performed a month before the show is due to open.

Anyone interested please call Lyn on 01978 351315/07504031029, or e-mail limelightwrexham@googlemail.com

Woman taken to hospital after Horseshoe Pass accident

An elderly woman was taken to hospital following an accident on the Horseshoe Pass on Friday afternoon.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 12.01pm to reports of a single-vehicle road traffic collision on the A542 Horseshoe Pass.

“We sent an emergency ambulance to the scene, and a woman in her 80s was taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital for a precautionary check up.”

Hip hop comes to Llan Eisteddfod

An international festival of music and dance is aiming for a younger audience with a new urban dance competition.

 

The urgent beat of hip hop will be mixing with the more traditional sounds of folk music and choral singing at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July.

 

The street dancers will join competitors from all over the world to perform on the same stage as artistes as diverse as opera superstar Bryn Terfel and rock legends Status Quo.

 

The closing date for entries from urban dance groups is March 7.

 

Musical director Eilir Owen Griffiths (pictured right) said: "Last year's event was a fantastic success of which I am very proud but the last thing we can afford to do is rest on our laurels.  If we are to maintain and improve our standards we must not be complacent.

 

"It is therefore always a good to look at what we do to see if there are any ways we can do things even better next year.

 

"It is vitally important that we remain true to the core traditions of the Eisteddfod and we will always keep the faith with our cultural heritage, after all that is our raison d'etre.

 

"By the same token we must also be aware that culture is a living, vibrant, evolving phenomenon and we must also attract and remain relevant to new audiences as well as continuing to provide a platform for more traditional music and dance.

 

"In recent years, the choral competitions have been enriched by the inclusion of barbershop and show choirs. It has been an extremely popular development.

 

"We are now introducing a similar experiment in the dance competitions at this year's Eisteddfod.

 

"At the suggestion of our dance judges, we will have a Hip Hop dance competition so that the contemporary urban dance tradition can be represented too.

 

"It is a highly popular and culturally important part of the dance scene so we think it makes sense to introduce a Hip Hop competition to assess how successful it is and whether is should be included in future festivals.

 

"We will of course be rigorous in ensuring that the Eisteddfod's high standards are maintained at all  times so there will be preliminary rounds to decide who is worthy of competing on the main stage.

 

"I think this is a really exciting development in the Eisteddfod's history and will help us reach out to a new audience while at the same time respecting our rich heritage."

 

we have been able to arrange, what will be the opening event of the 2014 festival.”

 

The curtain raiser for this year's Eisteddfod will mark the return of opera superstar Bryn Terfel to Llangollen.

 

The acclaimed bass baritone will be playing the lead in a special English-language production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street featuring an all-Welsh cast.

 

This year's will also feature concerts by Dutch jazz sensation Caro Emerald and veteran British rockers Status Quo as well as a world premiere of a new work, Adiemus Colores, by top composer Karl Jenkins.

 

He will conduct his Latin American themed work with American tenor Noah Stewart, Venezuelan trumpeter Pacho Flores and Latvian accordion player Ksenija Sidorova to the accompaniment of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod Orchestra.

 

The Friday night concert, Spirit of Unity, will feature the Cape Town Opera, Africa’s premiere opera company, famed for their "vibrant vocalism and high-octane stage performances".

 

Appearing with them will be Wales’ representative in Cardiff Singer of the World, Gary Griffiths, the Wales Millennium Centre Only Kidz Aloud Chorus under the baton of celebrity conductor Tim Rhys Evans and British Sinfonietta, one of the UK's leading independent professional orchestras.

 

The Choir of the World competition for the Pavarotti Trophy on the Saturday night is the blue riband event of the week-long festival which will close with a Sunday night concert by Status Quo. To book tickets and for more details about the urban dance competition go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Time to bin it to win it

Kingdom Security, working in conjunction with Denbighshire County Council, is offering people the chance for people to be entered into a regular prize draw to win a £50 high street voucher for anyone who is seen disposing of their litter responsibly or picking up after their dog.

If an environmental enforcement officer sees someone disposing of litter in a bin or picking up after their dog, they will be commended personally for their action and also given a postcard and asked to complete their details and send it in to the Council to be included in the monthly prize draw. The prize is funded by Kingdom and the Council is co-ordinating the draw and providing the administration and postcards.

Denbighshire contracted Kingdom to carry out environmental enforcement patrols across the county in October 2012 and since then, officers have issued 4,466 fixed penalty notices and their work has attracted widespread praise for cleaning up Denbighshire's streets, which is one of Denbighshire's Corporate Priorities.

Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, Councillor David Smith, said: "Issues of dog fouling and littering have repeatedly come out in our resident's survey as one of the main things that bothers people greatly and this is why we made 'clean and tidy streets' as one of our Corporate Priorities.

We contracted Kingdom Security to carry out environmental enforcement and have been running a widespread campaign since last February to educate people and change behaviour.

"We know the vast majority of people do dispose of litter properly and pick up after their dogs and we are seeing improvements across the county but we feel it is important that we also acknowledge those who do the right thing and ensure they are also recognised for their public spirit."
Steven Gillespie,  of the  Environmental Protection Division for Kingdom Security, said: “The Bin it to Win it scheme has been hugely successful in four other counties, so we thought we’d launch it here in Denbighshire. It allows Kingdom, in partnership with Denbighshire County Council, to demonstrate our commitment to acknowledging and rewarding members of the community who display environmental awareness.”

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.