Journalists take a steam train ride

* The group of visiting journalists at Llangollen Station. Picture: George Jones.

A group of eight journalists took a steam train trip aboard the Llangollen Railway yesterday(Tuesday).

The writers, from publications including the Daily Mail, Lancaster Guardian, Dorset Echo, Outdoor Adventure Magazine and Great Outdoors Magazine, had been invited to the area as part of an activity press visit organised by North Wales Tourism and commissioned by Denbighshire County Council.

After arriving in Corwen they were taken on to Pen Y Pigyn and then a tour of the 17th century Rug Chapel.

The visit concluded with a trip on a steam train on Llangollen Railway through the stunning Dee Valley.

Golden occasion for flower arrangement society

* Don Billington talks to members of Llangollen Flower Arrangement Society.

It was a big day for Llangollen Flower Arrangement Society yesterday (Tuesday) when members celebrated its 50th anniversary with a demonstration by Don Billington in the Denbigh Room at the Hand Hotel.

He took as his theme "One L of a Do".

Anniversary cake was served along with tea and there was also a raffle.

Llan Operatic casts professional singer as Nanki-Poo

 

* Professional opera singer Christopher Diffey.

* The full cast of the Mikado in rehearsals. Picture: Barrie Potter.

 

* From left, Helen Belton (Yum Yum), Jim Allen (Pooh Bah)

and Jo Potts and Karen Davies (Yum Yum’s friends). Picture: Barrie Potter.

LLANGOLLEN Operatic Society has chosen a rising young professional singing star for one of the leading roles in its forthcoming production of The Mikado.

Australian-born Christopher Diffey, who is widely acknowledged to be one of this generation’s up and coming tenors and has performed throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, will play Nanki-Poo in an updated interpretation of the classic Gilbert & Sullivan operetta which runs at Llangollen Town Hall from May 14-17.

And, according to the society’s artistic director Chrissie Ashworth, the role will hold no surprises for 33-year-old Christopher who has played Nanki-Poo twice recently for renowned touring company Opera Della Luna.

She said: “I’m sure our audiences will be delighted that we have been fortunate enough to secure the services of Christopher who is undoubtedly one of the best young professional opera stars in the country at the moment.

“It’s also a huge asset that he comes to us fresh from having played Nanki-Poo to great acclaim for Opera Della Luna, in Aberystwyth and Oxford, only in March.    

“I know that everyone who sees it is going to just love the show, which is an updated version of The Mikado set in the 1970s, complete with mini-skirts, flared trousers and dodgy hairstyles.

“Christopher is guaranteed to bring his own touch of class to the role of Nanki-Poo and I’m positive he will fit in perfectly with the rest of our cast – many of whom are also seasoned veterans of playing in The Mikado – and can look forward to receiving a warm welcome from our audiences old and new.”

After relocating from Melbourne in Australia, Christopher Diffey graduated from the Royal Academy of Music Opera Course before making his London debut at Saint Martin-in-the-Fields with the London Pro Arte Orchestra and the East London Chorus.

He performed Triplet 1 in James MacMillan’s Clemency for Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh International Festival, before returning to London to create the role of Karl in the new crime thriller opera The Face at London’s Gray’s Inn.

In 2011 he played Fenton in Verdi’s masterpiece Falstaff at the Longborough Festival and performed in two world premier pieces at the Tête à Tête Opera Festival.

 

Christopher’s stage work includes playing Rodolfo in OperaUpClose’s Olivier Award winning production of La Bohème, Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville with Opera Brava and Colonel Fairfax in Yeoman of the Guard at the Buxton International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival where he received rave reviews.

 

Appearing opposite Christopher in Llangollen’s The Mikado will be Helen Belton as his beloved Yum Yum, whose two friends are played by Jo Potts and Karen Davies.

The demanding role of Katisha will be taken by Justine Bradey, while society stalwarts Dave Short and Jim Allen are The Mikado and Pooh Bah respectively and Richard Mascarenhas is Koko, the Lord High Executioner. Kieran Davie takes the role of Pish Tush.

Musical director is Owen Roberts and some of the memorable songs featured in the show include A Wandering Minstrel and Three Little Maids. Co-director/choreographer is Pamela Williams.

·        Tickets, priced at £9 and £7.50 concessions, are available from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre in Castle Street (01978 860828), Jades Hair & Beauty in Oak Street and Stella Bond (01978 860441).  

Council steps up major events strategy

Denbighshire is stepping up its efforts to promote the county as an ideal location to host major events.

The Denbighshire Events Strategy, which was agreed by Denbighshire County Council's Cabinet today (Tuesday), sets out how the council intends to ensure that events have a meaningful contribution to the local economy, provides the highest quality events possible for residents and visitors, and enhances the county's reputation for hosting and attracting new events to the county.

The strategy also looks at raising the profile of Denbighshire as a destination that welcomes and supports events with professionalism and to increase the economic impact of events that are supported by the council, which are key aspects of the council's Economic and Community Ambition Strategy.

Councillor Hugh Irving, Cabinet Lead Member for Communities, said: "Over the past year, the county has hosted a number of high profile events such as Etape Cymru, Tour of Britain and Wales Rally GB, as well as its own varied programme of events.

"We want to build on that success and increase the quality and quantity of events held in the county, to offer memorable experiences which have a lasting impact.

"This strategy will provide the council with direction and confidence in its approach to managing events over the coming years;  it will help to stimulate new events and enhance existing events.

"It will also develop expertise and jobs in the creative and events support sectors, as well as in the more traditional retail, tourism and leisure businesses. We also recognise the need for events to have a positive impact on the lives of people living and working in Denbighshire."

Llan Cub Scouts in the great outdoors

 

 

* Cub Scouts up close and personal with a barn owl.

 

 

* Cub Scouts try out an obstacle course.

 

A group of Scouts from the Llangollen area had a day that many kids dream of - climbing trees, getting messy and lighting fires.

 

Over 100 Cub Scouts - girls and boys aged between eight and 10, travelled to Kibblestone International Campsite in Staffordshire.

 

As well as trying adventurous activities like rock climbing, caving and obstacle courses, they also got to have a go on a lathe, cooked on an open fire and even got to get up close and personal with barn owls and hawks.

 

Cub Scout Leader Karen Knight said: "The Cubs visibly grew in confidence as the day went on, completing tasks they didn't imagine they'd be able to do. The day was a huge success!"

 

If your kids need to get out more, phone the Scouts on 0845 300 1818 or visit scouts.org.uk to find out how they can join, or how you can volunteer to get outdoors yourself.

Guide to what's on in North East Wales

Denbighshire County Council's Tourism, Marketing and Communications Team has produced the 2014 North East Wales brochure which showcases all there is to see and do in the area.

With a print run of 60,000 it will be distributed widely to key markets in the Midlands and North West – underlying the accessibility of the area to visitors. The brochure will also be distributed via advertising campaigns, promotion at exhibitions and by direct mail as well as via media and public relations visits.

Councillor Huw Jones, Lead Member for promoting Denbighshire said: “This is a fantastic marketing tool, to encourage more visitors to the area, with so much to see and do is such a small area, it shows that Denbighshire is an ideal location for the family market as well as for the more specialist walkers and heritage enthusiasts."

The brochure is available from all UK Tourist Information Centres. The brochure can be downloaded from www.northeastwales.co.uk or contact Denbighshire’s Tourism, Marketing and Communications Department on 01824 706072 for a copy.

New foodbank will serve Clwyd South villages

A NEW foodbank serving a cluster of communities near Wrexham will open this summer, says Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates.

The Labour AM has been in talks with national charity the Trussell Trust for months about creating a centre to help feed some of the most vulnerable people in his constituency, and appealed in the Leader for help.

Semi-retired Ruabon businessman David Jones stepped forward, and a new ‘satellite’ centre will now open in mid-June to serve Penycae, Rhos and Johnstown and their surrounding villages.

Mr Skates said: “This is fantastic news for the area, and I am extremely grateful to David,  Andrew Sturgess from the Trussell Trust and Wrexham Foodbank for getting what was a few months ago just an idea to this advanced stage.

“Sadly, more and more people across Wales are having to rely on foodbanks because of rising costs of fuel and energy bills, static income, high unemployment and changes to benefits. Some 13 million people are currently living below the poverty line in the UK and food poverty is rising, so foodbanks are playing a crucial role in helping some of our the most vulnerable people.

“It was recently reported in the Leader that almost 1,000 a month across Wrexham and Flintshire had used foodbanks in the past year – truly shocking figures. I hope this project – and other similar ones planned for Clwyd South – can go some way to addressing the impact locally of what is truly a national scandal.”

Mr Jones said the satellite foodbank will be based St Thomas Village Hall, Penycae, as an offshoot of Wrexham Foodbank, and is likely to be open from 10am-noon every Wednesday for clients to redeem the vouchers given to them by welfare agencies and health professionals for enough emergency supplies to last three days.

He said: “The finer details will have to be agreed, but the plan is that food parcels will be packed at the Wrexham Foodbank premises and I will personally transport required items to the Penycae satellite on a Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.

“The village hall is ideally located on a major bus route, with direct buses passing from Wrexham via Rhostyllen, Johnstown, and Rhos. There is also plenty of parking nearby, so the satellite can easily serve the densely-populated villages of Rhos and Johnstown.”

There are currently almost 400 Trussell Trust foodbanks in operation nationwide, and the charity’s goal is for every town to have one.

Mr Jones, who is managing director of Wrexham-based Lyan Packaging Supplies, said: “This satellite foodbank would be the first to open in Clwyd South, and we will be interested in opening one or two more in what I would call the Dee Valley corridor between Plas Madoc and Corwen in due course.”

Mr Jones, who is also a former chairman of Ruabon Community Council, has already found a couple of willing volunteers for the Penycae project, but anyone else who wants to help can contact him on 07930501513.