Llangollen Lift bus service is back

The Llangollen Lift is back this year by popular demand.  

The free minibus service will be taking walkers and sightseers to some of the most stunning areas around Llangollen, including Castell Dinas Brân, the Panorama drive and the Ponderosa.  

The Lift is a fantastic way of accessing the beautiful countryside in the AONB, and gives great opportunities for leaving the car behind and enjoying linear walks from the hills back into town.  

Llangollen Lift runs at weekends until the end of September, and will also run on Mondays in August.

The service run three times a day – the 10 am and 1.30 pm minibus runs anticlockwise and are good for walks starting from the Panorama area.

The 11.30 service runs clockwise, and provides quick access to the Horseshoe Falls at the start of the World Heritage Site, where an easy 2 mile stroll along the canal will bring you back into Llangollen.

Funding has been provided by the Walking with Offa project, and the service follows the line of the National Trail along the Panorama.  

It can provide a useful lift for walkers staying in Llangollen back onto the route.

The minibus leaves Llangollen from the bus stop on Parade Street outside the Llangollen Museum, and also runs 3 times a day (11am, 1 pm and 2.30 pm) up to Plas Newydd where visitors can enjoy the house and gardens of the Ladies of Llangollen – as well as the café.

Timetables can be picked up from the Tourist Information and various outlets in Llangollen, and is also available online at http://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/llangollen-lift.  

Rapid progress at the Dwyrain Corwen East Station

There was a momentous occasion for the Llangollen Railway last Friday with the arrival of a gauging train at the site of the Corwen temporary station.

A test train of three diesel railcars ventured west of Carrog to check out the clearances at structures along the two and a half mile railway extension.

The train was driven by the chairman of Llangollen Railway Trust, Elizabeth Harland, who took the opportunity to congratulate the volunteer members of the extension project team on the completion of the track laying exercise.

Commenting on the successful test run along the extension, she said: “I was delighted to drive the gauging train down the line and to see what had been achieved by our volunteers.”

* The six coach gauging train along side the scaffolding which

forms the basis of the temporary platform at Dwyrain Corwen East station.

The running of the gauging train was possible thanks to all the work undertaken to have the new track ballasted and then packed and aligned with the aid of a hired-in tamper machine. 

In addition, work is well underway by contractors, Grosvenor Scaffolding of Bagillt, to erect the 100 metre long temporary platform which will provide the passenger facility at the Dwyrain Corwen East station. 

The completion of all infrastructure works will shortly allow for the track extension to be inspected with a view to being declared fit for the operation of passenger trains.

Before trains can run into the station at Dwyrain Corwen East, a further stage of construction requires the erection of a 38 metre long ramp off the platform end to connect with a footpath coming up from ground level. This is a complex text designed to meet modern standards which will allow for disability access on an appropriately graded structure.

George Jones, for Llangollen Railway Trust said: “The completion of tasks is rapidly coming to a conclusion and, when all arrangements come together, we will then be able to announce a date for the opening of train services to Corwen. This will be the completion of a 40 year old dream.”

Public wi-fi now available at Tourist Information Centre

Public wi-fi is now available at four sites in rural Denbighshire - Llangollen tourist information centre, Corwen library, Ruthin library and Denbigh library.

This new provision has been funded by the Destination Denbighshire Rural Development Plan funded project and allows visitors to access tourism websites to complement and aid them in their visit to rural Denbighshire.

One of the websites that can be visited is the Digital Adventures website www.digitaldenbighshire.co.uk.

Hawys Lebbon, Tourism Project Officer, said: "This is a great tourist addition to the rural Denbighshire area allowing our visitors to interact with us digitally and allowing them to download various information onto their mobile devices'.

"Anyone who wishes to use the wi-fi must seek assistance from a staff member at the sites for login details in order to conform with Denbighshire's Security Policy."

Police carry out taxi spot checks

Police, council officers and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency carried out spot checks on taxis in Denbighshire and Flintshire today.

 

The joint operation found that only four of the 30 vehicles checked were committing offences by not being maintained properly and that the general standard of vehicles was good.

 

Two of the four offending vehicles had immediate prohibitions placed on them.

 

Sergeant Jane Thomas of the Roads policing Unit said; “It is good to see that the majority of operators are maintaining standards and ensuring their vehicles are kept to the high standards essential for the safety of all road users.

 

“Further operations will be carried out in the coming weeks.”  

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Mold to Llangollen walk for Bailey Hill appeal

* Phil Thomas will walk from Mold Town Hall to Llangollen

to raise funds for Bailey Hill, Mold.

Links between two Welsh Cittaslow towns will be strengthened by Phil Thomas when he walks from Mold to Llangollen to raise funds for Bailey Hill, Mold.

He’ll be taking two tickets donated by Cittaslow Mold for their Mold Big Breakfast on Saturday 30 August to give to the Mayor of Llangollen. 

Phil is carrying out the 16 mile trek on Tuesday 26 August to support Groundwork UK's, 'X Marks the Spot' Treasured Spaces appeal for Bailey Hill, Mold. 

The Friends of Bailey Hill need to raise £2,500 'match funding' by the beginning of September to secure a £5,000 grant from Groundwork UK. If the appeal is successful it will enable the Friends to start work on the ambitious improvement master plan for Bailey Hill.

The funding will pay for the clearance of overgrown shrubs and small trees all around the banks of the motte, the planting of wild flowers, and building and installing bat and bird boxes on the large trees.

If you would like to sponsor Phil please make your donation on the Groundwork Appeals Page at:  http://www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/xmarks/appeals/Category/x-marks-projects
and follow the links to Bailey Hill, or contact Phil Thomas, email: pw.thomas10@gmail.com telephone: 01352 753847, or call in to Mold Town Council office in the Town Hall on Earl Road, Mold.

Can you help Support Your High Street campaign?

As part of the Support Your High Street campaign, the Welsh Government is launching High Street Week from September 20-27.

The campaign is aimed at encouraging partners, local businesses and communities to support their local high streets and rediscover the benefits of shopping locally.

Golley Slater has been appointed to develop a PR campaign to help boost the week and says it needs the help of people in Llangollen to highlight the most engaging local stories it can use to promote the campaign nationally.

The PR team says people can get involved by:

* Sharing the Support Your High Street Wales Facebook posts on their own social media - visit  facebook.com/Support Your High Street Wales.

* Sending through any interesting photos you have of your high street to be shared on the campaign Facebook page.

* Holding events during campaign week, such as shops lending their front window to local students for them to dress it for the week.

* Sending in interesting stories you have that might attract interest from the local or national media, such as a high street hero – a local business owner or employee who is a real character and regularly goes the extra mile to ensure their customers get the best possible service, or the third/fourth/fifth generation shop owner or a store/business that has been on your high street for more  than 50 years.

* Giving details of any new start-up businesses that are doing something different or newsworthy.

If you think you can help, email the team at Golley Slater at highstreets@golleyslater.co.uk 

Hamper Llangollen hailed at food conference

 

* Pictured at the North East Wales Food Conference at Glyndwr University are, from left, Jonathan Copeland, of Headland Foods, Andrew Martin, Senior Business Development Manager for the Welsh Government, John Les Tomos, Mold Food Festival, Llior Radford, Llaeth y Llan, Donna Hughes, Wrexham Northern Marches; Mark Roberts, Wrexham Lager; and Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd.

 

North Wales is driving growth in the booming Welsh food sector, according to a top Welsh Government food adviser.

Andrew Martin, Welsh Government Senior Business Development Manager, told a conference in Wrexham: “Food producers in North Wales are among the most successful and innovative in the country and business growth here is the strongest in Wales.

“One of our biggest selling points is that our food is seen as safe which has helped us take business from countries like Ireland – it’s a trust thing and we are trusted with what we are doing with our environment, our stock and our horticulture.

“The Welsh Government is intent on delivering growth, that is the action plan and the challenge is there and so are the opportunities and the question is how we continue to drive growth forward in this region.”

He was addressing the North East Wales Food Conference, organised by rural regeneration organisations Cadwyn Clwyd and Northern Marches Cymru and held at the Catrin Finch Centre at Glyndwr Univerity.

The conference, staged by the two organisations and paid for for through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) through the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Plan, was addressed by a range of speakers.

These included Mark Roberts, from the Wrexham Lager Company, Llior Radford, of Llaeth y Llan dairy products, Jonathan Copeland, of Bridgehead Food Partners, and John Les Thomas, of Mold Food Festival.

Andrew Martin also pointed to the success of the recent Conference of Welsh Food Festivals held in Llangollen and organised by Hamper Llangollen, the food festival based in the town.

That initiative is leading to the formation of an Association of Welsh Food Festivals and Martin, who has a responsibility for the North Wales area, also had a positive message for them as he promised a change in funding arrangements.

He said: “Food festivals have been slightly misunderstood but thanks to that conference in Llangollen we are moving on and there is an opportunity to develop the business that attend food festivals and get more of their products out into the mainstream markets.

“The Welsh Government is already looking at changing the funding programme from an annual one to a three-yearly system to give more consistency and security of funding.

“We can change almost anything but we need you to tell us to do it and that it’s what you want.”

Colin Loughlin, Chairman of Hamper Llangollen, welcomed the funding news and said: “We were delighted to hear that the Welsh Government is considering moving to a three-year model for funding.

“This would provide more security of funding – at present we don’t know from one year to the next what the level of funding will be or whether we will get any at all and festivals do so much to promote Wales and Welsh food.

“One of the reasons for forming an Association of Welsh Food Festivals is so that we can press for changes like this but also so that we can share best practices and make cost savings on services such as insurance by being able to buy as a group.”

Mark Roberts, Director of Wrexham Lager, spoke about the challenge of marketing a product while Jonathan Copeland, whose company supplies cheese for major supermarket chains, and Llior Radford, of Llaeth y Llan, talked about dealing with the multiples and marketing and John Les Tomos described the challenges of running a food festival.

Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd Agri-Food Officer for Denbighshire and Flintshire, said: “The North East Wales Food Conference has become a major date in the food calendar of the region.

“It is important both for the opportunity it gives for networking but also for the chance to hear the latest news both from the Welsh Government and from some of our most interesting and innovative food producers.”

For more information on Cadwyn Clwyd projects ring 01824 705802 or e-mail info@cadwynclwyd.co.uk