Steam stars head for railway's gala weekend

* Black Five No.45337 departing Llangollen station.

Llangollen Railway's popular gala event this weekend marks the end of summer and sees a visiting locomotive making a return to Wales.

 

The Ivatt Class 2 mixed traffic engine, No.46521, was once allocated to Machynlleth shed and was hauling trains on the Cambrian Coast line and round to Dolgellau in the 1960s.

 

During that period it also pulled the Royal Train on a visit to the Cambrian Coast. 

 

At the gala event, on Friday and Saturday, it will be joined by three members of the Llangollen home-based fleet, with the British Rail Standard Tank engine No.80072 and the Black Five No.45337 making a welcome return to service and the Great Western Heavy Freight engine No.3802.

 

They will be joined by one of the British Rail Class 26 heritage diesel locomotives No.D5310 as the railway sets out to imitate railway operations down the line to Barmouth on the Western Region before Dr Beeching took his axe to the network in 1964.

 

The special timetable, entitled "Along Western Lines" for the gala, will see trains departing Llangollen at frequent intervals throughout each day, from 0900 onwards, for the run along the Dee Valley to Carrog and through to Plas Bonwm on the extension of the line.

 

A demonstration freight train is included in the sequence of departures and on Saturday an evening service will operate.

 

During the gala there will be a photographic and railwayana display in the tearoom at Berwyn station covering the course of the railway between Ruabon and Barmouth.

 

This will include maps, original engineering drawings and historical paperwork, as well as a photographic record of the stations along the line.

 

For thirsty rail fans there will be a real ale bar in the Henry Robertson suite at Llangollen station, as well as real ale served on trains.

 

George Jones for Llangollen Railway said: "We have another spectacular occasion when visitors will see how the railway might have operated at full capacity in the years prior to the infamous Dr Beeching's Report 'The Reshaping of British Railways.”

 

On an historic note, he added: "This year is when we mark the 50th anniversary, in December, of the last through train running between Ruabon and Barmouth due to flooding which washed away the track near Llandderfel. 

 

“Only the sections between Ruabon and Llangollen and Barmouth and Bala retained shuttle train services prior to formal closure of the line in January 1965.

 

"No one thought then that the railway at Llangollen would make a comeback, but it has, and it will shortly achieve its aim of reconnecting to Corwen once the extension work is completed and the line has passed its official inspection."

 

Details of the timetable and fares are to be found on the Railway's website at:

http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/steam-gala/

 

Llan's EE mobile phone signal goes down

People using Orange/EE network are currently experiencing problems with their mobile phone signal.

Among those affected is llanblogger, and a landline call to the EE customer services earlier this afternoon confirmed the blackout is due to problems with a mast in Cefn Mawr initially reported to them at 8.15am today.

We were also informed that, due to the nature of the fault, EE could give no estimate on when the signal might be restored.

People using Tesco could also be affected as its network is shared with EE.

If you are also affected by this problem, please let us know by emailing: llanblogger@gmail.com

Work starts on A483/A55 junction next month

Work is due to start next month on the £5.3 million to relieve a traffic “pinch point” at the junction of the A483 and A55 near Chester.

According to the Highways Agency which is overseeing the work, the aim is to cure existing problems with congestion at the junction that results in significant queues and delays at peak times. 

The scheme will also address some of the safety issues and accidents associated with the congestion and existing configuration, says the agency.

Works is due to be carried out between September and next March. However, there has already been pre-works on the A55 junction 38 bridge deck between the eastbound entry slip and the westbound exit slip. 

Work so far at weekends has caused major congestion, particularly  on the Chester-bound carriageway of the A483 and led to calls by Wrexham MP Ian Lucas for more warning to be given to motorists of likely hold-ups.

The agency says in a statement: “The scheme will provide additional lane capacity but will also ensure the existing carriageway is better utilised, which will improve traffic flows and reduce delays. 

“The scheme will also offer significant safety benefits. A new footbridge for shared use by cyclists and pedestrians will be constructed adjacent to the west bridge. The estimated cost is £5.3 million.”

Works include:

·        Widening of existing carriageway in key areas

·        Additional signals on A55/A483

·        New traffic signals A483/Rough Hill

·        Conversion of Pulford roundabout into a signalised junction

·        Reassignment of existing carriageways/lanes

·        Installation of new pedestrian/cyclist footbridge just west of the roundabout

More information will be posted on the project page at http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/A55A483-Improvements.

If you have any queries about this project you should contact the Highways Agency Information Line by emailing ha_​info@​highways.​gsi.​gov.​uk, or calling 0300 123 5000.

Cash seized from criminals will help community groups

 

* From left, Winston Roddick, Police & Crime Commissioner,

with Richard Debicki, Assistant Chief Constable, and David Evans, the P.A.C.T project manager.

 

A new scheme is being launched to hit villains and help community groups across North Wales.

 

Money seized from criminals will be used to create a pot of money available to organisations which help tackle anti-social behaviour and combat crime and disorder.

 

Following a successful trial last year, the scheme is being set up by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick CB QC, North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).

 

A total of £42,000 will be up for grabs - with £3,000 apiece for two groups in each county and £6,000 available for a group that operates across North Wales.

 

The Your Community, Your Choice initiative - otherwise known as the Participatory Budgeting Scheme - is being partly funded by the money recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act, using cash confiscated from offenders with the rest coming from the Police Commissioner.

 

Community groups are being urged to apply between September 8 and October 10 using a form on the websites of the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and North Wales Police.

 

A shortlist of applicants will be chosen by a special panel and from November 1 members of the public will decide which groups to support with a vote via the two websites and a dedicated email address.

 

Mr Roddick said: "This scheme is vitally important. It’s a first class scheme which brings the police and the community closer together.

 

"It gives an opportunity for the community to decide how they would like to see the funds we’ve extracted from criminals spent in their community.

 

"It also sends a very good message that crime does not pay and the ill-gotten gains of criminals are going back into the the communities from which the money was taken.

 

"This is an opportunity to provide support for some fantastic community organisations in every part of North Wales.

 

"We are inviting the groups to make their applications and explain, if they are successful, how they would spend the money.

 

"What they do will contribute to the Police and Crime Plan to reduce crime and disorder in the area and that is a really positive thing.

 

"Our aim is to make North Wales an even safer place to live, work and visit."

 

Assistant Chief Constable Richard Debicki was equally enthusiastic.

 

He said: “I think the value of a scheme like this is it allows members of the public and local organisations right in the heart of communities to bid into a fund and to be part of the solutions to crime and disorder in their area.

 

"The money is from the Police Commissioner’s fund as well as money which has been seized, and assets confiscated from the proceeds of crime.

 

"It's absolutely right and proper that the money taken out of the hands of criminals is put back into the community.

 

"The pilot last year was very successful and we are very happy to be a partner of the Police and Crime Commissioner in this initiative."

 

"This initiative should help to give the local community a great deal of confidence that the Police and the Commissioner are listening to their concerns.

 

"This is about the local community and local organisations working together and working with the police to put things in place at a local level in order to tackle the issues which matter to the public most.

 

PACT manager Dave Evans explained "The fund will be open for application by email using a standard application form that will be available on both the PCC’s website and North Wales Police’s website.

 

"We had some particularly high quality applications from the pilot round of the fund last year.

 

"Among the projects to benefit last year were the Llandudno Good Citizenship scheme, the Barmouth CCTV scheme and the Wrexham Street Pastors.

 

"This pre-notification period will hopefully give community groups the opportunity to develop their applications.

 

“Applicants have to be a properly constituted community group or a registered charity and the main criterion is that the project in question helps to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

 

“It gives us the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of community groups and also importantly gives our local neighbourhood policing teams the opportunity to engage with those groups and support them with those projects that they want to run.

 

"I would highly recommend that applicants considering putting in a bid liaise with their local neighbourhood policing team to discuss their bid and make sure that it is as comprehensive as possible."

 

The opening date is September 8 and completed applications must be returned via email to participatorybudgetfund@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by the closing date at 5pm on October 10. For more information ring 01745 588516.

£4 million earmarked for new ambulances

The Welsh Ambulance Service will get almost £4m for a major upgrade of its fleet of vehicles, Health Minister Mark Drakeford announced today.

 

The new funding will enable the service to buy 41 new vehicles, including emergency ambulances and specialist rapid response vehicles, to replace existing ambulance fleet.

 

The ambulance service currently has 736 vehicles covering an area of more than 8,000 square miles in Wales. The new vehicles will help contribute to a more reliable, better equipped, and more efficient emergency ambulance service.

The new ambulances will ensure patients are treated in the best clinical environments possible using the latest equipment. The new vehicles will reduce overall operating costs for the Welsh Ambulance Service as they will be more fuel efficient.

The latest ambulance service performance figures reveal the demands placed on the service with 35,570 emergency calls during June 2014. They also show that immediately life-threatening incidents, which needed an emergency ambulance response, have increased by 30% over the last five years.

The £3.833m investment for new fleet will allow the ambulance service to buy:

• 14 emergency ambulances;
• 15 large patient care service vehicles;
• four small patient care service vehicles;
• two health courier service vehicles; 
• six specialist vehicles.

Professor Drakeford said: “The demands placed on the ambulance service in Wales every day of the year are significant. The service receives tens of thousands of emergency calls every month and life-threatening incidents have risen by almost a third over the past five years.

“This is why we are continuing to invest in the ambulance fleet to make sure modern, reliable vehicles are available to respond to sick and injured patients. This new funding will help provide high-quality clinical services, improve the comfort and care to patients and offer a much better working environment for ambulance service staff.”

Heather Ransom, Head of Resource for the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "The Trust welcomes the continued support from the Welsh Government for its vehicle replacement scheme. Not only will the new vehicles improve the comfort and safety of our patients but also the working conditions for our staff.

“Regularly replacing ageing vehicles ensures our fleet remains modern, reliable and fit for purpose. The investment will allow us to continue to improve the quality of our services for the people of Wales and enhance patient care."

Gardening club hosts successful open show

Llangollen and District Gardening Club hosted its 2014 Open Show at St Collen's last Saturday. ‏

Thirty people entered more than 130 classes. 

 

Organisers say they were delighted with this as they hadn't held a show for a number of years and knew that they would have to gradually build it up again.

 

David Bartley's entries in the vegetable and flower classes won him the trophies for the most points in the vegetable classes, most points in the vegetable and flower classes and most points in the show.

 

He also received a £20 voucher from Stans kindly donated to the person who won the most points in the show.

 

Jane Jones, who is on the gardening club committee, won the trophy for the most points in the flower classes.

 

Judith Barclay won the trophy for the most points in the cookery classes.

 

For the organisers, Linda Thane said: "We would like to thank the judges who did a splendid job, Dr Rhys Davies for presenting the trophies, the sponsors and the people who gave their time to

help with organising and running of the show.

 

"We were delighted that we had entries from people who had previously entered but especially pleased to receive entries from people who had never entered a competition before and they were surprised and encouraged when they won a 1st in their class."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skates becomes eisteddfod vice-president

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates said he was ‘proud and honoured’ after becoming vice-president of the world-famous Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

The Labour Assembly Member, who is based in Llangollen, was offered the official role by the chairman Gethin Davies this month in recognition of his continued support for the event.

Mr Skates (pictured left) said: “I have said previously that the Llangollen Eisteddfod is my favourite event of the year, and last month’s was the best I’ve been to.

"I was proud and honoured to be offered the role of vice-president, and I look forward to helping one of the region’s flagship events continue to go from strength to strength.

“The Eisteddfod is famous around the world for its celebration of different cultures, and promotes understanding and cohesion between international communities.

"It gives us another platform to show what Wales – and, in particular, Denbighshire – has to offer, and it’s something we should be immensely proud of.”