Event showcases Llan's rich history

* A realistic-looking model of a Victorian prisoner in the reconstructed

lock-up cell at the Old Armoury. 

VISITORS with an eye for history made their way to Llangollen at the weekend to take advantage of Denbighshire’s latest Open Doors event.

The annual celebration of history and architecture in the county saw a number of the town’s tourist attractions offer free entry to the public and there were also a number of special exhibitions.

Among the most popular locations was the Old Armoury which was bought and extensively refurnished by Sue Hargreaves before being opened to the public in 2012.

Sue and her team of helpers were on hand throughout the weekend to give guided tours of the historic building which in its time has been used as a magistrates court, a police station and a lock-up gaol.    

Over at the Memorial Hall in Market Street there was an exhibition detailing the history of a number of important houses in the Llangollen area, including Pengwern Hall and Trevor Hall.

Plas Newydd, home of the famous Ladies of Llangollen, turned over the exhibition area in its grounds to a timeline of the house’s development from a humble cottage into a mini stately home.

Tours of the house were offered on Saturday and Sunday.   

On both days there were tours of the engineering sheds at Llangollen Railway and Ysgol Dinas Bran opened its doors to the public on Saturday.

 

* A recreation of the 1830s police station at the Old Armoury.

* A visitor browses a display on important local houses at the Memorial Hall.  

 

* Plans for a remodelling of Plas Newydd in the 1960s on display at the
exhibition in the grounds of the famous house.

Safer roads campaign launched

A new "20mph Rule Outside Schools" campaign has been launched focussing on making roads safer in communities.

 

GoSafe - The Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership - will be enforcing in 20mph areas and educating drivers about the importance of adhering to the relevant limit. 

 

The campaign is principally aimed at reducing risk

to young persons and supporting local communities with September being a key time for children at the start of the academic year.

20mph areas, both zones and limits, have been around for a considerable time, it is important that drivers understand that those 20mph areas are there to improve safety, and that failure to keep within the limit puts children at risk, and leaves drivers liable to prosecution.

GoSafe will be focusing enforcement around 20mph areas outside schools in September.  Better enforcement within these areas will increase compliance to the speed limit and contribute to the safety of the roads in Wales.

Slower speeds in communities have also been shown to support people to become more active, through increased cycling and walking.  According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) while there is a 20% chance of fatal injury when someone is hit by a car travelling at 30mph, this reduces to just 2.5% if the car is travelling at 20mph.

Chris Hume, Partnership Manager, GoSafe, said: "The launch of 20mph Rule Outside Schools will help road users to stop, think and kill their speed, encouraging all local people who use the roads to have greater respect not only for one another but also their surrounding community. 

"We will continue to work together with our partners on community engagement activities to make the streets outside schools safer.  Our aim is for everyone in Wales to understand the effects that those exceeding the 20mph limit can have on families and friends.

"The motoring public should be aware that we will also continue to enforce both the limit and other traffic offences such as mobile phone and seatbelt use which will link in with the TISPOL and Think campaigns scheduled for September."

Chief Inspector Darren Wareing, North Wales Police said: "North Wales and GoSafe will be conducting enforcement outside North Wales schools focusing upon mobile phone usage, non-wearing of seat belt and excessive speed.  This enforcement will also be conducted outside schools located within 20mph limits.  This forms part of a supports a national campaign across Wales to heighten awareness of working within our communities to reduce the risks of collisions outside of our schools."

Susan Storch, Chair of Road Safety Wales said; "Children are potentially amongst the most vulnerable road users because of their age and lack of experience in certain situations.  Reducing speeds outside schools will encourage children to walk and cycle to school, reduce congestion and improve the residential environment.  Working with our partners in GoSafe we want to remind drivers and riders that lower speeds provide a safer road environment.”

GoSafe adheres to Welsh Government and ACPO guidelines, but would ask all drivers to be aware - there are no enforcement free times and no enforcement free locations.  All enforcement sites are dealth with on a case by case basis.

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New art course begins in Llangollen

Coleg Cambria has teamed up with learning organisation Agored Cymru to run an 11-week introduction to art course at St Collen’s Community Hall in Llangollen, starting from Friday, September 26.

Francine Isaacs, from Coleg Cambria in Wrexham, said: “The course is a well established beginners course, but can also be taken by practicing artists who might want some formal tuition.

“I delivered it in Llangollen back in 2009 and it was very successful. Many of the students progressed on to another course afterwards.”

 

 

Harley Davidson spectacle in town

Deva Legion Circus Maximus Harley Davidson motor bikes are at the Llangollen Pavilion this weekend.

Tomorrow  (Saturday) they will return from their ride out “around 3pm” with a ride through the centre of the town involving over 100 bikes.

 

Residents and visitors are then invited up to the Pavilion to view the bikes and vote for “the best bike”.

Euro cash sought for river footbridge to new health centre

Health chiefs are seeking European cash to fund the building of a footbridge over the River Dee to serve Llangollen’s new £5 million health centre, says an Assembly Member.

Campaigners have been complaining since plans for the centre were first drawn up as a replacement for the town’s closed-down Cottage Hospital that pedestrians would find it difficult to reach the building because of its location on a busy road with restricted pavement access.

But now Clwyd South Labour AM Ken Skates says the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is applying for money to pay for the footbridge to connect the main part of the town with the former River Lodge site where the centre is now in the early stages of construction.   

Mr Skates says he has also asked the Welsh Government to examine the feasibility of a road bridge over the Dee to further enhance access to the site.

In  a statement today Mr Skates and Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies have both welcomed the ‘rapid’ progress being made in the new centre.

Mr Skates, who is based in Llangollen, said: “It is fantastic news for Llangollen that the health board, local practice and Welsh Labour Government are working together to create a modern, state-of-the-art healthcare facility fit for the 21st century. The people who live here need and deserve this major investment.

“Rapid progress is being made on the building of the brand new multi-million pound centre, and I’m delighted that the health board is now investigating the possibility of a footbridge over the Dee to improve access from Llangollen following my meeting with chief executive Trevor Purt and chairman Peter Higson for talks last month.

“I am hopeful the health board will be able to utilise European money to make this happen. It is some way off, but it’s important that we keep an eye on what Llangollen needs not just now but in the medium and long-term future.”

Cllr Davies said: “I am pleased to see the progress on the new health centre and I’m particularly pleased to hear that some of the issues I have championed, such as pedestrian and road crossings across the Dee, are now being pursued by Betsi Cadwaladr and the Welsh Government.”

 

Llan to stage charity paddle event

LEGENDARY kayaker Dave Manby has organised a charity paddle in aid of muscular dystrophy in Llangollen next month.

Dave, who has been a national champion in slalom canoeing C-1 and is considered a pioneer in the sport, is probably best known for being involved on the British expedition which made the first descent of the Dudh Kosi river, which runs off Mount Everest.

On Saturday, October 18 he aims to raise over £10,000 for muscular dystrophy by staging a paddle down the River Dee from Glyndyfrdwy to the Horseshoe Falls and then by canal to Llangollen.

Those taking part will be transported to the put-in by steam train along the Llangollen heritage railway and Dave has booked the engine to do two runs of 200 paddlers up the valley.

A number of other attractions are also being arranged for the day.

A band called Spikedrivers will be playing train-inspired blues on the station platform and also doing a gig in the Sun Inn that evening.

There will be an exhibition of vintage canoes and kayaks on the platform, provided by Graham Mackereth of Pyranha Mouldings, and a lecture by Phil Harwood about his full descent of the Congo River by canoe.

Dave said: “The event is planned for open boats but there is no reason why you can’t paddle your kayak, sit-on-top, duckie, or stand-up-paddleboard down the river.

“This is a great weekend for a reunion of people you did a trip with, went to university with, or worked with in the summer.

“I’m not organising anything for the Sunday but why not stay the night and either paddle on down the canal over the two aqueducts through the two tunnels to England and the Poacher’s Pocket pub for lunch, spend the day mountain biking at Llandegla Centre, take a leisurely hike up to Dinas Bran Castle, or visit the Hamper Llangollen food festival which is on the same weekend.”

Tickets for the event are £60 and more details are available on Dave’s website at www.davemanby.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Plas Madoc public meeting planned

Volunteers behind plans to reopen Plas Madoc Leisure Centre will hold a public meeting after taking a major step towards achieving their dream.

The Splash Community Trust is calling on ‘anyone who wants to play a part in Plas Madoc’s future’ to turn out and show their support at Air Products Social Club in Acrefair at 7pm on Thursday, (September 18).

Wrexham Council has now agreed in principle to leasing the popular facility to Splash and to injecting £50,000 to reopen the doors before the end of the year.

Chairman Darrell Wright, who lives in Trevor, said: “There is a lot to discuss and a lot of planning and hard work still to come, but we are now finally in a position to look to the future with optimism.

“I would call on anyone who wants to play a part in Plas Madoc’s future to come and show their support. Despite the fantastic progress we’ve made, we cannot succeed without the help of the public – and we’ll need it now more than ever.”

Ken Skates, Labour AM for Clywd South and a Trust member, added: “We need your support to continue raising money, we need your help in spreading the word that Plas Madoc is back in business and, most importantly, we need you to use it when you have it back. “This is an exciting time and I am delighted to have been able to play a part. It’s now time for the public to help make sure it is still around for the next generation to enjoy.”