Trains through to Corwen "exceed expectations"

At the end of a short season for passenger trains on its new extension to Corwen, Llangollen Railway has hailed the operation a "great success which exceeded expectations".

In the first 10 days of operations after the first trains for supporters ran on October 22, nearly 4,000 passengers sampled a ride on the 2.2 mile extension beyond Carrog.

 

For seven days of the half term holiday the trains operated as one steam locomotive with four coaches for the scheduled three trains a day, when the engine ran with a special headboard, The Corwen Revival.

 

The trains early in each day were fully loaded with visitors eager to experience the journey to the new temporary terminus, known by the bilingual name as Dwyrain Corwen East.

 

* Black Five 45337 with The Remembrance as viewed from the access ramp at Dwyrain Corwen East on November 9.

Kevin Gooding, general manager of Llangollen Railway, said: "We are delighted with the public response to the Corwen train services. Visitors have come from near and far to sample the extended line.

"As well as those who travelled by train from Llangollen, others joined the train at Corwen to sample the reverse journey option.

 

"This is a passenger flow we wish to develop next year when a full season of operations will commence following an official opening for the station at Dwyrain Corwen East on March 1."
 

Ken Skates, Welsh Assembly member for Clwyd South, who was on the first public train on October 27, said: "It is fantastic to see this Welsh Government-supported project going full steam ahead after decades of incredible hard work and dedication by an amazing team of volunteers.
 

"While this restoration project has been a genuine labour of love for those involved, the unbelievable amount of blood, sweat and tear that’s gone into this fantastic achievement cannot be over estimated.
 

"They have turned a mission impossible into a reality and created something we can all be exceptionally proud of."
 

During the final weekend of trains, on November 8 and 9, the locomotive, Black Five, No.45337, ran with a special headboard, The Remembrance, to mark the national commemoration of the centenary of the First World War.

 

In addition, the owners of the locomotive, the 26B Loco Company, arranged for the nameplate Ayrshire Yeomanry to be fixed to the running plate, as formerly carried by long lost class mate No.45156.

The railway says that whilst the train operations were successful, some lessons have been learned about passenger expectations and that their needs will be incorporated into the procedures for the next series of trains to Corwen during the Mince Pie Special season from December 26.

 

In the meantime work will continue with the fitting out of the facilities at the temporary station which requires, amongst other things, the provision of electric power with a link up to the mains supply and the completion of a footpath to the entrance.

 

George Jones, for Llangollen Railway, said: "Everyone is pleased with the success of the trains on the extended line.

 

"However, the operation has demonstrated the limitations of terminating at the phase 1 station which is without facilities to run an engine around the train.

 

"This emphasises the need to proceed to the phase 2 terminal station nearer the town centre directly funding can be secured for this final stage of the extension project. Only then will all the advantages of serving Corwen be realised."

Share your views on local issues at World Cafe

Would you like the opportunity to discuss local issues that concern you?

If so, Cittaslow Llangollen is hosting a 'World Cafe' event this Saturday, 15th November, in the Town Hall between 1:00pm and 4:00pm (drop in at a time to suit you).

A Cittaslow spokesperson said: "A World Cafe is a way for anyone and everyone who cares to take part in a wider discussion about what matters to them, sharing ideas and perspectives.

"If you're not feeling chatty don't worry, you are welcome to write your thoughts down - we'd prefer that you share them any way you can.

"By learning about what people feel is important, we can create links to connect ideas and people, and take projects forward.

"Everyone is welcome to come along and get involved, young or old. Refreshments are available.

"Please share with your friends and help get as many people as possible to come along and share their thoughts."

Vote for schemes to support with collared villains' cash

* Winston Roddick, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, with Assistant Chief Constable Richard Debicki and Dave Evans, P.A.C.T project manager.

 

Voting lines are open for people across North Wales to choose which local community group they want to support - using cash seized from criminals.

A total pot of £42,000 is up for grabs as part of a new scheme set up by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick to reward groups which help tackle anti-social behaviour and combat crime and disorder.

 

The Your Community, Your Choice initiative is being supported by North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).

 

Two groups in each of the six counties will get £3,000 apiece and a £6,000 prize will go to the winning  organisation that operates across North Wales.

 

People will be able to vote via the websites of the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and North Wales Police from November 10 to December 12.

 

The prize money includes cash confiscated from criminals through the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the rest coming from the Police Commissioner.

 

Mr Roddick said: "This scheme has been designed to benefit community groups across North Wales and at the same time hit villains where it hurts them most - in the pocket.

 

"This is a first class scheme which brings the police and the community closer together and  gives an opportunity for the community to decide how they would like to see the funds we’ve confiscated from criminals spent in their community.

 

"The message to criminals is abundantly clear - we will seize their ill-gotten gains and use the money for the benefit of the communities from which the money was taken in the first place.

 

"We have had some fantastic entries which underlines how much excellent work is happening across North Wales in terms of reducing crime and disorder and making  North Wales an even safer place to live, work and visit."

 

Assistant Chief Constable Richard Debicki was equally enthusiastic.

 

He said: “This is an excellent scheme which 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.

 

"It is deeply satisfying that money taken out of the hands of criminals is being put back into the community in this way.

 

"Our aim is to drive home the message that crime doesn't pay and that the Police and the Commissioner are listening to people's concerns and then acting on them.

 

"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 "We want to see as many people as possible voting for the schemes they would like us to support.

 

"We are delighted that we have had some particularly high quality applications from across North Wales.

 

“The Your Community, Your Choice initiative 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."

 

Details about how to vote for your chosen community group can be found at www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk or www.north-wales.police.uk
 

Finalists        

 

Locally

 

The Plas Madoc Association of Volunteers want to run a  three month pilot project, Social Inclusion Futsal League, at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre for teams across the Wrexham area. This will comprise of a weekly competition, the aims and objectives of the league are to reduce crime, engage local young people, offer opportunities for training and C.V. building as well as an overall sense health and well-being.

 

North Wales

 

DangerPoint is a safety education and life-skills charity based in Talacre, Flintshire. Working regionally DangerPoint was set up via a public and private partnership to improve safety health and wellbeing of children and young people across North Wales and to encourage them to make positive life choices and not become involved in crime and antisocial behaviour. The Prevent project will build on the Key Stage Three programme aimed at young people in secondary schools, and will target specific groups of young people from youth justice teams and pupil referral units across north Wales.

 

The Flick Project is part of the VI-Ability Educational Programme which aims to use to use the motivational power of hockey to create safer, stronger and more respectful communities across six local authorities in North Wales through the development of young people’s potential. The activities will include late night rush hockey coaching and wellbeing sessions in targeted areas. Rush hockey is a new and exclusive product of Hockey Wales, and is a new way to play the game that is faster, more intense and focused.

.

North Wales Deaf Association has been working with the Deaf community and with people with hearing loss since 1994. They wish to run five crime prevention workshops in three locations across North Wales. These workshops will be designed to be easily accessible to people with hearing loss and will be designed to cove crime prevention topics which have been identified from feedback received whilst working in the community. 

AM aims to save commuter trains service

At a meeting this week between Arriva Trains Wales and Aled Roberts AM, the local Assembly Member called for the withdrawal of proposals to cut the 7.47 commuter train service from Wrexham to Birmingham which also serves Chirk and Ruabon in May next year.

 

Regular meetings are to be arranged between Arriva Trains Wales and the Lib Dem Assembly Member for North Wales which he hopes will ensure that local people have plenty of time to make their views known on any proposed changes to timetables next May.

 

“I met with Arriva Trains Wales today to voice local concerns that Wrexham will lose a commuter service when we should be getting more direct commuting services,” said Mr Roberts.

 

“We need transport priorities that get people to work.

 

 “Following the loss of a direct commuting train service that linked Llandudno and Manchester, I am concerned that North East Wales is being ignored by Cardiff-based planners in the Welsh Government and Arriva Trains Wales.

 

“The 07.47 train which provides a direct link without any changes between Wrexham and Birmingham is one of our busiest commuter trains serving Telford, Wolverhampton and Birmingham in time for the working day. Its likely replacement will leave about 15 minutes earlier and then wait at Shrewsbury which makes it very inconvenient for those who want to commute using public transport.

 

“I understand that the train which forms the current 07.47 service to Birmingham is to be transferred to the Cambrian line so that there is a new hourly service from May 2015 linking Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury.” 

Town marks Armistice Day

* Standards are lowered during the Armistice Day ceremony.

Llangollen town centre briefly came to a standstill this morning (Tuesday) as people gathered for a short Armistice Day ceremony, marking the point at which the guns fell silent at the end of the First World War at 11am on November 11, 1918.

At the Town Hall clock struck 11, John Lawton of Llangollen branch of the Royal British Legion read out the Ode of Remembrance followed by the Kohima Prayer, which says: "When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,  For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today."

British Legion standards were lowered as the ceremony, which was attended by the Town Mayor Cllr Bob Lube, took place.

* John Lawton of Llangollen Royal British Legion during the ceremony. 

  

KLS chair answers Sainsbury's statement on new store

Martin Crumpton, chair of Keep Llangollen Special, has issued this statement in response to the llanblogger story on Monday in which Sainsbury’s said it would be going ahead with its new superstore in Llangollen despite rumours that it was halting new store openings as part of an overhaul of its business to fight falling sales. 

“We need not be unduly dismayed by this bullish response from Sainsbury’s PR machine.

“The supermarket giant may well find itself owning a shell on the outskirts of Llangollen, but it won’t have escaped their notice they will never achieve the profitability originally scoped for the project.

“Their own results will show that on Wednesday, as well as the Denbighshire-commissioned report, Mixed Use Sites Assessment Study, which reveals an apparent shortfall of 1,400 square metres (paragraph 9.3, http://bit.ly/dccmixed) which predates the opening of town-central Stans Superstore, Llangollen.

 

“Ours is an evidence-based response. The results of our house-to-house survey, reaching around 90% of households, are here: http://bit.ly/klssurv

 

“It’s up to them to decide the shell’s future use, whether to landbank it, make it less retail, more a distribution hub since their nearest home delivery centre is Rhyl, or even sell it on to the manufacturing sector, but it’s up to us, Keep Llangollen Special community group and the residents, to ensure that it operates at a loss by beefing-up our Buy Local campaign and assisting the thousands here who will find the site inaccessible, to convert to online shopping and home delivery, which is currently provided free by Tesco just a few minutes’ drive or bus ride away in nearby Cefn Mawr.

 

“National Small Business Saturday takes place on December 5th and once again, Buy Local Day will coincide with it. More initiatives and partnerships are to be confirmed. Meanwhile, if you’re considering online shopping but need some practical help, contact researcher@keepllangollenspecial.org.uk and you can help defend Llangollen too.”

Search is on for next Pavarotti

 

* Luciano Pavarotti performing at Llangollen.

 

The search is on for the next Pavarotti as Wales’s top international music festival launches a hunt for the singing stars of tomorrow.

 

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, where the late, great Luciano Pavarotti made his worldwide debut as a teenager, is to introduce a trio of major new solo competitions next year.

 

They are aimed firmly at rising young musical stars, under the age of 28, and each has a generous first prize of £1500.

 

They are the International Voice of the Future, International Voice of Musical Theatre and International Young Musician and are part of an impressive list of major new competitions for the Eisteddfod’s midweek programme.

 

The idea for them came from Eisteddfod Musical Director Eilir Owen Griffiths who said: “We’re very excited about this because it shows the Eisteddfod is investing in the future of these young artists.

 

“Pavarotti made his international debut on the stage at the International Eisteddfod and then went on to become a worldwide star and we are looking for these stars of the future, we are looking for another Pavarotti.”

 

Pavarotti was 19 and alongside his father, Fernando, was part of the Chorus Rossini, the Modena Choir which won the Male Choir competition in 1955 and the visit to Llangollen left an indelible impression on him and he famously said that if he could win the first prize with a small choir from Modena, he could do anything.

 

It’s that inspiration that Eilir Owen Griffiths is looking to kindle through the new competitions and he added: “It’s part of my ethos and probably comes from my background of working with students at Trinity St David’s University over the past eight years.

 

“This year we gave three young singers the chance to sing with Bryn Terfel in a performance of Sweeney Todd at Llangollen and that was a magnificent occasion and a wonderful opportunity which they seized.

 

* Lauren Morris.

“It’s fantastic if a festival of the stature of Llangollen can give opportunities to young people to have a stage on which to show their ability and to gain experience.

 

“I see many students who do well and also many who struggle and if we can give exposure to their talent then that could make a difference and that is so important.

 

“We are looking for strong individuals. Because the prize money is substantially higher than we have offered in the past then we are keen to ensure that the standard is of an international level.”

 

The trio who sang with Bryn Terfel were Berwyn Pearce, from Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd, great-nephew of another legendary Welsh opera singer, Sir Geraint Evans, Lauren Morris, from Solihull, and Dewi Wykes, 14-year-old from Gellifor, near Ruthin.

 

 * Dewi Wykes with opera star Bryn Terfel.

They were whittled down from over 80 hopefuls who went through auditions in Cardiff and Llangollen before being hand-picked by Bryn Terfel himself.

 

Eilir Owen Griffiths said: “One of our roles at the Eisteddfod is to provide an opportunity for young talent to flourish and there can be no bigger opportunity than to sing alongside a legend like Bryn Terfel.

 

“The enthusiasm that those auditions generated and the standard of the singers was also a reason for introducing these new competitions in singing and musicianship.”

 

The Eisteddfod will also introduce two new ensemble competitions in 2015, an Open Band and a Vocal Ensemble and also a new Open Floor Dance and the Musical Diector added: “In recent years we have seen a revival in interest in brass bands and this will provide an opportunity for them to compete and also for the many folk bands who come to the Eisteddfod to accompany dance groups.

 

* Berwyn Pearce.

“The Vocal Ensemble is aimed at small groups singing unaccompanied so they could be barbershop quartets or acapella groups while the Open Floor Dance gives an opportunity for dancers of any style, whether it’s folk, modern, contemporary or urban.

 

“It’s a very exciting concept that we could have a brass band competing against a band who accompany traditional Indian dance or Scottish Highland dancers taking on hip hop poppers.”

 

The closing date for all Choral, Dance Group and Ensemble competitions is Friday, November 21, while for Solo events it is Friday, March 6. Friday, November 21 is also the closing date for non-competitive applications.

For more details on the 2015 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, including information about competitions, go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk