Car overturns on Horseshoe Pass

The Leader is reporting on its website that a car overturned on the Horseshoe Pass just before noon today (Monday).

For the full story, see: http://leaderlive.co.uk/news/148650/lane-blocked-after-car-overturned-on-horseshoe-pass.aspx

Councillor's personal recollections of trusty Dakota

 

* The World War Two era Dakota which overflew Llangollen recently. 

 

Llanblogger’s recent story about a World War Two Dakota transport plane overflying Llangollen has prompted personal recollections of the trusty aircraft from local county councillor Stuart Davies.

Last week we reported that a C-47 Dakota, in D-Day identification markings, had flown twice through the Dee Valley last Thursday afternoon, causing a great deal of interest each time.

Later, llanblogger learned from the public relations team at the Battle of Britain memorial Flight (BBMF), based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, that the plane – identification number ZA947 – had been making its way to and from a families day at RAF Valley on Anglesey when it was spotted.

Cllr Davies (pictured below) has now been in touch to tell us of his own warm memories of the type of aircraft.

He said: “I noted with interest the story about the Dakota aircraft flying over Llangollen.

“When I first went to work in Angola in 1977 I flew there in what was then the latest modern aircraft, a DC10.

“When I arrived I was shown to the plane that would take me north to Soyo, a small village on the banks of the River Zaire. It was a Second World War Dakota that was being used by the oil companies there for internal transport.

“It was a rugged workhorse that could land on a dirt strip or a tarmac one.

“Built during the war, the design brief was that it could take off, with a load, on one engine.”

Cllr Davies added: “I found out later it had served with the Belgian air force.

“This design was to my liking because one day, when the `Dak’ I was on lost one of its engines due to a malfunction, it carried on without any problems.

“Its ruggedness and simplicity was also evident on another occasion when I was in charge of getting a drill rig crew-change home.

“The starter motor wouldn’t start the port engine, however with the help of a piece of rope and my trusty co-workers, we got it going.

“The rope was wrapped around the propeller and a chain gang of the workers pulling on it soon had it going.

“Health and safety eat your heart out!”

The Douglas C-47 Dakota is acknowledged as one of the most successful aircraft designs in history.

It became one of the world's most famous military transport aircraft and saw widespread use by the Allies during World War Two and subsequently by air forces and civilian operators worldwide.

The BBMF website shows that the C-47 Dakota seen in the skies above Llangollen last week was manufactured in the USA by Douglas in March 1942 and initially issued to the United States Army Air Force.

In September that year the aircraft was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and served in Canada during World War Two.

It was subsequently deployed to Europe with the RCAF until declared surplus to requirements by the Canadians in 1971.

The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough then purchased the aircraft and has used it for a variety of tasks and trials, including dropping sonar buoys through holes cut in the fuselage and for launching remotely piloted vehicles.

Cleared for dropping paratroops, she often displayed in this role and occasionally appeared in the static park at air shows.

In 1992 the Defence Research Agency, the successor to the RAE, declared ZA947 surplus to requirements.

The aircraft was adopted by Strike Command and issued to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 1993.

As there are now no other multi-engine tail wheel aircraft in RAF service outside the BBMF, the Dakota is an important training asset used for initial training of aircrew for the BBMF multi-engine aircraft and for renewing the currency of the flight’s Lancaster pilots each year.

The Dakota is a sought-after display aircraft in her own right and, as such, appears regularly on the air show circuit either on her own or as part of a BBMF formation.

She continues to be capable of para-dropping and is used in that role for special commemorative events.

ZA947 is now painted to represent Dakota FZ692 of N^o 233 Squadron, around the D-Day period in 1944.

That aircraft, which was named ‘Kwicherbichen’ by her crews, was involved in para-dropping operations on the eve of D-Day and subsequently in re-supply and casualty evacuation missions into and out of forward airfields in the combat areas.

The female nurses who escorted the casualties on these flights became known as ‘The Flying Nightingales’.

By the end of 1944, 1,092 stretcher cases and 467 sitting wounded had been evacuated to England by the 233 Squadron Dakotas.

* Fore more details about the aircraft see: http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/theaircraft/dakotahistory.cfm

Silver Band to stage annual picnic in the park

* The youth and training bands performing at last year's event.

Tickets are now on sale for Llangollen Silver Band's popular annual Picnic in the Garden at Plas Newydd.

The event, which will be held on Sunday, June 28, from 4.30pm-6.30pm, will feature performances from all three sections of the band  - senior, intermediate and training - and special guests.

Tickets can be bought from Honey Pots, the Town Clerk's office and Plas Newydd, priced at £5 with under-sevens free.

Audience members are welcome to bring along their own picnic, something to drink, a chair and an umbrella.

Kids' games and a cake stall will also be available during the afternoon.

 

Warning goes out over cold callers

Local members of Neighbourhood Watch have been sent the following message:

"Following reports of cold callers in the area, we would like to remind you of some safety advice to help you when confronted with an unexpected visit.

Although there are callers who a genuine, it is not easy to establish who is genuine and who might be a rogue trader or bogus caller.

Bogus Callers are conmen (or women) who use a variety of stories to gain access to your home in order to steal. They may pretend to be someone from your local council, gas, water or Electricity Company and give you a good excuse to enter your home.

Rogue Traders are people who pretend to be builders needing to do ‘urgent’ repairs to your property or sales people offering bargain products. They often try to confuse or pressurise you to pay in advance for materials or carry out poor work at highly inflated prices.

The aim of this information is to help you deal more confidently with people who call at your door and provide you with information to enable you to obtain hel p and advice if you need it.

REMEMBER genuine callers will not mind waiting. It’s your home. You don’t have to let anyone in!

• If in doubt, keep them out. It sounds simple, but if you don’t let someone in - they will go away. Don’t let them pressure you into opening the door.
• Be prepared. Be in control. Think about what to say to doorstep cold callers in advance and keep a list of key contact numbers near your phone so you can check out legitimate callers. Ask all other unwanted callers to go away.
• If you think someone is a rogue trader call us on 101. To report a distraction burglar or rogue trader who has taken your money and is still in the area - call 999. 

Please look out for your community and report any suspicious persons or vehicles to us on 101."

World War two plane flies over Llan

* The RAF Dakota which overflew Llangollen yesterday.

A number of local people yesterday (Thursday) reported seeing an RAF Dakota - the famous World War Two transport aircraft - overflying Llangollen on two occasions in the afternoon.

llanblogger asked the press office for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, for more details about the plane painted with D-Day recognition white stripes on both wings.

This morning they have replied: "The Dakota was heading to RAF Valley to do a display for Valleys families’ day.

“Families’ days are when the station opens up to the families of service personnel so they can look around and see what their spouses/parents actually do.

“They also have various stalls and entertainments and it’s very much a social event as a thank you to them for putting up with the more unsociable aspects of the job.”

 

Dementia is society's biggest crisis, warns advisor

 

* Steve Ford, Dementia Care Lead  for Care Forum Wales.

 

A dementia expert from North Wales has warned the condition is the biggest crisis facing society today.

 

The stark message came from Steve Ford, the dementia advisor of Care Forum Wales (CFW) which represents more than 500 independent care providers in Wales.

 

There are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, a number that’s forecast to double within a generation, a fact that Steve Ford describes as the “dementia time-bomb”.

 

By 2021, the number of people with dementia across Wales is projected to increase by 31 per cent and by as much as 44 per cent in some rural areas

 

Mr Ford, managing director Pembroke Nursing Homes in Colwyn Bay, was speaking at a free training event organised by Care Forum Wales at Conwy Business Centre.

 

He said: “Dementia really is a ticking time-bomb as the baby boomer generation reach old age there is a logistical challenge that we urgently need to address. We need to plan now to meet these huge challenges.

 

“Nursing homes and care providers need to work together now to create solutions. We will all be affected in one way or another.

 

"We need to incorporate positive change into our working practices at the care and nursing homes in which we work. We need to be bold, creative and above all emphatic.

 

“There is a perception that old age is a burden when we really should be celebrating longevity.

 

“We really are facing this demographic time-bomb with an increased expectation of higher quality services versus ever decreasing accommodation resources and funding.

 

“That means we can expect the number of people with dementia to double by the year 2040. It is essential, therefore, that care home staff are given the skills, expertise and knowledge to deliver safe and effective quality care with compassion.”

 

According to Ceri Roberts, managing director of Cariad Care Homes, which operates homes at Criccieth and Porthmadog, the seminar was excellent.

 

She said: “There is a great deal I and members of staff that have been able to attend can take back and cascade down to other staff and all our care assistants.

 

“There is so much we can do to and it’s about thinking outside the box when we go about our everyday nursing roles. Dementia is a huge issue for us and ensuring we provide the very best care is of paramount importance to us all.

 

“Being made aware of best practice and being able to learn from Steve Ford’s knowledge and years of practical experience is really important.”

 

It was a sentiment echoed by Maggie Hawley, deputy matron of Cerrig Yr Afon, Nursing and Residential Care Home, at Y Felinheli.

 

She said “It’s important we work together to ensure best practice and that we are all delivering the very best care we can. Everything we have learnt today I will be endeavouring to pass on to our carers and staff.

 

“I’m delighted Care Forum Wales, through Steve Ford, has organised these free to attend training seminars.”

 

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, described Steve Ford as a "first class practitioner".

 

He said: "The fact that people are living longer is a great thing, but with that comes this significant increase of those people who will have a form of dementia and, of course, some of those need a great deal of care.

 

"The benefit of having a training session conducted by somebody of Steve's calibre as opposed to somebody who’s maybe just an academic is that he actually understands day in, day out, how you get the very best out of people, how you are able to develop your staff team to ensure the very best quality of care, best quality of life and that that care is delivered with respect and dignity in a very person centred way."

Chain Bridge re-opens after over 30 years

llanblogger special report ...

 

 

* Eddie Butler performs the official opening of the Chain Bridge.

 

 

* The first 10 VIPs walk across the re-opened bridge.

 

 

* Llangollen Town Clerk Gareth Thomas with Sandra Baker, clerk to Llantysilio Community Council, who were both closely

involved with the project, make the crossing.

 

* VIPs disembark at Llangollen Wharf after their return boat trip along the canal. 

LLANGOLLEN’S world famous Chain Bridge re-opened to the public today (Thursday) for the first time in over 30 years.

Eddie Butler, rugby commentator and presenter of the former BBC Wales series Hidden Histories, officially unveiled the iconic structure - thought to be the oldest chain link bridge in the world - following its recent £350,000 facelift, which took just over a year to complete.

VIPs arrived by steam train at Berwyn Station for the official opening ceremony at lunchtime and, after walking across the newly-opened bridge, travelled back to Llangollen Station by canal boat.

Among invited guests were John Pickering, a direct descendent of Exuperius Pickering who built the first bridge, and Sarah and Jamie Robertson, descendents of Henry and Sir Henry Robertson who built the second and third bridge.  

Llangollen Town and Llantysilio Community Councils embarked on a painstaking project to restore the historic Chain Bridge about four years ago after buying it for just £1 after it had fallen into disrepair after years of neglect.

The project received a large grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund plus funding from WREN, which distributes funds donated by FCC to the Landfill Communities Fund, Denbighshire County Council, Cadwyn Clwyd and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Acknowledged as a gem of the Dee Valley, the Chain Bridge was originally built in 1817 by local coal merchant Exuperius Pickering to open up a cheap transport route across the River Dee enabling him to transport coal to the A5.

It was later rebuilt by Henry Robertson in the 1870s and again by his son. Sir Henry Beyer Robertson, in 1928.

He rebuilt the suspension bridge which can be seen today, re-using the old chain links as suspension cables.

The bridge will now re-establish the strong link between Llangollen heritage railway and the canal, part of the Pontcysyllte World Heritage site.

Descendants of both Exuperius Pickering and Henry Robertson will attend the official re-opening along with the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates AM, and Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones. 

Ken Skates said: “The re-opened Chain Bridge will act as the perfect addition to the wide heritage offer in this beautiful part of Wales.

“It sits at the heart of a World Heritage Site and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, making it a key part of the thriving tourism industry in the region.” 

* The first Chain Bridge (courtesy of Llangollen Museum). 

A distinctive engineering landmark, the bridge is of vital importance to the area’s industrial heritage and the re-opening has been welcomed by Nigel Clubb, chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for Wales, who said: “We’re thrilled to see this prominent feature from Llangollen’s past restored to its former glory and that National Lottery player’s money has played a part in this.

“I would like to congratulate the project team on their hard work on bringing the bridge back to life and look forward to seeing it thrive as an important local attraction once more.”

Samantha Jones, Chain Bridge heritage officer, said: “This has really been a labour of love for all involved and it’s so exciting to see all that hard work finally come to fruition. Communities in both Llangollen and Llantysilio have really come together to ensure that the bridge becomes an important transport link once more. We can’t wait for descendants of those who built the original bridges to mark the next chapter in the bridge’s history with us.”

Meleri Jones, WREN grant manager said: “WREN is committed to funding projects that make a real difference to local communities, children and families.

“We’re delighted to have been able to support the restoration of the Chain Bridge and look forward to seeing the new bridge in use once more.”

* Stewarding duties for the occasion were performed by members of Llangollen's Tidy Town Team.

* The third bridge (courtesy of Llangollen Museum).