Llan scientist appears in government film

* Dr Davies as she appears in the film.

A Llangollen woman features in a film promoting the importance of science in Wales.

Science For Wales, produced by the Welsh Government, promotes the country's scientific achievements.

In one sequence there's an appearance by Dr Charlotte Eve Davies, who was educated at Ysgol Bryn Collen and then Ysgol Dinas Bran before earning a PhD in biology from Swansea University at the age of 24.

The daughter of Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies, she has had six papers published and has travelled extensively around the world giving speeches on her speciality which involves lobsters.

In the film she is seen aboard a boat holding up a lobster.

Cllr Davies said: "I'd like to thank all the people from Denbighshire County Council who were involved in her education and helped to make this happen.

"As can be seen from the film, we deliver a world class education system."

An example of Dr Davies’ work can be seen at: http://theconversation.com/competitive-lobsters-are-fighting-it-out-in-uks-first-marine-park-35830

Methodist Church's festival of praise

Llangollen Methodist Church is hosting a Festival of Praise on Monday, July 6, starting at 7.30pm.

It includes favourite hymns by guest performers and will be led by the Rev Philip Poole.

A collection will be held in aid of Llangollen Cancer Research UK.

Real flap outside the Town Hall this morning

LLANGOLLEN town centre was in a real flap this morning (Saturday) when a trio of 1920s style  dancers went through a hectic routine on the Town Hall steps.

The flappers were there to promote the launch of the New Dot community cinema project, which will show its first film, the modern silent classic The Artist, at the Town Hall on July 15.

* Tickets are available NOW!
£8 (£5 concessions)
Buy in person from our two official outlets:
Bailey’s Fine Foods
Town Hall Stores
Castle Street
Llangollen
LL20 8NU
www.baileysfinefoods.com
Gales of Llangollen
18 Bridge Street
Llangollen
LL20 8PF
www.galesofllangollen.co.uk
Or buy online from our friends at Llangollen Fringe:
www.llangollenfringe.co.uk

* See llanblogger's film of the dancers at YouTube on: http://youtu.be/4MBnTi4wbNY

Time again for Llan to meet the world

* Bollywood on the Dee – Indian dancers on one of the outside stages.

Thousands of people from around the world - as well as a Royal couple - will descend on Llangollen next week as it celebrates the 69^th annual International Musical Eisteddfod.

The visit of the Prince of Wales on Tuesday afternoon, will make this a special occasion as he and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive in time for one of the event highlights, the Parade of Nations.

Prince Charles will be meeting Eisteddfod officials and chatting to competitors taking part in the parade which will again be led by the Eisteddfod’s President, Terry Waite CBE.

It is the fifth visit he has made to the festival, he came with Princess Diana in 1985 and with the Duchess of Cornwall in 2006, and also on his own as a Day President in 1996 and in 2003 to a special concert in aid of the Prince’s Trust.

Over the years the event which began as a festival of peace in the aftermath of the Second World War has grown into one of Europe’s premier music and dance events.

It has attracted cultural icons like Dylan Thomas and the great Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who began his international career as a member of a choir from Modena at Llangollen in 1955.

In recent years artists of the stature of Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Kiri Te Kanawa, James Galway, Montserrat Caballe and Jools Holland have performed at the Sunday Evening Gala Concert and last year veteran rockers Status Quo brought the curtain and the house down at the finale.

Most importantly the competitors have continued to come from all over the world – this year they will be here from Canada and China, Ghana, Hungary, India and Indonesia, Jamaica, Morocco, Nepal, Slovakia, Sweden, the Netherlands and the USA as well as from all over the UK and Ireland.

This year’s event runs from Tuesday, July 7, when Prince Charles will see off the colourful traditional procession from the Royal International Pavilion to the town and back, through six days of competitions and concerts to Sunday’s spectacular fireworks extravaganza.

This year the list of concerts is led by legendary American songwriter Burt Bacharach who will perform at the curtain-raiser on Monday night while artists of the stature of Alfie Boe, harpist Catrin Finch, choirmaster Gareth Malone and singer-songriter Rufus Wainwright will take the stage during the evenings.

This year’s closing concert will be performed by Ali Campbell, the voice of multi-selling reggae artists UB40, reunited on stage with former bandmatres Mickey and Astro.

But there will also be so much going on during the day, both on the main stage as competitions take place, and on the field where crowds mingle with performers and competitors in a multi-cultural carnival of nations.

Eisteddfod Musical Director Eilir Owen Griffiths said: “We have another wonderful event to stage this year and with artists of the calibre of Burt Bacharach, Alfie Boe and Gareth Malone the status of the this unique event is underlined.

“The Royal visit just adds to the magic and sense of occasion andf we’re looking forward to another spectacular week this year.”

For more details on this year’s event go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/llangollen

Davies hits out over health board's turn-around plan

A LLANGOLLEN county council has branded as “idiotic” a plan by its interim chief executive to turn around the ailing Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in 100 days.

The board was recently placed in special measures by the Welsh Government amid concerns about management failings.

A report also condemned poor treatment of mental health patients at Glan Clwyd Hospital as "institutional abuse".

Simon Dean, deputy head of the NHS in Wales and the man appointed by the government to run the board after its chief executive Professor Trevor Purt was suspended, said last week that he had given seniors managers 100 days to start making improvements. 

But Cllr Stuart Davies (pictured right), who represents Llangollen on Denbighshire County Council, predicts the initiative is “doomed to fail” and says he will demand that Wales’s First Minister Carwyn Jones considers his position when it does.

Cllr Davies has also criticised the board for failing to go ahead with an arrangement for a representative to attend the full council meeting next Tuesday to allow members to raise questions about the current situation.

He said: “I am highly disappointed that the people in charge of the Betsi are not willing to come to our meetings to answer questions about their problems. Trevor Purt had promised to attend our July meeting.

“I am particularly concerned because I wanted to seriously question them on their widely promoted 100-day turn-around plan.

“I believe this is the most idiotic idea I have heard because it will take years to turn around the deep-seated culture that is now driving the Betsi.”

He added: “They are being their usual arrogant self in not wishing to engage with councillors.

“They say on one hand they want to engage and then turn down this opportunity.

“The whole project is doomed to failure in my opinion and it is all down to the Welsh Government who are doing their usual micro-managing bit.

“I will be calling on the First Minister to consider his position when this 100-day initiative fails.”

A spokesperson for the health board said: “Professor Purt wrote out to local authorities earlier in the year, seeking an opportunity to meet with them as part of a process of public engagement to support the development of the health board’s medium term plan.  

“The July date was offered by Denbighshire County Council for this.

“However, following the decision to place the health board into special measures status, the Health Minister issued clear direction that before carrying out any such discussion the health board is to carry out a widespread public listening exercise. 

“This exercise has now started, initially with a programme of public ‘drop in’ sessions in 15 locations across North Wales, and will continue over the coming months.  

“As a result of this the health board was no longer in a position to proceed with the meeting as proposed.” 

New health centre set to open on August 24

* The new health centre which is due to open on August 24. Picture: Mike Edwards.

Assembly Member Ken Skates has praised contractors building Llangollen’s new multi-million pound health centre for delivering "what looks certain to become a huge asset" to the town.

The Clwyd South Labour AM says it’s "extremely positive news" that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s newest facility will open on Monday August 24.

The state-of-the-art centre is being built by Brymbo-based Read Construction, which has won the praise of their AM as well as a raft of positive comments from residents and businesses in Llangollen.

Mr Skates said: “The contractors have done a fantastic job and built what looks certain to become a huge asset for Llangollen. It’s very impressive.

“The facility has taken shape rapidly over the past few months, and it’s important that something on a main route into the town like this looks good – and this certainly does.”

Mr Skates was told this week that services are scheduled to transfer to the new centre on August 24, and also welcomed the news an open day will be held for the public on July 30 to allow residents a sneak preview.

He added: “It is extremely positive news for Llangollen that Betsi Cadwaladr, local practice and Welsh Labour Government have worked together to create a modern healthcare facility fit for the 21st century and fit for the people who live here.”

Mr Skates is meeting Betsi chairman Dr Peter Higson and interim chief executive Simon Dean later this month after the Welsh Government moved to address concerns over its performance by placing the health board in special measures.

Mr Skates said: “As well as discussing my constituents’ concerns about the NHS in North Wales, I will be raising several other matters specific to Clwyd South which I am hoping for positive news on.

“The Llangollen facility will be massive for the town. It’s important we don’t just focus on what is needed now, but continue to build for the medium and long-term too.”

* The surgery has asked llanblogger to display the following notice:

NEW LLANGOLLEN HEALTH CENTRE OPEN AFTERNOON

Thursday 30 July 2015, 3 – 6 pm

Canolfan Iechyd Llangollen Health Centre
Bishops Walk
Llangollen
LL20 8RZ


Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Dr A D Evans & Partners are hosting an open afternoon at the new Health Centre situated next to Bishops Walk in Llangollen.  This will be an informal opportunity for people to familiarise themselves with the new building, and find out more about the services that it will offer, before it opens on 24 August.

If you require any further information please contact the Health Centre on 01978 860625.

* A note from local health campaigner Martin Crumpton ...

"The news broke yesterday (Thursday) that Betsi Cadwaladr has decided not to contest the Judicial Review brought about by campaigners fighting the closure of consultant-led maternity services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, reported by the BBC at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-33367737.

 

Myself and fellow campaigners are celebrating and welcome the apparent change of heart at the Board. It marks the arrival of the new Chief Executive, Simon Dean and our meeting with him around a week ago, but discussions are on-going between us to ensure this apparent change of attitude at the top is permanent and in future we, the public, will have more say in matters affecting us all, such as bringing beds back to Llangollen, ensuring safe access to the new Health Centre and improved GP availability.

 

Thanks in particular go to Marsha Davis of the #savebetsibabies campaign and Mabon ap Gwynfor of the North Wales Health Alliance."

 

 

Finally ... it's goodbye to the A5 lights

* The signs might still be there but at last the A5 is free of traffic lights.

* The sight which greeted motorists for more than half a year.

AFTER causing misery for residents and tourists for almost seven months, the temporary traffic lights at roadworks on the main A5 leading into Llangollen have now gone.

The long-delay lights, which have led to many frustrated motorists “rat running” along Birch Hill and Maes Mawr Road to avoid hold-ups, were installed around Tyn y Wern on December 12 last year by the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent after movement and distress was detected in the carriageway.   

The agent said the closure ensured the safety of highway users and allowed investigations to be undertaken to identify the reasons for the movement and to provide information for the design of temporary repair works. 

Work to temporarily strengthen the retaining walls started on the June 1 but the lights have now been removed in time for the start of the International Eisteddfod next Monday.

The disruption caused by the work and the claimed lack of information about it to residents given by the agent have come under fire from local politicians on a number of occasions. 

* Reader Mike Edwards has sent us a copy of correspondence he's had with Welsh Transport Minister Edwina Hart, which deals with the town's other roadworks on the A5, outside the supermarket development site. 

It says: "We also committed to reopen the A5 at the food store development before the peak summer season.  Works affecting the A5 will be suspended for the week of the Eisteddfod with the road reopening on Friday 3 July. The signals will be reinstated on 13 July to allow for final surfacing works and will be removed by 17 July."

* However, it wasn't all plain sailing because throughout today (Thursday) there have been new - but shorter - temporary lights near the Tyn y Wern ...



 

 

* Sign of the times: The traffic light warning sign lies bedside the A5 this morning (Thursday).