Millie snaps up prestigious photo award

 

* Millie with her camera at  the Eisteddfod.

 

A teenage volunteer at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has won a prestigious national photography competition run by the Sunday Times.

 

Millie Adams Davies, from Llangollen, had her winning photograph on display at the Eisteddfod where she has been a volunteer since the age of 11.

 

The 19-year-old won the Sunday Times competition for amateur photographers with an image entitled Ladies Who Lunch, taken in La Paz while she was travelling through South America last year and has already been printed in the newspaper.

 

It is quite a coup for Millie, who was brought up with the Eisteddfod - her parents are season ticket-holders and her dad, retired local GP Dr Rhys Davies, is currently vice-chairman of the event.

 

As soon as she was old enough to get involved herself, Millie jumped at the chance to join the 800 volunteers who make sure the musical extravaganza runs smoothly every year.

 

She said: “I’ve been to the Eisteddfod every year of my life. It’s on our doorstep and Mum and Dad always took me so as soon as I was 11 I wanted to join in.

 

 

 * Millie's prize-winning picture of Bolivian women sitting

on the steps of the San Francisco Cathedral.

 

“I was an usher for my first year and then joined the floral committee who I’ve been helping ever since.”

 

In the intervening years Millie left Ysgol Y Gwernant, completed her secondary schooling at Moreton Hall, travelled extensively during a gap year and started studying medicine at Cardiff University.

 

Millie ended up spending much of last year in South America. She started by visiting her brother who was living in Chile at the time and went on to spend seven months in the region.

 

She said: “I stayed with my brother for Christmas and then I went on to Santiago to do a Spanish course for a month.

 

“After that I joined a conservation project in Peru and basically spent nearly three months chasing butterflies and catching lizards in a remote part of the rainforest you could only get to by boat.

 

“It was an amazing experience and completely different. After that I did a bit more travelling through Bolivia, Argentina and back to Chile.”

 

In the course of her adventures Millie took thousands of photographs and even had one of them printed in the Sunday Times recently.

 

She said: “I was reading the travel section, as I always do, and spotted this photographic competition. I had taken so many pictures, but my favourite was one of a group of Bolivian women sitting on the steps of the San Francisco Cathedral in La Paz so I just thought I’d send it in.

 

“I got an email at the end of the week saying I was that week’s winner and I’d get £250 vouchers to spend on photographic equipment.”

 

This comes as good news for Millie as her trusty camera took quite a beating on her travels as she went sandboarding, enjoyed mud fights, dropped it on the Machu Picchu trail and repeatedly covered it in sand.

 

Now able to buy a new one, Millie is happily planning this summer’s travels through Europe, once she has finished her ninth year as stalwart of the International Eisteddfod.

 

Once again she helped organise the floral stage arrangements that the festival is famous for as well as selling posies and baskets of flowers.

 

Millie said: “I really enjoy it. I take time out to do it every year and you always meet up with the same people again which is lovely.

 

“It’s a really good time to practice my Welsh too as I used to be fluent when I was little and then it dropped off a bit.”

 

Over her years working behind the scenes at North Wales’s premier music event, Millie has also bumped into all sorts of celebrities.

 

She said: “A lot of people like to come to the floral tent so you end up having all sorts of random chats with quite famous people like Terry Waite and people from the television.

 

“I once had to go on stage to present a bouquet to Sir Willard White which was really cool, and I got to buy a new dress too!”

 

Despite her passion for music, Millie has followed her parents’ career paths and just completed her first year as a medical student in Cardiff.

 

She said: “Mum and Dad are both medical professionals so I started out saying I wanted to do anything but that – be an astronaut even, anything just to be different.

 

“But after a while I had to give in and admit it was all I was interested in. I’d quite like to work in surgery and I’m definitely going to spend some time abroad with Medecins Sans Frontieres as I think they’re a great charity.”

 

Gethin Davies, Chairman of the Eisteddfod, said: “We’re really grateful to Millie and all the rest of our volunteers – the event just wouldn’t work without them.

 

“It’s wonderful that she has won this competition too so she obviously has a range of talents, not least in the floral department where we always have an incredible display.”

Ladies of Llan play showcased at Eisteddfod

 

 * Cast members of the new Ladies of Llangollen

play at the Eisteddfod.

 

VISITORS to Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod have been given a fascinating look at the lives of two of the town’s celebrities from the past.

 

Wrexham playwright Peter Read chose the festival to showcase his latest work, an hour-long drama telling the story of the famous Ladies of Llangollen.

 

Scenes from the production, which is due to have its open-air premiere at Plas Newydd, their former home in Llangollen, on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 21 and 22, were played out in the Denbighshire County Council tent at the festival at hourly intervals.

 

Peter Read said: “I’ve written the play especially for the performances at Plas Newydd later this month and we thought the Eisteddfod provided the ideal platform for giving members of the public a little taste of what it’s all about.

 

“Basically, it tells the story of the ladies, Sarah Ponsonby and her friend Eleanor Butler, two members of the Irish nobility who came over to Britain in the late 18^th century to find their own rural retreat.

 

“They eventually settled at Plas Newydd which became a famous meeting place for their many friends and was once visited by the Duke of Wellington as a young man.

 

“There are eight members in the cast and after its performances in Llangollen we hope to take it on tour around Wales and possibly also to Ireland where the ladies came from.” 

Success is on the cards for Llan shop boss

* Sarah Meade with her designs for Llangollen and Oswestry.

Local businesswoman Sarah Meade, proprietor of Honey Pots in Oswestry and Llangollen, is taking the chance to showcase her artistic skills by designing some postcards with local themes.

“As we have a shop in both towns, I thought it would be a nice idea to try and promote each town with postcards highlighting something that each town is known for," she said.

" I was surprised recently when I went to buy a postcard to send to a friend and found that none really exist for Oswestry.”

As a result, Sarah decided to design a postcard for Oswestry and then, because she has a shop in Llangollen as well, thought she would do something similar for Llangollen.

She now has three designs, one for Oswestry telling the story of Oswald’s tree and two for Llangollen one highlighting the musical history of the town based on the classical film “The Sounds of Music” and one highlighting the International Eisteddfod for which the town is globally recognised.

“My initial plan was to sell the postcards in my own shops but a number of local businesses have already shown an interest and I was very excited when the Eisteddfod also expressed an interest in stocking them, so that they can be sold at the event this week.”

Sarah also plans to put the designs on other products including mugs and tea towels as well as selling limited edition prints all of which (including the postcards) will be available in the Oswestry and Llangollen shops as well as other outlets that have expressed an interest.

The originals will be displayed in the shops shortly and the postcards and posters can also be viewed on the shops website www.honey-pots.com

Deal done for Dobson & Crowther's assets

* The assets of Dobson & Crowther have been bought by a Telford-based firm. 

A Shropshire-based company has confirmed that it has bought the assets of Dobson & Crowther printworks from the administrators.

Rumours about a possible deal had been circulating about the fate of the firm which moved into a purpose-built factory at Cilmedw earlier this year.

Llanblogger contacted the company mentioned in connection with a deal, Mail Solutions Group which has its head office in Telford, to confirm whether this was the case.

And we have now received an email from one of its directors, Phil Reid, which said: “I can confirm that our company, Mail Solutions Group, has indeed purchased the assets of Dobson & Crowther from that company's administrators.”

Llanblogger is now trying to gain further information about the purchase and what it is likely to mean for the Dobson & Crowther factory and its remaining workforce.

Dobson & Crowther went into administration in early June with 55 of its 79-strong workforce being made redundant.

Llangollen county councillor, Stuart Davies, said: “I heard a few days ago that there might be some good news about the future of the company.

"Now it seems that events are still unfolding and I am still concerned about the future of the workforce and the factory building.

"I am awaiting a definite update."

According to its company website, Mail Solutions Group was established in March 2000 and has evolved into a major independent manufacturer of envelopes and print in the UK and India.

From its headquarters in Telford, Mail Solutions says it offers a broad range of value-added solutions for all your envelope and print requirements, from stock envelopes and bespoke envelopes to business forms and tickets.

The website says: “The foundations of our success is the company's ongoing commitment to providing a quality product and service to each customer, which is reflected through our high levels of business retention and continued client growth.”

Comprising of five subsidiaries across two divisions, the group has over 300 highly trained employees and generates a combined turnover approaching £40million per year.

Report says county making progress in key areas

Denbighshire County Council has welcomed the findings of the latest Annual Improvement Report published by the Wales Audit Office.

The report shows that in 2014-15 the council continued to make progress in delivering improvements in all of its priority objectives and its track record in delivering its financial objectives means it is well placed to secure continuous improvement in 2015-16.

The key findings of the report are:

• The use of performance standards continues to promote a consistent culture of ambition across the council’s services
• Overall, the performance of social care department is strong
• The council is making good progress in committing its Discretionary Housing Payments
• Further progress has been made to improve the Welsh language capability of council staff.
• The council has improved the performance of its Human Resources service.
• The council is working hard to address the shortfall in affordable housing in the county

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “Every council is facing significant challenges and in Denbighshire we are facing those challenges through careful financial and service planning and monitoring of our performance.

"This is all being done with the overarching aim of providing the best possible service to our residents.

“This report makes very positive reading and reflects the commitment and dedication of our staff to improve the council’s performance across the board and we welcome the WAO’s suggestions for improvement.

“This will offer reassurance to  residents that the council is well-placed to continue providing quality services.”

Earthquake-hit Nepalese dancers to appear at Eisteddfod

 

 

* Todd Lochhead on the Nepal stand on the Eisteddfod field.

A GROUP of young dancers from Nepal who endured the earthquakes which devastated their country will take centre stage at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on Saturday.

 

Thanks to a major fundraising drive, more than 30 members of the Rising Culture Group from the World Heritage site of Bhaktapur, about 10 miles from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu and around 100 miles from Mount Everest, had been planning to travel 5,000 miles to compete at the Eisteddfod this week.

 

Then their dream of coming to Llangollen suffered a huge setback when their region was shattered by two massive earthquakes within weeks in April and May, which claimed thousands of lives and caused widespread destruction.

 

But thanks to the man who has been the guiding force behind their Eisteddfod appearance and their own determination, a token contingent of five group members have been making their way to Wales this week and will now perform their traditional mahkali mask dance on the main stage at Llangollen at 1.30pm on Saturday.

 

New Zealander Todd Lochhead, the man leading the effort to bring the dancers to the Eisteddfod, first saw Rising Culture perform when he was working as a teacher at the Rising English School where they based in Bhaktapur, which is run by his friend Kapil Banebepali and his wife Chandika.

 

He was so impressed by their colourful routines, which date back hundreds of years, that he became determined they should be given an international showcase at Llangollen.

 

Since the earthquakes, 46-year-old Todd, who works as a financial consultant in Bristol, has kept in constant touch with the group and personally shared their tribulations on two visits to Bhaktapur.

 

He was shocked by the destruction on the ground which saw many homes, shops and commercial buildings totally destroyed.

 

Around 600 people in the town are thought to have died, mainly in the first quake.

 

Many people from the surrounding area sought sanctuary in the school building which was left largely untouched because of its concrete construction, sleeping in the open on matting in the courtyard and sharing meagre supplies of food.

 

Although all members of the group survived, some lost relatives.

 

But, despite what they had suffered, the group remained determined that at least some of them would make it to Llangollen.

 

And after overcoming visa problems, five of them in their twenties and early teens will appear at the Eisteddfod on Saturday.

 

Todd said: “All of them apart from one have never been out of Nepal before, so this is a great adventure for them which they are all looking forward to immensely.

 

“Every step of the way their determination to make it to Llangollen has been unstoppable.

“This will be an absolutely new experience for them.

 

“They have obviously been through some very trying times but I know they will grasp this opportunity to shine at the Eisteddfod.”

 

He added: “They are all excited about performing their mask dance, accompanying themselves on their traditional dhimmy drums and flutes.

 

“And of course they will all be wearing their fantastically colourful costumes, the origins of which go back centuries.

 

“People who see them are in for a real treat.”

 

All this week Todd has been running a stand on the field, donated by Eisteddfod organisers, selling a range of craft items, including soft toys, jewellery, pashminas and bags, to raise money for the Nepal earthquake appeal.

 

Todd said: “The Eisteddfod has been great in helping us to set up the stand.

 

“We’ve had a lot of interest from visitors and sold quite a few items, which is fantastic as every penny we raise will help people who have lost so much in the marvellous country I first fell in love with 20 years ago.”

 

Eisteddfod Musical Director Eilir Owen Griffiths was delighted the group is to appear.

He said: “They will be on stage just before the dance competitions begin, which is always sees the auditorium full.

 

“The work which has gone on behind the scenes to see that this group gets to Llangollen has been phenomenal.

 

“We are honoured to have them because when someone’s country has been devastated to the extent theirs has the last thing you’d expect them to do is travel across the world to perform.

 

“The fact that they have is quite magical.”

 

Comedian Silky helps spice up Llan food show

Top standup comedian Silky will swap jokes for yolks when he gives a cookery demonstration at a food festival.

 

The red hot gig at Hamper Llangollen in October will be a first for the comedian and musician who says simple egg dishes and exotic spices are among his favourite foods.

 

Silky (pictured left), a regular favourite at the Edinburgh Festival, is already familiar with the venue because he's performed his stand-up routines at the Llangollen pavilion many times.

 

“I’ve never gigged in a kitchen before, but I believe in experimenting,” said the entertainer who can play seven different musical instruments.

 

“When the organisers asked me to do a slot at Hamper Llangollen, I thought, why not? I can multi-task!”

 

It is expected that this year’s 19^th annual event on the weekend of October 17 and 18 will again attract thousands visitors to browse over 120 stalls at Llangollen’s Royal International Pavilion.

 

Supported by rural development agency Cadwyn Clwyd, the event in Llangollen’s Royal Pavilion is recognised as one of the UK's top 10 food festivals.

 

Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution comes via the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.

 

While Silky promises plenty of light-hearted banter with the crowd, he says the food itself will be no laughing matter, with high quality local ingredients to the fore.

 

Hot tips on cooking up some fantastic, original recipes are already brewing in his vivid imagination, though he is eager to point out he has no ambitions to become a professional cook.

 

“I do love cooking and I enjoy trying out new ingredients,” said the native Liverpudlian whose career in comedy was launched when a friend persuaded him to enter the BBC New comedy Awards in 1994.

 

In the years since, Silky, who now lives in Leeds, has worked virtually non-stop, performing all around the world in addition to touring the UK circuit. His stand up act including self-penned songs and music is consistently a highlight at the Edinburgh Festival and he has a huge fan base in North Wales arising from his Killforaseat comedy shows regularly staged at Llangollen Pavilion, Venue Cymru, Llandudno and Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold.

 

The announcement that he is to join the line-up of star turns at Llangollen’s increasingly popular annual food festival is sure to win him yet more fans.

 

Hamper Llangollen is one of the most prestigious events on the UK culinary calendar, hosting more than 100 local and international exhibitors, along with demonstrations by professionals.

 

Travelling so much through work has afforded Silky the opportunity to try out lots of different food styles. He is a big fan of Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian and Mexican dishes and says he may draw inspiration from them for his festival menu.

 

He does not adhere strictly to recipes but likes to be creative with different types of food.

 

“Lately I’ve been playing with cauliflower and I’m loving it, particularly roasted and spiced. I’m also into soups. I often make a big batch of soup and freeze some so I can have it as a nutritious light meal before or after a gig,” he said.

 

He enjoys curries and will not shy away from the hottest chillies but he never adds heat to food just for the sake of it.

 

“I like a good curry but always used to go for mild kormas, then I thought why am I limiting myself to one style? Let’s try something different. Suddenly a whole new world of spices opened up to me. But I’m not a macho spice man. I only like the heat if it adds flavour and aromas.”

 

He’s equally at home with simple dishes – eggs, mushrooms and fresh asparagus, or comfort foods like his late father’s corned beef hash.

 

He tries to avoid eating too much processed produce and likes to buy crusty freshly baked bread rather than off the shelf supermarket varieties.

 

His girlfriend of eight years is a vegan so home meals include plenty of pulses and vegetables.

 

Hamper Llangollen 2015 will also include cookery demonstrations by members of the Welsh Culinary Association, led by Graham Tinsley, who has cooked for the Queen, is part owner of the Castle Hotel, Conwy.

 

For more details about Llangollen Food Festival-Hamper Llangollen visit www.llangollenfoodfestival.com