Legion branch battles with fresh numbers crisis

 * Llangollen RBL branch plays a key role in the annual Remembrance Day parade. 

LLANGOLLEN’S Royal British Legion branch has been saved from closure for the second time in 18 months.

The branch, which was founded 92 years ago in time to consecrate the town’s cenotaph in November 1923, first ran into problems in March last year when the man who had served as both its chairman and secretary had to stand down through ill-health.

In a desperate move to keep it open, another branch stalwart, John Lawton, stepped into the breach to take on both these roles on top of the position of treasurer.

Later, the branch switched its monthly meetings from the Hand Hotel in the town to Llangollen Royal Air Forces (RAFA) Club in a bid to attract new members.

But, following months of dwindling attendance figures, a fresh crisis developed when just one person turned up to the July meeting.

This meant a commemoration of the 70^th anniversary of VJ - Victory over Japan – Day by the legion was unable to take place on August 15.  

However, John Lawton says a new emergency plan has since been drawn up to keep the branch afloat.   

Mr Lawton, who lives in Wrexham and previously been secretary of the Historic Warships in Birkenhead and a Petty Officer in the Sea Cadet Corps, said: “We’ve done everything we can think of get more people coming along to meetings but without success.

“After the two world wars the branch was thriving but over the years membership has gone down and down.

“I think that’s because members naturally become older and pass away and is also due to the fact that when they leave the services lots of people don’t want to be bothered thinking about them until about 20 years later when they want to look up old mates.

“It reached crisis point for our branch last month when just one person turned up for our monthly meeting at the RAFA Club.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t even be there myself because of personal issues.”

Mr Lawton added: “The July meeting was where we were due to work out our plans for the VJ Day commemoration in Llangollen but because only one person turned up that couldn’t be done and the legion failed to mark this very important occasion as we should have done.

“There were a few more people at our August meeting and we’ve now formed a new committee and been looking at some ideas about taking the branch forward.

“We’ll be at the World Café meeting at Llangollen Town Hall on Saturday August 29, which is a forum for community groups like ours to meet the public and discuss new ideas.

“We’ve pulled the branch back from the jaws of death again but now we really need some support from the community to keep it going.”    

LlanBikeFest team's big thank you to town

 

 

* Members of the LlanBikeFest team line up to say thanks to the host town.

 

Organisers of LlanBikeFest 2015 have already booked to bring the show back to Llangollen Pavilion next year.

 

One of the team behind the popular biker event held last month, John Hutchinson, reveals the piece of forward planning in a message of thanks to residents and businesses in the area.  

 

He says: "Many thanks for the fantastic support received from the town and the Royal Pavilion.

 

"What a fantastic weekend. The weather smiled on us and everyone had a great time.

 

"The support we received from everyone involved was amazing, including Llangollen and District Motorcycle Club, Mayor Mike Adams, the excellent Royal Pavilion staff and local people and businesses of all shapes and sizes."

 

He adds: "We said from the outset that we want to make this an annual event – so we have already booked July 23 and 24, 2016.

 

"Apart from making the whole event bigger and better, the main thing we want to do next year is to make it a real Llangollen Festival, with lots more activity in and around the town.

 

"Thanks again to everyone who made LlanBikeFest 15 such a success. Roll on LlanBikeFest 16!"

 

 

Entry deadline for gardening club show

Entry forms for the Llangollen & District Open Summer Show have to be received by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26.

If you need a form you can download one from the website www.llangollengardeningclub.co.uk
or email lindathane@gmail.com.

The show opens its doors at 1 p.m. on Saturday, 29th August at St Collen's Community Hall.

Admission is 50p with under 13s free.

Dr Rhys Davies will present the trophies to the winners at 3 p.m.

There will be a plant stall, gardening book stall, refreshments and a raffle.

Support Tour of Britain urges county council

Denbighshire residents are urged to support the Tour of Britain as it races through the county for the third year running.

The North Wales leg of the Aviva Tour of Britain 2015 will take place on Sunday, September 6.

The race will travel from Conwy County in to Denbigh from the Bylchau direction.

It will go through Vale Street, Denbigh and along Ruthin Road.

The race will then head through Brookhouse, Llanrhaeadr, Rhewl and in to Ruthin. 

Later it will then head through Ruthin Town Centre and will take the Mold Road through Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, Clwyd Gate, Llanferres, Loggerheads and into Flintshire.

Estimated times of arrival of first bikes:

• Denbigh – 2.09pm
• Llanrhaeadr – 2.18pm
• Rhewl 2.19pm
• Ruthin – 2.27pm
• Llanbedr -2.31pm
• Llanferres – 2.41pm
• County Boundary with Flintshire – 2.46pm

The roads will be closing shortly before the race arrives and will re-open when the majority of cyclists have travelled through.

Councillor Huw Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Community Development, said: "We are delighted that the race is coming back to North Wales and to Denbighshire. The support over the past two years has been tremendous and we hope to emulate that kind of support this year and give the cyclists a warm welcome.

"Cycling events are becoming ever more popular and Denbighshire has demonstrated that it is a great location for large events of this nature. The support of crowds is extremely important so I would ask you to get out on the route and get involved in the excitement and buzz of this great event."
For further information about the race, please visit: www.tourofbritain.co.uk

Gwyn the Butchers makes awards shortlist

* Gwyn's famous shop in Castle Street.

A WELL-KNOWN Llangollen butchers shop has sliced his way through to the shortlist of a prestigious national competition to find high street champions.

Gwyn Davies in Castle Street has reached the final three in the food and drink retailer category of the Welsh Government’s High Street Heroes Awards.

The competition aims to honour businesses which help to make town centres great.

Members of the public were asked to nominate individual businesses and services in the six High Street Favourites categories - food and drink, fashion, health and beauty, leisure, home and garden, professional and financial services, eating out on the high street and community service provider.

Established for almost 40 years, Gwyn Davies Butchers put their success down

to providing the local community with quality meat and a friendly, personal service.

Over the years, owner Gwyn has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities, from supporting local raffles and selling tickets for local events, to supporting major fundraising events in aid of Welsh Air Ambulance and The Shooting Star Appeal for a dedicated cancer treatment unit at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

As the one of the longest standing businessman in Llangollen, Gwyn was recently honoured to receive a visit from HRH Prince Charles, who was in the town for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Gwyn is a Welsh speaker, which he feels really helps when interacting with his customers and in helping to keep the language alive.

Gwyn said: “You can’t beat a high street location for footfall; my old landlord called our high street the ‘golden mile’.

“It’s so important to support local high streets, we’re very lucky in Llangollen, that there are no empty shops, which unfortunately can’t be said for many towns.

“It’s a great honour to have been nominated in the High Street Heroes Awards. It’s nice to know our customers appreciate us!”

The winners of all categories will be announced during High Street Week, 19–26 September 2015.

Town Council seeks public support for initiatives

The Town Council is seeking the public's support for two important community initiatives it is running.

The first is the Llangollen Community Cafe event on August 29 at the Town Hall.

The event will be an open door drop in session between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm, preceded by Cittaslow Llangollen AGM at 10.00am.    

Ken Skates AM, Susan Elan Jones MP, the Town Mayor Cllr, Major Mike Adams, and Cllr Sheena Burrell, chair of Cittaslow Llangollen have all agreed to host tables. 

Town clerk Gareth Thomas said: "Please come and have a coffee, put your ideas and concerns on the table and try to find workable solutions to issues that matter to you.  Don't miss out on your chance to help plan for the future of the town."

At them August 29 event the Town Mayor will launch this year’s Community Support Grants for
Voluntary Organisations.  

Working with Cittaslow Llangollen, the Town Council is offering Community Support Grants to fund facilities, equipment and activities that are important to the local community. 

These awards must benefit members of the community in general and are limited to the geographic area of the Llangollen Town Council electoral boundaries.  

Town clerk Gareth Thomas said: "It has been proven over the years that small cash grants can really make a big difference in helping communities get schemes and projects started.

"The Town Council are keen to support projects that will make Llangollen more innovative, safe, welcoming, supportive and caring, business friendly and accessible."
 
The Community Support Grants are funded under the Town Council participatory budgeting fund and therefore as in previous years the Residents of Llangollen will help the Council, and Cittaslow Llangollen, decide how this money is spent and a residents voting event which will take place on the Monday October 19 in the Town Hall. 

Application forms for the scheme will be available after the launch date.

The total cost of each project should not be greater than £500 and lower-cost projects are encouraged to maximise the number of projects that can be helped. 

Your project should be capable of being finished, and your grant paid to you, by or on February 29, 2016 and the closing date for applications is September 30.
  
If you have in the past been a recipient of a grant from the Town Council or would simply like to have a presence at the Community Cafe then space is available.
 
* For more information on either of these two initiatives contact the town clerk, Gareth Thomas, on 01978 861345, or by email at: llangollentc@btconnect.com

Record GCSE results for Dinas Bran

* Girls jump for joy after receiving their GCSE results.

Delighted students celebrated record results at Ysgol Dinas Brân today. 

Overall, 68% of students achieved the ‘gold standard’ level 2+, an increase of 8% on results in 2014, and the highest number ever achieved by the school. 

Additionally, 100% of students achieved the level 2 threshold or the equivalent of five A*-C  GCSE passes.  Both figures are well in excess of national averages.

Over 80% of grades awarded in English and over 70% of grade in Maths were at grade C or better. 

More than half the grades awarded in Biology, Chemistry, Music,  Additional Maths, ICT, Physics, Small Animal Care and Art and Design were at A*/A.

Many students performed beyond their wildest dreams. 

Jessica Brown from Llangollen achieved an amazing 11 A* grades plus a Distinction in Additional Maths. 

Elinor Barnett achieved an incredible eight A* grades (as well as three A grades and a Distinction in Additional Maths) as did Declan Clifford (with two A grades and a Distinction in Additional Maths).  Both students are from Llangollen.

Other high-achieving students included:

Elinor McSorley* (from Glyndyfdrwy) - seven A* grades, three A grades, one B grade, Distinction in Additional Maths.

Andrew Melville* (Chirk) - six A* grades, four A grades, one B grade, Distinction in Additional Maths.

Taliesin Boswell (Glyn Ceiriog)  - five A* grades, six A grades, 1 B grade.
     
Bethan Morris* (Llangollen)  - five A* grades, six A grades, Distinction in Additional Maths.

Charlie Hackforth* (Corwen) - five A* grades, six A grades, Distinction in Additional Maths.

Adam York (Glyn Ceiriog) - five A* grades, three A grades, Distinction in Additional Maths
Niamh Connaughton  (Llangollen)  Four A* grades, six A grades, one B grade.

Jamie Turner (Glyn Ceiriog) - three A* grades, seven A grades, one B grade, Pass in Additional Maths.

Stephen McAndrew* (Corwen) - three A* grades, five A grades, two B grades, one C grade,  Pass in Additional Maths.

Chris Tipuric* (Llangollen) - three A* grades, three A grades, three B grades, one C grade.

*  Elinor, Andrew, Bethan, Charlie, Stephen and Chris all sat their exams in 2014 at the age of 15, as students on a fast-track programme. They are all now in the middle of their A level courses and received their AS results last week.

Julian Gonzalez, a fast-track Year 10 student, followed up his recent win in the piano solo section at the National Eisteddfod with a fantastic set of GCSE results including eight A* grades.

Julian will now go on to take his AS levels next year.  Bethany Carol, another Year 10 fast-track student achieved nine A* grades.

Pupils across Denbighshire are celebrating excellent examination results this year, says the county council.

 

Early indications show that approximately 66% of students have achieved A* - C grades which is in line with the national figure. Approximately 85% of pupils have achieved 5A* - C or equivalent which continues a trend of achievement in excess of 80%. 

 

Overall, early indications show that achievement in Denbighshire this year reflects the national picture.  There have been some outstanding personal successes.

 

Councillor Eryl Williams, Cabinet Lead Member for Lifelong Learning, said: “These results are very pleasing and I would like to congratulate all students who have achieved the grades needed to further their education with support from their teachers.”

* Julian Gonzalez receives an excellent set of results.

* Jessica Brown with her results.

* A group of Dinas Bran boys celebrate their results.