Police seek information on car damage

North Wales Police are appealing for information following criminal damage to a blue Renault Clio  in the car park of Llangollen Youth Club.

It happened sometime between 17.30 and 22.23 on Sunday 23^rd August and it’s believed a sharp implement has been used to smash all the windows of the vehicle.

If you noticed anything suspicious, or have any information relating to this incident please contact North Wales Police by dialling 101 quoting reference RC15128730. 

Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers Wales on 0800 555 111. North Wales Police would like to urge residents to always report suspicious activity to them at the earliest opportunity.

AM hails efforts of toilet volunteers

* Ken Skates AM unveils a plaque to mark the 10th anniversary of the re-opened toilets.

Village volunteers who saved their public toilets have marked a decade since reopening them.

Denbighshire County Council (DCC) closed the loos in the centre of Llandrillo, near Corwen, in 1998, but locals formed their own volunteer group and launched a takeover bid in 2002.

The fully refurbished facilities, complete with in-built energy-saving features, were reopened during the village carnival on August 20, 2005.

On Friday, Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates unveiled a new plaque to mark the 10th anniversary.

He said: “Because it’s so picturesque, and with the Berwyn Mountains on the doorstep, Llandrillo is very popular with visitors.

"While they could enjoy beautiful countryside, free parking, shops, a pub and places to eat, dozens of walkers and ramblers were arriving with nowhere to spend a penny when the toilets were closed.

“To get to 10 years has been a fantastic team effort and shows what can be achieved when the right people with the community’s best interests at heart work together.”

Llandrillo Public Conveniences Access Group (LPCAG), formed to manage the toilets, entered in to a 20-year commitment and started with eight volunteers. There are now 25 on the rota to carry out daily duties such as cleaning.

Resident Dave Robinson, a civil engineer, was the driving force behind the project.

He said: “We started with very little information, but a business case was put together along with the results of a local questionnaire and comments from visitors when preparing the feasibility study. Having adequate income was always going to be the issue.

“However, having discussed the matter with the Llandrillo Community Council, a local precept was set at £2 to generate £900. In addition, an annual contribution from Denbighshire County Council made the venture viable.

“In the each of the 10 years of operation we have delivered a surplus, allowing investment to improve the tiling, installing a baby-changing facility and decoration.”

Additional donations are gratefully received from residents, businesses and ramblers.

Budding opera stars to sing in Llan

* Singers taking part in the course take a break from rehearsals.

 

PUPILS of an opera singing course in Llangollen will present a concert showcasing their talents at St John’s Church in the town tomorrow (Friday) evening.

The course has been run over the past week by opera singer Anne Williams-King, who performs both at home in Wales and abroad.

Anne said: “I have always planned to set up an opera singing studio in North Wales and Friday's concert follows a week of concentrated work in Llangollen.

“It is the first public concert of the North Wales Opera Studio which will be based and rehearse at the Llangollen Community Hall and have masterclasses and performances at venues throughout North Wales.

“Together with my husband David, I have been teaching for quite a number of years in Wales as well as London and various European countries, plus Iceland in particular. It is now time to concentrate on my homeland. So much talent to help develop.”

Anne added: “St John's is a lovely venue to present a particularly enthusiastic group of young singers.

“They will performing a varied programme of favourites such as La Traviata, Marriage of Figaro,  Carmen, The Magic Flute, La Boheme and more.

“We will no doubt expand much more in the future and, who knows, help to develop a few stars of the future.”

* The Extravaganza of Opera starts at 7.30pm in St John’s Church in Abbey Road on Friday. Tickets are £6 on the door.

Young chef's starring role at Hamper Llangollen

Britain’s youngest head chef will have a starring role at food festival in North Wales - fresh from cooking Welsh Cakes on the beach in Dubai.

 

Luke Thomas, of Connah’s Quay, will be among a celebrity line up at Hamper Llangollen 2015 where he will be championing fresh, local ingredients.

 

The 21 year old says he can’t wait to pass on some of his award winning culinary tips to festival goers.

 

Entrepreneurial Luke (pictured right) says he is as passionate about food as he was when he clinched the UK’s FutureChef 2009 trophy, aged just 15.

 

Today he is the kingpin behind a number of restaurants in Chester, the Cotswolds and Berkshire, but he remains hands-on in the kitchen.

 

He said: “What I enjoy doing is just browsing round the exhibitor stalls and finding some lovely local ingredients that I can cook up on the podium. It might be the plumpest local sausages, Welsh oysters or seasonal fruit and vegetables but I know there will be plenty of choice there.

 

“I will be aiming to make three dishes in a half hour, simple recipes using great ingredients, designed to show people that they can achieve delicious cost-effective meals at home quickly and without having to spend hours on preparation.”

 

This year’s Hamper Llangollen will be at the Royal International Pavilion over the weekend of October 17 and 18. It is a favourite on the culinary calendar for Luke, not least because he grew up in Wales and, when not travelling the world, he still lives at his family home in Connah’s Quay.

 

It is expected that this year’s 19^th annual event will again attract thousands visitors to browse over 120 stalls.

 

The popular event in Llangollen’s Royal Pavilion is recognised as one of the UK's top 10 food festivals.

 

Cadwyn Clwyd has provided financial support over the past few years to ensure the festival's long term viability. This was funded through the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.

 

Luke became the youngest head chef in the UK when at age 18 he opened Luke’s Dining Room at Sanctum on the Green, Berkshire. It won the Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Restaurant of the Year award in 2013.

 

Since then Luke has gone on to open Luke’s Eating House and Gin Rickey’s in Chester, partner with Puma Hotels to create Luke’s Broadway in the Cotswolds, and launch Retro Feasts, at first in London’s Mayfair and earlier this year at The Beach, Dubai.

 

Retro Feasts is inspired by some of Luke’s childhood favourite recipes, like home-made cottage pie.

 

He said: “It’s simple food with a little bit of a twist. I’ve put a modern take on some old favourites, spicing them up a bit and making them a little more exciting, fragrant and fresh, but without taking away the essentials and the old fashioned nostalgia factor.

 

“One concept behind Retro Feasts was to spread the word about how good British food can be. The UK is home to nature’s very best ingredients and some of the best cooks in the world. They’re all right here on our doorstep and we should be shouting about it from the rooftops.

 

“That’s why I love events like Hamper Llangollen. It’s a chance to get even more people involved and enthusiastic about the fabulous food surrounding us.

 

“I love to talk to people about cooking, and to get their honest feedback. One of my greatest passions is being able to pass on a simple tip that might help someone turn a mid-week evening meal into a real show-stopper.”

 

Even after several years in the business, Luke remains Britain’s youngest head chef, but despite his success he says he is always keen to learn more.

 

He said: “I wouldn’t lie and say I am in the kitchen seven days a week. Nowadays there’s so much going on with the way the business is so rapidly developing that it’s impossible for me to do that. But I do get in the kitchen as often as I can, whether it be in Chester, Berkshire, London or Dubai. Cooking is where I am happiest, I love the buzz of the busy fast-paced environment, the creativity and the satisfaction of serving great food.

 

Hamper Llangollen 2015 will also include cookery demonstrations by members of the Culinary Guild of North Wales, led by Graham Tinsley, who has cooked for the Queen, is part owner of the Castle Hotel, Conwy, and consultant chef at Carden Park Resort, Chester; Denise Baker-McLearn, of Bethesda, who specialises in creating delicious meals using ingredients which would otherwise go to waste; and comedian and musician, Silky, who will be swapping jokes for yolks, showing off his cookery skills in public for the first ever time.

Hamper Llangollen chair Colin Loughlin believes this year's festival is going to be one of the best ever.

 

He said: “Thanks to a whole host of indigenous companies, North East Wales is rapidly establishing a reputation as a centre of excellence for high quality cuisine.

 

“The food festival is a perfect shop window for the companies who form the backbone of our rural economy.

 

"The location of the Pavilion is absolutely spectacular - I can't imagine that any other food festival in the UK has a more beautiful setting."

 

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

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.