Quiz night in aid of prostrate group

Llangollen Prostate Support Group are holding a Grand Quiz  at the RAFA Club, Llangollen on Friday September 11.

Doors open 7pm and quiz starts at 7.30pm.

Quiz master is Paul Belton from Wrexham .

The quiz is open to teams of up to four at £2 per person.

Prizes will be awarded for the highest total, lowest total and the most original  team  name.  

All proceeds go to the support group which was formed  five years ago to raise awareness of the condition in this locality.

Its members meet at the Hand Hotel on a monthly basis.

Latest figures show county is star performer

Denbighshire County Council continues to be the top performing local authority in North Wales and one of the best in Wales, according to latest figures released by the Local Government Data Unit – Wales.

All councils in Wales are assessed against a series of measures, to gain a snapshot of how services are performing. 

Denbighshire either saw an improvement or maintained its position in 33 out of 45 indicators it is assessed against during 2014/15, the findings of which have been published today.

The council has one of the highest figures for top quartile performance in Wales and also has a lower number of poor performing indicators than any other Welsh council.

A key headline is that Denbighshire continues to be the best for recycling in the whole of Wales.

The council is also among the best in Wales for Special Educational Needs statementing, for adult protection referrals where the risk has been managed and for keeping in contact with former looked after children.

The council appears in the top quarter performing authorities for:

•             the average lost working days/ shifts
•             One of the lowest percentages for school leavers with no qualifications or looked after school leavers with no qualifications;
•             Compliant food premises;
•             Delivering disabled facility grants
•             Vacant properties returned to occupation
•             Lower levels of delayed transfers of care
•             Care plan reviews completed in time
•             Children seen by a social worker at initial assessment
•             Waste sent to landfill.

Dr Mohammed Mehmet, Chief Executive of Denbighshire, said: “We are proud of these results and they continue to show that the Council performs well, even at times of significant change due to budgets and uncertainty around merger issues.  

"That is down to the work of our staff and councillors working together with our partners to making sure that providing high quality services remains at the heart of what we do."

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “We have made a firm commitment to improving the quality of life for residents by providing the best possible services in Denbighshire.

“These figures show we are very much on the right track. However, we always want to aim higher and we will not become complacent as we strive to improve our public services further."

Health campaigner selected as Assembly candidate

Plaid Cymru – The Party Of Wales have selected Mabon ap Gwynfor as their candidate in Clwyd South for next year’s National Assembly elections.

 

Mabon ap Gwynfor, who lives near Corwen, stood for Plaid at last May’s Parliamentary elections, and increased the party’s vote by 20%.

 

Mabon ap Gwynfor (pictured) said: “It was an honour to stand for Plaid Cymru in my home area in May and we received more votes than ever before here. We also had more people join and help with the campaign, which creates a good platform for the coming year’s campaign.

 

“The context for next year’s Welsh General Election will be very different. The key questions will be about the NHS and investing in improving the economy in north Wales.

 

"It will be about who would people rather see as First Minister - Leanne Wood or Carwyn Jones. Who would be best to ensure improvements in our health service, education, agriculture. Who can improve the lives and life chances of the people who live in Wales.

 

“Our key message is the need to invest in the Welsh economy, to provide jobs for our young people in particular and create healthier, more vibrant communities. Plaid Cymru’s campaign pledge to ensure that we have enough GPs in every community and train more specialist doctors to meet the growing demands of the NHS, especially here in the North, has proved to be very popular and my experience in campaigning for better health services locally backs that up.

 

“The cuts agenda being forced on local councils and charities by both the UK Tory and Cardiff Labour Governments are having devastating consequences on many people. Not only are people losing their jobs but we are also seeing basic services being cut – whether buses, libraries, leisure services or community centres.

 

“This has led to mass campaigns, for example the wonderful example of Plas Madoc being re-opened by a community cooperative.”

 

The 37-year-old father of three chairs the North Wales Health Alliance campaign group, which continues to fight for better NHS services in the area and campaigned to keep hospital beds in Llangollen.

Recording Gwyn's landmark day

* Gwyn welcomes the royal visitors to his shop.

As revealed recebntly by llanblogger, Gwyn the Butcher in Llangollen has been shortlisted in  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.

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

Gwyn has just released this picture of a another landmark occasion for him – the day when the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall came to call at his shop when they visited the town after touring the Eisteddfod field.

Busker raises £200 for Llan Christmas festival

* Busker Chris Burton plays outside the Town Hall on Saturday.

A musician from Walsall helped raise over £200 for Llangollen's Christmas festival on Saturday.

Chris Burton made the money by busking outside the Town Hall for four hours supported by a gorilla and town crier Austin Cheminais.

Chris has strong links with Llangollen and is a strong supporter of the Christmas festival. 

The annual event attracts a lot of visitors to the town and raises a substantial amount of money for Wales Air Ambulance.

The festival, to be held this year on Saturday November 28, relies on fundraising events, donations and sponsorship for its income.

* If you would like to contribute or sponsor the event, the Christmas festival committee can be contacted through Llangollen’s town clerk, Gareth Thomas, at the council office.

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.