Llangollen on route of all-woman bike ride

Llangollen features in the latest all-women cycle ride which takes place next weekend.

Belles on Bike will be staged next Sunday, September 27.

As usual, the ride is just for women to get used to their bikes and build up their confidence so organisers from Sustrans say it doesn't matter if someone has never been on a bike, or even taken to the saddle for a while.

Riders will gather at Chirk Railway Station at 10.30am where they will meet the all-women team of Sustrans volunteers.

Sustrans volunteer ranger Ani Sutton said: "The National Cycle Network (NCN) that we are using runs along the towpath of the Llangollen Canal, and we are also celebrating 20 years of NCN this year.

"This is also a World Heritage Site so it is a really pretty route.

"We stop and start as many times as is needed, and if you need to stop lots of times, that is absolutely fine.

"No one will mind as the ride is intended to be this way, so don't think you will be too slow. There are places that we do have to walk also such as through tunnels and by moored boats.

"We work our way to Llangollen and have a bite to eat, either in the tea shop or you are welcome to bring your own nibbles, and then we make our way back the same way.

This helps with getting to know the route and confidence building. It is a really flat route along the canal and traffic free other than when we cross a road in Trevor, but volunteers are around to assist at all times."

Ani added: "Wear whatever you want, as long as you are comfortable. It's handy to wear gloves and unfortunately waterproofs may be a good idea to bring along, as we do tend to have a few showers on this route. A drink is also beneficial.

"A new addition to this ride is that we will be joined by a few female Canal & River Trust staff who are also new to cycling.

"The Canal & River Trust are promoting the 'Share the Space Drop the Pace' campaign to encourage cyclists to slow down and for everyone to share the towpath including anglers, boaters, runners, dog walkers etc, so there will potentially be signs at the two of our 'rest points' promoting this campaign."

Skates opens centre's new fitness studio

* Ken Skates AM cuts the tape on the new fitness studio at Splash Magic.

Assembly Member Ken Skates cut the ribbon to declare a leisure centre’s new fitness studio open for business.

The Clwyd South AM was one of the guests invited to the opening of the new Functional Training Studio at Splash Magic in Acrefair, formerly Plas Madoc Leisure Centre.

Darrell Wright, chairman of the Splash Community Trust, said: “It’s an addition to our existing gym and is a bit like a boot camp but indoors. There are monkey bars, ropes, kettlebells, all sorts of equipment to give people a fun and different workout.

“As is always the case with Splash, it’s been a tremendous team effort. The centre has paid for the equipment, and we’d to thank Craig Young from CY Consulting for all his advice.

“We’d also like to say a huge thank you to Kronospan for donating the flooring and Coleg Cambria students for once again lending their expertise to fit it.”

Chris Ryan, Kronospan’s company secretary, said: “Kronospan is delighted to have given Splash Magic our locally made flooring for the new gym area. So many volunteers work tirelessly for this special community-run leisure centre, so we are very pleased that we were able to help too.”

The Splash Community Trust was launched after Wrexham Council controversially closed Plas Madoc and faced a huge public backlash.

The centre was reopened by volunteers in December and has since gone from strength to strength, with all profits reinvested into improving the facilities.

Mr Skates, who was one of the founding members, added: “It’s a pleasure to be opening the new studio, which has been made possible thanks to the generosity and continued support of Kronospan and Coleg Cambria.

“The strides Splash Magic has made in such a short space of time have been amazing, and it’s a shining example to others of how facilities like this should be run.”

Heritage loco marks railway anniversary

To mark the sixth anniversary of her first public working on the line, heritage diesel locomotive D5310 will be in operation at Llangollen railway on Saturday September 26.

D5310 is a Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon (BRCW) Sulzer Type 2 locomotive built at Smethwick in 1958 and entered traffic in January 1959.

It was designed as a mixed traffic diesel-electric locomotive as part of British Railway's Modernisation Plan.

The loco was renumbered as 26010 in BR days and withdrawn in December 1992.

Following extensive restoration and repairs, the Class 26 arrived at Llangollen on September 9, 2009 and has proved to be a very reliable performer.

D5310 will be in operation alongside one of the railway's DMU fleet on the day and will work the 10:40, 13:00 and 15:10 departures from Llangollen.

llanblogger takes a short break

llanblogger is taking a short break and will be back with all the latest news and information from the area in about a week's time ...

Dementia arts project coming to Llan

A project aimed at people living in the community with dementia is coming to Llangollen.

 

Lost in Art is will have sessions led by professional artists who are also Dementia Friends.

 

Its aim is to explore the role of the visual arts in addressing issues which can affect people with dementia, including social isolation, confidence, communication and quality of life and wellbeing. 

 

People with dementia often experience poor quality of life due to reduced independence, reduced activity and reduced social contact.

 

This reduction of social contact is often the result of the stigma associated with the condition and in light of this, there has been increased interest into finding activities in which people with dementia can engage with and enjoy without feeling patronised or stigmatised, and which stimulate the participants both mentally and physically, making them feel valued and deemed capable.

 

One such activity is art, and Bangor University’s evaluation of the Lost in Art programme identified a range of benefits which included suggested improvements in communication, mood, and memory.

 

Lost in Art has been running for five years in Denbighshire, funded by Arts Council of Wales and Denbighshire County Council.

 

The project runs in 11-week blocks and has been based at Ruthin Craft Centre and in various locations in Rhyl, where participants were encouraged to engage with current exhibitions. 

 

The participants are sometimes joined at workshops by a family member where they are encouraged to work both together and separately. 

 

The Lost in Art Regional programme builds on these ideas, providing an art programme across four counties for people with dementia to enjoy. 

 

Each project includes a visit by children from a local primary school. 

 

Following a visit to the school by a member of the Alzheimer’s Society, where pupils learn about dementia and become Dementia Friends, the children and their teacher spend an afternoon engaged in artistic activity with Lost in Art members, getting to know one another and enjoying the opportunity for some intergenerational exchanges.

 

No previous art experience is necessary, and workshops will be running over the autumn months in the following locations:  Llandudno, Llangollen, Mold, Rhyl, Ruthin and Wrexham. 

 

* If you would like to join any of the groups, phone Jo McGregor, Project Co-ordinator, on 07973 931097, or Denbighshire's Arts Officer Sian Fitzgerald on sian.fitzgerald@denbighshire.gov.uk 01824 708216   .

 

Crime tsar rules out "go soft" policy

A crime tsar has rejected calls to "go soft" on crimes like burglary and small-scale cannabis offences.

 

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick spoke out after it was suggested by a senior figure in national policing that people whose homes have been burgled should no longer expect officers to turn up at their door to investigate the offence

Chief constable Sara Thornton, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council, also said forces might not always investigate complaints about people growing cannabis.Mr Roddick, pictured below, said: "There has been commentary in the press that cutbacks will necessitate police forces to decide not to attend at the burglary of someone's homes.

 

"I wish to make it clear I will never endorse this approach. The violation of one's home is one of the most traumatic crimes that anyone can suffer.

 

"I place security at home amongst my highest priorities. Domestic burglary levels in North Wales have, through hard work and dedication, been reduced to very low levels. Our intention is to continue prioritising this.

 

"We certainly shouldn’t go soft on either of these crimes, burglary in particular, because burglary by definition threatens people’s homes. One of my principal crime policies is that people should feel safe and secure at home. If you don’t feel safe and secure at home, you won’t feel safe and secure anywhere.

 

“So although the Chair of the Chief Constable’s Council has said the police won’t be enforcing burglaries when investigating them, that is not the North Wales Police policy, quite the contrary. North Wales Police will pursue burglars.

 

"Similarly, our policy towards drugs has not changed. The people we serve have every right to expect us to provide a comprehensive and professional service in these cases.

 

"In relation to cannabis, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. In the last week or so there were no less than three reported cases in the newspapers showing how North Wales Police had enforced against three separate growers of cannabis.

 

"In one, there were many plants worth quite a lot of money. In another one, there were only five plants and in the other there were about a dozen plants.

 

"Those examples show that North Wales Police will enforce no matter how many plants you’re growing and each one of those persons was arrested, prosecuted and fined or imprisoned, so that is the answer, yes,  North Wales Police will enforce against them.

 

"Policing is a local matter. It’s the responsibility of the local force. The decision to enforce will be taken locally and not by the national council of chief constables." 

Fresh announcement from Llan doctors

DR A D EVANS & PARTNERS

Announcement re Temporary Number

On Friday 11th September, our existing phone number is due to switch from our Regent St building to the new building on Bishops Walk.  However, we are anticipating that there may be some difficulties with the switch.  We wish, therefore, to inform patients that should they experience any difficulty in contacting us on 01978 860625, we do have a temporary number that they can use.  This temporary number is 01978 862639.

We open in the new centre on Bishops Walk on Monday 14th September.  We are hoping that our usual telephone number will be up and running as soon as possible but we ask that patients use the temporary number in the meantime.

We would like to thank our patients for their cooperation and understanding during this period of upheaval.