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 ...

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.

Beatriz's new food range in memory of her mother

* Beatriz Albo with one of her tapas meals.

A scientist who swapped the laboratory for the kitchen by launching a cooking sauces brand has won a vital grant enabling her to expand her business.

Dr Beatriz Albo is returning to the lab to develop an exciting new range of Spanish tapas meals and delicious aiolis created in memory of her mother.

Beatriz is planning to unveil the new range at the Hamper Llangollen food on October 17 and 18.

She is looking forward to returning to the annual food festival where her innovative Sabor de Amor products made their debut last year.

“Hamper Llangollen was my first food festival, so it is special to me,” said Spanish-born Beatriz, whose Wrexham business has taken off faster than she could ever have imagined.

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.

 

Beatriz has just been awarded a grant to develop her long dreamed of range of tapas ready-meals at the new North West Food development Research Centre (NoWFOOD) at Chester University.

“Facilities there are fantastic, they have everything I need to help my business grow,” said the mum of two who inherited her passion for food from her family.

Her grandparents ran a restaurant in Salamanca, Spain, all their lives. Her mother was also an accomplished cook and, following her death in June, Beatriz has developed a trio of flavoured aioli sauces in her honour.

“I want to name them Elisa, after my mother. I’ve worked on the recipes at home and the family all love them. There’s a chilli flavoured aioli, another to go with paella and the third has hints of lime and mint.”

Beatriz, who lives in Brymbo, trained as a scientist, gaining a PHD and working in food research before becoming a teacher. But her first love was cooking and last year she followed her heart and made it her full time career.

She started Sabor de Amor – which means flavour of love – by producing the traditional sauces she grew up with in Spain and which she continued to cook for her family after moving to Wales. They included Sofrito, a perfect base for paella, salsa brava, tapenade and aioli. All the sauces are completely authentic, have no additives or artificial flavourings.

She said: “They are just natural ingredients which we used all the time when I was a child. People love them because of the pure flavour. There is a food revolution going on.

Consumers are looking more and more for additive free products. They want to experience simple, natural tastes and aromas. I started off producing just two sauces and now there are 12 in my range, demand has grown so fast.”

Sabor de Amor supplies local farm shops and Beatriz also attends events such as Hamper Llangollen, for which she has to work full out to ensure she has enough stock.

“I went to one festival where I sold out in the first day and had to cook more sauces overnight ready for the following day,” she said. “They were so fresh that the jars were still warm as I was selling them.”

She hopes the Sabor de Amor range will soon be available in supermarkets and is using her grant and work in the NoWFOOD lab to help achieve that ambition.

Beatriz does all the preparation, cooking and marketing of the brand herself, with occasional help from her children, Albert, 18, soon to study business management at Lancaster university, and Susana, 11, a pupil of St Joseph’s school, Wrexham. Her partner, Paul Keysell, a graphic designer created the Sabor de Amor brand designs.

Information and tasty recipes can be found at www.sabordeamor.com

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 Hamper Llangollen 2015 visit www.llangollenfoodfestival.com