Silver Band's fashion fundraiser

Llangollen Silver Band will be holding a fundraising and social evening at the Band Room in Parade Street on Saturday November 14 at 7.30 pm.

The event includes a sale of nearly new ladies clothes, bags and jewellery.

There will also be a buffet, raffle and drinks for sale.

Tickets are £3 and are available to purchase from the Honey Pots shop in Llangollen and from the band room on Monday evenings (7-9pm) and Friday evenings (6-8:30pm).

Tickets include entry with buffet and one drink (there will be more drinks for sale).

A band spokesman said: "We ask that those coming bring one or two items of good quality unwanted clothing, bags or jewellery to add to the sale if they can."

Ll20 hit by powercut

Update ...

The power was back on again at around 10pm.

It's understood that one event affected by the outage was the St Collen's harvest supper at the Royal Hotel.

Luckily, however, the power didn't go off until after the main course had been served.


Llangollen suffered a power cut at around 8.45 this evening.
ScottishPower emergency line says a large number of properties in the LL20 area are affected and that teams have been despatched to deal with promlem caused by a fault in an overhead power line.

New ambulance response system gets green for go

THE Welsh Ambulance Service will embark on its pioneering new clinical model pilot this week.

 

Under the new model, those patients in imminent danger of death will get a life-saving response as quickly as possible.

 

All other patients else will have a response based on their clinical needs, but it might not always equal a trip to hospital – it could be a referral to NHS Direct Wales or their GP.

 

It is hoped the new model will end the current practice of sending multiple ambulances to a 999 call in order to meet the eight-minute target.

 

The pilot was established after the McClelland review recommended that Welsh Government move away from the eight-minute target to a more intelligent set of indicators, which put a greater emphasis on patient outcomes and experience.

 

The changes will come into effect on October 1.

 

Dr Brendan Lloyd, Medical Director at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “Since 1974 our ambulance service has been measured by the time it takes to reach emergency calls.

 

“Para-medicine and pre-hospital care has developed rapidly since then, but the focus is still on how many ambulances arrive at calls within eight minutes regardless of the clinical outcome.

 

“That’s why we’re moving away from time-based targets to look more at the quality of what we do for our patients once we arrive.

“Having an ambulance arrive at a patient’s door quickly does not necessarily translate to a better outcome for the patient, but having the right type of vehicle arrive at a patient’s door and timely transport to a treatment centre does.”

 

The new model will introduce three new categories of calls – red, amber and green – to replace the current system.

 

RED calls are immediately life-threatening calls – someone is in imminent danger of death, such as a cardiac arrest.

There is compelling clinical evidence to show an immediate emergency response will make a difference to a person’s outcome.

The eight-minute target will be retained for this group of calls with an initial target of 65% receiving an eight-minute response

AMBER calls refer to those patients with conditions which may need treatment and care at the scene and fast transport to a healthcare facility, if needed.

Patients will be prioritised on the basis of clinical need and patients will receive a fast, blue light response.

There will be no time-based target for amber calls, but a range of clinical outcome indicators will be introduced to measure the quality, safety and timeliness of care being delivered alongside patient experience information, which will be published every quarter.

GREEN calls are less urgent calls, which can often be managed by other health services, like GPs, or through self-care.

This category also includes calls from healthcare professionals, which will be handled in a different, planned way in the future.

 

Dr Lloyd added: “In order to meet the complex and growing demands on our ambulance service, we need to transform the way we deliver our services.

 

“This new model will make our ambulance service among the most progressive in the world.”

 

* There is a more information about the pilot on the Trust’s website.

 

You can also keep abreast of news and updates by following the Welsh Ambulance Service on Twitter @WelshAmbulance and on Facebook.

Government announces help for retailers

Economy Minister Edwina Hart has announced the Welsh Government has extended and enhanced the Wales Retail Relief scheme for 2015-16 to help retail businesses cut up to £1500 off their rates bill.

 

orth Wales South East Wales South West Wales Last year more than10,500 retailers benefited from the scheme which cut annual rates bills by up to £1000.

Edwina Hart is encouraging eligible retail, food and drink businesses to take advantage of the additional savings offered in the current financial year by the Wales Retail Relief scheme.

The Minister said: “The Welsh Government introduced Wales Retail Relief last year to help retailers across Wales, many of which were experiencing difficult trading conditions. I am pleased that more than 10,500 businesses benefited from reduced rates that helped cut their costs and improved their bottom line.

“I hope many more businesses will take advantage of the extended and enhanced scheme that we have launched this year and I would encourage them to contact their local authorities that are administering the scheme on behalf of the Welsh Government.

“Our town and village centres need successful traders and Wales Retail Relief contributes to the package of Welsh Government support aimed at developing vibrant and sustainable town centres.”

Ratepayers that stand to benefit from this relief will be occupying properties that have a rateable value of £50,000 or less, that are wholly or mainly being used as retail premises - shops, restaurants, cafes and drinking establishments.

The relief is available until 31 March 2016 and offers up to £1,500 subject to state aid limits. Business that benefited from relief last year can also apply for the current relief.

The announcement came during High Street Week, the highlight of the Welsh Government’s ‘Support Your High Street’ campaign, which encourages people to make use of the excellent shops and businesses available on their doorstep.

* Detailed guidance is available on our website here: Wales Retail Relief.

Concerns over self-catering businesses raised by AM

Speaking in the Assembly Chamber this week, North Wales AM Mark Isherwood has twice raised the concerns of North Wales businesses that  Welsh Government proposals for changes to the non-domestic rating of self-catering businesses will have “horrendous unintended consequences for truly genuine Welsh businesses”.

 

Mr Isherwood (pictured below) raised the matter in this week’s Business Statement, and the following day with the Economy Minister.   

Speaking in the Business Statement he said: “Could I ask you to bring to the Chamber the Welsh Government’s proposals for changes to the non-domestic rating of self-catering businesses in Wales before you lay your proposed Order on this, expected imminently, certainly before Christmas?

 

“You will be, no doubt, aware that the Wales Association of Self Catering Operators, the only membership body specifically representing self-catering operators in Wales, has said that any proposed measures enacted by the Welsh Government should enhance the positive contribution self-catering makes to the Welsh economy and that translating the concept of 70 days’ occupancy and 140 days’ availability into firm rules should allow for mitigation in those unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances where bone fide businesses are unable to meet either criterion for reasons clearly and certifiably outside of their control.

 

“I’ll quote one operator only, although I’ve been deluged from North Wales: ‘The Welsh Government proposals have horrendous unintended consequences for truly genuine Welsh businesses that are beyond their control. It will be the death knell for small self-catering and many other businesses in the heart of rural Wales, especially north Wales.’”

 

The Minister for Finance and Government Business Jane Hutt AM told Mr Isherwood  to write to the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport about this, but the following day Mr Isherwood raised it directly with the Minister in the Chamber.

 

He said:  “In a letter they sent to all AMs on August 31^st, the Wales Association of Self Catering Operators expressed concern about the way the Welsh Government perceives self-catering in Wales and that the Welsh Government is insufficiently aware  that self-catering in Wales is an important business sector in its own right, employing large numbers of people, supporting local suppliers and benefitting local rural economies.”

 

Mr Isherwood added:  “The Minister’s dismissive response was alarming and I will now be writing to her in the hope of a better response. As someone in North Wales with 18 properties told me ‘these are not second homes, this is a letting business.’”

Mind Body and Spirit Fair this weekend

A Mind, Body & Spirit Fair will be held this weekend in the Community Hall next to St Collen's Church in Llangollen.

On both Saturday and Sunday, from 9am-4pm, there will be stalls, free talks.

Admission is free.

Anna buzzing about new ice cream

 

* Launching new Honey ice cream ready for Llangollen festival is Anna Taylor.

 

An ice cream maker is buzzing about a new flavour it's launching.

 

Chilly Cow Ice Cream will be unveiling the honey and lavender variety at the popular Hamper Llangollen food festival on Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18.

 

Anna Taylor who runs the company based at Llanychan, near Ruthin, will be using honey farmed just down the road from her by enthusiastic beekeeper Brian Dacre, a carpenter who makes hand-crafted bee hives as well as farming bees.

 

Anna, who started Chilly Cow Ice Cream just 15 months ago, has seen her business grow from having just a handful of customers to 45 outlets.

 

She said: “Brian’s honey is pure gold, just delicious and there’s big demand for it, plus it’s local to us, so perfect for using in a new flavour of ice cream. I am about to start work on developing it and testing to create a unique new flavour. The idea is to combine it with lavender, which will be an ideal foil for the honey. I plan to launch it at Hamper Llangollen so I can offer foodie lovers the chance to taste it before they buy.”

 

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.

 

The honey and lavender flavour is the latest in a growing range of ice cream produced by Anna in a specially converted building at Stryt Fawr Farm, the family home where her husband, David and his father farm a herd of 75 Brown Swiss diary cows.

 

Anna said: “The Brown Swiss cows produce a rich, creamy milk, with high buttermilk content. It’s great for ice cream. We are so lucky to have them. Their milk makes a far nicer ice cream product than any other. I know I’m biased, but I love it.”

 

The idea to start producing ice cream professionally came after she had a go at it as a dessert for herself and David and their two children, Harry, seven and Ellie, five.

 

Anna said: “We started making a small quantity and it was so delicious that we decided to take the idea further. We looked into production costs, had some batches made up professionally using our milk and recipe and they were so good that we decided to go for it and set up a manufacturing unit here at the farm.”

 

Helped by local authority grants and advice from small business support organisations, the couple converted a former garage into a brand new production unit and it was not long before Anna had become a full time ice cream maker.

 

She said: “I used to have a job as a mortgage advisor and at first I thought I would be able to make ice cream part time and continue with the job I trained for during the rest of the week. But demand grew so quickly that was just impossible.”

 

Anna now has a part time employee who helps with the ice cream manufacturing, while she herself is also there most of the week, as well as taking to the road to distribute her orders across the region on a Friday.

 

She supplies delicatessens, pubs, hotels and food shops from Rossett to Llandudno.

“We also supply the shop at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, which I’m really proud of,” she said.

She also sells ice cream tubs direct from the farm.

 

Her growing flavour range includes traditional favourites such as vanilla, strawberry ripple, and chocolate, more unusual sticky toffee fudge, lemon meringue, chunky chocolate mint, and exotic flavours like mango and passionfruit and cherry cheesecake.

 

She said: “I taste all the flavours myself to make sure they work and I never sell any flavour that I’m not totally happy with. One of our most popular varieties, though, is the one called Just Chilly Cow, which has no additional flavourings at all – it is made purely of our own fantastic milk.”

 

Anna is a big fan of food festivals, like Hamper Llangollen and is also a member of the Clwydian Range Food Trail, which includes small artisan food producers around the region.

 

She said: “It is great to be part of the trail as I get to meet so many other excellent local producers and often we can help each other out by including each other’s links on our websites. Word of mouth also helps spread the news about all our products. That’s why Hamper Llangollen is so good. Once people have tried our ice cream there, they will often go home and tell friends and family about it, which is a great way of getting our brand more widely known.”

 

For more information about Chilly cow range visit www.chillycow.co.uk and for details about Llangollen Food Festival-Hamper Llangollen 2015 visit www.llangollenfoodfestival.com