Llan author publishes fairy tale collection

LLANGOLLEN resident and author Adrian Farrel has published a collection of new fairy tales.
Enitled Tales from the Wood, it contains 18 original stories each with the familiar feel of a traditional fairy tale, but each with a new flavour and twist.

Adrian, who has lived in the area for the last 25 years, said: "It is in the nature of fairy tales that each has echoes in our minds.

“Not only do they contain archetypes that appear in countless stories, but their essence is basic truths about the world, and hopes and dreams for a better life and just resolution of all situations.

“Some of these tales are clearly identifiable with stories you will find in anthologies, while others crept into this book at dark of night. Each contains elements of the fairy tale of old."

The stories in this collection range from Peter Pretzel who had his feet on backwards, to Mother Elde who slept late in her house high on the mountain ridge above the trees and above the meadows the year winter didn't come.

This isn't the first book Adrian has written, but it is his first outing into fiction.

His previous publications include six reference books describing the technical workings of the Internet, and more than 60 standards that specify details of how the Internet is implemented.

Adrian added: “Tales from the Wood was written over a period of two years mainly in distant hotel rooms and on long-haul flights.

“A necessary part of my day job as a consultant to major telephone companies and their equipment suppliers,  these locations provided distraction-free writing time that was ideally suited to the short story or fairy tale format.”

Adrian is already working on a second collection, More Tales from the Wood.

* Tales from the Wood" is available in Llangollen from the Courtyard Bookshop and
from Zingiber in Bridge Street. It can also be bought online from Amazon or direct from the
publisher at
http://www.feedaread.com/books/Tales-from-the-Wood-9781786100924.aspx

Llan campaigner passes away

* Martin Crumpton, left, films a TV interview with Adrian Masters in 2012. 

A Llangollen man whose campaigning zeal led to a spot on national TV has died at the age of 64.

Martin Crumpton spearheaded the local battles to save the town’s cottage hospital from closure and prevent Sainsbury’s opening a supermarket on the Dobson & Crowther site.

Although both were ultimately unsuccessful, they managed to galvanise sections of the community.

The two campaigns were co-ordinated by the community group Keep Llangollen Special (KLS) which Mr Crumpton formed and led until his recent death at home following a long illness.     

At one stage in 2012, he carried the fight to save the cottage hospital to a Wales-wide audience when it was featured on ITV Wales politics show Sharp End for which he filmed an interview with political editor Adrian Masters outside the Abbey Road building.

For the same campaign he organised a well-attended public meeting at The Hand Hotel.

When it was revealed earlier this year that Sainsbury’s had pulled out the supermarket development on the A5 he was overjoyed and took a keen interest in a suitable occupant being found for the empty building which is still under construction.

Mr Crumpton was born in Birmingham and lived in Solihull before he and his wife Anne moved to Llangollen some 15 years ago.

His working life was mainly spent as a system programmer in IT.

A statement in tribute to him from KLS says: “He set up Keep Llangollen Special as a community organisation with like-minded residents several years ago and pioneered the idea of Buy Local to support local independent businesses in the difficult economic climate of the last five years or so and the changing face of retailing and town centres.

“KLS under the chairmanship of Martin opposed out of town development schemes because he believed strongly that this would be detrimental to Llangollen's unique and vibrant town centre.

“He also opposed the closure of the community hospital and worked tirelessly despite deteriorating health to convince public bodies that such schemes were damaging to Llangollen and its local economy.

“Members of KLS knew Martin as a unique character who was not afraid to speak his mind and articulate this to the decision makers.

“He never hesitated to approach the people at the very top of government and other organisations and make his points to them.

“This led most recently to a visit from Simon Dean, the acting chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, to discuss how the current NHS problems were affecting Llangollen.

“Martin was a very strong character with an incisive mind, but he was also a warm individual with a keen sense of humour and a special person to know and he worked tirelessly for the benefit of the community.

“He will be greatly missed by his colleagues in KLS and around the town and the members of the group wish to offer sincere condolences to Anne and her family at this sad time.” 

Adrian Masters, political editor of ITV Wales, said: "It's quite rare for journalists and interviewees to keep in touch over anything other than the story that they're both involved in, but Martin was quite rare. 

"So, yes he'd bombard me with emails and tweets about the campaign but we'd also talk about so many other things such as his short stories or his time in IT. We only met in the real world three times, but after the first he treated me like an old friend.

"He may not have been physically well but his mind was fizzing with ideas. When I visited him last year he was working on an idea for a game show, thinking about patenting an invention and his opening gambit was 'let's not talk shop, what do you think of Peter Capaldi?'

"I'm very glad I took him up on his offer of escaping political conferences on the last two of my visits to Llangollen and made my way up the hill to see him, Anne - whom he told me he called his angel - and Ben. I had already noticed the lack of his pithy tweets during the current party conference season before I'd even heard the sad news.

 

"Llangollen couldn't have had a more assiduous supporter who seized every opportunity to promote his adopted home. I'll miss his always interesting, if sometimes acerbic tweets, and the conversation which could have been about, literally, anything."

AM praises work of heritage groups like Llan Railway

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood spoke in the Chamber yesterday of the "fantastic" work of heritage groups in north east Wales, including Llangollen Railway.  

 

Mr Isherwood (pictured) was questioning First Minister Carwyn Jones on what the Welsh Government is doing to maximise the effect of Welsh heritage on the economy.

 

He said:  “Welsh heritage can have a major impact on the economy of north-east Wales, provided it involves organisations, ranging from Llangollen railway to Greenfield Valley Heritage Park to Brymbo Heritage Group, in designing the visitor offer.

 

"I’ve been asked by Brymbo Heritage Group to extend an invitation to you to visit them and look at the great work they’re doing. I hope you’ll respond affirmatively, but look forward to your answer.”

 

The First Minister replied: “I will certainly try to do that, and I will look at my diary to see if I can visit in the near future.”

 

Mr Isherwood added: “I have been proud to work with Brymbo Heritage Group for many years. Its members deserve huge credit for their vision and determination, and for what they have already achieved on their journey to re-use the surviving ironworks, steelworks and colliery buildings to create a heritage centre, learning zone and commercial complex, celebrating Brymbo’s rich history and embracing the tourism opportunity presented by the fossil forest.”

New Dot screens creepy Halloween film on Friday

* A scene from New Dot's creepy Halloween film, Carnival of Souls.

This  Friday will see New Dot community cinema host another of their movie nights in Llangollen Town Hall.

To mark Halloween, latest will be Herk Harvey’s classic 1962 creepy Carnival of Souls (12a, an atmospheric piece which has become a cult hit said to send shivers down your spine.

Carnival of Souls tells the story of a young woman, Mary, who escapes Death, however Death wants her back.

 

A spokesperson for New Dot Cinema said: "This forgotten little horror has a similar feel to the Twilight Zone which was also very popular at the time.

 

"Herk Harvey created a film full of unease and foreboding which will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and a bone-chilling score of organ music adds to its slow building tension.

 

"The film was chosen as New Dot’s Halloween special and as with all our events the Town Hall will be decorated in all things spooky. There will also be various tricks and treats available on the night.

 

"Dressing up is once again encouraged and New Dot are looking forward to welcoming all manner of spooks, ghouls, ghosts and general public who are brave enough on the night!"

 

* Tickets are available from Bailey’s Delicatessen (Castle St), Lottie’s Vintage shop (Oak Street) or online at newdotcinema.org, adults £8, concessions £5.

Twenty Club returns to Fawlty Towers

Following their acclaimed, sell-out production of Fawlty Towers in 2012, the Twenty Club in Llangollen will be performing three more episodes of one of the UK's finest sit-coms next month.

These include Communication Problems, Waldorf Salad and Basil the Rat.

Many of the 2012 cast will be reprising their roles, including Ally Goodman as the snobbish, manic Basil; Helen Belton as Sybil, his over-coiffeured, domineering wife, and Richard Mascarenhas as the hopeless but ever-hopeful waiter Manuel.

* The dining room scene from the 2012 production of Fawlty Towers.

New members of the cast this time include Carys Stallard as the calm and capable Polly as well as Ian Wright who takes on the role of the oft-confused, Major.

The show will be directed once again by Chrissie Ashworth.

Goodman is particularly looking forward to stepping back into best-loved bad hotel in the world.

He said: "I don't think I've laughed as much during a theatre run than when we did the show three years ago.

"Having the opportunity to do three more episodes is fantastic and all the cast and crew are really excited for people to come and see it."

Fawlty Towers runs from Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th November at Llangollen Town Hall.

Doors open at 7pm each night and there is a one-off matinee performance at 2pm on the Saturday.

Tickets are available now at tinyurl.com/fawltytowerstickets or via the Twenty Club page on Facebook.

The Twenty Club is one of the oldest dramatic societies in North Wales.

It was founded in 1946 with 20 original members, which gave the club its name.

The club presents two plays a year, in autumn and spring, with a mixture of comedy, drama and period productions.

Police seek information on two Llan incidents

The Dee Valley Policing Team has today posted two messages about incidents in Llangollen on its Facebook page.

 

One concerns a burglary and the other criminal damage.

 

Police are appealing for information about the burglary which took place at Finlays sandwich shop some time overnight between Monday and Tuesday.

 

Offenders forced entry into the property on Abbey Road and stole items from within.

 

If you noticed anything suspicious, or have any information relating to this incident, contact North Wales Police by dialling 101 quoting reference RC15153095.

Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers Wales on 0800 555 111.

Police are also seeking information following an incident of criminal damage in which two windows were smashed in Llangollen at a café on Castle street some time overnight between Monday and Tuesday.

If you have any information, call the police on101 quoting reference RC15153141.

* Visit the advice and support pages on the North Wales Police website to see how you can improve your security at home. http://www.north-wales.police.uk/advice-and-support.aspx

Skates pats health centre builders on back

* The new Llangollen health centre.

An Assembly Member paid a visit to a construction company to meet the team behind a ‘fantastic’ new health centre in his constituency.

Ken Skates, AM for Clwyd South, was invited to Read Construction’s UK headquarters at Brymbo Enterprise Centre on Friday (October 2) by managing director Richard Heaton.

The company won the contract from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to build the new Llangollen Health Centre, which opened in mid-September, following a multi-million pound investment by the Welsh Labour Government.

Mr Skates, who is based in Llangollen, said: “It was a pleasure to meet the team behind the fantastic new facility, and I’d like to thank Richard for inviting me to visit.

“The health centre is a very welcome addition to Llangollen and will become a huge asset to the town, and it is particularly pleasing to see a company in my constituency deliver it to such high standards.

“As the local Assembly Member, I’m proud that the Welsh Labour Government, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the practice have worked together on such a key project, and I’m thrilled that Read Construction has brought the plans to life and created such high-quality, modern healthcare facility the town can be proud of.”

The Labour AM also congratulated the firm on being nominated for a national Construction Quality Award for its work on Ysgol Ty Fynnon in Shotton.