Llan Youth Band in the honours

* Youth band winners with their trophies.

Llangollen Youth Band had a highly successful day at the North Wales Brass Band Association Rally in Ruthin on Saturday.

The band, under the leadership of Trevor Williams, won a total of three awards in the competition's youth section.

Their beautiful rendition of William Himes' arrangement of Amazing Grace won them the Eifion Rogers Memorial Salver Best Hymn award, whilst their confident performance of Reginald Heath's London River earned them the Irene Fox Memorial Shield and the Baton of Honour for Best Test Piece.

Adjudicator Dr Brett Baker awarded Owen Graham the Best Soloist award for his trombone solo in London River.

A band spokesperson said: "This is an extremely fine accolade to earn from an adjudicator who has spent much of his own musical career as a trombone player for top bands such as the Black Dyke Band."

* The youth band on stage at Ruthin.

Five die in two Corwen collisions

Five people have died in road traffic collisions in the Corwen area within just a couple of days.

The first tragedy involved a woman in her eighties who was pronounced dead at the scene following a collision on the A5, at the Square, in Corwen town centre on Friday morning.   

Her family have been informed and a full police investigation is underway.

Sgt Alun Davies of the Roads Policing Unit said: “We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision involving a pedestrian and a lorry or who was in the vicinity of the Square in Corwen at 10.57am today, Friday November 20.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Roads Policing Unit on 101 quoting reference S178034.

The second fatal accident came at 11.39am yesterday (Saturday) when

police were called to a report of a two vehicle road traffic collision on the A5 in Corwen, near Druid traffic lights.

A Vauxhall Astra and Vauxhall Zafira were involved.

Police, fire and rescue service, ambulance and the air ambulance attended the scene.

Tragically, three young men from the Corwen area who were in the Astra, died at the scene.

The occupants of the Zafira, two men from the Merseyside area, were treated at the scene for serious injuries and flown to hospital in Stoke.

One of the men was taken to Stoke and later died as a result of his injuries.

The families of all the victims of this incident have been updated.

Investigations into the collision are continuing and officers are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact officers at the Roads Policing Unit on 101, quoting incident number S178591.

Officers say they are particularly keen to speak to a female occupant of a small red vehicle and the two occupants of a black coloured 4 x 4 type vehicle who arrived from the Corwen direction and assisted at the scene.

Local councillor recommends guide to business rates

After being asked by several local businesses about business rates and relief available, Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies has recommended them to look at a guide produced by Denbighshire's Economic and Business Department to see what is available.

llanblogger has reproduced the guide below:

Business rates (or National Non Domestic Rates) - payable by all occupiers of non-domestic premises, eg offices, business units and shops. 

While they’re collected by local Councils, business rates are paid to Welsh Government, who then pay them back, under a formula, to local Councils as part of their Revenue Support Grant.  Because of the formula, not all business rates collected in a particular council area will necessarily come back to that Council. 

The rate payable (multiplier) is set by Welsh Government centrally. 

Rateable Value - the amount of rates payable for individual premises are based on property valuations carried out by the Valuation Office Agency and are intended to represent broadly the yearly rent for the property on the open market. The last valuation came into effect in 2010. The next is due in 2017. In between time, Rateable Values can be changed if the circumstances for individual premises change. 

Rate relief - there are a number of circumstances where the amount of business rates normally payable can be reduced:

1. Empty / part empty premises:

No rates for first 3 months if previously occupied for 6 weeks.  No rates for first 6 months on some industrial properties

No rates for first 18 months on newly built, vacant commercial premises if completed before 1st Oct 2016

Zero rate for empty charitable and Community Amateur Sports Clubs premises

‘Section 44a Relief’ for part empty premises

Other exemptions including: Rateable Value under £2,600; previous occupier gone into liquidation / bankruptcy; property part of deceased estate; occupation prohibited by law e.g. Asbestos; listed buildings

2. Charitable organisations and Community

Amateur Sports Clubs:

80% reduction where registered

Additional 20% reduction possible in some circumstances

3. Small Business Rate Relief

Up to 100% where Rateable Value is under £12,000, premises are occupied and the business is trading

4. Wales Retail Relief Scheme

Up to £1,500 off rates in 2015-16 for occupied retail, food & drink premises with a Rateable Value Under £50,000

5. Hardship Relief

Available in some short term circumstances where businesses are facing closure due to financial hardship

In all cases, businesses can obtain further advice from the Council’s website or by contacting the Business Rates Team on 01824 706101.

New rented home rules start on Monday

Rent Smart Wales, the new registration and licensing system in Wales, launches on Monday - and it represents a major change for the private rental sector in the principality.

Under it:

- All private landlords who have a rental property in Wales must register themselves and the addresses of their rental properties in Wales;

- Landlords who undertake defined letting or property management activities at a rental property in Wales must apply for a licence. If a landlord instructs an agent to do such work on their behalf, it is that agent who must become licensed;

- In order to get a licence a person must be adequately trained, and also declare themselves ‘fit and proper’;

- Licensing training will be offered through Rent Smart Wales or people can choose to attend Rent Smart Wales approved training courses delivered by other bodies.

Landlords and agents who need to become licensed will be able to register and apply for a licence from Monday. They will have 12 months from that date in which to comply with the new legislation.

During this first year there will be a focus by the Welsh government on raising awareness of the new requirements and encouraging compliance.

One of the earliest changes is that from Monday agents must openly display all fees including any additional charges or penalties which may be incurred during a tenancy as well as fees, charges and penalties which are referenced in the tenancy agreement and in Terms of Business.

Fees should be displayed including VAT. Agents must display fees at each of their premises and on their websites.

Licence to thrill comes to Pavilion

Llangollen Pavilion will be turning into Casino Royale for one evening only next month when a special James Bond Christmas party night takes over the venue.

The event, entitled Shaken, Not Stirred,  will be held on Saturday December 12 and organisers say tickets are already moving faster than 007's Aston Martin.

* Llangollen Pavilion. 

Guests can live and let die on the roulette and blackjack tables and there will also be live music, a three-course meal and the opportunity to dress up as your favourite Bond character, be it Goldfinger, Dr No, Oddjob, Jaws or even Bond himself.

This special Christmas party evening is organised by Radiant Events, whose very own Man with the Golden Gun, Paul Brown, has worked tirelessly to create a real tribute to one of the most successful film franchises in the world.

Paul said: “The release of the new Bond film Spectre has been the catalyst in putting this evening together and it’s been great fun.

"The whole idea has been to create the atmosphere of a Bond film with the casino, high end dining and live music from Rhythm Train, who wowed a crowd of over 5,000 at this summer’s Under The Arches event, and are looking forward to playing some of iconic themes such as Goldfinger and For Your Eyes Only throughout the evening."

He added: “We’re also offering a special prize for the best Bond fancy dress of the evening, so there’s plenty to go at there and we’ll be keeping a count of the number of white tuxedos on view as well.

"We’re also wondering if anybody will turn up as Christmas Jones out of the World is Not Enough, so get researching!”

* Tickets for the evening are priced at £34.95 each including a three-course meal, with tables available for between four and eight people and larger groups accommodated.

To book either phone 07854 051434, email christmas@radiantevents.co.uk or visit www.radiantevents.co.uk/christmas for further information. Bookings are being taken up until Friday November 30.

Llan Food Assembly has its successful launch

* Food assembly organiser Robyn Lovelock (right) with (left) producer

Timothy Parry, who runs Mug Run roasted coffee in Rhyl, and Llangollen town

councillor Phil Thane.

LLANGOLLEN is the first town in Wales to launch a completely fresh way of buying food. 

The area’s new Food Assembly is an online service that brings people together to buy food directly from local farmers and food producers.

Customers in Llangollen can order food online before picking it up weekly at a local pub, the Ponsonby Arms, where the assembly was officially launched last night (Wednesday).

All the food comes from within around 26 miles of the area, meaning that for every £1 spent, 90p stays in the local economy. 

Weekly shoppers can choose from unique local products, such as organic veg from Babbinswood Farm, oak-smoked cheese from Knolton Farmhouse Cheese, and award-winning bangers from family-run business, Pen-y-lan Pork.

* Mike Ford shows off his Pen-y-lan pork sausages.  

There will also be plenty of pastries, artisan bread and other local and seasonal goodies. 

Community is at the heart of the food assembly – it connects neighbours to farmers, neighbours to each other, and everyone to their food. 

The initiative is organised by Robyn Lovelock from the town who said: “Llangollen is the first town in Wales to have its own food assembly.

“The launch event was very successful and we signed up 40 people on the night. We’ve also had lots of interest on our website.

“While we have some fantastic locally produced food in the area, it can be difficult to find in one place and to buy outside of working hours.

“I’m excited that the food assembly will bring some together local farmers and producers with customers keen to buy fresh, tasty local food and other products.”

She added: “I hope the idea will bring another dimension to food options in Llangollen, supporting its Cittaslow slow food status and adding to the great selection of restaurants and delicatessens already here.” 

At last night’s launch event local customers had the chance to meet farmers, food makers and their neighbours, taste local food samples and see where their food comes from.

Among the half dozen or so producers present was Mike Ford, owner of Pen-y-lan Pork based at Crabtree Farm, Eyton.

He said: “I’m delighted to be involved in the food assembly which I think is a great idea.”

Mike, who recently met Sir Terry Wogan when he visited Chester during filming for his recent TV series touring Britain in a London cab sampling its local food, added: “All our products are produced using only the finest local ingredients and I’m glad to be offering them in this new way to the people of Llangollen.”

* For more information and to register as a customer or producer, go to www.thefoodassembly.com and search for Llangollen, or call Robyn on 0779 9896108.

Llan choir to stage pavilion concert

* Llangollen Male Voice Choir.