Gala dinner supports air ambulance

* The Chain Bridge Hotel, scene of the February 27 gala dinner.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Wales Air Ambulance a gala dinner will be held at the Chain Bridge Hotel in Llangollen on Saturday February 27, starting at 7pm.

The evening, hosted by supporter Ron Hughes, will feature a speaker, musical entertainment and a raffle with all proceeds going to the Air Ambulance.

Tickets, priced at £30, are available by emailing the host at rontacv@gmail.com,or calling 07780 668781.

Big Top thrills come to Corwen

* Circus skills workshops have come to Corwen.

The thrills of the Big Top have come to Corwen with a circus skills workshop.

Running for the next five weeks at Canolfan Ni,  it’s being ring-masterminded by Panic Circus and is aimed at anyone, young or old, interested in learning skills associated with the famous travelling shows.

Eliot Maddocks – aka Elmo Panic – said: “We have equipment to fit everyone , whether they would like to learn to juggle, unicycle or tightrope work, spin diablo or balance on a ball,  hola or stilt walk.

“Come along, all smiles and giggles are completely free of charge but there is a small charge to cover the hire of the room.”

Panic Circus is a new-wave, non-animal circus and clown theatre will plays to audiences around the country. 

* For more details, go to: http://www.paniccircus.co.uk/

Candidate gets update on HSBC branch closures

Simon Baynes, Welsh Conservative Assembly Candidate for Clwyd South, met with representatives of HSBC last Thursday.

 

And he says they agreed to his suggestion that the bank should attend Chirk Town Council and Ruabon Community Council meetings to discuss the branch closures.

 

The meeting with HSBC was also attended by County Cllr Joan Lowe (Penycae and Ruabon South) and County Cllr Terry Evans (Chirk South) and the depth of concern of the two communities about the branch closures was strongly communicated to the bank, says Mr Baynes 

 

* Simon Baynes.

The meeting also focused on discussing the 30 key questions raised by people who attended the recent public meetings on the closures in Chirk and Ruabon and by over 350 residents who replied to Mr Baynes’ Community Banking Survey.

 

According to Mr Baynes, HSBC said they are going to provide more detailed answers to the 30 questions and agreed that more work needs to be done on ensuring a robust service is offered by the Post Office.

 

He said: “I am pleased that HSBC immediately agreed to attend the Chirk Town Council and Ruabon Community Council meetings, hopefully on Wednesday next week.

 

"In a difficult situation like this, it is extremely important that local residents and businesses have as much opportunity as possible to express their concerns and ask questions.

 

"HSBC now has the 30 key questions about the branch closures which were raised at the two recent public meetings and we look forward to their detailed answers to these questions.

 

"Full, open and transparent communication is vital and I would urge people to contact the bank directly with their concerns.

 

"You can email Martin Lyons, Area Director, Business Banking for North Wales), on martinlyons@hsbc.com or ring Nikki Sears, Wrexham Branch Manager, on 03455 847024.  If you have problems, contact me on baynes@bodfach.com and 07880786573 and I will contact HSBC on your behalf.”

AM praises Ysgol Bryn Collen's positive report

A primary school has been praised by its local Assembly Member after Estyn inspectors highlighted ‘a series of huge positives’.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates said the report on Ysgol Bryn Collen in Llangollen was ‘one that everyone connected with the school and the wider community can be proud of'.

Inspectors noted that the majority of pupils make good progress and are well-behaved.

They rated both the school’s performance and its prospects for improvement as ‘good’.

Mr Skates (pictured) said: “The report highlights a series of huge positives for the school, and great credit must go to the leadership of headteacher David Coffey over the past decade, as well as his dedicated team.

“The inspectors saw that the children enjoy imaginative learning experiences that provide challenging opportunities for them to develop their skills, and it’s also extremely encouraging that they note that pupils with individual needs receive effective support in an inclusive and welcoming community.”

The report is also positive about the school’s future, stating that the headteacher and senior leaders have an ongoing commitment to raising standards and work closely and effectively with staff, with a shared understanding of the priorities for improvement.

Mr Skates said: “The staff have the support of a knowledgeable governing body, who play a strong role in school life, and the Estyn team also highlights a rigorous process of self-evaluation which underpins the school’s plans for improvement.

“Another aspect which is very pleasing is that in these times of huge UK Government cuts to public funding and to Wales, Mr Coffey and the governing body monitor the school’s finances efficiently and make good use of all available funding.”

Mr Skates added: “This is a great report and a wonderful way for Ysgol Bryn Collen to start 2016. It’s one that everyone teachers, pupils, parents and everyone connected with the school and the wider community can be proud of.”

Ysgol Bryn Collen has 170 pupils and Mr Coffey has been headteacher since 2005.

Major A5 roadworks due to start on Tuesday

* The A5 through Llangollen will be resurfaced during major roadworks. 

Major roadworks to resurface the of main A5 road through Llangollen are due to begin next Tuesday.

County Cllr Stuart Davies has been given details of the scheme, being promoted by the Welsh Government and the North & Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency, by the works department at Denbighshire County Council.

He has been told that the aim of the works is to replace the worn-out upper carriageway surface throughout the length of the A5 in the town, from the western 30mph limit to the eastern 30mph limit.

The work is expected to last for six weeks and, in order to minimise disruption, will start at around 7.30am and continue well into the evening, perhaps up until midnight, Cllr Davies has been informed.

The existing carriageway will be removed during the daytime, to around 4pm, with the new pavement being laid from 4pm.

Cllr Davies has been warned there will be “unavoidable noise” from heavy plant moving around and reversing between these times.

He has also been informed that the Welsh Government has released further funds, so the contractor will be employed to renew the carriageway surface to the west for 650m beyond the 30mph limit towards Berwyn.

This will be completed following the works within the town, but within the overall six-week period stated previously.

Ross is bloomin’ thrilled with his lead role

Rehearsals for Llangollen Operatic Society’s forthcoming production of Mel Brooks’ smash hit musical The Producers are now well underway.

With just weeks to go until opening night, the cast and crew are getting excited and no-one more than society stalwart Ross Wilson, who will take the lead role of nervous accounts clerk turned producer, Leo Bloom. 

Ross’ passion for the stage started at a very young age when he joined the society’s junior section as a five year old.

* Ross Wilson as Sweaty Eddie in Sister Act. 

He remained a member of the Young Uns’ right up to age of 17 and during that time undertook a variety of roles, culminating with the lead role in the group’s 2005 Production of Bugsy Malone. 

However, Ross’ interest in acting extended beyond amateur theatre.

After completing his GCSEs at Ysgol Dinas Bran, he went on to take a three-year course in Performing Arts at Yale College in Wrexham before continuing his studies to degree level at the International Film School of Wales at Newport University, where his hard work earned him a 2:1. 

After a few years spent travelling and working in the USA and France, Ross finally returned to his home town and re-joined the Operatic Society again last year for whom he played the role of police officer Sweaty Eddie in their production of Sister Act, which won much local acclaim and was a sell-out almost every performance. 

Ross said: “I am thrilled to be playing the role of Leo Bloom and The Producers is a show I have always wanted to be in. I think it’s the high energy comedy that hooks me in and with the character of Leo, this energy and comedy really comes out."
 
The Producers will be staged at Llangollen Town Hall from April 12-16, starting at 7.30pm and with a matinee performance starting at 2.30pm on Saturday April 16.

* Tickets are now available online at:  www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollenoperaticsociety. Booking early is recommended.

Renew garden waste sub now, says council

Denbighshire Council is reminding residents to renew their annual subscription to the garden waste collection service.

Households sign up and pay an annual subscription to have their garden waste collected and subscriptions can be renewed up to 12 weeks before they come to an end.

Over 16,500 households are currently signed up to the scheme, which is over 50% of eligible households in Denbighshire.

Residents can find out when their subscription is up for renewal by typing their postcode at: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling

Householders that have opted in to the service receive a collection calendar for the fortnightly service and a bar-code sticker for their green bin, or bar-coded tags where garden waste is collected in bags.

The following garden waste goes in your green wheelie bin or green dumpy sack: grass cuttings, garden prunings, branches and twigs, leaves, bark, flowers and plants.

The council will not empty green dumpy bags or green bins which contain; soil, general household rubbish or food products.

Garden waste can also be disposed of through recycling parks, free of charge. Some garden wastes can be shredded and returned to the soil as a mulch or composted at home either on a traditional compost heap or a home composter.

Denbighshire's introduction of charges for garden waste collection followed a significant reduction in its grant from the Welsh Government.

The council set an annual charge of £24 to empty its standard 140 litre green garden waste bin every two weeks with an option to have a second bin for an extra £12. There is a £2 discount if you renew online. There is an equivalent service in place for residents who use the Council's green dumpy sacks for garden waste.

If you aren't already signed up for this service and wish to do so, you can sign up on www.denbighshire.gov.uk<http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk>  or, alternatively householders can make payment by telephone on 01824 706101 (or 01824 706100 for Welsh speakers) or by calling in at any of the Council's One Stop Shops.