Candidates' messages for St David's Day

Welsh Conservatives

Simon Baynes, the Welsh Conservative Assembly Candidate for Clwyd South, strongly supports the introduction of a St David’s Day Bank Holiday.

The Welsh Conservatives have pledged to work constructively with the UK Government in the hope of utilising public holidays more effectively for the people of Wales.

 

Mr Baynes says that despite claiming to back Welsh Conservative calls for its designation as a Bank Holiday, Labour Ministers in Wales have done "very little" to press for change.

 

"To date, the Welsh Government has evaded responding to a question asking how many meetings the First Minister has had concerning St David's Day’s possible designation as a Bank Holiday - despite a response being due back on February 25, raising further questions in relation to their inaction," he said.

 

“A St David’s Day Bank Holiday would be very good for Wales and would provide people across the country with a unique opportunity to celebrate our identity.

 

"There is a strong level of support across Wales for a St David's Day Bank Holiday and the move has been repeatedly endorsed by Welsh Conservatives.

 

"Scotland already has a bank holiday for its Patron Saint, St. Andrew, and Northern Ireland has a bank holiday for St Patrick.

 

"I am surprised that the Welsh Labour government has not supported the idea more strongly but we will continue to campaign hard for its introduction so that the people of Wales can celebrate the amazing heritage and history of Wales with this special St David’s Day Bank Holiday.”

Plaid Cyrmu

People have been encouraged to look beyond their immediate circles and consider the needs of others who might not be as visible in their community, in an annual St David’s Day message by Plaid Cymru - the Party of Wales’ Mabon ap Gwynfor.

 

The Clwyd South Assembly candidate referred to St David’s miracle, said to be making the ground rise beneath his feat in order to make him seen and heard by the crowd.

 

In his address, Mr ap Gwynfor said: “As we look towards Wales’ General Election on May 5, we should heed the lesson from St David’s miracle, and rise above the din of those who are able to make their voices heard, and look for those who are not so fortunate. Because our responsibility is to the whole not just the fortunate few.”

 

He published his message at the same time as launching a crowd funding campaign for his candidacy.

 

He said: “St David’s Day is an annual reminder that we have a responsibility towards our neighbours and communities. Wales after all is a community of communities, interconnected and interdependent.

 

"The Assembly election in May is about Wales, our communities and all who choose to live here. I’m asking people to think who’s best placed to come up with solutions for our problems here in Wales.

 

“The crowd funding campaign allows people to make a contribution to my election campaign and start to build Wales up again, and invest in our health services by training and recruiting more doctors and nurses, invest in north Wales and not just one region of south Wales; and introduce free care for all three year-olds and the elderly.”

 

Anybody wishing to contribute can do so by visiting www.crowdfunder.co.uk/mabon

MP furious over bank transactions letter

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones MP has slammed as "total nonsense" a claim by HSBC Regional Director Jonathan Byrne that giving information about the number of transactions undertaken at Chirk and Ruabon HSBC bank branches would be "commercially sensitive" and that bank was unable to do this.

 

In an earlier letter (dated 18th January), the Clwyd South Labour MP (pictured) asked the HSBC Director:

 

"Can you provide numbers that show that transactions have fallen? Can you provide information on how many accounts are held at both branches? Following the closures of Cefn Mawr, Llangollen and Rhosllannerchrugog branches, how many accounts were served by these two branches and will those accounts now all be transferred to Wrexham? Please provide figures to show why you consider Ruabon and Chirk branches to be no longer commercially viable."

 

Ms Jones said: "Local residents will be as furious as I am with this. Not only is HSBC about to close two local bank branches in Chirk and Ruabon, but they won't give us any objective evidence why they're doing it.

 

"In the last few weeks, I've visited 124 local businesses in Chirk, Ruabon, Cefn, Johnstown and Rhos. There's no doubt that the two bank closures will have a big impact on most of these businesses. The same is true too for the many individual customers who have loyally stayed with HSBC.

 

"The problems we are witnessing with bank closures are part of a UK-wide phenomenon - and this is why I am determined to press on in Parliament with this issue.

 

"I have now had my call accepted for a national inquiry. The Government used to talk about keeping the last bank open in every community, but all we're seeing is banks being closed. This doesn't happen in the same way in most other countries. We need UK Government action and a better approach here." 

 

The HSBC letter appears below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AM presses for care home to be kept open

Assembly Member Ken Skates has praised a ‘fantastic’ care home in Corwen – and repeated his plea for it to be kept open.

The Clwyd South AM, pictured outside the home, has previously urged Denbighshire Council to push through plans which will keep Cysgod-y-Gaer open and see services expanded and improved.

Mr Skates visited the centre on Friday to talk to manager Sian Owen and residents.

He said: “Cysgod-y-Gaer is a fantastic facility. The staff do a wonderful job and the residents are happy and well looked-after. We simply can’t afford to lose it.”

Mr Skates wrote to the council’s chief executive Dr Mohammed Mehmet more than a year ago to raise concerns over the possible closure of the home. He wants the authority proceed with plans to further develop it.

The Labour AM added: “After the recent closure of the public consultation programme into the future of care homes in Denbighshire, I wrote to Dr Mehmet once again to encourage the council to push forward with plans to develop a support hub at Cysgod-y-Gaer with extra care facilities and outreach services.

“I hope we will soon see Denbighshire County Council progress these plans and further improve local care services for those who need them in the Dee Valley.”

New band to play at RAFA Club

A new band from Llangollen, Sky High, will play at Llangollen RAFA Club on Saturday March 12, starting at 7pm.

All are welcome and there's a small charge on the door.



         

Tour of Britain to pass through county

Denbigh will begin proceedings as the county hosts its first ever stage start of the Tour of Britain on the morning of September 7 before Stage Four heads through Flintshire and on to Powys, for the first ever stage finish in the county at the Royal Welsh Showground outside Builth Wells.

A day later Stage Five will re-start from Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, a new venue for the Tour of Britain.  That stage will cross South Wales, finishing in Bath.

 

Welsh Government, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates, said: “We’re looking forward to hosting the Tour Britain again this year and thrilled that some new venues and locations will get a taste of the action.   The Tour of Britain is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase Wales’ unique and beautiful landscape to the world, as well as highlighting our ability to host a variety of major events. 

 

“The spectators in Wales have always given the cyclists a real warm Welsh welcome and have created a fantastic atmosphere, I hope that people from across Wales come out to support the event again this year.  Being a part of an event such as this can really inspire people to want to take up the sport and 2016 being Wales’ Year of Adventure gives the perfect opportunity to plan some two-wheeled adventures in Wales.”

 

Wales has hosted stages of the Tour of Britain annually since 2010, with last year’s event beginning overall in the country, on Anglesey.

 

The Tour of Britain has passed through Denbighshire in each of the previous three editions, but 2016 will be the first time the race has started from the county.

 

Councillor Huw Jones, Denbighshire County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Tourism, Leisure and Youth “We are absolutely delighted to have secured the start of the North Wales stage this year, as we feel it will have great benefits to the tourism industry here in Denbighshire, as well as showcasing what the region has to offer.

 

“North Wales is fast earning itself a reputation for hosting and staging major events, with the Tour of Britain a prime example of how councils and event organisers work closely together to deliver these spectacular events.  The support shown by our communities in recent years has well and truly added to the event’s success and we look forward to welcoming the sights and sounds of the event to Denbighshire in September”.

 

Powys hosted a stage start of the Tour of Britain annually from 2010 to 2014, but this year will mark the first time a stage has finished in the county.

 

Cllr Avril York, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “I’m delighted that this fantastic sporting spectacle is returning to Powys – the green heart of Wales.  We have been proud to host five Tour of Britain starts since 2010 but to have a stage finish in the county for the first time is truly exciting.

 

“Not only will this attract thousands of people, hosting a stage finish will give the area a huge economic boost.  We’re looking forward to making this a memorable occasion for all and I’m sure our county will once again warmly welcome the race when it returns in the autumn.”

 

Previous editions of the Tour of Britain have infrequently passed through Rhondda Cynon Taff, most recently in 2012, but the county borough has never hosted the race before.

 

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Council Business, Cllr Maureen Webber, said: “It is positive news for our county that Aberdare will be hosting the start of Stage Five of this year’s Tour of Britain.

 

“The Tour or Britain is a huge event and one which we cannot wait to welcome to Rhondda Cynon Taf on Thursday 8 September. Hosting the race gives us a great opportunity to showcase our County Borough and all it has to offer and really put Rhondda Cynon Taf on the map.

 

“We look forward to giving a warm valleys welcome to all the riders, their teams and all the many spectators who I am sure will be lining the streets to watch the race as it passes through the county.“

 

Further details of the routes of both stages will be announced in the early Summer.

 

Commenting on the Welsh Stages, Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett said;

 

“We have worked with our partners at Denbighshire and Powys Councils over the past year’s to ensure that we can bring a Start and a Finish to each respectively for the first time in the history of the modern Tour of Britain. Both council’s have supported the Tour of Britain in the past so we are pleased to be able to link the two with a new route.

 

“The stage route south through the heart of Wales will use a lot of roads previously unvisited by the Tour of Britain in the Cambrian Mountains including a great deal of climbing, before a flat run in along the Wye Valley to the finish on the Royal Welsh Showground, which will see an intriguing battle between the teams of the sprinters and overall contenders.

 

“We are pleased to be returning to South Wales with this year’s Tour of Britain and a new start venue in Aberdare before the race heads across the country taking in many new towns and villages in an area renown for its cycling passion.”

 

The Tour of Britain will begin in Glasgow on Sunday 4 September and finish in the heart of London on Sunday 11 September. Cumbria and Cheshire East will host previous stages, before subsequent stages take the race to the South West of England, including a summi t finish at Haytor on Dartmoor and a challenging circuit race in Bristol on the penultimate day.

 

For the fifth successive year fans can look forward to enjoying daily live coverage of all eight stages on ITV4, with the channel broadcasting a three-hour live programme from each stage, plus one-hour of highlights every evening during the race.

 

Chain Reaction Cycles continue their partnership with the race and sponsorship of the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification, won in 2015 by Team WIG GIN’s Owain Doull, while UK parcel carrier Yodel will continue to sponsor the daily intermediate YodelDirect Sprints classification, which Peter Williams of ONE Pro Cycling won last September.

 

ŠKODA remain official car suppliers and sponsors of the King of the Mountains jersey, also won by Williams in 2015.

 

The Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their door step.  

 

Stage One	Sunday 4 September	Glasgow to Castle Douglas	168km
Stage Two	Monday 5 September	Carlisle to  Kendal	195km
Stage Three	Tuesday 6 September	Congleton to Tatton Park, Knutsford	182km
Stage Four	Wednesday 7 September	Denbigh to Builth Wells	217km
Stage Five	Thursday 8 September	Aberdare to Bath	205km
Stage Six	Friday 9 September	Sidmouth to Haytor, Dartmoor	150km
Stage Seven a	Saturday 10 September	Bristol Stage Individual Time Trial	15 km
Stage Seven b	Saturday 10 September	Bristol Stage Circuit Race	76.5km
Stage Eight	Sunday 11 September	London Stage presented by TfL	100km

 

AM raises concerns over "vital" charity service

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has raised concerns in the Assembly that from the end of May charities in Wales will no longer have access to a vital service which allows them to check the criminal records of potential volunteers.

 

Speaking in the Business Statement, Mr Isherwood (pictured) said charities are worried that its withdrawal could have devastating long-term consequences and will affect some of the most vulnerable members of society. 

 

He said: “Could I call for a Statement on access to the Criminal Records Unit for Wale s currently run by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)? The Welsh Government has informed third sector organisations that they will no longer have access to the DBS check service (Disclosure and Barring Service previously called Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks)  provided by the WCVA from 31 May, and we understand that this was without prior consultation or discussion.

 

“The service provides a vital outlet for many third sector organisations to vet potential volunteers and its loss could have devastating long-term consequences, with deeply worrying consequences for the services provided by the third sector and ultimately leading to greater cost for the Welsh Government and the Welsh public sector.

 

“The Welsh Sports Association, representing all national governing bodies of sport in Wales, says this will cause significant concern for many organisations within the voluntary sector, and there are concerns that its closure will affect some of the most vulnerable members of society. The Chief Executive of St John Cymru says the decision will affect every charity in Wales, is short-sighted and potentially very harmful to the sector as a whole. Again, could I call for a statement accordingly?”

 

The Minister for Government Business, Jane Hutt AM, said: “The Minister for Com munities and Tackling Poverty is working very closely with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action to ensure that we can address this issue - because it is a very important service - and that there is, again, no difficulty in working through this to make sure that that service can be available, particularly to the third sector.”

 

 

Punjabis who danced with prince are Llangollen Ambassadors

 

* Narinder Singh invites Prince Charles to join in

with the Sheerer Punjabi Dancers.

 

Punjabi dancers who inspired the Prince of Wales to get down to the Bhangra beat have been appointed honorary ambassadors of the iconic festival where it happened.

 

The Sheerer Punjabi Dancers from Nottingham made global headlines after dancing with the heir to the throne at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in North Wales.

 

Troupe leader Narinder Singh couldn’t believe his luck when Prince Charles joined in the impromptu routine on a visit to the event with the Duchess of Cornwall.

 

He and his dancers are big fans of the festival which is being celebrated for the 70^th time this summer, from Tuesday, July 5, to Sunday, July 10, and he says that anyone interested in attending can contact them by e-mail to get all the inside information they require.

Narinder said the magical royal moment was so typical of Llangollen’s spirit of fun and international friendship that he’s happy to accept the invitation to spread the word about the annual event to potential competitors and visitors from Nottingham and the East Midlands.

Narinder said: “I’m absolutely delighted to become a Llangollen Ambassador and to let people know what a fantastic event the Eisteddfod is.

 

“I first came here as a visitor in the 1970s and then later as a competitor with the dance group so I know what a fantastic event it is.

 

“You meet people from around the world and get to learn about their music and culture. There’s a great atmosphere throughout the week of the festival.

 

“I also think it’s wonderful how it has grown and thrived throughout the years from a tent to the fantastic building it’s based in now.

 

“Another amazing thing about it is the way it is run by volunteers from the local community.

 

“I’ll be coming to this year’s Eisteddfod with the dance group and we’ll no doubt be performing for the public a number of times.

 

“As this will be the 70^th Eisteddfod it’s going to be a very special occasion which I wouldn’t miss, and to help get people from my area there as an Ambassador is a marvellous opportunity.”

 

Narinder first visited the Eisteddfod in 1978 and has been coming back regularly ever since.

He said: “I came upon it by chance when I was visiting North Wales on my honeymoon that year.

 

“I started the Sheerer group after becoming interested in bhangra, the traditional Punjabi dance celebrating harvest time, when I was studying to be a pharmacist at Leicester University.

 

“We first competed in 1980 and two years later won the folk dance competition, which we did again the following year.

 

“Although we didn’t actually compete again after that we’ve been going back regularly to Llangollen every year, either as a group or individuals.

 

“Last year I got eight members of the group together and we came over. We have a couple of dancers and five musicians on tambourines and a traditional instrument called a chimta – two steel bars with bells attached.

 

“Little did we realise that we’d be at Llangollen for the Prince of Wales’s official visit.

 

“We were lucky enough to meet him and to have a nice little chat with him as he walked around the field.

 

“I then asked him if he’d like to join us and couldn’t believe it when he had a little dance with us. He was very co-operative and had a smile all over his face. It was something wonderful I’ll never forget.

 

“I’ve now taken the liberty of writing to Clarence House to see if the Queen would like us to dance as part of her 90^th birthday celebrations this summer and they’ve said they’ll be back in touch with us, so now it’s fingers crossed.”

 

For further information about Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, send an e-mail Narinder Singh at mikesingh2000@yahoo.co.uk

 

Llangollen 2016 Chairman Rhys Davies said: “We’re thrilled that Narinder and his dancers have agreed to be ambassadors for the festival to spread the word about what a wonderful event it is.

“They will be able to give people in Nottinghamshire an inside track on what it means to attend, where to go and what to see and even how to enter any of our competitions.

“Most of all they can tell them how friendly Llangollen is and about the fantastic carnival atmosphere as this little town welcomes the world each July.”

Ticket sales for the concerts at this year’s Eisteddfod are already going well, especially for the opening night when superstar Katherine Jenkins gets the programme off to a sensational start as she sings Bizet’s Carmen.

Wednesday will be International Children’s Day and will include choral and dance competitions and also a new Under 16s solo competition while the evening will feature the Voices of Musical Theatre. 

The great Bryn Terfel will headline the 70^th Classical Gala Concert on Thursday evening while the day will see the crowning of the Children’s Choir of the World. 

Friday will celebrate Rhythms of the World and will be a feast of music and dance from the best of the Eisteddfod’s international competitors with the Dance Champions of the World competition climax at the evening concert. 

It will open with a Caribbean Carnival Extravaganza, followed by the International Peace message delivered by Theatr yr Ifanc, Rhosllannerchrugog. 

In a change of the scheduling Friday will also see the Parade of Nations, led by Eisteddfod President Terry Waite, switched from Tuesday in anticipation of bigger crowds and more competitors being present. 

Saturday is dedicated to the top choirs and concludes with the Choir of the World competition for the Pavarotti Trophy while Sunday sees the Eisteddfod let its hair down for Llanfest before the climactic final concert.

To book tickets and for more details on the 2016 festival go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

* Video of Prince Charles dancing at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw7htllOnrc