Legendary racer to star at Llan Bike Fest

Living legend Giacomo Agostini, widely acknowledged as the greatest motorcycle racer in history, will be guest of honour at the Llangollen International Motorcycle Festival - LlanBikeFest 2016 - on Saturday July 23 and Sunday July 24.

* Giacomo Agostini will star at Llan Bike Fest 2016.

With an unbeaten record of 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championships titles, Ago is flying in especially from his Italian home to spend the weekend at the Festival meeting fans, judging competitions and providing opportunities for autographs and photos.

Agostini’s appearance at LlanBikeFest follows news that top British racers Ian Hutchinson and John McGuinness are unable make it to the event because of changes in their commitments.

LlanBikeFest co-organiser John Hutchinson said: “We are sorry that McGuinness and Hutchinson have had to bow out – but that can happen during a busy racing season. We trust that the opportunity to meet Ago will more than make up for any disappointment.”

Ago commented: “I am looking forward to being at LlanBikeFest in July – a real festival of motorcycling for everyone who loves bikes, in a beautiful part of the world.”

LlanBikeFest 2016 will build on the successful Festival last year, which starred Carl Fogarty and Mick Grant, and attracted more than 6,000 visitors.

It is being held again at the town’s Pavilion set amid some of Britain’s best biking roads - at the foot of the Horseshoe Pass and its famously bike-friendly Ponderosa Café, and on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park.

On-site attractions will include hundreds of bikes, displays, stunts, demonstrations, trade and club stands, plus beer, bands and evening entertainment in Llangollen Town. There will also be a charity raffle in aid of Wales Air Ambulance.

Follow the event on Twitter at @llanbikefest and Facebook at Llangollen International Motorcycle Festival.

Day tickets are £10 on the gate or online at www.llanbikefest.co.uk with concessions, or contact the Festival office at 07960 693398, office@llanbikefest.co.uk. Club stands and exhibitor bookings are free.

Railway steams back to Victorian times

Llangollen Railway will be stepping back in time to the Victorian era over the weekend of May 14 and 15 with a steam-filled historical experience for all the family.

At Llangollen station, look out for the visiting steam traction engine, Punch & Judy shows, live music and a railwayana exhibition, before embarking on a steam-hauled trip down memory lane.

Berwyn, the station in the gorge, has been transformed back to its original Victorian appearance, complete with period posters and traditional coal fires.

Celebration is in the air with the bunting flying and the band playing on the platform in case of a surprise royal visit. At Glyndyfrdwy, you can visit the vintage Victorian fairground, or marvel at the sights of a traditional sheepdog trials taking place next to the station. There will be a dedicated Victorian railway exhibition at Llangollen over the weekend, featuring many historic drawings, documents and railwayana relating to the former Ruabon to Barmouth line dating back to the 1850s. Many of these have never been publically displayed before and offer an insight into the early days of the line from over 150 years ago.

For full details, download the commemorative programme (designed in the style of the traditional 1860s railway timetables of the Great Western Railway) for free from our website: http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/victorian-weekend-14th-may/ 

Whilst it is not essential, the Llangollen Railway invites our visitors to consider entering into the spirit of the occasion by wearing a suitable Victorian attire.

Visitors can take advantage of discounted fares by booking in advance for this event.

Museum plans attic sale

Llan Methodist Church's musical event

Versatile Philip turns his hand to very different production

The man who took a prominent role and came up with many of the costumes for Llangollen’s Operatic Society’s last smash-hit show has turned his hand to a gripping new play at Theatr Clwyd.

Versatile Philip Main was a key supporting actor and also created a number of the Nazi era costumes in The Producers which finished a sell-out run at Llangollen Town Hall last weekend.

But at the same as being involved with the musical comedy, Philip (pictured) was also working on the costumes for a very different kind of stage production, Deep Cut at the theatre in Mold.

The play, by Philip Ralph, concerns the death of Private Cheryl James, of Llangollen, one of four trainee soldiers who died of gunshot wounds at Deep Cut Barracks in Surrey between 1995 and 2002.

Cheryl’s parents refused to accept the official verdict of suicide, and the play’s dialogue is based on verbatim transcriptions from the subsequent inquiry.

Philip said: “I spent so many weeks researching, sewing, and making period correct costumes for The Producers.

“Out of necessity I looked at images of the Hitler Youth, Hitler himself, Bavarians and Stalin  as well as various productions of the musical to make sure that everything looked right, with a little bit of artistic licence.

“As well as that I was also rehearsing my own role within the production. 

“All the while I was also doing research for my next job, to provide costumes and a specific firearm for the production of Deep Cut at Theatr Clwyd.

“I have gone from the war and the 1960s to the 1990s and of course the new review of all that happened at Deep Cut Barracks.

“Next I have to have ready some Shakespearian costumes for a photo shoot for a Shakespeare 400 event also at Theatr Clwyd in June, in which I am also singing a couple of period songs.  Life is never dull as a costumier!”

Deep Cut opens tonight (Friday) in the Emlyn Williams Theatre at 8pm and there are also performances tomorrow at 2pm and 8pm. Tickets are £9.50 with concessions at £7.50.

See more at: https://www.theatrclwyd.com/en/whats-on/deep-cut/#sthash.MfFuNJow.5OXMyhYz.dpuf

Joan helps people with hearing problems

* Dr Sarah Bent, Suzanne Tyson, Chair for Hearing

Aid, and Jane Wild, Head of Adult Audiology

Service, with volunteers, seated, Dylan Williams,

Derek Griffiths and Joan Fisher.

A former school meals supervisor has found a new role - helping people with hearing problems in Llangollen.

Pensioner Joan Fisher, 77, from Wrexham, is one of the volunteers who provide assistance and advice to hearing aid users at drop-in sessions and in their own homes.

The volunteers’ work is helping audiology departments reach out to more people  by carrying out routine checks and maintenance on hearing devices in the community.

Joan has worn a hearing aid for the past seven years and has now volunteers at drop-in sessions at Llangollen and Penycae.

She said: “The clients really love the service as it saves them having to make a trip to the hospital. And it’s not a clinical environment which some elderly people find difficult.

“I know we save so much time for audiologists even though we are only doing the basics like checking batteries and re-tubing a device. The response we get is fantastic and makes it all worthwhile. You actually feel you’ve done some good.”

She added: “The best words you can hear, after you’ve carried out some simple basic maintenance on a device, is when you ask the client can they hear OK and they tell you to stop shouting! It means a lot.

“I really enjoy the role. I run drop-in sessions at Llangollen Library and another at a community centre in Penycae.”

Joan was among the volunteers from across the region who attended a special celebration event at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.

They were welcomed by Jane Wild, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s head of adult audiology.

Thanking volunteers for the support they provide to many hearing aid users she said: “We really welcome the additional support our volunteers are able to provide to our service users.

“Many of our volunteers are themselves hearing aid users, or have a family member who is, and so understand firsthand the difficulties they may be experiencing.

“They go out to drop-in sessions or visit patients in their own homes and are trained to re-tube hearing aids and carry out basic device maintenance.

“They also provide advice and encouragement, referring back to audiology or on to other support organisations when they feel that this will help.”

“The service they provide means audiologists can focus on delivering the parts of the service that require a qualified audiologists.

“Without our volunteers we would have to spend more time re-tubing hearing aids, checking batteries are fitted properly and carrying out other simple maintenance tasks.”

Volunteer Dylan Williams, 74, of Wrexham, who uses a hearing aid himself, helps run a drop-in session at Penley every third Monday of the month and also visits hearing aid users in their own homes if requested to do so.

According to Sarah Bent, a clinical scientist with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s audiology service, the work volunteers do means patients, many of whom are elderly, don’t have to travel to hospital when their hearing aids need basic maintenance.

She said: “The work of our volunteers certainly helps a great deal so audiologists can work in clinic with the patients most in need of their help.

“And the volunteers really add value. They can speak about their own experiences and so offer something that professionals cannot.”

Suzanne Tyson, chair of the charity Hearing Aid, who works with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s Hearing Aid Volunteer Service in the Glan Clwyd area said: “The volunteer service was operated by Action on Hearing Loss, formerly called the RNID, through their Hear to Help project which was lottery funded and ran across the whole of Wales.

“That project has now come to an end and the volunteer service has been taken over by the health board. I’m so pleased and proud to be involved with the service and delighted with its obvious success.”

“The work the volunteers do is vital and amazing. Each and every volunteer puts so much work in and the value to our patients and therefore Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board should not be underestimated.”  

Welsh Tories unveil "new deal" for older people

* At the launch of the new welsh Conservatives' policy at Glyn Wylfa.

Simon Baynes, the Welsh Conservative Assembly Candidate for Clwyd South, launched his party's new deal for older people at the Glyn Wylfa social enterprise centre in Chirk.

Mark Isherwood and Suzy Davies, Welsh Conservative Assembly Members in the last Assembly term, presented the new deal to an audience of local residents.

They outlined the Welsh Conservatives' plans to implement a £400 weekly cap on residential care costs and to protect £100,000 of assets of those in residential care, providing dignity and ensuring people do not lose their life savings to care costs.

Mark Isherwood said: "We will support older people across Wales to remain active members of the family, community and society, while providing security for the future with clear action on residential care costs. Welsh Conservatives will also put an end to age discrimination and promote and protect older people’s rights."

Simon Baynes said: "I have a strong interest in care for older people through my work running the charity Concertina - Music for the Elderly http://www.concertinamusic.org.uk/ which provides musical entertainment for older people to combat loneliness and reawaken happy memories from the past.

"The Welsh Conservatives believe that old age is something to be celebrated. We believe that older people deserve dignity and respect as well as independence and the freedom to make decisions about their lives."