New Dot Cinema has an horrific offering

Tonight's screening at Llangollen's New Dot Cinema in the Town Hall council chamber is one of two films specially chosen to appeal to a young adult audience.

Critically acclaimed Swedish horror Let The Right One In (pictured below) is a vampire movie unlike any other.

Less trashiness, more intelligent suspense.

Doors open tonight (Friday May 13) at 7.30pm.

Be warned: this film contains sex and nudity, violence and gore - not for the faint-hearted!

Then next month's film is Dear White People showing on Friday June 10.

A low budget, independent recent release from the US, this stylish, sharp talking and beautifully shot movie tells a story about being a black face in a white place.

New Dot organiser Keiron Preston has encouraged several new volunteers from the 18-25 age group to assist at this special screening.

Together they've tweaked the refreshments for a new market and will be present on the night to run the proceedings.

This initiative is part of an on-going strategy to reach out to different sectors of the community in the Dee Valley.

New Dot Cinema is a not-for-profit organisation, run by volunteers. Watch this space for news of a spectacular summer screening in conjunction with The Fringe Festival!

More information: http://www.facebook.com/NewDotCinema/

Tickets, priced at £5 each, are available online or from Baileys Deli of Llangollen. Also available on the door, unless sold out.

MP calls for women's pension re-think

* Susan Elan Jones with other MPs in Parliament calling

on the government to re-think its pension plans for women born in the 1950s.

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones joined WASPI Westminster, a cross-party group of MPs that is calling on the Government to look again at pension provision for women born during the 1950s.

The Labour MP said: "The Government urgently needs to make fair transitional arrangements for all women born on or after April 6 1951 who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA).

"Hundreds of thousands of women have had significant changes imposed on them with a lack of appropriate notification. This isn't fair or right.

"It is a big issue for many women in our area and indeed across the UK. Planning means everything when it comes to pensions."

She added: "At the heart of the campaign is the 1995 Conservative Government’s Pension Act included plans to increase women’s SPA to 65, the same as men’s.

"Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), agree with equalisation, but don’t agree with the unfair way the changes were implemented – with little/no personal notice (1995/2011 Pension Acts), faster than promised (2011 Pension Act), and no time to make alternative plans."

RAFA Club to host charity concert

A charity concert will be staged at Llangollen RAFA Club at 8pm on Saturday May 28.

Featuring Alan B, who has toured with singing greats including Rob Orbison, all proceeds from the event will go to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital stoke unit. There will also be a raffle.

Tickets, at £5, are available from Gwyn the Butchers, the RAFA Club or on the door on he night.

No confirmation over supermarket tenants

* Neither Aldi nor Home Bargains will confirm an interest in the new supermarket.

Neither of the two retail giants suggested as potential occupiers of Llangollen’s “ghost” supermarket will say for sure whether they have an interest in taking it over.

Sainsburys, who built the 34,000 square foot store off the A5, announced a year ago that they wouldn’t be running it directly due to adverse economic conditions and revealed they were looking for potential tenants.

The pull-out also dashed hopes for 130 promised jobs.

There has since been speculation that supermarket chain Aldi and discount group Home Bargains were ready to sign a deal to jointly occupy the building.

But this week both companies remained non-committal.

A spokesman for Aldi told llanblogger yesterday (Tuesday):  “Aldi, the award-winning discount food retailer, is keen to develop a new food store in Llangollen.

“There is a clear need for greater shopping choice in the area and Aldi is looking at a variety of sites that fit both suitability and convenience for local shoppers.”

And a spokesman for Home Bargains said today: “Unfortunately, it’s a no comment from us, as we work to a strict planner of confirmed stores.”

Tory candidate says thanks for support

Simon Baynes, the Welsh Conservative Assembly Candidate for Clwyd South in last week’s election, has thanked supporters and says he will continue to campaign on local issues in Clwyd South.

He said: “Many thanks to the thousands of people who voted for me and supported me in my campaign in Clwyd South.

"I congratulate Ken Skates on his re-election as AM for Clwyd South and wish him well."

Mr Baynes (pictured) added: "I greatly enjoyed the campaign and am proud of the huge effort that the Clwyd South Conservatives made in knocking on thousands of doors the length and breadth of the constituency which played its part in increasing the turnout from 37% to 41%.

"I will continue to help and campaign on local issues and problems in Clwyd South alongside our North Wales Regional Assembly Member Mark Isherwood AM and our local Councillors.

"I can always be contacted on 07880 786573 or baynes@bodfach.com if I can be of assistance.”

 

Designer Sarah creates poster for 70th Eisteddfod

* Sarah Meade with some of her previous posters and post cards.

A designer from the town is creating a poster and post card marking this summer’s 70th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Sarah Meade, who runs the Honey Pots gifts emporium and ceramic studio in Castle Street, said: “It will feature Katherine Jenkins and Jools Holland, who are both starring at the festival.

“I've been working with the Eisteddfod to make sure I feature as many of the flags of the competing countries as I can and it's this element of the poster that I'm just completing.

“It will have a railway poster-type feel to it, the same as the previous postcards and posters that I have designed. We're hoping to get this one reproduced on to tea towels as a souvenir for this year as well.”

Sarah currently has a joint promotion running with the nearby Witzend Gallery.

She explained: “People can come into our shop and pick up a poster and then pop over the road to Witzend to have it framed, or alternatively we have a few they prepared earlier to purchase in store now.”

Denbighshire "well run authority" says report

Members of Denbighshire County Council have today discussed the annual improvement report issued by the Wales Audit Office.

For 2015/16, the report concluded that the council, "with sound financial management and scrutiny arrangements, continues to make progress in delivering improvements in most of its priority areas”.

At a meeting at County Hall, Ruthin where the report was discussed, the Wales Audit Office hailed Denbighshire a "very good, very well run authority".

The report highlights the achievements of the council, which included:

* The provision of affordable housing – the council has developed a housing strategy and comprehensive supporting action plan

* Social services are said to be largely performing well

* Arrangements for managing performance and for delivering savings are described as "robust and effective"

* The  relationship between members and officers "continues to be constructive

* The council is said to be actively exploring new types of service delivery, including with commercial partners.

The council welcomed the fact that the 2015/16 report did not include any formal recommendations, reflecting the WAO’s positive view of  its progress.

The report did contact some areas for improvement and the council says it has already introduced measures to address these matters, such as:

* Safeguarding vulnerable adults - safeguarding training has been provided for lead managers, there are improved screening of referrals through the Single Point of Access and arrangements are being reviewed for providing domiciliary care.

* Attendance at scrutiny meetings – timetable of meetings has been reviewed to encourage greater attendance, location of some meetings have changed and this has resulted in better attendance over the last three months

* The use of alternative models to deliver services – a corporate approach to delivery models is being prepared and the council is looking at income generation, to ensure value for money.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Performance, said: “The report is a recognition of the amount of good work that goes on in Denbighshire to maintain very high standards in services to residents and we are pleased that auditors highlight our achievements, particularly around managing budgets and performance.

“Whilst no formal recommendations have been made in the report, we recognise that there are areas that have been highlighted for improvement, but members have been reassured that steps had already been taken to address some of those areas.

“We are never complacent as we always strive to improve services to the best of our ability and it was pleasing to hear that the council continues to be recognised as being one of the best performing councils in Wales."

This report was discussed at the same meeting as the delivery of the council's corporate plan which it describes as "most ambitious".