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Monday, May 23, 2016

Historic garden's new lease of life


* The renovated garden at Nantclwyd y Dre. 

A historic garden at a popular townhouse in Ruthin has been opened to the public after a three-year restoration.
                
The project to rejuvenate the Lord’s Garden at Nantclwyd y Dre cost £220,000 and has been funded by Denbighshire County Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Ruthin Town Council and the Friends of Nantclwyd y Dre.

The work of renovating the garden was assisted by over 100 volunteers who learned traditional skills such as hazel hurdling and meadow scything along the way.

The garden is a listed landscape, originating from medieval times and has been lovingly restored to reflect several ages of its history.  The gardens are open at the same time as the main house, as part of the Nantclwyd y Dre visitor experience.

Nantclwyd y Dre is Wales’ oldest dated timbered town house. The house was first built in 1435 and has been added to, updated and upgraded throughout the centuries..

Nantclwyd y Dre has been beautifully restored to demonstrate the changing fashions and the lives of its residents.

Visitors can observe a colony of Lesser Horseshoe bats in the attic rooms via ‘bat cam’, participate in a quiz and use interactive media screens to learn more about the house and its inhabitants.

Nantclwyd y Dre is open on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays during May and September; Open on Saturday – Wednesday from June until end of August.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

County comes up with new anti-fouling signs

New signs are being placed on lamp-posts across Denbighshire as part of the county council’s latest initiative to tackle dog fouling.

The warning signs have been designed using images of ‘reflective eyes’ which bounce back light in the hours of darkness and warn the public that the area is being monitored.

* Watching you: the new anti-fouling signs.
Small cameras will also be used in areas that are deemed to be fouling hot-spots and signs will be placed to warn people they may be filmed. 

The council says the cameras used are not covert, are easy to set up and have the flexibility to be moved to another location quickly. Officers from Kingdom Security, working on behalf of the council are focussing their efforts on patrols specifically to identify offenders over the coming two weeks. 

They will be out and about working two shifts, 6am-2pm and 12pm until 8pm. They will also engage with dog owners about the need to clean up after their animals.

Other activities will see the council providing free bags to do owners; dog mess found on pavements will be painted using chalk, in order to highlight the problem and officers will also be gathering intelligence to enable further enforcement.

Dog owners found to be cleaning up after their animals will be  offered the chance to enter into a prize draw as part of the Bin it to Win It scheme.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Public Realm, said: “This is the latest in a range of initiatives undertaken by the Council to tackle dog fouling in the county.

“Residents tell us that it is one of the biggest issues of concern to them. The majority of individuals want to live in, work in and visit an area that is free of dog mess. It is a blight on the landscape and can be detrimental to people’s health and well-being.

“This campaign is about educating people to be considerate and not allow their dogs to foul in public.  The majority of people do act responsibly and we thank them for that. It’s the small group of individuals that we are trying to reach with our message.

“Dog fouling will simply not be tolerated in our county and we hope that our high profile and visible approach will make a real difference."

Responsible owners or any member of the public can contact the Council with information and remain anonymous if they wish. They can report issues through the website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk or through the Customer Service Centre, on 01824 706101.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Trials competition returns at LlanBikeFest


* A Junior Kick Start style competition will roar into LlanBikeFest in July.  

The BBC’s Junior Kick Start style of trials competition is bouncing back at the Llangollen International Motorcycle Festival – LlanBikeFest - on Saturday July 23 and 24.

The Kick Start show aired from 1979 until 1988, with the original course laid out by Sammy Miller.

The Junior Kick Start offshoot was hosted by Blue Peter’s Peter Purves and encouraged the talents of youngsters such as trials legend Dougie Lampkin.

At the festival, junior riders from Llangollen and District Motorcycle Club (LLDMC) will have to negotiate a series of obstacles without putting their feet down or stopping, plus there are time penalties. 

LlanBikeFest co-organiser John Hutchinson said: “The Junior Kick Start event will provide plenty of action for spectators to watch and be a tough challenge for the young riders taking part.

“Even more off-road spectacle will be provided by professional trials stunt experts Inch Perfect. 

“Their act features massive jumps up vertical walls, breath-taking ‘drop offs’ and a full range of freestyle tricks.

“They will be joined by the Extreme Mountain Bike Show - Europe’s number one mountain bike and Trials/BMX demonstration team, led by the multiple British and European trials bike champion Danny Butler.”

LlanBikeFest 2016 will build on the success of last year’s festival, with guest of honour Giacomo ‘Ago’ Agostini – winner of an unbeaten 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championships - 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. 

Held at the town’s Pavilion, the festival’s 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.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Warning goes out over scam HMRC calls

Neighbourhood Watch members in the area have received the following "scam" warning:

"A number of residents have received automated telephone calls from a person purporting to be from HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs).

"The calls claim that the matter is ‘serious’ and that the recipient needs to call back straight away. The phone calls threaten ‘action will be taken’ if the number is not called.

"Enquiries reveal that this is a scam.  If you receive a telephone call of this nature, do not telephone the number provided, and do not pass on any information. If you have provided information, or are concerned, having received a call of this type please contact North Wales Police by dialling 101.

"If you wish to contact HMRC do so after obtaining contact details for them from a trusted source, not from the telephone cold caller/automated message."

Road closed to allow tree removal work

Denbighshire County Council is informing motorists that the A525 at Nant y Garth Pass will close for up to two weeks as of next Monday to allow essential tree removal work to take place safely.

The council was approached by contractors Tilhill who needed to undertake tree removal work on the pass.

Following discussions, it became clear that the road would need to close fully whilst the work was underway.

The council is working with the contractor to both minimise the length of the closure and to ensure that other essential works needed in the area are carried out at the same time. This would avoid having to close the road again for future work.

Whilst the work is scheduled for two weeks, Tilhill say they are making good progress and will aim to re-open the road under traffic light control as soon as practically possible.

To coincide with the closure, the council has served notice on the other land owners informing them that a closure will be in place and that they should undertake all necessary works so as to ensure that the trees on their land do not cause interference to the travelling public.  Most are using this closure as an opportunity to undertake work.

Denbighshire’s own teams will also be undertaking some tree work on sections of the verge that form the highway and in addition they will be undertaking some sign repairs, structural surveys of culverts, gully cleaning, sweeping and grass cut ting.

The council can also confirm that two school buses using the route will be escorted safely through the road closure, to ensure that the road closure does not have an impact on examinations taking place.

The official diversion route for traffic will be clearly signposted. Additional signs are also being placed at key locations to deter larger vehicles and caravans from using routes that would affect Pentrecelyn and Graigfechan.

The council says it would like to apologise in advance for any disruption an d inconvenience this work will cause and is reassuring the public that it has worked with the contractor to take every possible step to ease congestion and minimise any effects on the local community.

Betty recalls 50 years of Eisteddfod volunteering



* Betty Roberts with one of her Eisteddfod souvenirs.

A veteran volunteer at an iconic festival is adding her voice to an appeal for new recruits to the army of unpaid helpers who have helped Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod reach its 70th year.

Betty Roberts, from Johnstown, Wrexham, has been one of the vital cogs in the festival’s wheel for 50 years, meeting Diana, Princess of Wales and finding accommodation for thousands of competitors in that time.

She was once faced with the mission impossible of finding beds for 67 hungry Hungarians late one evening in North Wales back in the summer of 1980.

But thanks to Betty’s network of contacts and friends within hours every one of them had been found a place to stay and given a good meal.

The amazing piece of organisation, and many others like it, have all been part of the job for Betty, now a sprightly 84, who is celebrating 50 years as a very active member of the Eisteddfod’s Hospitality Committee, half of that time either as secretary or chairman.

As the 70th festival approaches in July Betty has been looking back over her incredible half century as an Eisteddfod volunteer and has added her support to an appeal for new volunteers.

Working closely with her fellow committee members it has been her responsibility to lay out the welcome mat and find accommodation for thousands of overseas competitors at the festival since 1966.

Most of the time things have played out as smoothly as one of the festival’s choral programmes. But there have been some challenging times too.

Betty, who has a son and a daughter and three grandsons aged 11 to 35, recalled the time the Hungarians arrived so unexpectedly on that evening 36 years ago.

She said: “In 1979 I was asked to take on the post of Secretary of the Hospitality Committee and I’ll always remember my first year in 1980.

“It was around 7pm on the Tuesday evening. I was in the reception area on the Eisteddfod field on my own when the telephone rang and it was a young man from Llangollen who was at Ruabon railway station and he said there were 67 Hungarians there and no coach for them.

“I had 67 beds to find at 7pm and in those days everyone stayed in private homes so I rang a couple just outside Wrexham to see if they could help. They rang me back to say they’d been out knocking on doors and, unbelievably, they had found 67 beds.

“The Hungarians, who we had fed while they were waiting, wept tears of joy as they couldn’t believe that people would open their doors at such short notice.”

Rhys Davies, Chairman of the Eisteddfod and a volunteer himself, said: “It’s people like Betty who make the event what it is and ensure that it carries on and is now in its 70th year.

“The volunteers do a fantastic job and are real ambassadors for Llangollen and for Wales and we do need more of them – and they get as much out of the job as they put in.

“That’s why people like Betty and others have been with us for so long and it’s what makes Llangollen unique among festivals.”

Betty’s long association with the Eisteddfod had its roots way back in 1953 when, the year before she was married to late husband Vernon, she met two members of an American singing group who were staying with her mother, Sally Oliver, in Cefn Mawr.

She said: “They were with the Purdue Glee Club from Indiana and I got to know them quite well.

“In fact, I kept up a regular correspondence with one of them, a lady named Bertha Fleming, until she died at the age of 92 over 20 years ago.

“It was meeting her at my mother’s and talking about the Eisteddfod that whetted my appetite for becoming a volunteer. That and a little encouragement from my friend Joyce Davies who was also from Cefn Mawr and Secretary of Hospitality.

“At first I was responsible for finding accommodation for the competitors in Johnstown, where I’ve lived for the past 60 years, but later I became Secretary myself for 13 years and then served as Chairman for another 12 years, finishing in 2004. I was also on the Eisteddfod board for 24 years from the 1980s onwards.

“Things have changed a lot over the years and when I first started we had to find beds for about 2,000 every year, all in private homes in an area stretching from Bala to Whittington in Shropshire.

“Now most stay in schools and hotels but we still have many who want to have the experience of staying with someone and we’re always keen to hear from people who would like to put people up.

“All of us on the committee are still kept very much on our toes and we’d be delighted to welcome new recruits – they won’t regret joining us.”

Over the years Betty has made lots of friends through her work in hospitality and she met the Prince and Princess of Wales when they visited the Eisteddfod in 1985.

Betty remembered: “Diana, who was a very nice girl and seemed to have done her homework about the Eisteddfod, said she hoped I’d be getting tickets for the evening performances as I had been working so hard.

“I recall telling her that we hardly ever got to see the performances because we were too busy, although we do now because we have a TV screen in our hospitality building on which we can watch them as we work.”

Now the festival’s official Hospitality Liaison Officer, Betty never misses an opportunity to promote the Eisteddfod to a wider audience and gives talks to groups across North Wales.

Meanwhile, Tickets sales for the concerts at this year’s Eisteddfod, which begins on Tuesday, July 5, 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 70th 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 to become an Eisteddfod volunteer for the 2016 festival go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Ken Skates wins promotion in new-look Welsh cabinet


* The new Welsh Government cabinet lines up.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates has won promotion in the Welsh Government's new cabinet.

Mr Skates (pictured below) steps up from Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism to the key position of Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure.

Announcing the new line-up, First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said: “I am delighted to introduce the team who will be taking Wales forward over the next five years. They will have a central role to play in delivering our priorities and leading and directing the work of the Welsh Government on behalf of the people of Wales.

“As I said in my statement to the Assembly yesterday, this will be an open, inclusive, and transparent administration, ready to work with others where it is in the national interest.

“A critical 5 years lie ahead. My relentless focus, and that of my Cabinet and Ministers, will be on driving improvement in our economy and in the vital public services that the people of Wales rely on every day.

“I am confident this is the team with the talent, the vision and the ideas to deliver opportunity for all, and build a united, connected and sustainable Wales, now and for future generations.”

Cabinet and Ministers

Ken Skates
Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
Vaughan Gething
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Mark Drakeford
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Kirsty Williams
Cabinet Secretary for Education
Lesley Griffiths
Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs
Carl Sargeant
Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Jane Hutt
Leader of the House and Chief Whip
Julie James
Minister for Skills and Science
Alun Davies
Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language
Rebecca Evans
Minister for Social Services and Public Health