Hollywood actor to narrate Eisteddfod's Carmen

* Actor Julian Lloyd Lewis with Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood and Adjoa Andoh who plays Nelson Mandela's Chief of Staff Brenda Mazibuko in Invictus.

A Hollywood actor who has worked with movie greats Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman is heading for a blockbuster performance in North Wales.

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod have pulled off a major coup in signing up Julian Lewis Jones to narrate the concert adaptation of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen starring internationally acclaimed opera stars Kate Aldrich and Noah Stewart at the opening concert this evening (Tuesday, July 5).

One of Julian's next projects will be what's likely to be the most expensive film in cinema history, Justice League, which is based on the DC Comics superhero characters.

He rose to international prominence after his leading role in the 2009 film, Invictus, in which he played Etienne Feyder, the head of Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard team.

According to Julian, 48, working on the Oscar-nominated movie which was directed by Eastwood and co-starred Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon was a "wonderful experience".

This will not be the first time the Anglesey-born actor will have been on the Llangollen stage as he introduced an evening concert at the festival more than five years ago.

Julian, a married father-of-three, said: “This will be a very different experience for me and narrating an opera isn’t something I have ever done before. This will be something new and I’m chuffed to have been asked to do it.

“My role as narrator is to set the scene for the audience so they know what is happening and what each scene is all about. It will be new for me too as I have never worked with opera as an art form before.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Kate Aldrich and Noah Stewart. I have only been able to check out Kate’s profile on the internet but it’s clear she is a top, top star on the world stage. And I believe Noah Stewart is already a firm favourite with the Llangollen audience.

“I don’t often get back to North Wales as much as I’d like but always enjoy Llangollen. It’s been too long since I was there and I’m delighted to be going back.

“I’m really busy at the moment and have just finished filming a new film for Warner Brothers, Justice League, which is a new superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero characters.

“I’m not allowed to say yet what part I play but let’s just say I’ve a role in what will likely be the most expensive film ever made. It was filmed at Warner Brother’s studio at Leavesden as well as at various locations around the UK and Iceland.

“Directed by Zak Snyder it stars Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons and host of A-list actors. I’m just happy to have been involved and I’m looking forward to the movie’s release which will be next year.”

Julian admits his big break came when he landed the role in Invictus which told the story of events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World Cup which was hosted in the country just after apartheid ended.

He added: “Invictus certainly brought recognition and opened previously locked doors for me. Working with people like Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon and Adjoa Andoh is amazing.

“There are no huge egos, no airs and graces. These are just ordinary people doing an extraordinary job. They work incredibly hard and Clint Eastwood in particular I found to be a really decent and talented man.”

“I’m busy with a few projects of my own at the moment. I’m the executive producer for a British film, Rugby Girls, which will tell the story of the first women’s rugby world cup which was held in Wales in 1991.

“It’s an amazing story and we are hoping to begin filming later this year.  I’ve also being doing plenty of television stuff and am working on a project for a new TV fishing series.”

Llangollen's music director Eilir Owen Griffiths was thrilled Julian Lewis Jones had agreed to be the narrator.

He said: “The Llangollen audience will be treated to a world-class opera stars in Kate Aldrich and Noah Stewart.

“No one performs the role of Carmen like Kate can; she is truly world class and has performed at the world’s very best opera venues. It is her signature role and she is rightly known as the Carmen of her generation.

“And who could forget the reception tenor Noah Stewart received when he performed at Llangollen a few years ago and sang the Welsh hymn, Calon Lan.

“This will be Noah’s third appearance at Llangollen and he is already a huge favourite with the knowledgeable Llangollen audience.

“It might be the first concert of this year’s festival but it’s an event that going to set the bar very high and will be, undoubtedly, a concert that will live long in the memory of every one privileged to witness it.”

For more information about the festival and the box office please visit www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Dahl centenary to be celebrated at Eisteddfod

* Actor Sean Jones during a story-telling workshop at Ysgol Y Gwernant.

The colourful cast of "scrumdiddlyumptious" will come to life at an iconic music and dance festival.

The centenary of the birth of a Welsh-born literary genius, Roald Dahl, will be celebrated at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

The annual children’s concert entitled Roald Dahl's Phizz-whizzing Big Friendly Concert will see the return of talented percussonist Owen Gunnell and the Llangollen Chamber Orchestra.

The programme will include Three Little Pigs by Paul Patterson, dancing by Kajal Sharma, the International Peace Message by Rhosllannerchrugog's Theatr yr Ifanc and a few extra surprises also.

Characters such as Fantastic Mr Fox, Willy Wonka, Matilda and her nemesis Miss Trunchball will all play a part thanks to the Denbighshire Schools Takeovers 2016 project.
The project will see 24 of the county’s primary, special and secondary schools take part in Roald Dahl workshops and will culminate with a promenade performance involving a company of young Ysgol Dinas Bran pupils.

Denbighshire Education and Children Service’s curriculum enrichment officer Sarah Dixon says the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will be the finale of what has been an amazing project.

Speaking at workshops being held at Llangollen’s Ysgol y Gwernant, she said: “This is our 20^th school so far and by the time we finish we will have reached more than 3,000 pupils.

“We are looking at different Roald Dahl books and characters with each school. We arrive at participating schools early so we are ahead of Breakfast Clubs.

“We decorate the school with balloons and Roald Dahl-themed art work and we all wear project tee-shirts.

“The workshops include storytelling and drama, musical theatre and puppetry and mask making. Each of the 23 participating schools will make a large puppet based on a Roald Dahl character which will be worn by a pupil from the school.

“The 23 puppets will be paraded through the Eisteddfod field ahead of the promenade performance.

“Literacy is the golden thread that runs through every school subject and we want to encourage children to not just read but enjoy what they read.

“I’m really looking forward to the International Eisteddfod’s Children’s Day and what will be something new and exciting.” 

Theatre director Bethan Mascarenhas, who also runs the project’s musical theatre workshops, said: “Children’s Day at this year’s International Eisteddfod is going to be a spectacular celebration of Roald Dahl.

He said: “The promenade performance, which I am directing, involves a company of young actors from my old school, Ysgol Dinas Bran. The performance will start on the main stage and will then move around the Eisteddfod site.

“It’s going to be spectacular and something really special and of course we will have the parade of Roald Dahl character-themed puppets that each school participating in the project have made.

“I have really enjoyed going into schools and working with pupils during musical theatre workshops. We include children of all ages from nursery all the way up to year 10.

“It’s been amazing as schools, both pupils and teachers, have really engaged with the project and shown so much enthusiasm.

“I think it helps that we have moved away from that high-pressured learning environment and instead have encouraged learning through the arts such as dance and acting.”

Professional actor Sean Jones, of Denbigh, who has toured with the stage production of Blood Brothers and who regularly plays the comic in Rhyl’s annual pantomime, said: “It’s been amazing and really good fun. It’s clear the children have loved every minute of it. I hope it encourages children to read and enjoy books as well as giving drama and acting a try.”

Manon Roberts, a teaching assistant at Ysgol y Gwernant, sat in on workshops and says pupils have thoroughly enjoyed the project.

She said: “It’s been amazing and the children have really engaged with the whole Roald Dahl experience. Of course many of the children are already aware of the characters and can relate to the stories.”

Molly Jones and Llyr Jones, Ysgol y Gwernant Year 4 pupils, had the chance to act in a scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory a storytelling and drama workshop run by actor Sean Jones.

Molly said: “Willy Wonka is a really funny book and I enjoyed hearing the story and playing a part. It was a bit silly but good fun.

“I like Roald Dahl books; there are always funny and silly characters that make you laugh.”
Llyr added: “I like Roald Dahl books and Willy Wonka is my favourite. It wasn’t like a normal lesson and we could be a bit silly which was good fun.

“The actor who read the story was very good and made us all laugh a lot. It’s been really, really good fun.”

Eilir Owen Griffiths, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod’s musical director says Children’s day is always a special event at the festival.

He said: “It’s what the Eisteddfod is all about and it’s certainly a day I always look forward to every year. This year Children’s day, which will be held on Wednesday July 6^th will be a day of celebration in what is Roald Dahl’s centenary year.

“There is so much going on including a promenade performance which promises to be something completely different. There will also be international dance groups, choirs and workshops as well as giant bubbles, stilt walkers, Bollywood dancers and African drumming.

“Children’s Day is special and uniquely Llangollen. The festival quite simply wouldn’t be the same without it."

To find out more about the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and what is going on visit www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

County seeks your views on public services

Denbighshire County Council says there's a lot of change ahead for public services and it is keen to hear people's ideas on what's important to them, and to discuss with them what needs to change in their local area.

This summer public services will be arranging a number of events in local communities to hear what you think.

This will cover:

* What is working well for you now in your local community;

* Your hopes and aspirations for the future;

* How we can build on what is working well now and make this future a reality;

* What might get in the way of these things happening

The nearest session to Llangollen will be taking place on Tuesday July 12 at Carrog Village Hall.

Refreshments will be provided at 6pm before the start of the meeting at 6.15pm.

If you’d like to attend, please register your interest by emailing strategicplanningteam@denbighshire.gov.uk, or calling on 01824 706291.

Alternatively, you can share your thoughts on the above questions by visiting the council’s website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/consultations;  by calling the Strategic Planning Team on 01824 706291, or emailing strategicplanningteam@denbighshire.gov.uk.

You can also fill in a form at your local library.

County raises concerns over superfast broadband

Denbighshire County Council has expressed concern about what it claims is a lack of information from Welsh Government about the Superfast Cymru broadband roll-out in the county.

During a meeting of Denbighshire’s Performance Scrutiny Committee in April, the council was assured by BT that the Welsh Government had a ‘not-spot’ map in place that the council could access.  

This map would identify the areas and residents that will not be able to access superfast broadband after the roll-out.

Despite requests to Welsh Government, the council has yet to receive the information requested.  

It had invited Welsh Government to attend the Scrutiny Committee in April, to provide a full picture, but they declined. If they had attended, the council believes it would be in possession of better information by now.

Superfast Cymru is a project between Welsh Government and BT to deliver fibre broadband to parts of the country not covered by a commercial roll-out of broadband.

The project aims to ensure 96% of premises have access to broadband with speeds upwards of 30 mbps. The most recent figures for Denbighshire from Welsh Government show that the roll-out in the county is 69% complete, with take up at 25.4%.

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, who is also Cabinet Lead Member for the Economy, said: "Improving broadband connectivity is an important strand of our corporate priority to developing the local economy.

“It’s an issue that’s raised by businesses and residents on a regular basis, particularly in rural areas. Broadband access is critical to the success of local businesses, providing them with an opportunity to be competitive in the customer market.  It is also vital for residents from a social and wellbeing aspect.

“Despite the requests to Welsh Government, the information on the ‘not-spots’ is not forth-coming. We feel that we are being repeatedly ignored.

“All we want is information that we can share with residents and businesses who may need to think about alternative means of getting reliable broadband.  The fact that the information is not being provided makes it difficult for residents to make those alternative arrangements.

“There are also mixed messages coming from Welsh Government and BT around the timing of the roll out, with press comment over the weekend contradicting the timings we have been told by BT.

“I am now urging the Minister to work with us to make sure we are not left behind in the digital backwaters."

MP calls for tougher laws on bank closures

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones MP has repeated her call for tougher laws and regulation to make it illegal for communities to be left without banks and access to financial services.

She was one of a cross-party group of MPs who petitioned for yesterday's debate (June 30) in the House of Commons on bank branch closures.

She said: "Between April 2015 and April 2016, more than 600 bank branches have closed across our country, with 333 having closed since January.

"We've had eight branch banks close in the Clwyd South constituency in the last six years, leaving us now with only one. As well as the recent closures in Chirk and Ruabon, we've also had bank branch closures in Rhos, Cefn Mawr, Llangollen and Corwen.

"We need to have some sort of legal minimum standard, an universal banking obligation, that prevents this from happening. There are different ways this can happen.

"These include developing what Post Offices can do, especially relating to business banking, community banking hubs and even possibly making it compulsory for a full mobile service to be available wherever a bank has closed in the last 10 years."

The MP and other campaigners will follow up the debate by making formal representation to Professor Russell Griggs  who has been appointed as the independent reviewer of the British Bankers' Association.

Trevor Fishlock speaks at the Hand tonight

Broadcaster and author Trevor Fishlock will be at the Hand at 7.30pm this evening (Thursday) to speak about the lives of the famous Davies sisters who bequeathed a magical trove of paintings to the Welsh nation. 

Tickets, at £6, can be bought in advance from the museum or bought on the door this evening.

Police boss vows to step up fight against paedophiles

* Gareth Palmieri, high tech crimes technician, at work watched by PCC Arfon Jones.

A police boss has vowed to step up the fight against online paedophiles after hearing a new crack team has made more than 60 arrests in its first eight months.

According to newly-elected North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, keeping children safe is one of the most important jobs done by the force.

Mr Jones, a former police inspector, was speaking during a visit to find out more about the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) which was established last October to tackle the emerging threat of child sexual exploitation via the internet.

Since then POLIT has executed over 70 warrants and made more than 60 arrests, working alongside the force's Cyber Crime Team and High Tech Crime Unit based in St Asaph.

The growing threat of online child sexual exploitation, said Mr Jones, was one of the biggest things that had changed since he retired from North Wales Police eight years ago.

Mr Jones said: "I would like to congratulate the POLIT and the colleagues in the High Tech and Cyber Crime teams for their work in a very challenging area of policing.

"Online child sexual exploitation is a vile crime committed by dangerous and devious people who come from every section of society and often appear to be leading outwardly respectable lives.

"I’m pleased that we’re investing so many resources in tackling online sexual exploitation because the care of children is the most important thing we do.

"Paedophiles are becoming increasingly sophisticated so it is vitally important that we respond accordingly with a team of our own experts catching those committing these types of crime and bringing them to justice.

"This problem isn’t going to go away and we need to concentrate on raising awareness, education and reducing harm and I think there is some excellent work being done to reach this priority.

"I’m very happy to support the force in providing as much resources as needed to ensure that children, wherever they may be in the world, are safe."

The POLIT is led by Detective Inspector Sion Williams, who also has operational responsibility for the high tech and cyber-crime teams.

He said:  “The team deal with what are essentially digital crime scenes.

"In the main, 80 per cent of our time is spent dealing with a variety of online child sexual exploitation offences including those more serious incidents when adults are actively online, identifying children they can engage with in social networking sites, trying to gain their trust.  This kind of abuse is real and can lead on to more serious offences taking place.

 

"We need to remember, although it is appearing on a computer screen, this is live child abuse, happening in a different country but being orchestrated by an individual living in North Wales. 

"Clearly, we will deal with this type of individual but we will also deal with the wider issues and work with our partner agencies to make sure that the relevant intelligence is then shared with law enforcement agencies in those affected countries so that they can take appropriate action.

"Safeguarding children, wherever they may be, is our number one priority. We are also determined to ensure the level of the defendants’ offending and the threat they pose to children is clearly identified to the court so that whatever sentence is passed is the appropriate sentence in accordance with the sentencing guidelines.

"Since POLIT was established new processes have been adopted and so far the team has already surpassed the number of arrests made for this type of offending in 2015. This can only be good news.

"Whilst we are arresting significantly more suspects, we have managed to adopt an effective streamlined process where those offenders who commit crimes of this type  are dealt with expeditiously and brought to justice at the earliest opportunity. This considerably reduces the risk of further offences being committed.

“The message needs to be clear here, and this should therefore be a warning of our intention to those engaged in this heinous type of criminality - it will only be a matter of time before they are afforded our tenacious attention.

"The devastating effect that online child sexual exploitation has on children is wholly apparent. However, our subsequent interaction not only has serious consequences for those who are offending, but also has broader implications for their family and friends. 

"Every day we operate is a game changer. Our activity is clearly making the communities in which we live far safer for our children - and that’s what matters."