St Collen's hosts BBC Radio 4's Any Questions

BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions will be broadcast live from St Collen’s Church in Llangollen on the evening of Friday October 21.

Vicar, the Rev Andrew Sully, said: “This is your chance to ask a question and influence the debate.

“For your free ticket please contact me by emailing and andamary@sullystallard.fsnet.co.uk, or calling 01978 860231.”

Doors open at 6.45-7.15pm on the night.

On Wednesday September 21, St Collen’s is playing host to a Peace One Day event starting at 10.30am.

St John’s Church in Abbey Road will hold its animal blessing service at 5pm on Animal Welfare Sunday, October 2.  

Woman dies in Horseshoe Pass collision

A woman has died following a road traffic collision on the Horseshoe Pass this morning (Monday).

Shortly after 10.30am police were informed that a Vauxhall Corsa had left the road near to the top of the pass and was approximately 75 metres down the embankment.

The emergency services were called but sadly the female driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

A team from the North East Wales Mountain Rescue Team were called to assist with retrieving the body.

The road remains closed at this time whilst enquiries are ongoing.

Sergeant Raymond Williams from the Roads Policing Unit said: “We are appealing for anybody who may have witnessed the incident, or to anybody who may have seen a red coloured Vauxhall Corsa travelling up the Horseshoe Pass prior to it leaving the road to contact us quoting reference number U134728."

Contact with the Roads Policing Unit can be made either via 101 or via the live webchat /contact/chat-support.aspx

Horseshoe Pass closed after crash

BBC online news is reporting the closure of the Horseshoe Pass today following a road accident.

For more details, see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-37273594

County prepares for cycling spectacular

Final preparations are being made ahead of the Tour of Britain’s return to Denbigh, with Denbighshire County Council urging residents to come out and support the cyclists as they race through the county.

The fourth stage of the Tour ,from Denbigh to Builth Wells will be taking place on Wednesday, September 7^th and will be the longest day for the riders.  

Starting in Denbigh Town Centre, the race will head towards Bodfari and leave Denbighshire into Flintshire. It will head into Mold and through Pontblyddyn, Coed Talon, Treuddyn before it re-enters Denbighshire near Llandegla.

The race will then travel along the A5104 through Bryneglwys and on to the A5 at Corwen before turning for Cynwyd and Llandrillo.

Leader of Denbighshire County Council, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “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 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 across North Wales and organisers work together to deliver spectacular events. 

“We know that the support provided by the people of Denbighshire in recent years has been phenomenal and we want to encourage the same level of support again this year.

It’s a great opportunity to showcase Denbighshire and the rest of North Wales and we look forward to welcoming thousands to the county to witness one of the most prestigious events in the cycling calendar."

Alastair Grant, Tour of Britain’s Commercial Director, said: “We’re delighted to be returning to North Wales this year with the Tour, year after year we see more people at the roadside coming to watch the world’s best rider pass through their towns and the Welsh crowds never fail to turn out in their masses. We are certainly looking forward to seeing how the peloton tackle what is arguably the hardest stage of the Tour of Britain this year. 

A ‘Park and Walk’ will be located on the Recreation Ground (adjacent to Denbigh Football Club) for people wanting to come out and support the Tour of Britain on Wednesday, September 7.  It can be accessed from Park Street (near Denbigh Infirmary).

There will be stewards on duty marshalling the parking and guiding drivers in and out.  

People travelling in to Denbigh from the Pentrefoelas direction and wanting to support the race will be directed to the town’s rugby club.

For further information, please visit: www.thetour.co.uk

llanblogger takes a short break

llanblogger is taking a short break and will be back in about a week's time ...

Railway's steam gala this weekend

Llangollen Railway's annual Autumn Steam Gala is taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week and offers fun for all the family.

There will be five historic steam locomotives in operation, working an intensive timetable between Llangollen and Corwen, with many attractions and activities going on along the line.

Visiting the line specially for the weekend is a Victorian-era steam locomotive, No.12322, which was originally built for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in 1896 and its normal base in Greater Manchester.

Adults and children alike can explore the railway with the fun quiz, whilst at Carrog station the miniature steam railway will be in operation, offering rides in the station yard. The scenes of yesteryear will be recreated at Berwyn, with demonstrations of parcel loading taking place at 12.20pm and 2pm on each of the three days.

Look out for Walter the prized racing pigeon being loaded onto the train, along with milk churns, parcels and Cuthberts seeds boxes!

On the Friday and Saturday evenings, a special Real Ale shuttle service will be in operation between Llangollen and Glyndyfrdwy stations, where the line's Cambrian Bar will be open.

On the Sunday, two long-scrapped steam locomotives will be recreated. Resident No.7822 'Foxcote Manor' will be running as a sister No. 7811 'Dunley Manor', which was based at Shrewsbury and Wrexham sheds for a time.

The 50th anniversary of the closure of the much lamented Somerset & Dorset Railway will also be marked by the renumbering of resident BR Standard locomotive No. 80072 as former S&D stalwart No.80043. After the gala, No.80072 will be transported south by road to the former S&D station at Midsomer Norton, where it will be in operation on a restored stretch of the route.

Construction work on the railway's new western terminus at Corwen Central can be viewed on all three days of the gala. Guided tours will be on offer at regular intervals, with volunteers on-hand to discuss progress on the new station.

The Souvenir Guide for the gala, including all timetables, events and quiz, is available to download for free from the Llangollen Railway's website: http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/autumn-steam-gala/

Discounted advance tickets for one, two and three day rover tickets are now available from the railway's website, offering considerable savings (up to £24) on prices on the day.

AM becomes breast cancer champion

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has demonstrated his support for women with breast cancer by becoming an ambassador for leading charity Breast Cancer Now.

Mr Isherwood joins 17 Assembly Members across Wales who are pledging their support to Breast Cancer Now – the UK’s largest breast cancer charity – to remind fellow politicians and constituents alike that breast cancer is not a ‘done deal’ and that immediate action must be taken to stop the disease taking lives.

Around 600 women are still dying from breast cancer each year in Wales. Breast Cancer Now will be working closely with Breast Cancer Ambassadors to help them take action to tackle breast cancer in their local areas and in the Welsh Assembly, and to ensure that Wales’ most common cancer remains high on the political agenda.

By bringing together the brightest, boldest and most influential policymakers, scientists, fundraisers and campaigners across the country, Breast Cancer Now believes that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live – but only if we all act now.

Mr Isherwood (pictured) said: “Too many women are still dying from breast cancer in Wales. We must act now if we are to finally put an end to deaths from the disease and I am therefore very proud to support Breast Cancer Now and their bold 2050 ambition.

“Together, we urgently need to put the spotlight back on this dreadful disease locally and nationally. By becoming a Breast Cancer Ambassador, I will ensure that action is taken on behalf of the women and families affected by breast cancer within North Wales.”

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now, said: “We are so grateful to have the support of Mark in the Welsh Assembly. Around 600 mothers, daughters and sisters in Wales are still losing their lives to breast cancer each year and we all need to work together to put a stop to this.

“If we all act now, we believe that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live. With the help of our Breast Cancer Ambassadors, we can ensure that those affected by breast cancer in Wales are not forgotten.”

Breast Cancer Now – the new charity created from the merger of Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer – launched in June 2015, aiming to unite everybody affected by the disease to ensure that we are the generation that finally stops women dying from it.