Councillor wants answers over balloon festival `switch'

* A balloon in flight over Llangollen at this year's festival.

A Llangollen county councillor says he aims to find out exactly why the town appears to have lost one of its biggest crowd-pulling events.

The Border Counties Advertizer is reporting today that the Wales International Balloon Festival, which has been held on Llangollen Pavilion field since 1997, will be staged instead at the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry over the bank holiday weekend next August.

Although bosses at the Ironworks told the newspaper they are “excited” about the move there is no indication in the story about why the switch is being made.

Cllr Stuart Davies said: “If this is the case it is certainly a big loss to Llangollen, especially after getting the event back this September after it had been away from the town for a few years.

“I’ve heard an estimate that there were 7,000 people on the field over the weekend and that people were also spending money in the town.”

He added: “I intend to speak to the organisers to check this out and to find out what has caused them to move elsewhere.

“It’s seems ironic that an event called the Wales International Balloon Festival is now apparently going to be held in England.”  

The Advertizer story says that the festival will take place on the weekend of August 26 and 27 and will be held in collaboration with Lindstrands.

Per Lindstrand first appeared on the international ballooning scene in 1978 and then went on to create Lindstrand Technologies Ltd based in Oswestry.

He is well-known for his record-breaking hot air balloon flights and for his attempts to be the first to fly a Rozière balloon around the earth with Sir Richard Branson.

Sophia Knowles, the operations director at the British Ironwork Centre, is quoted in the story as saying: “Shropshire is such a beautiful, scenic county, it really is a wonderful area to embark on a balloon flight.

“We are very excited about this event.”

The event will raise funds for Nightingale House Hospice, in Wrexham which provides specialist palliative care service for patients with life-limiting illness across Shropshire and beyond.

* See the full Advertizer story at: http://bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/169119/british-ironwork-centre-to-host-popular-wales-international-balloon-festival-in-2017.aspx

County puts Christmas shopping in the frame

* Carys on set.

Denbighshire County Council has produced a short film to highlight what is on offer for shoppers on local high streets during the festive period.

The two-minute clip features the story of a family completing their Christmas shopping in Denbighshire with all gifts bought from local traders in the county.

The film also features a ‘magical’ twist, a special mystery star as well as giant six-foot teddy bear Carys, made especially for the video by Sarah Chapman of Bilberry Bears in Llandegla.

The video will be launched on November 24 and will be available to view on Denbighshire County Council’s website, YouTube and social media.

A competition will be launched to win the bear, with full details to be revealed after the launch of the video.

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “The aim of the video is to showcase the wealth of local businesses we have here in the county.

“Shoppers don’t have to leave the county to get what they need for Christmas, everything from bespoke gifts to everyday essentials are all available right here in Denbighshire.

“The purpose of the film is to encourage and inspire local people in Denbighshire to think about visiting their local shops before shopping online or visiting shops outside of the county.

“Money spent locally stays in the local economy and benefits everyone in Denbighshire.

“This film is a really heart-warming Christmas tale which will keep viewers well and truly entertained.

“The great thing about this short film is that everything is local, the actors are local, the shops are local, everything featured is local.”

The film also features stunning aerial footage filmed across Denbighshire.

Tudor Jones, aged 48, is the owner of Trefor Jones clothes shop in Ruthin, a family-run business which has been open for 39 years and one of the locations used in the film.

He said: “Local shops offer something different. People need to see what is on their high streets, we are asking for a chance. People will often go out of the county without thinking of their local stores first.”

Mark Davies, aged 56, is the owner of Rhuddlan Models, another location used in the film.

He said: “It is important to remind shoppers what is available in the locality. It is important to get that message out.

“People should give small businesses a chance. A lot of the time they sell products at the same price as online retailers but without postage costs. We offer a face to face service. If you buy from a local shop, the money stays local.”

As well as supporting local businesses by producing the Christmas video, Denbighshire County Council is offering free parking at council-run car parks after 3pm throughout December and is continuing to run its #LoveLiveLocal shopping campaign. 

A483 closed due to police incident - "body discovered"

Wrexham.com is reporting this morning that the A483 towards Chirk is currently closed due to a police incident involving concerns for the safety of a person in the area.

Motorists are being advised to avoid the area if possible, with the A483 Chirk and Halton Bridge closed due to the incident.

UPDATE:

Wrexham.com is now reporting that a man's body was later found in the area.

See the story at:

http://www.wrexham.com/news/mans-body-found-after-chirk-a483-search-122683.html

Friends of the Earth film show planned

Llangollen Friends of the Earth has a special film showing at St Collen's Community Hall early next month. For details, see below ...

Santa sleighs 'em with alternative forms of transport

* Santa tries a hot air balloon.

In preparation for the Llangollen Christmas Festival Santa has been trying out some alternatives to his traditional sleigh.

Santa told us: “Sometimes I worry about how I’d manage if the sleigh broke down or something happened to the reindeer.”

He was recently spotted in a hot air balloon at Llangollen’s Balloon Festival and has also been seen around town about on a Segway. 

The 101 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers even let Santa try one of their armoured vehicles.

The reindeer needn’t worry about being replaced though because Santa has decided that the fastest, safest and most comfortable way to travel is definitely a sleigh.

Llangollen’s Christmas Festival will take place on Saturday November 26 and starts at 1pm with a parade through town.

You can see Sion Corn in his sleigh and then visit him in his grotto.

* ... aboard a segway

* ... and in a tank.

Crime boss needs your help with policing blueprint

A police boss is appealing for the public's help in drawing up a new blueprint for the policing of North Wales.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones is joining forces with Chief Constable Mark Polin for a series of consultation meetings across the region.

The next meeting is at Glyndwr University in Wrexham at 6.30pm on Monday, November 14.

Alternatively, people can fill in an online survey to let their views be known by going to:
www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2992284/Police-and-Crime-Plan-Consultation-2016-2017

Mr Jones, a former police inspector, said: "There is an open invitation to all members of the community to come and share their views with us.

“As a police and crime commissioner, I have a statutory duty to consult local people on policing priorities.

“I will be drafting the new Police and Crime Plan and in order to do that we need to be aware what local people believe that the policing priorities should be.

“These meetings are a way of gauging public opinion and in this instance we will be assessing what people think.

* Chief Constable Mark Polin, left with PCC Arfon Jones.

“I will be consulting jointly with the Chief Constable in these meetings but I will also hold additional meetings in other parts of the force area so we can garner views of both the urban and rural population in North Wales.

"Listening to local people is one of the most important parts of my role and it is vital that people have a true voice in policing.

“We are keen that as many members of the public as possible attend these meetings and not just local councillors who have their own channels to pass on their views,"

"This is the police service for North Wales and it is only right and proper that everyone has a chance to have their say.”

The Police and Crime Plan will set out the strategic priorities, aims and objectives for North Wales Police for the next four years.

Chief Constable Polin added: “Everyone has a right to be safe and feel safe. However,
the threats to safety are changing and people are now more likely to be subjected to crime committed online and the national rise in serious and potentially very harmful  threats, such as from Child Sexual Exploitation, are emerging locally too.   

“I want communities to know that we care, to be sighted on the challenges we face in safeguarding them and to feel informed about how we are, and will continue, to respond to those challenges with their help. Providing good quality policing services remains at the centre of what we do, and we are placing significant priority on this as an organisation.

“Hearing what our communities think about the service we deliver and the trust and confidence that they place in us is also incredibly important.”

The meetings will be held at Glyndwr University in Wrexham on Monday, November 14, at 6.30 pm; Rhyl Rugby Club, Vale Road, on Wednesday, November 30 at 6.30 pm: and  Penllyn Leisure Centre, Bala, Wednesday, December 7, at 6.30 pm. People wanting to complete the online survey should go to www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2992284/Police-and-Crime-Plan-Consultation-2016-2017

Chance to win panto tickets with county campaign

* Scene from the panto Peter Pan.

Shoppers could bag themselves a festive family treat this Christmas.

As part of the #LoveLiveLocal campaign anyone who uses the hashtag to post pictures of local purchases on social media is in with the chance to win one of three sets of family tickets to see Peter Pan at the Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl this Christmas.

The Denbighshire County Council-led campaign aims to encourage shopping at local businesses within the county.

The pantomime, which runs from Friday, December 9 to Saturday, January 7, stars Mark Little as Captain Hook.

Mark is best known for his portrayal of Joe Mangel in Australian soap Neighbours where he created one of Ramsay Street’s legendary characters.

Also staring in the panto are Derek Moran, from Channel 5’s leading children’s TV strand Milkshake, as Peter Pan and Juliet Cadzow, who plays Edie McCredie in the award winning CBBC children’s TV series Balamory, as Mrs Darling.

Wales’ very own Sean Jones, who plays Smee, is returning for his fifth consecutive pantomime at the Pavilion.

For the chance to win one of three family tickets, which offer entry for two adults and two children to Peter Pan, simply post a picture of a great product or service you have received at a local business in Denbighshire to #LoveLiveLocal on social media by November 30.