Llan is filled with Christmas Festival fun

* The firework display which rounded off the festival after the lights were switched on. 

* The head boy and girl from Ysgol Dinas Bran switched on the Christmas lights.

Hundreds braved the cold today (Saturday) to make an early start to the festive season by flocking to  Llangollen's Christmas Festival.

The annual event kicked off in style with the traditional parade headed by Santa who was driven to the Town Hall in his sleigh to take up residence in his grotto where he was visited by scores of excited youngsters wanting to share their Christmas lists with him.

There was a full programme of entertainment out on the Town Hall steps and in nearby Market Street, including a display by the Clerical Error morris dancers, a Punch and Judy show and music from solo performers and St Collen's choir and orchestra.  

Proceeds from the event will be shared between Wales Air Ambulance and the fund to put on next year's festival.    

Llanblogger has been out and about recording the day's fun which ended with the switching on of the town lights and a big firework display.

 

* A dazzling fire display came at the end of the festival. 

* Santa leads the big Christmas parade.

* St Collen's choir and orchestra perform on the Town Hall steps.  

* Visitors browse around the Christmas fair inside the Town Hall. 

* A guitarist belts out seasonal songs.

* All the fun of the fair in Market Street.

* Leonie Kirby sings Christmas songs in Market Street.

* A vintage tractor joins the opening parade.

* More tractor action on the bridge.

* A sleighful of youngsters head into town.

* Members of the National Elf Service greet the crowds on the bridge. 

* The Clerical Error morris dancers make their way into town.

* Llangollen Silver band sets the pace for the parade.

* A vintage car from the Motor Museum was a crowd pleaser.

* Town Crier Chem rings his bell aboard a parade float.

* Santa' little helpers Phil Meyers and Graham Platt.

Christmas in Llangollen starts today

Santa is raring to go at Llangollen Christmas Festival which takes place today.

The annual event starts with the traditional parade through town at 1pm and you can see Sion Corn in his sleigh and then visit him in his grotto.

There will be events and entertainment in and around the town until the Christmas lights are switched at 5pm followed by fireworks.

New Dot plans Christmas film with a difference

* Tokyo Godfathers is the latest offering from Llangollen's New Dot Cinema, on Friday December 9.

New Dot Cinema’s latest screening is a moving and unusual take on the Christmas theme.

A classic of Japanese anime, Tokyo Godfathers will be screened on the balcony at Llangollen Town Hall on Friday December 9.

It’s Christmas Eve and three homeless people, Gin, a middle-aged alcoholic, Miyuki, a teenage runaway and Hana, a transsexual former drag queen Hana (Yoshiaki Umegaki) have formed a makeshift family on the streets of Tokyo.

While rummaging in dustbins for food they find an abandoned newborn baby.

With only a handful of clues to the baby's identity, the three misfits try to solve the mystery of the abandoned baby and returning her to her parents.

Along the way, encounters with seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confront their own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future, together.

Seats are £8 and £6 for concessions. Online ticket sales close 10am on the day of the screening. Tickets available from https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Llangollen/Llangollen-Town-Hall/New-Dot-Cinema---Tokyo-Godfathers/12872848/]

Doors open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8pm.

For more information, go to newdotcinema.org.

Financial expert reviews Autumn Statement

A FINANCIAL expert from one of North Wales’ leading accountancy firms says Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement yesterday is good for families, low earners and businesses.

Anthony Lewis (pictured) is a Director of Chartered Accountants Coxeys who have offices in Wrexham and Saltney and represents a wide range of clients from sole traders right through to international market leaders.

He said: “For families, especially low earners, the increase in the personal tax allowance to £12,500 by the end of this Parliament and raising the higher rate band to £50,000 will be very welcome as will a reduction in the taper rate of universal credit from 65 to 63 per cent for those people who are on benefits but also have a job.

“Another good thing for families is the cancellation of the fuel duty increase for the seventh successive year which will save the average car owner £130 a year. But on the minus side is the increase in insurance premium tax from 10 to 12 per cent by June next year.”

He added: “For businesses the main plus points are the £2 billion extra investment in research and development which will affect quite a number of firms in our area, the extra £400 million in grants which the Welsh Government will be receiving and the rate relief planned for businesses in smaller rural areas.

“A bad thing, in my view, is the removal of the flat rate scheme for VAT which allowed smaller companies to make a calculation based on turnover. In future they will have to revert to the old and more time-consuming method of working out every element of their VAT.”

Looking at how the Autumn Statement will affect the region’s farmers, Mr Lewis said they would benefit from the £1 billion investment in broadband announced by the Chancellor.

“Apart from making it easier for them to communicate generally, this will also help towards the government’s long term goal of having all businesses report quarterly online to HM Revenue and Customs in a couple of years’ time,” he added.

Mr Lewis said students would welcome the abolition of letting fees which have been charged to tenants and also the increase in the Living Wage by around four per cent, from £7.20 to £7.50 in April next year.

For pensioners, Mr Lewis said: “There were no significant changes outlined by the Chancellor. However, the extra money he earmarked for cultural and heritage projects across the UK will be of interest to older people who are regular visitors to these places.

“Of longer term interest to them will be the new three-year savings bond with the possibility of investing up to £3,000 which he promised to give more details about in the next budget."

 

New safer neighbourhoods group has first meeting

* Llangollen Town Hall.

The first meeting of Dee Valley Safer Neighbourhoods Partnership will take place next Tuesday, November 29, at 10am in the Council Chamber of Llangollen Town Hall.

Anyone interested in ensuring Llangollen is a safe place to live and work is welcome to attend.

A member of the Dee Valley policing team said: "It is an opportunity for you to ask questions and have a say in local policing initiatives in your area.

"We have invited representatives from various community safety groups so that by working together in partnership with all agencies we can make the Dee Valley a safer place to live.

"If you would like some further information before the day, cannot attend but would like to be added to the group circulation, or cannot attend but would like some points to be raised on your behalf then please contact myself martin.jones2@nthwales.pnn.police.uk, or ian.parry@uwclub.net"

Wild Pheasant set for re-opening says story

Llangollen's Wild Pheasant Hotel will re-open next month after a major refurbishment, says a story in today's Daily Post.

For the full story, see: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/llangollens-wild-pheasant-hotel-names-12211813

MP backs work of disability charity

* Susan Elan Jones MP in Parliament with Welsh Can Do Coordinator Lisa Gilchrist (right) and Welsh Can Do volunteer Lucy Williams (centre).

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has met with staff and volunteers of disability charity Leonard Cheshire in Parliament.

And she has given her support to the expansion of Can Do, a volunteering programme for young disabled people.

More than 6,000 young disabled people have volunteered through the programme since Leonard Cheshire established it in 2008.

It operates UK-wide, including in four locations across Wales - Wrexham,  Cardiff, Newport and Swansea.

Ms Jones, who co-chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Charities and Volunteering, said: "We are hugely fortunate in the Clwyd South constituency to have the excellent Dyffryn Ceiriog Cheshire Home in Dolywern.

"I am always keen to do everything I can locally and in Parliament to support the excellent work of disability charity Leonard Cheshire. I am delighted that the charity is expanding its volunteering programme and I wish it well in this new venture."