Joshua wins top care award

A rugby-playing dad who devotes his time to help turn around the lives of young people in a children’s home has been presented with a top care award.

Josh Wilson, 25, from Llangollen, (pictured) scooped a silver trophy in the Exceptional Newcomer category of the Wales Care Awards 2016, run by Care Forum Wales.

The keen sportsman has been described as a role model for the youngsters he supports at a specialist therapeutic children’s home in Ruthin by encouraging them to strive for the best and keep active through sport.

The home is a six-bedroom unit for young boys aged 11-18 with complex behavioural and emotional difficulties who are given intense support to help them succeed in education and employment.

Josh, who is employed by Branas Isaf and formerly taught swimming to children aged three to 12 at Corwen Leisure Centre, collected his silver award at a glittering ceremony at City Hall in Cardiff.

The awards acknowledge the hard work and exceptional performances of those in the care sector.

“I feel like I’m putting something back and making a difference. When I come back from work I feel happy, it’s very rewarding,” said Josh, who combines his challenging role as a support worker two days a week with his responsibilities at the family business, Ty Canol Caravan Park in Llangollen.

“My family are proud and my mum is especially proud.

“When you drive home at the end of the day you always think about what you’ve done with the kids and what I would’ve liked to have done better.

“I love working there. The whole team is brilliant and my manager has done a lot for me. I’ve come a long way since joining the team.

“I’d never worked in care before. I was in the deep end quite quickly but I wouldn’t have had it any other way as it meant I learnt very quickly.”

Josh, who also worked in Corwen and Llangollen Leisure Centres as a fitness instructor after leaving school, plays competitive rugby for Chester Rugby Club, which is in North Division 2, has a talent for communicating with children and inspiring them to succeed.

The new dad, whose daughter Azaia Wilson, was born a year ago, has already won the national and regional Newcomer of the Year title in the Caretech Awards in November.

Josh, who attended Ysgol Dinas Brân, said the most satisfying aspect of his job was watching the youngsters’ progress and reform their behaviour through sport and other goal-driven work. The home has even created a squash league to build their self-confidence.

One of his most notable achievements was seeing a young boy for whom he was a key worker move on from the home and flourish.

“I feel like I’m a role model to them. I always tell them what the score was in the rugby. I’m trying to inspire them and keep them active by encouraging them to the gym,” said Josh, who is in the completion stages of his QCF Level 3 in Caring For Children and Young People.

“I’ve recently had a child myself and it’s put a different perspective on things. I’m much more empathetic.

“You have your bad days but I’m level-headed and can deal with most things thrown at me. You want to see the lads do well.

“I would like to continue working with young people in the future. I play rugby and I look after myself and the kids look up to me. I try to work on their self-confidence and you develop a bond.”

Nominating Josh for his award, registered manager Leanne Bennett said: “Josh is a very well-liked and respected member of the team at Pant Glas and nothing is ever too much trouble for Josh. He is eager and enthusiastic in his role and works exceptionally well both lone working and in a team.

“He has a good morale which impacts on others and his can do attitude is infectious to his colleagues. Josh is an asset to our team and I feel he has a brilliant career ahead of him.”

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the standard of entries was extremely high.

He added: “There are only winners here tonight so it is only fitting that the finalists will receive a gold, silver or bronze Wales Care Award.

“I trust that they will continue to inspire those around them as role models and encourage others to aspire to even greater heights in the months and years to come.

“This awards ceremony is our opportunity to pay tribute and to celebrate the talent and commitment that is improving the quality of life for thousands and thousands of people throughout Wales.

“We take our hats off to them.”

Eisteddfod welcomes Albanian VIPs

* Albanian Peace Ambassador Fitim Mimani, left, with

Eisteddfod chairman Rhys Davies and Susan Elan Jones MP next to the olive trees.

Llangollen Eisteddfod leaders welcomed a group of VIP visitors from Albania on Friday.

Visaret E Gores, a group of dancers and musicians from the country competed at this year’s festival. 

Accompanying them was Fitim Mimani, the Albanian Peace Ambassador, who was greeted by Eisteddfod’s President Terry Waite, Llangollen Mayor Cllr Mike Adams and festival officials.

The group stayed at homes in Overton where they were warmly welcomed by local residents and became firm favourites with everyone they met.

The dancers gave impromptu performances on the field when passers-by were encouraged to join in with their colourful routines.

Since then, Mr Mimani has been back to Llangollen to investigate how additional groups from Albania can take part in the Eisteddfod.

He is now planning to return once more, with five Albanian dancers and musicians from a group called Qypryllinjte E Roshnikut.

A groups from Albania visited Llangollen last week and after lunch in the Corn Mill there was a short ceremony during which gifts were exchanged and Mr Mimani presented the Eisteddfod with three established olive trees which will be planted on the Pavilion field next spring.

Among those attending the ceremony was Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones, Eisteddfod’s competitions officer Merle Hunt and festival volunteers.

Skates backs today's Small Business Saturday

* SFTW owner Clare Rhodes with Ken Skates AM

and Oliver Edwards. 

Assembly Member Ken Skates is encouraging people in his constituency to support their local shops on today's Small Business Saturday.

The Clwyd South AM, who is based in Llangollen, visited his local high street and urged shoppers to spend on their own doorstep.

“Llangollen is a superb example of a high street which boasts a fantastic array of independent shops, cafes and other firms, and the aim of Small Business Saturday is to showcase them and encourage people to use them,” said Mr Skates.

The AM stopped by SFTW Barbers on Abbey Road, owned by Clare Rhodes.

“It is businesses like SFTW which are the lifeblood of our communities, and this is one of many in the town that I can personally vouch for as a customer.”

Clare took on 18-year-old Oliver Edwards, from Chirk Bank, earlier this year and says she agrees with the ethos of Small Business Saturday.

Clare said: “I always do my best to support other small high street businesses, I think we all try to help each other. The benefits of shopping local are obvious, not least because the money stays local. I hope everyone will get behind this campaign.”

Mr Skates added: “Research shows that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-sized business 63p stays in the local economy, compared to 40p with a larger business.

“Small Business Saturday is a fantastic concept and I hope residents in Llangollen and throughout Clwyd South will join me in supporting it – especially at Christmas.”

Operatic's Christmas show in a real cracker

A talented cast from Llangollen Operatic Society polished up a whole stockingful of comic gems to present a delighted audience with a glittering pre-Christmas present at the Town Hall last night (Friday).

Their seasonal offering, entitled Comedy Tonight, does exactly what it says on the tin, serving up a varied selection of excerpts from some of the most hilarious TV shows of the past interspersed with stand-alone sketches and songs.

This feast of fun has everything – from a couple of hilarious helpings of ‘All Allo featuring that naughty hidden sausage routine and an acrobatic French Resistance girl to a rip-snorting recreation of the late great Victoria Wood’s legendary ditty of marital frustration, Can’t Do It.

Shining in both ‘Allo Allo tributes is Operatic stalwart Bill Cheshire who has just the right mixture of bashfulness and bawd to bring the wartime bar owner Rene startlingly back to life, and in the first knock-about snatch from the show he’s aided and abetted by a gendarme who’s so good he could really be French (actually, Nico Decourt genuinely is).

Bill’s back as a French landlord from a different era when he takes centre stage in Master of the House from Les Mis.

The superb chorus backing him and the setting – especially Bill’s fabulous Napoleonic military costume – makes the whole roistering experience a real highlight of the show.

But then there are many more, including Chris Sims’s gob-smackingly good portrayal of Victoria’s Wood’s Can’t Do It with its cheeky cascading lyrics and the re-visiting of the unforgettable Two Soups sketch which in the original saw doddering waitress  Julie Walter making real a hash of serving a couple of hapless diners.

Here Robin Crowley – who also directs the whole show – brings his own touch of hilarity to the piece.

Llangollen's neighbouring Twenty Club recently had a smash-hit run with another TV comedy icon, The Vicar of Dibley, with Louise Cielecki in the title role.

So with Louise being link woman for the night it would have been a sin for her not to revisit the crazy Gloucestershire parish in company with that man Chris Sims again and the marvellous Carys Stallard all of whom ensure that its sparkles anew.

Louise also works with her old sparring partner from their days in the society’s Young ‘Uns junior section, Nathan Lloyd, to present some delicious slapstick moments.

Talking about the Young ‘Uns, a group of them kick off the evening with a selection of numbers from their forthcoming production of Bugsy Malone led by its two stars, Cassius Hackforth and Celyn Orton Jones.

Helen Belton is the show's one-woman orchestra and it's amazing the musical power she can produce from just an electric piano.

The whole entertainment experience is the brainchild of Tracey Rawlinson and she deserves a round of applause as loud and strong as the production won from the audience at the end of a couple of hours of rib-tickling fun on its first of two nights.

If you want to get the Christmas snowball rolling in fine style why not see if you can grab yourself a couple of tickets for tonight’s closing performance as I believe there might still be a few left. 

They’re £8 (£6 concessions) and you could try the usual outlets of Gwyn Davies butchers, Jades Hair and Beauty or Baileys.  

Llan youth band triumphs at Brynhyfryd

* The Youth Band performs at Ysgol Brynhyfryd.

Llangollen Youth Band competed in the North Wales Brass Bands Association Annual Championships at Ysgol Brynhyfryd in Ruthin last Saturday.

They finished in second place and were awarded the Llandudno Challenge Cup in the Youth Section of the contest.

The band began with the beautiful hymn tune ‘Angels Watching Over Me’ before performing the test piece ‘Passing Moods’ by Thomas James Powell, with cornet player, Taya Castley, being awarded the Lixwm Challenge Cup for Best Soloist for her solo in the latter.

Conductor, Trevor Williams, was left feeling proud when reflecting upon the band’s performance.

He said: "All players in the Youth Band should feel immensely proud of their performance in the contest.

"We have put in several months of practice to prepare for this competition and all members have worked incredibly hard.

"The experience of playing in front of such a large audience and competing against other talented bands is sure to improve them all as players."

County taxis carry domestic abuse message

Denbighshire taxis will be the first in North Wales to relay this important message in both English and Welsh.

The new dash board stickers carrying the informative and impactive message about domestic abuse will be seen by all customers, from the end of this week, in the 430 licensed taxis across Denbighshire.

PC Les Jones, who came up with the sticker idea, said: “The message about domestic abuse will be relayed to thousands of men, women and children who use these vehicles, to transport them at all times of day.

“We hope the stickers will plant the seed of non-acceptance and that it will go towards reducing/preventing this often hidden crime and assists in making this county a safer place.”

The stickers will be issued in the run up to White Ribbon Day, but it is hoped the message will carry through to the festive period and beyond.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Social Care, Adults and Children’s Services, said: “This is an extremely important message that we are trying to get across to residents in Denbighshire communities and we have been considering innovative ways of getting our message across in a visual and engaging way.

“This is another great example how council departments work closely together, in close association with our colleagues at North Wales Police to help protect the public from abuse."

Free After 3 parking announced for town

*Llangollen's Market Street car park which is part of the Free After 3 initiative.

Denbighshire County Council is reminding residents and visitors that the "Free After 3" parking scheme is operating in the county to help support town centres and to encourage local shopping.in the run-up to Christmas.

The scheme provides free parking in all council operated pay & display car parks in town centres after 3pm on a daily basis until December 31. 

Amongst car parks included in the initiative are:

Llangollen 
East Street
Hall Street 
Market Street
Mill Street 

Corwen
Green Lane 

RuthinCrispin Yard (Cae Ddol)
Dog Lane
Market Street
Park Road
Rhos Street
St Peter's Square
Troed y Rhiw

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “We are delighted to be offering free parking across Denbighshire after 3pm again this year. 

“We feel this is a good way of encouraging people to support the town centres and to access the wide variety of goods and services available from our local businesses."

This initiative coincides with the Small Business Saturday initiative across the county where the council is urging people to support their local businesses and services on December 3 and in the run-up to Christmas.

Denbighshire County Council is also helping support local businesses through its shop local campaign, #LoveLiveLocal which encourages people to share positive experiences of Denbighshire as a fantastic place to shop on social media and a Christmas video which will showcase what the county has to offer shoppers over the festive period.