Santa's quiz raises £353 for Air Ambulance

* The winning team with Santa.

Santa has thanked everyone who joined him at the Ponsonby for Santa's Magical Christmas Quiz.

The evening raised a staggering £353.83 with a pledge for a further £25 making a grand total of £378.83 raised for North Wales Air Ambulance.

Santa said: "Thanks to Paul and Lisa at the Ponsonby for their hospitality and John for his hard work behind the bar. The food and beer were brilliant.

"The declared winners, after a stewards enquiry, were Anon and On and On. A fantastic evening!"

County gives recycling and refuse advice

With Christmas Day falling on a Sunday this year, it happens that recycling and refuse collections in Denbighshire  can take place on the normal day of the week throughout the festive period.

Residents who normally have a collection on a Monday will receive their collections as normal on Monday, 26^th December and Monday, 2^nd January despite these days being Bank Holidays.

Subscribers to the garden waste collection service are reminded that collections will take place over the holiday period.

Full details of collection days are on the calendars which were delivered during October and November or are available on the Council’s website at: -https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/resident/bins-and-recycling/bin-collection-dates.aspx

Recycling parks:  Recycling Park facilities at Denbigh, Rhyl and Ruthin, will be open to the public as normal every day except 25 December, 26 December and 1 January. Winter opening hours are:

DENBIGH and RUTHIN: Mon – Fri 10am - 4pm. Weekend 9am - 4pm.

Recycling – Llangollen and Corwen:  Saturday recycling services at the Highways Depot, Corwen will take place as normal on Saturday 19 December. However, there will be no service at the Pavilion Car Park, Llangollen on Saturday 26 December or at Corwen on Saturday 2 January 2017.

Saturday recycling services will recommence as normal at Corwen on 7 January between 9 - 11am and at Llangollen on 14 January between 9 - 11am.

Commercial recycling and refuse collections:  Businesses services from Denbighshire County Council will follow the same unaltered pattern as the household services .

Have your say on dog fouling plan

Denbighshire County Council wants to hear your views on a proposed order controlling dogs in public spaces in the county.

The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is being proposed in direct response to complaints and feedback received by the public relating to dog fouling and associated issues.

The Order, which would come into effect in March 2017,  would formalise the Council’s approach to dealing with dog fouling. The main requirement would be for all dog owners to pick up their animals’ mess.

Dogs would also not be allowed:

·        In enclosed children’s play areas

·        On specific beaches at Rhyl and Prestatyn between 1 May and 30 September (these will be signposted)

·        Specific permanently marked and maintained sports pitches (these will be signposted)

·        Cemeteries

·        All education property

·        Leisure centres

·        Bowling greens

·        Fenced multi-activity areas.

The Order would also require dogs to be kept on leads in specific locations and require dog owners to have the means to clear up after their animals.

A fixed penalty notice of £100 may be issued to offenders. The Order will be enforced by Kingdom local authority support officers, police community support officers and any other person authorised by the Council.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “The vast majority of dog owners are accountable and caring; however a small minority do not always behave responsibly. Complaints and feedback from Denbighshire residents has consistently raised the issue of dog fouling and nuisance behaviour from dogs that are not under proper control.

“The adoption of this proposed Order would make it easier for the Council to deal with the small minority of dog owners who behave irresponsibly. It will also assist us in our efforts to achieve clean and tidy streets in Denbighshire through creating safer areas to play sport and for use by the public.

“Crucially it will reduce the risk posed to the health and well-being of individuals. Coming into direct contact with dog mess can have all kinds of implications on health.

“We hope that people will support this Order. We believe it’s a major step in the right direction and we want people to have their say. We will consider the responses before the final decision is made."

To have your say, go to:

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/your-council/consultations/Current-consultations.aspx  *

More fairy tales from Llan author Adrian

* Llangollen author Adrian Farrel's two books of fairy tales.

As his second book of fairy tales is published Llangollen resident Adrian Farrel says he just can't stop writing as new stories keep popping into his head.

Adrian's latest collection, More Tales from the Wood, contains another 18 original tales.

"Just as in my first collection, these are fairy tales with the same smell and sound of the ones with which we grew up, but they all have a twist or a satisfying ending," he says.

In this collection you can meet the Fisherman who stubbornly refuses to be in debt to the wizard, you can enter the Chocolate Shop that is only sometimes there, and you can see inside the world of The Shapeshifter.

You can also learn the difference between a gnome and pixie, and why you should never confuse either of them for a faerie.

Some stories, like The Little Mermaid and The Emperor's New Clothes, give a new slant on familiar tales, but most of the stories just seem to be familiar because the essence of a good fairy tale is so deeply ingrained in all of us.

Adrian adds: "These stories are like those by the Grimm brothers or Hans Christian Andersen, but a whole lot more fun.

"We don't need sanctimonious or pious tales in today's world. What we need are stories that reflect how life is or how it should be. That is what I have tried to achieve, although sometimes you may have to sit back and let the subliminal message sink in."

And Adrian, whose day-job is with telecommunications companies standardising how the Internet works, is continuing to write.

He says: "I seem to be at my most creative when I am travelling for work. On a recent trip to Korea I managed to complete three new tales, so it looks like I am well on the way to book three!"

"Tales from the Wood and More Tales from the Wood are available in Llangollen from the Courtyard Bookshop and from Zingiber.

They can also be bought online from Amazon or direct from the publisher at http://www.feedaread.com/

Christmas carol concert staged at the Town Hall

* Llangollen Silver Band provides musical accompaniment for the carol concert.

Churches in Llangollen came together for their annual Christmas carol concert at the Town Hall this evening (Sunday).

Favourite carols, including Once in Royal David's City and Come All Ye Faithful, were interspersed with seasonal songs and readings.

Providing musical accompaniment was Llangollen Silver Band and there were selections from the newly-formed Youth Choir and the singing group Stage to Stage accompanied by a three-piece band.

The evening came to a rousing finale with I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday and Merry Christmas Everybody.

A collection was taken on behalf of the charity Embrace the Middle East.

Police boss slams report into North Wales force

* North Wales PCC Arfon Jones.

The latest inspection into North Wales Police has been blasted as "inaccurate, wasteful and stressful" by the man elected to hold the Force to account.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, a former police inspector, claims the report published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary fails to recognise the work done by the Force to improve.

The report, by HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams, follows one last year which rated North Wales Police as ‘good’ but this time says it ‘requires improvement.’

But Arfon Jones doesn’t believe the headlines of the report are supported by its findings and content.

He adds that seemingly continuous inspections are actually getting in the way of North Wales Police doing their job and requires a team of three including two police officers to work on them full-time and diverts others from their duties.

According to Mr Jones, HMIC take no account of the priorities which saw him overwhelmingly elected as Commissioner earlier this year.

It is the second such report in two years and for the first time included an assessment of how well Forces tackle the problem of abuse of authority for sexual gain by members of its workforce.

This year’s report found that North Wales Police was good at treating the people it serves with fairness and respect but has limited capacity to seek out and assess intelligence about potential corruption and could do more to recognise the signs of ill health involving mental health issues, including stress at work.

Arfon Jones said he was pleased that HMIC had recognised that NWP is good at treating people it serves with fairness and respect and had acknowledged and commended the significant efforts of North Wales Police officers and staff.

But he added: “I don’t believe the ‘requires improvement’ judgement reflects the tremendous work carried out across North Wales on a daily basis to keep our communities safe and they should not be disheartened by this report.

“North Wales Police is the most improved Force in England and Wales in terms of victim satisfaction and I don’t believe the headlines of the report are supported by its findings and content.

“The reference to a ‘drop in performance’ since 2015 is inaccurate as it is not comparing like for like – the subject areas of the 2015 inspection were not a part of the inspection this time round.”

He was also critical of the number of inspections being carried out, their expense and their focus and he said: “The Force is having to make a significant amount of investment of both time and resources just to respond to the inspection regime.

“The public of North Wales would be surprised by the sheer volume of inspections and the level of resources being diverted from the front line just to prepare for these inspections.

“HMIC continue to highlight areas they believe require investment without any apparent appreciation of the competing pressures, including financial pressures, that we face.

“The irony is not lost on me that they express concerns on the area of stress at work with no apparent awareness of the stress caused by their inspection regime.

“It’s particularly frustrating that the Police budget is being top sliced to fund HMIC’s significant growth in resources.

“But they fail to give any consideration to the priorities that I set out in my Police and Crime Plan.

“The legislation is clear. I hold the Chief Constable to account and HMIC should let him get on with delivering an efficient and effective police service that the people of North Wales deserve.

“I appreciate that it is important to have a system of rigorous appraisal of the Force but it should not be to the detriment of our vital frontline services.”

Viennese gala is prelude to New Year

An orchestra is joining forces with global operatic star Anne Williams King (pictured) to launch the New Year with a sensational Viennese gala concert in the heart of Wrexham.

It is the first ever collaboration between NEW Sinfonia orchestra and the North Wales Opera Studio, founded by international soprano Anne and her husband, professional tenor David Bartleet.

The glittering event, at St Giles Church at 3pm on January 2, will showcase arias from classic operas including La Boheme, La Traviata, Die Fledermaus and Turandot.

NEW Sinfonia conductor Robert Guy promises ‘a perfect partnership’ of the most talented young instrumentalists and singers arising out of North Wales today. He said: “It’s an exciting coming together of two organisations which each have the potential to make musical history.”

Anne’s career has taken her all around the world from South Africa to Japan, Australia, the USA, Canada and South America.

She has wowed audiences in key roles with The Royal Opera Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, Deutsche Oper am Rhein and Niedersächsische Staatsoper Hannover, Germany, and at Teatro Verdi Trieste, Italy.

She said: “NEW Sinfonia and North Wales Opera Studio are of like minds. We both champion outstanding new talent.

“When Rob asked me about doing a joint concert I had no hesitation. It is the ideal fit for us. NEW Sinfonia is highly acclaimed and my students feel honoured at the chance to perform with such quality musicians.”

Having been based in London for a large part of her career, Anne is originally from Pen-y-cae and moved back to North Wales a few years ago to be closer to her elderly mum.

She launched the non-profit making North Wales Opera Studio in Llangollen in 2015 to provide  enhanced training for aspiring opera singers.

She said: “We offer intensive courses, not just in singing but in the stage craft which is so much a part of opera. We run each course over a period of days, building up to a live performance of a scene from one of the great iconic operas, which we perform at the end of each course.

“The performances usually take place at the English Methodist Church, Llangollen, where we rehearse,  but in summer my students also had the honour of performing at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, and now they are very much looking forward to the gala performance with NEW Sinfonia.”

While Anne won’t be performing herself at the Viennese gala, she will be there on the day  supervising her students through every step of the way.

She said: “We have some exceptional talent in North Wales and it is a privilege to help it shine. I can get very emotional when I see my students perform as I know all the hard work they have put in and their unstinting commitment to furthering their music.”

* NEW Symphonia in concert.  

The Viennese gala has become a winter tradition for NEW Sinfonia with the last one so popular that the historic St Giles Church was packed to the rafters, and extra seats had to be put out when the audience topped 400.

“We’re hoping for another big turn out on January 2, 2017,” said Wrexham-born Robert.

He and his brother, clarinetist, Jonathan Guy, founded NEW Sinfonia in 2011 to develop an exciting flagship orchestra for North Wales.

In five years it has grown from obscurity to secure major appointments such as becoming resident orchestra for the 2016 North Wales International Music Festival.

It has worked alongside classical music big names including piano virtuoso Llŷr Williams and composer Paul Mealor who was commissioned to create his motet Ubi Caritas et Amor for the Royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Earlier this year the orchestra was invited to undertake a music residency at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, supported by Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board and the Arts Council of Wales.

“Now, collaborating with Anne is another significant coup for us. She has a wealth of experience to pass on, having performed at the world’s great opera houses including with the Welsh, Scottish and English National Operas,” said Robert.

“We’re looking forward to warming up a January afternoon with Viennese favourites like the Blue Danube March and the much loved Die Fledermaus operetta by Johann Strauss. The opera singers will also be giving a spectacular rendition of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, a real grandstander.”

Talented pianist and NEW Sinfonia harpist, Bethan Griffiths, of Treuddyn, has recently been brought on board by Robert and Jonathan to help run the orchestra.

She said the gala concert is a favourite with all its members, many of whom are based in other parts of the UK but return especially to take part.

She said: “It’s so good to be playing together after the Christmas festivities. It makes a rousing start to the new year ahead and gives us all a heartening, warm glow. This year, with the addition of the opera element, it will be extra special.”

Bethan, 21, is in her final year of a performance based course at the Royal College of Music, London, and has agreed to take on some more organisational tasks with NEW Sinfonia.

She said: “I’ve known Robert for a few years as I used to sing with the Cantorion Rhos Mixed Choir of which he is musical director. He’s also choral conductor and tutor in choral conducting at the University of Manchester, and principal conductor to the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra, so he has a lot of commitments. That’s why I’m happy to help out him and Jonathan with any of the admin and organisational challenges I can for NEW Sinfonia. Our programme is already looking busy for 2017 so the gala will mark the start of what is looking like an eventful year for us.

“The orchestra is such a great asset to musicians from North Wales. I’ve played with it for about four years and I always enjoy our concerts. It’s great to be able to get together to perform with other local music makers on our home turf.

“Before NEW Sinfonia there were very few opportunities for us to do that as most musicians are forced to go out of the area if they want to further their careers. To have a flagship orchestra for our own region is a dream come true.”

Trumpet player Gwyn Owen, 23, of Bangor, agreed. After studying at London’s Royal Academy of Music, he is now based in the city carving out a career as a professional freelance trumpet player.

But he said the NEW Sinfonia Viennese gala concert remains a permanent fixture on his calendar, adding: “I always make sure to be home for that, no matter what. It’s a great occasion. Performing with NewSinfonia is so rewarding and I’m also looking forward to working with North Wales Opera Studio for the first time. I’m sure it will be an exceptional and memorable occasion.”

* NEW Sinfonia Viennese gala concert, St Giles Church, Wrexham, January 2, 3pm. For tickets visit www.newsinfonia.org.uk or  go the Tourist Information Centre in Wrexham.

North Wales Opera Studio’s next opera workshops will be held at the English Methodist Church, Princes Street, Llangollen, from December 15-22.