Community aims to run village businesses

Members of the community in a village not far from Llangollen have embarked on an ambitious project to buy the village shop and Post Office.

The Cynwyd shop has been on the market for several years and the current owners will close the business if they don't get a buyer.

* Chair: Mabon ap Gwynfor.

Several members of the community agreed that losing the shop and Post Office would be detrimental to the village and organised a public meeting to see if the community could take the place over.

Over 65 people are now involved, and have formed the Siop Ni Cynwyd community enterprise.

Delyth Thomas of Siop Ni Cynwyd said: "The shop is right at the heart of the community. Not only does it provide an all-important service, ensuring that we all have access to some of our daily essentials, but it also acts as a community hub, with friends and neighbours having time to catch up on local issues and bind the community together.

"It would be dreadful if we were to lose the place, so we are exploring all possible avenues to see what can be done to keep it in the community."

The new group have so far received advice from the Wales Co-op Centre, Grwp Cynefin and Cadwyn Clwyd, and are in the process of applying for funding to complete a feasibility study to explore the best options available.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Chair of Siop Ni Cynwyd, said: "A lot of people have come forward willing to assist in this venture. This is a true community enterprise with everybody offering their services and chipping in.

"There is certainly a lot of good will. Grwp Cynefin, Cadwyn Clwyd and the Wales Co-op Centre have been brilliant, and we look forward to working with them to see this project to full fruition."

Cynwyd resident Alwenna Joyce said: "Keeping the shop and the Post Office in Cynwyd is vitally important, especially as we've lost the banks from every town in this region.

"We've got nowhere to pay in or take money out without having to travel some distance, and we don't have many buses here in Cynwyd. The shop sells everything and is indispensable to local residents."

Wild Pheasant's new lease of life

The Leader is reporting that Llangollen's Wild Pheasant hotel has re-opened after a major facelift.

For the full story, see:

http://leaderlive.co.uk/news/170806/wild-pheasant-hotel-in-llangollen-is-back-in-business.aspx

Railway gala steams in next March

Llangollen Railway’s Along Birkenhead Lines Gala will take place over three days from Friday-Sunday, March 3-5.

Featuring an intensive timetable of both passenger and mixed traffic trains, a great collection of historic steam locomotives and special attractions taking place along the line, the event has something for all railway enthusiasts and families alike, according the organisers.

The weekend marks the 50th anniversary of two significant events - the last steam-hauled Cambrian Coast Express and 50 years since the last through working from London Paddington to Birkenhead (Woodside).

Work is in hand to make this gala one of the most historically accurate and authentic steam events yet achieved.

Expect to see cameos, displays, recreations and all the appropriate paper ephemera.

In addition to the railway’s home fleet, the gala will feature a number of special visiting steam locomotives – details of which will be announced very soon! 

* Download our FREE Advanced Information booklet (first edition attached) for all the latest news on the gala from:

http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/spring-steam-gala-3rd-march/ 

Silver Band's successful Christmas Gala

* The Youth Band on stage.

Llangollen Silver Band held their annual Christmas Gala at the Town Hall recently.

The festive event, now in it's 8th year, featured performances from the Training, Youth and Senior Bands, carols and smaller musical ensembles.

Conductor Trevor Williams also announced the winner of the band's 'Young Player of the Year' award, which this year went to 14-year-old euphonium player, Elizabeth Mwale (pictured right.

Trevor said: "Elizabeth is a talented young musician who has achieved great success this year. She is also one of the first to offer to lend a helping hand with other jobs, such as helping younger players and decorating the band room."

The grand finale of the gala saw the packed audience singing and swaying along to the senior band's renditions of Christmas classics such as 'Merry Christmas Everyone' and 'Jingle Bell Rock'.

Band Spokesman, Robert Stock, said 'Our thanks go out to all players, parents and supporters of the band for attending this event. On behalf of the band I hope you all have a merry Christmas and to see you at one one of our events in the new year.'

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 .

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/