LlanBike Fest team completes Vietnam tour

TEN organisers and supporters of the Llangollen Motorcycle Festival - LlanBikeFest - have just returned from a 1,000-mile trail bike tour of North Vietnam.

The team (pictured below)  helped some of the country’s poorest schools with donations of cash, footballs, pens, pencils and sweets.

The boarding primary schools are in remote mountain areas, providing much-needed education for some of Vietnam’s 64 ethnic minorities.

Conwy councillor and LlanBikeFest exhibitor Andrew Wood, who owns Triumph and Ducati dealership Woods Motorcycles in Abergele, said: “Visiting the schools was one of the highlights of an amazing trip. Vietnam may be poor but the government is doing everything it can to bring education to everyone, with very limited resources. We were glad to do what we could to help.”

LlanBikeFest co-organiser John Hutchinson said: “The kids and their teachers were brilliant and incredibly grateful for our support. We take so much for granted in the West, so it was quite moving to witness how delighted they were with our gifts and donations.”

The 10-strong team of friends, including seven from North Wales, two from England and a Canadian, spent two weeks riding mainly dirt roads in the Vietnamese mountains bordering China, crossing bamboo bridges and fording rivers along the way.

Now they are back preparing for the Llangollen Motorcycle Festival, which is at the town’s Pavilion on Saturday August 5^th and Sunday August 6^th.

On-site attractions will include hundreds of bikes, displays, stunts, demonstrations, trade and club stands, plus beer, bands and evening entertainment in Llangollen Town. There will also be a charity raffle in aid of Wales Air Ambulance.

Follow the event on Twitter at @llanbikefest and Facebook at Llangollen Motorcycle Festival.

Day tickets are £10 on the gate or online at www.llanbikefest.co.uk with children 15 and under free, or contact the Festival office at 07960 693398, office@llanbikefest.co.uk. Club stands and exhibitor bookings are free.

Website aims to create stronger communities

llanblogger reader Mike Edwards is amongst the first Llan residents to join a new website which aims to create stronger communities.

Here he explains how it works.

NextDoor has evolved from a website called Street Life and is an application for smartphones to encourage stronger Community ties as follows:

Its a private social network for you, your neighbours, and your community.

Nextdoor’s mission is to provide a trusted platform where neighbours work together to build stronger, safer, happier communities, all over the world. And it's free.

People are using Nextdoor to:

• Borrow a ladder for example 
• Organise a Neighbourhood Watch Group
• Track down a trustworthy babysitter
• Find out who does the best paint job for example in town
• Ask for help keeping an eye out for a pet
• Find a new home for an outgrown bike or similar
• Finally call that nice person down the street by their first name

 

In many ways, Nextdoor and Streetlife are very similar. Both are neighbourhood platforms, whose goal is to connect neighbours and build stronger communities.

However, there are a few small differences that you should be aware of:

• Nextdoor is more local and private in scope
• Nextdoor offers you the opportunity to invite your neighbours
• Nextdoor is self moderated by neighbourhood Leads
• Nextdoor has a real name policy
• Nextdoor has Community Guidelines, which keeps things friendly
• Nextdoor requires address verification of all members
• Nextdoor has groups, for book clubs, running clubs or anything you like

It can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play.

Search for youngster to sing alongside Sir Bryn Terfel

A search has been launched to find a talented young singer for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform with Sir Bryn Terfel and two other global opera stars.

The renowned bass baritone (pictured) will be starring with Lithuanian tenor Kristian Benedikt and Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais in the classic opera, Tosca, at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod this summer.

The concert on Tuesday, July 4, is being sponsored by the arts-loving care organisation Pendine Park and will help celebrate the festival's 70th anniversary.

Organisers are now looking for talented boy sopranos or trebles to audition for the opportunity to join the world class cast in the role of the Shepherd Boy. 

Open auditions will be held for the young hopefuls at the Llangollen International Pavilion on Saturday, April 15.

The candidates will be asked to perform two pieces, “I give you sighs” from the third act of Tosca and one of their own choosing.

The concert will be one of the highlights of what organisers promise will be a festival packed with high quality entertainment, including jazz singer Gregory Porter and Welsh rock legends, the Manic Street Preachers.

Later in the week on Thursday, July 6, Sir Bryn and Pendine Park will be joining forces again as sponsors of the Voice of the Future Competition to find the world's best young singers when the finalists will be competing for the Pendine Trophy and a cheque for £6,000.

But first comes Tosca which is a dramatic love story set against a backdrop of lust, political intrigue and murder. 

The opera tells the tragic story of singer Floria Tosca, played by Kristine Opolais, and her fight to save her lover. Benedikt takes the role of her lover, Cavaradossi who is fleeing from Sir Bryn’s sadistic police chief, Scarpia.

The acclaimed Welsh National Opera Orchestra conducted by Gareth Jones will accompany them.

The festival's musical director, Eilir Owen Griffiths, said: “Building on the success of Carmen and Sweeney Todd, this is another adventurous project for the Eisteddfod to undertake. Under the direction of Amy Lane the production will include stunning video work and subtle staging to bring this wonderful opera to Llangollen.

“By combining the excellence and expertise of Welsh and international talent, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is bringing opera to a much wider and diverse audience.

"We are grateful to Pendine Park for sponsoring the Tosca concert and for their generous support for the Voice of the Future competition later in the week.

"This shows how Pendine’s support helps bring both existing world class opera performers to the Llangollen  stage but also acts as a platform for launching the careers of the stars of tomorrow."
 
Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring this performance of Tosca, which I am sure will be a magical experience, given the stellar array of operatic talent.

“The festival is particularly close to our hearts. Music and the arts are an important part of our enrichment programme and we genuinely believe that they improve the quality of life of our residents at our Wrexham and Caernarfon care homes.

“It's promising to be a truly unforgettable evening of world class opera, right on our doorstep here in North Wales and starring our very own Sir Bryn Terfel. It's going to be a very special night and one not to be missed."

For more information about the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and to book tickets go to  www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Paedophiles should feel `full force of law' - police boss

A police boss has hit out at suggestions that online paedophiles shouldn't be prosecuted in some cases.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner  Arfon Jones was responding to comments by the Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection, who believes only offenders who pose a physical risk to children should face a criminal sentence.

According to Mr Bailey, the head of Operation Hydrant, the nationwide inquiry into historical child sexual abuse, the police were struggling to cope with the huge number of criminals looking at indecent images of children online and should concentrate resources on what he described as high risk offenders.

Mr Jones (pictured), a former police inspector, said: "Any offences that involve the sexual degradation of children are heinous. They are among the most serious crimes dealt with by the police and should be punished accordingly.

"Every time an indecent image of a child is viewed it is tantamount to the abuse being repeated over and over again.

"One of the things becoming clear is that many of the people looking at images like these are also creating them so they are also guilty of contact offences with children.

"In my opinion, anybody caught committing offences of this nature should feel the full force of the law and be prosecuted.

"There are strict sentencing guidelines for in relation to crimes perpetrated by paedophiles and they should be adhered to so that the right punishment is imposed and will more often than not involve custodial sentences.

"Of course, there should also be support in place to rehabilitate offenders once they have been punished.

"For example, the Circles of Support scheme works with sex offenders in North Wales has been particularly successful.

"The COSA programme sees members of the community volunteer to work with offenders and since it started in North Wales in 2007 none of the offenders taking part has gone on to re-offend.

"My only concern with COSA is that, while in South Wales it is funded centrally by the National Offender Management Service, we have to pay for it ourselves here in North Wales."

"Protecting children is one of my most important responsibilities and it will be a priority in my new Police and Crime Plan which will be published soon.

"North Wales Police are already leading the way and the force has established a Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) to tackle the emerging threat of child sexual exploitation via the internet.

"They work alongside the force's Cyber Crime Team and High Tech Crime Unit based in St Asaph.

"Online child sexual exploitation is a vile crime committed by dangerous and devious people who come from every section of society and often appear to be leading outwardly respectable lives.

"I’m pleased that we’re investing so many resources in tackling online sexual exploitation because the care of children is the most important thing we do.

"Paedophiles are becoming increasingly sophisticated so it is vitally important that we respond accordingly with a team of our own experts catching those committing these types of crime and bringing them to justice.

"This problem isn’t going to go away and we need to concentrate on raising awareness, education and reducing harm and I think there is some excellent work being done to reach this priority.

"I’m very happy to support the force in providing as much resources as needed to ensure that children, wherever they may be in the world, are safe."

Soup kitchen sessions at Holy Cross Rooms

A series of weekly Lentern soup kitchen sessions are to be held at the Holy Cross Rooms in Llangollen in aid of famine relief in Africa.

Starting from tomorrow, they will take place every Friday up to and including April 7 in the meeting rooms which are at the end of the alleyway opposite the library in Castle Street.

Sessions begin with a coffee morning plus stall starting at 11am with soup being served from 12noon until 1.30pm.

Town's newest antiques fair to be staged

* A water colour of Llangollen in days gone by.

SELLERS from across North Wales and the Marches will be coming to Llangollen later this month for the town’s newest antiques fair.

Taking place at the Hand Hotel (pictured below) on Sunday, March 26, the fair will showcase the wares a select number of dealers from the region.

Staged in two rooms of the historic hotel in the town centre, there will be a wide range of items on sale including quality antiques, collectables including militaria and coins, decorative and vintage homewares.

The fair opens from 9.30am until 3.30pm and there will be refreshments available in the hotel.

Organiser Rob Bellis, of Nook Antiques in Llangollen, has already had a positive response ahead of the inaugural event.

He said: “We’ve had a great deal of interest and are now fully booked in terms of stalls so there will be plenty on offer for collectors or those looking for something interesting or quirky for their home.

“We’ve got some great sellers coming from the west coast of Wales who will be bringing a range of good antiques, some good local dealers, including a couple who make regular trips over to France to source their very interesting stock, and a number of specialists in things like militaria, treen, linens and coins.

“The Hand is a great venue, with its own gardens overlooking the River Dee so it should make for a very good day.”

Admission to the fair is 50p per person.

Parking at the hotel is limited so patrons are asked to use the nearby public car parks when appropriate.

County issues rogue callers alert

Denbighshire residents are advised to be alert following reports of rogue callers impersonating council tax officers.

One man turned up unexpectedly at a house in Prestatyn and stated that he was investigating council tax arrears owed by a previous resident.

No person of that name is known to have previously lived at the address. The householder acted prudently and refused entry to the caller before reporting the incident to North Wales Police and Denbighshire Council the following day.

The caller was driving an unmarked white van and was wearing a lanyard with an identification card which was not shown. He failed to introduce himself and left no paperwork at the address.

A representative from the council tax service has confirmed that no employee of the service was in the area at that time and explains that council employees are instructed to always wear identification, hand it over for inspection and will always leave details of who they are.

The council says it has also received reports of other incidents  in the Rhyl, Prestatyn and Dyserth areas. The first relates to a lone male who stated he was from a money saving website who is believed to be trying to sell insurance, but information on this is limited.

The second incident relates to a group of males knocking door to door selling cleaning products and small knick-knacks, again information is limited on these individuals.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said:  “The council is committed to tackling those involved in rogue calling crime and will use all means at our disposal to ensure they are swiftly brought to justice.”

“Rogue traders usually turn up announced, claim to be respectable tradespeople when they are not and use a range of deceptions to gain personal information which they later misuse or charge inflated prices for sub-standard or unnecessary work.

“However, an effective way of preventing these incidents from happening in the first place is by raising awareness of the problem and advising members of the public on what steps they can take to better protect themselves from falling victim.

"We would recommend that you never engage anyone who turns up at your door and never give them money up front or disclose any personal or financial information. We would also caution against keeping large sums of cash in your own home.”

* More information about how to protect yourself against bogus callers can be found on the Trading Standards section of the Denbighshire County Council website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk