Llangollen Railway steams back to 1957

* In May Llangollen Station will go back to eisteddfod week in 1957.

Llangollen Railway will soon be turning back the clock to the golden days of Eisteddfod Week in 1957.


During its Victorian Weekend on May 13 and 14 when it will be recreating how things were on the railway more than a century ago, the heritage organisation also has a second time-travelling event planned.


It is taking visitors back half a century to the late 1950s when the platforms were alive with people coming to and from the town’s world-famous international eisteddfod.      


Event organiser Peter Dickinson said: “The key concept of the Victorian Weekend is based around a perceived time-travelling experience from the present day back to the 19th century, so that each section of the journey brings new experiences, opportunities or attractions for our visitors.  


“Walking down the station ramp at Llangollen, the initial stage involves a fictional 60-year change from 2017 back to 1957.


“The next 60-year gap back to Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year of 1897 is achieved by boarding a steam-hauled train from Llangollen to the next station at Berwyn.”


He added: “With the International Eisteddfod at Llangollen celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, this means that in 1957 it  was its celebrating its 10th anniversary.


“Back then, huge crowds of visitors and competitors would have arrived at Llangollen station by train bound for the Eisteddfod.


“The station staff went out of their way to decorate the station in preparation for the event, with bunting and flags adorning the station platforms. It was known for performances to be made on the platform intermittently, as passengers waited for their train to arrive or as new competitors arrived.


“I have already received support from the Llangollen Motor Museum, who have committed to providing suitable 1957 vintage vehicles for display on the station ramp.


“Likewise, the Llangollen Male Voice Choir have agreed to perform on the platform at regular intervals on the Saturday, with the station being resplendent in bunting and flags once more to recreate the 1957 Eisteddfod Week.”


* Further details on the Victorian Weekend can be found at: http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/victorian-weekend-14th-may-2/

County launches new volunteering website

* Councillor Hugh Irving and the Little Tern volunteers

helping Countryside Services at Gronant Dunes.

Denbighshire County Council has unveiled its new and improved volunteering website.

The launch will enable the council to significantly build on the time that volunteers give to the local authority. 

A wide range of volunteering opportunities have been identified across the organisation and the roles will suit all kinds of skills and interests. 

Anyone can volunteer, whatever age, and people from all backgrounds and interests are welcome.

Councillor Hugh Irving, Lead Member for Communities, Customer Care and Libraries, said:  “For many years volunteers have been successfully engaged across a diverse range of Council services and have given thousands of hours of their own time. Volunteers have supported the work of countryside services, the arts, leisure services, youth centres and housing services to name just a few. 

“Volunteers have provided the added value and complemented the work of staff to enable the council to deliver better and more effective services.

“Volunteers also gain positive satisfaction from helping others and gaining new skills and making a contribution to their life of their community.”

Volunteering is a worthwhile exercise, according to Sam Mackie, who is a Denbigh High school work placement student.

“Having the opportunity to be assistant coach at 5x60 clubs has really helped to improved my confidence and communication levels with the students at school, something which I really wanted to improve on," Sam said. 

Gareth Evans, Active Young People Officer who provided Sam with his opportunity, said: “Over the past 18 months I have had several volunteer sport leaders who have helped me to deliver full-time 5x60 timetables within my two part-time secondary school roles.

"Not only that, one volunteer has refereed in a local community football league for five years. With the right support and guidance, volunteers can be invaluable to the work we do – without them and their support of projects, very little is sustainable in the long term." 

Visitors to the website can access a host of opportunities including coppicing at Loggerheads Country Park and helping to contribute towards the successful delivery of our Sportzone programme.  All volunteers must register on the new website by visiting www.denbighshire.gov.uk/volunteering 

Superfast broadband roll-out ends in December

A scheme to roll-out superfast broadband will come to an end later this year.

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents that the first phase of the Welsh Government’s Superfast Cymru project will finish in December.

The project, managed by BT, has helped increase the number of properties in Denbighshire with access to superfast broadband.

Areas still waiting for the roll-out will find out by June if they will be covered by this phase of the project.

Rebecca Maxwell, Denbighshire’s Corporate Director for the Economy & Public Realm, said: “Superfast broadband is available in 71 per cent of Denbighshire premises and by the end of the year this will have increased to more than 90 per cent.

“The council is working with the Welsh Government to ensure as many properties as possible still without superfast broadband will be included in the second phase of the project which will begin in 2018.

“We will also be working with them to make sure lessons can be learnt from the first phase, that there is better communication to residents and better targeting of premises.

“It is also important to remember that once your property is connected to superfast broadband you will still have to contact your internet provider to have the service switched on.”

Residents who would like access to superfast speeds before the second roll-out can apply for the Welsh Government’s Access Cymru Broadband grant, available to individuals and businesses, or the Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher which provides funding for the installation of ultrafast connections for businesses.

During the roll-out period the council has been working with businesses to make sure they are able to take advantage of the commercial benefits from being online by providing 45 hours of free digital training to more than 100 businesses as part of its Digital Denbighshire scheme.

Digital Denbighshire is part of the council’s work on developing the local economy to support healthy private businesses, create higher paid jobs and link these with residents to increase household incomes.

* For more information on available grants visit http://gov.wales/topics/science-and-technology/digital/infrastructure/superfast-broadband/?lang=en

Probe for underground structures at castle

* Castell Dinas Bran where the survey is taking place.

Denbighshire County Council is carrying out a geophysical survey at Castell Dinas Bran in Llangollen to see if there are any structures underground.

The work is being done thanks to funding from Cadw and The Castle Studies Trust.

A geophysical survey involves the use of probes and magnetism techniques which will allow the council to get a picture of what is within the castle and hillfort without disturbing the ground at the protected monument and site of special scientific interest.

Work started this week and is being undertaken by specialist company Tigergeo and the results should be available within a few weeks.

County archaeologist Fiona Gale said: “This is a great opportunity for us to try and find out more about this fantastic site which has been an important place in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for thousands of years.

“It will be intriguing to know whether any remains of the 2,500 year hillfort are evident or did the castle obliterate it all? We think there must have been more buildings within the castle walls but we’ll have to wait and see whether there are any hints of their remains.

“Hopefully, the work will allow us to know a little more about the castle and that will help us care for it in the future and interpret it to enhance the visitor experience.”

Jeremy Cunnington, chair of trustees at the Castle Studies Trust, said: “We’re delighted to co-fund this survey work to advance our understanding of Dinas Bran which is an iconic and vitally important native Welsh Castle."

* To learn more about these and previous projects the trust has funded people can visit the Trust’s website:  www.castlestudiestrust.org

County to swoop in on ways to tackle seagull problems

Denbighshire County Council is to investigate a raft of measures to tackle issues with seagulls across the county.

The authority will also work on a major public awareness, education and enforcement campaign.

Whilst seagulls are seen by many as being a nuisance due to public safety, noise, damage and littering issues, there are limitations to what actions are open to the council to control and manage the seagull population.

Members of Denbighshire’s Communities Scrutiny Committee, meeting in County Hall, Ruthin today (Thursday) supported recommendations to  explore a number of options to reduce issues with seagulls in the county.

One of the key suggestions was to arrange a campaign to educate people not to feed gulls, to look at the possibility of introducing a by-law to ban such activity and to work with businesses and residents on preventative measures that could be taken.

Other suggestions included:

·         The introduction of a variety of methods to “scare”birds in certain problem areas

·         The introduction of netting/ bunting over public spaces

·         To discourage birds from perching on street furniture such as lamp-posts

·         To adapt existing Council  buildings to help make them seagull proof

·         To reduce availability of waste food through the Council refuse collection

Graham Boase, Head of Denbighshire Planning and Public Protection, said: “The council receives complaints from residents and visitors about the seagulls issue on a regular basis and it is an issue that’s causing us real concern.

“The situation is not unique to Denbighshire by any means and there are no simple quick fixes. We have tried innovative solutions to try and address the issue, but we cannot do it without support from the public.

“Many seagulls are protected and we need to be mindful that many see them as being an integral and traditional part of our coastal communities.

“What we want to see is a change in people’s behaviour so that gulls are not fed from food and refuse left on our streets.  This would certainly help our position, but one size does not fit all and we will need to work on a raft of options to hopefully make a difference."

 

County decides against drones ban

Members of Denbighshire’s Communities Scrutiny Committee have agreed not to proceed with efforts to ban drones over public spaces in Denbighshire.

A report discussed by councillors at County Hall, Ruthin today (Thursday)  followed a Notice of Motion that called for a report to be provided on the regulatory framework relating to drones and the powers, if any, for the council to introduce further restrictions.

In order for any ban on the use of drones to be effective, it would need to be enforceable. Merely passing a resolution banning drones would have no legal effect and the only way in which the council could bring a ban into legal effect would be to pass a by - law to regulate the use of drones.

However, the committee agreed that introducing a ban would be unenforceable and that national legislation already in place to regulate the use of drones was adequate. It was agreed that no further action was needed from the council.

The Government has recently been consulting on the legislation around the use of drones. As a result, the council will be keeping a ‘watching brief’ on the outcome of that consultation.

 

Cinema history in the frame at Hand antiques fair

* Some of the items on offer at Sunday's antique fair at the Hand Hotel. 

A slice of Llangollen social history will be among the items on offer at the town’s new antiques fair, taking place at the Hand Hotel this Sunday (March 26).

Film enthusiasts might also be interested in the collection which relates to the old Dorothy Cinema in Llangollen.

The Dorothy Cinema opened on Castle Street in 1931 and operated until 1965.

The collection to be sold at Sunday’s fair comprises programmes from the Dorothy, dating from the 1950s.

The programmes advertise showings of films such as ‘A Girl in Every Port’, starring Groucho Marx and William Bendix, and ‘Prisoner of Zenda, with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr.

Fair organiser Robert Bellis said: “We’ll have a wide variety of interesting antiques and collectables on offer but for a local history, or indeed a film memorabilia collector, these should be of particular interest.

“They date from the 1950s which, I suppose, was the latter heyday of the local cinema when everybody would get dressed up and congregate to watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

“The Dorothy was where the café and large second hand bookshop are on Castle Street today.

“In fact, you can still see, quite clearly, the evidence of the building’s days as a cinema upstairs in the bookshop.

“People in Llangollen still speak fondly of The Dorothy and, in fact, the name has been resurrected in the New Dot cinema nights which are now regularly held in the town hall.”  

The antiques fair takes place at The Hand Hotel in Llangollen, this Sunday, March 26, from 9.30am until 3.30pm.

Refreshments will be available and admission to the fair is 50p per person.

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