Railway launches Big Push share brochure

* Work goes ahead on the Corwen project. Pictures by George Jones.

Llangollen Railway yesterday (Friday) hosted a visit by Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones MP on the occasion of the launch of the Corwen The Big Push share brochure.

During the course of the train journey she was reminded of the huge volunteer effort over the past 40 years to rebuild Llangollen Railway.

On arrival at Ms Jones was escorted around the site by project manager Richard Dixon Gough.

Richard explained the work that had been completed to date, which has been done in the main by volunteer effort, and the construction that is still required to complete the terminal station.

* Susan Elan Jones MP with railway officials.

The Corwen Central project was costed at approximately £500,000 of which Llangollen Railway anticipate some assistance from The Welsh Government European Development Fund.

The remaining funds will come from share purchases and donations. Yesterday's promotion was to showcase the project so far and encourage people to make a donation or purchase shares.
The spring 2017 share brochure is available on request from Llangollen Railway office.

Ms Jones said: ‘I am most impressed with the progress that has been made since my last visit in 2016 and the effort of all the volunteers who have been involved in this project.

"I note that for work to continue financial support is imperative an essential part of this support is the launch of the share brochure to encourage much needed funds."

Llangollen railway chairman Peter Lund said: ‘We are very grateful for Susan Elan Jones visiting the Corwen site today.

"Completion of this project in time for the 2018 season is wholly dependent on financial support from share purchases and donations."

County offers help to traders with rate revaluation

Denbighshire County Council is helping traders find the right support following the business rate revaluation.

The revaluation, which came into effect on April 1, will form the basis of business rate liability for the next five years.

It has been seven years since all non-domestic properties in England and Wales were revalued and the 2017 revaluation was based upon rental levels on April 1, 2015.

The council will be applying any relief schemes automatically to businesses’ bills where possible as well as informing them of the help available.

Rebecca Maxwell, Denbighshire’s Corporate Director of Economic & Community Ambition, said: “Because 2017 is a revaluation year some businesses may see a large increase or reduction in their rateable value from their current valuation. In other cases the values will be broadly static.

“Denbighshire County Council is automatically applying rate relief where it is able to and publishing details on our website and social media for businesses, informing them of what schemes are available.

“It is vital businesses check to see if they may be eligible for a relief scheme and we would encourage any businesses who feel they are, to contact us for help and advice.”

Support from the Welsh Government includes Small Business Rates Relief, which offers a 100 per cent discount for businesses with a Rateable Value below £6,000 and a reducing tapered relief up to £12,000 as well as a Transitional Relief scheme to help protect small businesses from the impact of the revaluation.

A High Street Retail Relief scheme designed to help qualifying high street retailers where the business has had a significant increase in their bill is also available.

Denbighshire County Council collects business rates on behalf on the Welsh Government and then returns the funds to them.

The council does not set the rates, the rateable value is assessed by the Valuation Office Agency, which is part of HM Revenue and Customs and Welsh Government sets the multiplier on which business rate bills are based. 

* If you would like the council to review your eligibility for any of the relief schemes you can contact businessrates@denbighshire.gov.uk or 01824 706326 or for more information visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/business/business-rates

Time running out to join Sir Bryn Terfel on stage

Time is running out for a talented boy soprano or treble to apply for the chance to perform with Sir Bryn Terfel on stage at this year’s Llangollen Eisteddfod. 

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will see the successful boy soprano or treble join the cast of the classic opera, Tosca, in the role of Shepherd Boy, completing the star studded line-up which includes world renowned soprano Kristine Opolais (pictured) and the powerful tenor, Kristian Benedikt.

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.


The deadline for submissions for those wanting to apply for the role  of Shepherd Boy is Saturday, April 8, and the open auditions to find the Shepherd Boy will be held at the Royal International Pavilion on Saturday, April 29. 

Applicants will be asked to perform two individual pieces – ‘I give you sighs’ from Tosca, Act 3 and another of their own choosing. 

According to the organisers, Tosca will be one of the main highlights of a week which will also see audiences wowed by jazz singer Gregory Porter and Welsh rock legends, the Manic Street Preachers.

On the Thursday of Eisteddfod week Pendine Park and Sir Bryn will be teaming up 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.

First up though is Tosca which tells a tragic tale of lust, political intrigue and murder.

The festival's music director, Eilir Owen Griffiths, said: “Being chose for the role of Shepherd Boy is an extraordinary prize and one that could potentially change the winner’s life forever.

“The opportunity to perform with artists of this calibre is not one that comes along often and should be grabbed with both hands!

“I can’t wait to see what fresh talent is unearthed in the Open Auditions and I’m certain that whoever is selected as the ‘Shepherd Boy’ will help bring this wonderful opera to life in the most beautiful way.” 

"On the night, we will be presenting an array of stellar global talent in a fantastic performance of Tosca, which sees Opolais and Terfel perform together for the first time. 

"This hugely talented duo will be reunited on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York for another performance of Tosca, so the Eisteddfod audience will be the first to experience this unique combination on stage.

"The sheer quality of the line-up for Tosca underscores the International Eisteddfod’s reputation for offering audiences world-class performances and the concert will deliver an unrivalled experience that is not to be missed."

Mario Kreft MBE, the owner of Pendine Park, said: "Music and the arts generally are central to everything we do so the ethos of the Llangollen Eisteddfod is close to my hear.

"This performance of Tosca truly will be  unique and will not only showcase global talent but also provide a showcase for a new generation of operatic talent.

“I’m excited to see the outcome of the open auditions and I feel sure this is going to be an extraordinarily special evening.”

* For further information or to apply to audition for the role of the Shepherd Boy, please visit: http://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/tuesday-evening/ and to find out how to get involved with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod or to purchase tickets for all concerts, including Llanfest, please visit: http://international-eisteddfod.co.uk 

Llan is start point for charity heritage walk

Llangollen is the start point for a charity walk in aid of Nightingale House Hospice families on Sunday May 21.

The 12-mile World Heritage walk, billed as a "stroll", takes place along the towpaths and footpaths of  Llangollen and Oswestry, an area steeped in local heritage.

The self-led route will take walkers through the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Chirk Aqueduct, Trevor Basin and the Chirk Tunnel while giving them a sense of the history that lies along the way.

After meeting up at the Lion Quays in Oswestry at 10.15am, a free coach will transport those taking part to the Chainbridge Hotel in Llangollen where the walk begins at 11.30am.

To keep you warm on your hike, tea and coffee can be purchased prior to the walk from the Chainbridge Hotel and at various stopping points along the way.

The walk is completely free of charge. All organisers ask is that you aim to raise as much sponsorship for Nightingale House as you possibly can.

The route is aimed at all the family with the route being suitable for pushchairs and dogs.

* For more information, or to book your place, please contact the Fundraising Team on 01978 314 292 or email info@nightingalehouse.co.uk.

Phil to share recipe of success with business leaders

North Wales is perfectly placed to play a key role in any drive for Britain to produce more of its own food.

This will be the main message a pioneering food entrepreneur from Llangollen will have for members of an influential business group tomorrow (Thursday).

Phil Brown (pictured) is a former schoolmate of Prince Charles who went on to create the nationwide Philpotts chain of sandwich shops with an annual turnover of £7.5 million and struck gold again by opening a hit seaside café on Anglesey. He will be sharing his recipe for success as one of the keynote speakers at the next meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP) at the town's Ramada Plaza Hotel.

The group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other business professionals working together to raise the profile of enterprise and expertise that exists in the region and beyond.

The topic for discussion at their latest meeting will be Powering Regional Prosperity – Taxing Times.

Also addressing the theme will be the other speakers, Professor Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, and Rachel Clacher, co-founder of Wrexham-based telephone answering giant, Moneypenny.

Phil Brown, who is originally from Neston on the Wirral and attended the famous Gordonstoun School in Scotland at the same time as the Prince of Wales, began his career as a junior reporter on the Birkenhead News in the late 1960s and went on to start a string of cutting edge businesses, including the first mobile disco in Sydney, Australia.

Back home 67-year-old Phil, who has lived in a Victorian water mill in the Vale of Llangollen for the past 32 years, went on to found the Philpotts bespoke sandwich empire.

After opening his first shop in Chester in 1985 he added fresh outlets right across the UK and likes to be remembered for being the inventor of the coronation chicken sandwich.

He sold his interest in the chain in 2006 and only retains the Shrewsbury shop which he rescued from impending closure by buying it back for just £1.

In the late 1990s he saved an historic but derelict water mill on the banks of River Dee in Llangollen – earning himself the nickname of “Phil the Mill” and leased it on to the group which then turned it into the highly successful Cornmill restaurant.

His own venture into the restaurant business came last July when he created 55 new jobs by ploughing more than £1.5m into launching the Sea Shanty Café in Trearddur Bay, Anglesey, "confounding sceptics who said it wouldn't work". 

Phil said: “I’m looking forward to speaking to Wrexham Business Professionals and will tell them a little about my life.

“Based on my own experiences in the food business, one of the main messages I’ll have for them is I see no reason why Britain can’t produce much more of her own food.

“We currently produce so many things, like honey, meat, and our own fantastic cheeses. One of the few things we can't do in our climate is to grow tropical fruit.

“In North Wales we’re very well served for food producers and I see opportunities everywhere I look.  

“It's clear to me North Wales could play an important role in helping Britain to produce more of her own food.”

Phil’s new Sea Shanty Café on Lon St Ffraid, which he runs with his business partner Neil Gitton, celebrates beaches, holidays and the village’s links with sailing and local history.

The nautically-themed bistro, just a stone’s throw from the beach, stands on the spot - and bears the name - of an old wooden café that was once a much loved haunt of holidaymakers for decades.

The new café’s ceiling is hung with historic sailing boats, while the walls are decorated with sand and shells collected from beaches around the world plus other sailing memorabilia and curiosities.

On the back of rave reviews from foodies, families and tourists the café recently added to its 50-strong team by taking on an extra three chefs and five front-of-house staff.

But Phil says that just as with everything else he’s done in business the Sea Shanty didn’t happen overnight.

“All my past successes have been the result of careful consideration and observation,” he said.

Gill Kreft, the chair of Wrexham Business Professionals, said: "We're delighted that we have such a high-powered line-up for our next meeting.

She said: "Phil Brown's many business successes are an inspirational example of what can be achieved when you have a great idea and the drive and determination to see it through.

"I am sure Phil, Professor Drakeford and Rachel will have some fascinating insights to share with the audience who will be able to apply some of those lessons to make their own businesses even more successful."

County's business programme hailed a success

* The Driving Sales Through Marketing course.

Denbighshire’s biggest-ever programme of business events has been hailed a success.

More than 400 people have taken part in 12 workshops, conferences and networking sessions across the county as part of Denbighshire County Council’s growing March for Business programme.

Events included training workshops around e-commerce, social media and marketing, a conference on growth and investment opportunities in Denbighshire, ‘ask the expert’ sessions and a networking dinner held in conjunction with the Federation of Small Businesses.

The programme was devised by the Council’s Economic and Business Development team following feedback from Denbighshire’s annual Business Survey and is part of the Council’s work on developing the local economy through its Economic and Community Ambition Programme, which aims to support healthy private businesses and create higher paid jobs.

Mike Horrocks, the Council’s team and programme manager for Economic & Business Development, said: “This year’s March for Business has been a fantastic success. We have seen record attendances for our biggest ever programme with many events fully booked.

“The most important thing is that we have had great feedback from businesses who have told us the sessions have been of real benefit to them.

“I’d like to thank all the businesses who took time out of their busy schedules to invest in networking and skills development events that have helped make March for Business a success.  The real target for us is to see the success of the programme translate into local business success and there are some strong signs that this is happening.

“There are now more businesses starting up every year in Denbighshire, from 280 a year in 2012 to 350 in 2015, we have the best one year survival rates and the highest percentage increases in business financial turnover of anywhere in Wales.

“To add to that employment in Denbighshire has topped 40,000, with more than 1,500 more people in work now than when we started the programme in 2013.

“As part of our focus on getting maximum benefit to businesses we’ll be following up with those who registered for March for Business in order to see how they put the contacts, skills and information gathered during the events to good use in their business – that’s what it’s all about.”

Extra workshops have been scheduled for April 25^th and May 16, 17 and 23^rd and will include sessions on marketing, social media and building your business online.

* For more information visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/business/business-support-and-advice/training.aspx

Two more acts announced for Llanfest

Indie band Reverend and The Makers (pictured left) along with Radio 1 regular Huw Stephens (below) have been added to Llanfest line up, supporting Manic Street Preachers.

Renowned for their 2007 smash Heavyweight Champion of the World, Reverend and The Makers will classic songs and hits from their 2015 album Mirrors.

Best known for his weekly appearances on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Cymru C2, Stephens will bring an eclectic mix of inspired tracks and undiscovered gems to Llanfest, setting the tone for the evening line-up. 


The day will begin with performances on the outside stages by acts including Roving Crows, Army of Skanks, Ben Roberts, Buddy Holly and the Black Jacks, Captain Zed, Delta Radio, Full Circle, Living Sounds, Mr Blunders, Skeet Williams, Thunderbug, Tom Wilson and Y Gogs. 



There will also be plenty of exotic international cuisine on offer from a  range of food and drink stalls on the field.

With Llanfest tickets offering all day access to the festivities from 2pm, revellers can choose from either a £65 or £50 ticket, dependent on seating or standing options.   

The festival’s music director, Eilir Owen Griffiths, said: “Llanfest 2017 is going to be an unforgettable day and alongside the rest of the week’s line-up, which features acts including Sir Bryn Terfel and Gregory Porter, will put the festival on the global map as a destination for live music.”

Huw Stephens said: “I’m honoured to be a part of a festival that is celebrating its 70th anniversary and as a passionate supporter of new talent. I can’t wait to see what the day has in store.

“It’s fantastic to see such big names headlining a show in Llangollen, especially Manic Street Preachers, who are world class."

There will be live performances from a range of artists from 2pm on the outside stages, with Reverend and The Makers and Huw Stephens launching evening performances in the International Pavilion, before the Manic Street Preachers take to the stage.

* For more information and to buy tickets go to http://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/sunday-llanfest/