Battle of Britain legends to fly over Llan

A Spitfire and Hurricane (pictured) from the legendary Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will honour the Llangollen Motorcycle Festival - LlanBikeFest - with a fly past on Sunday, August 6.

RAF officials have confirmed the flight is expected on Sunday morning, with the actual time to be agreed nearer to the event.

“The spectacle will be amazing and the sound of two Merlin engines echoing around the Dee Valley will be music to the ears. We are especially honoured as 2017 is the 60th anniversary of the flight being formed,” said LlanBikeFest’s John Hutchinson.

“Wales has chosen 2017 as the Year of Legends – which is exactly what these aircraft and the crews who flew them are.

“Fingers crossed for great flying conditions. We will keep people posted with the time the flight expected over Llangollen on Facebook and Twitter.”

* Learn more about the Battle Britain Memorial Flight on its Facebook and website pages. Follow LlanBikeFest on Facebook at Llangollen Motorcycle Festival and Twitter at @llanbikefest.

LlanBikeFest is sponsored by Carole Nash Insurance, with day tickets £10 on the gate or online at www.llanbikefest.co.uk, and children 15 and under free. Or contact the Festival office at 07960 693398, office@llanbikefest.co.uk. Club stands and exhibitor bookings are free.

UKIP supplies Clwyd South candidate's details

Details of the UKIP candidate for Clwyd South in the general election have now been supplied.

Jeanette Bassford-Barton (pictured) spent her early years in Gresford and now lives in Bwlchgwyn.

A qualified transport manager, social care manager and now a psychotherapist/hypnotherapist, she gained degrees in Liverpool and Manchester and post-graduate degrees in Liverpool and Chester.

She says she has always had an interest in politics, history and current affairs and in earlier years supported her late husband in local elections in Liverpool.

She has stood as a candidate for UKIP in a council by-election in Llay in July 2015 and was a Welsh Assembly candidate for Wrexham in May 2016.

She has served as secretary/treasurer for UKIP's Wrexham and Clwyd South Branch and is now treasurer of the same branch.

She believes there is a `north/south divide' in Wales and says: "So much is given in funding to South Wales and North Wales, by comparison, is the poor relative.  

"Public transport is a major concern for me. There is restricted access during the day, some buses not starting service until 9.30am. There is no access to public transport in the evenings or at night. This can affect shift workers and people working unsocial hours or people wishing to go out in the evenings. Taxis are very expensive."

Ms Bassford-Barton added: "Communities, health, social care and education are of prime importance and there needs to be more cohesion in these areas.  

"Youth  and the elderly are also of major concern to me and there is very little to offer young people by way of youth clubs and after-school activities in the villages and small towns of Clwyd South and I feel that more funding and training of volunteers should be found to ease and help this situation.

"Our elderly should be looked after and respected, they have worked hard and contributed to the economy in their working lives and now deserve to have some relief in their twilight and sometimes sick, disabled and pain ridden years and this is where our health service can help."  

She says she also believes in the UKIP policy that farming subsidies should stay in place after Brexit, with special consideration being given to hill farmers.

Operatic gets its timing right with 9 to 5

* A scene from 9 to 5 at the Town Hall.

llanblogger review

Llangollen Operatic Society has once again got their timing right with their latest production, the Dolly Parton-penned comedy musical 9 to 5.

Yesterday’s first night audience at the Town Hall lapped up every second of the show which tells the hilarious tale of how a bunch of office worms turn to eventually take over the running of their company – and would easily have come back for seconds.

It’s 1979 and the staff of US-based Consolidated Industries, especially the females amongst them, are being ground down by their chauvinistic boss, Franklin Hart Jnr - until inexperienced new employee Judy Burnley turns up.

Her arrival in the typing pool is the spark for revolution when she teams up with efficient manager Violet Newstead and the voluptuous Doralee Rhodes, the Dolly Parton character who everyone suspects of having an affair with Hart.

Their various strategies ultimately give the good guys control of the place – but only after a great number of laughs are generated.

A terrific trio has been cast to take on the three key roles of the piece which adds some very catchy tunes to dear Dolly’s original words that were filmed for the big screen back in the eighties.

The reserved but gutsy Judy is played to perfection by society stalwart Louisa Jones, while another Llangollen stage favourite Helen Belton shines as Violet. Rising star Louise Cielecki makes a bustling, brilliant Doralee.

Apart from fitting their characters like custom-made cowboy boots each of them can also belt out a mean tune of which there’s a fair spattering throughout the lively two-acter.

Relative newcomer Brett Jones is seedier than an explosion in a tomato canning factory as Hart and, as intended, has the audience hating him right from the start.

Backing up the leads is an impressive supporting team spearheaded by Tessa Orton Jones who stepped in at virtually the last minute to take on the role of Roz Keith, who’d do anything to please the awful boss, after the lady with whom she was originally part-sharing, Justine Bradey, had an accident in rehearsals.

The script demands quite a bit of set-piece show dancing and singing. And that’s admirably provided by a strong ensemble cast.

Smooth musical backing was provided for all this by a six-piece band under the baton of musical director Elen Mair Roberts.

Settings are masterfully created by the back-stage crew and costumes, lighting and sound are up to the society’s usual high standard.

This is an inspired co-production by Alix Rawlinson and Robin Crowley which ranks as another hit for the talented Llangollen team.

To reflect the day’s dreadful news from Manchester, the show was prefaced by one minute’s silence.

9 to 5 is on again tonight (Wednesday) and also Thursday and Friday with two shows on Saturday. Tickets, I understand, are in high demand.

County lifts computer restrictions

Denbighshire County Council has announced that restrictions imposed on access to webmail addresses from public access computers in the county’s libraries have now been lifted.

The precautionary measures were introduced following the recent cyber issues, to mitigate any potential risks to Denbighshire’s systems. No security breaches had been reported with the Council’s systems.

Whilst access to all webmail is now enabled for libraries (public access) and schools,   the Council is urging people to remain vigilant. Suspicious e-mails should not be opened and should be deleted immediately. People should also avoid opening links sent via an e-mail and should not open any suspicious attachments.

All new incoming e-mails from hotmail.com, hotmail.co.uk, outlook.com, gmail.com, NHS.net, NHS.co.uk and NHS.uk will now be allowed through the system.

 

Trading Standards issues telephone fraud warning

Denbighshire Trading Standards Section are warning residents to be on their guard after they received a report of a telephone fraud from a resident of the county.

The consumer had received a call from a male stating that he was from a Claims Advisory Group and that a £2860 PPI refund was due.

Unusually, the consumer was advised that they would have to pay a release fee in ‘iTunes vouchers’ .

These would be collected by a representative of the company called ‘Craig White’ who would attend their home later that day to drop off the cheque. 

The calls were received from a Manchester telephone number beginning with 0161. Luckily, the consumer realised this was a scam and hung up on the caller.

Denbighshire Public Protection Manager,  Emlyn Jones, said: “This is one of a number of telephone scams we are receiving calls about at the moment.

“In this case we have identified that a further telephone call is received and the ‘I Tunes’ voucher codes are requested over the telephone and then no delivery is made and no money is received.

“We are urging residents to be extremely wary of any unsolicited phone calls and never give out personal or banking details.”
 

Trading Standards is issuing the following consumer safety advice:

• Consider making your phone number ex-directory.
• Register with the Telephone Preference Service
• Don’t give out any personal information unless you are the one who made the call and you are certain of the identity of the person you are speaking to.
• Don’t give out your credit card or bank card details to strangers on the telephone.
• NEVER tell somebody your bank PIN number, even if they claim to be the bank or police. If the caller is genuine they will never ask for this information.
• Don’t give out information which may infer that you live alone, are older or vulnerable.
• Never send money to anyone who claims to have a prize or refund for you.

Please remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

* If you have received such calls and need further advice or guidance or have been a victim of such a call, please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 for the Welsh language line please ring 03454 040505, or alternatively you can report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Plas Newydd news for June

Saturday 3^rd June

Llangollen Rotary Club Garden Fete

Plas Newydd is again host this year to the popular Rotary Club Garden Fete.  Come along for a fun afternoon out with the family with many stalls and entertainment. 

Monday 12^th June    18.30  -  20.30

Myths & Legends Talk Part 2 with Gill Smith

The Myths and Legends  talk with Gill Smith on Wed 26th April was very well attended  and very informative.  As a result a second was requested and this is now arranged for Monday 12^th  June.  This date was chosen as it is the special day of the Warrior Princess Gwenllian. 

Wednesday  14^th June   14.00  -  16.00

Give Bowling a go

Meet at Plas Newydd.  Come and try your hand at bowling in the magnificent setting of Plas Newydd with the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley and the AONB Officer. 

Friday 16^th  June   10.00  -  12.00

Meet the Gardener Tour

Meet Plas Newydd.  Find out the secrets of the gardens at Plas Newydd with a tour of the grounds with the gardener.

Strong male voice choir line-up for eisteddfod opener

* Colne Valley Male Voice Choir return to sing at this year's 70th eisteddfod. 

A male voice choir that performed at the first ever Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 1947 will sing alongside two of Wales’ most prolific male voice choirs at the event’s 70th anniversary opening concert on Monday July 3.

Colne Valley Male Voice Choir will join Froncysyllte (Fron) and Rhosllanerchrugog (Rhos) male voice choirs, to perform with the Canoldir Male Voice Chior, Cory Brass Band, conductor Owain Arwel Hughes, euphonium soloist David Childs and Voice of the Future 2015 winner Meinir Wyn Roberts.

Including operatic choruses, classical favourites and some of Wales’ best known hymns, the show is jointly sponsored by Denbighshire County Council and Hamper Llangollen.

Fron Male Voice Choir, like the Eisteddfod, celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Formed in 1947, inspired by the inaugural International Eisteddfod, its history reflects that of the festival with many of its members coming together after returning from war.

Remarkably, two of its original members still sing with the choir.

Joining the Fron is Rhos Male Voice Choir, one of the most successful in Wales and 2015 winners of the male voice choir section at the International Eisteddfod.

The Rhos has also enjoyed a unique hat trick of wins when it took first place in the male voice choir competitions in The Llangollen Eisteddfod, the National Eisteddfod and S4C’s Côr Cymru in 2013.

Colne Valley was the first male voice choir to take the stage at the 1947 event and they remain one of the festival’s most prolific competitors.

The choir boasts six wins – including a hat trick in 1960, 1961 and 1962 - five second and two third prizes, in 23 competitive visits.

Canoldir, a Birmingham-based male choir that was formed on St David’s Day in 1966 by a group of Welsh exiles and some English friends, completes the opening concert’s male voice line-up.

The impressive line up will perform under the baton of Owain Arwel Hughes who has conducted and recorded with many of the world’s leading orchestras.

Eilir Owen Griffiths, Music Director of the International Eisteddfod, said: “The line up for our Monday night opening concert is simply phenomenal and perfectly combines the Eisteddfod’s history and heritage with world class musical talent." 

Bob Jaques, from the organising committee of concert co-sponsor Hamper Llangollen, said: “What a fitting start to the International Eisteddfod’s 70th Anniversary concert schedule. We are looking forward to an evening of rousing classical music and powerful Welsh hymns to get us in the mood for the rest of the week.”

* For more information or to purchase tickets for the 70th anniversary Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, including Llanfest, go to: www.Llangollen.net