Ysgol Dinas Bran students score well in GCSEs

* Jumping for joy: Sephorah Evans, Cassius Hackforth,

Olivia Eggington, Eve McSpadden, Jenna Leon, Laura McAndrew, Robyn Bourne, Sarah Gibbs, Ryan Verscheuren and Laura Gibbs.

* Twins peak: Two sets of very successful  twins - Lucy Brown, Emma Brown, Laura Gibbs and Sarah Gibbs.

Delighted Year 11 students at Ysgol Dinas Bran are celebrating their GCSE results today. 

There were particularly strong performances in Art, Biology, Chemistry and Physics where the pass-rate was 100%. 

Over 50% of grades awarded in the Separate Sciences were A* or A.

There were some fantastic individual performances including a host of students who achieved the very top grades. 

Twins Lucy and Emma Brown from Llangollen each gained an incredible ten A* grades, four grades and distinctions in Additional Maths. 

Laura and Sarah Gibbs, from Llangollen and who are also twins, performed well, Laura achieving eight A* grades, four A grades, two B grades and a Distinction in Additional Maths, while Sarah achieved four A* grades, eight A grades, two B grades and a Distinction in Additional Maths. 

There were tremendous results, too, for Zoe Nicholas (Llangollen), Laura McAndrew (Glyndyfrdwy) and  Sephorah Evans (Corwen) who all achieved nine A* grades and three A grades, together with Distinctions in Additional Maths. 

Megan Jones (Corwen) achieved six A* grades, four A grades, and a Distinction in Additional Maths and Eve Barrett (Llangollen) was awarded six A* grades, two A grades and a Distinction in Additional Maths. 

Headteacher Martyn Froggett said: "We are really pleased for all our students. 

"They have worked really hard and deserve their success.

We are looking forward to seeing many of the students back in our Sixth Form in September. 

"Great praise and thanks to the staff who have supported them and helped them achieve so well."

In a statement, the county council said: "Pupils across Denbighshire are celebrating excellent examination results this year. Early indications show that approximately 62.8% of students have achieved A* - C grades which is in line with the national average for Wales.

"Results in Welsh and English are particularly pleasing and are above the Welsh average.

"The pass rate grades A*-G was 97.1% is above the Welsh average of 96.9%.  There have been some outstanding individual results."

Police boss tackles BBC over language issue

A police boss urged the BBC's Newsnight programme not to insult the Welsh language again - and to seek the opinions of real experts if they discuss the subject in future.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones (pictured) hit out after the late night programme provoked outrage when it asked whether the Welsh language was a "help or hindrance to the nation".

The BBC has since expressed its regret and conceded the programme would have "benefited from more thorough analysis and debate".

Mr Jones has written in Welsh to the programme's editor, Ian Katz, seeking an assurance the same mistake will not be repeated.

The discussion on August 9 did not have anybody who could speak the language involved, with contributions from author Julian Ruck and Ruth Dawson, Wales Editor for the independent news and analysis website The Conversation.

At the start of the programme presenter Evan Davis asked of the language: “Is it the government’s job to promote it and is it a help or a hindrance to the nation.”

He later went on to say: “We will see how people will choose to speak it and how many will have it as a hobby, and how many speak it as their main language.”

In his letter Mr Jones accused Newsnight of discussing the language in "a childish, derogatory and irresponsible way" adding they had managed to raise the hackles of a whole nation.

He went on: "There was a weak, unconvincing apology the following night that did not persuade anybody that there was any real regret on your part.

"Asking whether the language is a hindrance is totally unacceptable, and it's irrelevant in any context. The Welsh language exists. People speak it as their first language every day.

"Should we make those who speak the language feel irrelevant and a hindrance or should we do our best to safeguard the language as an integral part of the tapestry of life in our little corner of the world?

"The BBC would not dare question whether a person's religion or ethnicity was a hindrance. Think of the justifiable outrage there would be to such an insult! How therefore can a public body that we pay dearly for justify questioning whether a language, especially one that is native to these islands and has existed well before English, is a hindrance?

"You could argue that slighting someone's language is more of an insult than questioning their religion because language is an inextricable part of who each one of us is as an individual.

"I would like to convince you that the Welsh language is integral in my work and a bit more important than the "hobby" Evan Davies referred to on the programme.

“As a fluent Welsh speaker in an elected position with responsibility for £143 million in spending, I believe passionately that I need to uphold my responsibilities to those who want to receive services in Welsh or English; neither language is treated less favourably than the other.

"Every other public body in Wales has a statutory duty to ensure that the Welsh language is not treated less favourably than English. Even though the majority of people in North Wales are able to speak English, dealing with a public body in your second language is different to communicating in your first language.

"In future I therefore call on you, as somebody who works for a public body, to carry out your moral responsibilities in relation to equality and to do your homework before any such programme is broadcast.

"If you deal with Welsh again it would be good if you could show some respect to the language, and the people who speak it, by making sure it is discussed by experts and not by contributors who can't speak the language and have very little knowledge about the subject."

Plas Newydd art exhibition comes to an end soon

Plas Newydd is reminding art lovers there are only eight days left to see Maria Hayes exhibition in Y Caban.  It is open until Wednesday August 30 at 4.45pm.

Walking and cycling meeting to be held

On Wednesday August 30 Denbighshire County Council will be holding a drop-in public consultation event at County Hall between 10am and 3pm.

This is one of four events being staged across Denbighshire with the purpose of having face to face discussions with Denbighshire residents about walking and cycling issues in their communities.

Regiment to parade in Denbighshire

* A previous freedom parade in the county.

Shenkin the Regimental Goat will lead a parade of over 130 soldiers through Ruthin next month, as part of the reaffirmation of the Freedom of the County to The Royal Welsh.

This momentous occasion will mark the reaffirmation of The Freedom of the County to the Royal Welsh and will give the people of Denbighshire and visitors to the area, a chance to show support and thank our armed forces for their courage and bravery in the execution of their duty, both at home and overseas.

The Reaffirmation event will take place in Ruthin on Saturday September 2 where the march will be led by L/Cpl Shenkin the Regimental goat and The Goat Major will be: Sgt ‘Jacko’ Jackson, followed by the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh and with soldiers of the Royal Welsh parading with colours flying, bayonets fixed and drums beating.

Joining the Royal Welsh on the march and parade will be members of Denbighshire’s Cadet Forces.

The Royal Welsh will form up on Wynnstay Road at 1.45pm and will march up Market Street to St Peter’s Square where there will be a parade inspection by a number of civic and military dignitaries. 

Following a public address and National Anthems, L/Cpl Shenkin will then lead the Royal Welsh, the Regimental Band and the Cadets around St Peter’s Square, down Well Street and into Wynnstay Road where the march will end at the cenotaph.

The Freedom of the County was first awarded by Denbighshire County Council to The Royal Welsh in June 2011, when hundreds of people lined the streets of Denbigh to support and witness the event. 

Denbighshire County Council is encouraging Denbighshire residents and visitors to come along on the day and line the streets to show their support for their armed forces, in what promises to be a truly memorable, colourful and dramatic event.

There will be a number of parking restrictions, road closures and bus stop restrictions in force prior to and during the event, please see the Denbighshire County Council website for more information.

Llan packed with mountain bike action

* The busy scene over the weekend at One Giant Leap near Tan Y Graig Farm.

Top flight mountain bikers from across the came flocking to Llangollen over the weekend to take part in the British Downhill Series: Round 4.

They competed on a new track at One Giant Leap near Tan Y Graig Farm.

It has been carefully hand crafted out of the hillside by Brian Mundy of Ride Portugal as showcase for his course building skills.

The track itself is almost two kilometers long and features multiple line choices, solid berms and large man-made jumps, doubles, tabletops, step-downs, triples and hip jumps.

Top mountain bikers are competing in Llan

Top flight mountain bikers will be heading for Llangollen this weekend to take part in the British Downhill Series: Round 4.

There is a brand new track for the event, which is the latest round of the HSBC UK National Downhill Series, at One Giant Leap near Tan Y Graig Farm.

It has been carefully hand crafted out of the hillside by Brian Mundy of Ride Portugal as showcase for his course building skills.

The track itself is almost two kilometers long and features multiple line choices, solid berms and large man-made jumps, doubles, tabletops, step-downs, triples and hip jumps.

Strider Racing is back by popular demand for riders from two years of age onwards and FMD Racing's Tahnee Seagrave will be handing out the medals at their award ceremony.

Charlie Hatton leads the way in the series standings for elite men, with 467 he has a 45-point lead over Danny Hart in second and 51 points ahead of Matt Simmonds in third.

In elite women, it looks like Tahnee Seagrave may come away with the overall as she's currently 120 points ahead of Manon Carpenter in second and 235 points ahead of Veronique Sandler in third. Best four out of five rounds count for the season.

There is a spectator charge of £5 per day payable cash on the day for each adult aged 16 or over.

* For more details, go to: https://www.pinkbike.com/news/bds-round-4-race-preview-llangollen-2017.html

Schedule

Saturday: 09:30 to 18:00 - Practice.

Sunday: - 08:30 to 10:45 – Practice, 11:15 to 14:00 - Seeding Runs, 14:30 to 17:00 - Race Runs.