First Welsh pumpkin carving contest to be staged in Llan

* Simon O’Rourke works on a replica of John Lennon at Liverpool’s Pier Head as part of his Beatles tableau in wood.

A man who tours the world using a chainsaw to create stunning sculptures is masterminding the first ever Welsh pumpkin championship.

Simon O’Rourke has carved out an international reputation for himself by turning out a series of wooden masterpieces depicting everything from a life-sized horse to an awe-inspiring tableau of The Beatles.

At Llangollen Food Festival, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday October 14 and 15, he’ll be presiding over the inaugural Wales-wide competition to fashion spooky Halloween faces from a pumpkin.

After gaining his honours degree, 39-year-old Simon became a tree surgeon simply because he needed a full-time job while establishing his career as an illustrator of children’s books.

He eventually switched to wood carving when he realised how creative he could be with a chainsaw. 

He produces fine pieces of artwork using waste timber or standing stumps using a variety of power and hand tools. These range from classical sculpture of human and animal forms to abstract work and re-creating logos in wood.

Simon’s carving exploits have taken him across the globe to compete in competitions in the USA, Japan, Canada, Holland, Germany, Denmark and the UK.

His recent triumphs in timber have included a life-size replica of a horse which later galloped off on a countrywide tour and a full-sized tableau of The Beatles which he sculpted within 24 hours for a display at Liverpool’s Pier Head over the August bank holiday weekend.

One of his personal favourites of the past few years is the Alice in Wonderland scene he created for a restaurant in Bristol, featuring Alice herself, the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.

Simon, from Rossett, near Wrexham, said: “I’ll be appearing at Llangollen Food Festival in the run-up to Halloween so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to stage the first ever Welsh Pumpkin Carving Championships.

“Wielding a chainsaw to fashion their traditional jack-o-lanterns or skulls might be asking a little too much of competitors so the tools they’ll be using tools are going to be a bit less demanding.

“Before the championships take place I’ll be giving competitors plenty of hints and tips at my pumpkin carving workshops and showing them how to work with the three or four types of tools I’ll be lending them.

“They’ll be ribbon loop tools which are normally used in clay sculpting. They’re very effective but also safe to handle.

“The competitors can work in whatever way they choose but I’ll be showing them how to sculpt the flesh of the pumpkin rather than simply plunging through the surface with a knife.

“They can do the very traditional jack-o-lantern design but I’ll demonstrate a couple more ways to do it.

“Pumpkins are nice and soft to cut and are readily available at this time of year. I’m hoping to see some really fantastic creations.

“We’re now on the lookout for suitable competitors to start gashing away at those gourds. It’s their big chance to carve out their own artistic reputation using a different type of medium.

“Entrants will pay £5 to take part and they get to take their carved creations home for Halloween. The star prize for the best piece of work will be a Halloween Hamper filled with all kinds of goodies to the value of £25.”

Simon added: “It’ll be great to be back at Llangollen Food Festival, especially as this is the festival’s 20^th anniversary and the inaugural pumpkin carving competition will help make it a landmark occasion in more ways than one.

“Last year I brought along a big wooden dragon called Hemlock I’d carved which has a moving neck and he’ll be coming along with me again this year for people to have their pictures taken alongside.

“Llangollen Food Festival is now one of the UK’s most top food festivals and I’m very much looking forward to going back there.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to sample local produce they wouldn’t normally get to try.

“North Wales has such a rich variety of locally-sourced food and drink and the festival does a fantastic job showcasing it.”   

Phil Davies, a member of the committee at Llangollen Food Festival, said: “Llangollen is now recognised as one of the country’s foremost food festivals and we can’t think of a better way to mark our 20^th anniversary than hosting the very first Welsh Pumpkin Carving Championships.

“Simon, who we are delighted to welcome back to Llangollen, came up with the idea and we were delighted to help him make all the arrangements for what promises to be a challenging and very entertaining feature of the weekend.

"This year is going to be a very special as the festival is celebrating its 20the anniversary and with a record number of around 120 stall-holders promises to be the biggest and best yet. I can't wait."

* To find out more about Llangollen Food Festival and the Welsh Pumpkin Carving Championships go to www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

Bid to turn old surgery into dwelling house

* The former health centre in Regent Street is the subject of a planning application.

A planning application has been submitted to the county council to turn the former health centre in Regent Street, Llangollen, into a home.

The application, submitted by an agent in Caernarfon, seeks the proposed change of use of the building to form a single residential dwelling with on-site parking for three cars.

The building has been empty for almost two years since the GP practice moved to the new purpose-built health centre in Mill Street and it became surplus to the requirements of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.  

At the instruction of the health board it was put up for sale with Wingetts estate agents last spring with a guide price of £150,000 and was subsequently described as being sold subject to contract. 

* Details of the application can be seen at:

http://planning.denbighshire.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj.pdf?DocNo=2073457&PageNo=1&content=obj.pdf

Petition for better station access goes to Parliament

* Ken Skates AM and Susan Elan Jones MP with Ysgol Rhiwabon Year 10 pupils (l-r) Kezia Summers, Samuel Brown and Jacob Rutter and Friends of Ruabon volunteer Jo Smith.

Campaigners calling for improved access at Ruabon Station turned out in force ahead of a petition being presented to Parliament. 

Clwyd South AM and MP Ken Skates and Susan Elan Jones joined volunteers from the Friends of Ruabon to show their support last Friday. 

Pupils of Ysgol Rhiwabon also went along to help plant new floral donations from Arriva Trains Wales to help spruce up the station’s appearance. 

Ms Jones said: “The campaign for better access at Ruabon continues and the excellent turn-out today shows the strength of feeling locally.  

“This is an important station connecting people to our wonderful World Heritage Sites and key local destinations such as Wrexham and Chester, so it needs be more accessible. At present, it’s almost impossible for disabled people and those with restricted mobility.” 

Mr Skates said the lack of disabled access was ‘insufficient in the 21st century for such an important station’.

He and local councillor Dana Davies have previously called for money from parking charges to be invested in improving the station’s facilities, but their plea was rejected by Wrexham Council leaders. 

The residents’ petition states that the station ‘is currently inaccessible to a number of potential users’ because the footbridge is the only way of getting between the platforms – and calls on the UK Government to act. 

Mr Skates added: “The many, many people who have signed the petition want and need to be better connected – and that means access for all. I’m delighted Susan is going to present it at Parliament in the coming weeks and will continue to support the campaign however I can on behalf of my constituents and station users.” 

The Labour politicians welcomed the donation of new planters from Arriva Trains Wales and praised the ‘dedicated and tireless’ Friends of Ruabon. 

Berwyn station steams into the top ten

* A Santa Special train from Llangollen Station at Berwyn.

Berwyn rail station has hit the national headlines.

A new book by Simon Jenkins tells the history of Britain’s railways through its 100 best stations.

And an article about the book in the Guardian newspaper features 10 'gems' from grand old York to a Highland outpost.

Included in the list is Berwyn of which the article says: "The gorges of the upper Dee are among the most dramatic in Britain.

"Undaunted, the Llangollen & Corwen Railway, built by Great Western in 1865, wound its way from Llangollen into Snowdonia through a series of hair-raising bends, tunnels and bridges.

"The line closed in 1965, but was reopened by the dogged Llangollen Railway Society in 1981. It well illustrates the debt the Welsh tourist industry owes to Wales’s industrial past.

"Berwyn station, the first halt west from Llangollen, is perched precipitously on a platform between the Dee gorge and the A5.

"It was designed in the 1860s, probably by the doyen of Marches stations, Thomas Penson of Oswestry. The style is the same black-and-white Tudor he employed in rebuilding much of the city of Chester.

"The stationmaster’s house is of three lofty storeys, steeply gabled, with one gable looking out over the gorge.

"This is now available as a holiday let for those with a head for heights (sleeps six, from around £500 a week, one-week minimum, llangollen-railway.co.uk). To stand on the platform, with only the track between oneself and the cliff edge, is to see the upper Dee at its most Alpine."

* See the Guardian article at: https://amp.theguardian.com/travel/2017/oct/01/10-of-the-best-railway-stations-in-britain-uk-simon-jenkins

Vegan cake baker heads for Hamper Llangollen

* Rachel Burns and Chris Spray, proprietor of The Boathouse at Chirk pub and restaurant.

A mum-of-three has launched a new business making vegan cakes - just a year after she turned her back on animal products.

Rachel Burns, 51, from Bwlchgwyn, near Wrexham, was inspired to become a vegan herself by one of her sons who has strong views on the subject.

She set up Rachel's Vegan Cakes in January and supplies her delicious homemade products to a network of local restaurants and bars across the region.

Now she's been given a boost by the Llangollen Food Festival who have agreed to provide her with a showcase in their new products section at this year's 20th anniversary event on Saturday and Sunday, October 14 and 15.

It's a big deal for Rachel because the event is now one of the highlights in the UK's culinary calendar and has been hailed as one of the top 10 food festivals in the UK by the Daily Telegraph and the Independent newspapers.

She said: “The organisers were offering a few free places for new producers to celebrate the festival’s 20^th anniversary. To be honest I never thought I’d have a chance and was amazed when I heard I’d been granted a space.

“As a new business it’s exciting and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m nervous but in an excited way. I’m absolutely convinced my business can work.

“There is a real need for vegan friendly food. And not only vegans but people who have an intolerance to dairy products too.”

“When I go out for a meal I can usually find a vegan starter and main but rarely, if ever, find a vegan sweet. I know other vegans feel the same way and the vegan and vegetarian market is growing larger every year.

“I’ve always enjoyed visiting the Llangollen Food Festival and can’t believe I will be exhibiting there myself. It really is exciting.”

Rachel became a vegan herself so she could be sure to cook suitable food her 29 year old vegan son Matt when he called.

She said:  “I wanted to ensure I always had something to offer Matt that he could eat when he called and looked at how I could make cakes and sweets. For me it was more of a scientific experiment.

“I looked at things like chocolate brownies, cherry almond slices, carrot cake and Victoria sponges and wondered how I could make them so they tasted really good using only non-animal or dairy products.

“I use ingredients such as flax seeds, apple sauce and egg replacement powders and I also make some gluten free products too.

“I’ve always worked in catering but baking products for vegans made me realise just what you can do with different ingredients. We don’t need to use dairy or animal products to make good food and that led me down the path towards becoming a vegan myself.”

Rachel works as a school catering manager but has always harboured a desire to run her own business.

She said: “It’s something I have always wanted to do. I worked for many years in school catering with a man called Clive Smith and we’d talked of running a business together. We looked at various pubs, restaurants and cafes around North Wales.

“Sadly, before we could set up a business, Clive was diagnosed with terminal cancer and quite quickly passed away.

“I promised him before he died I would carry on with the plan to start a catering business of my own.

“Then Matt, asked me to make some cakes suitable for vegans that he could take to his office in Chester where he works. People tried them without knowing they were for vegans and loved them so I thought this is what I’ll try and do as a business.

“My middle son, Jonny, 27, who lives in Staines with his wife Sophie, designed my website and customers are placing orders quite regularly online and I also have customers who have simply heard about me by word of mouth.”

One of her customers is Chris Spray, the proprietor of The Boathouse at Chirk, who lives in Chester.

He said: “We sample locally produced food as often as we can and I’m delighted to say we have a growing reputation when it comes to the vegan and vegetarian friendly food on our menu.

“However, we won’t buy a product just because it’s for vegans, it has to taste good and we want the best products made from the best ingredients.

“We only want top quality homemade food and Rachel’s Vegan Cakes certainly tick all the boxes.

"Veganism is growing and Rachel has launched her business at just the right time.”

Llangollen Food Festival committee member Phil Davies said: "We will be celebrating our 20th anniversary this year and we wanted to celebrate by providing a shop window for new products as a way of giving something back.

"We're confident it's going to be one of the biggest and best events in our history. We'll have around 120 stallholders so there will be an abundance of fine food and drink to choose from."

* For more information about the festival go tot www.llangollenfoodfestival.com and to find out more about Rachel's Vegan Cakes please visit www.rachelsvegancakes.co.uk

Concerns raised over rural health services

Concerns have been raised that the Welsh Government plans to further centralise health services away from rural areas.

Cllr Mabon ap Gwynfor, who represents the Llandrillo/Cynwyd Ward on Denbighshire County Council, was responding to the Welsh Government’s ‘Services fit for the future’ White Paper, which seeks views on proposals for the health and social services.

The White Paper has already drawn much criticism because of its proposal to abolish Wales’ Community Health Councils.

But Cllr ap Gwynfor (pictured) fears that the paper could give the green light to further centralise health services away from the patients, which will be particularly damaging for rural communities, as well as abolishing the Community Health Councils.

Cllr ap Gwynfor is also chair of the North Wales Health Alliance and has been a long standing campaigner on health issues, arguing against community hospital closures and for investment in local health services.

He said: “I have consistently opposed the downgrading of our health services. The Welsh Government have sought to downgrade or close certain services over the years under the auspices of the Health Boards. It’s been a long standing policy of the Labour Government in Wales, and I have fought them every time.

“This White Paper includes some warm words, and has some generic ambitions which on the face of it are laudable. Amongst the many worthy words it talks of how organisations need to ‘look beyond their own boundaries’ and ‘work across health boards’.

"All very admirable. But what will this mean in practice? I’m afraid that this Government’s record has so far shown that working across boundaries in practice means downgrading or closing certain services in order to centralise them.

"Consider the Community Hospital Closure programme they had here in north Wales, or the battle to stop the downgrading of maternity services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Withybush.

"The devil will be in the detail, but I’m concerned that if the White Paper is accepted it will give them the green light to further downgrade some of our health services and make them even more distant to many of our communities.

“Furthermore the White Paper proposes to scrap the current Community Health Council model and create a new centralised model. If allowed to happen this will weaken the citizens voice and create an organisation that is distant and detached from those that need it. This doesn’t bode well.”

New business welcomed to Glyndyfrdwy

* Ken Skates AM, left, with the directors of R3 Safety and Rescue, from left, Chris Onions, Paul O’Sullivan and Chris Heath.

Assembly Member Ken Skates cut the ribbon at the official opening of a rescue training company’s new home in an old village school.

R3 Safety and Rescue was started in 2013 by three former employees of Bala-based Rescue 3 Europe and moved into the empty Glyndyfrdwy school building earlier this year.

Paul O'Sullivan, who launched the business with Chris Onions and Chris Heath, said: “We are primarily a specialist rescue training company delivering water/flood, rope and confined space safety and rescue training.  In 2015 we started doing equipment sales and this has seen significant growth over the last two years.

“The move to the new premises in Glyndyfrdwy has been excellent for us and it provides an ideal base to grow both the training and equipment supply sides of the business. We currently spend around £35,000 a year on local hotels – primarily in Llangollen – for our course students and will continue to do so to support the local economy.”

R3 Safety and Rescue bought the old school in February and after what Paul describes as ‘a pretty hectic refurbishment’ and ran its first training course from the premises in May. An open day was held on Saturday (September 23), when members of the local community and clients where invited to see the company’s new home. More than 100 people turned out.

Mr Skates said: “I’m honoured to have been invited to officially open R3 Safety and Rescue’s new premises. This is such a beautiful, important building and I have been keen for a long time to see it used for local benefit.

“I’m delighted that R3 Safety and Rescue has moved into it and continues to contribute massively to the local economy. The firm currently employs three full-time and four part-time members of staff, two of which have been taken on since the move to Glyndyfrdwy.

“With Rescue 3 Europe, who accredit R3 Safety and Rescue’s training courses, already based in Llangollen – in the same building as my office – the area is becoming increasing associated with the rescue industry. It’s very positive for the area.”