Call goes out for eisteddfod competitors

* The Aeolian Choir of Oakwood University, California, celebrate victory at the eisteddfod.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is on the lookout for talented groups of singers, dancers and instrumentalists from across the globe to enter its competitions next year before the deadline of November 24.

The 2018 eisteddfod takes place from July 3-8 and successful entrants will compete for a range of prestigious titles including the Dance Champions of the World, International Acapella Group and the jewel in the crown of the festival, Choir of the World.

There are cash prizes of up to £6,000, international medals and opportunities for aspiring musical singers to win the chance of a lifetime to perform at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod in Australia.

The globally acclaimed Choir of the World competition is the grand finale to the festival, which determines the best overall choir of the event and has launched many an iconic career.

In 1955 the winning choir, from the town of Modena in Italy, included a young trainee teacher named, Luciano Pavarotti – the legendary tenor who, in 2005, added his name to the competition trophy in recognition of his appreciation of the festival and its influence on his career.

Applications for non-competitive acts are also open and community groups are being encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to perform on one of the eisteddfod’s international stages and experience the unique atmosphere of the festival. Closing date for this category is also on Friday November 24.

Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies said: “Our competitions offer the opportunity for performers from across the globe to compete on an international stage alongside some of the world’s most talented musicians and dancers.

“With more than 20 categories to apply for there really is an opportunity for all types of performers, from all disciplines and of all ages to get involved.

“Every year we aim to extend our offer and both the Outstanding Conductor and International Acapella Group categories are exceptionally exciting additions to the syllabus. We’re looking forward to see this year’s applications.”

* For more information on all the competitions or to apply on the Eisteddfod competitors’ website visit: http://eisteddfodcompetitions.co.uk/

To purchase tickets for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod or for more information visit: www.Llangollen.net

Have your say on support for the vulnerable

A new inquiry will look at how effective support for vulnerable people in their homes is in Wales - and Llangollen people can have their say.


The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee will examine the Welsh Government’s Supporting People Programme, which provides grant funding to deliver services for people with learning difficulties, mental health issues, and young people with support needs.

Services are provided either through local authorities, or through third-party providers such as charities.

The programme currently supports around 67,000 people in Wales and for 2016-17 financial year has a ‘ring-fenced’ budget of almost £125 million.

However, the recent publication by the Welsh Government of the detail of its budget plans has created some uncertainty about the way in which Supporting People funding will be managed in the future and this will be taken into account as part of the committee’s work.

A report from the Wales Audit Office earlier this year found inconsistent levels of delivery in different parts of the country, due in part to inadequate guidance from the Welsh Government.

“The Supporting People Programme delivers what are undoubtedly valuable services to vulnerable people in a range of different circumstances,” said Nick Ramsay AM, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.

“However, the pace of progress is a concern and it is disappointing that the Welsh Government still does not have a good enough understanding of the programme’s overall impact some fourteen years on from its initial launch.

“We will be looking at how the programme is developing to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, how almost £125 million pounds is being spent, and how the effectiveness of these services and all that money is being monitored.”

* Anyone wishing to contribute to the inquiry can find more information on the Public Accounts Committee’s web pages. The consultation closes on 22 December 2017.

Early sighting of Santa on the river

* Santa waves to onlookers from his coracle on the Dee.

Santa has been seen out on the River Dee on the lead up to Llangollen Christmas Festival on Saturday November 25.

He was spotted at the Horseshoe Falls in a coracle.

“I thought that I’d use the river to get into Llangollen this year, the coracle was most enjoyable and
relaxing but a little slow.” Santa said.

He has also tried an inflatable with some of his elves (pictured below) but decided that experience was far too scary.

“I think I’ll stick with the sleigh and my reindeer,” Santa added, “it’s fast, manoeuvrable and
best of all magic.”

The Christmas Festival, which is expected to attract at least 2,000 people, will feature a parade,
street stalls, raffles, a grotto, an appearance by Llangollen Silver Band, and local choirs and
singers and the ceremonial switch-on of the Christmas lights.

This year the festival also features Llangollen Good Grub Club and an additional stage organised by Llangollen Woman’s Festival.

The big parade starts from Mill Street car park at 1pm and later Siôn Corn will be on hand to meet
young visitors in his grotto inside the Town Hall.

Entertainment will this year be centred on the steps of the library and tourist information centre as
well as the Town Hall and Market Street.

Proceeds from the event will once again be donated to Wales Air Ambulance.

Free after 3 parking for Christmas

Shoppers in Denbighshire will be getting a helping hand this festive period.

Denbighshire County Council is providing free car parking in all of its town centre car parks after 3pm from the end of November and throughout December.

Free After 3 aims to support Denbighshire’s town centres and encourage shoppers to take advantage of the wide range of traders on the county’s high streets.

The scheme provides free parking in all Council-operated pay and display car parks in town centres after 3pm every day between November 21 and December 31.

As well as offering free parking after 3pm, the Council is encouraging shoppers and businesses to take advantage of the #LoveLiveLocal campaign and share pictures of products, offers and deals available on the county’s high streets on social media.

To find a list of all the car parks included visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/parking

Car parks included in the scheme are Corwen, Green Lane; Denbigh, Vale St, Post Office Lane, Factory Ward and the Multi-Storey; Ruthin, Market Street, Dog Lane, Troed y Rhiw, Park Road, Rhos Street; Llangollen, Brook Street, East Street, Hall Street, Market Street, Mill Street, International Pavilion;  Prestatyn , Fern Avenue, Lower High Street, Kings Avenue, Railway Station; Rhuddlan, Parliament Street; St Asaph, Bowling Green; Rhyl , Morley Road, Morfa Hall (disabled bays), West Kinmel Street and Sky Tower.

 

County launches Christmas shopping film

* Bernadette O' Malley from State of Distress in Ruthin.

Encouraging shoppers to use their local high streets this Christmas is the message behind a new video.

Denbighshire County Council has produced its second festive shopping clip to showcase the wide range of products available on the county’s high streets.

The two-minute video features a host of the county’s traders highlighting what is available in Denbighshire.

The clip will be released on November 24 and will be available on the council’s social media platforms.

Bernadette O' Malley, who has run State of Distress in Ruthin for the past two years, features in the clip.

She said: “Shopping locally means money gets invested back into the area and means there is more in towns for people to come and see.

“Shoppers get to see a product physically and they get the interaction with the shopkeeper. We offer personalised gifts and work with local craftsmen and women to produce unique and bespoke gifts.

“You get to take advantage of knowledgeable staff who offer great customer service to help you find what you are looking for.

“It was a good experience to be involved in the Christmas video and help encourage people to see what is on offer in Denbighshire.

“I would encourage people to see what is on their local high streets, there is a lot more than they think and they could find things they might not have been looking for.”

The video was produced as part of the #LoveLiveLocal campaign which supports local traders by encouraging customers and businesses to post pictures of great products and experiences on social media.

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “The aim of the video is to showcase the wealth of local businesses we have here in the county. We have great small businesses who have got everything you need from bespoke gifts to everyday essentials and delicious produce to help celebrate Christmas.

 “The aim of the film is to inspire local people in Denbighshire to visit their local high streets before shopping online or visiting shops outside of the county. Money spent locally stays in the local economy and benefits everyone in Denbighshire. This clip is part of our work on developing the local economy by supporting high street businesses.”

County gears up for road safety week

Denbighshire County Council is lending its support a national campaign aimed at improving safety on our roads.

‘Speed Down Saves Lives’ is the theme for this year’s Road Safety Week campaign, which begins on Monday, November 20.

The council’s Sustainable Transport and Road Safety team work throughout the year trying to create the conditions for safe active travel in the county.

This means that as many people as possible should be encouraged to travel on foot or by bicycle instead of travelling by car. Children in particular need to be able to make this switch in safety.  

Encouraging drivers to drive slowly around their towns for the benefit of young cyclists and pedestrians is one of the key message of this year’s campaign.

During the week:

• The council’s year round programme of national standards Bikeability cycle training for Year 6 pupils will continue with courses running at  Ysgol Esgob Morgan (St Asaph) and Ysgol  Twm o’r Nant (Denbigh).
• Child pedestrian roadside  Kerbcraft training will continue with primary pupils from Rhos Street School, Ruthin and will include a Police speedgun survey of passing traffic on Rhos Street .
• The road safety team will be meeting with Sustrans to kick-start joint working on a brand new safe active travel initiative which will be rolled-out to primary schools and Year 7 high school pupils in early 2018.
• Road safety banners with the message “Arafwch yn ein tref/ Slow down in our town"    will be placed at a suitable location in each town in the county .

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “This nationally designated week is a great opportunity to drive home the road safety messages, to encourage drivers to reduce their speed and be more vigilant in built up areas where pedestrians and other roads users will be present.

"The council runs activities throughout the year and will be out and about during Road Safety Week to reinforce the messages and to encourage people to change behaviour, so that our roads become safer.”

* For further details about Road Safety Week, please visit: www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk

Eisteddfod's November update

llanblogger will now be bringing you regular updates from the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod prepared by its own team. We start here with November ...

Whilst you may be forgiven for thinking that this time of year is a quiet time for the Eisteddfod, this year plans have been moving full steam ahead as we welcomed our new Music Director, Vicky Yannoula, to the team in September.

Vicky (pictured) is only our 8th Music Director since 1947, but the first of Greek origin! She joins us following successful positions at Trinity College London, Middlesex University and the Drake Calleja Trust, and her list of accomplishments has made her a notable pianist on stages around the world and seen her collaborate with a wealth of international artists.

Based in London, Vicky has been travelling up to Llangollen every couple of weeks which has given her the opportunity to meet our huge team of volunteers, and each time she visits she tells us how blown away she is by the beauty of the Dee Valley.

Only 10 weeks into the role, Vicky has really had to hit the ground running to ensure we have a world-class concert series in place ready to launch before Christmas!

There are some very exciting ideas in the pipeline, and as usual, we’re trying to offer a diverse mix of musical genres so there is something to suit everyone’s taste.

She’s also been working on our 2018 competitive programme, using her international connections to try and attract as many group competitor applications as possible before the deadline on the 24th November.

Please help us spread the word by sharing the online flipbook for the 2018 syllabus here.

We will have an information stand at the Town Christmas Fair on the 25th November, so please pop by and say hello and learn about our wide range of volunteering opportunities (including those listed below).

We’ll be running a free prize draw to win tickets to one of our concerts, and we’ll be selling some stock from our Eisteddfod shop too.

We value the support of the local community immensely, and feel it’s extremely important to keep you up to date with any developments and listen to any feedback you may have about the Eisteddfod.

We’ll be keeping you informed by posting regular updates on llanblogger, and remember to follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels too.

Dr Rhys Davies, Eisteddfod Chairman

Volunteering Opportunities

Looking for a new volunteering challenge? We currently have two new volunteering opportunities within the Eisteddfod site team, which we are looking to fill as soon as possible!

Both would suit an active, locally based person, with good weekday availability and an interest in playing a critical, year-round role in Eisteddfod site planning activities.

Computer literacy and good all-round Microsoft Office skills are essential. 

Catering Concession Coordinator

Tasks and responsibilities include:
· Liaising with all current and potential new caterers and bar providers.
· Preparation of all relevant documentation.
· Ensuring that valid hygiene and insurance documentation are provided. 
· Liaising with the Siting Officer and site contractors regarding canvas and utilities requirements. 
· Main point of contact for all concessions during festival week. 

Exhibitor Coordinator

Tasks and responsibilities include:
· Liaising with all current and potential new exhibitors (including traders, organisations and charities). 
· Preparation of all relevant documentation and information. 
· Liaising with the Siting Officer and site contractors regarding canvas and utilities requirements. 
· Main point of contact for all exhibitors during festival. 

* If you are interested in either of the above roles, or would like to know more about other opportunities to get involved, please contact volunteers@llangollen.net or apply online at http://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/get-involved/volunteer/