Santa hands over £1,000 to Air Ambulance

Santa made a special visit to M’Eating Place in Llangollen to meet Alison Wynn from Wales Air Ambulance where he presented her with a cheque for £1,000. 

The money was raised through a series of seasonal quizzes, auctions and a sleigh ride.

Santa organised December’s fundraising activities with the help of  Chem, Llangollen’s Town Crier. 

Santa would like to thank The Ponsonby Arms Llangollen; The Continuous Cruising Narrow Boaters who overwinter in and around Llangollen; The Navigation, Maesbury Marsh; Cefyn Mawr Historical Society; Llangollen Rotary and their Santa Sleigh plus the many individuals whose generosity helped Santa with his fund raising. 

Invitation to join FoE's spring clean day

Llangollen Friends of the Earth is looking for people to take part in Spring Clean Cymru 2018
in the town on Sunday March 4, from 10am-11.30am.

The litter-pick is part of a nationwide campaign encouraging people across Wales to get together to help clean up the country on the week of St David's Day.

All equipment will be provided and those interested are asked to meet outside Bryn Collen /Y Gwernant school gate at 10am.

Museum to host medieval flute concert

Dinas Bran gets full marks for Les Miserables

Ysgol Dinas Bran brought a touch of West End magic to Llangollen with its breathtaking production of Les Miserables over four evenings this week.

Lining up behind the barricades for the school edition of the world’s longest running musical was a bevy of revolutionary young talent whose stage mastery brought a packed closing night audience to its feet in salute (Friday).

The lead performers and enormous chorus line wrung every ounce of emotion from this stage classic which tells the heart-rending tale of former convict Jean Valjean’s gritty progress through a deeply troubled post-Waterloo France.

Along the way he meets and changes the lives of a host of people from the adorable to the wicked.

Joe Bell played the hero with sympathy and great feeling, bringing into play a commanding stage presence augmented by a wonderful singing voice.

His arch-rival the former prison guard turned policeman Javert was portrayed with great style by Barra Liddy. You could feel the malevolence whenever he strode into view – and where did he get the Terfel-like bass baritone at such a tender age?

Fantine, the young factory worker Valjean takes under his wing but who eventually meets a tragic end, is such a meaty role that it was shared to perfection by Millie and Celyn Orton Jones.

Also role-sharing beautifully when it came to portraying Fantine’s secret daughter Cosette were Lauren Macfarlane and Maia Molloy.

Lewis Gibbins made a fantastic Marius, the student who gets caught up in the political upheaval of the 1832 Paris Rebellion, falls in love with Cosette and whose life is saved by Valjean. He looked and sounded every inch the hero.

There aren’t too many lighter moments in this Victor Hugo novel-based weepy but those that are come courtesy of the aptly-named Michael Talent as shifty innkeeper Thernardier and Mae Morgan as his gruesome missus. Both brought a large measure of comedy feeling to their roles.

Beth Rowley was nothing short of brilliant as their daughter Eponine whose painful but unreturned love for Marius is brought to an abrupt end by a bullet at the barricades.

Costumes and stage settings that are as powerfully interpretive and colourful as the large cast were created by a small behind-the-scenes army and the 17-strong orchestra provided the driving force and momentum for the production.

That Friday standing ovation by an awe-struck audience said it all about Dinas Bran’s Les Mis. 

Bikers urged to sign up for riding course

Bikers across North Wales are being asked to consider improving their skills to ensure they are safe on the region’s roads by signing up for a *free workshop.

BikeSafe – a police-led motorcycle project; offers practical advice about road safety and educates riders by passing on knowledge and skills to try and encourages motorcyclists to take post-test Advanced Training which can realise their best potential and become safer riders. The BikeSafe day includes an ‘assessment ride’ where participants get vital feedback.

Supported by the six local authorities, the workshops are held at various locations in Deeside, Rhyl, St Asaph, Colwyn Bay, Llanrwst, Porthmadog and Llangefni.

This year for the first time ever, workshops will be delivered to the general public on the Isle of Anglesey thanks to assistance from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The first of the 2018 workshops will be held at Llangefni Fire Station on March 10^th and bookings are now being taken. Others will be held there in July and September.

North Wales Police BikeSafe Co-ordinator Paul Cheshire said: “Centrally placed on the island this new location will open up the possibility for new routes to carry out the assessments.

“Anglesey is not necessarily known for many motorcycle collisions but they do happen and the island has a very up to date track circuit at Ty Croes that provides many biker events throughout the year.

“The workshops are not exclusive to residents and this new location will also allow employees who don’t necessarily reside for long in the area, such as RAF Valley, to take advantage.

He added: “During 2017 a total of 224 people attended a BikeSafe workshop across the region. The feedback we get is extremely positive – they like the informal element of the classroom-based workshop and enjoy meeting a mixture of people. Some of our previous students have even returned to become BikeSafe volunteers.”

With the main aim of reducing the number of bikers being hurt on the roads, the workshops explore the main riding hazards that motorcyclists face. By delivering theory presentations and observed rides a BikeSafe workshop helps bikers discover their strengths and weaknesses.

Paul Cheshire added: “Motorcycles are a vulnerable class of vehicle. They don’t offer the same protection that a car can offer, but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t stay safe. As spring is just around the corner why not enrol on one of our workshops so you have the skills for the rest of the biking season and beyond.”

Spaces on the BikeSafe workshops are limited so riders are urged to book quickly to avoid missing out. A full list of the dates and locations can be found via the BikeSafe website.
*free workshops are subject to a booking fee.

MP attacks Prime Minister over farmers' Brexit concerns

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has accused Prime Minister Theresa May of not addressing the concerns of farmers in the run up to leaving the EU.

Ms Jones (pictured) quoted the words of National Farmers Union Deputy President Minette Batters who said that losing full access to the European Single Market could be “absolutely disastrous” for British agriculture.

Theresa May responded by saying: "We are going to negotiate a new economic partnership with the European Union and I can assure the Honourable Lady that the interests of agriculture will be one of the considerations we take into account when we make sure we have a good trade arrangement with the EU as well as improved trade arrangements with the rest of the world."

Speaking after the fiery House of Commons exchange, Ms Jones said: “Spinning vague phrases like ‘economic partnership’ may help the Prime Minister within the Tory Party, but it means absolutely nothing for farmers and rural communities across the UK.

"Her Government still won’t agree to respect Wales properly by giving the powers due to the Welsh Government nor will they make commitments that would protect trading markets.

"Theresa May’s words will ring very hollow indeed in Corwen, the Ceiriog Valley, Horsemans Green and all of the other farming communities in the Clwyd South constituency.”

* To see House of Commons exchange at Prime Minister's Questions between Susan Elan Jones MP and the Prime Minister go to:

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/b547b658-73f8-4b60-95f1-acb03ac7a7dd?in=12:44:53

County backs care and support package

Councillors in Denbighshire have given their backing to a five year regional plan responding to care and support needs across North Wales.

Local councils and the regional health board are expected to produce a long-term Population Assessment Regional Plan, in response to a population assessment that has been carried out.

The plan clearly sets out  the range and levels of information, advice and support services to be provided by partners; how regional partnership boards will work together; how funding will be used and how services will be delivered through the medium of Welsh.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “The aim of this plan is to show how we will meet people’s care and support needs and the support needs of carers across North Wales.

“The information collected through this whole process will allow all partners to plan and commission services more effectively, to meet the needs of specific groups.  There are also close links with reducing poverty through improving the way social care and health needs are met, as well as links to health and well-being through working to reduce crime.

“If the Plan is successful, then we expect to see people’s health and well-being improve, it will help reduce inequalities and will help develop communities that work more closely together”

Councillor Huw Hilditch- Roberts, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children’s Services and the Welsh Language, said: “The regional plan supports the corporate priorities already agreed in Denbighshire, in particular around housing, building resilient communities and providing the best possible support for our young people.

“By working together as one region, we can pool resources, experiences and expertise that can then be shared, for the benefit of every community across North Wales.”

Subject to approval from all of the partners, it is expected that the Plan will be published on April 1, 2018.