New film highlights best of North Wales

A new film showcasing the North East Wales region has been released today (1 March) as part of Visit Wales’ Year of the Sea campaign.

Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire have joined forces to produce the film to inspire new visitors to experience North East Wales’ Routes to the Sea.

Funded by Visit Wales’ Regional Tourism Engagement Fund, the film explores the region’s visitor offer from inland to the coast; highlighting the cycle routes, coastal path, heritage, and beaches as well as activities including paragliding and horse riding in Talacre.

The variety of outdoor water based experiences available in the area are also featured including sailing, fishing, sea swimming, stand up paddle boarding and water skiing.

Tourism plays a vital part in the regions’ economy, with a total economic impact in 2016 of £848m and over 11 million visits made.

Tourism Minister, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “In 2018 we’re celebrating Wales’ outstanding coastline, and inviting visitors to discover new epic experiences all around our shores, with special events and attractions throughout the year. I’m delighted that Visit Wales funding has enabled the North East to work together in order to strengthen awareness and showcase some of the area’s inspiring journeys to the coast this year.”

Ian Lebbon, Chair of Denbighshire Destination Partnership said: “Thank you to everyone who contributed to the making of the film, we hope it will inspire visitors to experience some of our water based and coastal activities. Key investments in our coastal resorts, such as the developments in Rhyl, will help increase awareness and visitor footfall to the region and create jobs that will boost the local economy.”

This film is the start of a series of new mini films which will be released throughout the year, featuring different themes including walking, cycling, wildlife, heritage, food & drink, beaches, as well as outdoor water activities.

A series of blogs and Year of the Sea professional images will also be released to help draw new and repeat visits to the region.

Follow Films Co-Founder Graham Cooper, who produced the films, said: “This has been a fantastic project to work on over the past few months, I’ve lived in North East Wales all my life, but working on projects like this reminds me how lucky we are to live in this area. I find so many new, amazing activities whilst producing films like this, and the passion businesses have for North East Wales is great to see.”

* To view the film and for further information on the places and activities featured in the film, please visit www.northeastwales.wales

Operatic seeks sponsorship for My Fair Lady

Llangollen Operatic Society is seeking sponsorship for their forthcoming production of the Lerner and Loewe classic My Fair Lady which will be staged at Llangollen Town Hall from April 17-21.

Producer Helen Belton said: “As a registered charity, fundraising efforts and the support of our sponsors is invaluable in enabling our junior and senior sections to continue producing high quality productions for the enjoyment of the local community.

“We have been very fortunate to secure sponsorship from a number of local businesses and individuals in previous years and we’ve always received wonderful feedback from them as to their experience. Following the overwhelming success of 9 to 5 in 2017, we are hoping to attract a similar level of support again this year”. 

For £125.00, sponsors are offered four reserved balcony seats with a prime view of the stage, 4 drinks of their choice from the bar, four complimentary programmes and the opportunity to display marketing material in the Town Hall on the evening of their sponsorship.

To add to the experience, they will also have the services of a dedicated Sponsor Host, who will welcome them on arrival and be on hand to ensure their experience is enjoyable!

Helen added: “We believe this package represents excellent value and in return for our sponsors’ generosity, we will guarantee an unforgettable evening of entertainment and hospitality."

* If you would like to support our production or would like to have more information, please contact Louisa Jones on 07989 985644/e-mail louisa.jones@live.com

Tickets for My Fair Lady are now available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollenoperaticsociety

Snow falls on Llangollen

Update:

Dinas Bran closes because of weather.
The following note has been posted on the school website ...
The difficult decision has been made to close the school on the grounds of health & safety and worsening school site conditions. All contracted buses/taxis have been called to collect the students for 1pm. Apologies for the inconvenience this may cause.





UPDATE: County council reports at 9.30am that the Horseshoe Pass is open.

Llangollen awoke to a light covering of snow this morning (Tuesday) as the "Beast from East" arrived in town.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning covering Denbighshire for the period between 00.05 and 23.55 today.

This says that snow showers or longer periods of snow are expected accompanied by very low temperatures.

The warning adds that there is the potential for travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, as well as delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.

Some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected, says the warning.

As at 8.49am there have been no notifications of any school or other closures in the area.

Across the county a total of 27 primary schools and seven secondary schools are closed for the day due to the weather.

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.