MP calls for ban on animal fur imports

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has called for a ban on the importation of animal fur.

Speaking in a debate in Parliament she reminded other MPs that it was almost 20 years since fur farming had been made illegal in this country and that new tougher legislation was vital to tackle the importation of fur from other countries.

Speaking after the debate, Ms Jones said: "When it became illegal to 'farm' animals for fur in England and Wales in 2000, I don't think anyone would have thought that the fur of two million animals would be imported here every year from other countries.

"Many of these animals are kept in terrible conditions. The animals are usually artificially fattened and spend their whole lives in tiny cages before being killed by gas or electrocution. That isn't right and I really welcome the fact that stores like Gucci and House of Frazer are now refusing to stock fur products.

"However, with public petitions having been signed by half a million people and national opinion polls showing that 69% of the British population support a complete ban, I think it's high time that the Government took action. Fur imports are cruel and unnecessary and we need the Government to show the political will to ban them."   

Figures from charity Humane Society International (HSI), which spearheaded the campaign, claim that more than £74 million worth of animal fur was imported into the UK in 2017.

The UN Comtrade database, which lists international import and export figures, shows around £20m worth of tanned or dressed fur skins - including items such as heads, tails or paws - were imported.

Meanwhile a letter from 50 vets and animal experts states that denying wild animals the chance to roam freely, keeping them in close proximity to one another, is unnatural and leads to psychological stresses - with instances of cannibalism, untreated wounds, foot deformities and eye infections being "well-documented".

Llangollen Railway steams into TV starring role

_{* Peter Snow presents the programme from Llangollen Railway to be screened this Wednesday.}

_{LLANGOLLEN Railway is to star in a new Channel 4 TV series.}

_{The world famous heritage line will feature in this Wednesday evening’s edition of the programme Great Railway Restorations presented by television personality Peter Snow.}

_{He visited Llangollen to highlight the restoration of a vintage railway carriage at the railway's Pentrefelin Carriage and Wagon Works.}

_{The teak-bodied carriage, built in 1912 by the Great Northern Railway, was used on East Coast Mainline express services for over 40 years before being relegated to departmental duties by British Rail in 1977.}

_{The programme follows the restoration project through all the stages of a major refurbishment by members of the Llangollen Railway workforce led by chairman Peter Lund.}

_{In the course of the programme, a number of challenges have to be overcome to turn a near wreck into a coach which now features an open saloon and three second-class compartments in the livery of the former London North Eastern Railway.}

_{Llangollen Railway’s business manager Liz McGuinness said: "The programme will make fascinating viewing for rail fans as the spotlight is placed on the Llangollen Railway and part one will be screened on Wednesday at 8pm.”}

_{Railway chairman Peter Lund said: “The announcement by Channel 4 of the broadcast of Great Railway Restorations is the culmination of the enormous efforts devoted to this project by the employees and volunteers of the Carriage & Wagon Department of Llangollen Railway.}

_{“The six months allotted to the completion of this project meant that there were many late nights involved to get the job finished. It is such a shame that current safety regulations deprive the public of an opportunity to ride in this historic carriage.”}

In the series life-long train enthusiast Peter Snow will celebrate the great history of Britain and its railways, through the restoration of four of the most iconic railway carriages ever built.

Each carriage highlighted comes from a different era of train travel, and each will be restored to its former glory with complete historical accuracy.

Peter is joined by Henry Cole, who will explore the passenger experience of the era with historical items from the past to fully appreciate the provenance of each railway carriage.

Each of the episodes will see a carriage restored by a team of world-class railway restoration specialists. Starting in each case with a derelict and neglected shell, the programmes will follow the journey to bring these historical treasures back to life, in an intricate make-over of four forgotten pieces of our national heritage. The carriages cover 100 years of railway history starting in 1860, and include a Royal Saloon used by Queen Victoria.

At the end of each episode, the full glory of the carriage make-over will be revealed. The carriage will then be put back on the rails, pulled by a locomotive from the era. In the final episode, all four carriages will be brought together creating an entirely bespoke ‘train through time’ pulled by a steam locomotive – driven by Peter Snow himself, fulfilling a boyhood dream to drive a steam engine.

Llanfest stage line-up unveiled

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has revealed the full outside stage line-up for this year’s Llanfest (Sunday 8th July, 2pm).

Multi-platinum English indie pop-legends Kaiser Chiefs will be headlining on the main stage, supported by pop rock band Hoosiers and nineties icons Toploader.

The Cavern Club Liverpool will host its first ever pop up stage at Llanfest, with performances by their world-class resident musicians, including:

Jack Found - said to have developed a unique style that combines bright energy and a remarkable voice, he is set to release his debut album. His debut single, Sundown, received extensive radio play and was featured on Good Morning Television. 

Billy Bibby and The Wry Smiles – a four-piece alternative rock ensemble from North Wales and Chester.

Camens - a four piece indie/alternative rock band from Staffordshire recently been spotted by BBC6 Music.

Destination – Formed in 2014, Destination is a 70s/80s classic rock cover band from Wrexham, playing favourites from various legendry artists including Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Bonjovi, Queen and Gary Moore.
 
Lucy Mayhew – currently recording her debut EP, Lucy from West Kirby offers audiences a fresh neo folk rock sound, drawing on inspiration from the likes of Eva Cassidy and Laura Marling.

Ben Roberts – the folk/rock singer based in London started writing music as a teenager, taking influence from his love of classic soul, rock and R&B.

Luke Gallagher – Wrexham-based singer/songwriter returns to play at this year’s Llanfest with his nostalgic blend of Mod/60s/90s tunes.

Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies said: “This year we’re yet again introducing new audiences to contemporary genres of music, perfectly combining the festival’s culture and heritage with ground-breaking modern talent to create the ultimate finale. We look forward to continuing to showcase a wider musical offering to expand upon our current audience.
 
“It brings us so much pride to be able to bring this calibre of local talent together with world-class music legends to mark the end of a phenomenal week of extraordinary events."
 
* More information is available on the Llanfest website. Tickets for the festival, running July 3-8,  are available at http://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/sunday-llanfest/.Llanfest. Tickets are priced at: £55 standing/ £70 seated.

Ex councillor speaks on A5 road safety

Former Denbighshire County Councillor Stuart Davies says he is disappointed to see yet again more serious accidents on the A5 in Llangollen with the Air Ambulance being called out again within the last few days to attend a serious RTA. 

In a letter to llanblogger he says: 'As a County Councillor I asked the Welsh Trunk road Agency and the local AM Ken Skates, numerous times, to extend the speed limit which would help to calm the traffic leading to this accident hotspot.

'Today I am seriously disappointed that the local AM, who as Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport has the power to deal with Trunk Road issues, has failed to act and we are now seeing the serious consequences.

'I am calling on him to get his officers on the job now before more people get injured!

'One of the local residents Mr John Lloyd who lives adjacent to this hotspot actually made national headlines by erecting a bird box that looked like a speed camera in am attempt to stop people speeding there.

'There was an attempt to force him to dismantle it.'

llanblogger takes short break

llanblogger is taking a short break and will be back early next week.

County issues "keep dogs on leads" reminder

Walkers wanting to get out into the open countryside in Denbighshire are being reminded to keep their dogs on leads.

Denbighshire Countryside Service and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have joined forces to launch a campaign called Take the Lead, encouraging people to keep their animals on lead in the county’s open countryside.

The Take the Lead campaign is now in its second year and was launched at Easter. The campaign is targeting local residents and visitors to the countryside and wants to build on the success of last year’s initiative.

The campaign includes the production of videos that will be shared on social media, as well as features in the local media and online. 

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment, said: “The decent weather we have been experiencing is making more people think about getting out into the open countryside to enjoy the views.

“That is great, but we are asking walkers, if they take their dogs, to keep their animals on the lead in the open countryside. This is part of an effort to try and reduce the number of livestock being injured and wildlife being disturbed by dogs.

“Last year’s campaign was very successful and the majority of people do act responsible. We want that to continue and we thank people for their efforts and understanding.

“However this is a kind of message that needs to be repeated time and time again to gain its maximum impact, so we will be sharing our campaign messages with locals and visitors and encourage the small minority who flout the law to take action.

“We have seen some incidents where sheep have been injured or killed as a result of attacks from dogs off their leads. This is what we need to avoid and by working together with dog owners, we can really make a difference”.

“They really must be mindful that they are crossing valuable grazing land where there are sheep roaming. The effects of attacks on animals can be devastating, to the animal and to the landowner.

The campaign will continue throughout the summer and wardens will be out and about monitoring sites.

Nature Quest at Newydd

Nature Quest at Plas Newydd, Llangollen, 

26 May to 3 June

10.30am to 3.00pm

Nature Trail quiz within the grounds of Plas Newydd.

Complete the trail to win a badge.

£3.00 per person