Thanks a million from llanblogger

Today llanblogger celebrates six years since its launch during which time it has notched up just over one million page views.

The blog has reported - many times exclusively - on everything from Sainsburys not wishing to go ahead with opening the town's new supermarket to major road accidents and from a rooftop siege to the planning battle over a new housing estate.

llanblogger also carries special reports on local events such as the annual Christmas Festival, the Plas Newydd Garden Fete, Remembrance Day and the Eistedfodd.

Our day-by-day 2018 Eisteddfod coverage, which included separate stories, attracted around 11,000 page views.

Then there are regular reports on plays, shows an concerts by our local groups.

We also try to bring a flavour of what's happening in politics both locally and nationally as it affects Llangollen.

While the bulk of our readers are in the UK we also have devotees of the blog in the United States, Norway, Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Canada and Jordan.

So it's a big thank you to all our readers both regular and occasional over the past six years.

And we hope you'll keep on reading llanblogger.

Here's to the next million!

* Phil Robinson, blog editor

Former Lllan shop owner serenaded by Indian choir

* Nancy Povey  with members of the Aroha Choir.

A former Llangollen souvenir shop owner who made it her mission to visit the town’s International Musical Eisteddfod every year was over the moon when one of the most colourful and melodic acts from this year’s event gave a concert at the care home where she now lives.

Nancy Povey, 90, a talented pianist and music lover, said she was delighted to listen to the Aroha Junior Choir perform for residents at Hillbury House Care Home, Wrexham.

The choir hail from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya province in north east India and this year is their first visit to the annual festival at Llangollen which attracts competitors from all over the world and promotes the message of peace and friendship through music and dance.

Chatting to the choir members while posing for a photograph with them Nancy told them after their performance that from now on there would always be a welcome in Wales for the Aroha choir.

She said: “This year is the first year I haven’t been able to get to Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. I would always go every year. I love it listening to musicians from all around the globe.

“I had been feeling a little sad that I wouldn’t get to go there anymore, but having the choir here was just like having the Eisteddfod brought to us. It was as if I was there in the main pavilion again, listening to all the beautiful music.”

The Aroha choir were in turn thrilled to be asked to deliver an afternoon performance for residents of Hillbury House, which is part of  Pendine Park Care Organisation, a key sponsor of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Pendine Park Artist in Residence, Sarah Edwards, said: “The choir’s performance was amazing. It was a privilege for us all to get the chance to meet them and listen to them sing at such close quarters. Their voices are outstanding.”

The choir comprises young people aged from 11 to 19. About 20 choir members, leaders and some of their parents made the trip after a long fundraising campaign to pay for the journey to Wales. 

Among the parents who came from India were Toony Gill, whose daughter Denise, 15, is a choir member, and AJ Lynrah, whose son Aryan, 14, sings in the choir.

AJ said: “It has been wonderful for us all making this first visit to the Eisteddfod. It is a hugely inspiring festival and we feel honoured that the choir was also invited to come to Hillbury to meet the residents and sing for them.”

Choir director and conductor Pauline Warjri said they had rehearsed for many months for their visit.

She said: “It has been a wonderful experience and everyone has been exceptionally friendly towards us.”

Pauline and choir member Venetia K Warshong, 16, went out of their way to deliver an extra special rendition of Amazing Grace for the Hillbury residents.

It is not normally on the choir’s repertoire but when one of the residents, Dianne Morris, 69, asked for it, Pauline and Venetia performed an impromptu duet of the classic hymn.

Dianne, a former choir singer herself, said: “It was truly entrancing. Venetia’s voice is angelic. I even think she hit a top C. Wonderful.”

The choir, dressed in vibrant red and gold costumes, performed traditional folk and spiritual songs a capella including Ezekiel Saw the Wheel, a medley of Disney musical favourites, which featured Let’s Go Fly a Kite and hymns including I Need Thee Every Hour.

Their performance brought tears to the eyes of care assistant Ellen Griffiths, who said the young singers had some of most beautiful voices she had heard.

She said: “It was so moving, I never expected it to be so emotional, but I could feel my eyes welling up.”

Hillbury residents gave the choir a rousing cheer at the end of their concert and spent time chatting with some of the choir members about their musical heritage. They also had photographs taken as a memento of the occasion.

One resident, Margaret Newell, 96, delighted in having a selfie photo taken with choir member Mason Mario.

She said: “The boys and girls in the choir are all lovely. They look so bright and cheerful in their traditional costumes and they sing so beautifully. I wish them lots of success at the Eisteddfod and for the future.”

Time Train rolls into Llan and TV stardom

* The Time Train hauled by 80072 returning to Llangollen. Photo: Liz Gill. 

Channel 4 TV screened the fifth and final episode of its Great Rail Restorations series on Saturday eveningy when the action shifted to operating the Time Train on the Llangollen Railway.

In the off-peak period of late October 2017, Llangollen Railway made the station facilities and the railway available to the Channel 4 production team for three days to film the Time Train in action.

The programme showed how three of the carriages, a four wheeler, a Royal Saloon and a Pullman car, spanning 100 years of railway operations, were brought by low loader from their restoration bases at Isle of Wight, Embsay and Tyseley to join the Great Northern coach at Llangollen.

This unique formation of four carriages was then filmed operating on the Dee Valley line between Llangollen and Carrog with members of each restoration team on board to sample and compare the results of all their hard work.

They enjoyed lunch served in the Pullman coach as a celebration of a remarkable effort to meet the challenge set by the TV producers.

Speaking about the restoration of the Great Northern coach at Llangollen the owner, Peter Lund, said: “The restoration of this 1912 teak bodied coach was a gargantuan task. At every stage more work than had been anticipated was revealed to rebuild the interior.

"It is only thanks to the strenuous efforts of all the team from Llangollen Railway’s Carriage & Wagon works that the challenge to restore it was met in time for the filming schedule.”

The train was taken down the line by the Standard Tank No.80072 with presenter Peter Snow in the driver’s seat, as he lived the dream of a lifetime driving a steam engine.

He was under the careful supervision of Llangollen Railway driver Paul Reynolds from Chester and fireman Graham Hoyland from Abergele.

If there is a second star in the programme, it is the No.80072 as it is seen steaming past Berwyn and through the autumnal scenes along the railway line to Carrog.

Liz McGuinness, Llangollen Railway chairman, said: “Llangollen Railway members are brimming with pride after the final part of the Great Rail Restorations project.

"The stunning views of the river Dee at Llangollen and the Dee Valley are amazing and a great promotional opportunity for the region. 

“The volunteers and employees are thrilled with the programme and the promotion it offered for the railway's setting, its ability to operate the heritage train and the efforts of all those involved. 

“It was great invitation for visitors to come and ride our wonder railway and enjoy the atmosphere along the line in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They can see the restored Great Northern carriage with their own eyes on static display at Carrog station.” 

Berwyn resident Martin Gill, who saw the train go past during the filming, said: “It was amazing to see four generations of railway carriages in one train.  I suppose you would describe it as living history.” 

* The Great Northern coach.

* The Royal Saloon.

* The Isle of Wight four-wheeler.

* The Pullman coach Eagle.

Terry Waite officially opens new Centenary Square

* Terry Waite unveils the commemorative plaque watched by Deputy Town Mayor Issy Richard and Mayor Jon Haddy.

Eisteddfod president Terry Waite officially opened Llangollen’s new Centenary Square in a moving ceremony this morning (Sunday).

A large number of civic dignitaries, representatives of various organisations who contributed to the project and a large crowd of onlookers stood in the hot sun to watch the proceedings.

Town Mayor Cllr Jon Haddy welcomed people to the event and gave a run-down of how the project to transform the former Memorial Gardens was first envisaged in 2012 and was developed over the following six years by town councillors and Town Clerk Gareth Thomas.

There was then a moving reading in Welsh by Deputy Town Mayor Cllr Issy Richards of a peace poem by poet and national eisteddfod bard Hedd Wynn who was killed in the First World War.  

Terry Waite spoke on the theme of peace and said it was fitting that the new square was being officially opened exactly 95 years after the First World War memorial was unveiled.

He paid special tribute to the 441 Hz Chamber Choir from Gdansk in Poland who sang at the ceremony, saying this country owed their country a great deal of gratitude for the service they armed forces gave during the Second World War.

Mr Waite congratulated the Town Council and the people of Llangollen for the contribution they had made to making Centenary Square possible.

Over 70 years ago the people of the town, he said, had made a similar contribution to creating the Eisteddfod to which people from all over the world came to promote peace through the language of music.

To loud applause he then unveiled a plaque commemorating the opening of the square before the choir sang.

The two national anthems were sung to round off the ceremony.

Later, invited guests at the Town Hall were shown a time-delay film of how the construction project unfolded over a number of months before the square opened in time to be used by a series of popular outreach events at which Eisteddfod competitors performed for the pubic throughout the week.    

* Terry Waite speaks on the theme of peace.

* Terry Waite and other special guests at the ceremony.

* The Polish folk choir sings.

* Deputy Town Mayor Issy Richards recites a moving poem.

* Part of the time-delay film showed at the Town Hall.

Van Morrison captivates Pavilion crowd

* Van Morrison on stage at the Eisteddfod last night.

One of the most prolific recording artists and live performers in music history, Sir Van Morrison, took to the iconic Royal International Pavilion stage last night, captivating the crowd with a selection of Irish folk, jazz, blues and country music.

Morrison opened the sellout show with a beautiful rendition of ‘Astral Weeks’, then launched straight into ‘Sweet Thing.’

Both songs were released from the album of the same name 50 years ago in 1968, yet still resonate perfectly today and brought the audience to their feet.

Joined by his eight-piece band, including his musical director Paul Moran, Morrison barely drew breath for the following 90 minutes. 

This was his first appearance at the  International Eisteddfod and he enchanted the audience with his largely improvised set, featuring favourites including ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’, ‘Days Like This’ and ‘Have I Told You Lately’.

Morrison brought the show to a close and the audience to their feet with an exhilarating rendition of cult classic ‘Brown Eyed Girl’.

Eisteddfod music director Vicky Yannoula, said: “The audience was completely enthralled by Van’s unparalleled vocals and songwriting talent, and by the support of his exquisite band. It was such a mesmerising performance and a wonderful start to our weekend.”

This weekend included a performance-packed family funday on Saturday, celebrating those community groups that strive to create a sense of togetherness though music and dance on its outside stages.

Sunday is Llanfest 2018, the festival’s finale party, with outdoor stages hosting live bands throughout the afternoon and multi-platinum English indie pop-legends, Kaiser Chiefs headlining on the main stage in the evening.

MP shown Rotary's life-saving project

* Rotarian Molly Youd shows Susan Elan Jones MP

the ShelterBox display at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones met with top Rotarian Molly Youd at the Eisteddfod and learned about Shelterbox - a project that saves lives and helps people stranded in global disaster zones.

Rhostyllen resident Molly Youd was the first female District Governor for Rotary District 1180 - an area that covers North Wales and much of the North West of England. She now holds another senior role - promoting Rotary’s People of Action message.

Ms Jones said: “ShelterBox is an amazing project. Every green box sent out contains a home for ten people and while the contents vary according to climate, many provide solar lights, water storage, tools, blankets and cooking utensils.

"The boxes can be sent out at very short notice and because Rotary is an international organisation with 1.2 million members in 200 countries, relief can be provide where it’s most needed right across the world.

“This is one of many tremendous projects that Rotary members are engaged with and it was great to meet with my constituent Molly Youd to learn all about it."

* Further information about the work of Rotary International can be found at rotarygbi.org

Peace Awards presented to two good causes

* Dr Waheed Arian receiving award from John Clifford,

Managing Director of Westminster Stone

and evening sponsor.

A charity that uses volunteer doctors from the UK and US to advise its colleagues in war zones and low resource countries using encrypted social media has won the Rotary International Peace Award.

Dr Waheed Arian and the Arian Teleheal charity was awarded the accolade, which is sponsored by Typhoo Tea, during the International Celebration concert at the Eisteddfod on Thursday.

Dr Arian was acknowledged for his pioneering charity, which connects doctors in the UK, US and other countries with their peers using their smart phones and Skype or WhatsApp, enabling real-time discussions on the best available care for patients. 

Arian Teleheal was set up by in 2015 by Dr Arian, a 34-year-old NHS doctor, who developed the scheme while he was working at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool.

He has recruited over 100 specialists since its launch and the charity has already been credited with saving dozens of lives in Afghanistan and Syria. 

Pilot schemes in conjunction with Health Education England are to start in rural areas of Uganda and South Africa and schemes in more African and Asian countries are also planned.

Born and brought up in Afghanistan, Dr Arian’s family later moved to Pakistan where they spent three years living in a refugee camp.

Aged 15, Dr Arian came to London alone and with limited English. Four years later he was in Cambridge reading medicine. In September he received a UNESCO award for his work.

The Rotary National Peace Award, supported by Westminster Stone, was also presented at the ceremony. Former social worker, Sara Rowbotham, who was unable to attend the presentation, was acknowledged for her work with the Rochdale Crisis Intervention Team for the NHS.

As a front line sexual health worker and lead for the crisis team she fought to ensure that the voices of vulnerable young people in her care were heard. Her work played a key role in exposing the Rochdale child sex abuse ring and helped to bring the perpetrators to court. 

The presentation of the prestigious awards celebrated the third year of the partnership between the International Eisteddfod and Rotary International, one of the largest humanitarian organisations in the world. The award recognises individuals or organisations responsible for the furtherance of peace though their work.

The partnership is an extension of the aims of both organisations, in particular those fostered by the unique foundations of the International Eisteddfod, which was established to promote peace and harmony between nations. 

Dr Arian said: “I founded Arian Teleheal so that people in terrible conditions around the world could benefit from world-class healthcare through using everyday technology. Our aim is to help local doctors give their patients the best possible care.

“However, by doing this we are also bringing communities together who would otherwise never meet – an off-duty doctor in the UK using her smartphone to help save the life of a young boy in Kabul. They’ll never meet, but his parents know how she has helped, building a connection between these communities which will last forever.

“In addition to our clinical advice, we are increasing our educational sessions for doctors overseas, strengthening the links between people. Our volunteer doctors thoroughly deserve this International Peace Award, which is for all of them, and all the doctors in the countries they help.”

Speaking after being named the winner of the national tier of the award Sara Rowbotham said: “I’d like to thank all at Rotary International for honouring me in such a way. It’s very humbling to know that so many people both support me and recognise the needs of vulnerable young people after being isolated and unheard of for such a long period of time. I’m thrilled to accept this award – thank you.” 

The adjudicating panel was chaired by Richard Hazlehurst of Bradford Rotary Peace Centre; who was joined by United Nations peace honouree 2017 and founder of The Peace Project, Jean Best, as a judge. 

As peace initiatives take many different forms, the judging panel considered the public benefit of each project, the profile and longevity of each organisation or individual and the impact of their work.

Richard said: “So many of this year’s nominees adhered to simple motto of The Rotary Foundation – do good in the world but both Dr Arian and Sara Rowbotham’s contributions stood out.

“Dr. Waheed Arian showed remarkable determination in his journey from refugee camp to highly respected medical practitioner. His imagination and innovation led him to set up a scheme whereby doctors and surgeons working in war-torn areas can consult with colleagues in the UK about individual cases using their smart phones and Skype or WhatsApp, saving lives and improving care for patients across the globe.

“Sara Rowbotham also demonstrated great courage and commitment in her fight to ensure that the voices of vulnerable young people in her community were heard.”

Eisteddfod President Terry Waite CBE said: “Once again we were presented with a truly outstanding shortlist for this wonderful award, which made the task of selecting our two winners an incredibly tough job for the adjudicating panel.

“However, it also gave us incredible hope and joy to see just how many people are working towards the very same goal as the International Eisteddfod and Rotary International – the furtherance peace and goodwill in our fragile world.

Past District Governor for Rotary International Molly Youd, added: “This year’s awards really did build on the success of the past two years. Each and every one of the organisations nominated deserve recognition for their tireless work promoting peace and understanding here in the UK and worldwide, in particular our two winners.

“The International Eisteddfod’s message of global friendship now more relevant than ever and we are delighted that our partnership with the festival has once again allowed us to recognise on a global platform these two remarkable individuals, who are working towards making our world a better, more peaceful place.”

* For more information about Rotary International Peace Award, visit www.Llangollen.net and for more information about Rotary visit http www.rotary-ribi.org