Natural food firm unveils eco-friendly food wrapping

* Carol Allen with one of her goats.

A former teacher who runs a company making skincare products from goats' milk is launching a new eco-friendly food wrapping made from cotton coated with beeswax.

Carol Allen, 60, who set up Llanvalley Natural Products eight years ago, will officially unveil the innovative wrapping at this year’s Llangollen Food Festival which has helped propel her business to success, putting her in the right place at the right time to secure new customers.

According to Carol, she was inspired to develop the new wrapping out of a desire to eliminate plastic waste from the environment.

The anti-bacterial qualities of beeswax make it ideal for food and the wrappings are reusable because they can be washed in warm water.

She is looking forward to showing them at Llangollen Food Festival that’s being held at the iconic international eisteddfod pavilion on Saturday and Sunday, October 13 and 14.

The event has now acknowledged as on one of the Top 10 food festivals in the UK.
Carol will also be selling her range of other products which include soaps, shampoo bars, various balms and bath soaks.

She makes them makes from Welsh goats’ milk produced at her smallholding in nearby Froncysyllte and supplies local B&Bs, gift shops and specialist beauty outlets based in the North West and North Wales.   She also has regular customers in Switzerland, Holland and Australia.

The food wrapping is a new departure for Carol who explained: “The idea is to save using cling film and to get away from using other plastics that are so harmful to the environment.

 “Llangollen is my favourite food festival and it is there I’m going to officially launch what is basically a new product.

“They are produced from natural 100% cotton that I coat in beeswax, there is nothing else added so the wrappings will break down naturally over time, unlike plastic.”

Mother-of-four Carol sources her cotton cloth from a supplier in Oswestry and her beeswax from local bee keepers.

She said: “I make the food wrappings by first washing and ironing the patterned cotton before cutting it into squares and rectangles from as template using crimping sheers so it doesn’t fray.

“The cloth is then put into sets and placed in what is basically an oven tray and sprinkled with beeswax.

“The tray is then placed in a warm, not too hot, oven. When I take them out I brush the cloth, both the warp and weft, to make sure the beeswax has soaked right through. They are then hung on a rack until cool and I can then pack them into sets.”  

“Anything we do that will reduce the amount of waste plastic in the environment has to be a good thing.

“Food wrapped in beeswax wrappings stays really fresh; it’s all natural ingredients so makes for a really safe and environmentally friendly wrapping. And it can be used again and again.”

Carol only uses natural ingredients in her soaps, balms and moisturisers which are safety tested.

She added: “Basically my fresh honey and goat’s milk is saponified with oils and some are embellished with home grown dried flower petals or herbs or wild flowers from around the small holding.

“I strive to make sure all my Llanvalley Natural Products do what they are supposed to do without harming people, animals or the environment. I use only natural ingredients and don’t use palm oil.

Llangollen Food Festival committee member Phil Davies was delighted Carol has decided to launch her beeswax food wrappings at the festival.

He said: “This is what the Llangollen Food Festival is all about, new interesting and innovative ideas. Carol’s LLanvalley Natural Products beeswax food wraps are such a simple and amazing idea that will go a long way to reducing plastic waste.

“Plastic pollution is such a big issue and the fact these beeswax wrappings are completely biodegradable as well as being antibacterial they really are a great way to keep food fresh while protecting our precious environment at the same time.

“I’m just so glad she has chosen to officially launch this innovative new product at the festival. Carol has been alonmg time supporter of the festival and has exhibited her goat’s milk soaps, balms and other products for many years now.”

* To find out more about the Llangollen Food Festival please visit www.llangollenfoodfestival.com and to find out more about Llanvalley products please visit www.llanvalley.co.uk

Lorry crashes into bridge in Ruabon

A lorry has crashed into the bridge over the road in Ruabon this afternoon.

For the full story, see Wrexham.com at http://www.wrexham.com/news/road-blocked-after-lorry-crashes-into-bridge-in-ruabon-152686.html

County chiefs visit Llan to meet traffic group

* County Councillors Melvyn Mile, Tony Thomas, Graham Timms and Brian Jones in Castle Street. 

At the invitation of Llangollen county councillors Graham Timms and Melvyn Mile two Denbighshire Cabinet Members visited the town to meet with the Llangollen 2020 working group.

The aim was to find out about the plans to develop the town centre.

The group aims to improve the centre of Llangollen, making it more pedestrian friendly for visitors and residents. They are also looking at improvements to traffic flow and parking.

According to Cllr Timms, the project has recently received a promise of £500,000 from Denbighshire which it is hoped will encourage other organisations to support the scheme which he says early estimates suggest will cost between £2-3 million. 

Both cabinet members who visited are Conservative councillors for Rhyl, Cllr Brian Jones (Cabinet Member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel) and Cllr Tony Thomas (Cabinet Member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment).

They spoke with the group for over an hour, discussing progress and other ideas to raise the money needed.

Further meetings with other organisations are planned to continue to raise the profile of the group and to gain support for the town.

Cllr Timms said: "Both cabinet members were impressed by the determination of the group to bring about changes that will make the centre of Llangollen become a more vibrant place in the Dee Valley and the heart of the AONB.

“The next few weeks will see a really important consultation taking place where everyone is invited to discuss the problems and possible solutions to Llangollen’s Castle Street.

"We need comments and ideas from all section of Llangollen's community. It's important to also include the opinions of visitors too.”

Cllr Mile added: “The feasibility study team will be carrying out traffic flow surveys over next weekend to enable them to understand some of the difficulties we have. They will be using the results to develop suggestions as to how the town can work better.”

* Cllr Timms said  a public consultation will be in Llangollen Town Hall on Tuesday July 17, from 3-7pm. Arcadis (Consultations) Group are carrying out the survey and everyone is invited to meet them to contribute their thoughts and ideas, he added. 

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.