Christmas card competition launched by AM and MP

* Ken Skates AM and Susan Elan Jones MP with artist Larrie Beattie from Penycae, who won the 2015 competition for artists of all ages.

Schoolchildren are being asked to show their artistic side and design a Christmas card which will be sent to hundreds of homes.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates and MP Susan Elan Jones are inviting pupils of every infant and primary school in their constituency to enter – and there are prizes to be won.

The winning design will get pride of place on the Labour pair’s official Clwyd South Christmas card and will be sent out to constituents, businesses, schools and voluntary groups.

Ken said: “It might seem a bit early with the summer holidays only just over, but we have to set a deadline of almost six weeks before Christmas to make we have enough time to get our cards printed and posted in time – it’s a big job!
“Whenever we have run this competition the children always enter into the spirit. We’re very grateful to the teachers for encouraging them to take part and for helping them.”

Susan added: “The competition is a fun way for schoolchildren in Clwyd South to learn a little bit about who represents them. A number of local companies have generously offered to sponsor the competition, so there will be prizes and certificates too. 
“We’ve had some wonderful designs in previous years and I’m looking forward to seeing what the children come up with this year.”

* The competition closes on Friday, November 16, and children can ask their teachers or parents/guardians to send their designs to Mr Skates’ constituency office at Unit 22, The Malthouse, Regent Street, Llangollen, LL20 8HS.

Any local companies who would like to co-sponsor the competition and have their logo feature on the card can email ken.skates@assembly.wales

Museum launches its latest art competition

Thai firm stirs up food festival excitement

* Dtoi Harvey will bring her Authentic Thai Cuisine to Llangollen Food Festival.

A Thai food producer which has tripled in size in 11 years is to launch a brand new chicken satay starter to satisfy a growing appetite for its honest cooking.

Authentic Thai Cuisine, based in Llanferres, in Flintshire, will be unveiling the new appetiser at the Llangollen Food Festival which provides a showcase for the company.

The starter has been developed to add to its array of frozen curries, noodle dishes and sauces as part of a plan to encourage customers to make a banquet out of its products.

The business, which was launched by Dtoi Harvey 11 years ago while she was employed as a full-time nursery nurse in Wrexham, currently produces more than 300 curries, 80 noodle dishes and up to 50 side dishes every week which it supplies to farm shops and food outlets across North Wales – three times the amount produced in its first two years.

Its reputation has grown significantly since first exhibiting at the food festival three years ago and the firm now employs seven part-time staff while boasting a growing list of suppliers – the most recent of which is based in Chester.

Owner Dtoi, 57, said a recent grant from Denbighshire County Council had enabled the business to purchase a walk-in freezer and increase its production capacity as well as the shelf life of its dishes. It has also led to the launch of new appetiser dishes including chicken satay.

The mother-of-one is excited about launching the dish at Llangollen Food Festival which she credits as winning her business far and wide.

“The festival has been really important to my business. You have to be known to be a success. Some of my suppliers are based in the middle of a field. They would never have known about my food had it not been for the festival introducing them to me,” said the former language support worker, who has a son, Tom, aged 21.

“It’s so important to get out there and meet people as well as present my cooking. I’m really looking forward to bringing my chicken satay there and presenting it to a wider audience.

“People can now make a banquet out of our products which is really exciting. The idea is that people who are really busy can enjoy themselves and contribute to their dinner party rather than being stuck in the kitchen.

“There seems to be a growing demand for good quality Thai cuisine which can be heated at home. I have people who order meals to take to Scotland or London on holiday or on business which is a great compliment.”

Llangollen Food Festival, which will be held at the iconic Royal International Pavilion Llangollen on October  13 and 14, was founded in 1997 and has gone from strength to strength, annually attracting thousands of food lovers from far and wide.

As a result, it’s been named as one of the Top 10 food festivals in the UK by the Independent and Daily Telegraph newspapers, pumping almost £400,000 into the local economy every year.

Dtoi, who was born near Bangkok in southern Thailand before moving to the UK 30 years ago, worked as a nursery nurse/language support worker for 15 years, helping foreign children in the area adjust to school life and alleviate language barriers.

It was while helping GCSE home economics pupils in the school kitchens she rediscovered her love of cooking authentic Thai food and the idea for her own food label was born.

To begin with Dtoi, who lives with her husband Graham, an engineer, donated her culinary creations to friends, family and community events to gauge feedback before formally going into business.

Now, 11 years later, she’s swapped the humble setting of her home kitchen for a self-contained unit in the garden and is responsible for seven part-time employees.

What hasn’t changed is the honesty of her cooking which remains preservative and additive-free (some dishes are also gluten, wheat and dairy-free) and emphasises the therapeutic, medicinal properties of the traditional herbs and spices to reflect her Thai culture.

“I’m really excited about launching this new starter at Llangollen Food Festival. I’m really the only person in the business who can talk in-depth about my products and the detailed cooking process so it’s important I’m there.

 “All of my ingredients are helpful emotionally and physically. Turmeric, for example, is a natural antiseptic and helpful for balancing hormones in women and men. Lemon grass as well as shallot and garlic soup is great for settling tummy aches. I understand the properties of the ingredients I use which is why I love coming to festivals and talking about it to my customers.” 

She also uses local producers where possible including J Williams & Co Butchers in Denbigh and fresh vegetables from Mold.

Among her growing list of products is massaman curry, traditional Thai red curry, green curry and yellow curry, vegetable spring rolls and her popular homemade sweet chilli sauce.

Phil Davies, a member of the committee at Llangollen Food Festival, said: "Companies like Authentic Thai Cuisine are what we are all about.

"We're particularly proud that we have been able to provide a shop window for Dtoi’s fantastic culinary talents and that we have helped her company develop and grow.”

* To find out more about Llangollen Food Festival go to: www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

Tourism sector event for the county

Businesses have the opportunity to boost their digital skills for free as Google brings Google Digital Garage to Denbighshire in October.

The Denbighshire Tourism Forum and Google Digital Garage takes place on October 10 at the Oriel House, St Asaph.

With a line-up of guest speakers including representatives from Visit Wales presenting on investment opportunities for businesses, Keep Tidy Wales and Surfers Against Sewage sharing their experiences of working towards plastic free status in their towns, it promises to be a key event for those involved in the tourism sector.

Three free Google Digital Garage sessions will be available during the afternoon. ‘Build a Digital Marketing Plan’ gives small businesses an introduction to the main digital marketing channels and how to use them to build a strategy.

‘Know your Business with Data’ will explore how Google Analytics can help uncover trends about customers, including how people use websites to interact with businesses online. Finally, the Social Media Strategy session will explore how to create a social media strategy based on business goals.

The event offers a great opportunity for delegates to network and share experiences, knowledge and ideas.

A variety of information stands will be present including Business Wales, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, SC2, Development Bank Wales, Clwydian Range Tourism Group and many more.

Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: “The Tourism Forum is a great way to meet like-minded people and find out about the latest tourism developments.

“The Google Digital Garage visiting Denbighshire is a great opportunity for businesses, students and people looking to gain new skills and knowledge. It’s a great benefit for local businesses to see how they can reach more customers and increase their business potential.”

Ronan Harris, Google UK & Ireland Managing Director, said: 'In the digital age, a basic understanding of how the online world works is useful and when it comes to business, it’s essential.

"We are delighted to bring the Google Digital Garage to Denbighshire and ensure everyone has access to free digital skills workshops. We hope you'll pop in and get the skills you need to become more confident online, grow your career or business, and maybe even launch the next big idea."

In the last two years, over 200,000 people across the UK have benefitted from Google’s free face-to-face training on digital know-how.

* To book a place at the Denbighshire Tourism Forum and/or Google Digital Garage please visit https://denbighshiretourismforumandgoogledigitalgarage.eventbrite.co.uk

Aerial view of Corwen rail project

* Looking east, showing the new subway in the foreground.

* Looking west with the water tower.

Llangollen Railway volunteer Dewi Davies used his drone to take some high-level pictures of the
Corwen station works site at the end of August.

They show how much civil engineering has taken place to alter the former single line embankment to accept the need for an island platform set within the two lines which form the terminal loop.

The first picture views the site from the west, Green Lane end, looking towards Carrog and shows the platform construction with the subway access in the foreground.

The wall for platform 2 on the right is complete and the wall for platform 1 on the left is under construction. The area in between is  being infilled and compacted with spoil to a depth of 5ft. When complete, the area will need to be paved to provide for a surface suitable for passengers. 

All this work is being undertaken by the project's team of volunteers, aided by contractors as necessary.

The cost of the platform infill is being meet through donations to the Tenner for a Tonne Appeal which, so far, has raised nearly £10k and remains open for further support to the Corwen Central Railway Project c/o 'Dolwen', Bryn Eglwys, Corwen LL21 9LY.

It is intended that the area around the subway will be provided with a canopy and installation of heritage style of columns will be a task for the future. In the meantime, the set of eight columns have been cleaned up and conserved by a Llangollen Railway volunteer.

The passenger facilities and the booking office will be provided in a temporary building now on site below the embankment which is externally finished in a railway livery of brown and cream with a new water proof roof attached. The internal layout will be organised by Corwen station staff during the coming winter in time for the opening next year on a date to be announced.

The second picture views the site from the east end looking towards the recently installed water tank as constructed by contractors at Rhosllanerchrugog earlier this year. The tank will receive its water supply from a nearby borehole situated in the pumphouse on the left.

The area in the foreground will shortly see the installation of the track work to complete the loop line and connection to the track in platform 2 on the left. Completion of platform 1 to the right of the water tank will follow.

However, before this work is tackled, it is necessary to bring in the signalbox cabin from its storage place at Carrog and mount it on the prepared base to the right of the site - a job for the autumn.

Completion of this work during the autumn will eventually allow for the gap in the embankment behind the camera to be infilled and the 150 yards connection made to the railhead at Dwyrain Corwen East temporary platform. Ballasting and tamping of the new track layout will then follow before it is declared operational next year.

Subject to completion of the outstanding work, and the continuing provision of resources - manpower, materials and finance - the aim is to open the terminal in 2019. Then a basic station facility will be available for trains to stop adjacent to the town's car park and bus interchange.

With a stop-over time in the station of 20 minutes, whilst the locomotive detaches and runs round to reconnect at the rear of the train, passengers will have time to alight relative to the town centre. 

A Llangollen Railway spokesman said. "For 2019 the need is to attract further passengers to join the train at Corwen from a new segment of the tourist market in North-west Wales and beyond.

"Additional passenger numbers travelling on the Llangollen Railway through the Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is key to the continuing success of the line, justifying the considerable expense which the extension of the line from Carrog has involved over the past eight years of its construction.

"As with other heritage railway schemes, the initial basic facility at the Corwen station will be enhanced as resources allow with the eventual provision of a purpose built station building, subject to obtaining planning consent and grant aid."

Craig's big bank job pays healthy dividends

llanblogger takes an exclusive look inside the new business
in the old HSBC bank which is now rapidly nearing completion

* Craig Forde in the coffee shop-tearoom with its hand-made furniture and fittings.

* One of the shower suites housed in the basement. 

* The large front en suite including an original 1830 ceiling beam.

* Extensive work goes on at the back of the building.

A MAN who originally came to work in a Llangollen youth hostel and liked the place so much he’s stayed 21 years is now putting the finishing touches to his “dream” business in one of the town’s old banks.

Craig Ford and his team of contractors have spent the past eight months ripping apart and rebuilding the former HSBC in Bridge Street as an impressive new enterprise called appropriately Riverbanc as it backs directly onto the mighty Dee.

The imposing five-storey building, which dates back to 1830, was vacated after protests by local people in February 2014.

But it’s now been given a fresh lease of life and is a major investment by Craig and his wife Hannah who is also his business partner.

* Craig hopes to turn Riverbanc

into a local hub. 

Its many internal rooms have been thoughtfully planned to accommodate two separate operations – a coffee bar/tea room complete with its own chef and a new home for the Fordes’ existing and thriving outdoor activities companies, Whitewater Active and Safe and Sound Outdoors.

Craig is originally from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and worked in various places around the country until he signed up for six weeks as an activity instructor at the former Llangollen Youth Hostel, then located at Tyn Dwr Hall, back in 1997.

He enjoyed being in the area so much he decided to stay and settle down, splitting his year between working at restaurants in the Alps in winter and Llangollen in summer.

Deciding it would be perfect for his requirements he made his pitch for the old bank building not too long after it went on sale and eventually sealed the deal in March last year. However, it wasn’t until last Christmas that he finally secured planning permission for the ambitious scheme he had in mind.

A team from G Construction based in Weston Rhyn moved in to start the massive facelift job last February and are now coming to the end of the project.

Craig said: “We’ve virtually ripped the place apart but in the most sympathetic way possible, preserving parts of the old building such as the huge original oak beams in a number of places and, of course, the huge steel-doored safe which we’ll use as a storeroom.

“The place had always been a bank, starting off as a branch of the North and South Wales Bank and going through various incarnations over the years.

“We’ve renewed about 70 per cent of the floor and taken all the walls back to the brick, putting in proper insulation. It’s a traditional build but done up to modern standards.”

It might surprise some people to learn that because of the way the building is terraced down towards the river at the back, it has large cellars on two levels – both virtually unused during bank days

The upper part of the basement will be used for storing equipment for the activity centre and there are also be changing rooms along with two sets of showers and toilets. At the rear this area sweeps out through a door onto a picnic area.  

The lower cellar will be another storage area, mainly for wetsuits connected with the activity business. Again, leading off will be another patio area.

Pride of place back up at street level goes to the coffee shop/tea rooms which will run independently from the Fordes’ other business.

Seating 30 in the front and another 30 on a deck over the river, this has been smartly fitted out with counters hand made in the shaker style and heavy wooden benches specially crafted for Craig.   

From its fully-fitted kitchen it will serve breakfasts, lunches and brunches prepared by resident chef Alison Evans who has worked at a number of eateries in the Llangollen area, including the Bryn Howell where she trained under the famous Dai Chef.

While customers will feed into the new eatery through the front door of the former bank a new main entrance has been created – out of what was the manager’s office - just along the front of the building for the activity business customers, who will also be able to gain access along a passage leading to another door at the side.

Up on the first floor are three en suite bedrooms and a large training room which can be hired out fully equipped including a wall-screen.

The top floor has four more en suite bedrooms, including a very large family room at the front of the building overlooking Bridge Street.

Craig said: “The bedrooms, half of which overlook the river and the other half the street, would ideally suit our activity customers but are really for everyone.

“I believe there’s a definite lack of accommodation in Llangollen, where for seven or eight months of the year most places are fully booked. I wanted to try and do something about that.”

Craig has created five new jobs with his enterprise, which includes four in the coffee shop/tea rooms over the winter and six on the activity side.

He said: “We started our activity businesses 15 years ago but have been renting in various places like the Malthouse in Regent Street and premises in Castle Street since then.

“It was always my dream to have somewhere we owned where we could put our own stamp on things – I just didn’t think it would be this big!  

“But it actually ticks all our boxes and there are so many things we can do with it. It’s in a fantastic place right next to the new Centenary Square and the river.

“It’s also a beautiful building of which we’ve tried to keep as many features as we could.

“It’s now my aim to make it a local hub so everyone can come along and enjoy it”

Craig says he’s aiming to have Riverbanc fully open and ready for business by early next month.

Llan businesses invited to join Christmas promotion

Businesses in Llangollen are being given the chance help promote their towns over the festive period.

As part of the #LoveLiveLocal campaign, Denbighshire County Council is looking for traders to act as social media ambassadors to appear in short video clips to highlight what the county has to offer shoppers.

#LoveLiveLocal aims to get people to show support for local independent businesses by using the hashtag on Twitter and Facebook to share good experiences they’ve had as well as promote products and services locally they have ‘loved’.

The Council is looking for businesses who would like to take part by talking passionately about what their high street has to offer.

Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire, said: “With Christmas on its way the Council is already preparing to help promote our local traders this festive period as part of our work to create resilient communities.

“We are helping to highlight the great retail offer right here in Denbighshire and encourage shoppers to see what is on their local high streets.

“Not only do local businesses offer great value for money and a wide range of products, they also provide excellent customer service.

“I’d encourage businesses to put themselves forward so we can showcase our fantastic Denbighshire businesses.”

The videos will appear on social media throughout the Christmas period to help promote shopping locally.

* If you would like to take part in the video contact econdev@denbighshire.gov.uk or phone 01824 706896.