North Wales growth deal to be discussed at conference

Companies in Denbighshire are invited to attend an event focused on how they can benefit from the North Wales Growth Deal, as part of Denbighshire County Council’s March for Business month.

The North Wales Economic Ambition Board – which consists of representatives from all six local authorities, colleges, universities, and the private sector – has secured a £240m commitment from the UK and Welsh governments for the deal and will push for further investment over the coming months.

The conference and networking day will be held at the OpTIC Centre in St Asaph between 12pm and 2.30pm on Wednesday, March 6, where organisations from across the county can find out more.

Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: "The deal could enable investment of up to £1billion in North Wales and more than 5,000 jobs could be created.

"As a Council we are supporting businesses in the county and we want to work closely with them and part of this is to make sure they are as informed as possible about the Growth Deal, so they can share in the benefits this investment will bring.

"We will continue to work closely with the county's businesses to ensure they are involved as much as possible in the Growth Deal for North Wales.

“This event, like all of our March for Business programme, has been designed to meet the needs of businesses in the county.”

March for Business includes 25 events offering more than 100 hours of business support at venues across the county.

Ashley Rogers, chair of the North Wales Business Council and member of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, said: "This is arguably the biggest investment across North Wales for decades and it has some direct benefits for our local businesses.

"We are all working together to create high value jobs for the region, improve skills and training, enhance digital and transport infrastructure and develop North Wales as a world leader in low carbon energy, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.

"Our ultimate aim is to increase the economy to £20bn a year by 2035 and bring the area's gross value added figures in line with the rest of the UK.

"This event will offer a fantastic opportunity for businesses in Denbighshire to make the most of this Growth Deal."

Those attending will find out how the deal could benefit businesses in Denbighshire across a wide range of projects including digital connectivity, land and property development, smart local energy networks and major investments in our universities and colleges.

For more information and to book your place visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/marchforbusiness

How former councillor became a Portuguese citizen

* Stuart Davies skippering his boat off Gibraltar.

* His Portuguese paperwork all in order.

Former Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies untangles a piece of the Brexit maze as he tells how he became a temporary Portuguese citizen ...

My Beneteau 381 boat is based in Albufeira Marina in Portugal and there is a good cohort of live-aboards based there as well.

Beer o'clock conversation has started to turn to what happens to us after Brexit.

Will we be treated the same as non-Europeans etc who are not in the Schengen Area? Will we have to abide by the rule that says we will not be able to stay longer than three months cumulative in any six-month period or will special dispensations be put in place as part of any deal?

Similarly, what will happen to our boats?

In Portugal it is quite straightforward, there is a rule whereby their presence is ok as long as they leave the country every six months in a fiscal year, otherwise a circulation tax is due.

As we long-term berthers understand it, as long as the boat leaves the country in June for a couple of days then all is well, the clock is reset and the circulation tax is not due.

So a quick trip to Ayamonte on the Spanish border about 40 miles away at least once a year solves that issue.

The Schengen Rule thing is a bit different. Basically all EU countries except us and Norway belong to a group which allows free movement across the EU.

We have a dispensation, that’s why there isn't much difference when we visit other EU countries. As it stands after March 29 it looks as if we will have to comply with the rules and will have to have a visa if we stay for more than three months cumulative within a six-month period.

However, a solution has come forward.

Portugal likes us, don't forget. We are both the oldest allies of each other and they value our tourism custom.

We have found out that it is quite easy to get temporary residence for five years and if you want to you can actually apply for Portuguese citizenship afterwards.

All the rules can be found here  https://tinyurl.com/y29w7vsk

So basically myself and my wife took ourselves off to the Camara in Albufeira which is the local council offices. We took with us, passports, driving licences and, most important, the invoice for our mooring in Albufeira Marina.

First stop was the finance office where half an hour, including the ticketed wait, got us a fiscal number, this is something that is unique to Europe where they carry identity cards. The best way I suppose to look at it is that it is similar to our NI number (something that is asked for when ever you do a marina contract in Portugal).

Next stop was across the road in the main council offices where you take another ticket number. We sat down and waited. The numbers are called out quite quickly and soon we were sitting in front of a very helpful Portuguese council officer who knew exactly what to do when we asked for a temporary residence certificate. They are good for five years and cost 15 euros

We presented passports, driving licences, the new fiscal number document and the marina invoice as proof of our residence. The Marina had put on the document our berth number as well so we had an official address in the Marina.

Fifteen minutes and 15 euros later we were proud owners of temporary residence documents which basically allow us to stay in Portugal after Brexit for as long as we like up to five years.

Reading the notes in the link it is interesting that we can now import a car without paying big import taxes and access the health service as well!

As a side note, I learned to speak Portuguese when I worked in Angola. I enjoy speaking it and it certainly helps by showing willing when doing things like this. The two officers spoke some English but they appreciated me being able to speak to them in their language which I am sure smoothed the path.

Bureaucracy used to be very big in Portugal, it is still there but not as much as when I used to crew change through Lisbon back in the 80s. Portugal is a vibrant country and modernizing fast. I said this to the officer and he said he still thought it was bureaucratic but as I said, trying to do what we did in three hours would have taken weeks back here in the UK!

I told this story to some of our friends and they went and did the same, what was also interesting was that in the waiting area there were four British Camper Van applicants, they were doing the same thing but they were being allowed to use their campsite address as the permanent address.

So, combined with the T2L document to show our EU VAT status for the boat, it looks as if we are in as good a position as we can be for March 29. And my advice to anyone going to Portugal for more than three months cumulative in a six-month period is to do what we have done.

Young 'Uns' Grease really is a class act

 * The cast of Grease by the Young 'Uns.

Grease is the word for the Young ‘Uns at Llangollen Town Hall until tomorrow night.

But their packed audiences have come up with another word for the performance of the smash-hit musical about teen life in the States over 50 years ago – fabulous!

An enormous cast from the Operatic Society’s junior section act, sing and dance their way through the evergreen piece in fantastic style and are drawing in maximum crowds for their efforts.

Grease is a snapshot of life for seniors at Rydell High at a time when new girl Sandy joins their ranks and of her blossoming love affair with the young buck she’s met on the recently-ended vacation who turns out to be leader of the school’s resident pack of hard-nosed greasers, the T-Birds. 

She teams up with their equivalent female gang, the Pink Ladies, and it’s fun all the way from here.

We all know the story from the famous late 70s film but this crowd of performers are much nearer in age to their characters than those who portrayed them in the flick.

Sophie Roberts can belt out the songs and hand-jive with the best of them as Sandy and her professionalism in every department is matched by Ethan Le-Cheminant who shines as her well-quiffed beau Danny.

Celyn Orton-Jones punches above her weight as the overly-mature girls’ gang leader Rizzo and Connie Richardson shines as her pink-haired pack mate Frenchy.

There’s a nice comedy turn from Young ‘Uns favourite Aled Morris as Roger, the clown of the T-Birds, and Megan Edwards really does come up with a Strictly-standard performance as Cha-Cha, the best dancer at rival school St Bernadette’s in the prom scene.

On his farewell appearance with Young ‘Uns before moving on to study for a professional stage career is Cassius Hackforth. He hands down a nifty cameo portrayal of Frenchy’s Guardian Angel and unleashes the strong voice and presence that has been pleasing the drama group’s audiences for the past eight years.

But Young ‘Uns fans needn’t worry because another of their stars, Shea Ferron, is still available for future shows. In Grease he’s as accomplished as ever, this time as Vince Fontaine the oily teen radio DJ.

The show moves along at a cracking pace keeping up the momentum with stand-out numbers such as Greased Lightning, Beauty School Dropout and, of course, You’re the One that I Want in which Sandy and Danny finally team up. A live band helps tremendously with all this.

Backing the leads is a huge and talented cast who take the stage as high school students, cheerleaders and wannabe Pink Ladies and T-Birds.

As usual an equally vast behind-the-scenes crew - spearheaded by producer Pamela Williams, artistic directors Jo Lloyd and Robin Crowley and musical director Julian Cattley - has made a superb job of staging, costumes, including some great wigs, and settings.

The Young ‘Uns’ Grease, which hits the stage again tonight (Friday) and again twice tomorrow including an afternoon matinee, really is a class act.

Ken Skates opens new-look gym at Plas Madoc

* From left, Splash Community Trust chair Stella Matthews; Splash director John Roberts; gym supervisor John Edwards (behind Ken); assistant gym supervisor Connor Roberts; sales, marketing and admin officer Callum Edwards and general manager Denise Chadwick.

Assembly Member Ken Skates was invited to officially open the new-look gym at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre.

The Clwyd South AM was a member of the volunteer trust which saved the popular facility from demolition after Wrexham Council planned close it down in 2013.

Plas Madoc received a £500,000 grant from the Welsh Labour Government in 2016 and was last year named Welsh Social Enterprise of the Year.

“I was delighted to officially open the new gym – it looks fantastic,” said Mr Skates.

“And it was great to catch up with the staff and volunteers at the best social enterprise in Wales! I learned to swim at Plas Madoc, so as a long-term user and supporter I’m proud to see the centre going from strength to strength.”

The state-of-the-art equipment from Life Fitness includes large touchscreen monitors providing access to Netflix and other online streaming services. As part of the refurbishment the gym has also been redecorated and had a new floor laid.

“We are very proud of the investment we have been able to make. The new equipment puts us at the forefront of gym technology,” said Stella Matthews, chair of the Splash Community Trust which runs the centre.

“I’m grateful to everyone for their ongoing support in our efforts to continue investing for the future.”

General manager Denise Chadwick added: “This major investment by the Splash Community Trust is a real statement as to our commitment to the long-term future of Plas Madoc Leisure Centre. The new kit will provide a real bonus to our current membership and hopefully attract new members.”

Wrexham Council closed Plas Madoc in 2014, but a band of dedicated supporters worked tirelessly to reopen it as a social enterprise. The centre, praised by First Minister Mark Drakeford following a recent visit, now employs more than 40 people.

Rail talk planned for Llangollen Museum

New season ready to steam ahead at railway

* Peppa Pig is heading for Llangollen Railway on March 23 and 24. 

* A 1940s themed weekend is planned for April 13 and 14.

The first trains for the new season at Llangollen railway begin running during the half term break.

The programme starts next Monday, February 18 when a diesel railcar will initially operate three services a day from Llangollen to Carrog which will be the interim terminus pending an opening through to Corwen.

Steam trains will operate during the latter part of the week and at weekends.

For the half term weeks in February and March a special offer is being made for family groups with the first child going free and second child at half-fare accompanied by a fare paying adult.

Travelling on the Llangollen Railway will allow a younger generation to see how grandparents once went everywhere by train.

A mid-week diesel railcar service (Tuesdays – Fridays) will operate throughout March to allow visitors to access the Dee Valley via the stations at Berwyn, Glyndyfrdwy and Carrog from where different sections of the Dee Valley Way can be followed as part of a day out during the early spring.

Llangollen Railway's business manager Liz McGuinness said: “Whilst we are eagerly anticipating the opening through to the new terminus at Corwen on a date to be announced, there is still much to do to complete this new station and prepare it for an official inspection.

“However, in the early part of the railway’s season some notable attractions lined up.  The popular Peppa Pig will visit March 23/24 and Paddington Bear will make a return visit on May 25. A three-day Thomas the Tank event is scheduled for April 26-28.

“The weekend of April 13/14 will have a 1940s theme and alongside the steam trains, many attractions are being lined up to appear at stations with re-enactments, a military and civilian vehicle display, music and food of the era and fancy dress for those who choose to come in uniform or civilian clothes of the wartime and post war periods.”

* More details at: www.llangollen-railway.co.uk

Search for world's most talented young singers begins

* Soprano Charlotte Hoather.

A “supremely talented soprano” has launched a search to find the world’s most talented young singers.

According to Charlotte Hoather, 24, winning the prestigious Pendine International Voice of the Future competition at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod last year catapulted her career to a new level on the global stage.

Organisers say entries are already flooding in for the prestigious competition this year which has a first prize of £5,000, along with a £2,000 cheque for the runner up.

Every year the picturesque town of Llangollen in the Dee Valley welcomes around 4,000 international performers and around 50,000 visitors to the week-long festival of music and dance.

Among the highlights of the week is the prestigious Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, which showcases young talent alongside other gifted global performers.

Once again this year the arts-loving care organisation, Pendine Park, is contributing  £5,000 to the prize fund and a beautiful silver salver via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, with the balance coming from Sir Bryn’s Terfel’s foundation and Llangollen Eisteddfod.

Following her “life-changing” experience last year, Charlotte, from Winsford, in Cheshire, is urging other young soloists not to miss the deadline for entries on March 1.

The format will be slightly different this year, with the preliminary rounds being held at Llangollen Town Hall on Tuesday, July 2.

The semi-final will then be held on the pavilion stage the following day with two

two finalists going head to head during the live televised concert in the evening.

Charlotte, who trained at the Royal College of Music, said: “The competition gave me a massive boost. It’s been huge for my confidence and helped me push the boundaries of where I could go and what I can do. And the prize money gave me such a massive opportunity to further my career.

“Having the money available meant I could fly to New York to audition for Pittsburgh Opera and attend an event at the Metropolitan Opera House and I’m also jetting off to Seoul, South Korea at the end of March for another competition which is very exciting.”

Charlotte, who previously gained a First Class Honours Degree in Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, added: “I’d encourage any young singer to give it a go.

“Winning the competition is life-changing. It’s helped me to take more risks and travel internationally for opportunities as a professional singer.”

“The year has been amazing. I toured the role of Uccelina in Paris organised by the Théâtre du Châtelet, and appeared at the Metropolitan Opera House in the same role latter touring the Scottish Highlands performing in Bambino for Scottish Opera.

“I also performed at the inaugural Waterperry Opera Festival whose Patron is Jonathan Dove, the composer of Mansfield Park and I will reprising the role again this coming July.

“I was also guest soloist at Tideswell Remembrance concert and sang in the Rachmaninov recital at Pushkin House in Bloomsbury, London. More recently I reached the quarter finals of an International Singing competition in Dublin, It was certainly a busy year!”

Charlotte’s success was music to the years of Pendine Park proprietors Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill.

Mr Kreft said: “This is the third year of the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition and the standard just seems to go up and up. Last year’s winner, Charlotte Hoather, was exceptional and a very deserving winner.

“She is a supremely talented soprano and the competition has helped unlock the door to a hugely bright future.

“Our aim in supporting the competition in conjunction with the Sir Bryn Terfel Foundation is to provide a springboard for brilliant young singers from around the world to achieve their dreams of establishing a career on the global stage.

“Sir Bryn is living proof that supreme talent can take you a long way and we are delighted to doing our bit to help gifted young singers attain new heights.

“The competition chimes perfectly with our ethos at Pendine Park because the arts in general and music in particular provide the golden thread running through everything we do to enrich the lives of our residents and staff alike.”

The festival’s musical director, Edward-Rhys Harry, said: “We are so grateful to Pendine Arts and Community Trust for their continued support for this truly international competition.

“I know how much the competition has accelerated the career of Charlotte Hoather, last year’s winner and how she used her prize money to help further her career.

“It’s a massive opportunity to perform before a big live audience and live on TV. My advice is very simple, if you are a young singer aged between 19 and 28 and think you may be good enough, then go for it.

“Approach the competition with courage and conviction and even if you don’t make the final it will still be an invaluable lesson and a wonderful experience.”

“This major competition is something that we need to nurture and thanks to the support of Pendine Arts and Community Trust young artists are getting an opportunity to further their careers.

“It’s certainly a competition I’m really looking forward to and it promises to be one of the major highlights of this year’s International Music Eisteddfod. And another new aspect of the competition is that the winner will be offered additional performances at other venues. The competition really is going on to another level.

* To find out more about the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod and for competition details please visit www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk