Art group stages exhibition at museum

Llangollen Artists stage Pavilion exhibition

University offers free football course

* Glyndwr University lecturer in Football and Coaching Science Chris Hughes.

Footballers and coaches of the future are being offered the chance to join a free three-day course at Wrexham Glyndwr University and boost their skills.

To celebrate its Football Coaching and the Performance Specialist degree, the university’s Easter Football College is open to anyone aged 16 plus and living in Wales.

The college – an annual highlight of the university’s spring calendar - takes place on April 15, 16 and 17 from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Wrexham Glyndwr University Sports Hall.

The course, funded by the North and Mid Wales Reaching Wider Partnership, is led by specialists in the field including Wrexham Glyndwr University lecturer in Football and Coaching Science Chris Hughes.

It will introduce its participants to coaching and football science, develop their coaching and planning skills and help them learn about the benefits of community sport development and the importance of creating strong relationships through sport.

Organiser and university Widening Access Coordinator Sarah Gaffney said: “The Easter Football College is a wonderful free opportunity for anyone living

in Wales who is interested in football to take part in.

“It’s led by industry specialists and really helps give anyone who takes part a feel for football coaching – an area where there are a lot of opportunities right across our region where people can put their skills on the field to use helping other people.”

Chris added: “The course also gives you the chance to see what studying with us is like – our students find themselves at the heart of some really exciting events, like the recent Wales friendly in Wrexham where they were talked through match preparations beforehand and got the chance to analyse the game first-hand.

“If you love football then this is a great opportunity for you. Each morning the course will introduce you to a range of skills for coaching, working at a variety of levels, including community and performance.”

* To book your place please see: https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/ShortCourses/EasterFootballCollege/

Plan to build lift shaft up to castle unveiled

* Dinas Bran Castle could soon be reached by a lift shaft inside the hillside.

llanblogger April 1 exclusive

Llanblogger understands that consideration is being given to a dynamic new project for Llangollen.

The idea is to provide a lift shaft within the Dinas Bran hill with access up to the castle.

The project would see a tunnel dug into the hill, possibly from near the Army Cadet HQ, that would link to a lift shaft to take people up to the castle.    

A lift shaft pod would be built at the head of the lift within the castle walls in keeping with the architecture of the area and the tunnel would feature two moving walkways into the centre of the hill to the lift shaft base. 

Project spokesperson David Davies says it would be financed by a crowd-funding scheme.  

Acquisition of redundant shaft drilling and tunnel boring equipment might be possible to be purchased on completion of the London Crossrail ( Elizabeth Line) project, he added.

"Reducing the footfall erosion on the hillside the project would have zero impact on the environment and landscape of the castle hill," explained Mr Davies.

"The environment would be one of the prime considerations of the project to ensure that this exciting idea offers another significant tourist attraction to the town and allow visitors and residents, including those of limited walking ability, the experience of the views from the castle."

* Anyone who doubts the viability of the scheme should check out today's date.

Vicar blesses the beer aboard real ale train

* Father Lee performs the beer blessing as real ale train travellers watch.

* The vicar says cheers to the train as it pulls out of the station.

Llangollen's new vicar gave a blessing to the beer aboard a real ale train just before it steamed out of the town’s heritage railway station yesterday (Saturday) evening.

Father Lee Taylor, who took over at St Collen’s and three other churches in the Valle Crucis Mission Area last Christmas, believes that reviving the ancient ceremony which goes back to medieval times is a good way of taking the church out into the community.

So as the steam train prepared to leave the platform Father Lee was on hand in his full regalia to say some specially chosen words over the local brews that were about to be downed by a trainload of real ale lovers.

He said: “Back in medieval times it wasn’t unusual for priests to be called upon to bless all sorts of things, such as cheese, workmen’s tools or crops planted for harvest.

“It’s a way of the church responding to various activities in the community and a fun way of celebrating something that’s very good.”

Father Lee, whose mother was landlady at a couple of pubs back in his native Lancashire, added: “The beer blessing itself goes back to 1614 and inaugurated in the time of Pope Pius V.

"There also a link with St Collen's because on the church roof is a depiction of a men with barrels.

“I performed the ritual in English and used holy water and incense in the ceremony.

“Saint Arnold of Soissons, whose feast day is on August 14, and Saint Arnulf of Metz, whose day is on July 18, are both patron saints of beer and hop-pickers, so if any pubs or hotels in Llangollen would like their beer blessed on those days then let me know."

Earlier in the day he had been on BBC Radio Wales to explain what he was going to do and a TV camera crew were at the station to record the blessing.

This wasn't be the first time that Father Lee, who later joined travellers in a couple of pints himself, had carried out his beer blessing ceremony.

Back in 2016 he hit the national headlines when he blessed the casks at his local pub when he was part of the clergy team at Croydon Minster in London.

And soon after he arrived in Llangollen a gathering of parishioners and friends watched him bless his new vicarage in Abbey Road.

Llangollen heritage railway’s business manager, the aptly-named Liz McGuinness, also raised a glass to Father Lee’s ceremony.

She said: “This is a great idea. We are so pleased that Lee took out to re-enact an age old tradition. Everyone on the train enjoyed it very much.”

Eisteddfod inclusion project gets £5,000 boost

* St Christopher's, Wrexham in a previous inclusion project performance at the eisteddfod.

Wrexham-based Grosvenor Insurance Services has donated £5,000 to ensure a community inclusion initiative can be performed at this summer’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. 

The festival’s Inclusion Project has been running for 10 years, helping promote unity and diversity throughout North Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire. 

A diverse mix of local disability and community groups whose members would not usually have the opportunity to perform at international events will practice together over the coming months culminating in a unique performance on the main stage at the festival in July. 

Theatretrain Regional Choir from Mold and Derwen on Tour, a performance group from Oswestry’s Derwen College that uses Makaton signs to help children who have no speech, will be returning this year. 

New groups joining them will be Wrexham One Love Choir, whose members have experienced homelessness, addiction and mental health issues, Wrexham Singing Hands from Wrexham Deaf Club and Rhyl-based mental health ukulele group, Mind Tones.

The festival recently reached out to the local business community to secure funding to ensure it can continue delivering the Inclusion Project. 

The donation from Grosvenor Insurance Services will help fund the costs of the project.

Sandra Humphreys, Wrexham branch chairman of Grosvenor Insurance Services, said: “We were blown away by the incredibly talented groups and the inspiring work involved in  Llangollen Eisteddfod’s Inclusion Project last year, as they celebrated 10 years of the initiative.

“We’re very proud to support this great cause that unites local community groups, builds people’s confidence and helps them achieve amazing things.”

Tapestry will be the project's theme for 2019, an idea inspired by a quote from Maya Angelou – “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color”.

Eisteddfod music director Dr Edward-Rhys Harry said: “Providing equal opportunities for all to contribute to world peace and unity is what the Llangollen Eisteddfod works tirelessly to promote.

“Thanks to the generous support of Grosvenor Insurance Services with their donation towards the cost of the Inclusion Project, it has been able to continue its life-changing work and enables people from all walks of life to perform on the eisteddfod stage."

The eisteddfod will run from Monday 1st-Sunday 7th July with competitions and performances running every day and evening, including Jools Holland, Rolando Villazón and Gipsy Kings.
  

* To discover more about the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod visit: www.llangollen.net

Announcement on Royal at Three Eagles official opening

The town mayor, Cllr Jon Haddy, cut a red ribbon to officially declare open the Three Eagles restaurant bar in Bridge Street Llangollen earlier today (Friday). Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates, standing on his left, was among the invited guests. 

During the the event Three Eagles owner Matt Jones announced that, along with a business partner, his group had acquired the Royal Hotel. He said they intend to fully renovate and upgrade the building and service, offering facilities such as a fine dining restaurant and luxury spa.