Elderly warned over smooth-talking conmen

* Matthew Hazelwood, Modern Slavery Case worker; Elin Davies, Senior Victim Health Worker; Emma Davies Williams, Mental Health and Wellbeing caseworker; Jessica Rees; Wales Hate Crime Manager;, Sioned Jacobsen, Operations  Manager; Arfon Jones, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner; Ann Griffith, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.

The boss of a centre that supports crime victims from across North Wales has warned elderly people to be on their guard against fraudsters after her 87-year-old grandfather fell prey to a smooth-talking conman.

Sioned Jacobsen, the Operations Manager at the North Wales Victim Help Centre, revealed they’re seeing a big increase in the number of fraud cases involving victims aged 70 or over being targeted over the phone or online.

In recent weeks they have been providing support to one victim who was conned out of £140,000 of their life-savings.

Ms Jacobsen was horrified to discover that her much-loved Taid had been duped by fraudsters who persuaded him to give them his bank details.

She said: “They contacted him and said that the telegraph pole outside needed repairing, otherwise his phone would be cut off so he gave his bank details and PIN over the phone.

“They didn’t take any money because he contacted my mum straight away and said he thought he’d done something stupid, so she phoned the bank on his behalf.

“But he said they were so believable and assured him it was absolutely fine to give them his PIN number and his card details over the phone.

“It’s horrible. It just goes to show it can happen to absolutely anyone. My Taid would like to think he is quite clued up and he is quite with it, but he felt awful and embarrassed by it.”

Ms Jacobsen was speaking at the official launch of two videos made to highlight the help available to victims of crime.

The North Wales Victim Help Centre, which his based in St Asaph, is funded by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.

It has 12 members of staff including caseworkers who specialise in modern day slavery, mental health and hate crime.

They are supplemented by a network of trained volunteer helpers located across the region.

Demand for the centre’s services has increased every year since it was established in 2015 and last year they made contact with 34,500 victims.

Most are referred to them by the police and other agencies but victims are also encouraged to call he centre themselves if they need expert support and guidance.

Ms Jacobsen added:  “We’ve had a record amount of self-referrals in the last quarter from people who don’t want to report to the police and from other agencies who want to directly refer to us.

“There is a big growth in the number of fraud cases involving older people being referred to us. Normally the victims are aged 70 or over.

“We’ve had victims take support when they’ve lost 70, 80, 90 thousand pounds and last week someone who was defrauded out of around £140,000.

“It’s particularly despicable that these fraudsters target older people because they are generally more vulnerable to this type of crime.

“Very often the victims feel ashamed so one of the things the staff is trying to do is tell them it’s not their fault and that they shouldn’t feel embarrassed about it.

“These people who are committing the crimes are clever, they know who to target, so it’s just a case of reassuring them really that they haven’t done anything wrong, and it’s not their fault. The con artists are very credible, very plausible, that’s the trouble.

“The key message to victims is that they should get in touch because help and support is available.

“We can support victims of crime, no matter what the crime is, no matter how long ago it happened and whether it’s been reported or not.

“If they feel like they’ve been victimised in any way then they should please contact us.”

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones said: “I am very concerned about the increase in the number of fraud cases and the suffering it’s causing to people.

“I would like to see a dedicated economic crime unit being set up in North Wales to investigate these crimes and this is a conversation I need to  have with the force.

“I think every force in the country could do more but it’s not something the police can solve on their own.

“We also need to educate people to educate themselves as well as catching the perpetrators.

“The big banks do a lot of anti-fraud work but I think the regional managers in Wales could and should be doing more to fund either victim support officers or fraud investigators.

“I think the work they do nationally should be spread out regionally, especially in areas were bank branches are disappearing left, right and centre leaving rural communities and the people living in them quite vulnerable.”

* To find out more about the North Wales Victim Support Centre please visit www.victimhelpcentrenorthwales.org.uk

Residents give woodland a spring clean

* The spring clean group with the final pile of rubbish collected in Trevor.

Residents of Trevor and surrounding communities have teamed up to give the woodland of Rhos y Coed a spring clean.

The woodland has been subject to some historic fly tipping and all sorts of rubbish was found from car bonnets to garden pots. 

The full extent of the litter problem was brought to light following the creation of a new path through the woodland linking the community centre up with the canal and enabling people to get up close to the massive meteorite-like clinker, a piece of historical fly tipping in itself, dating from as far back as 1870 and a relic of the local iron industry.!

The Clinker Path as it is now known and some new trees which were planted by the Trevor cubs and beavers a few weeks ago were both made possible through the Our Picturesque Landscape (OPL) National Lottery Heritage Fund Project as part of their remit to improve access to the picturesque countryside. 

Following the discovery of the rubbish the OPL team contacted Keep Wales Tidy, a charity working across the whole of Wales to protect our environment for now and for the future, to organise the community Spring Clean event as part of their annual Spring Clean Cymru which is a nationwide campaign encouraging people across Wales to get together to help clean up our beautiful Cymru.

A total of 10 local people, including four children gave up their Saturday morning to help tidy up the woods and improve them for both people and wildlife and by the end a total of 20 bags of rubbish and other larger items were collected.

If you feel inspired by these local environmental heroes and want to do your bit there are lots of other Spring Clean Cymru events going on until April 23^rd, visit the Keep Wales Tidy website for more information.  

Our Picturesque Landscape Project centres on the landscape of the Dee Valley and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site. 

It takes the theme of inspirational journeys that have been, and continue to be, a feature of the area which is cut by the canal, Telford's A5 and the River Dee. Visitors have drawn inspiration from this beautiful valley in art and poetry since the 18th century and it continues to draw tourists in search of the sublime.

Our Picturesque Landscape Project is predominantly funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is a partnership project developed by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site, Denbighshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Shropshire Council, The Canal & River Trust, Natural Resources Wales, Cadw, Cadwyn Clwyd, Aqueducks (Friends of the World Heritage Site) and the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley.

http://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/our-picturesque-landscape-project/

Follow on Facebook @Clwydian Range and Dee Valley

Railway swings back to the 40s this weekend

* Winston Churchill and General Montogomery look-alikes will be visiting the 1940s weekend.

Llangollen Railway will be putting the clock back to the World War Two era when it stages its Home Front Weekend this Saturday and Sunday.

The event will be feature displays of military personnel, equipment and vehicles - both British and American - located at the stations along the line to Carrog.

The Home Front side of the period will also be represented with civilian vehicles parked at various locations together with displays of life in the 1940s. 

There will be a mock air raid and demonstration of military firepower on both days. 

Entertainment will be provided at each station along the line by live performers singing songs of the era including George Formby, the Bluebird Belles a group of WAAF entertainers, the Airborne Angel and Jayne Darling.

* Jayne Darling will sing live during the event.

On Saturday night Llangollen Station will offer live acts for the evening dance with a real ale bar from 7-1p.m.  

Look-alikes of Winston Churchill, General Montgomery and Air Vice Marshall Harris will visit the Dee valley during the course of the event to undertake inspections and make patriotic speeches. 

A drum head church service will be held on Sunday morning at Llangollen Station.

Steam-hauled trains will run at regular intervals through the scenic Dee valley during the day with an evening service on Saturday to convey visitors to the concert at Llangollen Station.

* George Formby will also put in an appearance.

A demonstration goods train will also be in operation carrying vital wartime materials along the line.

The main display of military vehicles will be at Glyndyfrdwy Station, about halfway along the railway. 

Unrationed refreshments will be available at stations along the line.

There will be a real ale bar at Llangollen which will be open during the day and into the evening during the concert.  

Visitors are invited to enter into the spirit of the event and come dressed in period costume. 

Any children being evacuated should have the appropriate labels. Unfortunately the line between Carrog and Corwen will be closed due to ‘enemy action’.

* Further information on departure time so of trains and events can be obtained by contacting the Station Office at Llangollen on telephone number 01978-860979, or the website at www.llangollen-railway.co.uk   

On Friday evening New Dot Cinema is screening A Matter of Life and Death, a great 1940s epic, in the Town Hall in Llangollen. Doors open 7.30pm and the film starts at 8pm.

Youngsters take to the streets to showcase eisteddfod

* The eisteddfod mini parade pf nations in Wrexham town centre.

In a break from tradition the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has taken its annual Parade of Nations to the streets of Wrexham.

The parade features performers waving flags representing their nation. 

It has always taken place in the host town of Llangollen but, for the first time in the festival’s history, volunteers took to the streets of Wrexham and other towns to celebrate the launch of the eisteddfod’s daytime programme.

The mini parades included young students from Ysgol Dinas Brân and also visited Liverpool, Chester and Oswestry.

Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies said: “Showcasing an array of colourful flags, our international parade marched through the town of Wrexham in a vivacious display of international unity and friendship.

“It’s always extremely exciting announcing our daytime line-up and we hope that our parade inspires Wrexham to join us for our week-long festival of music and dance this summer.”

From Tuesday 2^nd July to Saturday 6^th July,  the three outdoor stages will host a variety of live world music and dance, folk, classical, jazz, indie, acoustic, roots, and opera, Celtic reggae, and rock, whilst world-class entertainment continues in the main pavilion where choirs, dancers and soloists from different nations compete for international recognition and prizes.

Tickets for the 2019 Llangollen Eisteddfod are on sale and can be purchased online at www.llangollen.net or via the box office. An early bird £5 Ground ticket offer is available using the discount code NEWS19.

  

Daytime line-up includes:

Tuesday July 2

Earth’s Little Heroes – International Children’s Day

The Eisteddfod opens with a day of programming especially for primary school age children. Earth’s Little Heroes’ matinee performances in the pavilion will include the annual Peace message and a special ‘World Warriors’ performance with pupils from local Denbighshire schools. Field events will include Interactive Junk Music™, workshops with the Junkman and a Magic of Recycling Show with The Conwy Jester.

Priority booking for this event is given to those on educational trips but public admission will be available on the day with seating in the rear section of the pavilion. Kindly supported by MBNA General Foundation.

Into the evening from 4.30pm there will be a variety of operas, acoustic soloists and ballet.

Wednesday July 3

Harmony and Diversity

Young competitors take to the pavilion stage with the Children’s Folk Song Choirs, Junior Children’s Choirs, Vocal Solo (age 12-15) and Children’s Traditional Folk Dance Group categories. There will also be this year’s Inclusion Project, 'Tapestry' involving local groups from diverse backgrounds.

The day will be filled with music and dance workshops so everyone has the chance to try something new

From 4.30pm there will be world music from the Balkans and Eastern Europe and local choirs.

Thursday July 4

Exploring Peace Together

Discover what peace means to you and to your neighbours. Get involved in workshops and peace chants with the Southern Shaolin Temple Warrior Monks, celebrate the WCIA Young Peacemakers Awards and witness the bespoke artwork from young people of Plas Madoc.

International competitions include Senior Children’s Choir, A cappella Group, Open Folk Solo, Vocal Solo (age 16-19), Voice of Musical Theatre and the announcement of the Children’s Choir of the World results.

Into the evening from 4.30pm international participants join together in ‘The Gathering’ in an exchange of dance and culture not to be missed before the outside stages come alive with South American and Spanish vibes along with Eastern European folk music with gypsy jazz.

Friday July 5

Uniting Nations in Music

Llangollen Eisteddfod was established in 1947 as a means of uniting nations through music. Today we showcase music from all over the world with performances of intercultural song and dance all around the field. Lively marimba band Otto & The Mutapa Calling treat us to the energetic, joyful music from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe whilst Mambo Jambo will take you on an exciting and joyous musical journey with a mash-up of sounds from world, roots, folk and jazz.

The pavilion will be jammed full with international sights and sounds with the Adult Folk Song Choirs, Choreographed/Stylised Folk Dance, Youth Choirs, Traditional Folk Dance, Open Folk Solo and Young Instrumentalist categories.

The Parade of Nations takes place at 4.30pm this spectacle of colour and sound is one of the highlights of the eisteddfod.

Saturday 6 July

Discovering our World Community

Enjoy local community performances on the field and the Dancing in the Street competition at the Riverside Park at 2.00pm. Field activities for families include circus skills and stilt walking, walkabout artistes and craft activities.

The last day of competitions will see a splash of colour with the Cultural Showcase competition and the very best of Mixed Choirs, Female Voice Choirs, Open Choirs and Male Voice Choirs who are competing to win a place in the Choir of the World final.

World music featuring a lively Ceilidh band, Sitar and Tablo duo, and Celtic rock band, folk and acoustic music will entertain all day and into the evening from 4.30pm.

Residents urged to beware of tarmac scam

Denbighshire County Council is warning residents in the county to beware of traders claiming to sell ‘left-over’ tarmac on behalf of the authority.

The council has received calls from worried residents in rural properties near Ruthin who have received cold callers offering to sell ‘left over tarmac’ from resurfacing works and the traders claims they are working for the county council. 

However, the council says this is not the case.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment, said: “This scam has been reported previously in some other parts of the country and Denbighshire County Council is emphasising that this offer is not real.

“The council would never authorise traders to sell any left over tarmac door to door – that is not our working practice.  We would advise anyone approached to say no and to report the police."

New vegan restaurant opens its doors in Llan

* The new Phoenix Bistro on Chapel Street.

A new vegetarian and vegan restaurant has opened in Llangollen, offering a seasonal menu with ingredients sourced from local producers.

The Phoenix Bistro has got off to a strong start since its opening at the end of March, with over 150 people stopping by to welcome the new addition to the rapidly expanding restaurant scene in Llangollen. 

Fern Evans, the owner, was delighted at the turnout. She said: “It was such a great atmosphere and everyone was really lovely and welcoming. 

"We are so pleased to be launching in Llangollen to meet the growing demand for vegetarian and vegan food, hopefully complementing existing businesses in town to strengthen it as a destination for those visitors looking specifically for vegan options – as well as those keen just to eat delicious, freshly prepared, locally sourced food.”

The bistro offers a 100% plant-based menu, with a café feel in the daytime serving hot sandwiches, jackets, light bites and loaded fries, as well as speciality hot drinks and cakes from local supplier Rachel’s Vegan cakes. 

Sandwich fillings and jacket toppings offer a balance of familiar favourites such as cheesy beans, as well as more unusual options such as BBQ jackfruit.

On weekend evenings the bistro will have more of a restaurant feel, offering tapas, pizzas, street food inspired dishes and hot homemade desserts. 

There are vegan takes on classic menu items such as mac and cheese, as well as more eclectic choices drawing on Asian, Middle Eastern and European flavours.  

It is a fully licensed bar serving cocktails, craft beers and prosecco on tap from local supplier Bolla.

The Phoenix Bistro can be found at 15 Chapel Street, Llangollen. It is now open Tuesday and Saturday from 12pm. On Tuesdays to Thursday it will close at 5pm, and stay open until 10pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. 

Of her plans for the future Fern said: “We will be opening at lunchtime on Sundays within a few weeks, and will soon be introducing some acoustic music nights and a vegan Sunday roast."

* For more information and to book online, visit the bistro's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/thephoenixbistro/ or call us 01978 861124.

Developer sends out update on roads for new homes

Developers SG Estates have sent out to local residents details of progress on the highways improvements related to the new Vicarage Road housing development.