Save the planet demo staged in Castle Street

Yesterday (Monday) afternoon saw the first Extinction Rebellion Llangollen meet-up being held in Castle Street.

The message from the protesters was: “Switch to lean, Switch to green, We want all our sources clean!”

* Pictures by courtesy of Cariad Yoga.

Operatic tunes up for Fiddler on the Roof

* Members of the cast of Fiddler on the Roof. Picture by Barrie Potter.

For the first time in 36 years Llangollen Operatic Society is to present the stage version of big screen blockbuster Fiddler on the Roof later this month.

The society last put on the show back in 1983 to great acclaim and a completely new cast bring it back to Llangollen Town Hall from April 30-May 4.  

The Bock, Harnick and Stein classic is set in the early 20th century in a Jewish village in Russia and their centuries old traditions which the village milkman Reb Tevye is determined to hold on to.  

But change is coming and it is difficult to ignore it.

The show features a host of memorable songs, including the show stopper If I Were a Rich Man, Sunrise Sunset and Tradition.

A strong cast is headed by Bill Hughes taking on the role of Tevye.

He comes to Fiddler fresh from his role with the society playing likeable cockney rogue Doolittle in their production of My Fair Lady last year.

There are many new faces in the line up with some coming from as far away as Colwyn Bay to take on key roles.  

A number of talented young performers are also joining the cast from the society's junior section, the Young 'Uns, who recently presented a smash-hit version of Grease in Llangollen.  

Producer Helen Belton said: "We welcome them to Fiddler because they are tomorrow's leads, chorus, producers, directors."

  

Musical director for the show is Leigh Mason who holds the same role with the famous Fron Male Voice Choir.

Director is Alison Ravenscroft and choreographer is Pamela Williams.

* Tickets for Fiddler on the Roof are now available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollenoperaticsociety as well as at the following Llangollen establishments - Jades, Llangollen Oggie and Fine Foods and Gwyn the Butcher.

Llangollen Railway bridges the gap at Corwen

* The work in progress looking across the area towards Corwen.

In the course of a four-day exercise beginning on April 15, a team of Llangollen Railway's Corwen Project volunteers helped local contractor Arwel Dolben with infilling the gap in the railway embankment. 

This has long been seen as the major obstruction in completing the railway line through to the new Corwen terminus.

Many tonnes of infill material have been recovered from the old Ruthin branch embankment and brought round by the dumper loads to the site of the gap.

The infill has required careful layering and rolling to provide a firm base as the level was brought up by 10 feet in places across the width of the former trackbed.

At the end on the first phase of the exercise project manager Richard Dixon-Gough said:

" May I, on behalf of the project team and Llangollen Railway, express my thanks and gratitude to all who have worked so hard over some long days and taken on the physical effort to achieve so much this week.
 "With the support of our contractors we have literally moved mountains and the first phase of the exercise has been virtually completed. Without the input from everyone involved this would not have happened."

The cost of the exercise was met through the Infill the Gap appeal for donations which has raised over £10,000 from supporters and well wishers, with £500 coming from a charity raffle organised by Corwen townsfolk.

Completion of the final phase of the project will continue after Easter. When complete new track will be laid to connect the existing railhead with the loop line in the platform area.

Happy Easter to all readers!

Town welcomes Nicaraguan visitor

* David McKnight of Llangollen, who organised the event, 

with Johnny Hodgson and Ben Gregory.

Llangollen is renowned for welcoming the world to these shores, and the town once again proved to be an international diplomatic hub as it hosted a highly respected former Nicaraguan government official.

Johnny Hodgson, who was appointed chairman of the Bluefields Commission on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and is a former elected official in his region, was a guest speaker at a Wales Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign event in the town.

Thirty years after his first visit to Wales Johnny revisited the country to talk about how life had improved on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast over the last decade, and the impact of last year's violence on his country.

The Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast is a multicultural and multilingual region with its own autonomous government. Johnny drew comparisons between his region of Nicaragua and Wales.

Ben Gregory of the Wales Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign said: "We were extremely glad to welcome Johnny back to Wales. This is his fifth visit to Wales over the last 30 years. 

"He talked about the things that have changed recently - investment in infrastructure, with new roads, and electricity and water being provided to a greater number of people. But he also talked about the challenge posed by reconciliation after last years violence."

* Anybody interested in the Wales-Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign can find more information at http://www.nicaraguasc.org.uk 

Council honoured for creation of Centenary Square

Llangollen Civic Society has presented the Town Council with an award in recognition of its foresight in completing the project to build the new Centenary Square. Town Mayor Cllr John Haddy and Deputy Mayor Cllr Isobel Richards are shown receiving the award from the society's chairman Mel Lawrence on behalf of the council. Picture by Peter Jones.

Chapel tearoom serves up successful first year

* Ken Skates AM with owner Sally Roberts, right, and employees Eliza, Abbie and Toni.

A derelict chapel brought back to life with the help of the Welsh Government has celebrated a successful first year as a popular tearoom.

Sally Roberts and Carl Pottenger took on the ambitious project to convert the former Bryn Seion Chapel on Station Road, Trevor, into the Pontcysyllte Chapel Tearoom.

The business launched in February 2018 after a £30,000 Welsh Government grant and was officially opened by Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport last June.

Sally recently gave Clwyd South AM Ken Skates a tour of the premises.

He said: “The place looks stunning – Sally and Carl have done an amazing job. They employed a number of highly skilled local craftsmen at the outset and have even matched the woodwork to the original pulpit, which has been preserved as a key centrepiece.”

Mr Skates added: “The area has seen hugely increased visitor numbers since the aqueduct was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourism is a key driver of the local economy here in Clwyd South and businesses like this are vital in terms of offering quality and choice.

“The tearoom offers a wide range of homemade produce from local suppliers, which helps give such a unique local business a unique local flavour. I’m proud that the Welsh Government was able to help the business get up and running and I hope to see it continue to go from strength to strength.”

Phase two of the project is now under way, with the transformation of the remainder of the building into five bedrooms which will see the tearooms expand to offer bed and breakfast.