Glam camping coming to Llanfest

Glamping is comings to Llanfest for the first time. 

In partnership with the Red Sky Tent Company, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is offering weekend festival-goers deluxe camping for Llanfest - its one-day music festival taking place on Sunday 7th July.

The Llanfest Boutique Camping Village will be offering deluxe glamping just a short distance from all the action on the festival’s Pavilion site.

Festival Chairman Dr Rhys Davies said: “We’re excited to introduce this new accommodation for visitors that is conveniently located close to the heart of the festival. 

"This is about the offering a whole experience. Llanfest visitors can stay and appreciate our unique event and immerse themselves even more into the beauty and atmosphere of the International Eisteddfod.”

Red Sky Tent Company owner Brendan Fitzpatrick said: “We are delighted to be hosting the first ever boutique glamping village at Llanfest. 

"All of our sumptuous five-metre bell tents are fully furnished with carpets, beds, bedding and village facilities include hot showers, a bar and a café. We want guests to come a day early, relax and spend their evening with us.”

On Saturday July 6, from 2pm, Llanfest Glampers can get in the festival spirit as the Glamping Village hosts a free BBQ party for guests checking-in ahead of Sunday’s music festival. 

Then on Sunday at 2pm, the daytime programme of live music starts before the headliners take to the main stage that evening.

The Llanfest daytime programme presents bands and musicians from across Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales on the six outside stages: The Globe Stage, The World Stage, The Amphitheatre Stage, Acoustic Sessions in The Food Court, The Llan Jam and Rewind DJ Area.

An outside stage highlight sees the The Cavern Club takeover The Amphitheatre Stage. 

 Liverpool’s world-famous music club was a real hit with festival-goers at last year’s Llanfest, The Tony Skeggs band will take a musical journey from The Beatles to the Arctic Monkeys and much more in between. 

Richard Batty returns with his acoustic show and the day will be held together by Jonny Parry who will also perform an acoustic set.

The Globe Stage features rock, vocal-harmony-infused indie-pop, the ultimate brit pop experience and classic ska and ska’d up classics like you’ve never heard from artists including Sawbones (Liverpool/Manchester), Kidsmoke (Wrexham), Marblehead Johnson (Llangollen) and Skaburst (Telford).

The World Stage includes melodic riff based alternative rock, rock, pop, indie whilst introducing a lot of classics but also throwing a few surprises and hidden gems into the sets from The Montagues (North Wales), Seprona (Liverpool), Before the Storm (Wrexham) and The Droogs (Wrexham)

Llan Jam acoustic sessions presents 50’s 60’s and 70’s classic covers of soul, rock and pop including background love songs, classic covers, to party tunes from Misschief (Cheshire) Fay and Deon, Inkonsoulable, Gareth Heesom (all North West). Including a super mash up of all artists singing together.

Acoustic Sessions in The Food Court presents rock and pop, indie blues, country, folk roots, covers and self-penned songs from Lucy Mayhew (Wirral), The GOGS (Wrexham), Dave Grasshopper (Llangollen) and Jude Lane (North Wales). Then, in the Rewind DJ Area, Dave Boss will be playing indie pop, Ska, and rock classics throughout the day.

The festival ends with this year’s already announced Llanfest headliners - British rock bands The Fratellis and The Coral, who are joined on the bill by Platinum selling, indie-rockers, Pigeon Detectives, and 90s power pop rock trio, Dodgy.

For the opportunity to sleep in style at Llanfest’s first glamping village, guests can book at redskytentco.org/llanfest/  (tent prices start from £80).

For the full Llanfest music festival programme or to book tickets visit llangollen.net (Festival Tickets from £39).

Shape My Llangollen consultation day a great success

* The SML team in the health centre foyer. From left, chair Phil Robinson, member Karen Edwards and supporter Cllr George Hughes.  

The first in a series of public consultation exercises by the team of volunteers putting together Llangollen’s contribution to the county council’s next Local Development Plan was a major success.

Shape My Llangollen (SML) was formed last year at the behest of the Town Council to produce a 'place plan' for Llangollen.

The idea is that this plan, when approved and endorsed by the Town Council, will feed into the new emerging Local Development Plan being produced by Denbighshire County Council.

The plan will cover topics such as the natural environment, built environment, economy, and community and is a genuine opportunity for some grassroots democracy.

SML is therefore engaged upon a far-ranging consultation exercise contacting groups and individuals to seek their views on any issues which affect or concern them so that they can have an input into the plan.

Over the summer the team is hosting a series of consultation events to introduce themselves to the public and to get their views.

Yesterday, team members were on hand in the foyer of the town’s health centre and during busy morning and afternoon sessions spoke to scores of people to gain their feedback.

SML chair Phil Robinson said: “The day was a big success and we spoke to as many people as possible about a wide range of issues which interest them, which was anything from the state of local roads and pavements to the provision of social care and youth facilities.

“Perhaps not unexpectedly there were lots of concerns voiced about traffic congestion and the availability of parking. But lots of other issues were raised such as the spending priorities of the county council and public transport.

“The information we gathered will be invaluable in compiling out final report which we are aiming to publish before the end of this year.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who was able to spare a few minutes to answer our five quick questions.

“Our next two consultation sessions will be next Monday May 13 at the Co-op in Regent Street and then at Home Bargains on Thursday May 23, both from 10am-1pm and from 2-5pm.

“We hope as many people as possible will be able to come along to these and there will be further chances to speak to us as the summer progresses.”

The questions SML is asking are:

1. What makes you happy about Llangollen?

2. What makes you sad about Llangollen?

3. What makes you mad about Llangollen?

4. How would you make Llangollen better?

5. How would you spend £10,000 for Llangollen’s future?

People unable to make it to SML’s meet-the-public sessions can fill in one of the question sheets which are available in the Town Hall office.

They can also jot down the answers in a reply to the posting about the health centre session on the Shape My Llangollen Facebook page.

20mph for all Wales's residential areas planned

The BBC reports that First Minister Mark Drakeford says his government are aiming to create 20mph zones in residential areas throughout Wales.

For the full story see:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-48188233

Inner Wheel entertained by talk on hats

At the May meeting of Llangollen Inner Wheel at the Hand Hotel members were entertained by Wendy Davies with a very amusing talk on the Humorous History of Hats. 

D-Day commemoration planned for Thursday June 6

* British troops storm ashore on Gold Beach on D-Day in 1944.

Llangollen branch of the Royal British Legion is to hold a Remembrance ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the the D-Day landings in Centenary Square on Thursday June 6.

The standards of the branch and the RAFA Club will be on parade from 10.45am and the ceremony will include the sounding of Last Post and Reveille, the traditional two minutes' silence and the laying of wreaths on the 1939-45 memorial.

D-Day, on June 6 1944, was when the Allies launched an invasion across the beaches of Normandy to begin the liberation of Europe from the occupation of Nazi Germany.

Railway offers springtime services for walkers

* Smart Trekkers boarding the 11am from Llangollen to Glyndyfrdwy for a return walk along the Dee Valley Way during the weekend's Llangollen Walking Festival.

Llangollen Railway is offering springtime steam services for walkers in the Dee Valley,

A railway spokesman said: "Our weekday trains allow access to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for walkers wishing to take a ramble from and to our intermediate stations. 

"Sections of the trail marked Dee Valley Way or North Berwyn Way can be accessed at Carrog, Glyndyfrdwy and Berwyn and then people can rejoin the train for the return.

"The service will help those in active retirement seeking to get out and about during weekdays.

"With three return steam trains between Llangollen and Carrog from Mondays to Fridays, the trains offer an ideal way of accessing the delightful Dee Valley for walks of short or long durations. 

"Some walks are easy, but there are more strenuous routes for those who want a challenge and wish to take to the higher ground. 

"Information about a range of walks in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is available in brochures produced by Denbighshire Country Services available at Tourist Information Offices or online.

"For groups of ten or more party rates are available if booked in advance."

* Weekday trains depart at 1040/1300/1510 from Llangollen station and return from Carrog station at

1150/1410/1620.

Summer fete planned for June 8