Have your say on the town at Centenary Square tomorrow

* The Shape My Llangollen team outside Home Bargains last week. 

The last 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 will be held tomorrow (Saturday).

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.

During May the team has been hosting a series of consultation events to introduce themselves to the public and to get their views.

The first of these was held on May 7 at Llangollen Health Centre when throughout the day team members spoke to scores of people to gain their feedback.

The second successful session was held outside the Co-op store in Regent Street on May 13 when, again, SML gained lots of useful responses from shoppers.

The third question-and-answer session was held outside the Home Bargains store, next to Aldi, on May 23 and it was once again a huge hit with those who took part.

To round off the process in style, the final session will be held in Centenary Square tomorrow from 10am-5pm.

Just to give the event a party atmosphere, there will be live music from local performers Chris Burton and SML member Charlie Jones throughout the day. 

SML chair Phil Robinson said: "We'd be delighted if as many people as possible could come and see us on the square.

"The three consultation sessions we've held so far have produced some fantastic answers from the people who were kind enough to spare us a few minutes of their time.

"This feedback will be invaluable in preparing our final report by the autumn. 

"The whole consultation process is a fantastic example of the people of this town having their say on some vital issues and I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed so far.

"I can give a hint that the top three hot topics to date have been parking and traffic problems but people might have other things they'd like to mention to us."

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 the 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.

Lean and mean Mazda3 hits the road

* The new Mazda3, front and profile.

Mazda3 launch report by Steve Rogers

It has baffled car makers for decades but Mazda reckons it cracked the age old problem of building a petrol engine with the power and economy of a diesel.

The 2-litre SkyActive-X is being hailed as ground breaking and has the backing of Bath University Professor Jamie Turner, one of the foremost authorities on the combustion engine, who believes Mazda has achieved something he thought impossible.

The key is the use of a highly lean mixture of fuel and air fired by compression rather than a spark plug which is the norm in modern diesel engines. That should improve economy by 20 per cent and give up to 30 per cent more torque which significantly closes the gap on a diesel.

This was the headline news at the launch of the new Mazda3 hatchback, but turned into a bit of a damp squid because the new engine won't arrive until October when the saloon is launched.

That's a blow because the new model's engine range is limited to a revamped 2-litre petrol and 1.8 litre diesel neither of which is good enough to worry the top contenders in the C-sector which is still ruled by Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.

That aside this fourth generation Mazda3 can ruffle the feathers of the big two if this new engine lives up to its promise. Jeremy Thomson, the company's UK boss described the new hatchback as a substantial step up so it is clear he also has an eye on the premium sector where Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Audi A3 have a strong following.

The 3 is heading in the right direction with its eye catching styling and up market interior where soft leathers and tactile switches give it that quality feel.

A closer look at the cabin shows it is well laid out with the majority of functions like navigation, phone and radio are housed in an 8.8 inch central display controlled from a decent sized rotary switch behind the gear stick. 

I've always found the Mazda system easy to follow and the same applies here, but it is also good that the heating functions are separate with their own switches. One minor flaw is the lack of lighting for the switches which are set flat in the centre console and difficult to pick out in daylight.

The three dial binnacle could not be more clearly laid out with the larger central speedo computer generated. A head up display for speed, traffic sign recognition, navigation instructions and cruise control completes the picture.

In the back rear legroom is just on par and I can see some passengers finding it a bit dark given the shallow rear windows but that is a penalty of sharp styling. Drivers will find rear vision poor for the same reason but all bar the entry model has a camera so there will be no concerns when reversing.

As with all Mazdas the suspension favours enthusiastic driving; if you want super soft look elsewhere, but for me this is a good compromise.

To the engines. Mazda predicts 85 per cent of sales going to petrol, a monumental turnaround compared to five years ago, but it is a similar story whichever company you look at.

For now the starting point is the familiar 120bhp 2-litre but it has been modified with cylinder deactivation and a mild hybrid electric motor to improve economy. 

Even driven hard on some deserted Scottish roads we still topped 40mpg which proves there is more to come, but it lacks power, mainly in the mid range, so the new engine with 177bhp is needed to satisfy drivers craving performance.

Normally I would be directing readers to the diesel but not this time. I still don't understand why diesel is getting such a bad press but there are a couple of reasons why the current petrol is the better option. 

The difference in economy is only 11mpg in favour of the diesel and given the price at the pumps and a whopping £1,800 premium over the 2-litre petrol it has become a no brainer.

That said there will be a pirce premium for the SkyActiv-X engine so hard decisions will have to be made.

Launching with the new engine would have given extra impetus but this is still a very good car with great looks, quality materials and a full suite of safety features. Prices: Petrol £20,595-£26,795. Diesel £22,395-£27,795.

Key facts

Mazda3 Sport Lux

£22,795

2-litre; 120bhp

0-62mph 10.4secs; 122mph

44.8mpg combined

119g/km. First year road tax £170

World renowned tenor heads for Eisteddfod

* Rolando Villazón will appear in the festival's classical gala. 

One of the world’s greatest tenors is looking forward to his debut at an international festival in North Wales after being told by his friend Sir Bryn Terfel what a great event it is.

The acclaimed Rolando Villazón will be one of the star attractions at this year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod when he will also be following in the footsteps of one of his heroes, the legendary Luciano Pavarotti.

The Classical Gala evening on Tuesday, July 2, is being made possible thanks to sponsorship by the Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT).

PACT was set up by Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill, the proprietors of the Pendine Park Care Organisation and it supports dozens of arts and community-based activities across Wales.

The following evening PACT will be sponsoring the competition for the world’s finest young singers when they will be vying for the title of Pendine International Voice of the Future during a concert also featuring popular soprano Shan Cothi and Welsh National Opera tenor Rhodri Prys Jones.

Meanwhile, last year’s winner, soprano Charlotte Hoather, will be taking to the stage with Rolando Villazón as part of her prize. Welsh lyric soprano Rhian Lois will also be performing.

Mexican-born Villazón, who lives in France and holds dual Mexican-French citizenship, can’t wait to return to “the beautiful land that is Wales” for what will be his first UK appearance of 2019.

He said: “I did not know a great deal about Llangollen and the festival but my great friend Bryn Terfel has told me what to expect and that makes me very excited.

“I have performed in Wales before, twice at the Bryn Terfel festival. I remember how the Welsh audience completely connects to what we, as performers, sing on the stage and that is so important.”

According to Villazón, he was honoured to have the chance to perform on the stage where Pavarotti first sang with his father’s choir from Modena in Italy in 1955 before returning in triumph 40 years later as an international superstar.

He said: “Pavarotti was unique and his voice was magical. And his appeal went beyond the classical world. But I can’t say he was the best, that’s not for me to say. I can’t say Plácido Domingo, for example, is not as good nor the great Caruso.

“Luckily, there is no need to decide for any single performer, we can celebrate all the great artists and what they bring to the art form. 

“ I see my role as a performer to give my audience the best interpretation I can of the music and words that I sing, and to establish a unique bond with the audience every single time. I treasure this very much.”

Pendine Park’s Mario Kreft said: “It promises to be a wonderful evening of music and Gill and I are so looking forward to hearing Rolando Villazón perform. He is unquestionably a major talent and one of the very best tenors in the world right now.

“Gill and I want to support the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod as its ethos of peace and harmony through music and the arts is very important to all we do within the Pendine Park.

“The arts in general and music in particular provide the golden thread running through everything we do to enrich the lives of our clients and our staff.

“We are also very much looking forward to hearing Rhian Lois and Charlotte Hoather perform. Rhian has performed on stage at some of the world’s top opera houses, including Covent Garden. She is a real star in her own right and will undoubtedly perfectly complement Rolando Villazón.

“And as a previous winner of the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, it will be wonderful to see and hear how Charlotte Hoather is progressing. Having an opportunity to perform on stage alongside a star such as Rolando Villazón is huge and can only be a boost to Charlotte’s burgeoning career.”

The festival’s musical director, Edward-Rhys Harry, added: “It promises to be a classical spectacular. We are so grateful to Mario and Gill Kreft and their Pendine Arts and Community Trust sponsorship. Without the support of sponsors such as Mario and Gill Kreft we simply could not dream of spectacular concerts of the highest standard such as we are going to enjoy.

“Rolando Villazón is a wonderful vocal talent who is undoubtedly one of the world’s best tenor voices and, with sopranos Rhian Lois and Charlotte Hoather and the wonderful musicians from the British Sinfonietta performing emotionally charged music, we are in for an evening and a concert to remember.”  

     

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

County to vote on new leisure service delivery model

* Llangollen International Pavilion could form part of the new delivery model.

Various leisure facilities and functions provided by Denbighshire County Council could soon be delivered via an alternative delivery model.

The proposals for a council-owned not-for-profit trading company are to be discussed by the full council today (Thursday) after they were previously approved by the authority's cabinet.

The council-owned trading company would enable the service to trade more commercially, to help sustain the facilities, as well as making savings for the council of £800,000 in the first year.

The facilities proposed to be included are the county’s seven leisure centres as well as the Prestatyn Nova, SC2, Rhyl Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl Events Arena and events function, North Wales Bowls Centre, Rhyl Town Hall, Ruthin Craft Centre, Llangollen Pavilion, 1891, Café R (Ruthin) and Strategic Leisure.

The Pavilion is not owned by the council but is leased to it by the International Eisteddfod.

Whilst the consideration of an alternative delivery model (ADM) is new to the council, many other councils across the UK are already using similar ADMs to deliver a range of functions and the council has engaged extensively with these as the Denbighshire model has been drawn up.

Graham Boase, Denbighshire’s Corporate Director for the Economy and Public Realm, said:  “We are very proud of our leisure services in Denbighshire. Investment by the council over the past 10 years has seen visitor numbers increase and our facilities are now first class and up-to-date, comparing favourably with the best leisure facilities in the industry.

“We have recognised the need for on-going investment at times of significant financial challenge, as we can clearly see the benefits to people’s health and well-being. We have also listened to the public as the demand for leisure sessions grew and continues to grow across the council.

“This model will allow a more flexible, innovative and entrepreneurial approach to commercial leisure, whilst allowing the Council to retain complete control through the creation of a brand new board that will be responsible for running the company.

“This will ensure the company continues to deliver a high quality leisure provision long into the future, but as the company would be solely owned by the council it will be the council that sets the priorities for the company and the level of service expected to be delivered.

“As such the public should see very little difference in terms of the quality of the services provided or the ‘look and feel’ of the facilities themselves.”

No decision has yet been made and if the business case for the plan is supported by full council a number of further decisions will be required over the summer and autumn to ensure the company is set up in a way that provides the council with the necessary controls.

Chairman of the Eisteddfod Dr Rhys Davies said: "The Eisteddfod owns the freehold of the Pavilion and there is a long lease in favour of the county council. Any change to arrangements at the Pavilion would need the Eisteddfod’s permission."

This position was confirmed by the council whose spokesperson said: “If the proposal is agreed we will enter in negotiations with the owners to negotiate new arrangements that will involve the new company.”

Llan landmarks feature in new marketing campaign

* The Chain Bridge in Llangollen features in the new campaign.

A new film, photographs and a suite of brand-new digital maps showcasing the North East Wales region have been released as part of Visit Wales’ Year of Discovery campaign. 

Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire have joined forces to produce the marketing resources to inspire local people and visitors to experience the region.

The film, which premiered at the recent North Wales Tourism Annual Trade Meeting, explores the region’s tourism offer including key attractions like Greenfield Valley, Chirk Castle and SC2 in Rhyl as well as the rural and coastal landscapes of Moel Famau and Talacre Beach. 

For outdoor adventure enthusiasts, it showcases mountain biking in Nercwys Forest and OnePlanet Adventure, Llandegla and kayaking on the River Dee in Llangollen. 

The film kicks off with the impressive Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal, which is celebrating its 10 year anniversary since the inscription of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This film is the start of a series of new mini films which will be released throughout the year, featuring different themes including coast, castles, landscape, culture, adventure and the World Heritage Site. 

A gallery of professional images have also been released to help draw new and repeat visits to the region all year round.

Tourism plays a vital part in the regions’ economy, with a total economic impact in 2017 of £867m and over 11 million visits made.

Ian Lebbon, Chair of Denbighshire Destination Management Partnership, said: “With the main tourism season upon us; it’s great to see Denbighshire, Flintshire & Wrexham working together to launch a variety of professional marketing materials to showcase the region during the Year of Discovery. We would encourage businesses to use the resources available to them to create greater awareness of the region and boost the local economy throughout the year.”

Seven new digital maps exploring a variety of locations across both North East Wales have also been produced. The maps interlink with the 75-mile North Wales Way – one of three national tourism routes launched by Visit Wales under The Wales Way brand. The new maps have been a community-effort, as businesses were invited to workshops across North Wales to discuss their ideas for new tourist routes to help promote the region and provide loops and detours off The North Wales Way.

* To view the film please visit North East Wales on Facebook or YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eovLG6cIIAY

* To view the maps and photographs and for further information on the region, please visit www.northeastwales.wales

llanblogger preview of Twenty Club's stunning WW1 drama

* A scene from Dinner With Otto.

Special llanblogger preview

While their young men fought and died in the appalling conditions of the Western Front during World War One few back home had the remotest idea of what they were enduring.

And when they returned from this living hell of mud and blood just the other side of the Channel it was rare for them to talk about what they had seen and done.

It is this painful reality which is at the heart of Dinner With Otto, the new play being premiered by Llangollen Twenty Club at the Town Hall with a three-night run starting this Thursday evening and running on Friday and Saturday too.

llanblogger has been given a preview of the production which is surely one of the most absorbing and evocative representations of the “war to end wars” ever to take to the stage.

Written by Tom George, who clearly has a deep understanding of the period, it is surely the most powerful and challenging production ever undertaken by the club, which has had to completely switch focus away from its usual easy-to-watch material to do it full justice.

And this they have certainly achieved to produce an outstanding piece of heavy drama which wouldn’t look out of place on a professional stage.

The action opens in March 1919, just months after the Armistice, when hosts of young men, deeply troubled by what they had been forced to experience, returned to what they had been cynically promised would be a “land fit for heroes”.

But it was a land totally unprepared to handle what would now be termed as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. These days there is sympathetic treatment available but back then it was a case of just put it behind you and get on with it.

One man who can’t do that is 23-year-old Ben Davies who comes back to his small Welsh village deeply damaged and with a head full of horror, the nature and depth of which is slowly bled out of him during the course of the play.

This is a mammoth part in terms of the complexity and depth required. But it is handled impeccably by Si Kneale who rings every ounce of emotion out of it, even the totally contextual swearing.

The rest of the cast aren’t just there to sympathise with what the war has done to him because they must be exposed and put through the ringer for the part they have played in creating the hell which Ben and thousands of other returning soldiers like him have been put through over four years - the war profiteer, the religious hypocrite, the patriotic fool.

Chief culprit in the town mayor, Cllr Thomas, portrayed with all due pomposity and bigotry by Twenty Club favourite Arwel Jarvis.

His fellow councillor, Helen Elliot Jones, who on the face of it is a mother grieving for the loss of her only son Aled in the blood-filled trenches but is actually something infinitely more repugnant, is stylishly brought to life by Jo Lloyd.

Ianto Morris, much more sinister a figure than the hapless local street sweeper, is extremely well presented by Neil Evans.

Similar helpings of talent are brought to bear by Paula Hardy as Ben’s loving mum Sarah, Hannah Edwards as his would-be girlfriend Megan, David Connolly as village bobby Sergeant Jenkins and Twenty Club debutante Mike Connolly in the role of local vicar, the Rev Ivor Williams, doing a very passable Welsh accent for a chap actually from the south of England.

This is a poignant tale delving deep into a facet of this dreadful war not told often enough and the cast, directed tightly and wisely by Lyn Aston, have interpreted it with a degree of sheer professionalism that is simply superb.

* Tickets are available from Courtyard Books, Gwyn Davies Butchers and Jenni's Llangollen, or

online: www.skiddle.com

Isherwood calls for action on prostate cancer

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood (pictured) has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that health boards in Wales act on its updated guideline that men with suspected prostate cancer should be offered a Multiparametric MRI scan before biopsy.

His call follows the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) having published its updated guidelines for prostate cancer diagnosis and management, 

Mr Isherwood, who has made repeated calls for pre and post-biopsy Multiparametric MRI scans to be made available to suspected prostate cancer patients, has welcomed the announcement.

However, speaking in the Chamber, he said it now up to the Welsh Government to ensure that health boards amend their pathways accordingly.

Calling for a Welsh Government Statement on the matter during the Business Statement, he said:

“Twelve days ago, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or NICE, updated their guidelines for prostate cancer diagnosis and management in England and Wales, recommending, amongst other things, that active surveillance should be offered as a primary option for men with low-risk localised prostate cancer. 

"And the changes in the updated guidelines included the statement that men should be offered multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, or mpMRI scans, before biopsy if they're suspected to have localised prostate cancer.

“Prostate Cancer UK stated ‘this breakthrough diagnostic technique should now be made available in all parts of Wales in the near future, ending the current variation in access that has resulted in some men paying privately for scans’. 

"In March last year, NHS England announced that it was launching a one-stop service using MRI techniques for timely diagnosis in England. Last December, NICE issued new draft guidance recommending pre-biopsy mpMRI for suspected Prostate Cancer.

“In January, the Welsh Government Minister for Health and Social Services (Vaughan Gething AM) wrote to Assembly Members stating that he'd asked all Health Boards to work with the Welsh Urology Board to ensure they have full implementation plans. In the same letter, he said that ‘Health Boards have confirmed that, at present, they deliver care in line with current NICE Guidance’. 

"However, when I had a meeting with Betsi Cadwaladr (Health Board) last December with a patient, they formally apologised for not having delivered care in accordance with NICE guidance for post-biopsy mpMRI and confirmed that they would be recompensing the men who had paid accordingly."

He added: "As Prostate Cancer UK states, ‘mpMRI revolutionizes Prostate Cancer diagnosis’. The Welsh Government should therefore respond to their calls and those of others, including Tenovus Cancer Care, for the Welsh Government to ensure that mpMRI is now available across Wales. 

"Although Mr Gething told the Assembly in March that when NICE recommends pre-biopsy mpMRI, he will expect all Health Boards in Wales to amend their pathways accordingly, he must therefore now go further and ensure that they do. I call for a Statement accordingly on a matter that has occupied much time in this Chamber and generated a number of issues.”

Responding the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans AM, said: “Of course, patients should have access to investigations for cancer in line with national guidance, and this should be delivered consistently across Wales. 

"Mark Isherwood outlined that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published updated guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer on 9 May. Health Boards that do not currently provide care in line with this guidance are due to submit their implementation plans to the Welsh Government by 3 June, and then the Welsh Government will be meeting with Health Boards on 19 June to review these plans, and implementation timescales will depend on the content of those plans.”