Citroen Aircross is superb at flattening the bumps

* Above and below, the Citroen Aircross.

Citroen C5 Aircross road test by Steve Rogers

DID you know there are 42,000 speed bumps on roads around the country?

Citroen found out as part of a survey on speed bumps and pot holes and reckons the new suspension on its C5 Aircross and C4 Cactus does rather a good job of cushioning the jolting effect.

As luck would have it I was testing C5 Aircross at the same time the survey was released and can tell you Citroen's claims about its progressive hydraulic cushion suspension are no idle boast.

Speed bumps have done wonders in slowing traffic but some, particularly the rubber squares have to be taken very slowly. One residential street in Wrexham is known by locals as the Himalayas because of its towering speed bumps.

It is a road I often use and C5 Aircross was by far the best at absorbing the humps. I gave it another test near to my village where there are three potholes in a line and again Aircross passed the test with flying colours.

Of course Citroen has a proud history here. The wonderful DS of 1955 was the first to use hydraulics for the suspension while 20 years later the sleek CX set another milestone with its hydro-pneumatic self levelling suspension. 

Driving was more like floating but there was a downside for our family. My two young sons couldn't go 10 miles in a CX without feeling sick because of the motion of the car.

No such worries in the Aircross which is both super comfortable and surprisingly stable. This is a high sided SUV so a degree of body roll goes with the territory but as long as you don't push too hard through bends everything stays on an even keel.

Citroen has also come up with a seat design which is setting new standards so throw this into the mix and you have one very comfortable motor.

And it does not stop there, the slightly quirky styling gives the car personality and an identity of its own. It is a little more boxy than the hordes of rivals which bring more benefits. The cabin is very roomy and flexible. The individual back seats are on runners increasing the luggage area if necessary and when they are down provide a flat floor, long enough for a couple of adults to sleep!

Up front we have the signature space age dashboard with an central eight inch central touchscreen controlling just about every function. Not a favourite of mine as I prefer a rotary controller which is less of a distraction when driving.

Individual functions can be quickly selected from a touch pad strip under the screen but it is overly sensitive and easy to accidentally change the screen while moving your hand away. Voice control is an option but not as effective as other cars I have been driving.

The driver also has a changeable 12 inch screen in the binnacle which makes life easy when following navigation instructions.

People are still dubious about Citroen, and French cars in general, but a look inside C5 Aircross should park that myth. The company upped its game a long time ago and the materials and build quality exceed many rivals.

The spec sheet is long as is the list of safety features. Check out the brilliant 360 deg camera. However there is always room for improvement like a hold function on the electronic parking brake and fabric lining for the boot walls.

Citroen has one of the strongest line ups of petrol and diesel engines and my 2-litre diesel was smooth, efficient and punchy. With 400Nm of torque you should never be caught short when overtaking while there are smiles per mile with mid forties to the gallon a given. On a long run I topped 50mpg.

Outstanding is not a word I bandy about but it fits the bill here. There are any number of very good SUVs out there but C5 Aircross goes that extra mile on space and flexibility and has arguably the most comfortable ride of any of its rivals.

It is 100 years since Andre Citroen founded his car company. He was an innovator who always pushed the boundaries and would be pretty pleased with the way his company is continuing that tradition.

Key facts

C5 Aircross Flair 8sp auto

£30,330

2-litre diesel; 174bhp

0-62mph 8.6secs; 131mph

126g/km. 1st year road tax £170

Insurance group 25

Railway swings back to the 60s this weekend

* Chris Burton plays at a previous railway 60s weekend.

* Revellers on the platform at a previous 60s party.

Llangollen Railway swings back half a century from this Thursday to Sunday when it stages its annual 1960s weekend.

A packed programme of retro-themed events begins on Thursday night when there's a real ale bar open from 5-11pm in the railway's Henry Robertson Suite.

Friday Night sees a 60s dance and real ale bar between 4 and 11pm with an entry fee of £2.

On Saturday there's an open mic session on platform one from noon-5pm.

That evening sees a live disco and dance on the main platform which has a £3 entry fee. Revellers are encouraged to dress in clothing from the swinging era.

During the weekend there will be classic cars, bikes and buses on display at Glyndyfrdwy station field and on Sunday there's an intensive timetable of steam, diesel and heritage railcar (DMU) services running.

On Saturday and Sunday a vintage rail replacement bus service will be in operation between Llangollen-Glyndyfrdwy-Carrog and Corwen.

Railway has talks with top Wales transport boss

* Lee Robinson from Transport for Wales meets Llangollen Railway's Liz McGuinness.

A national transport boss has paid a visit to Llangollen Railway.

Lee Robinson, North Wales Development Director of Transport for Wales, called into the heritage railway to meet its business manager Liz McGuinness and other members of the team based at the station.

He took a ride in a cab to Carrog in locomotive No.31271 and went on to Corwen to see station site progress.

Liz McGuinness said: "We discussed the need to improve public transport arrangements between Ruabon mainline station and Llangollen and we agreed to explore a joint ticketing venture to help visitors arrive by train and bus."

After his visit Mr Robinson said: "At Transport for Wales we are on a journey to transform the transport sector throughout our Wales and Borders network, through implementing our £5 billion investment programme.

“ It’s been great to visit Llangollen, to see the railway first hand and also the ongoing work to complete Corwen station.  

"We understand the social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits of the railway and these improvements will attract more visitors and allow them to leave their car at home to experience a fantastic day out.”

50mph speed cameras go in on the bypass

The installation of average speed cameras to enforce the 50mph limit on a stretch of the A483 began yesterday, according to wrexham.com

* For the full story, see: http://www.wrexham.com/news/installation-work-for-average-speed-cameras-to-enforce-50mph-zones-on-the-a483-bypass-starts-today-171713.html

WI's bra-skets raise £170 to fight breast cancer

* Town crier Chem summons passers-by the the auction of bra-skets.

* Above and below: a couple of successful top bidders.

Town crier Chem acted as auction master when Valley Girls WI members sold off their colourful display of hanging basket bras to the highest bidders this afternoon (Sunday).

As part of their fundraising during the Fringe Festival, they spent last Thursday hanging a collection of the "bra-skets" on a trellis fence outside the Town Hall.

They aim was to remind people of the importance of self-examination when it comes to the crucial early detection of breast cancer and also to raise money to fight the disease.

Today it was time to auction them off and after Chem - kitted out in his new airier kilt - attracted their attention a procession of well-wishers dug deep to buy the baskets for sums of up to £20 apiece.

The unusual auction blossomed into a useful final tally of £170.

Valley Girls spokeswoman Gail Ellson said: “It was mainly intended as a bit of fun to cheer up the town as we did with the Yarn Bomb back in 2016 when we hung knitted items around the town centre. It also ties in with the artistic nature of the Fringe Festival.

“We thought we should also use it for the good of the community and visitors to the town by linking with a Breast Cancer charity Coppafeel https://coppafeel.org/

She added: “There are several health care professionals amongst the Valley Girls whose job involves a lot of health promotion and health education.

“A few of us have links with the Coppafeel charity through one of our colleagues Sandra Smith, who volunteers for Coppafeel.

“Sandra spoke to the Valley Girls back in May and we were all inspired to support the charity.

“The Braskets had health education leaflets attached to them which onlookers weree welcome to take away.

“The leaflets provide user-friendly information on breast self examination, which is essential in aiding the early detection and subsequent treatment of breast cancer.”

Llangollen vicar appears on national TV this morning

* Father Lee Taylor on TV this morning.

Llangollen's vicar this morning made an appearance on a national television show.

The BBC's Sunday Morning Live looks at moral, ethical and religious issues with the help of expert guests.

Father Lee Taylor, vicar of St Collen's, was amongst the interviewees in an an item about the benefits of pubs to modern-day society.

Father Lee, whose family ran pubs back in his native Lancashire and who worked in some of these when he was younger, told the interviewer that they were "great places for engagement, interacting together and associating with others from all walks of life".

He also explained how he had performed a number of beer blessing ceremonies in his professional life, including one in Croydon where he was based before moving to Llangollen late last year.

Father Lee said he had used a very old prayer written in 1615 to perform the blessing and how it had been suggested during this period that beer may be a "salutory remedy for the human race".

"It's all about putting the good things together and celebrating the things that come from God," he added.

Public servants invited to free Glyndwr masterclass

* Dr Sarah Evans and Ken Perry.

People working in public services who want to drive change in communities across the region are being sought for a free evening masterclass run by Wrexham Glyndwr University.

Whether they work in the private, voluntary, community or public sector, participants are being asked to take part in the masterclass which links to new leadership courses being run at Glyndwr.  

The evening will give attendees a feel for some of the subjects covered by the university’s new MA in Public Service Leadership and its Introduction to Systems Leadership Short Course.

Both courses are unique in this country, and has been designed specifically to dovetail with the Welsh Government’s Future Generations Act – a major piece of legislation which is transforming the way that services are being delivered across Wales.

The taster sessions  are designed to help start breaking down barriers and building up networks among the diverse range of people working to improve the region’s communities.

Ken Perry, director of leadership practice Do-Well (UK) Ltd and a visiting industrial fellow at Wrexham Glyndwr University, has had a key role in developing both the MA and the short course.

He said: “Both of the sessions are open to everyone and anyone involved in public service – whether they work in the public, private, or third sectors.

“Anyone who is interested in the wealth and health or our region – and what they can do the help improve it – should get something out of these  courses. We have got avoidable inequality across communities in Wales, and through these taster sessions and the wider courses they feed into we are looking at finding the pioneers who can help to tackle that situation – and to build the kind of networks that are needed to do it.”

Dr Sarah Evans, Lecturer in Business at Glyndwr University and a public sector specialist, is the programme leader for the course. 

She said: “These courses are all about driving change through collaboration – and helping people build the networks they need is vital to securing that change. By coming to this event, people can get a taste of how they can work together on some of the big issues which face our society.”

The taster session – and Glyndwr’s  wider Public Service Leadership courses – are already picking up interest from organisations across Wales. 

Ken added: “We are looking for pioneers – people who are prepared to come in, take the course we have developed, and make it work for them and their situation.

“As well taster sessions,  we also offer a short course and an MA in Public Service Leadership – and we have been talking to fascinating people from across North Wales about taking part in each of them.

“We are talking to people from the NHS, the voluntary sector, housing associations and local authorities and more.”

The free taster session has been designed to tailor with the working day –  and runs from 4.30pm to 7pm.

* For more information and to secure your place, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-service-leadership-masterclass-arweinyddiaeth-gwasanaeth-cyhoeddus-dosbarth-meistr-tickets-63112180230?aff=ebapi