Llangollen goes on the market for $34 million

* The Llangollen estate in Virginia, USA.

Llangollen is on the market for a cool 34 million dollars.

But before the panic starts, that's not our famous town but an enormous mansion of the same name in the state of Virginia, USA.   

First American diplomat and publisher Jock Whitney, then Donald Brennan, a former Morgan Stanley exec, built up the equestrian mecca and now it’s somebody else’s turn, according to an article on the Bloomberg news website.

The story says that of the roughly five million acres in Virginia granted to the Fairfax family by the kings of England in the 17th century  600 acres or so ended up in the hands of the Powell family by 1827. Politicians and gentleman merchants, the Powells built a lovely mansion they called Llangollen, which then passed from one illustrious owner to the next.  

The Bloomberg piece goes on: "When Donald Brennan, the former head of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, saw the house at the start of the 21st century, it was one of the pre-eminent properties in blue blood American horse country. 

"The acreage had been expanded—the plot had become 1,100 acres—and the house enlarged, most notably in the 1930s by John Hay “Jock” Whitney, a gilded age playboy-millionaire. 

"Brennan and his family officially took ownership of Llangollen in 2006 and he is now putting the property back on the market for $34 million.

"The estate, in its present form, is largely unaltered from when Jock Whitney and his wife Mary Elizabeth purchased it. Whitney inherited his wealth but did an excellent job putting it to good use. He financed Gone With The Wind, was a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art, bought the New York Herald Tribune, and served as ambassador to Great Britain. 

"The Whitneys founded the Llangollen Race Meeting, a steeplechase that attracted 20,000 spectators, and built ancillary buildings on the property, including the now-famous “horseshoe stables” for their show-ponies. They added a polo field, nine houses for guests, a race track, a training track, and, most impressive of all, a hyper-sophisticated water system that remains to this day. 

“The property has about 400 acres of forest that sit on the east face of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” 

Brennan says. “In order to produce water for the property, there are springs whose water is pumped to the top of the mountain, at which point it comes down through streams that go into a large concrete cistern, which Whitney built into the side of the mountain above the house.”

"There’s a distribution system that sends water to 120 points across the property—“the homes, the water troughs for horses, the stables, the polo facilities … it’s an incredible engineering feat,” Brennan explains. Should water levels run low, an electrical system sets off pumps in wells at ground level, sending water up to the cistern.

"When the couple divorced, Mary Elizabeth Whitney kept the estate and lived there until her death in 1988."

* To see the Bloomberg story, go to: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-23/llangollen-virginia-horse-country-historic-estate-for-sale

Talks held on Kronospan emission concerns

* From left, town councillor Jackie Allen; Susan Elan Jones MP; Ken Skates AM; county councillor Terry Evans and Kronospan’s environmental manager Keith Baker at Chirk Parish Hall this morning.

Politicians have held 'constructive' talks about concerns over emissions from the Kronospan factory in Chirk.

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates and Susan Elan Jones MP met with Terry Evans, county councillor for Chirk South and Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Economy and Regeneration this morning (Friday).

They were joined by Chirk town councillor Jackie Allen, who is also chair of Chirk Environmental Liaison Group, and Kronospan’s Environmental Manager Keith Baker.

Mr Skates said: “I was pleased when Wrexham Council contacted me to arrange this meeting. I know Terry as the local member gets a lot of complaints as the council are currently responsible for monitoring emissions.

“It was a constructive meeting and Susan and I are pleased to be working alongside Terry and Jackie to address residents’ ongoing concerns.”

Ms Jones said: “We know this is a long-standing issue for some of our constituents so this was a welcome opportunity to discuss what the council and company are doing to mitigate their concerns. It’s vital we work together on issues like this which are important to local people, so I'm pleased Cllr Evans from Wrexham County Borough Council and town councillor Allen were able to attend.

“Ken and I have made numerous representations on behalf of our constituents in the Chirk area to Wrexham Council and the company itself over the past few years to convey residents' concerns. Most people say they don’t want the factory closed as it’s one of our area's biggest employers and closure would devastate hundreds of local families. However, I’m strongly of the view that more has to be done to deal with the very legitimate environmental concerns that local residents have.”

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is set to take over sole responsibility for monitoring emissions from Kronospan next year.

Mr Skates said: “I know there continues to be some confusion and misinformation with regard to Kronospan, which is why the Welsh Government has issued a direction to ensure that the site has a single regulator in the future, which will be NRW.”

Kronospan currently has two environmental permits. One is issued by Wrexham Council, which relates to the wood-related production. The other issued by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which relates to formaldehyde production. NRW is currently determining an environmental permit application received from Kronospan and is expected to complete this process by early 2020.

A recent letter to Mr Skates from Wrexham Council’s chief planning and regulatory officer, Lawrence Isted, confirmed that the authority is currently responsible for emissions to air, land and water, as well as noise.

Mr Isted said: “Upon receiving complaints on such matters, my officers would consider the likely source of the alleged pollutant and assess the controls implemented by the company against the requirement of the permit.

“Officers would also consider the effect of the pollutant on human health and the environment with reference to relevant environmental standards issued by the World Health Organisation and relevant air quality standards regulations. These standards are used to protect the health and wellbeing of the local population.”

He added: “Recent air quality monitoring indicates that air quality levels within the Chirk area complies with relevant statutory guidelines.” 

Calling eco-friendly schools for major awards

Schools across Denbighshire are being invited to join in the first ever Eco-schools awards and celebration event, taking place in the county in April 2020.

The six awards will recognise the work going on in schools to reduce waste and to recycle.

The categories are:

Litter Prevention Award – This award will recognise work done within schools or the local community to address any type of littering.

Single Use Plastic Reduction Award – An entry can be submitted if schools have done something to reduce single us plastics.

Waste Improvement Award – The award recognises schools that have taken action to reduce the amount of general waste that goes to landfill or incineration. This could be achieved by improving the recycling system or through preventing the creation of waste in the first instance. The winning school will have figure to demonstrate their impact.

Recycling in the Community Award – Schools that have undertaken projects to promote recycling within their communities should apply for this award. They could be acting as hubs to collect items for recycling, such as textiles or maybe pupils have created posters or leaflets to help educate and promote recycling to their friends and family.

Environmental Champion Award: This Award recognises the efforts of one individual who has gone above and beyond to their school become more environmentally friendly.

Denbighshire Outstanding Eco-School Award: All schools are invited to create a display of their overall Eco-Schools activities. Eco-committee members will have the opportunity to talk about their board during the event and the winning entry will be decided through a vote by everyone attending on the day.

All category winners will receive a prize, free transport for an Eco-Committee or class to visit the brand new Parc Adfer Energy from Waste facility and an award trophy made from recycled plastic.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Environmental Impact, Waste and Sustainable Travel, said:  “Our schools in Denbighshire are great ambassadors for the environment and they are doing a tremendous amount of work in their schools to become greener to help preserve the planet for future generations.

“We are delighted to be working with Keep Wales Tidy to recognise their efforts through the Eco-schools awards and celebration event.  The event will also give participating schools a chance to learn about each others exciting projects and help strengthen the Eco-School network of dedicated pupils, teachers, caretakers and parent helpers that make up each school’s Eco-Committees.

“We have some major changes on their way for recycling and refuse collection services in the county and we want to work with as many schools as possible to help prepare them and their communities for the changes coming.

“Engaging with school children is an effective way of sending back messages to parents and guardians about our efforts in Denbighshire.

The awards have kindly been sponsored by Biogen Residual Waste Plant, LWT Transport, Thorncliffe Building Supplies and CAD Recycling.

* For further details about waste and recycling in Denbighshire, please visit: w.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling

Conservatives select Clwyd South candidate

* Welsh Conservative candidate Simon Baynes pictured in Llangollen.

The Welsh Conservatives have selected their candidate to fight Clwyd South at the next general election.

Simon Baynes is a former businessman, founder of the charity Concertina – Music for the Elderly and author of the recently published book “Lake Vyrnwy – The Story of a Sporting Hotel”.  

He stood in Clwyd South in 2017, increasing the Conservative vote by almost 4,000.

Mr Baynes said: “I am extremely pleased to have been selected, and I will be campaigning hard on the issues that matter most to the people of Clwyd South.”

He says his number one priority is Brexit. 

“It is essential that we leave the EU on 31^st October, with or without a deal. I strongly support the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and his approach to negotiating with the EU,” he said.

He also wants to make sure money made available to the Welsh Labour Government from Westminster is spent where it is needed most.

He said: “That money must be used to fund front-line services, particularly health, education and care for the elderly. It must not be used to finance Welsh Labour’s pet projects in South Wales.”

Care for the elderly is a particular concern for My Baynes, who said: “We need a long-term solution so that people are not forced to sell their homes when they go into a care home. I also want to see pensioner benefits fully protected.”

Having grown up in the hotel business at Lake Vyrnwy, Mr Baynes has vowed to fight Welsh Labour plans for a tax on tourism. He also wants to see a reduction in business rates, to ensure the survival of local high streets.

Farming and the countryside are important to him and he says he will work hard to support both. He is chairman of the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust and says he is keen to protect and promote heritage in Clwyd South.

Mr Baynes is a Trustee of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and Mid Wales Opera and chairman of the Holroyd Community Theatre near Oswestry.

New heritage workshop is up and running

Gwlangollen Heritage Workshop, located in the Lock Up Heritage Centre on Victoria Square, is now up and running. Here project spokesperson Gill Britten gives an update on the new facility.

The room is upstairs, and from the beginning of September we will be open to the general public as often as we can manage. 

We now have a number of experienced crafters supporting the project. Between us we cover a wide range of “wool” skills and are able to offer talks demonstrations and bespoke workshops. These can take place in the workshop, at Pentredwr Community Centre, or we go out to groups if that is easier.  

* The interior of the new Gwlangollen Heritage Workshop,

So many people have been intrigued by what’s happening outside the workshop door on a sunny day. We are washing and drying fleece in preparation for carding. Raw fleece is sorted, at Pentredwr. All the bits of vegetation and contamination are removed and recycled by local gardeners as soil conditioner. Nothing goes to waste!

The soft locks suitable for crafts are put into net laundry bags, to prevent loose fibres clogging up the drain. Still in the bags, the fleece is gently hand washed in hot soapy water. The bags are hung outside on an A frame. 

Once the bags have stopped dripping, the fleece is taken from the bags and spread out between two sheets of smooth plastic coated wire. These again are hung up outside to dry. Once dry and fluffy, the fleece is carded. This part of the process combs the fibres, so they all run vertically, ready for spinning or felting. Many spinners prefer to spin raw fleece and wash the yarn in hanks. We all have our own preference.

Historically, anecdotal evidence suggests that locally, young boys foraged the hillsides for fleece. Washed fleece would be snagged on bushes, stone walls or wire fences to dry. The children scared away the birds and retrieved any clean fleece blown away by the wind. I’ve been told by local farmers of a certain age, they remember damming a bend in the river to make a temporary sheep wash. 

This would be done two or three days prior to shearing. They say the fleece in those times were much cleaner than today. Perhaps someone knows what year the river authority stopped the practice.

If this has aroused your curiosity and you would like to visit the workshop, please do so. Visitors are most welcome. Unless you happen to be passing, do please get in touch first to make sure someone is here to let you in.

* Call, text, or Facebook  Gill on 07871 774 651 or email gwlangollen@gmail.com

AM lashes out over votes for prisoners

North Wales Assembly Member and Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government, Mark Isherwood AM, has condemned Labour and Plaid Cymru for supporting proposals for legislation to give Welsh prisoners the right to vote.

Speaking in a debate on the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee report Voting Rights for Prisoners, Mr Isherwood (pictured) referred to the fact that only 9% of people in Wales said that all prisoners should be allowed to vote in a 2017 YouGov survey.

He said “The fact that Labour and Plaid Cymru are supporting this further evidences the growing gap between the expressed will of the people of Wales and their elected so-called representatives.

“Rights go with responsibilities, and not voting is just one of the facts of life arising from being in prison, reflecting a decision by the community that the person concerned is not suitable to participate in the decision-making process of a community.

“Some 17% of prisoners are already eligible to vote -  prisoners in the community on temporary licence can now vote, and both un-convicted prisoners being held on remand and civil prisoners jailed for offences such as contempt of court also already have the right to vote, although very few do.

“The UK Government has also said that it should be made more clear to people given prison sentences that they will not have the right to vote while in prison."

He added: “It is concerning that some Committee members believed in the principle of votes for all prisoners.

“Despite this, the Committee report only recommended that the Welsh Government and National Assembly legislate to give Welsh prisoners serving custodial sentences of less than four years the right to vote in devolved elections.

“For the reasons already outlined, Mohammad Asghar AM and I could not agree with this recommendation.

“Responding to this report, the Welsh Government stated that it “will work to introduce legislation in this Assembly to enable prisoners from Wales serving a custodial sentence of less than four years to vote in devolved local government elections”.

“Responding on behalf of the Assembly Commission, the Llywydd stated that it “does not consider that amendments should be introduced to the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill to address this issue”.

“In a letter to the Committee Chair last week, the Welsh Government added that it is committed to the principle of prisoner voting in all local elections and that it will seek an appropriate legislative vehicle at the earliest opportunity, to enable prisoners from Wales to vote in Assembly elections on the same terms as will apply for local government elections.

“To be clear, according to the Law Pages, giving the vote to prisoners serving a custodial sentence of less than 4 years will include those convicted of: Having a blade or sharp point in a public place; Racially aggravated common assault; Racially aggravated criminal damage; Procurement of a woman by threats; Attempted incest by a man with a girl over 13; Abduction of an unmarried girl; Causing prostitution of women ;Soliciting by men; Ill-treatment of patients; Assault with intent to resist arrest, and procuring others to commit homosexual acts.

“It is this that Labour and Plaid Cymru are supporting, further evidencing the growing gap between the expressed will of the people of Wales and their elected so-called representatives here."

Welsh Society starts it new season

Llangollen and District Welsh Society says a warm welcome awaits all those who wish to join in its 2019-20 programme of concerts and interesting talks at Seion in Castle Street.

The new season will begin tomorrow, Friday, September 27 at 7pm, in the company of Ieuan Ap Sion, a past Blue Ribbon winner at the National Eisteddfod, who will be entertaining the audience by singing a mixture of folk and easy listening Welsh songs.

The society says it would be great to welcome new members who wish to practice conversational Welsh while enjoying a variety of talks and concerts.

* More information is available at the Tourist Centre in Castle Street, Llangollen.