Love Island's Niall to star in Stiwt pantomime

* Niall Aslam will star in this year's pantomime at the Stiwt Theatre in Rhos.

Love Island heart-throb Niall Aslam has been announced as the star of this year's pantomime at the Stiwt Theatre in Rhosllannerchrugog.

The 25-year-old former Love Island contestant will take the role of the Genie in Aladdin, which runs from Saturday December 7 until Tuesday December 31.

Niall rose to fame in the 2018 series of the reality show and became one of the most popular contestants of that series due to his comical nature and proved a hit with the ladies of the villa.

Since Love Island, Niall has continued his career in reality TV, modelling and has also become a proud ambassador of the National Autistic Society.

Aladdin will be Niall's pantomime debut.

He said: "I'm absolutely buzzing to perform in Wrexham's annual Christmas pantomime. I've heard only good things about the audience, so I'm confident I'll have a good time and hopefully put a smile on everyone's faces.

"I'm looking forward to all the usual pantomime banter that gets the audience going - all the 'he's behind you', 'oh yes, we are' and 'oh no, you aren'ts'. It'll be great fun."

This will be the tenth year Liverpool-based LHK Productions has produced the Christmas pantomime at the Stiwt.

Lee Kelly, producer of the pantomime and managing director of LHK Productions, said: "I'm absolutely thrilled that we've got Niall on board for our decade year at the Stiwt. He will be fabulous, and I'm confident our audiences will love him.

"Everyone who watches our panto at the Stiwt always has a brilliant time, and this year's will be no exception. We're bringing back some familiar faces and that all important pantomime magic.

"I guarantee Wrexham is in for a treat with this year's production of Aladdin."

* Tickets can be purchased via www.stiwt.com or by telephoning 01978 841300.

Young 'Uns to stage The Wizard of Oz in 2020

* Members of the Young 'Uns cast for The Wizard of Oz line up. Picture by Barrie Potter.

Llangollen Operatic Society's junior section, the Young 'Uns, have just  completed casting for their next annual production, The Wizard of Oz.

The full cast for the RSC version of the show will feature 47 talented young people from Llangollen and surrounding areas.

The new show, which hits the Llangollen Town Hall stage from Thursday-Saturday, February 13-15, 

follows on from the group's acclaimed production of  Grease in February. 

Young 'Uns have been putting on shows in Llangollen for the past 30 years.   

   

Evening performances are at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2pm. Tickets are priced at £12 with £10 concessions.

Film maker Joe frames up major business award

* Joe Clifford, second from left, middle row, with fellow winners in the North Wales Young Business Awards at Bangor University.

A young film maker with strong connections to Llangollen has scooped a major business award.

In his spare time Joe Clifford, who lives in Chirk, is an active member of the Twenty Club amateur theatre group and has had key roles in a number of their productions over the years, most recently The Flint Street Nativity and Dinner With Otto.

But Joe's day-job is running the successful Wrexham-based bespoke video production service TasteBudds - The Food Filmmakers.

And TasteBuds won one of the key categories at the prestigious North Wales Young Business Awards staged recently at Bangor University.

A total of 150 businesses from across the region attended the event, hosted by BBC presenter Sian Lloyd, which recognises entrepreneurs under-35 and firms that are making waves in the region.

The awards had the backing of a number of local businesses who helped with sponsorship.

Joe and his company won the award for Food & Beverage Business of the Year, sponsored by  The Alternative Board - North Wales.

More flu clinics planned at health centre

MP says fight goes on for pension equality

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones (pictured) and other members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women have pledged to carry on fighting for women affected by the increase in their state pension age after a High Court ruling.

Yesterday (Thursday) the High Court rejected claims that increasing the state pension age for women born in the 1950s discriminated against them on the grounds of age and sex, and that the government had failed to appropriately notify those affected.

However, Labour MP Carolyn Harris and former Conservative Government Minister Tim Loughton, co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women, said the All Party Group would continue to use all means available – including private members’ bills – “to seek justice for all the women affected”.

In a written statement the politicians said the cross-party group’s continued aim was to deliver on a series of measures proposed in April 2018.

The measures include:

- making a non-means-tested pension credit available to all women aged 63 and over from the day it is approved until they reach state pension age, which won’t be backdated.

- equalising women’s pensions, so that everyone receives a full state pension (£159 per week) regardless of the number of years of National Insurance contributions accrued.

- extending pension credit for those worst affected who have no other income or private pension available to them and are suffering financial hardship.

Plans to increase the state pension age were first announced in the Pension Act 1995 but these changes were accelerated as part of the Pension Act 2011.

Susan Elan Jones MP said: “Pension fairness matters hugely for ordinary people from our local area. I’ve worked very closely with many constituents who’ve been affected by these pension changes. I remain committed to working in Parliament with other MPs across the political spectrum who want a fair, common sense solution for women born in the 1950s.”

Keddie wins town council seat

Paul Keddie yesterday won the vacant seat on Llangollen Town Council.

Results were:

Paul Keddie (Independent) - 293

John Palmer - 276

Gillian Robertson (Independent) - 92

Turnout 22.69%

County encourages more food waste recycling

* See reaction at foot of story from former Llangollwn county councillor Stuart Davies 

A food recycling project is being piloted in three areas of Denbighshire as part of efforts to encourage greater use of recycling facilities before significant changes are introduced to the county’s waste and recycling services.

During a recent monitoring exercise the council noticed that a total of 600 properties had not placed their food waste caddies out in the previous weeks. 

Those households have received a leaflet which encourages them to recycle food waste and to make sure that householders are aware of the equipment needed to recycle food.

The equipment includes an orange kerbside collection bin, a convenient silver kitchen caddy that can be placed on counter tops or under the sink and a roll of compostable liners.

Any households not placing their food waste bins ready for collection will be visited by a team of recycling advisors, to see what can be done to rectify any issues.

In December 2018, the Council approved plans to change waste and recycling collections in Denbighshire.  Those changes will come into effect during 2021 and will be:

§  a new weekly collection for recyclables such as paper, glass, cans, and plastic

§  a new weekly collection for nappies and incontinence wear

§  a weekly collection for food waste

§  a new fortnightly collection for clothes and small electrical items

The council says that if residents use the recycling service correctly, it should only result in a minimal amount of residual waste being created.  

As a result, the council will be changing the collection of non-recyclable waste to every four weeks for the majority of households.

Residents will be issued with a  bigger black bin if they need one, but overall, households would have more capacity each week for managing their waste than they have with our current service.  

The new weekly recycling service, using a Trollibloc system, would provide more capacity for recycling when compared to the current fortnightly collection with the blue wheelie bin.  

The council says residents will be able to free up even more space in their black bin by using new kerbside recycling services for textiles, small electrical goods, batteries and where needed, nappies and incontinence waste.   

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet lead Member for Highways, Environmental Impact, Waste and Sustainable Travel, said: “The council provides a weekly food waste recycling service to properties and people should be using it to take away unwanted food. They should not be placing any food waste in their black bin. If this initiative is successful, it could be drawn out across  the county.

“The council can fine people who repeatedly fail to separate their rubbish so it is important people take the time to put the right waste in the right container. 

"The majority of residents in Denbighshire recycle their food waste and we thank them for that, but we need to understand why some people do not dispose of their food waste properly. Households receive orange kerbside collection  bins that goes out once a week with the remainder of the refuse. A convenient silver kitchen caddy is used to  gather the food waste and a roll of compostable liners.

“This is a very timely initiative as we prepare our plans for a significant waste and recycling project being rolled out in 2021. In the meantime, our efforts to encourage greater amounts of recycling continues. And over the coming months we will be rolling out a series of initiatives to make it safer and more community-spirited to recycle as much as we can."

* To find out information about waste and recycling in Denbighshire, visit: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling

Reaction from former Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies ...

How dare Cllr Brian Jones threaten residents of Denbighshire with fines when his department is just as guilty of not collecting recycling properly themselves?

About five years ago DCC rolled out the recycling scheme in Llangollen, however they did not have small enough vehicles to access country properties such as mine and we have been on sack collection since. One for plastics, paper, metal etc and one for everything else! That includes waste food! 

As the then County Councillor I was promised that as the fleet was renewed that vehicles suitable for collecting the various recycling would be incorporated and we could ALL do recycling properly! It has not happened! We still are on two sack collection! 

The question needs to be asked of this arrogant councillor, is why he thinks it is ok to threaten residents with fines for not recycling when his own department is not doing its job properly by providing proper facilities for recycling to residents out in the country side? It smacks of having double standards!