Let's have your hazelnuts, says county

Denbighshire County Council’s Countryside Service is collecting and donating hazelnuts as part of Snowdonia National Park’s Hedgerow Scheme.

The scheme promotes natural borders and encourages hedgerow planting which provides a habitat for wildlife and supports biodiversity.

Snowdonia National Park operates a nursery growing hedge plants to donate to farmers and landowners to encourage the replanting of hedges.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so at the Tourist Information Centre in Llangollen, Canolfan Ni Corwen Loggerheads Country Park or the Countryside Service office at Brickfield Pond in Rhyl.

Those picking or foraging hazelnuts must have the landowner’s permission before doing so, and be aware of wildlife - don’t take everything from one area as wildlife depend on this resource over winter.  

Hazelnut gathering events will take place in Llangollen on Wednesday, October 9 between 10am and 12pm starting from Pengwern Community Centre and in Corwen on Thursday, October 10 between 10am and 12pm starting from the leisure centre car park. Visit the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB’s Facebook page to stay up to date on events and how many hazelnuts have been collected. 

Kia's latest Ceed model has the X factor

* The XCeed, the fourth edition to the Kia Ceed family.

Kia XCeed launch report by Steve Rogers

Just when you thought the family was complete another one comes along. Meet the XCeed, the fourth edition to the Kia Ceed family.

What is it? It is a Ceed hatchback which has gone into the workshop and come out with a change of clothes.

Is it needed? The Kia top brass think so and they are normally right. As one exec said to me: "We don't build cars people don't want."

Eight consecutive years of increased sales sort of backs that up, and it looks like this will be year number nine with 97,000 Kias leaving our showrooms, a pretty remarkable achievement from the company's bargain basement roots of the nineties.

Let's drill into what XCeed is and why it is needed. The X is the clue, it's a crossover or family SUV, whichever name you like best, and they are taking over the car market. 

Kia isn't short of SUVs, it has got Niro and Sportage, but Niro is a hybrid and Sportage a bigger SUV so XCeed has been brought in to plug the gap between Ceed and Sportage. Mazda has done the same with the CX-30 as has Ford with its pumped up Focus.

Kia believe XCeed will take around half the total Ceed range although I would not be surprised if it was higher and this is why. 

The X factor has given it a little more length than the hatchback (85mm) so there is no compromise on cabin space, the boot has room for an extra bag or two, it has the higher driving position which everyone seems to like, and it is better looking than the hatch with a tasty fastback tailgate design.

No one builds cars that don't drive well so let's jump ahead to more important things. On the engine front the choice is 1.0 and 1.4 litre petrols, and a 1.6 litre diesel. My star pick is the 1-litre, a lively, economic three-cylinder which will blow you away with its refinement and performance.

People I talk to are still dubious about this new breed of small engine and there will be doubters over this engine's ability to carry the XCeed but they will be wrong. The 1-litre is an absolute hoot from the second the accelerator is pressed and it can hold its performance right to the red line.

The 1.4 litre petrol is less impressive not because it is inadequate, which it is not, but because it does not have the same performance as some of its top rivals which offer a wider range of power outputs.

It provides the power for the top of the range First Edition which is the most eye catching with its tasteful yellow detailing on the seats and dashboard. It also comes with a striking wide 10.25in multi media screen that dominates the dashboard and flows into an equally impressive 12.3in digital instrument cluster which projects all the driver information you could possibly need.

First Edition also comes with a full suite of safety systems adding blind spot collision warning, speed limit information and forward crash avoidance that includes detecting pedestrians and cyclists.

It also throws in a sports mode selector, not really necessary given the modest power output, but nevertheless adds a spark of fun. First Edition will set you back £28,095 or £29,195 for the seven speed automatic.

Something to please mobile phone users is the ability to connect two mobiles at once, an all too rare benefit in cars of this class.

Kia does not expect many buyers to go for the entry Grade 2 but that is hardly left wanting with the touchscreen shrunk to eight inches for DAB audio selection, Bluetooth and reversing camera, all round electric windows, keyless entry, LED headlights, cruise control with speed limiter and air conditioning. This opens at £20,795 with the one litre engine.

The majority will opt for Grade 3 which uses all of the touchscreen and brings in navigation, heated front seats and steering wheel and electric parking brake among the extras over the entry model.

XCeed will not have it all its own way simply because strong rivals will be gnashing their teeth trying to frighten it off, but it is the new star of the Ceed range with great looks and a generous level of standard kit.

Why bother buying Ceed hatchback? Why indeed.

Key facts

XCeed Grade 2

£23,295

1.0 T-GDI; 118bhp

0-62mph 10.9secs; 115mph

45.6mpg combined

124g/km. 1st year tax £170

Boot: 426-1378 litres

Landmarks get lit up to celebrate big anniversary

A LUMINAIRE of iconic structures along the eleven-mile corridor of the Dee Valley’s World Heritage site near Llangollen is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the area this month.

The event runs from October 7-27 and marks the 10-year anniversary since Thomas Telford’s breath-taking nineteenth century Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at Trevor Basin was given the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2009.

It also coincides with the hosting of the UKs World Heritage Annual Conference and AGM in Llangollen, entitled Making The Most Of World Heritage on October 7-8.

Each site is unique and is either graded, a scheduled monument or both and will be lit up by expert lighting company Enlightened of Bristol for two hours each evening from 7.30pm - 9.30pm.

The sites to be lit up are as follows:

Aqueduct, Chirk (Grade II Scheduled Monument)

Viaduct, Chirk (Grade II)

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Trevor (Grade I Scheduled Monument)

Dinas Bran Castle, Llangollen (Scheduled Monument)

Horseshoe Falls, Llangollen (Grade II)

Organisers believe the spectacle, that places the 126ft structure at the centre of the celebrations, will come to life under the cover of darkness and encourage locals and tourists to explore the five structures along the stretch of the Llangollen Canal from Llangollen to Chirk, within the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  

It is intended to extend the length of the 2019 tourism season to boost the local economy of the area.

Wrexham County Borough Councillor Terry Evans, Executive Lead Member and member of the World Heritage Status Board, said: “I am looking forward to seeing the structures lit up, further highlighting that the World Heritage Site is an 11 mile corridor and encouraging people to visit more of it.  It is great that it will be over a three week period which will give more people the opportunity to visit and see it.”

Adnan Saif, regional director at Canal & River Trust said: “The Llangollen Canal is a beautiful waterway and is a lovely place to visit throughout the year. Research shows that being next to water makes you happier and healthier and this luminaire event will allow visitors to see the canal in a different light whilst helping to celebrate ten years since it became a World Heritage Site.”

Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support this exciting project which is an excellent way of celebrating Pontcysyllte Aqueduct’s tenth anniversary as a World Heritage Site. This project is a great example of what can be achieved by working in partnership and how innovative ideas like this can help us make the most of our World Heritage Sites.”

This project would not have been possible without funding from Visit Wales and the National Lottery Heritage Fund and permission being granted from private landowners and also from Network Rail who have given their permission for the Chirk Viaduct to be lit up.

* You can keep up to date on Pontcysyllte Aqueduct special events at its dedicated Facebook page or through Twitter or Instagram.

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