Police warn over fake banknotes

Police are warning businesses to be vigilant after several incidents of passing counterfeit notes have occurred in the Gwynedd south area over the last 24 hours.

The individuals concerned have mostly attempted to pay for low value goods using fake Bank of Ireland £50 notes in Penrhyndeudraeth, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Porthmadog.

The two men and a woman are travelling in a dark blue Ford Transit, and have Irish accents. One of the men has what is described as having an “Angel wing” tattoo on the left side of his neck.

It is believed that these individuals may travel throughout the North Wales area, and as such we advise anyone who is offered a Bank of Ireland £50 note to undertake the usual checks, and if any suspicious circumstances occur, please contact police on 101 or via the live webchat. Likewise, any sightings of the distinctive vehicle pictured which has Irish number plates should be reported immediately.

Llangollen Business Improvement District (BID) update

Kevin Brownell, project manager of the consultants Mosaic Partnership, has prepared this update, exclusively for llanblogger, on the Llangollen Business Improvement District (BID)

Consultation over the proposed Llangollen BID is continuing. 

A BID is an arrangement whereby businesses get together, decide what additional improvements they want to make, how they are going to manage and deliver those improvements and what it will cost them. 

This all goes into a business plan which is voted on by all those who would have to pay. 

The BID can last for a maximum of five years and must be able to demonstrate how it has benefited businesses who have funded it.

The BID organisers have been in Llangollen this week speaking to businesses to discover their priorities for the town centre.

The feedback from this consultation will go into a producing a summary business plan which will outline potential project area’s the BID could focus on to deliver improvements for businesses. 

This will form the basis for further consultation in November where potential levy payers will have further opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on the proposals.

Following this period of consultation, the BID organisers with the help of the BID Task Group, a representative group of businesses that volunteer to work towards developing the BID, will produce the Final Business Plan. 

This will outline exactly what the BID is proposing to deliver, how it will be governed, and funded. 

This will be sent to all businesses in the proposed BID area in January 2020 before a full 28-day postal ballot begins in late February. 

This will be the businesses' chance to decide if they want the BID to go ahead.

* To find out more about the BID please visit www.llangollenbid.co.uk or contact Project Manager Kevin Brownell on 07496 718580 or kevin@themosaicpartnership.co.uk

Thousands will head for town's food festival

* Food festival committee members Phil Davies and Pip Gale raise a glass of Chateau Loughlin in honour of event saviour Colin Loughlin.

* Booze Brothers Gruff and Ieuan Jones.

* Chirk Trout Farm and Smokery's Rachel Simpson with new smoked pancetta product.

Thousands of food lovers will be beating a path to Llangollen this weekend to sample the culinary delights of the town’s annual food festival.

Llangollen Food Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday at the international pavilion.

The event, which will provide a shop window for more than 100 stallholders, has been named as one of the UK’s Top 10 food festivals by the Daily Telegraph and Independent newspapers.

It will also provide a major boost to the local economy which stands to benefit from a total spend of £400,000 by visitors.

Among those plying their trade there will be the Wrexham-based Booze Brothers who  will be launching a new cocktail in honour of two aristocratic women who scandalised 18^th century society when they eloped together from Ireland and settled in Llangollen.

The concoction called Ladies’ Dee-light will celebrate the lives of the Ladies of Llangollen, Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby.

The new drink is the brainchild of two brothers,  trained mixologists Gruff and Ieuan Jones,  whose micro bar business is taking North Wales by storm.

Also being launched is a new wine to honour the memory of the man who saved the popular festival – and will be used to raise money for his favourite charity.

Friends and colleagues were devastated by the sudden death of the “larger than life” former wine distributor Colin Loughlin, 76  after he suffered a heart attack at his home on the outskirts of the town in February.

The red wine, appropriately called Chateau Loughlin, will be unveiled at this year’s festival and the label features a colourful caricature of Colin.

The proceeds will be used to help fund a defibrillator on a new boat, the Lady Winifred, that’s recently been launched by the Vale of Llangollen Canal Boat Trust which Colin supported for many years.

Back in 2011, Colin came to rescue of the Llangollen Food Festival and led a team of volunteers who took it over when the previous organiser pulled the plug on the event.

Festival committee member Pip Gale, who also runs Gales Wine Bar in Llangollen, sourced the Chateau Loughlin wine.

Pip said: “Chateau Loughlin is a lovely, easy drinking wine from the South of France, made with predominantly with Syrah grapes.  I’m sure Colin would approve."

A trout farm and smokehouse whose delicacies once tickled the taste buds of James Bond has lined up a legendary new treat for visitors the  festival.

Chirk Trout Farm Shop and Smokery, which has supplied smoked trout to the Orient Express among other prestigious establishments, will be unveiling its luxurious new smoked pancetta.

“It’s great to be returning to one of the loveliest food events in the country with a new product,” said former veterinary nurse Rachael  Simpson, 40, who joined the firm run by the Simpson family after marrying her husband Richard, 44, who manages the smokery and trout farm. 

Festival committee member Phil Davies said: “We have a wonderful array of fantastic food producers clustered in the area for whom we can provide a shop window.

"I'm glad to say we're also making a positive contribution the local economy with food lovers travelling from far and wide because the festival is now firmly and rightly established as a major highlight in the UK's culinary calendar."

* For more information go to www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

AM expresses concern over milk sector

Following this week’s news that Wrexham-based dairy firm Tomlinsons has gone into administration, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood (pictured) questioned the Welsh Government yesterday over what action it is taking to protect the milk processing sector.

Administrators were appointed after the company, which was established in 1983 and employed more than 300 workers, experienced "significant cash flow pressures." 

As well as its base in Minera, Wrexham, the dairy company has operations in Chester, Shropshire and across the North West.

During yesterday’s Topical Questions in the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood expressed concern regarding the closure and, with it being the second milk processing plant in Wales to close, asked what action the Welsh Government is taking to protect the sector.

He said: “Five million, I believe, of the £22 million investment in Tomlinsons in 2017 came from the Welsh Government, and, of course, that raises questions about the degree of contractual protection for the public pound. 

"But, as we heard, this is the second milk processing plant in Wales to close, meaning that more than half of (Welsh) milk production is now having to be transported elsewhere. The Dairy Leadership Board last met four years ago, but its conclusions still stand, including the need to attract top-end processors into Wales.

“Wales is a top milk producer. Across the European continent and beyond, milk production is moving north and west because grass grows better here. How, therefore, are you, or have you, since that recommendation from the Dairy Leadership Board four years ago, taken the actions necessary to develop and protect the processing sector in Wales, not only in terms of milk, but also in maximising the commercial opportunity to develop the components of Welsh milk, which offer exciting chances to deliver rural economic growth in the future, and marketing that to new potential owners, as you seek someone who will take it on as a growing concern?”

In his response the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters AM, said: “The £5 million grant was for a specific scheme to help them develop and become more resilient, and the food business investment grant, which was carried out in line with due diligence and all the grant conditions were discharged - the additional support was from the Development Bank for Wales, which was to help them with cash flow and other matters, and, clearly, along with the commercial investors, we have not been able to secure the full repayment of that. But if we can be accused of anything, it's certainly not of not offering enough support to the company.

“But there are things that we can't control. The markets are at play here, and commercial, individual companies make decisions, management make decisions, and there are consequences to those decisions. We remain confident that there is a good business to be run here, and we hope the administrators are successful in providing alternative providers. We'll work with them to continue supporting them. On the broader points that the gentleman makes about support for the industry, I'll ask my colleague Lesley Griffiths to write to him to provide a detailed response.”

Speaking outside the Chamber, Mr Isherwood responded: “The technology on the site is excellent. With over 300 employees directly affected, plus many more in the local economy, the investment here must not be lost and priority must be given to seeking someone who will take on the plant as a going concern."

Rhys Meirion to star in eisteddfod's Christmas concert

* Rhys Meirion will headline the eisteddfod's Christmas concert. 

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will be celebrating the launch of its 2020 programme by hosting an International Christmas concert with Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion and presented by Nic Parry, on Sunday December 15.

The eisteddfod favourite will be returning to perform at the concert, which aims to raise funds for the festival. 

He will headline the festive evening with his impressive vocals and will be joined by Wrexham songbird Elan Catrin Parry. 

The schoolgirl left the audience in awe last year with a performance of her debut album Angel and will this year present a selection of festive melodies.

Guests will also be able to enjoy the musical talents of pianist Julian Gonzales, international folk dancers and the band of Ysgol Dinas Brân.

Rhys Meirion said: ‘I am really looking forward to singing at the iconic Llangollen Pavilion once again.

“The eisteddfod has a very special place in my heart as I remember seeing Pavarotti perform there in the mid 1990s and it was one of the moments that inspired me to take the plunge and pursue a career in music.”

Eisteddfod artistic director Dr Edward Rhys-Harry said: “We are thrilled to welcome internationally renowned Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion to Llangollen for our Christmas concert. We hope that the audience will enjoy this year’s festive celebrations which will showcase a selection of outstanding musical talent.

“It promises to be an enchanting evening with fantastic performances to get us all into the Christmas spirit.”

The evening will include a new initiative, The Gift of Giving Reverse Grotto. Guests are encouraged to donate food items to be left under the Christmas tree, which will be handed to the Llangollen Food Bank.

Elise Jackson, Community Engagement Officer at the International Eisteddfod, said: “Christmas is a time to celebrate peace and goodwill – core values that our festival nurtures and promotes. We’re delighted to launch an extra element to our carol concert this year, with the Gift of Giving initiative with the local food bank. We’d encourage everyone to bring long shelf-life food donations on the night to help support local people who struggle to provide for their families at Christmas.”

* Tickets for the concert will be available at Llangollen Food Festival being held this weekend at the Llangollen Pavilion. Tickets are priced at £13 for adults, £5 for children (under 5s go free) They are also available from the Eisteddfod Office and Llangollen Tourist Information or online at www.llangollen.net

County starts to address climate emergency

* Encouraged: Llangollen councillor Graham 

Timms who chairs the cross-party group.

The first meeting of a cross-party group responding to Denbighshire County Council’s climate and ecological emergency has been held.

In the summer the council declared a climate and ecological emergency and now a cross-political party group of councillors has met to draw up a plan to address the issue.

The motion passed by Denbighshire included a commitment to make the authority net carbon zero by 2030 at the latest and call on the Welsh and UK governments to provide assistance and resources to enable the Council to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Llangollen councillor Graham Timms, chair of the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency Working Group, said: “I am encouraged by the cross-political party action this working group represents. The public wants to see action to combat climate change and biodiversity decline with many groups already doing great work at the community level.

“This working group will ensure the council continues the good work already taking place, but pushing this agenda further to respond to the climate and ecological emergency Denbighshire, Wales, UK and the world is in.”

Denbighshire County Council made the environment a priority in its current Corporate Plan which was launched in 2017 and so far more than 5,800 trees have been planted while the council has already undertaken work to reduce its carbon emissions.

The council now only uses renewable electricity for its own buildings after switching to a renewable only energy provider for its schools, leisure centres, libraries, council offices and depots.

Electric charging points have been installed for council vehicles at several council buildings while charging points for public use are being installed at the new car park being built on the former post office site in Rhyl.

The council has recently undertaken a study to help identify potential locations for electric charging points for members of the public in existing car parks.

The council has also secured Bee Friendly status from the Welsh Government for its work to protect pollinators and to increase biodiversity in the county.

Cllr Brian Jones, Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “Protecting the environment is very much at the centre of our plans and we have already made some progress.  

"The working group will enhance the work the Council is undertaking in this area and we will also be working with partners across the public, private and third sector to respond to this climate and ecological emergency.”

Police issue warning about bogus callers

As the nights are drawing in police are urging residents to be on their guard as thieves target elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes in the late afternoon and early evening.

DCI Gary Kelly said: “At this time of year we see a rise in this type of crime where thieves turn up on the doorstep offering to carry out maintenance and repair work often claiming to be from the council or a utility company to gain access to a home and steal money and property. They will at times use this visit to familiarise themselves with the property only to return and commit a burglary of the premises at a later date.

“I would ask people to report suspicious behaviour, to advise elderly relatives and friends and to keep an eye out for vulnerable neighbours as these thieves are using the twilight hours to target addresses.

“Please report any suspicious vans, cars or individuals in your vicinity. I would also encourage people to visit the North Wales Police website which offers valuable information and advice on how to keep properties and valuables secure. https://www.north-wales.police.uk/advice-and-support/safer-homes/cold-callers-if-in-doubt-keep-them-out              

"If you know of someone who is committing burglary or is involved in selling stolen goods, please contact North Wales Police on 101 or https://www.north-wales.police.uk/contact/live-chat-support

Cold callers – if in doubt, keep them out

The Three Step Plan:

Remember genuine callers will not mind waiting. It's your home. You don't have to let anyone in!

One:

If in doubt, keep them out. It sounds simple, but if you don't let someone in - they will go away. Don't let them pressure you into opening the door.

Two:

Be prepared. Be in control. Think about what to say to doorstep cold callers in advance. Keep a list of key contact numbers near your phone so you can check out legitimate callers. Ask all other unwanted callers to go away.

Three:

Call a neighbour or the police. Contact a local relative or nominated neighbour who can help verify a cold caller. If you think someone is a rogue trader call North Wales Police on 101. To report a distraction burglar or rogue trader who has taken your money and is still in the area - call 999.

If you do happen to get caught off guard and a cold caller does manage to get into your house, let us know about it as soon as possible. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, and the sooner we know about it, the better chance we have of catching them and recovering your property.