MP explains her position on yesterday's Commons vote

* Susan Elan Jones MP. 

Clwyd South Labour MP Susan Elan Jones has explained why she was among those who voted for the "Letwin amendment" and not Boris Johnson's Brexit deal in Parliament yesterday.

"I know many constituents were watching BBC Parliament on Saturday - and I was delighted to receive so much feedback locally over the last few days. I am doing my best to respond to each email and letter individually.

"A constituent made the point very well: 'The Tories are saying that people are fed up with delays and that’s why they should vote for it, I feel that it doesn’t matter how long it takes we should not vote for a bad deal which this is, let’s not forget that Bluster Boris voted against it twice'.

"A couple of right-wing Tory MPs also let the cat out of the bag when they said they were voting with Johnson because they’d been assured it would ultimately lead to a Crash Out Brexit.

"The Letwin amendment protects against that. We know that Johnson and his ilk support fewer employment protections - and I am concerned by that. Having met with local farming representatives on Friday, I have renewed concerns about deals that would see massive tariffs imposed on local farmers for access to their current markets. I am also troubled about the creation of a border in the Irish Sea.

"In addition, whether my constituents are Hard Brexiteers, convinced Remainers or somewhere in between, I am firmly of the view the decision must belong to them - not just the politicians - in a confirmatory referendum."

A Glorious piece of off-key comedy takes the stage

* A scene from Glorious with, from left, Chris Jones, Cheryl Kendrick, 

Helen Belton and Brian Gilbert.  Picture by Stephen Cain Photography. 

Review: Glorious at Grove Park Theatre, Wrexham

A woman is born with a burning ambition to sing.

The only trouble is she can’t sing.

In fact, she has the kind of excruciating voice that makes grown men weep, dogs howl and music teachers run for cover.

But that doesn’t stop her singing at every opportunity. And if her wretched recitals are in public then so much the better.

Her ambition might have been restricted to very small audiences if it hadn’t been for her daddy leaving her very comfortably off.

She uses tons of his cash to literally buy herself a stage on which her performance dream can take ear-busting flight – and even uses her influence to personally interview potential audience members who she thinks most likely to keep the secret of her chords of discord.

If all that seems a little far-fetched then just Google Florence Foster Jenkins and you’ll see all this is painfully true.

Meryl Streep starred in the film based on her story a few years back and the play on which this was based, entitled Glorious!: The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the Worst Singer in the World by Peter Quilter, is being staged by a superlative amateur cast at Wrexham’s Grove Park Theatre until October 26.

To play someone who sings as badly as Flo you have to be a pretty good singer yourself – remember Les Dawson deliberately and hilariously making a hash of playing the piano?

Luckily, that’s precisely what Helen Belton can do, as she’s proved time and again with the various singing roles she’s had, mainly with Llangollen Operatic Society, over the years.

She needs every ounce of her considerable vocal talent to mangle the notes just like Flo, at the same time as delivering a superb comedy performance.

This piece, set in New York in 1944, is packed with laughter – mainly at Florence’s expense – but the humour is always clever and never too cruel.

Helping the laughs along in a big way is Chris Jones who is excellent as Flo’s resident pianist Cosme McMoon and has a delivery that’s as dry as a bone.

Also memorable in her role as the dotty Dorothy, Flo’s neighbour and helper, is Cheryl Kendrick.

Another outstanding piece of comedy acting comes from Heather Kingnorth as Flo’s very odd Mexican maid Maria. And Brian Glibert is simply spiffing as her superannuated English actor boyfriend St Clair.

Ade Garrett has a walk-on part as the appalling Mrs Verrinder-Gedge. But her appearance on stage makes quite an impression.    

The play is directed by David Underwood.    

School's petition demands curbs on plastics

Environment-conscious students at Ysgol Dinas Brân in Llangollen are doing their bit to save the planet.

A petition they organised calling for the abolition of single-use plastics was formally presented in Parliament on their behalf earlier this week by Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones.

The petition call for a halt to the use of non-essential plastics in all UK schools by the end of this year and also demands the immediate banning of Styrofoam from all schools.

This is the culmination of a long and continuing campaign led by the student council to make all schools sustainable and environmentally responsible in a bid to protect the future generations and prevent a climate emergency.

Ms Jones said: "The petition was very widely supported in the school and it has been excellent to work with the school council and other students on this. 

"I am hoping to continue to do more campaigning and practical initiatives with them on environmental issues."

* To see the presentation of the petition in the House of Commons, go to: 

https://www.facebook.com/YsgolDinasBranSchoolLlangollen/videos/796321770787032/

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."