llanblogger takes a short break to return later this week

llanblogger is now taking a short break and will be back later in the week

It's the generation game at The Old Vicarage

* Bethan Mascarenhas, at the back near the window, with Welsh Learner of the Year Fiona Collins, centre holding soft toy, with residents, children and their parents at the storytelling session. 

The reigning Welsh Learner of the Year was signed up by the new boss of a Llangollen care home to help strengthen its links with the local community. 

Bethan Mascarenhas took over the Old Vicarage late last year and has since embarked on an ambitious series of initiatives to help keep elderly residents active and feel part of the daily life of the town.

And most of the activities she has in mind are aimed at encouraging them to mix with much younger people.

It’s with this aim in mind that Bethan has started regular storytelling sessions at the home, the first of which was led by Fiona Collins, Welsh Learner of the Year or 2019, and saw mums and toddlers from the area sitting alongside residents to enjoy nursery rhymes, stories and songs in Welsh, all introduced with the help of her collection of cuddly toys from an owl to a fish.

Bethan, whose home is a member of the influential Care Forum Wales organisation and trained at the Wrexham-based Pendine Academy, also plans more inter-generational events such as nursery rhyme and singing sessions.

“The arts and music have been proven to be extremely therapeutic for elderly people living in a care home environment and mixing with very young children is great because both the young and old can enjoy them so much,” she said.

“For the older people it can take them back to the happy times they had when they were young parents.”

Bethan also has in mind enabling her residents to return to their former hobbies and passions and to use any specialist knowledge they might have.

She explained: “One of our men is a keen gardener and wants to involve local children in things like planting bulbs for next spring. We also have former teachers living with us who could help younger children with their reading.

“I’d like to bring in experts to give talks to our residents and local primary school children on subjects such as the Second World War. I know someone who is prepared to bring in uniforms and other memorabilia from the era to help illustrate these sessions.”

Bethan added: “I’m quite advanced with planning for a mother and toddlers group to be based at the Old Vicarage and I think it would also be good to involve these children and their parents along with the residents in things like drama workshops, music therapy and yoga sessions.

“I firmly believe that just because someone is living in a home they do not have to feel isolated.

“I see what I am trying to do at the Old Vicarage as providing continuity of community.

“Thanks to Fiona, the first storytelling session was a big hit with the children, their parents and residents and hopefully will be the first of many like it.”

The Old Vicarage recently received a visit from Older Person's Commissioner for Wales Heléna Herklots who was impressed by what she saw.

Fiona Collins, who hosted the recent storytelling session at the home, won the National Eisteddfod's Welsh Learner of the Year in August.

Known as the woman who makes legends, stories and folklore come alive in her own magical way, the former teacher established a story cafe at the Courtyard Cafe in Llangollen, with a group coming together regularly to share stories, recite poetry or sing.

She began learning Welsh in 1999, when she was living in London.

Fiona, who works in English and Welsh, said her "secret mission" is to teach everyone about Welsh folklore.

* For more details about The Old Vicarage, call: 01978 861866.

* Residents meet some of the children.

* Above and below, Fiona Collins leads a  storytelling session.

Llangollen honours the fallen of two world wars

* Standards are lowered in silent tribute to the fallen.

Hundreds of people packed the centre of Llanbgollen this morning (Sunday) to watch and take part in the town's annual Service of Remembrance around the two war memorials in Centenary Square.

The service was led by the Vicar, Father Lee Taylor, and other local clergy and included the traditional two minutes' silence and the sounding of the Last Post and Reveille by a bugler from Llangollen Silver Band.

Wreaths were laid on the memorials on behalf of a number of local organisations and clubs including the Town Council and the Royal British Legion, who jointly organised the event, as the names of the fallen of two world wars were read out.

The service was followed by a parade through the streets of the town led by the silver band. 

* The service is led by the Vicar, Father Lee Taylor.

* A bugler sounds Last Post.

* Town Mayor, Cllr Jon Haddy, lays a wreath on behalf of the council.

* Phil Stroud, chairman of Llangollen Royal British Legion, lays his wreath.

* Llangollen Brownies about to lay their wreath.

* Llangollen Silver Band leads the parade.

* Armed forces veterans and organisations march along Oak Street.

* Above and below, youth organisations join the parade.

* Father Lee Taylor is followed by the standard bearers.

2020 wants your feedback on its parking plans

The 2020 Working Group has sent out a reminder that it is still inviting feedback from the public on its proposals to address the town's parking problems.

Full details of the proposals were given in a story by llanblogger last month. This can be seen at:
https://llanblogger.blogspot.com/2019/10/2020-wants-your-reactions-to-llan.html

See below for how to have your say:

Dementia aware business breakfast planned

Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) is hosting the next Dementia Aware Business Breakfast at St Collen's Community Hall, Regent Street, Llangollen, on Wednesday November 27, from 8.30am until 10.30am, in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses.

A DVSC spokesperson said: "Come along and meet other community businesses. You can discuss how to be more inclusive and how small changes can make a big difference to your customers, improve your reputation in the community and even your bottom line.

"The event includes a healthy breakfast and lots of time for networking and community focused conversations."

To confirm your interest in attending this free event, follow this link: bit.ly/DementiaAwareLlangollen, or call Maisie, DVSC's marketing and impact assistant on 01824 702 441.

UPDATE Horseshoe Pass re-opened

UPDATE

The Horseshoe Pass has now re-opened following a temporary closure due to bad weather.

UPDATE.

Just after 11.30am North Wales Police posted on its Facebook page that the Horseshoe Pass was closed due to the snow.

Heavy snow is currently falling across Llangollen, as can be seen in this shot over the roof of St Collen's Church.

The Ponderosa Cafe has put up a picture of the Horseshoe Pass on Facebook together with the message: "The cafe is open at this time however that is subject to change roads are slightly covered so do please take care."

New Llan micro pub is a real conversation piece

* Welsh economy minister Ken Skates toasts the opening of The Hoptimist in Llangollen with Richard Green, left, of Dovecote Brewery, and Doug McPherson, of Cwrw Ial.

A new micro pub in Llangollen has banned electronic music and games in favour of good old fashioned conversation.

The Hoptimist, in Market Street, is the latest venture by a partnership of two craft brewers from Denbighshire, Richard Green, of Denbigh’s Dovecote Brewery and Doug McPherson, of Cwrw Ial, from Eryrys, near Mold.

The Llangollen branch of their budding beer empire is the third to open in a year – the first was The Hoptimist in Abergele, followed soon afterwards by a branch in Rhuddlan.

The latest addition to the stable got the thumbs up from local Assembly Member for Clwyd South Ken Skates, the Welsh Government Economy Minister, who dropped in to sample some of the craft beers and ciders they sell – along with a range of flavoured gins made by Richard’s wife, Sue.

He even sampled a fruit cider in a shade of brilliant green and said: “It’s brilliant to see The Hoptimist in Llangollen – it works perfectly with the character of the town.

“Llangollen attracts visitors from around the world and it’s great to see a place like this offering a range of the very best craft ales, many of them produced here in North East Wales.

“Craft beers are all the rage these days and at The Hoptimist you can be guaranteed a genuine taste of the region – they’re putting the ales in Wales.”

Richard and Doug took over the premises on the corner of Market Street and East Street three months ago and have a tenant of their own, a small bakery which sells a range of pies, pastries and Wales’s answer to the Cornish pasty, the oggie.

Richard, whose Dovecote Brewery recently reopened The Salusbury Arms in his home village of Tremeirchion, near St Asaph, also has its own brand micro pubs, The Dove, in Rhyl and Prestatyn.

He said: “This is a really good spot and Llangollen is a perfect town for us as it’s busy all year round.

“We’ve even got the bakery next door so you can pick up your pie and bring it in to enjoy with your pint.

“Doug and I met at a CAMRA – Campaign for Real Ale  - meeting when we’d just set up Dovecote and we didn’t want to be in competition and thought it would work better to be in a partnership.”

Doug, a New Zealander who got into home brewing because when he was growing up the legal age for drinking was 21, said: “It can be difficult for micro-brewers like us to get their beer into pubs so we thought it would make sense to have our own pubs to sell our beer in.

“It’s working very well. Although the craft beer market is still relatively small it’s growing all the time and we are looking at further openings in the future.”

Both breweries produce a range of craft beers using traditional methods but often tweaking the recipes to produce different products like Dovecote’s award-winning Dove Down Under, made with New Zealand hops, and both also include special seasonal beers in their repertoire.

Richard, an industrial chemist from Walsall, in the West Midlands, was persuaded by Sue to turn his home brewing hobby into a business just over two years ago while Doug has been in the brewing industry for 27 years but branched out on his own at Cwrw Iȃl in 2014.

All their beers are 90 per cent made with local ingredients including Welsh–grown hops and barley and adhere to the 503-year-old German Purity Laws which insist that beer can only be made from water, hops, barley and yeast.

Richard added: “We want to grow a self-sustainable business and that’s why it made perfect economic sense to open our own pubs which have a unique atmosphere.

“You won’t find electronic music or games here but you will find a warm welcome, an interesting range of beers, ciders and gins, board games and good conversation.

“Our pubs are smaller and more intimate than most pubs but here in Llangollen we have space upstairs for table football and darts and it’s a good venue for meetings as well and we have a great choice of craft beers, gins and ciders.

“The footprint of each Dove or Hoptimist outlet is more compact than your usual pub, but we have a wide demographic and appeal to ladies and gents alike and we’re dog-friendly too.

“It’s something we believe in and we know it works and we’re hoping to announce further new openings soon.”