New documentary film about Llan gets a showing

* The audience watches Llangollen, Home of the Two Ladies at St Collen's Community Hall. 

A new documentary film featuring Llangollen has just had its premiere in town.

It was shown to an invited audience at St Collen's Community Centre by its director Philip Harland who said: "Llangollen, Home of the Two Ladies was the result of many happy hours spent in the town during the early summer of this year.

"It is one of a series of short documentary films that we are in the process of shooting, editing and publishing about aspects of Wales. 

"Our initial intention for the film was to base it entirely on Plas Newydd and its illustrious occupants, the Ladies of Llangollen.

"As it turned out, we got to know and feel intrigued by so many other facets of the town that the film ended up skimming the surface of Llangollen's contemporary life and culture, such as the serendipitous blessing of the new St Collen statue, before moving on to the historical story."

He added: "In the early part of the new year we shall be filming in Anglesey where our 'springboard' is the artist Kyffin Williams. 

"This has been made particularly interesting for us through the memories and correspondence of an artist friend who had a close relationship with the famous man. 

"Other subjects have been St David's, with a look at early Christianity in South and West Wales, and Conwy, focusing on 'visitors', from early invaders to the far more welcome tourists of recent decades."

Town carol service is this Sunday

TOWN CAROL SERVICE

SUNDAY DECEMBER 15^TH

Llangollen Town Hall

4pm Festive Afternoon Tea (free)

5pm Service starts

Llangollen Silver Band

All welcome!

    Llangollen Cytun (Churches Together)

Timely advice about waste collections

Calendars promoting the dates of waste and recycling collections for the next 12 months have been issued to residents in Denbighshire.

Every year the council issues an annual reminder of which dates the various collections will take place, including the all-important information for the Christmas and New Year period.

The booklet includes a quick guide to make sure residents are putting the right items into the correct container.

Also included is information about a brand new energy to waste facility that is opening in Flintshire this year, to deal with waste from five of the six North Wales counties.

There’s also a feature on disposing of waste through a contractor and steps residents should take to check the waste is heading to the correct destination.

Tony Ward, Denbighshire’s Head of Highways, Facilities and Environmental Services, said: “These guides are easy to use , they provide a lot of practical advice and information about all things waste and recycling and they are back by public demand.

“They provide a definitive guide on what kind of recycling or waste will be collected when and also provide details of when collections are happening in your area.  They also serve as a regular reminder to put the correct items out for collections at the right time."

* The information is also included on the council’s website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling  or if anyone requires a new calendar, they should contact the Council’s Customer Services team, on 01824 706000.

Carol concert revives happy memories for Iola

* Former pupil and teacher Iola Roberts chats to the children from Ysgol Acrefair.

A carol concert at the Llangollen residential home where she now lives brought back some happy memories for 86-year-old Iola Roberts.

Because the group of youngsters entertaining Iola and fellow residents of The Old Vicarage were from Ysgol Acrefair which she herself attended and where she went on to become a special needs teacher years later.

Bethan Mascarenhas, owner of The Old Vicarage, said: “SG Estates, who are doing some building work in the area, arranged for the children to come and sing carols for our residents and it was just by chance that Iola told me of her links with the school.

“After they’d finished singing for us she chatted with the children for quite some time as did other residents at the concert.

“It was a lovely afternoon and part of my aim to involve residents with younger people from the community as much as possible.”

She added: “SG Estates have also arranged to take the residents out for Christmas lunch at the Wild Pheasant hotel in Llangollen.”

* The children sing for The Old Vicarage residents.

Santa's seasonal quiz will boost air ambulance

Lexus UX: nice car but voice control was US

* The Lexus UX outside.

* ... and inside.

Lexus UX road test by Steve Rogers

This is going to sound ridiculous but I lost my rag with the car's voice control.

Yes, it is a computer and cannot answer back but after numerous attempts to change the radio station - the answer was that it couldn't find the street - I shouted 'forget it' followed by a few more insults. 

Pathetic I know but there you go.

Others tried and failed so it wasn't just me although I did manage to get it to accept a navigation postcode, and that was no mean achievement.

I turned to voice control because the Lexus UX coms system is fiddly and frustrating using a touch pad in the centre console for selections. Trouble is the cursor dances all over the place so it's easy to land on the wrong function and is difficult to control even on the slowest setting, more so when driving.

Interestingly my son thought it a great system but he was in the passenger seat although I was getting the hang of it while sitting calmly in a car park. The more you try the easier it becomes I suppose.

Enough of that, what of the UX? It is getting a lot of air time on the telly because it is the newest model in the Lexus range and as a compact SUVcum crossover is expected to be the company's biggest seller ahead of the NX, which looks the same size, and the larger RX.

This is an overcrowded sector although as a premium model its main competitors are BMW, Audi and Volvo even so it is going to be tough. At least UX has a unique selling point in that it is the only self charging hybrid and has good tax breaks because of its very low emissions. It also has the trademark rakish looks and turned plenty of heads.

Compact it might be but UX is not short on space, apart from the boot which is compromised by batteries stored under the floor. Up front is the best place to be where the seats are superbly comfortable and there is plenty of shoulder and elbow room.

Everything looks business like and modern with an 8in screen containing all manner of information tucked neatly at the base of the windscreen and a row of switches for all things heating and that includes a heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats. There is no shortage of kit on this car and I am pleased to report a head up display for the driver, brilliant for speed and navigation info.

Saying the car drives well is getting monotonous, the majority do these days, although the F Sport ride is a tad hard but that goes with the territory and the go faster bits extend to the switchable digital instrument cluster that has in your face red graphics in sport mode. 

Don't make the same mistake as me and kill the headlights when reaching for the switch. They are close together and it is easy to grab the wrong one in the dark.

Power for the UX comes from a 2-litre petrol with an extra boost from the electric motor so performance is brisk, particularly if you opt for F Sport which offers enhanced driving modes, weighting up the steering and sharpening throttle response.

The little SUV does not have stand-out driving dynamics over the opposition but is tidy none the less. It comes with a full suite of safety features including active cornering assist which applies braking to the inside wheel to help reduce understeer through bends although I am certain you would have to be tanking it to feel the advantage.

According to the trip computer the UX settled around 44-45mpg over nearly 500 miles of mixed driving but a delve into the history graphics showed it is capable of 60mpg.

So while UX does not blow the mind it is a good looking, extremely well equipped and competent motor with bang up to date technology. Its major drawback is a single hybrid engine option when rivals offer more choice.

As a premium brand it is not cheap but neither are its rivals. One disappointment is a three year warranty when its Toyota sister gives five. Something like that could give it an edge.

Key facts

UX F Sport

£33,905 (£39,905 with extras)

2-litre petrol hybrid; 181bhp

0-62mph 8.5secs; 110mph

49.5-53.2mpg combined

Emissions 97g/km. 1st year tax £130

Insurance group 22

Eisteddfod announces 2020 concert line-up

* Aled Jones and Russell Watson star in the 2020 eisteddfod.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has revealed its 2020 line-up and opened its priority booking in time for Christmas.

Taking to the Pavilion stage are powerful singing duo Russel Watson and Aled Jones plus British "Queen of Soul" Beverley Knight.

Llanfest 2020 features BRIT award winners James Morrison and Will Young.

The 74th Eisteddfod, which runs from July 7-12, and has daily performances and competitions, featuring some of the most prestigious artists and choirs from around the world, culminating in the world renowned Choir of the World award.

Eisteddfod artistic director Dr Edward Rhys-Harry, said, “We are very proud to launch our programme of musical excellence and international diversity. We always aim to bring the world’s very best artists in music and dance together here in Wales, to perform in an unparalleled spirit of friendship.

“The events running each day reflect our vision of promoting peace through music and the evening concerts really do have something for everyone.”

Russell Watson and Aled Jones appear together in the evening concert on Tuesday July 7.

Wednesday night sees Manchester Collective’s Sirocco offering a unique evening with the essence of the International Eisteddfod at its core as different musical elements from different cultures sit side by side.  

* Beverley Knight makes her Llangollen debut in the Friday concert. 

* Will Young is on the bill for Llanfest. 

* James Morrison also star in Llanfest.

The full evening concert line-up includes:

Tuesday July 7 – Back in Harmony: Aled Jones and Russell Watson

Following their sell-out 2019 In Harmony tour, two of the classical world’s greatest voices present an evening that will feature a wealth of well-loved hymns, arias, and popular songs - ranging from a rousing Funiculì, Funiculà to a peaceful The Lord is My Shepherd.

Wednesday 8th July – Fusion: Uniting Cultures Through Music (£25)

At the heart of the International Eisteddfod is the celebration of diverse cultures coming together through music and dance. The captivating Wednesday evening concert takes this theme of fusion, with various musical elements from different cultures sitting side by side.

The second part of the evening will feature Manchester Collective with a special excerpt from their critically acclaimed show, Sirocco, an electrifying fusion of Western Classical Music with the music of Africa.

Thursday 9th July – A Concert for Peace (£27/£20)

The inaugural Concert for Peace highlights the unique founding values of the International Eisteddfod - international peace, goodwill and understanding. This concert will feature the Parade of Nations presented by eisteddfod president Terry Waite CBE, the annual Peace Message, the Rotary Peace Award and performances by international participants and special guests.

Friday 10th July – BK25: Beverley Knight (£40/£35)

Beverley Knight. Three times MOBO award-winner and Lifetime Achievement recipient from the Urban Music Awards, she is best known for her hit singles Greatest Day, Shoulda Woulda Coulda and Come As You Are and for her roles in West End shows including The Bodyguard and Memphis.

Saturday 11th July - Choir of the World (£30/£25)

The finest choirs perform to compete for the coveted Pavarotti Trophy and Choir of the World title. Dance Champions of the World will also be crowned alongside the Pendine International Voice of the Future, which has been included in the Saturday evening programme for the first time.

Llanfest with James Morrison and Will Young (£49.50)

The finale to Llangollen 2020 is the Llanfest festival on the Sunday. BRIT Award winning artists James Morrison and Will Young co-headline Llanfest with individual sets that include greatest hits and material from their latest albums.

* Priority booking for all concerts opens from 9.30am Monday December 9 for Friends of the Eisteddfod and those wishing to buy a Festival Pass for the week. Tickets will then be on sale to the general public from 9.30am on Tuesday December 17 online at www.llangollen.net or via the box office. You can become a Friend of the Eisteddfod during this priority booking period and gain access to these advance tickets, contact the box office on 01978 862001.