Railway reports steaming good festive period

* The Mince Pie Special leaves Llangollen station.

Llangollen Railway reports a very successful season of festive trains which were well supported by visitors from many parts of the UK and abroad.

The Santa Special trains were a sell-out in the pre-Christmas period and strong support was given to the post-Christmas series of Mince Pie Specials which brought the crowds to town.

The railway operated 50 steam specials when family groups travelled to "Lapland" at Carrog to meet Santa on the train. 

In a sell-out operation, 8,700 seats were sold to the regular base of family groups and additional strong support came from many first-time visitors. 

Parties came from a wide segment of the railway's catchment area, including the North-West and Midlands of England, as well as North Wales and even further afield.

From Boxing Day seven days of Mince Pie Specials operated 21 steam trains and, again, proved popular for families and organised groups taking advantage of the attraction which provides an all-year travel opportunity in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Aside from enjoying being served a mince pie and festive drink at their seats, some 60 parties opted to be served high tea during the trip through the Dee Valley. 

Others took advantage of the spell of mild weather to go for walks from the railway stations to enjoy the Welsh countryside in winter. In addition, three special trains were booked for parties to enjoy a festive meal, a Real Ale train and an excursion for members of the North Wales narrow gauge railways.

General Manager Liz McGuinness said: "We are delighted with the success of this year's festive season of trains which were as popular as ever. 

"The success is down to the involvement of our volunteers in manning the trains and stations and the operating staff in organising the events. 

"We have had many messages of appreciation from those who travelled and enjoyed their visit, many for the first time having a seasonal holiday in the region."

She added: "On Llangollen was the only standard gauge railway operating in North Wales as the mainline trains took an extended holiday. This was thanks to those volunteers who turned out to staff the trains and offer extended festive cheer to our visitors.

"The number of visitors attracted to Llangollen Railway over the festive period serves to demonstrate the economic benefit the railway produces for the region in what would otherwise be a closed season for attractions."

She went on: "The railway will now undergo a period of lineside maintenance during January. Train services resume on February 17 in time for schools’ half-term.

"We have a full programme of events planned for 2020, starting with Mother's Day on March 22 and the ever-popular Days Out with Thomas April 17-19.

"When all the building work is completed at Corwen, our new station will open later in the year. A full ten-mile train journey will then operate from a date to be announced which will involve some changes to the published timetable.

"This will be very appropriate in the year which will mark the 45th anniversary of the start of the project, in 1975, to rebuild what was then a derelict track bed and abandoned stations. 

"The epic restoration of the Llangollen Railway has only been possible thanks to the many volunteers who have contributed to the rebuilding and the large body of supporters, from all parts, who have contributed financially to the project. Without them it would not have happened.

"The Llangollen Railway Trust looks forward to on-going support in 2020 to ensure the heritage railway continues to operate through the Dee Valley and maintains its position as the No.1 attraction in North-East Wales."

Still room in the market for Mazda's new hatchback

* The Mazda3, above and below.

Mazda3 road test by Steve Rogers

Right. I was ready to put the mockers on Mazda3 now that its muscle bound partner has joined the range.

Well, who wants a common or garden hatchback over a bigger, stronger crossover SUV, and the car that nearly everyone is buying?

These all-conquering warriors come in all shapes and sizes - Mazda has two, CX-3 and CX-5, and has added a third, the CX-30. This is a taller, wider version of Mazda3 and is so good it convinced me the family hatchback is redundant.

Or so I thought. A couple of weeks later a Mazda3 turned up and realised I was wrong the moment I got behind the wheel. There is plenty of life left in a good hatchback.

There was such a good feel about this car; the fit was perfect just like a comfortable pair of slippers. You are reminded how satisfying it is to sit low behind the steering wheel, closer to the road, soaking up every bit of information coming up from the wheels. Sweeping through twists and curves with the sort of ease and excitement you don't get from an SUV, no matter how good it is.

Calm down Rogers, it was just a car.

The main reason for this road test was to give the new SkyActive-X petrol engine a good workout. It was not ready in time for the launch of the fourth generation Mazda3 last May but UK boss Jeremy Thomson made it clear there is a lot riding on the engine as customers switch from diesel to petrol power.

The trick is to develop a petrol engine with the something like the same power and economy of a diesel, and Mazda believe it has cracked it.

The new engine has spark-controlled compression ignition which, we are told, is ground breaking. The key is the use of a highly lean mixture of fuel and air fired by compression rather than a spark plug which has been the norm.

So here is the challenge. A modern 2-litre diesel pumps out around 180bhp, 350Nm of torque and can average 50mpg. SkyActive-X has 177bhp, is said to average 50mpg and has 224Nm or torque. How does it perform?

On paper that deficit in torque is worrying but in practice the gap is not as wide as you might think. Even the best turbo diesels have a small amount of lag but that is not a trait of the Mazda engine. Under 2000rpm the Mazda response is seamless and brisk, not quite as strong as a diesel, but good enough.

It is the same story in the mid-range, another strong area for diesel, and the Mazda can be revved until the cows come home which adds to the fun. Not something that can be done with a turbo diesel.

Of course the big test is economy and I gave it a big one, a 400-mile trip through hilly mid Wales to Pembrokeshire and back. At journey's end the computer showed 47.3mpg, a brilliant return and only a little shy of similar trips in a diesel. That's good enough for me.

Those roads really brought out the best in the Mazda3. They call for quick response steering and razor sharp handling, so that is both boxes ticked.

But there is a lot more to the Mazda3. For me it is the best looking hatchback bar none, a good layout for the driver and a noticeable improvement in the quality of trim and fittings. There is a good range of equipment from the start and the colour head up display is excellent with speed, speed limit and navigation instructions all shown along with the blind spot warning which is normally only shown in the door mirrors. These are all little things that make driving much safer.

Heating controls are separate from the 8.8in touchscreen which looks after everything else but at least it is operated via a rotary controller which is far less fiddly than dabbing the screen when on the move.

I was told by a couple of female passengers to give a special mention for the heated front seats which are roasting in no time even too hot on the high setting.

There was a minor moan from people in the back who found it a bit dark. The car has a rising waistline and not a lot of glass, and a rear camera is a must for reversing because you can't see much out of the slim back window.

The CX-30 is my 2019 car of the year but I still got more pleasure driving its slightly smaller brother.

Key facts

Sport Lux SkyActive-X

£25,575 (starts £23,555)

2-litre petrol; 177bhp

0-62mph 8.3secs; 134mph

48.7mpg combined

103g/km. 1st year tax £150

Insurance group 22

Boot 358 litres

New Dot launches its winter season on Friday

* A scene from this Friday's film, C'est la Vie. 

* The full winter film programme.

Llangollen's New Dot Cinema launches its winter programme this coming Friday with the French comedy, C'est la Vie. 

Taking place over one chaotic day, Max, an event planner who has arranged too many weddings, has one last, luxurious ceremony to oversee in a sumptuous 17th-century castle. 

But nothing goes to plan. One of Max's waiters is his bossy, depressive brother-in-law who is an old flame of the bride, one of his assistants keeps picking arguments and also flirting with one of the other waiters.

Which is unfortunate because she and Max are also lovers, the waitstaff are hopeless, the electrics in the chateau are dangerously dodgy, the famous DJ doesn't turn up - could anything go right and save the day? 

C'est la Vie is just the thing to brighten up a dismal January Friday. Tickets are available online via Skiddle, from Llangollen Oggie Shop & Fine Foods (formerly Baileys) or on the door on Friday evening.

Other treats in this upcoming programme include Judy (Renée Zellwegger has already won her first award for her portrayal of the tragic singer, Judy Garland), the devastatingly moving documentary For Sama, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's Pain and Glory and the extraordinary documentary Home, in which follows adventurer Sarah Outen as she crosses the world via kayak, rowing boat and bike.

* More information at newdotcinema.org and New Dot's Facebook page.

Writing is on the wall for Christmas at the vicarage

* Father Lee Taylor performs of the Chalking of the Door ceremony at the vicarage. 

* The initials of the Three Wise Men symbolise the official end of Christmas.

The vicar of Llangollen marked the end of Christmas with a ceremony blessing the front of his home yesterday (Sunday) evening.

Parishioners and friends of St Collen's gathered at the Abbey Road vicarage to see Father Lee Taylor perform the traditional Chalking of the Door bringing to an end the 12 days of Christmas and the beginning of Epiphany.

He used chalk to inscribe the initials of Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, the three Wise Men who followed the star to find the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem. Incense was also used in the ceremony.

Earlier in the evening carols were sung as part of the festivities.

Llan speed camera "one of region's busiest"

A mobile speed camera point in Llangollen collected the fifth most in fines in Denbighshire, according to a story in yesterday's Daily Post.

The article says that, based on figures released by North Wales Police, penalties paid by motorists at  speed traps across the region between 2017 and 2019 could add up to about £14 million.

Top most lucrative mobile camera in Denbighshire was the one regularly set up on the A5 Berwyn Road, near the Aldi supermarket, which issued 1,524 notices for speeding during the two-year period.

* For the full story, see:
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/speed-cameras-north-wales-fines-17507128?fbclid=IwAR0sTGoMXJTRxBWuq8KgGY_12xyoKuDciHIAKlYX2xkmGVWojyohINRFsQM

Young people help shape region's policing

* Youth Commission members with, centre, 

Deputy PCC Ann Griffith and PCC Arfon Jones.

A team of young people are laying down the law in North Wales.

The 30 members of the Youth Commission – the first of its kind in Wales - are helping to draw up a new plan for the way the region is policed.

The scheme was set up by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones and is being overseen by his deputy, Ann Griffith, whose portfolio includes children and young people.

All of the members are aged between 14 and 25 and the four main topics identified by them as major concerns are the relationship between young people and the police, drug issues, anti-social behaviour and mental health issues.

The North Wales Youth Commission meets once a month under the guidance of Leaders Unlocked, a specialist social enterprise organisation that works with young people across the UK and which has been running eight similar schemes across England since 2013.

Also involved is Sian Rogers from Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the youth organisation, who is there to ensure equal access to the Welsh language.

At a meeting held in Colwyn Bay, project manager Alison Roberts said: “The young people who sit on the commission all applied for the role and were selected from as wide a range of communities as possible from right across North Wales.

“The group is so diverse. We have A* students who are really academic, some who are or have been through the care system, young people form ethnic minorities and others who have experience of the criminal justice system.

“We have pulled together a group of young people who in normal circumstances probably wouldn’t have mixed socially. However, they all have a common goal, to improve the lives of young people in North Wales.”

She added: “It isn’t just about sitting around a table at our monthly meetings. Members of the North Wales Youth Commission are speaking to other young people in schools, colleges, youth clubs and even those in the youth justice service to get their views and come up with ideas and solutions to feedback to the PCC.

“The hope is by mid-February we will have spoken to 1,200 young people across North Wales. The plan then is to put the information gathered before a conference which will be run by the young people themselves

“What eventually comes from that conference will be recommendations that will be put to the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones and his deputy Ann Griffith and will then form part of the next North Wales Police and Crime Plan.

“After some very detailed debates the four issues identified by the young people involved include relationship between young people and the police, drug issues, anti-social behaviour and mental health issues.

“As a group these young people are coming up with all sorts of ideas but it’s those four main topics that keep coming up.”

Emily Jones, of Denbigh, Seren Hughes of Corwen, Ruthin’s Hanna Roberts and Erin Gwyn, all 17, say the Youth Commission is a great way for young people to get their views across.

Emily, who has ambitions to become a youth worker, said: “It’s great being able to discuss ideas with other young people from different backgrounds and to try and find solutions.

“It’s certainly important that young people are listened to and that we are given a voice. What we are doing can make a difference not just to young people but the whole of society.”

Seren, who wants to train a social worker, added: “There simply isn’t enough youth provision across North Wales. If we are going to address anti-social behaviour, we have to give disadvantaged young people a purpose.

“Ignoring young people isn’t the answer. We need to be listened to. I’m hoping we can make a difference to what the police concentrate their efforts on as that would benefit everyone not just young people.”

Hanna, who has plans to study criminal investigation at university, added: “We need to see more police on the street but importantly, police officers willing to build a relationship with young people.

“We rarely or never see police officers coming into our schools and that’s a shame. It’s a two way thing and we need young people to build relationships with the police.”

Erin, who wants to study criminology and hasn’t ruled out a career in the police service, added: “There is a real perception that some police officers believe certain young people will behave in a certain way.

“That needs to change as young people need to understand why the police are doing the job they are and the difficulties the face.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Griffith, who has a lead responsibility for young people as part of her role said: “I am really proud of the work these amazing young people are doing.

“This is a wonderful and innovative project and it’s fascinating to hear the views of so many young people. They really do have a voice and we need to listen. I have no doubt the voice of young people will feature strongly in our next Police and Crime Plan.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones dropped in to listen to the young people taking part in the Youth Commission meeting.

He said: “I was fascinated to hear some of the views from these young people who come from right across North Wales.

“It’s clear they are putting a great deal of thought into the issues that affect young people and in particular in their day to day relationships with the police.

“We will listen very carefully to their views and what they believe is the way forward as we develop our new Police and Crime plan.”