St Collen's bells toll for Holocaust remembrance

* The bell-ringing team get ready in the bell tower for the quarter peal.

To mark National Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp bell ringers at St Collen's Church rang a quarter peal this afternoon  (Monday) starting from 4.30pm.

This meant about 45 minutes of continuous ringing with the bells half-muffled as they traditionally are for Remembrance Sunday.

Six ringers took part and the quarter peal was made up of 1,260 changes.

The bells at St Collen's, high up in the tower, were installed in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.

Police issue doorstep callers warning

* An example of one the invalid ID cards which have been seized by police. 

Police have issued a warning about doorstep callers who target areas offering small household products for sale.

These callers may claim to be ex-convicts attempting to mend their ways, however, they are not part of any recognised rehabilitation scheme, say officers.

The police statement says: "Please warn your neighbours, particularly elderly or vulnerable neighbours, not to open the door to strangers or buy or sell on the doorstep.

"Some doorstep callers may offer poor quality goods at inflated prices and if a caller is not genuine, they may be gathering information for future crime.

"Please keep in mind that if cold callers don’t get any sales in your area, they are less likely to return.

" The sellers may say that they are on a 'rehabilitation course' arranged by probation services or other organisations trying to find people work.

"This is not the case and often they are known criminals. Probation services do not run such schemes. 

"They may show a card which claims to be a pedlars licence or work permit."

The statement adds: "The bag of household products is supplied by someone who employs them. The males / females are supplied with a full bag of household products (including the typical tea-towels) and charged a minimal sum for the contents. They can keep whatever they make, above this amount.

"Usually they are deposited in an area from a car or van and given a list of streets to work. An hour or so later they are picked up and dropped off in another location. They often work from 9am to 9pm.

"They will knock on a door, offering cleaning items which they know are cheap and of very poor quality; the householder may also recognise that they are poor quality, but that is part of the scam. Many people will purchase items and pay them out of their good nature as they have fallen for their story or, just to get rid of them. 

"There have been cases of elderly residents handing over large sums as these people can be very persistent and confrontational."

Niro isn't just fiddling with hybrid power

Kia Niro road test by Steve Rogers

Come the end of the year more people will be driving hybrid or electric cars than ever before.

That is what the number crunchers at the car companies predict and there is no reason to doubt them. 

Hybrid and electric sales have more than doubled over the last five years but the trickle of new models will become a flood in 2020 driven by the need for all manufacturers to lower average CO2 emissions to 95g/km or less by next year.

Kia got in relatively early with Niro, launching its first hybrid in 2017, and it hit the bullseye because the crossover/SUV styling was the car nearly everyone was starting to buy and so it continues with SUV sales like a runaway train.

So is Niro the must 'go to' model for punters switching to hybrid power? Must is stretching it; rather give it serious consideration because Niro has a lot going for it.

Kia has opted for a relatively small 1.6 litre direct injection petrol engine paired with a 32kW electric motor which together muster 139bhp. It's no flyer, a sprint to sixty takes just over 11 seconds, but with the help of the electric motor it is quick off the line and with 265Nm of torque overtakes can be made without breaking into a sweat.

Rather than a continually variable transmission often used in hybrid cars, Kia has opted for a conventional automatic six-speed box and on balance this would be my preference.

The Niro's hybrid system is self charging, extending electric only mode by using the electric motor to harvest wasted energy when braking and decelerating. Drivers can do their bit by using the steering wheel paddles for braking. This not only replenishes the battery but makes passengers think you are a really smooth driver.

What we really crave is good clean economy and Niro was definitely on the money spending most of its time in the high fifties and even topping 60mpg. But drivers must play to the hybrid strengths which is gentle driving. Hard acceleration and long stretches at high speed will ruin economy to a far greater degree than hammering a similar diesel.

Kia built its reputation on value for money and once it won over customers it set about raising the quality and refinement bar. Sales heading towards the 100,000 a year show they have got it right. 

There aren't many companies that can match them for giving us all we desire in creature comforts.

Most sales are in the middle of the range but stretch one level more and the list is mouthwatering. 

Setting aside a full suite of safety features how do you fancy heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outer seats, auto dipping LED headlights, and that is a just a snapshot.

An upgrade in the middle of last year brought Niro into line with the most up to date technology Kia can offer and that included an electric parking brake instead of the antiquated foot pedal. Thank heavens for that.

More importantly the cabin has been give a decent makeover, with an upgrade in trim quality along with the signature SUV dashboard with an impressive 10.25in touchscreen display for all the major functions, but you can still use switches for heating selections. Thank heavens for that as well.

This is a roomy family car with plenty of space for leggy children in the back. The batteries are positioned under the rear seat rather than the boot floor but even though it has a wide opening and a flat loading floor it still loses out a bit on overall space compared to a non-hybrid crossover.

The choice of hybrid motoring is growing by the month and it is always best to cast the net as wide as possible before making the final choice. 

What Niro tells me is that we have nothing to fear from going hybrid and Niro is a good starting point. My guess is a lot of people will come back to that starting point for the final sale.

Key facts

Niro HEV '4'

£29,270 (starts £24,855)

1.6 GDI; 139bhp

0-60mph 11.1secs; 101mph

54.3mpg combined

99g/km. 1st year tax £120

Insurance group 29

Boot: 373 lires

County launches consultation on climate emergency

Members of the public can have their say on how to tackle the climate and ecological emergency at a special public meeting.

Last year Denbighshire County Council declared a climate and ecological emergency which 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.

A cross political party working group has been established to progress action within the Council and a consultation has now been launched with members of the public also being invited to share their views at a meeting on Tuesday, February 25 at County Hall, Ruthin between 6pm and 8pm.

Submissions to the consultation can be made online and the meeting is being webcast live with questions also being submitted via Twitter.

Cllr Brian Jones, the Council’s lead member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “We want to hear what you think of our plans as a Council to reduce carbon, increase carbon capture and improve biodiversity and to also ask for your ideas for actions we can deliver.

“The Environment is a priority under our Corporate Plan and we have achieved a lot over the years as a Council on this agenda.

“We have reduced our carbon emissions, and 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 and we are halfway to reaching our target of planting 18,000 trees by 2022.”

Llangollen councillor Graham Timms, chair of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Working Group, said: “The Council wants to take the next step and become a net carbon zero and ecologically positive Council by 2030 and we are encouraging residents to attend the meeting to tell us what you think.

“We are looking forward to hearing from the public and showing them our commitment to the environment.”

Attendees will hear about the Council's plans in response to the climate and ecological emergency and will have the chance to ask questions and provide feedback on the Council's plans. 

Those wishing to attend can register their interest online before 9am, February 10 and the Council will let you know if you have a place by February 14.

The meeting is open to all ages and attendees under 16 must be accompanied by an individual aged 18 or over.

* Details on how to get your voice heard are on the Denbighshire County Conversation consultation website https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/project/510

Dementia awareness meeting at community hall

Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council is hosting its next #DementiaAwareDenbighshire Community Led Network meeting on Thursday January 30, from 11am-1pm at St Collens Community Hall, Llangollen.

The aim of this network is to proactively lead on and facilitate initiatives to improve the awareness of Dementia in Denbighshire. 

The community-led network meets in community-based venues once every four months to keep momentum and build a movement for change across the county, making Denbighshire a safe, supportive and inclusive place for everyone.

The network is open to all individuals, organisations, voluntary and community groups and businesses operating in Denbighshire, people living with dementia and their families and carers, alongside representatives of Third Sector organisations and social enterprises, Town and Community Council Members, Denbighshire County Council, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who are interested in building a movement for change.

The agenda for this meeting can be found here.

* To confirm your interest in attending this free event, register on Eventbrite:
bit.ly/DAD_NetworkMeeting_Jan2020

Alternatively you can call us on 01824 702 441.

Tree-mendous Scouts do their bit for the environment

* The Scouts get to work at the Mooring Basin.

A team of volunteers from Llangollen Scout group did their bit to help the environment by planting 60 native trees in the Mooring Basin at Llangollen.

The group have taken responsibility for keeping the area free from litter and have done several clean-up sessions in the past but they wanted to do something more. 

With the help of the Our Picturesque Landscape project, a National Lottery Heritage-funded project based at Plas Newydd, and trees acquired from the Woodland Trust, the young people were able to create a new woodland shaw.

The Woodland Trust’s free trees scheme supports communities in woodland planting projects across the UK. 

At the Mooring Basin there are also several fruit trees which needed some TLC, so the group mulched the trees with compost to boost them into the new growing season and put new guards around the trees to protect them from rabbit damage.

The Our Picturesque Landscape team and the rangers within the wider Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team hope that this will be the start of many more activities with young people in the area volunteering to support their local environment.

Richard Bellamy, Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Wales said: “We are enthusiastic about giving young people the chance to learn about and protect the environment. Thanks to National Lottery players our funding helps them to work with others in their community bringing fresh ideas and energy to the task.  

"The tree planting that the scouts have done is an excellent example of how young people can get involved, develop new skills and interests, connect with their communities and have fun.”

Cohesion grants up for grabs

North West Wales Community Cohesion Fund is inviting local organisations to apply for funding of between £500 and £3,000 to ensure that cohesion is embedded in communities.

Applications are welcomed for events or activities in the counties of Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire.

For further information, contact the North-East  Wales Community Cohesion Team by e-mail: emily.reddy@wrexham.gov.uk, or call 07990 647679.