Senedd member supports alternative VE Day events

* Centenary Square, complete with its new NHS flag, 

shots of which will feature in the VE Day Stay at 

Home Party programme to be streamed live on Friday afternoon.

With Llangollen having its own virtual VE Day celebration on Friday a North Wales Member of the Senedd (MS) is urging people to take part in revised events to mark the 75^th anniversary of the landmark occasion.

A number of local, regional and national events had originally been organised to mark the end of hostilities in Europe at the tail end of the Second World War, but as the country deals with the Covid-19 pandemic these have had to be cancelled and revised plans have now been put in place.

This includes the Llangollen Stay at Home VE Party programme arranged by the Town Council to be streamed live on Facebook at 3pm on Friday. 

Mark Isherwood MS said: “The coronavirus outbreak means that there will be no street parties, parades or concerts this year, but nonetheless there is plenty going on to celebrate.

“This Friday at 11am a Two Minute Silence will be held to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation, and also take the opportunity to reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world.

“There is no right or wrong way to take part in the Silence, some people may wish to stand at their windows or step outside their front door, but I urge individuals and families across Wales and the UK to embrace this opportunity to share in a national moment of reflection.

“At 3pm, Sir Winston Churchill’s 1945 speech to the nation will be broadcast on the BBC as part of special programmes planned for the day, and you can stand up and raise a glass of your choosing whilst saying the following toast: 'To those who gave so much, we thank you'.

“On the same day from 8pm on BBC One, I hope you will all watch the thanksgiving programme which will honour and celebrate the Second World War generation with an evening of memories and music, including Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again.

“At 9pm, HM The Queen will broadcast a message to the nation on the BBC – at the exact moment her father, King George VI, gave a radio address in 1945.  

“We may not be able to have the big celebrations we originally had planned, but It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the sacrifice made in the Second World War is never forgotten and for that reason I urge you all to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.”

* Llangollen Town Council’s Stay at Home VE Day Party/Parti Aros Gartref Dydd BE Llangollen, is to be streamed live on the Llangollen & District Noticeboard Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/220715008050894/ at 3pm on Friday, May 8^th, and also a little later on the new Stay at Home VE Day Party/Parti Aros Gartref Dydd BE Llangollen page https://www.facebook.com/Parti-Aros-Gartref-Dydd-B-E-Llangollen-V-E-Day-Stay-at-Home-Party-103158784706199/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

* For further information on the revised events, visit:  https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/

Fire station's powerful tribute to NHS heroes

The team at Llangollen fire station have come up with their own tribute to frontline NHS staff fighting coronavirus.

In a Facebook post accompanied by the words "NHS" spelled out in hosepipes, they say: "So here is Llangollen station's little nod to our brave frontline NHS staff. From us to you. You're doing our nation proud."

Health centre gives details of bank holiday arrangements

Llangollen Health Centre has released details of its arrangements for the VE Day bank holiday on Friday.

It says: "In order to reduce the pressure on the out of hours service, we will be open for our patients on Friday 8th May.

"Patients will be able to phone us between 8.30am and 6.00pm on this day. 

"Between 8.00 - 8.30am, and 6.00 - 6.30pm, patients can contact us for urgent medical assistance only on our emergency line – 01978 860489.  

"After 6.30pm and until 8.00am on Monday 11th May patients can contact the Out of Hours service for urgent medical attention on 0300 123 55 66.

"Details of pharmacies open on this bank holiday in our local area can be found on our website: www.llangollenhealth.com

Stay at home this weekend, say Welsh leaders

* First Minister Mark Drakeford heads signatories to the "stay at home" letter.

In an open letter ahead of the bank holiday weekend Welsh leaders call on people to stay at home.

First Minister Mark Drakeford, Cllr Andrew Morgan, head of the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the chair of Policing Wales & Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn, and the chair of the Welsh Chief Officer Group Carl Foulkes also say travelling to a second home does not ordinarily constitute essential travel

And they warn that anyone leaving or remaining away from the place where they are living without a reasonable excuse is committing an offence.

The group end the letter by saying: “We look forward to welcoming you back once it is safe again to do so. Until then please stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.”

The joint letter says: “Wales is a beautiful and welcoming country but, like other administrations across the United Kingdom, the Welsh Government has placed restrictions on non-essential travel at this time of national emergency.

“We have also limited access to our national parks, and imposed restrictions on caravan and campsites, hotels, B&Bs and holiday accommodation.

“These businesses can currently open only in response to a request from the Welsh Government or a local authority.

“We have taken this action to protect health and protect our NHS by limiting the transmission of Covid-19 in communities in Wales.

“The vast majority of people are respecting the restrictions and are making strong efforts to adhere to them.

“We are asking everyone to continue to respect these measures. In particular, we are asking all owners of second homes in Wales to act responsibly and to avoid travelling to those homes until restrictions have been lifted.

“The Welsh Government and Public Health Wales have been clear throughout the emergency period that travelling to a second home does not ordinarily constitute essential travel. Indeed, anyone leaving or remaining away from the place where they are living without a reasonable excuse is committing an offence.

“Crucially, they are also putting themselves and the communities to which they travel at risk. They are placing an avoidable strain on the police, adding pressure to our health services and additional demands on supply chains.

“Police forces and local authorities in Wales have a range of enforcement powers.

“The police continue to take a vigilant approach to all travel undertaken without a reasonable excuse. The Welsh Government will work with the police, local authorities and others to keep the Regulations and sanctions under review.

“It is vital that we minimise transmission rates: ensuring that we travel only when essential and permitted plays a key part in this.

“We look forward to welcoming you back once it is safe again to do so. Until then please stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.”

Some seniors to get gift packs to celebrate VE Day

Llangollen Food Share is sending out gift packs to some of the town's senior citizens to help them celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.  

People living in Llangollen's care homes and sheltered or supported accommodation will each receive a special pack containing a cake, an apple, a note and a commemorative keepsake.  

The distribution has been made possible thanks to funding from Llangollen Town Council, Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group, Llangollen Foodshare, and a generous contribution from an anonymous donor who was a baby when the war ended in Europe on May 8, 1945.

The gift packs are going out to coincide with the Town Council’s live streaming of its virtual Stay at Home VE Day Party on Friday afternoon.

Steve Kennedy of the Swan Inn at Pontfadog, who has done much to help the town’s coronavirus support group, used his culinary skills and his kitchen to produce homemade cakes for the gift packs. 

Dee Valley Produce has given 300 apples to go in the packs and Gecko T-shirts produced the bespoke VE Day anniversary keepsakes. 

Cat Meade, co-ordinator of the coronavirus support group, has assisted with the demographics and contents and its volunteers are distributing the gift packs this Thursday and Friday.

Kirsty Jones, who leading the project, said: “In conversation with Gareth Thomas, the Town Clerk, we realised that many of our older generation will be unable to go out at all on VE Day as they are shielding, in stark contrast to the sort of street party and parade we would ideally have had to celebrate the 75th anniversary.  

“We therefore decided to take a little bit of the celebration to them, so gift bags will be delivered to the doors of Llangollen's care homes, sheltered and supported housing. 

“Llangollen's elders will receive a bit of cheer in these difficult times, and will be assured that Llangollen remembers the sacrifice of so many before the guns fell silent in Europe.

“I'd like to thank the many individuals, funders and businesses that have made this project possible.

“It is more proof positive that community spirit endures in our #Llangollenfamily.”

Llangollen Town Council’s Stay at Home VE Day Party/Parti Aros Gartref Dydd BE Llangollen, is to be streamed live on the Llangollen & District Noticeboard Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/220715008050894/ at 3pm on Friday, May 8^th, and also a little later on the new Stay at Home VE Day Party/Parti Aros Gartref Dydd BE Llangollen page https://www.facebook.com/Parti-Aros-Gartref-Dydd-B-E-Llangollen-V-E-Day-Stay-at-Home-Party-103158784706199/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

Tune in at 3pm today to see Town Council's virtual VE Day party

Later today Llangollen Town Council is to stage a virtual celebration of the day the Second World War ended in Europe 75 years ago.

Earlier this year, the council tasked a small group to begin planning for a party to celebrate the milestone anniversary of VE Day.

The aim was to put this on at the town hall and to include a tea dance, music of the era and to generally make merry.

The coronavirus lockdown appeared to put an end to the project - until the group came up with the idea of staging the celebration online instead.

So at 3pm today they will live streaming the big VE Day Stay at Home Party on Facebook for what they hope will be a large social media audience.

The professionally-shot programme, which runs for half an hour, will feature memories of the wartime era recorded via Skype with a group of residents at the local Old Vicarage Care Home, favourite songs from the period such at A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and Goodnight Sweetheart sung by local performers and a poignant wreath-laying ceremony by the town’s branch of the Royal British Legion.

Eleri Jones, a local actor and director currently on the trainee directorship at Theatr Clwyd, will perform local poet I D Hooson's The Red Poppy against the backdrop of 75 ceramic poppies placed near the war memorial on Centenary Square.

The programme, which was pre-recorded observing strict social distancing rules, will end with host and well-known local singer Charlie Jones performing Dame Vera Lynn’s iconic We’ll Meet Again.

Deputy town mayor Cllr Issy Richards, who heads the council’s Remembrance Day Working Group which organised the virtual party, said: “When the lockdown began we immediately cancelled our planned party at the town hall but then we decided that a version of the event could be streamed on social media.

“We have been extremely fortunate in having a Llangollen-based professional programme maker as director on the production and also being able to draw on the talents, in terms of organisation and performance, of quite a few people from this area.

“We were also very lucky to have a number of marvellous people still living in our community who remember the war very clearly and who allowed us to record their recollections of the time.”

* To tune into the VE-Day film, go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/220715008050894/?ref=bookmarks

It will also be streamed later on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Parti-Aros-Gartref-Dydd-B-E-Llangollen-V-E-Day-Stay-at-Home-Party-103158784706199/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

Air ambulance called to Llangollen this afternoon

* The air ambulance takes off after attending the local incident. Picture by Stuart Davies.

The Wales Air Ambulance was called to Llangollen earlier this afternoon to attend an incident following which a casualty was taken to hospital

An air ambulance spokesperson said: "I can confirm that Wales Air Ambulance attended an incident in the Llangollen area this afternoon (04/05/20). 

"Our medics arrived at 15:28 and, following triage and treatment at the scene, the patient was conveyed to hospital by a Welsh Ambulance Service land crew. Our involvement concluded at 16:00."