Advice for Wales has ‘not changed’ says First Minister.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation on Sunday evening and revealed a road map to guide the UK out of lockdown.

But there was an immediate response from First Minister Mark Drakeford (pictured) in which he stressed that things have not changed it Wales.

* For the full story in the Denbighshire Free Press, see: 

https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/18439292.advice-wales-not-changed-says-first-minister-responds-ministerial-broadcast/?fbclid=IwAR09nKfNZCkyInP4tGZFfoii8wvoMkTIyP4_bSU0Z3AoW9mNyJN1C1f_oFA

MP backs efforts to protect Lllangollen Railway from virus impact

* Simon Baynes MP in blue helmet with Phil Rogers and Richard Dixon-Gough on the Corwen stretch of the railway in February this year.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes is backing fundraising efforts to secure the future of the Llangollen Steam Railway in response to serious loss of income brought on by Covid-19 measures.

Llangollen Railway Trust stands to lose up to £600,000 in the coming period, which could threaten its existence, according to general manager Liz McGuinness.

The trust has set up an appeal for donations to offset loss of trade caused by lack of visitors. 

So far, £75,000 has been raised from donations including gift aid, but much more is needed. 

The appeal page can be found on Llangollen Railway Trust’s website.

Simon Baynes said: “Everyone in the area knows how vitally important the Llangollen Steam Railway is to us as a community. 

"It is of great importance, culturally and economically, with tourists coming from far and wide to see our beautiful steam trains in action.

“It would be a massive blow to lose our incredible Llangollen Railway, and I’m calling on the Welsh Government, which is in charge of transport in Wales, to do whatever they can to help.

“In the meantime, I’d encourage anyone who’s able to to support this incredibly worthwhile campaign. It’s vital we do what we can to keep our railway going through this difficult time."

Blood donation star Mel passes his own 75th milestone

* Mel Lawrence with his certificate
for achieving 75 blood donations.

* Above, Mel's 75th donation badge and, 

below, his letter from the Welsh Blood Service.

While the country is marking the 75^th anniversary of VE Day, a Llangollen man has been honoured for passing another special 75^th milestone.

Mel Lawrence, well-known in the town as chair of Llangollen Civic Society, has just received a certificate and badge to acknowledge his 75^th blood donation session.

In a letter to Mel, who is also a regular volunteer at Chirk Castle gardens, Paul Wilkins, head of collection services for the Welsh Blood Service, says: “This is quite a remarkable commitment to blood donation.

“Only a small number of blood donors on the Welsh panel ever reach 75 donations and you can be justly proud of your achievement.”  

Mel, who is 75, said: "I started donating blood in the early 1970s when I worked in Derby and donations could be made at a place very close to my office.

"Later when I moved to work in Swansea donations could be made in a church hall which was again near my office.

"Back then, people had to lie on a bed for about 20 minutes to recover from making a donation but nowadays you can get up and go straight away.

"I was doing three donations a year. I'm still donating and now do about four a year."

He added: "It's nice to be acknowledged with the letter and the badge and I was really chuffed to get the letter as it's recognition for my donations."  

Llangollen celebrates VE Day anniversary in its own special way

* Llangollen Town Hall illuminated to commemorate V E Day 75 by Ollie, Rachel 

and James of Orb Sound and Lighting.

Despite the lockdown, Llangollen still managed to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of VE Day in style yesterday.

During the day scores watched a special half-hour programme arranged by the town council.

The professionally-shot Stay at Home Party including memories of those who lived through the Second World War recorded at The Old Vicarage Care Home, a poignant ceremony of remembrance in Centenary Square and songs and poetry of the era.

Residents across town dressed up their homes and gardens to hold their own VE Day while “street” parties observing strict social distancing rules.

And in the evening the Town Hall was bathed in a striking array of red, white, blue and red and green lights, while St Collen’s church bells rang out to mark the victory at 7pm.

On Facebook many shared their stories of how their families had lived through and served in the war which was finally ended in Europe on May 8^th 1945.

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* Residents of The Old Vicarage care home recorded their wartime memories for the town council's Stay at Home Party. The programme can still be seen and shared at: 

https://www.facebook.com/malachy.molloy/videos/10222697809823370/UzpfSTEwMzE1ODc4NDcwNjE5OToxMzEzOTAwNzE4ODMwNzA/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARC9WZ_jyovPx9BB8wciwc79zmCIAZhBkkUTzq7DH5FjgXZqygb5fUHpxFa_3hD3x_7Wa87SoVZ93A5U

* Phil Stroud, chair of Llangollen Royal British Legion. leads the VE Day remembrance ceremony in Centenary Square during the programme.

* Eleri Jones recites the poem Red Poppies by I D Hooson at the war memorial during the programme.

* A picture from Facebook of Bishops Walk residents 
marking VE Day while staying at home.

Food Share distributes 300 VE Day gift packs to the elderly

* Some of the volunteers involved in distributing the gift packs.

Llangollen Food Share members are celebrating the massive achivement of distributing 300 VE Day 75th anniversary gift packs to the town's elderly people.

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

* Packs made up ready to go out.

The distribution was 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 went out to coincide with the Town Council’s live streaming of its virtual Stay at Home VE Day Party yeterday (Friday) afternoon.

* A souvenir included in the packs.

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, assisted with the demographics and contents and its volunteers distributed the packs this Thursday and Friday.

Food Share's Kalamity Wild posted on Facebook yesterday afternoon: "I cannot thank you all enough! 300 VE Day gift bags made and distributed to many of Llangollen's elders, an idea we had only a week ago... you wonderful lot! 🥰

"Stephanie Mitchell Jen Davis Jane Louise Tornado from Llangollen Zero Waste and Food Share for making and distributing the gift bags 🛍;

"Cat Meade, Nick, Lisa Griffiths, Mel, Barry and Robin from Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group for transport and distribution 🚐;

"Stephen Kennedy at The Swan Inn, Pontfadog, and Amelia at Pretty Vintage Tearoom and Barista Coffee for baking hundreds of cakes 🍰;

"Jenny Coppock and Andy Coppock at Llangollen Tshirts - InfiniteTee UK for sourcing and printing 300 coasters to our bespoke design 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧;

"Wayne Siddall and Samantha Fletcher at Dee Valley veg for 300 delicious red apples 🍎;

"Rose Brown for making masks for all our volunteers 😷;

"And Gareth Thomas at Llangollen Town Council and a generous local donor for inspiring and helping to fund the project." 👏.

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

Castle is lit up to salute frontline workers

Castell Dinas Bran was lit up in blue last night as a salute to NHS and other frontline staff.

The illumination, which could be seen for miles around, was arranged by Scott Cooper at ASG Entertainments and Chris Davies of Eastwood Media helped by Llangollen's Karen Edwards.

The previous evening there had been a similar lit-up message of thanks to the NHS, this time in red, on a nearby section of the Panorama overlooking the town.

ASG posted on Facebook: "Supporting one another in a time of crisis 🌈

"We wanted to do something special here at ASG to show our appreciation & our thanks to all the amazing NHS staff & key-workers who are keeping the country going during this pandemic. 

"So with the support of Denbighshire County Council, North Wales Police, Eastwood Media & the help of some amazing people we have been able to work together to light up the Panorama & surrounding areas in Llangollen whilst adhering to social distancing (with the final monument being lit up this evening)."

Eastwood Media posted: "PLEASE NOTE: this was completely voluntary by all the parties involved & organised by ASG. It was not a scheduled or advertised event due to social distancing guidelines."

* A giant Chinook helicooter overflies the town around 8pm.

At the same time as last night's weekly Clap for Carers a large Chinook helicopter flew low over the town, which many saw as tribute to NHS and key workers from the armed forces who have been working hard in the fight against Covid-19. 

Pictures of the unexpected flyover were posted on Facebook soon after by Adrian Hyde.

Meanwhile, County Councillor Graham Timms sent in this picture of the electronic message on the road sign near Llantysilio and the Horseshoe Falls specially adapted to say thank you to the NHS (see below). 

He said: "The electronic signs in the town, Llantysilio and Llandegla have been changed to display this message from 7.30-8.30 on Thursday evenings." 
 

Elsewhere in north Wales the iconic Rainbow Bridge on the A55 has been lit up to say thank you to the NHS, social care and other key workers. This well-known landmark lived up to its name when it was bathed in rainbow colours alongside a thank you message projected onto the nearby cliffside.  This one-off tribute to staff from the health and care sectors and other key workers who are working tirelessly during the Covid-19 pandemic, was arranged by the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent.