Chamber relaunches as Llangollen Trade & Enterprise

Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism has just announced its re-launch rebranded as Llangollen Trade & Enterprise.

A message on its Facebook page says the coronavirus pandemic had held up the re-launch it had planned for earlier this year as a way of addressing falling attendances at its meetings.

But its chair, Claire Quant, explains that a “collective group of willing participants” have continued to work hard to develop a new style set-up.

And she says this new group will act as a “fair and reasoned voice for our members where policy changes affecting their businesses appear.”

The blog says: “As many of you are aware the Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism was looking to re-launch earlier this year and we had been busy working behind the scenes preparing for a physical launch.

“Obviously the subsequent lockdown following the Covid-19 outbreak and the impact that has had on many businesses in the town and Dee Valley has been immense.

“At this stage we do not know what this impact will have on the long-term viability of some of these businesses.

“Numbers attending the previous chamber meetings were dwindling significantly and as many of us were no longer following a traditional business model (many were already running face2face businesses alongside a variety of digital initiatives) it was clear a new-style of business forum was needed.”

It adds: “A collective group of willing participants have continued to work hard to develop a new style set-up for members to network, learn and share ideas and collectively gain greater benefits for all those who are passionate about Llangollen and its long-term economic development.

“Most importantly the new group will act as a fair and reasoned voice for our members where policy changes affecting their businesses appear.

“It was and is time for a new start and new focus - to reinvigorate our high street, capture the hearts and minds of residents, business owners and visitors alike and spark enthusiasm and an appetite to put the ‘love’ back into Llangollen.”

The blog explains that the new-look organisation is hoping to become a forum for business and enterprise within a five-mile radius of Llangollen town.

It goes on to give details of membership fees which have an introductory price of £49.

This, says the blog, entitles members to a range of benefits from online business promotion to savings in bulk purchase through tendering opportunities and special offers.

The blog says: “The town’s thriving tourism sector is a critical contributor to the town’s success and we are keen to attract more tourism and service businesses to complement the retail and food representatives.

“Llangollen is in a unique position to elevate its position as a ‘must see’ destination when visiting North Wales.

“We are included in the eleven mile corridor of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct’s World Heritage site and with our beautiful valley landscapes, the River Dee, Dinas Bran Castle and Steam Railway, not to mention excellent eateries and high quality accommodation attracting visitors, it is right that as a business forum we should push our town to the forefront of the minds of potential visitors and the media.

“We want to attract new businesses to Llangollen Trade & Enterprise that complement our existing infrastructure.

“We are looking to work with entrepreneurs, schools and key stakeholders to support the town’s development in order to boost visitor footfall all year round, not just from Easter to October half-term.

“We look forward to getting stuck in and reinvigorating Llangollen Trade & Enterprise with gusto and enthusiasm and encourage as many people as possible to come and join us at this exciting time. As we face the next normal and some restrictions remain in place we will adhere to those guidelines and work around them and look forward to planning our AGM to formalise our ambitions.”

* For more details, go to: https://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/2722719164522937/

Two more Llan festivals become Covid casualties

* One of the attractions from a previous
Steampunk Spectacular.

The coronavirus crisis has led to the cancellation of two more major festivals planned for Llangollen’s Royal International Pavilion this year.

The organiser of the Cogwarts Steampunk Spectacular posted on Facebook: “I regret to announce this year's Cogwarts Steampunk Spectacular has been postponed to 2021.

“I had hoped to hear from the venue in June, but as I understand it, they have not been told anything about opening by Denbighshire Council, who in turn are still waiting to hear from the Welsh Assembly.

“I was told that if they did open, the toilets would remain closed and that would just create too many problems.

“I cannot see how we could possibly observe social distancing on the train, or at the evening events, (both nights) and that just leaves the Bizarre Bazaar (without loos). So, rather than present a pale, stripped back version of Coggies, let's go full-throttle next year, shall we?

“Unlike my Faery Festival, many steampunks are, 'of an age' to be a little more vulnerable to the pandemic and the thought of anyone getting sick or even dying of Covid-19 after attending Cogwarts is unbearable - and would see the end of this event.

“I hope you understand I have done my best and I have only taken this step to safeguard our beloved Cogwarts in the hope it can run for many more years.

“All stallholder fees automatically transfer, and even if there is the annual rise in venue rental, I guarantee you will not have to pay a penny more.

“The stress of having to make this decision alongside postponing the Faery Festival with so much conflicting information, (go to work unless you can stay at home, lockdown easing, schools in or out, lockdown in Leicestershire, second wave or not), has resulted in me having a stroke at a relatively young age.

“I now have a year to recover and both myself and dear old Cogwarts will be back, better than ever next year.”

And Peter Stubbs, organiser of the popular Red Dragon music festival, posted: “Just to let all you Dragons know that we have had to postpone till 21-23rd May 2021, all tickets will transfer over to the 2021 event.”

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=821824611555356

Two new services to benefit Llangollen people

South Denbighshire Community Partnership has given details of two services to benefit Llangollen people.

They are:

* Its extended Meals on Wheels service which is now available in the Llangollen/Dee Valley area

* A new summer holiday online programme for families and children in both Llangollen and Corwen areas.

For further details of both schemes, go to Facebook Canolfan Ni Corwen, or its page, South Denbighshire Community Partnership.

Latest Citizens Advice column

Here is the latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice:

Q: In more normal times I do a lot to help my elderly mum, like picking up shopping, sorting out her finances, making important calls and organising her post. But unfortunately with lockdown in place I’m not able to see her as frequently, and though I’ve still been able to drop off her shopping, I’m no longer able to help her with the other things. I’m particularly worried about how much I’ve read about scammers at the moment, and I wondered whether there’s anything I can do from a distance to help protect my mum?

A: There are a few steps you can take from a distance to keep your mother safe and lessen your need to worry.

With your mother’s permission you can register her landline with the Telephone Preference Service. It’s free to register and doing so will reduce the amount of unwanted sales and marketing calls you receive. This won’t block all unwanted calls (it won’t work on calls from abroad or companies she’s given her number to already, for example), so your mother will need to continue to remain vigilant, but it’ll certainly lessen the number of them.

You can encourage your mother to talk to her phone provider to see what privacy services and call-blocking services are available. These services aren’t always free but are useful in ensuring any call coming through is from a trusted or known source.

In terms of unwanted post, with your mother’s permission you can contact the Mailing Preference Service to have her name taken off of any marketing lists. You can also contact Royal Mail and opt out of receiving any leaflets or unaddressed promotional material. Attaching a ‘no junk mail’ sign to her front door may also help with this.

When it comes to your mother’s finances, if you supply an organisation with a letter of authority from the account holder, this may allow you speak to them on her behalf. This may not always be accepted, so if you find yourself needing to take over your mother’s finances in the future, it’s worth looking into a long term solution like a Power of Attorney.

It’s also vital that you chat to your mother to help her spot the marks of a scam herself. At Citizens Advice we always advise the following:

●     Be suspicious if you’re contacted out of the blue, even if it’s from a name you recognise

●     If it sounds too good to be true it probably is

●     Never give out your bank details unless you are certain you can trust the person contacting you

●     Don’t be rushed – you never need to make a decision straight away and if you feel pressured say “no”, hang up the phone, or close the door.

Lastly, if your mother is receiving care from her local authority and you think she might be being scammed, it’s worth reporting your concerns to their Adult Safeguarding team.

This year's garden railway festival is cancelled

* One of the garden festival's railway layouts.

An event billed as the “UK’s newest premier model garden railway festival”, due to be held at the town’s Royal International Pavilion this autumn, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The organising team for Llangollen Garden Railway Festival posted on Facebook yesterday: “Unfortunately, I am writing to you this evening with the sad news that the Llangollen Garden Railway Festival 2020 rescheduled for 3rd of October 2020 will not be going ahead as planned.

“The Event Manager Mr Keith Potts has been informed that the venue, where the show was due to be held, will remain closed until at least January 2021.

“This is totally beyond our control and we feel the disappointment that no doubt you will feel too.

“With the current uncertainty surrounding the Covid19 virus, it will be difficult to arrange a definite date for 2021 but we are hoping that we will be able to arrange another show for next year, depending on the prevailing circumstances.

“We thank you for your continued support and will keep you updated on any developments as they happen.”

Welcome back to Llangollen Railway says general manager

* Llangollen is due to open again on Saturday August 1.

General manager of Llangollen Railway has sent the following statement confirming the opening of the heritage attraction after lockdown on August 1.

She says: "We are extremely excited to be able to announce our reopening on the August 1 after over four months enforced closure. 

"We have put a great deal of consideration and planning in to the type of service we can offer to keep our passengers, volunteers and staff safe and adhere to social distancing and other safety measures. 

"We want our passengers to enjoy their day out and feel safe and secure while visiting our railway. 

"Tickets are now on sale for services during August."

She adds: "We would ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your departure time and not before, this will allow the previous passengers to exit the station and cleaning of the carriages to take place. 

"When you arrive, your tickets will be checked and you will be shown to your allocated seats.

"As part our reopening, we are offering pre-booked, non-stop services with limited capacity.

"Services will be a mixture of Heritage Railcar, Diesel and Steam, please check our revised timetable for more information.  

"Services will operate between Llangollen and Carrog non-stop return with a 20-minute stop at Carrog. The café at Carrog will be open for refreshments.

"Advance tickets are now available to purchase online and passengers will be able to travel from Saturday August 1. 

"Passengers can book a private compartment on our Steam or Diesel services and a small number of seats in our open carriage on these services will be available, strict social distancing will be in place.

"On our Heritage Rail Car service, we will have open carriage seating and strict social distancing measures will be in place. 

"All seating will be allocated and you will have to stay in the same seat for your return journey. Passengers will include children from one year old.

"Tea Rooms and station shops are open as usual but strict social distancing measure will be in place. 

"Two people at any one time will be allowed in the shop. The Station Café will be take away only and the Carriage Tea Rooms will be advanced bookings."

Overflowing car parks lead to 'plan your weekend journey' plea

* The car park at Horseshoe Falls was at capacity last Saturday.

Denbighshire Countryside Service is asking visitors to plan their journey this weekend and have alternative plans if they find car parks are full.

Last weekend was reported to be extremely busy across all countryside sites across the county as visitors took advantage of the lifting of restrictions.

Horseshoe Falls car park, which has a capacity for 45 vehicles, was closed by midday on Saturday and 103 vehicles were counted between Trevor Woods and Panorama Cottages. 

Significant number of visitors were attracted to the Horseshoe Pass and parked on the informal parking area opposite the cafe on the minor lane leading towards Moel y Faen Quarry and on the A542.

Car parks at Moel Famau and Loggerheads Country Park were full by the afternoon on both days. 

Vehicles were also reported parked on verges between the Moel Famau and forest car parks and barriers were lifted at Coed Moel Famau to try and reduce road side parking.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “We expected last weekend to be busy and visitors took advantage of the lifting of restrictions to visit countryside sites across the county. 

“We are pleased to be welcoming visitors back to our scenic areas – it’s been a long wait.  People should plan their journey whenever possible and consider visiting at less busy times of the day.  They should also have a Plan B if they find car parks full. 

“Last weekend, we saw some examples of vehicles parked on narrow country roads and we urge people to park responsibly and make sure they allow space for passing vehicles and for any emergency services."