Railway's new film highlights its virus safety measures

* Railway general manager Liz McGuinness introduces the short film.

Llangollen Railway has premiered a short film giving travellers details of what to expect following its re-opening after months of coronavirus lockdown.

Introduced by general manager Liz McGuinness and shot by local firm Orb Sound & Lighting, the two-minute video describes how there have been lots of changes at the heritage attraction to comply with social distancing regulations.

These include passengers being asked to form an orderly queue as they enter the station and then wait until they are shown to their numbered seat on the train by a member of staff.

They will then be asked to use the provided hand santizer before boarding.

The manager describes how the cafe and toilets are open at Llangollen station and down the line at Carrog station, although closed on the trains.

Last instruction for travellers is to leave the train as quickly as possible at the end of their journey so it can be thoroughly cleaned before the next group of passengers comes aboard.

·       * See the film at: https://youtu.be/i1IpyHw-MVs

On Facebook more local organisations have been outlining details of their emergence from lockdown.

Tenovus Cancer Care charity shop in Castle Street says it will be re-opening today (Thursday) at 10 am.

Its post says: “We welcome your donations but due to limited space and the 48 hour quarantine procedure, we would ask that you kindly phone the store on either 01978 860941 or text me on 07850581641 to book in your donations.

“I’m afraid we are unable to accept donations unless they have been booked in.

“We thank you for your support, generosity and patience and look forward to seeing you soon.”

The Wild Pheasant Hotel and Spa posted: “WE ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN!!!

“RECEIVE 50% OFF FOOD & SOFT DRINKS INCLUDING AFTERNOON TEAS!

“We are delighted to announce, we are taking part in the fantastic 'Eat Out To Help Out' campaign from August 3rd to August 31st 2020.”

“To arrange your reservation, please contact us direct: T: 01978 860629, E: reception@wildpheasanthotelandspa.com.”

Social distancing signs to go up in town this week

* Signs urging people to observe social distancing
will go up this week, says the area's Senedd Member.

Member of the Senedd for Clwyd South Ken Skates says signs urging people in Llangollen to adhere to social distancing will be put up in the town centre this week.  

Mr Skates contacted Denbighshire County Council’s chief executive on Monday after receiving emails from concerned local residents over the weekend. 

This week Llangollen councillors Austin Cheminais and Mel Mile have also been out in the town centre encouraging people to sign a petition urging the council to urgently put in place social distancing measures along Castle Street. 

Mr Skates said: “I had a number of emails over the weekend from residents who are concerned about the number of people not distancing and acting as if the rules put in place to keep us all safe don’t apply to them. 

"I know there are a lot of other people who share their concerns and I applaud what our local councillors have been doing this week. I’d also like to thank Cllr Graham Timms, who I know has raised this issue a number of times with Denbighshire. 

“I raised this urgently with the chief executive of Denbighshire County Council first thing on Monday morning and asked for more signs to be placed in and around the town to remind people of their responsibilities.

"I’m pleased that these will now be installed this week and I’m grateful to the chief executive for responding to me so quickly and positively.” 

Cllr Austin Cheminais said: “We’ve had more than 100 people sign letters to the council in three mornings, so I’m glad Denbighshire is now going to do something.

“The Welsh Government, scientists and health experts have repeatedly said how important social distancing is in preventing the spread of coronavirus. I’m pleased we have been able to make a difference and look forward to the signs going up as soon as possible followed by widening of the pavements to make the town centre safer.”

Mr Skates added: “It’s important to remember that coronavirus hasn’t gone away. The pandemic remains first and foremost a public health crisis and the Welsh Government’s priority from the outset has been to preserve lives. We have been cautiously reopening businesses and towns, but we can only continue to do so if everyone does their bit and follows the rules.” 

In response to Mr Skates, county council chief executive Judith Greenhalgh said: “Social distancing signage is due to be introduced in Llangollen town centre at the end of this week. 

  

“Please note that we also have proposals to temporarily widen the pavement on Castle Street through the removal of the on-street parking. 

"This proposal is being funded by the WG Covid 19 Sustainable Transport grant and has recently been consulted upon. We are currently reviewing the consultation responses before a final decision on whether to proceed with the project is made. 

  

“Over recent weeks we have been deploying officers in each of our towns to help provide guidance for businesses and to keep an eye on social distancing problems on pavements, with a view to developing solutions where problems are occurring. Understandably the start of the school summer holidays has seen a big increase in visitor numbers. 

  

“We will speak to our colleagues at North Wales Police to raise concerns about the issues of members of the public not adhering to social distancing and not practising good hygiene.” 

Steve plans spine-tingling challenge to support eisteddfod

* Steve Price contemplates his Zipworld challenge later this month.

A long-standing volunteer with Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is planning a hair-raising challenge in aid of overseas competitors – despite being as old as the festival itself.

Steve Price, who lives in Johnstown, has been helping out at the eisteddfod for the past quarter of a century.

And identifying a growing problem with attracting competitors from overseas he has decided to take the heart-stopping high ride at Zipworld in Bethesda at noon on Thursday August 27.

Steve, who is manager at Sharps Bedrooms at Island Green in Wrexham, said: “I am the same age as the eisteddfod, 73 this year.

“I have been a volunteer with them for the past 25 years.

“Over that time it has become increasingly difficult for overseas and UK competitors to take part in this fantastic event due to the ever-increasing costs of travel, accommodation and visa applications.

“The money I raise from my Zipworld challenge will go to support all competitors and the continued success of the eisteddfod.”

He added: “I am getting on a little now and am absolutely terrified of heights.

“I am not a thrill-seeker and the thought of jumping off a mountaintop some 500ft in the air and travelling at speeds approaching 100mph above a quarry and a lake is not something that I would under normal circumstances consider. But this is my challenge.

“I don't have a target figure for either charity, but if I can get some donations it will be more than they had before any donations are made.”

Apart from the eisteddfod, Steve is also doing the challenge in aid of Hope House Hospice.

* Donations for the eisteddfod can be made on his JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/steve-price24?fbclid=IwAR1i4rRJR9Vvlo7m_Ba3uEUUM9xZBD3jYEWb8gH9rEvnKpwuDTKyP3EnFQU&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_content=Steve-Price24&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=w5XeEajZJ

If anyone wishes to donate to Hope House they should go direct to the hospice’s website and follow the links there.

Grant available for new businesses hit by Covid-19

Businesses established between 1 April 2019 and 1 March 2020 are eligible for the £2,500 Welsh Government Start-Up Grant which is based on a first come first served basis.

The grant is available to assist new businesses affected by the Covid-19 outbreak and those eligible must not have received funding from the Welsh Government’s Economic Resilience Fund or the non-domestic rates grant, have less than £50,000 turnover and have experienced a drop in turnover of more than 50 per cent between April and June 2020.

Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire County Council and Lead Member for the Economy, said: “This funding from the Welsh Government will help newly established businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

“I would encourage all eligible Denbighshire businesses to apply for the grant as soon as possible to help them during the recovery phase.

“The Council has been working with businesses to provide advice and support through our Economic and Business Development Team and we will continue to do so.”

* For more details, go to: https://fundchecker.businesswales.gov.wales

Ambulance service wants to hear from carers

If you look after a family member or friend, then the Welsh Ambulance Service wants to hear from you during August as part of its Carers Survey 2020.

Caring for anybody with a physical or mental disability, a person with substance misuse issues or providing extra help as someone grows older can be extremely testing and impact on the carer’s own life and wellbeing.

The Ambulance Service says it would love to hear your experiences of caring – especially if you’ve had cause to use any of their services such as emergency care response, falls team, non-emergency patient transport or community engagement work.

Executive Director of Quality and Nursing for Welsh Ambulance, Claire Roche said: “Gathering personal experiences from carers is vital to us and will help build greater understanding and shape how we meet their needs in the future.

“I would urge anybody in a care role to make their voice heard and let us know via the survey how they have found our response when they have needed to call.”

Run by the Patient Experience and Community Involvement (PECI) team, the survey is in its second year.

Matt James from the PECI team said: “Reaching out to those who are caring for loved ones can be a lifeline. To provide a safe forum and support network is essential in helping people feel understood and that they are not alone.

“Our annual survey will help us to further understand the issues faced by people we may not physically be able to reach.”

* You can watch a short video of the work Welsh Ambulance do with carers on this link https://bit.ly/2P8xMmI and on Twitter follow @WelshAmbPIH.

To take the survey visit https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/1_WASTCarers2020/

Local author turns Mistress Yale into novel hat-trick

* The Parting Glass by David Ebsworth.

A writer's latest and ninth novel features scenes set in Wrexham in 1715 and 1721.

David Ebsworth's new book, Wicked Mistress Yale, The Parting Glass, is published this week. 

It's the third part of his Yale Trilogy, which tells the story of local celebrity, Elihu Yale, but told through the eyes of his wife, Catherine.

His work has won praise from other historical fiction authors, like Barbara Erskine (The Ghost Tree and Lady of Hay), who says that the trilogy is "brilliantly researched, packed with fascinating detail, a wonderful evocation of the period."

David Ebsworth said: "I'm a great fan of Barbara Erskine too, and it was fabulous that she enjoyed it so much. 

"I loved writing this trilogy. I guess everybody knows at least a bit about Elihu Yale. Most famously, of course, he gave his name to Yale University, and had a reputation as a philanthropist and collector. 

"But he'd also been a governor for the East India Company and, in that capacity, he'd overseen the trade in slaves from India during the 1680s. 

"He'd married Catherine, the widow of another Company official, and when he died in 1721 he left her only the words 'To my wicked wife...' and nothing else, no bequest, not a penny."

The first part of the trilogy, also highly acclaimed, tells the story of Catherine's first marriage and her life at old Madras, the death of her husband, her marriage to Elihu, the intrigue and perils at this early East India Company outpost. 

The second sees her back in London, alone except for her seven children, and embroiled in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution.

"But this third part," said David, "tells how Elihu Yale returns home too, somewhat in disgrace, determined to break Catherine's independence, and living mainly at the home he'd inherited here in Wrexham, at Plas Grono, now part of the Erddig Estate. 

"So it gave me an excuse to also tell the story of the Wrexham riots in 1715 - again, from Catherine's viewpoint since, in the novels, she also acts as a government spy. These were part of the Church-and-King riots in which High Church Anglicans viciously attacked Dissenters like the Quakers, Baptists and Presbyterians. It was great fun recreating Wrexham as it might have looked in 1715."

David also enjoyed bringing Catherine back to Wrexham for the novel's finale, Elihu Yale's burial in 1721 - in the churchyard at St Giles Church where, of course, his tomb can still be seen. But it's a finale with lots of twists, at last the reason revealed for Yale branding her a 'wicked wife.' So, no spoilers here.

* Wicked Mistress Yale, The Parting Glass is published by SilverWood Books and is available through all good bookstores, including Waterstones, or through Amazon - and through your local library. 

Part One of the trilogy is The Doubtful Diaries of Wicked Mistress Yale, and Part Two is Mistress Yale's Diaries, The Glorious Return.

David Ebsworth is the pen name of Liverpool-born Dave McCall, who has lived in Acton, Wrexham, since 1981 and is heavily involved in Wrexham's own literary festival, the Carnival of Words.

Councillors call for social distancing measures on Castle Street

* From left, a member of the public discusses the letter with Cllrs Melvyn Mile and Austin Cheminais and his wife, Jane Cheminais. 

Two Llangollen town councillors have been out in the town centre encouraging people to urge Denbighshire’s leaders to urgently put in place social distancing measures along Castle Street to protect them from the threat of Covid-19 infection.

Austin Cheminais and Melvyn Mile, who is also a local county councillor, were outside the town hall this morning putting their case that the lack of steps to keep people properly apart on the main street - including the controversial temporary closure of parking bays - during the pandemic is putting the lives of residents and visitors at risk.

And they were asking people who agreed with them to sign a pre-printed letter addressed to county chief executive Judith Greenhalgh and Cllr Brian Jones, lead member for waste, transport and the environment, calling for measures to be put in place.

In a personal statement Cllr Cheminais says: “At our meeting on July 21 Llangollen Town Council endorsed Denbighshire County Council’s plans to create a safer town environment.

“As a councillor I can’t comprehend why it is going to be as late as mid-September before the work to make Llangollen safer is completed.

“We want to try and give the silent majority a voice.

“People around the UK are dying and I don’t believe that the risk is being taken seriously enough by Denbighshire. Something needs to happen now!

“I have family working on the front line and I know how dangerous the coronavirus is. I know people who have died.

“Some residents have told councillors that they are afraid to come into town.

“Those people who have opposed the widening of the pathways I believe are putting people’s lives at risk and are irresponsible.”

The statement adds: “I have taken lockdown pretty seriously since March but I’m in town now because this is too important to ignore.

“It’s hard to fathom why Denbighshire feels the need to consult rather than just taking the necessary steps to make Llangollen a safer place to be.”

The letter to the county chiefs which the two councillors were inviting people to sign says: “As a resident of Llangollen I fully support and endorse the plan to suspend parking in Castle Street and widen pavements to allow social distancing and provide a safer Covid 19 environment.

“Up to now the council has failed to undertake any work in Llangollen town centre to improve safety during the pandemic in what is a very busy tourist town at its busiest time of the year.  The narrow pavements prevent any form of social distancing and are putting the health, welfare and lives of both residents and visitors at risk.

“The importance of social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus has been emphasised repeatedly by scientists and the Government. Social distancing in Llangollen is impossible! The sooner the plan to modify the town centre and make it safe is completed the better.”   

Cllr Cheminais said in the first half-hour of them being outside the town hall around 15 people had agreed to sign the letter.

He added that they plan to be back in the same place tomorrow and Wednesday mornings.