New Bentley Continental is a mighty performer

* The Bentley Continental.

Bentley Continental GTC V8 road test by Steve Rogers

The week of Storm Francis wasn't the best time to be spending a few days in the Continental convertible but it certainly proved the insulation qualities of the multi-layered fabric roof.

As I drove away from Bentley's headquarters at Crewe the rain was pounding down but the sound deadening was so effective I forgot I was driving a convertible. Bentley says today's convertible is just as quiet as the previous Continental coupe and I am not going to argue with that.

Continental first appeared in 2003 and we are now into the third generation which has a significant twist in the story. 

It has always been powered by the mighty W12 six litre petrol... but what is the new badge that has appeared on the front wing? V8. Can this be true? A humble 4-litre V8 in a Bentley.

Too right, and before anyone thinks this is Bentley dumming down the Conti with a cheaper entry level model then think again. 

True it is £12,500 less than the W12, £167,000 plays £179,500 but there is nothing as common as an entry level Bentley. Most of this is the difference in the price of the engine, the rest of the car is the same bespoke handcrafted opulence found in any other Bentley.

Yes but it won't be as quick as the W12. Yeah right, we lose three tenths in a sprint to sixty and top speed is down 9mph so we have to make do with the V8's four seconds to 60mph and a top end of 198mph. No too shabby then.

Now I have enjoyed the W12 in a couple of Bentleys, it is indeed a mighty performer, but I am going to put my head on the block and say the Continental is better suited to the V8. On the one hand we have unparalleled luxury and on the other an out and out sports drop top or coupe that will happily take on a McLaren, Ferrari or Porsche.

I recall feeling mildly intimidated by the McLaren 720S, which, granted, generates more power from its 4-litre V8, but felt quite comfortable and secure behind the wheel of the Conti even when I did feel the full force of the twin turbos and whopping 770 Newton metres of torque.

In truth this sort of power is not for our roads, the car is too quick and you could find yourself in a lot of trouble with the law if you exploit the performance. A ton takes a mere 8.4 seconds, and that is Bentley's figure by the way.

The best place to get maximum fun is on a track where you would no doubt feel the full benefit of Bentley's brilliant dynamic ride system, I should say that is an extra £4,000 and not really worth the expense unless you enjoy flat out track days. 

Basically a 48 volt powered anti roll system makes suspension changes in milliseconds which makes the car feel as if it is stuck to the road in the same way as a roller coaster terror ride.

Performance through the eight speed automatic is immense with the V8 emitting a satisfying growl as opposed to the gentle burble of the W12. 

Surprisingly it was not the performance or the utter luxury of the Conti's cabin that left the biggest impression, it was the economy. 

Had this been the W12 I would have been lucky to break the 20mpg barrier yet I averaged 30mpg and some of that was down to cylinder deactivation which knocks off four cylinders on light throttle loads which covers 70mph motorway drives.

One small downside is the noticeable jerk as the other four cylinders engage when the throttle is floored at low speed but I can live with that.

Having said how impressed I was with economy sitting in the Continental' s cabin is pretty special, you can tell this has been put together with lots of tender loving care, much of this opulence coming from the special Mulliner specification which adds even greater detailing to the surfaces and stitching, and adds £12,535 to the price but as the Bentley PR people say no one buys a basic car and there are lots of packages and individual items that can be added. 

My test car had 14 totalling £53,880 of which I would have gone for the front seat comfort spec with neck warmer, heated or ventilated and massage functions (£4,005) central 12 inch rotating touchscreen display (£4,770) touring specification (£6,290) and the Bang & Olufsen bespoke sound system (£5,075).

That came in handy when the roof was down. There is hardly any buffeting but the wind swirls around the cabin once passed 60mph and communication becomes a shouting match so a good sound system is essential if you like your music.

The bottom line is that Continental is a world class sports car especially with V8 power which is there on merit. Here we have performance, luxury and style in one fabulous package.

A little aside: Bespoke it might be but Volkswagen-owned Bentley does share some of the group's parts. 

The headlight touch pad can be found in the new Golf 8 and the amber blind spot warning light on the door mirrors are also fitted to my Skoda Superb test car. 

There are a few others but we will keep them to ourselves...

Need to know

Continental GTC

£167,000 (tested £224,800)

8sp auto all wheel drive

4-litre V8; 542bhp

0-60mph 4secs; 198mph

Torque: 770Nm

23.3mpg combined

260g/km

1st year tax £2135 then £145pa

Boot 235 litres

Roof down: 19 seconds

Applications sought for government's Cultural Recovery Fund

From today, organisations in the culture and heritage sector can find out if they are eligible to apply for financial support from the Welsh Government’s £53m Cultural Recovery Fund.

The new fund will see music venues, recording and rehearsal studios, heritage organisations and historic attractions, accredited museums and archive services, libraries, events and their technical support suppliers, independent cinemas and the publishing sector being able to bid for a share of £18.5m. 

A number of organisations in Llangollen could qualify for help.
The latest funding is part of the Welsh Government’s £53m package to support the culture and arts sectors which are coping with a dramatic loss of revenue as a result of the pandemic.

A separate element of the Cultural Recovery Fund, worth £27.5m, is being delivered through the Arts Council of Wales to support theatres and galleries. This fund was launched 17 August with details available on the Arts Council’s website. 

The online eligibility checker opens today (Tuesday, 1 September) from 10am and organisations will be able to make applications for support from the fund from 14 September. The closing date for applications is 30 September.

Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said:“We have listened to, and worked with our partners across the cultural and creative sectors to put this second package of support together. We recognise the massive and unprecedented challenges the pandemic is having on the very fabric of Welsh life and we applaud the resilience and creativity on show.

“We are today opening our eligibility checker for the funding. This will allow companies to find out if they will be eligible to apply and then give them time to prepare their applications, ahead of the fund opening for applications later this month.”

A non-repayable grant of up to £150,000 (up to 100% of eligible costs) per organisation will be available via two application entry points:

• Under £10k: quick process for smaller organisations based on eligible costs
• Between £10k - £150k: more detailed process based on eligible costs.

The triage system will indicate the appropriate route for organisations to follow.

The Eligibility Checker for the  Cultural Recovery Fund will be live on Tuesday 1 September from 10am - - https://fundchecker.businesswales.gov.wales/culture

There will also be a £7m fund for freelancers to support individuals in the sector who have been impacted by the pandemic. Please visit the eligibility checker to find more detail for this fund.

MP welcomes government cash aid to local businesses

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has welcomed the announcement that the UK Government-owned British Business Bank has issued its 75,000^th loan through its Start Up Loans programme, marking more than £623 million invested in small businesses across the UK since its launch in 2012.

Across Wales, 3,443 loans have been made so far to small businesses and entrepreneurs, totalling £32,226,155 with the average loan being £9,360. 

Self-employed people in Clwyd South have accessed £7,500,000 worth of Government grants, which do not need to be paid back, to cover lost earnings. 

And £20,514,589 has been paid out to local businesses in the form of Bounce Back Loans, which provides loans of up to £50,000 within days of an application.

Mr Baynes said: “Small businesses in Clwyd South are the backbone of our local economy, and this Conservative UK Government has long been committed to giving them all the support they need to flourish and thrive.

“Our Start Up Loans scheme has now provided £32,226,155 worth of investment and support to thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs across Wales, including for those who may otherwise have struggled to access it, helping to drive investment here and boost our local economy.

“As we build Clwyd South, Wales and Britain back in the months ahead, I will continue to work to give our local entrepreneurs and innovators all the support they need to keep them in business so they can create and protect jobs.”

Local roadworks alert

Latest roadworks alert from one.network is:

Church Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 31 August — 04 September Delays likely - Road closure Works location: 7 Works description: EXCAVATE IN FOOTWAY FOR REMOVAL OF FAULTY LINK BOX AND REPLACEMENT WITH NEW.... Responsibility for works: MANWEB Current status: Advanced planning Works reference: GY03011181356

St Collen's welcomes its congregation for the first time in 22 weeks

* Father Lee gives the blessing to parishioners outside the church.

* The socially-distanced congregation.

* Father Lee leads worship inside the church for the first time in 22 weeks. 

After 22 weeks in lockdown St Collen's Church finally opened for worship with a congregation this morning (Sunday).

Vicar, Father Lee Taylor, began with a blessing ceremony outside the building before over 50 worshippers, who were requested to wear masks, filed inside the church which had been specially prepared with extra space between the pews to allow proper distancing and hand sanitization.    

Before going inside people had their temperature taken. 

No hymns were allowed but there was a full service including the celebration of Holy Communion.

Later everyone was invited to a barbecue in the car park  prepared by Fabiano Silva. 

In his address, Father Lee spoke of how challenging lockdown had been including the cancellation of 21 weddings due to have been held in church.

It was revealed that during the period from June when only private worship had been allowed 773 people had visited St Collen's.  

Operators to increase bus services from today

Denbighshire County Council has been working with bus companies and the Welsh Government to ensure capacity is increased on services while maintaining social distancing guidelines.

From today (Sunday) services will run at between 70 and 100 per cent of their pre-covid-19 timetable with the addition of extra buses on services across the county, with funding secured from Welsh Government.

Cllr Brian Jones, the council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “The council has been working closely with bus companies to ensure extra buses will be provided in Denbighshire to increase capacity while maintaining social distancing, allowing more passengers to travel safely.

“I would like to thank the team at Denbighshire and bus companies for the hard work during this long process.

“The extra capacity will ensure pupils returning to school in September who travel on public transport and customers will be able to use services safely and with as little disruption as possible.”

Customers and those travelling to school via public transport are being reminded that face coverings must be worn at all times while using public transport.

The council has previously introduced the Fflecsi pilot in Denbigh and Prestatyn, which allows people to request a demand-responsive bus to pick them up near home, work or shops for essential travel, rather than following a set timetable at fixed bus stops.

Cllr Jones added: “While up-to-date time tables are available online, we are in the process of replacing time tables at bus stops with the latest service information and would like to thank residents for their understanding and patience during this time.”

* For more information or to see the latest bus timetables for services in the county visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/travel

Life returns to normal along the railway line

* Foxcote Manor steaming through Berwyn station. 

Llangollen Railway photographer George Jones was out and about along the line yesterday to capture a couple of stunning images of life gradually returning to normal following lockdown.

First he shot the railway's flagship engine Foxcote Manor - complete with its "Thunderbirds are Go" slogan on its headboard - passing Berwyn hauling the first passenger train of the day.  

Near the Chain Bridge later he snapped people watching the progress of a group of whitewater rafters through the River Dee gorge.

 * Rafters testing their skill near the Chain Bridge.