MP praises railway's Covid fightback

* Simon Baynes MP and Liz McGuinness at Llangollen Railway.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes met with the chair of Llangollen Railway, Liz McGuiness, to learn more about their very successful re-opening following the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the visit, Mr Baynes and Liz McGuiness discussed the changes that have been made since re-opening, such as enhanced cleaning regimes, an advanced booking system and hand sanitising stations.

They travelled in the steam train to Carrog, where the tea-room was very busy, then back to Llangollen.

Mr Baynes praised Liz McGuiness and all the staff  and volunteers at Llangollen Railway for their efforts in ensuring that all visitors, staff  and volunteers can enjoy their experience at Llangollen Railway safely. 

He also learnt more about how they have weathered the Coronavirus crisis through fundraising and a grant of £161,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

They continue to invest in the railway infrastructure, particularly in Corwen where the Corwen Group is making big strides in restoring the station, and also see a steady income stream from their engineering department.

Liz McGuinness said: “We are really grateful for the support received by Simon during the past months. The volunteers and staff have worked extremely hard and we are looking forward to our Santa season and to a great 2021.”

Simon Baynes MP said: “Following their fundraising events earlier in the year, it is great to see that the Llangollen Railway has re-opened with the appropriate social distancing guidelines. 

"The railway is a terrific tourist attraction and I look forward to seeing it continue to bounce back following the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"I fully agree with the Prime Minister’s comments about the Llangollen Railway in May in Parliament when he said it had a “fabulous future.”

Hundreds turn up for their jabs at the Pavilion drive-through flu clinic

* The long but orderly queue of cars waiting for their flu jabs at the Pavilion this morning.

At least 800 people had turned up by lunchtime for today's drive-through flu vaccination day at the Pavilion.
And with the session, run by staff from Llangollen Health Centre, due to last until 5pm this evening many more are likely to take advantage of the special clinic aimed solely at patients born before April 1 1956.
Volunteers from the Tidy Town Team helped with the arrangements which saw scores of vehicles pulling into the car park to be formed into a long queue winding its way through the eisteddfod field to the front of the Pavilion where medical staff were carrying out the vaccinations through their wound-down windows.
After their "jabs" the vehicles, all travelling in one direction, were directed out again through the other car park exit.  
Only people arriving by car were allowed to take part. 
The health centre's Tessa Orton-Jones said later that a total of 1,547 patients enventually received immunisation during the day.

* Part of the queue waiting on the Pavilion car park for their turn.

Mike calls halt to his Tai Chi classes at Plas Newydd

Mike Gleed, who has been running his popular weekly Tai Chi exercise sessions in the grounds of Plas Newydd for the past few months, has decided to call a halt to them.

In a message to llanblogger he says: "I have decided that the last meeting of our Tai Chi/Chi Kung group will be next Thursday, October 1. 

"It has been a pleasure and such a nice group of people/friends. 

"It has been beneficial health-wise and also socially with us respecting social distancing during exercise and afterwards with the cafe. 

"I'd like to thanks the Plas Newydd management for allowing us to use such a fabulous venue. 

"I hope that those who attended will continue the exercises at home and stay safe and well. 

"Thank you to those who attended and contributed to the experience." 

People urged to use NHS COVID-19 app

People across Wales are being urged to download the NHS COVID-19 app to help stop the spread of coronavirus and protect themselves and their loved ones as case numbers rise.

The app has been launched after positive trials and the Welsh Government says it will be a useful tool when used alongside Wales’ own manual contact tracing system.

It will be available to those aged 16 and over, and forms a central part of the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect programme identifying contacts of those who have tested positive for coronavirus.

The roll-out of the app in Wales coincides with a national campaign around how people in Wales can best support the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect programme, including only getting  a test if they are showing symptoms; self-isolating when required; and working with local contact tracers if they are contacted.

Wales’ contact tracing system - which is a publicly-run service and locally delivered - is working well, says the government, and has seen a very high contract and trace rate. Latest stats show 94% of cases are being successfully contacted.

The new app works by logging the amount of time you spend near other app users, and the distance between you, so it can alert you if someone you have been close to later tests positive for COVID-19 – even if you don’t know each other.

The app will advise you to self-isolate if you have been in close contact with a confirmed case. It will also enable you to check symptoms, book a test if needed and get your test results.

Wales’ Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “The launch of the NHS COVID-19 app is an important part of Wales’ coronavirus response, supporting the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect programme. The more people who download and use this app, the more it will help us to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

“We have worked closely with the app development team to ensure it works seamlessly across Wales and England, providing people with the right advice based on where they live. In Wales, the app will complement our existing contact tracing and testing services and will further support our co-ordinated response to COVID-19 at both a local and national level.

“I strongly encourage everyone in Wales to download and use the app to keep Wales safe.”

The app has been designed with user privacy in mind, so it tracks the virus, not people and uses the latest in data security technology to protect privacy. 

The system generates a random ID for an individual’s device, which can be exchanged between devices via Bluetooth. These unique random IDs regenerate frequently to add an extra layer of security and preserve anonymity.

The app does not hold personal information such as your name, address or date of birth, and only requires the first half of your postcode to ensure local outbreaks can be managed.

The UK’s major mobile network operators, including Vodafone, Three, EE and O2, Sky and Virgin, have confirmed that all in-app activity will not come out of customers’ data allowance.

In a joint statement Apple and Google said: “We built the exposure notifications system to enable public health authorities in their efforts to develop apps to help reduce the spread of the virus while ensuring people can trust in the privacy-preserving design. We are committed to supporting the government’s effort to launch an app based on this technology.”

• The app is available for smartphones only - not tablets, smartwatches or other devices.
  To get started, go to Android's Google Play or Apple's App Store and search for "NHS Covid-19".
  The handsets must have Android 6.0 (released in 2015) or iOS 13.5 (released in May 2020) and Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. That excludes the iPhone 6 and older versions of Apple's handsets.

Case for upgrading facilities at Llan schools approved

A business case for a £52 million investment programme for schools in Llangollen and Denbigh has been approved by the county council.

Plans to improve facilities at Ysgol Bryn Collen and Ysgol Gwernant along with those in other parts of the county  are included in the second phase of the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme.

A proposal for the second phase of the programme, funded by the Welsh Government and Denbighshire County Council, was approved at the council’s cabinet meeting earlier this week and options for developments at these schools will now be progressed and business cases developed to seek the funding for individual projects.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, the Council’s Lead Member for Education, Children’s Services and Public Engagement, said: “Supporting young people is a priority for the council under our Corporate Plan and during the first phase of the programme more than £90 million has been invested in Denbighshire’s schools benefiting more than 3,500 pupils.

“As well as the benefit to young people, the investment of £90m also impacted on the local economy with a strong emphasis placed on local procurement which saw five of the eight projects led by North Wales firms and work secured for many local contractors.

“The second phase of the programme is set to see further investment in Denbigh and Llangollen which will benefit even more pupils in the county. This investment will be targeted to ensure we address the condition of our school buildings and improve the pupils’ learning environment.

“The council has also been lobbying the Welsh Government for additional funding to enable investment at Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen, St Brigid’s Denbigh and the primary sector in Rhyl as part of the second phase of the programme.”

 

Have your say on protected landscape plan

The Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) management plan is up for review.

The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is the iconic protected landscape in North East Wales, stretching from Prestatyn in the north and running the length of the majestic Clwydian Eange to the valley of the river Dee, Corwen and Llangollen in the south.  

It covers parts of the counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

It is a working landscape of farms and forests, rich in wildlife and history which is hugely valued as a place to walk, cycle and to enjoy many other activities.  It is also a place to appreciate the spectacular views, fresh air and relax from the busy lives we all lead.

The AONB has a management plan, which identifies why this nationally important landscape is special. 

This looks at the issues and opportunities that affect the area and sets out an action plan for the future.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “The current management plan is now 6 years old and a lot has happened in that time, many of the issues and opportunities we face now were not imagined when it was written. 

“An example is Covid-19 and currently the management team  are working hard with partner organisations to manage the influx of visitors after the lockdown, balancing the needs of visitors, businesses such as farming within the AONB to reduce potential conflicts.

“We need your help to make sure we include all the important issues and opportunities to inform our thinking.  We need this to ensure that we have the best possible Plan to help us keep the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty a wonderful place to live, work and visit for the years to come”.

If you would like to be part of this review, there are a number of ways you can help:

You can respond to our brief survey - http://bit.ly/aonb-survey 

You can send in more detailed responses as to issues and opportunities for the AONB you believe need addressing in the new management Plan to: 2020s0517@jbaconsulting.com

The "forgotten" Mazda that's not at all bad

Mazda2 road test by Steve Rogers

A friend admiring the Mazda2 asked the usual question: Did I like it?

I hesitated and then said it was an okay car but I would sooner have a Volkswagen Polo which pleased her because she drives a VW Up. I could also have said Citroen C3, Ford Fiesta or Peugeot 208.

Which is why I found myself feeling a bit sorry for this well-made, well-equipped supermini because it is the one model in Mazda's outstanding range that has been left behind. A bit like a naughty child left doing lines while his classmates are out playing football.

Mazda has put lashings of time and effort into making the 3,6 MX-5 and the CX range superb cars while the 2 trails behind struggling to keep up.

It has had a few tweaks since the current shape hit our showrooms in 2007 and an update this year gave it a new grille, rear bumper, cabin trim improvements and extra sound deadening but most of this will go unnoticed.

For all that the little Mazda has many good points even if they are often followed by a negative. 

The cabin materials have more of a premium feel than many of its rivals with quality trim along the door cards and dashboard but it is still starting to look dated. The three-dial binnacle needs updating if only to give the central speedometer clear 30 and 70mpg markings. An easy solution is a digital speedo already in the binnacle on the range-topping GT Sport Nav.

Something worth shouting about is the infotainment centre operated by touching the 7in central screen or, better still, by twirling the rotary controller between the front seats. Other manufacturers could learn from its simplicity and ease of use, particularly on the move, and the response time is excellent as well.

Heating controls are separate, thankfully, operated via three nice big dials. Perfect.

Cabin space is nowhere near class leading but good for front seat people and adequate for two and a half adults in the back. The back seats split and drop to increase carrying space - here's another but - boot space is not its best feature.

The hatchback opening at the base is on the narrow side and there is a 25cm (10in for us old 'uns) drop into the boot well which makes lifting heavy shopping bags a strenuous exercise.

Sharp handling is a given with all Mazdas and the 2 is no exception but the downside is a ride that is on the hard side of firm, and in spite of the extra sound deadening there is a fair bit of road noise while the suspension needs to do better at smothering jarring from potholes and poor surfaces.

Mazda has bucked the trend to go for small turbo charged petrol engines so the choice is the normally aspirated 1.5 litre SkyActiv G with 74 or 89bhp. My test car was the latter and is nippy enough although be prepared for plenty of gear changing to extract the best performance. Pick-up low down the rev range is pedestrian without flicking down the box and the ratios are long with second is good for a lofty 60mph.

Economy is excellent and I beat the official figure by a country mile averaging 58mpg over 350 miles. One 30-mile stroll returned 60mpg according to the on board computer.

Exhaust emissions are commendably low, due in part to the mild hybrid system which also sharpens the response time of the stop/start so pulling away from junctions and traffic lights is seamless as the engine fires up.

Mazda2 isn't the cheapest supermini out there but part of that is down to a generous list of kit from the base model up. The Sport Nav model has climate control, cruise control city brake and lane keep assist, keyless entry LED lights and rear parking sensors among the highlights.

So a real mixed bag for the Mazda2 which needs a little more TLC from its makers. If I was a cartoon artist drawing the Mazda2 I would give it a sad face with a big tear dropping from its headlight eyes!

Need to know

Mazda2 Sport Nav

£17,540 (starts £15,840)

1.5 litre; 89bhp

0-62mph 9.7secs' 114mph

53.3mpg combined

120g/km. 1st road tax £175

Insurance group 15

Boot: 280 litres