Journalist who covered Llan Eisteddfod dies from Covid-19

* Kevin and Sally Hughes.

Tributes have been pouring in for a journalist who covered the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for a number of years.

Kevin Hughes, who was also a Flintshire county councillor, died at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital after a long battle against Covid-19.

It came less than three weeks after he delivered a passionate appeal from his hospital bed to people to observe social distancing during the Christmas and New Year period.

Kevin, 63, said then: “I can't express it enough, be sensible and think about what you're doing. Every bed in here is full, they can't cope with any more. For the sake of a day, one night out, a Christmas dinner or a party, it's just not worth it. It's really not worth it.”

He had planned to do a Coast to Coast walk this year in aid of Hope House but his death follows that of his mother, June Margaret Hughes, 89, also from the virus on November 25 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Kevin had visited her briefly in PPE and accepted that going to the hospital may have caused him to contract the disease but he added: “I don't know how I got it, whether it was visiting my mum, it might have been in the shop or in the garage. I just don't know.”

He was born in Chester and attended Queen’s Park High School, Handbridge, and leaves a wife, Sally, with whom he celebrated 40 years of marriage three years ago, sons Chris, Steve and Andy, and seven grandchildren.

Son Andy posted on Facebook: “At 12.45 this morning Dad passed away. He gave the biggest battle and we are so, so proud of him, not only in the final few weeks but over an incredible 63 years walking this earth, making his mark on it in a way that only he could.

“We can't believe how many people have been in contact from all over the world these last few weeks. It made us understand how loved he was.

“We can't thank the Critical Care Unit enough for the tireless efforts to get Dad to beat Covid. It’s just such a horrible, cruel virus that when it lands on your doorstep rocks your world.”

In a varied career Kevin Joined Cheshire Constabulary and was a police diver during his service and after his retirement worked for a time as head diver at the Blue Planet Aquarium, at Cheshire Oaks.

He moved into journalism with the Chester Chronicle and rose to be editor of the Flintshire Chronicle before his retirement and in recent years has worked for North Wales-based public relations company Ceidiog Communication with whom he helped to cover the Llangollen Eisteddfod for a number of seasons until just a few years ago. 

He represented Gwernymynydd as an active and committed Flintshire County Councillor.

He was also a passionate football fan, first with his native Chester and latterly as a season ticketholder at Premier League Aston Villa, a keen motorcyclist and photographer.

He was a former colleague of llanblogger journalist Phil Robinson, both at Ceidiog Communication and previously when they worked together on the Ellesmere Port Pioneer newspaper in Cheshire.

Phil said: "The small north Wales journalistic community has lost one of its most outstanding members which it could ill afford to do. 

"Kevin, who I was privileged to know for 20 years, was a big man - in stature, talent and heart."  

Ceidiog Hughes, the managing director of Ceidiog Communication with whom Kevin worked as a freelance for many years, said: “Every member of the team is heartbroken and our love and thoughts are with his beloved family at this extremely difficult time.

“Kevin was an unforgettable larger than life character who was loved by all who had the good fortune to meet him and call him a friend.

“As well as being totally professional and a shrewd operator in relation to work matters, Kevin was also full of mischievous fun and one of the kindest, most generous people I know.

“Kevin was equally popular with all our clients and they too are devastated by his loss. We will all miss him terribly

“He is a huge loss to his family and the community in Gwernymynydd which he served with great verve and distinction as their local county councillor.

“While fighting for his life in critical care, Kevin was determined to get out the message about the dangers posed by this terrible virus and I hope that people take heed and behave responsibly so we suppress it until the rollout of the vaccine is completed.”

Arfon Jones, the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “I would like to send my sincere condolences to Kevin’s family.

“As two ex-police officers we had a great deal in common, as well as our interest in local government politics and football.

“I always used to think of Kevin when Aston Villa was mentioned and he offered to take me to a match many times.

“It’s fair to say we were on the same page, neither of us suffered fools gladly with the same ability to be outspoken at times.”

Mario Kreft MBE, the proprietor of the Pendine Park care organisation, also thought very highly of Kevin.

He said: “Kevin was a big character with a big heart who was interested in people and could get on with anyone.

“I know from sponsoring Llangollen Eisteddfod he was particularly adept at interviewing some big stars, including the likes of Francis Rossi from Status Quo, Burt Bacharach, Joseph Calleja and Rolando Villazon who were all charmed by him

“I remember when I mentioned we are taking some football programmes to an orphanage in Africa and he offered to chip in with a few. He turned up with a whole box of Aston Villa programmes and some brand new Villa shirts. That was just an example of how thoughtful and kind he was. Nothing was too much trouble for him.”

His predecessor as Flintshire County Councillor for Gwernymynydd and Nercwys was Nancy Matthews who served from 2004 until she stepped down in 2016 and she said: “There was nothing half-hearted about Kevin. If he took a job on he did it completely and properly and he has been a fantastic county councillor for us.”

Message to the people of Wales from the First Minister

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has sent out the following message to the people of Wales.

Once again, I’m asking for your help to keep Wales safe.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken another significant turn.

Cases are very high in Wales and a new strain of the virus is spreading very quickly across the country. Our NHS is under real pressure.

We must all once again stay at home. I know this is will be a very difficult time for everyone.

But it’s more important than ever that we all follow the rules. We can’t stop now

It’s so important that we limit contact with other people to prevent this awful virus from spreading and protect ourselves and our families.

We all need to work from home if we can. 

If we have to leave home, we must keep our distance from others, wash our hands regularly and wear a face mask in indoor public places.

The vaccine is here and is being rolled out. It offers us the path out of this pandemic and there is real hope for the future.

There is a lot of hard work going on to set up more clinics and arrange appointments for people to come and have the vaccine at one of the mass vaccine centres or at GP clinic near you.

It will take time to vaccinate everyone. We must all play our part to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe. 

The situation is serious and the whole of Wales is at alert level four. This means you must stay home.

By pulling together we can keep Wales safe. 

Thank you for everything you are doing.

More information about alert level four lockdown is at: https://gov.wales/alert-level-4 

Welsh lockdown extended by a further three weeks

Lockdown measures in Wales will be strengthened as a new, highly infectious strain of coronavirus continues to circulate, the First Minister has said.

Speaking at the Welsh Government's daily press briefing, Mark Drakeford said the new strain has quickly taken a "firm foothold" in north Wales, where cases of the virus are rising quickly.

He added that the new strain is expected to become the dominant form of the virus in south Wales too.

It had already been confirmed that the level four lockdown restrictions introduced at midnight on December 19 will remain in place until at least January 29.

Today, Mark Drakeford told journalists that safety measures would be strengthened for shops, workplaces and schools.

Mr Drakeford told journalists: "We will be strengthening the alert level four measures in three main areas.

"First, we will work with our major supermarkets and retailers to make sure that people are safe when we go out shopping.

"I want to see at least the same level of protection today as was very visible in the early period of the pandemic.

"Those who work and shop in supermarkets need to be confident that the numbers in those stores are carefully and consistently controlled and that all other measures are in place to keep us all safe."

Mr Drakeford said he has received more correspondence on safety in shops than almost any other issue.

He there was some "anxiety" from the public that the visible protections in shops in the early days of the pandemic were, in some cases, no longer as apparent.

Although there is no evidence that the new strain causes a more serious illness, it is adding to the pressure on the Welsh NHS, the First Minister said.

He added: "Most young people will now be taught online until January 29. Unless there is a significant reduction in cases of coronavirus by the next review, this will continue until the February half term.

"Vulnerable learners and children of critical workers will continue to have face-to-face learning and childcare remains open.

"We will use the coming weeks to work with our scientists, unions and local authorities to plan for the future.

"This will not be a simple choice between closing schools and colleges now and reopening them in February."

He said the Welsh Government was looking at the "possibilities for a phased and safe return of some students during this period, such as those studying for qualifications, the youngest children who find distance learning the most difficult and vulnerable children."

Mr Drakeford told journalists:

• More than 2,700 coronavirus-related patients are being cared for in Welsh hospitals today

• There are now 143 people with coronavirus in critical care beds.

• The number of people in critical care has reached the highest point in the pandemic.

Ministers have just carried out a three-weekly review of the current restrictions. The next update will be on January 29.

Winter weather update from county council

Winter weather update Friday, January 8 at 10am:

Snow has fallen across much of Denbighshire overnight and is expected to continue throughout today. Here is the latest situation in the county.

Roads: All routes have been treated twice overnight and gritting teams are on duty and are patrolling all routes today.

We are experiencing some difficulties on the following routes across the network:

Road Closures:

Horseshoe Pass, Llangollen

All routes to Moel Famau

These roads remain open at present and are passable with care:

Nant y Garth Pass

Rhydtalog

Llandegla

Clwyd Gate (Ruthin-bound from Mold)

Bus services: Passengers attempting to use bus services this morning are asked to plan for some disruption, owing to snowfall.

The X51 service between Denbigh and Wrexham is currently suspended south of Ruthin.

All services between Ruthin and Mold are currently using the A494 main road and are not diverting via villages.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The 192 service Melin y Wig to Llangollen will not operate.

Waste Collection: Owing to the weather there will disruption to waste collection services in the south of the county. Further updates will be provided throughout the day.

Schools: Ysgol Bro Famau, Ysgol Carreg Emlyn, Ysgol Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Ysgol Tremeirchion, Ysgol Bodfari, Ysgol Pant Pastynog, Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch, Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn and Ysgol Bro Cinmeirch are closed to children required to be on school premises. Online learning continues unaffected for all schools.

Housing: The Council’s housing contact centre is still open but presently only responding to urgent and emergency calls.

Health board admits to delays in Llan Covid test results

* The testing centre which was set up on Market Street car park.

A health board admits there have been delays in returning results to some people who attended the Covid testing centre in Llangollen.

The Besto Cadwladr Health Board in partnership with Public Health Wales, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and Denbighshire County Council, set up the centre on Market Street car park in mid-December and it eventually closed earlier this week before moving to Denbigh.

Bur a number of people have contacted llanblogger to complain of long delays in obtaining their test results.

One local woman was tested last Saturday along with her elderly mother as the result of contact with a suspected Covid case but by late yesterday still hadn’t received notification of the results. 

She therefore phoned the local GP practice and they obtained the results for her – both negative, thankfully.

In response, Debra Hickman, Acting Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, said: “We are aware of some delays in returning results from recent tests carried out in Llangollen. 

"All outstanding test results should be returned as expected over the coming days.”

Covid testing centre moves from Llan to Denbigh

* Kerry Williams of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and Cllr Mark Young. 

A Covid-19 testing centre opened in Denbigh on Wednesday.

The centre is based in the car park at the council offices at Caledfryn and will operate between 9.30am and 3.30pm with no appointments necessary, but the walk in/drive-through session is open to those with symptoms that need a test.

The testing centre is being operated in partnership between Public Health Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and Denbighshire County Council.

It replaces the testing site at Market Street Car Park, Llangollen, which closed on January 3.

Cllr Mark Young, Cabinet Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities, said: “Testing centres are extremely important facilities in the fight against coronavirus in the county. They are so convenient and will provide some peace of mind to residents.

“The centres have worked extremely well, with many residents taking the opportunity to come and have a test. We look forward to working with our partners on the new centre in Denbigh and would encourage anyone displaying symptoms to come and take advantage of the services offered at the testing centre.”

Residents who have tested positive or have been given self-isolation advice are asked to stay at home until the end of the self-isolation period.

French beauty with the wow factor

Peugeot 208 road test by Steve Rogers

If wow factor is what you want then feast your eyes on this French beauty.

As superminis go there is nothing to match the reigning European Car of the Year. Not that we should be surprised, the French have been churning out head turners for decades - Citroen DX, Renault 16, Peugeot 405 - I could fill a page, and the fifth generation 208 is the best in its 37 year history.

Just to clear up any confusion for those who think this model should be called 209, Peugeot decided a couple of years ago to stop at eight for every model in its line up.

The body styling is not even the best feature, it's the cabin where the real wow comes in. The futuristic switch free i-Cockpit broke cover on the 308 seven years ago and has been tweaked and honed so much so that no one comes close to matching its chic design, while the quality of materials has pushed the 208 towards the premium division.

That is where this love-in with 208 has to take a breather. The i-Cockpit is certainly fabulous to look at but has its critics and I am one. The driver's binnacle sits on top of the dashboard so it is a case of looking over rather than through the small steering wheel which has a flat top to make it easier to see the display.

It means you have two choices: sit low or high and getting it right, or rather close to right, takes too long and is even more irritating when a partner has a different preference. If ever there was a case for powered driver's seat with memory function this is it.

The original i-Cockpit design came in for a lot of stick because every function was controlled through the touchscreen which took the driver's eye away from the road for too long. That was partly resolved with stylish quick keys and the set up in the 208 has been further refined with touch pads as well although they need to be angled rather than flat for ease of selection.

Once the driving position is sorted and the controls mastered the 208 is driving pleasure. There is a tremendous feel good factor right through the cabin both with the sparkling design features and premium quality materials while the driver's interchangeable 3D head up display has to be seen to be believed

It is good to drive as well and I like the small steering wheel. It harks back to the sixties and seventies when a steering wheel did nothing more than steer, so us young bucks in our bangers swapped the ungainly big one for the tiny rally styles of the day in the misguided hope you would drive faster. How silly we were.

Even though the Peugeot supermini's reputation was built on the handling prowess of the sublime 205GTI the latest version airs more on the side of comfort but can still be thrown around with confidence and in many ways is the ideal compromise.

There is a GT badge on the back of my test car though this was a long way from its speed machine ancestor. Times have changed, now it is all about smaller engines giving a lot from a little with as few nasty carbon emissions as possible and Peugeot has been leading the charge.

This three-cylinder 1.2 petrol is no flyer compared to some hybrid rivals, and while it won't give GT performance of old it meets the demands of modern day driving. That said the week's average of 47mpg with a best of 52mpg was down on what I was expecting.

Cabin space is no better than average so if your family has lanky youngsters get them in the back for a trial before signing on the dotted line. All the seats are well shaped and comfortable.

On price the 208 is at the top end of its class but is well equipped right from entry level with many safety features, and the engine line up is strong. My choice would be this 101bhp petrol even though the diesel will give better economy.

So a desirable car although I would be inclined to move up to the 2008 crossover for the extra space.

Need to know

208 GT Line 8sp auto

£22,100 (range starts £17,155)

1.2 litre; 101bhp

0-62mph 10.8secs; 117mph

50.3mpg combined

99g/km. 1st tax £130

Insurance group 20

Boot: 311 litres