Young Llan director works on star-studded online play

* Eleri Jones performs I D Hooson's The Red Poppy in the Llangollen VE-Day film. 

A young actor and director from Llangollen is helping to put on a star-studded online production of the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Eleri Jones, daughter of former deputy town mayor and councillor Issy Richards, is currently a trainee director at Theatr Clwyd in Mold.

In association with a number of other regional theatres across Britain, Theatr Clwyd is to present a version of the famous play online from March 16-31 helmed by its artistic director Tamara Harvey and assisted by Eleri.

She’s no stranger to Llangollen audiences after two high-profile appearances in the town.

In 2018 she was compere for the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Town Hall where she also presented a tribute to the Welsh poet known as Hedd Wyn who was killed in the First World War.

 

Then in May last year during the town council’s acclaimed film to mark the 75^th anniversary of VE-Day she performed local poet I D Hooson's The Red Poppy against the backdrop of 75 ceramic poppies placed near the war memorial on Centenary Square.

 

The production of Dorian Gray on which she worked has a\n all-star cast including Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry and Russell Tovey.

It is written by Henry Filloux-Bennett based on the novel by Oscar Wilde.

In a profile pic-obsessed, filter-fixated world where online and reality blur, influencer Dorian Gray makes a deal for his social star never to fade. For the perfect self he broadcasts to the world to always remain.

But as his mental health starts to decline, as corruption and murderous depravity start to creep into his world, the true and horrific cost of his deal will soon need to be met.

Eleri graduated from Manchester University with a First Class BA in Drama and Screen Studies.

 

She then received a scholarship to the Drama Centre London gaining an MA in screen acting with merit.

 

Her screen credits include DI Banks for ITV and Chewing Gum for Channel 4.

 

She joined Theatr Clwyd in 2019 and assisted on its productions of the Mold Riots and the panto Jack And the Beanstalk.

 

As a youngster Eleri she was part of the Croeso Team welcoming visitors to Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

 

* Tickets for the production can be bought at www.pictureofdoriangray.com 

Police boss suggests giving free cannabis to prisoners

* North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.

A campaigning police boss is calling for jails to trial giving free cannabis to prisoners to help them overcome their drug problems and reduce prison violence.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, a former police inspector, says  the radical idea could also prevent overdose deaths in prisons.

In 2018 a prisoner called Luke Morris Jones, 22, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, died at HMP Berwyn after taking Spice.

Speaking during an interview for the Guardian newspaper, Mr Jones said if justice authorities were serious about reducing harms and violence in prisons, “they should be addressing the causes” such as the cheap synthetic cannabinoid spice that is rife and can be deadly, as opposed to cannabis.

Use of illegal drugs is widespread in prisons and many prisoners lawfully receive heroin substitutes such as methadone and buprenorphine to manage their dependence.

Others that are commonly prescribed include strong analgesics such as pregabalin and gabapentinoids – all of which are addictive and potentially dangerous drugs.

It was revealed by the Guardian last month that more than 300 prison officers and outside staff have been dismissed or convicted for bringing prohibited items – which can include drugs, tobacco and mobile phones – into jails in England and Wales over the past five years.

In the UK the use of cannabis recreationally  is against the law but it has been legalised to be used for medical purposes.

But, says Mr Jones,  access to full extract oil through the NHS is virtually impossible.

Mr Jones said: “Opioids are a damn sight more dangerous than cannabis. If they’re on opioids, why can’t they be prescribed cannabis?

“Let’s supply cannabis in controlled conditions and see if offences reduce.

“The aim of the game is to make prisons safer. If they’re serious about reducing violence in prisons they should be addressing the causes and that’s psychoactive substances. Plus there’s a whole range of issues that cannabis would be geared to reduce the risk of.” 

Using recreational cannabis remains illegal in the UK but the plant has been legalised for medical use, though with significant restrictions.

The idea of trialling free cannabis in prisons was floated in 2018 by the pharmacologist Dr Stephanie Sharp.

She said that leaving prisoners to smoke spice was “condemning them to death” and that allowing then to smoke cannabis would be “much safer”.

More generally, Mr Jones has also  called for cannabis to be regulated to cut out organised crime and allow people to grow a limited amount of it for their own personal use.

He believes that prohibition is counter-productive and it should be legally controlled just like alcohol and tobacco which caused more harm to individuals and society in general.

He added: “It is a nonsense to criminalise people who take cannabis for recreational use and cause no harm to anybody else.

“The best way to reduce the role of organised crime in the supply of drugs is to put it in commercial hands and to price it appropriately so people don't need to go to the illegal market.

“Commercial organisations have taken over the medicinal cannabis market and are selling prescriptions at a vast cost even though it is cheap to grow.  That’s just “exploitation in my book.

“My view is that people should be allowed to grow a limited number of cannabis plants for their own use.”

Health centre's Covid jab update

Llangollen Health Centre has this evening (Tuesday) given an update on the Covid-19 vaccination situation.

It says: "We’ve been told today that we are due to receive more vaccines early next week.

"As ever we are advised not to start booking patients in until the vaccines are actually in our fridge so as soon as we have taken receipt of them we will start contacting patients.

"If you are in the 65 - 69 year old age group and have not yet had the vaccine we will be contacting you by phone initially in descending order of age.

"I will provide a further update next week to keep everyone informed.

"I have asked the Health Board to provide a statement to explain the delay in vaccine delivery which I will share with you once I receive it.

"Thank you for your patience.

Tessa

Practice Manager."

Welsh Government sets out its post-pandemic vision

The Welsh Government is setting out how it will work to reconstruct and rebuild Wales’s economy in the aftermath of the pandemic, making it "more prosperous, equal and green than ever before".

The Government will today publish its Economic Resilience and Reconstruction Mission which sets out how it will work to rebuild Wales’ post-Covid economy so that it "values and prioritises wellbeing, drives prosperity, is environmentally sound, and helps every person in Wales to realise their potential".

Priorities include strengthening the everyday sectors of the Welsh economy, increasing the incidence of fair work across Wales and reinvigorating our town centres.

There is also a focus on supporting firms to innovate and diversify, speeding up business decarbonisation and investing in climate resilient infrastructure.

The Welsh Government is also announcing an additional £270m for the Development Bank of Wales’s Flexible Investment Fund, bringing the total invested through this fund to £500m by 2030. 

Boosting the fund aims to improve the supply of long-term, accessible business finance and help more firms to grow and expand. 

The fund can make debt and equity investments of between £25k and £10m, including 15 year loans, to SMEs and non-SMEs.

Economy Minister Ken Skates said: “This last year has been incredibly difficult for everyone and while our vital work to combat the virus goes on, it is important to consider what comes next.

“We have an opportunity to look to the future and reconstruct the economy with the fundamental goal of achieving long term well-being with dignity and fairness for people.

“We will do this by strengthening the everyday economy, delivering on our Covid Commitment to support people in improving skills and gaining employment, and by helping businesses meet the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow. We will also maximise sustainable investment in Wales and fortify our pursuit of fair work and social value with businesses and organisations who receive public funding.

“The additional £270m funding for the Development Bank will support businesses the length and breadth of Wales, creating and protecting thousands of jobs for individuals as we seek to deal with the long-term challenges of Covid and Brexit.”

As part of the mission, the Welsh Government says it will maximise future major investments through ‘magnet projects’, which will attract longer term investments and provide important employment, skills, and innovation and development opportunities.

The Economic Contract will also be refreshed and strengthened helping businesses to embed fair work, low carbon and climate resilience into their operations.

The Minister added: “We have a clear, ethical and coherent vision for economic resilience and reconstruction that is anchored on social justice and with the commitment of the people, communities and the businesses that make up our economy, I know that we can succeed in building a prosperous and fair economy and future that works better for everyone.”

Ian Price, CBI Wales Director, said: “The goal to deliver a competitive and sustainable economy that raises living standards, promotes higher pay, and delivers the revenues we need to support public priorities is the right one for Wales.

“But the Welsh Government can’t do that alone. From promoting diversity and inclusion to improving mental health, championing green behaviours to inspiring the next generation; business must continue to be a true partner of government. At its best, business is an engine of progress that will play a crucial role in overcoming the pandemic and building a better Welsh economy.

“Additional sources of accessible finance are welcome and represent an important investment in the Welsh business community, one that will be repaid through jobs, growth and, ultimately, delivering a more prosperous Wales.”

Ken Skates MS speaks out on Covid-19 vaccination supply

Following a growing number of complaints about people aged 65-69 not being offered the Covid-19 vaccine, Clwyd South MS Ken Skates has issued a statement about the situation.

It says: "After the news last week that Wales had reached its first target ahead of schedule, vaccination of the next set of priority groups is already under way locally. ​

"The First Minister has been clear that the temporary drop in UK supply had already been planned for in Wales and that the reduction will affect the whole of the UK - not just Wales or our area. 

"We have factored this into our vaccination plans - it won’t affect planned appointments and it won’t delay when people are due to get their second dose.

"The Welsh Government will continue to do everything it can to continue leading the way on vaccine roll-out and to achieve our next targets on time. 

"The well-publicised temporary supply issues affecting the UK are short-term and we will soon be able to begin ramping up the roll-out again to the kind of significant daily numbers we have been seeing regularly until recently. 

"We remain confident of similar success with the next phase of the roll-out if the UK Government is able to deliver our supplies." 

Invite goes out to online Pengwern Vale meeting

 

Natural Resources Wales and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are hosting an online meeting for residents and visitors to Pengwern Vale from 7-9pm on Wednesday March 10.

They want to hear people's views about how they can create a community landscape that benefits everyone’s enjoyment and wellbeing for generations to come. 

A spokesperson for the organisers said: "We want to hear your views on how we can all work together to make a positive contribution to Pengwern Vale both now and in the future.

"The area’s amazing heritage, culture and natural landscape is there for all to see - but with climate change it needs everyone's help to secure its future for residents, farmers, and wildlife."

* To register for the meeting or for more information, email: northeast.as@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Hospice aims to build hot air balloon to mark 25 years of care

* Nurses at Nightingale House with their balloon messages.

Nurses at Nightingale House are getting behind the hospice’s 2021 campaign to build a hot air balloon in celebration of 25 years of patient care. 

The opportunity to sponsor a dedication or celebration on a panel of the exclusive balloon runs until the end of April, when the balloon will begin to be manufactured. 

Clinical staff have been coming up with their own ideas of what they will be putting on their panels. Some have decided on inspirational quotes, another is a celebration of the arrival of their new nephew, whereas some have decided that their pets should take centre stage. 

Kay Ryan, Day Services Lead, said: “There is quite a buzz about the Build a Balloon campaign within the clinical team. It’s something we have never seen before and believe it’s a great way to help lift the community spirits at this very challenging time. I know it will mean a great deal to our supporters to be a part of something special and that will help fund the care that we provide.” 

The hospice has a long association with hot air balloon events in Llangollen and in recent years in Oswestry. It is hoped that the balloon will take to the skies in the summer, but no launch date has been released due to current lockdown restrictions. 

Community and Event Fundraiser, Sarah Povey said: “This is an incredibly exciting and unique campaign. To know that when we look up and see the Nightingale House balloon floating above us that we as a community have worked together to bring it to life will be a magnificent feeling.

“Build a Balloon has always been about representing our wonderful supporters and corporate partners and a celebration of the difference the hospice makes to those with life limiting illnesses within our communities or for those who use our hospice facilities on Chester Road.” 

* If you would like to sponsor a Build A Balloon panel for Nightingale House then you can do so by going on line at www.nightingalehouseco.uk/event/build-a-balloon