Campaign aims to cut death and injury to bikers

A campaign aimed at reducing the risk of motorcycle-related deaths and serious injuries on the roads is now underway across Wales.

The annual Operation Darwen campaign, which runs from early spring through until the autumn, is aimed at promoting rider safety and will see high visibility patrols being carried out along key routes which have been identified as risk areas.

Over the coming months, officers from the Roads Policing Unit, the Armed Alliance Unit, the Special Constabulary Road Safety Unit and Go Safe will be engaging with riders at popular meeting spots for enthusiasts as well as on certain routes as part of the operation.

Officers will also be checking that bikes are roadworthy, paying particular attention to tyres. Worn or under inflated tyres on motorcycles have been one of the most common themes during collisions, and yet is easily prevented by riders doing basic checks.

Motorcyclists are amongst the most vulnerable groups of road users, and they are at a higher risk of injury and collision than other road users. Although a motorcyclist may not be at fault, their vulnerability invariable means that they suffer more serious injuries in a collision.

In 2020 there were 70 motorcyclists killed or seriously injured in North Wales a - 4.10% decrease from the previous year of 2019.

Motorcycle casualties are highly represented and on average represent 25% of all killed or seriously injured casualties within the region based on the last 3 years.

Chief Inspector Jon Aspinall from the Roads Policing Unit at North Wales Police said: “Reducing casualties on our roads remains one of our top priorities.

“We look at all motorists as part of the Op Darwen campaign, however during the spring and summer months, increased focus is given to motorcycle safety as larger numbers of motorcyclists take their bikes out to take advantage of the good weather and fantastic scenery we have here in north Wales.

“As such, motorists are being urged to be extra vigilant for motorcycles during their journeys and ensure they give sufficient room when following bikers.

“Similarly, drivers are reminded to continually check for motorcycles when moving off, or emerging from junctions.

“Riders also have an important role to play in ensuring their own safety by travelling at an appropriate speed for the road, weather and traffic conditions, wearing high-visibility clothing and always wearing a helmet and other appropriate attire.

“We want people to enjoy travelling on some great roads here in north Wales and in Wales as a whole, but most of all we want them to ride and drive safely and responsibly. We will continue to target, with a view to prosecution, all those that ride or drive dangerously, at excess speed, overtake on solid white lines or commit any other road traffic offences.

“Our officers – as well as partners from other emergency services see far too many tragedies, many preventable on the roads. Staying safe on the road applies to every single one of us, whether we have two or four wheels on our vehicle. I would urge riders and drivers to think about their behaviour and what changes they could make to improve their own safety and that of other road users.

“Op Darwen is not about spoiling people’s fun but encourages all road users to be safe and competent with the aim of reducing the number of collisions on our roads.”

North Wales Police are also encouraging bikers to ensure their machines are ready for the months ahead – paying particular attention to tyres and brakes.

Teresa Ciano, GoSafe Partnership Manager and Chair of Road Safety Wales said: “Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable of road users and through the engagement and education delivered through Operation Darwen we hope to encourage more bikers to make the safe choice when out riding.

“Ride within the legal speed limit, prepare for your journey, give yourself enough space and time, position yourself in the safest and best place to maximise your visibility of potential hazards and consider further skills training to improve your performance and safety on the road.”

Man says he was injured after tripping over Castle Street bollards

* Castle Street, with the newly-painted white lines around the bollards, at the Market Street junction.

A man visiting Llangollen from Minera has contacted llanblogger to claim he was left with a swollen and bruised knee after tripping over the bollards in Castle Street which a local group as campaigned to have removed.

The bollards were placed along one side of the main street last November by Denbighshire County Council as part of a package of social distancing measures.

But they have since become a highly contentious issue, with the Llangollen Advocate group claiming they were dangerous to pedestrians and lobbying to have them removed while the area’s two county councillors, Graham Timms and Melvyn Mile, argued they were a necessary measure to help people keep their distance, especially as tourism restarts.

Advocate has reported a series of accidents to pedestrians on its Facebook page over the past few weeks.

Last week llanblogger revealed that following an inspection county council officers had agreed to replace the line of bollards with planters within the next few weeks.

In the meantime, as the weekend began, white lines were painted around the bollards in an attempt to make them more visible to pedestrians until they are taken away..

On Friday evening llanblogger received the following email from 52-year-old Keith Wilson who said he had been injured after tripping on the bollards earlier in the day.

He said: “I was out with my wife today in Llangollen and I too was a victim of the trip hazard on Castle Street with the new bollards at approximately 14.30pm.

“I was crossing the road to the Nemo Chip Shop from Market Street and tripped over the concrete raised bollard and went flying head first landing heavily on my knee and my head hit into a parked bicycle outside the shop.

“The bollards are hardly visible and an absolute death trap, the police were in attendance as well as a member of the public who was a nurse an ambulance was called to get my injuries checked out.

“After an hour and a half sat on the pavement waiting for an ambulance I decided to cancel the ambulance and go home to rest.

“My knee is swollen and bruised and I can hardly walk .I will be attending hospital in the morning to get checked out.

“I cannot believe it is going to be another two weeks before these death traps are removed.

“Whoever had the idea to build these has no clue. It is only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured.

“I would like to thank the police in attendance who were great and the publican  Craig from the Bull Inn who was really helpful and the lovely nurse who was passing by.

“I will be reporting the fall on Tuesday to the county council. I hope no one else has to suffer what I did today.”

In a further email on Friday he added: “I was very shaken up at the time of the incident and quite light headed.

“The cyclist who had the bike sent video of damage to their bike caused by my head impacting it .

 I think it saved me from more serious injury to be honest as otherwise I would have hit the shop wall .

“The police were there and other witnesses too. The landlord at the pub says he has it all on cctv and I will be calling him tomorrow to get copy.

“The bollards are so dangerous I cannot believe they got approved in the first place, they are the same colour as road and unless you’re looking at your feet, which you aren’t when you are crossing road, it is easy to miss them as I did today.

“If I had been elderly it could have been far worse. I really hope you can get the council to see sense .

“It’s a good job I wasn’t crossing in the opposite direction and falling headlong into the road.”

County announces clamp-down on dog fouling offenders

As part of Denbighshire County Council's community safety and area improvements, the Public Protection team has been working to ensure that dog owners are being responsible when cleaning up after their pets.

They say that the majority of owners correctly dispose of their dog’s mess but there is a minority of people who don’t and that this needs to be addressed.

Dog fouling and associated failures to keep dogs under control is a criminal offence. 

Gareth Roberts, Public Protection, Regeneration & Economic Development Manager, said: "We are clamping down on individuals who think it is acceptable to leave their dogs business on streets and green spaces within the county, to protect our people and our environment.

"Every dog owner can help with the efforts to protect public health and the environment by simply clearing up after their pets. If you witness an offender, we would encourage you to report them.

"A big thank you to all responsible pet owners who are already supporting area safety improvements by clearing up after their dogs."

All dog foul should be collected immediately and be disposed in any public litter bin. 

Officers will be patrolling areas throughout the county and they will continue to hand out fixed penalty notices to fine those who fail to clear their pet’s mess

Denbighshire County Council has also reminded the public that they can provide witness statements to the council about any incidents of dog fouling that they observe. These statements can be used to help prosecute offenders.

* To report a dog fouling incident in your area please contact our Customer contact Centre for free on 0800 2300 234 or report it on line through our website https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/environmental-health/dog-issues/dog-issues.aspx

Trust board gives update on railway's financial crisis

Llangollen Railway Trust Board has issued a statement on the financial crisis affecting the world-famous heritage attraction.

It highlights the fact that employees of the railway's public limited company - from which the board is quite separate - were recently issued with redundancy notices and also outlines the possibility that liquidator may have the option of auctioning off the railway's assets.  

As llanblogger has been reporting, on March 1 the board of Llangollen Railway PLC asked its bank to call in receivers after it became insolvent to the tune of about £350,000 and could not legally continue trading.

A firm of liquidators was called in which began the process of selling off the assets of the world-famous heritage attraction.

The Trust board, which remains completely solvent, has declared its intentions of buying as many of the railway's assets as possible and has already raised over £50,000 from a public appeal. https://llangollenrailway.enthuse.com/profile

The board also says in the statement it has meetings arranged with potential funding bodies. 

The board statement, posted as a PDF document on the board's own Facebook page, says: "The PLC has been formally under the control of the Administrators since Monday 22nd March and PLC employees were issued with redundancy notices over the weekend of the 27th. 

"As far as the Trust board is aware no bid has been accepted for the entire PLC. 

"We are not party to the intentions of the Administrators but one option they have is to auction the assets and this has been mentioned in responses to bids from individuals. 

"We expect further details from the Administrators and their agents over the next few days. 

"The Trust board is considering our options with regard to obtaining the intangible assets of the PLC (for example website, key contracts, information contained within IT systems) so as to ease the transition from PLC to Trust.

"Trust Board members have been preparing business plans and cash flow forecasts for a Trust-run railway, these will be used in support of meetings with potential funding bodies over the next few days. 

"Assuming positive outcomes from all the above, detailed commercial, operational and engineering plans for reopening the railway need to be compiled, and the board will be asking volunteers to become involved in this process over the coming weeks. Much of this work has already been done but needs to be revisited in the light of the demise of the PLC."

Sun Trevor quiz raises £1,600 for hospice

* Simon Baynes (right) hands over the £1,600 cheque. He is with Sue Williams of Nightingale House, quizmaster Maggie Smith, Paul and Katy Jones, their daughters Seren and Darcey and Poppy the dog.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes made a socially distanced visit to the Sun Trevor in Llangollen to meet the team involved in running a highly successful online weekly quiz which has been raising money for charity since the start of lockdown last year.  

Mr Baynes joined owners Paul and Katy Jones, quizmaster Maggie Smith and Nightingale House Community Engagement Officer Sue Williams for the handing over of a cheque worth £1,600 to the hospice following the culmination of fundraising efforts over the last 10 months. 

The Sun Trevor quiz has been running since 2008 and has raised over £16,000 for charity since it started.

Katy Jones said: “Thank you to Simon Baynes for being able to come over and help present this fantastic amount of money to Nightingale Hospice. 

"We want to say a massive thank you to Maggie Smith who has kept the quizzes going not just for the last year online but the last 10 years!

"And thank you to everyone has taken part. It’s been great seeing Zoom quiz meetings being organised and catching up with family and friends over lockdowns.”

Sue Williams from Nightingale House said: “Thank you to Paul, Katy, Maggie and all of those who loyally support The Sun Trevor’s quiz each week. 

"It is fantastic how they have adapted the hugely successful weekly pub quiz taking it online and continued to raise much needed funds despite the challenging times we have all experienced.

"Nightingale House Hospice relies on the support of local businesses and individuals to continue to provide patient care and family support services to our community.  We are very grateful to you for your continued generosity, thank you.”

Simon Baynes said: “It’s so wonderful to see the team at the Sun Trevor and all their customers using their weekly pub quizzes to raise such large amounts of money for charity. 

"They’re a shining example of a Clwyd South business and their efforts are a great reflection of their community spirit and passion for giving something back.

“Everyone locally knows about the brilliant work of Nightingale House Hospice and this money will allow them to continue their vital work. 

"I want to congratulate Paul and Katy as the owners of the Sun Trevor and I want to pay special tribute to Maggie Smith who does a truly wonderful job as the quizmaster.

"I’d highly recommend fans of a pub quiz take a look and consider get involved with their next virtual session.”

* The quiz, which takes place via Facebook, can be found on the Sun Trevor’s page: www.facebook.com/TheSunTrevorLlangollen

Some local heritage attractions re-open for Easter break

 * Valle Crucis Abbey is among the Cadw sites re-opened for the Easter holidays.

Wales’s heritage attractions, parks and gardens have been closed since November 2020, but Cadw, National Trust Cymru and Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales re-opened some of their outdoor sites and open-air spaces ahead of the Easter holidays.

Among the local attractions now welcoming back visitors are Cadw’s Valle Crucis Abbey in Llangollen and the National Trust Cymru’s properties at Erddig and Chirk Castle.

While no advance booking is required at the abbey it is needed for Erddig and Chirk.

The re-opening of the sites follows the First Minister’s recent announcement that the outdoor areas of some historic sites, parks and gardens are now able to welcome back visitors following an easement of the Welsh Government’s coronavirus regulations.

In line with the messaging of Visit Wales’s new Addo campaign — the three heritage bodies have urged the people of Wales to make a promise to care for each other and the wider communities of Wales as they begin to return to their favourite outdoor heritage attractions and historic gardens.

It’s hoped that this approach will encourage visitors to behave safely and responsibly on visits to sites across the country.

Cadw says visitors to its sites must adhere to Welsh Government social distancing guidelines and coronavirus restrictions at all times.

From yesterday (Thursday), the historic environment service has re-opened outdoor areas at a selection of its most iconic staffed monuments.

To gain entry to re-opening staffed monuments, general visitors and Cadw members alike will need to reserve time-allotted tickets at least 24 hours in advance of their visit on cadwmembership.service.gov.wales/events. This will allow for a safe and socially distanced on-site experience for all ticket holders.

Sites partially re-opening from April 1 include three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Beaumaris and Conwy Castles and the world renowned industrial hub, Blaenavon Ironworks. Other re-opening sites include Criccieth, Kidwelly and Laugharne castles.

Tintern Abbey, Harlech, Chepstow and Raglan castles will re-open outdoor areas to Wales residents from Tuesday April 6.

Meanwhile, Denbigh and Rhuddlan Castle in Denbighshire will re-open on Thursday April 8. In line with Welsh Government guidance, all indoor areas at re-opening Cadw sites will remain closed until further notice.

Due to essential conservation works or coronavirus safety precautions, other heritage attractions under Cadw’s care, including Caerphilly Castle and Castell Coch in south Wales and Plas Mawr and Caernarfon Castle in north Wales, will remain closed at this time.

Site entry tickets were released on Monday March 29 for visits up to and including Sunday  April 11.

Cadw recommends that visitors check its website to find out whether or not a particular site is open before travelling. The website will also provide further detail on ticket bookings and the re-opening plans for Cadw’s collection of heritage sites.

National Trust Cymru began re-opening open-air spaces to people living in Wales only, from March 29. From Penrhyn Castle in Gwynedd to Tredegar House in Newport, visitors can return to their favourite parks and gardens across Wales under Welsh Government guidelines to enjoy nature, fresh air and open spaces.

Other outdoor spaces set to re-open under the care of National Trust Cymru include: Plas Newydd, Bodnant Garden, Powis Castle & Garden, Dyffryn Gardens, and Dinefwr Park.

National Trust Cymru says it is looking forward to welcoming visitors back, and visits will need to be pre-booked on the National Trust website.

Opening dates and times will vary across National Trust Cymru attractions, and visitors are asked to check property websites for details. Indoor spaces at castles and mansion houses remain closed in line with Welsh Government restrictions.

More information on purchasing tickets and the re-opening of National Trust Cymru sites can be found on individual property webpages at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/days-out/wales.

Other Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales visitor attractions will remain closed under Welsh Government regulations until further notice.

Indoor spaces across the three Wales heritage bodies will remain closed until further advice is issued from the Welsh Government.

For the time being, outdoor attractions in Wales can open only to visitors who reside in Wales, with residents able to travel without restrictions in-Wales.

Different restrictions currently apply in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with visitors from these locations unable to travel into Wales or visit Wales’s outdoor attractions at this time.

* The visitor notice on the website of Valle Crucis Abbey says: “From Friday April 2 this monument is open and free to visit for residents within Wales with no pre-booking required.

“Check our opening times and facilities below; please act responsibly and be respectful of the local area during your visit.

“Please adhere to Welsh Government social distancing guidelines and coronavirus restrictions at all times and do not attempt to access enclosed spaces.

“Access is to outer grounds only and all visitor centres will be closed; there will be no access to refreshments, toilets or other facilities during this time.” 

For more information, go to: https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/valle-crucis-abbey

Vaccination update from health centre

Here's the latest vaccination update from Llangollen Health Centre;

"We have now given over 4500 Covid vaccines to our patients since January. Many thanks to our fantastic staff, helpers and volunteers for their hard work.

"We will be holding one mop up clinic on 15th April for anyone in groups 1-9 who hasn’t yet had their first vaccination - if this applies to you please contact us on 01978 860625.

"After that we will progress our plans for the rest of our adult patient population. 

"Second doses will continue on a weekly basis. If you are concerned that we have missed you please contact us on the number above."