Widow of Dai Davies backs hospice's balloon appeal

* Lois Wynne of Ifor Williams Trailers, Sarah Povey, community and event fundraiser at Nightingale House and Judy Davies.            

* Dai and Judy Davies on their wedding day.

The widow of legendary Welsh goalkeeper Dai Davies has made a moving appeal for people to support the hospice that cared for him in his final months.

Former Wales international Dai died in February at the age of 72 from pancreatic cancer at his home in Llangollen, having received palliative care and rehabilitation at Nightingale House in Wrexham.

His wife Judy has voiced her gratitude for the help the hospice gave to Dai and is backing its fundraising Build a Balloon campaign, praising supporters and corporate sponsors including Ifor Williams Trailers.

Fundraising activities for Nightingale House that provides specialist palliative care services for people with life-limiting illnesses have been badly hit by the pandemic.

The annual running costs of the hospice are £3.4 million and 80 per cent of it has come from fundraising.

Judy said: “I so appreciate the support Ifor Williams Trailers and all the other wonderful sponsors give the hospice.

“The hospice is largely reliant on fundraising and donations to carry out its work and I have seen first-hand whilst Dai was supported at Nightingale House exactly how important this work is.

“It would be wonderful if people could put their support behind the Build A Balloon appeal as this week is the final week of the campaign before the balloon goes into production in Spain.”

Judy saw at first hand the quality of the care at Nightingale House when they cared for former Everton and Wrexham goalkeeper Dai before he was transferred from the Royal Liverpool Hospital last year after spending several weeks in hospital and without any visitors due to the pandemic.

Dai’s transfer to the hospice enabled him to be reunited with his family and receive the physiotherapy that saw him learn to walk again.

Judy said: “Dai’s days at Nightingale House and the wonderful care and support we both received when he was a Day Patient too, totally enhanced his quality of life during his final months.

“I also feel that it actually helped to prolong the precious time we had left together and I will be forever grateful to everyone at Nightingale House for the care he received.

"Nothing was too much trouble for example, when he arrived somebody had kindly put a small vase of fresh sweet peas from the hospice garden on his bedside table.

"Dai had been in hospital for several weeks, so coming to Nightingale House felt like a five-star hotel for him.

“It was wonderful to have him home eventually and that experience was made possible by the care and attention given to us all as a family by the team at Nightingale House."

During his distinguished career, Dai was capped 52 times by Wales and kept goal for clubs including Swansea City, Tranmere Rovers and Bangor City. 

After playing top-fight football with Everton, he joined Wrexham in 1977 and helped them win the Third Division title in 1977-78.

He went on to work as a football pundit and was also a popular figure away from the sport, with the proud Welsh speaker running a natural health clinic in Llangollen and being admitted to the prestigious Gorsedd of the Bards at the National Eisteddfod in 1978.

Judy and Dai were together for over 25 years. She hopes her experience will make people appreciate exactly what Nightingale House Hospice has to offer.

"Dai so appreciated the support he received and he would want anybody in a similar situation to reach out to the Nightingale House team.

"People often seem to think that a hospice is just where someone goes at the very end of their life, but it is so much more than that.

"The hospice did so much to help Dai and nothing was too much trouble."

Dai had three children and three step-children and 12 grandchildren and step-grandchildren.

His death was met with an outpouring of grief across Wales and from fans of the clubs he played for.

"Dai had worked extensively on television promoting football through the medium of Welsh,” said Judy.

"He was a loving family man and we all miss him greatly. However, it is comforting to know how much he meant to people and that was clear from the wonderful tributes paid to him."

Nightingale House is marking its 25^th birthday by running its Build a Balloon fundraising campaign, which will see a hot air balloon take to the skies complete with sponsored panels.

Ifor Williams Trailers has regularly supported the hospice and is throwing its weight behind the Build a Balloon campaign by serving as a corporate sponsor.

As she returned to Nightingale House to show her support for the campaign, Judy met with Lois Wynne from Ifor Williams Trailers.

Lois conveyed the strong relationship that has been developed between the two organisations.

She said: "Nightingale House is such a lovely and important cause that we have been supporting for several years.

"The balloon campaign is again something we are very happy to support and we would encourage anybody who is able to get involved to do so.

"It has been a pleasure to meet with Judy and it is nice to hear how much she appreciates what the hospice did for her husband, Dai.

"The hospice does a lot of very important work and we at Ifor Williams Trailers are keen to do whatever we can to support it." 

Sarah Povey, community and event fundraiser at Nightingale House, expressed her thanks for the company's sponsorship.

She said: "We are very grateful for the support we receive from our corporate sponsors, including Ifor Williams Trailers.

"We have enjoyed a good relationship with Ifor Williams Trailers for many years and the support they provide makes a massive difference to us.

"The last year has been very challenging as we have not been able to hold some fundraising events, meaning we have lost out on a substantial amount of income.

"The Build a Balloon campaign is therefore very important and we appreciate the support we have received. Every donation to the hospice is gratefully accepted.

"We are also grateful for the kind words Judy has said about the hospice. At Nightingale House we seek to go to great lengths to help our patients as much as we possibly can."

* For more information about Nightingale House and how to donate visit www.nightingalehouse.co.uk 

Arteon R-Line does its duty well for Volkswagen

Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake road test by Steve Rogers

It is amazing how a sloping roof and lashings of chrome can change the character of a car and even give it the wow factor.

The Arteon is a case in point. When the saloon, or fastback to give it its proper title, was launched in 2017 it was nothing more than a posh Passat, but with the recent addition of an estate, or shooting brake to give it its proper title, the range has taken on a whole new persona and much the better for it.

The shooting brake is a bit of a looker, breaking away from VW's traditional conservative styling with a long coupe roofline and a lot less glass than the boxy Passat. 

The front looks good too with a restyled wider grille laden with chrome while the shiny bits outline the side windows. Somehow I don't see Arteons lining up with Passat estates plying their trade at the taxi ranks.

So Arteon is no longer just an alternative Passat but having an identity of its own with a classier body, restyled interior and swankier trim, in fact it edges closer to its posh cousins at Audi when it comes to quality.

My R-Line came with smart aluminium inserts along the dash and door cards enhanced with backlit trim inlays giving the car a nice cosy feel at night. There is a 30-strong palette to choose your favourite colour.

The interior in general has a good feel about it, the seats are more comfortable than most and legroom, particularly in the back, is outstanding. And there is ample space for luggage, not as much as a Passat, but more than enough to cater for a family of five taking off on their hols.

A shame though that the boot lip has a 20cm drop which makes heaving out heavy items a strain. It would not take much to put in a false floor and while sorting that out a couple of levers in the side walls to drop the seat backs wouldn't go amiss either.

R-Line suggests sporty and you can select a setting that stiffens the suspension and engages sports drive, I tried it but switched back to comfort which does what it says on the tin and still maintains sharp enough handling. Compared to a similar Audi the Arteon is a more comfortable car.

No surprises for the driver with the now familiar interchangeable digital binnacle display and a central touchscreen for the majority of everyday functions although the voice control is efficient for changing the heating temperature, navigation commands and phone. The heating controls are separate although the touch and slide switches are over sensitive and take a bit of getting used to, but look classy.

The same can be said for the steering wheel controls which are a bit of a nightmare and will take longer to master. They control all manner of things and are even more sensitive, jumping from one function to another until you get the hang of it, but like everything else they can be tamed in time!

The other week I suggested the Mazda6 estate would get an ASBO for its high engine emissions, well this Arteon joins it on the naughty step too. With all but 190bhp it is no slouch, in fact it is a bit of a flyer but maintains a stately refinement when the accelerator is floored.

Powerful it may be yet economy is borderline impressive and with a gentle right foot mid forties can be easily achieved. R-line has the automatic seven speed DSG gearbox with steering wheel paddle shifters for good measure.

Nothing to really dislike about Arteon apart from rear vision which is hopeless because of the small amount of glass, so make sure you spec a rear camera if you are not very good with door mirrors when reversing.

R-Line is well off for the luxury items we crave and packed with safety technology. The active cruise control with lane assist is impressive and even reacts speed limits.

If you can stretch to a few extras the 360 degree camera with trailer view (£800) head up display at £520 and heated windscreen £355 are worth a punt.

Fast facts

Arteon Shooting Brake R-Line

£38,420 (range starts £33,000)

2-litre petrol; 186bhp

0-62mph 7.8secs; 145mph

35.6mpg combined

179g/km. 1st year VED £870

Insurance group 27

Boot 565 litres

MP backs company's campaign for new life-saving machine

* Tom Robinson and Simon Baynes MP with lifesaving training equipment at TNR Outdoors in Llangollen.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes made a socially distanced visit to TNR Outdoors in Llangollen to lend his backing to their campaign to purchase and install a public access defibrillator outside the entrance to their business in case of emergency. 

He also saw the recent improvements made to their premises including a new training classroom and changing room as well as a new café and kitchen space.

Mr Baynes met Tom Robinson, a director of TNR Outdoors, at Mile End Mill to learn more about their fundraising campaign.

The popularity of their site for recreational paddling, professional courses and rescue training, plus its location mid-way along the popular whitewater section of the River Dee, as well as being on the outskirts of Llangollen on the main A5 route into the town centre, make it a highly appropriate location for a public access defibrillator.

This would be of huge benefit to paddlers and other river users, local residents and road users should an emergency situation ever call for one.

Tom Robinson said: “Our fundraising campaign is aiming to raise a total of £1,700 in order to pay for a brand-new Zoll defibrillator (£1,000), a lockable, heated cabinet which maintains battery charge (£500) and a qualified electrician and materials to install the equipment (£200). 

"The defibrillator itself is being purchased from the Welsh Ambulance Trust. We will also be offering free training for the use of the defibrillator.

"Thanks to the generosity of people and businesses locally, we only have £278 left to raise so please help us reach our target by donating via our fundraising page - Fundraiser for Tom Robinson by Tom Robinson : Public access AED at Mile End Mill (gofundme.com)”

Simon Baynes said: “I very much enjoyed meeting Tom again at Mile End Mill and seeing TNR Outdoor’s improvements to their facilities and hearing about their fantastic work in raising money to purchase a public access defibrillator. 

"By making defibrillators more accessible to communities, especially rural communities, we can save lives. This excellent initiative could mean the difference between life and death one day, and I’m very grateful to TNR Outdoors for organising this fundraiser.”

Councillor calls for progress on deal to use Plas Madoc tip

* The household waste recycling facility at Plas Madoc.

A Llangollen town councillor has called on his county council counterparts to “get a move on” with securing a deal with Wrexham for local people to use the Plas Madoc household waste recycling centre.

With no permanent recycling local facility available for Dee Valley residents, Phil Jones has been running a campaign, backed by an 800-signature petition, for them to be able to use Plas Madoc which at the moment is exclusively for residents of neighbouring Wrexham.

The issue stems from dissatisfaction with the pop-up waste disposal service which had been run on Saturday mornings in the Pavilion car park. When this was suspended as the pandemic began Llangollen people faced a drive over to Ruthin to use the facility there.

The progress in negotiating a possible deal with Wrexham for use of Plas Madoc is due to be discussed by Llangollen’s two Denbighshire county councillors, Graham Timms and Melvyn Mile, along with county officers, at a meeting on May 17.

Meanwhile, town councillor Stuart Davies, who has spoken in favour of a deal on a number of occasions, has issued a fresh statement on it.

He says: “I note with concern the long drawn out process of attempting to regularise the use of Plas Madoc recycling centre by Llangollen residents. 

“I am calling upon the county councillors to get a move on and get this process finished. At the moment all we are getting are words from them. 

“My FoI [Freedom of Information] request has revealed that the pop-up facility is costing us £50k-plus a year plus the cost of getting rid of the waste collected. 

“The option of paying WBC (Wrexham Borough Council) £100k a year - a figure that re-appears now and again - is almost cost neutral and compares better than the figures for the rest of the county as revealed in the FoI. 

“It is about time our elected representatives did their job and pressured the officers in to doing the right thing. We have the figures now we know how much it costs. 

“It’s time to do the right thing and provide us with equal services in the south of the county as the north.” 

In response, County Councillor Graham Timms commented:  "This important issue will be discussed with all four Dee Valley councillors and Denbighshire County Council officers on May 17."

Health centre's vaccination update for younger people

Llangollen Health Centre has this morning put out an update on its Covid-19 vaccination programme, which says:

"We have now given over 6,200 vaccines to our patients.

"We are continuing to administer second doses on a weekly basis.

"Second doses are due 10-12 weeks after the first dose and we are contacting patients 1-2 weeks before their appointment is due. If you are concerned that we have missed you please give us a call on 01978 860625.

"Patients 30 – 49 years: We are trialling a collaborative approach with other local practices for this age group.

"The first group of patients are currently being contacted inviting them for their vaccination at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre this Thursday. We shall be doing this in descending order of age.

"Patients aged 18-29 years: Following recent guidance, this age group will now receive the Pfizer vaccine.

"We anticipate that this will also be at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre although we were able to give a small number of patients in this age group their first dose at the weekend.

"Due to variations in the supply chain for the two vaccines, it may well be that patients aged 18-29 get their vaccine before those aged 30-49."

Julie's open-air dance classes come back to the square

The further easing of Covid-19 restrictions, which began today, brought Julie Kirk Thomas's weekly Monday morning Strictly Fun dance classes back to Centenary Square.

Around 20 ladies gathered to go through their open-air paces led by Julie from 10.30am.     

Eisteddfod organisers confirm this year's event will be online

* A scene from the 2019 eisteddfod parade through the town.

After the usual live event was cancelled due to the pandemic, organisers have confirmed that this summer’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will go online instead. 

In a statement issued this morning, they say: “As the world continues to battle through the Coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to update you on our plans for Llangollen Online 2021 which are being adapted to reflect the environment that we are now all living in. 

“As you’re aware, we have suspended the traditional live competition strands for Llangollen 2021, and are reimagining our event in a way that can be delivered safely but which will still capture the magic of our international Eisteddfod in a digital format.

“We were hoping to create a hybrid weekend as part of this year’s offer, featuring artists from the 2020 line-up including our iconic Llanfest evening, but due to continued restrictions this cannot be realised this summer. 

“Llanfest ticket holders will be contacted by your ticket provider for a full refund in the next week. 

“Any other customers who have retained tickets from 2020 will also be contacted in the next week to confirm their ticketing options. Further information is also available on our website and social media channels. 

“We know that it will be a disappointment to many that we are not able to put on our usual Eisteddfod this year. But please be reassured that we remain committed to our Eisteddfod’s founding mission of bringing people together through music and dance, which will be at the heart of our alternative approach to Llangollen 2021.  We thank you for your understanding and as ever, we are grateful for your support.”

The statement gives no details of what this year's online events are likely to be.