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Wednesday, May 5, 2021

"Big cat" spotted again on A5, says newspaper story

A creature described as a "big cat" has been spotted for the fourth time along a short stretch of the A5 between Oswestry and Chirk, according to a story in the Denbighshire Free Press.

This says that ,last week, a man described how he had inadvertently caught an image of a large creature on camera at Cefn Mawr in April.

Now another witness claims to have seen the creature.

* For the full story, see:  https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/19278290.big-cat-spotted-a5-chirk-oswestry/?fbclid=IwAR3iKSHAevOpGdbDn8YKuZjp4ZhmvIsVk-U3J9qmE5yTJZBv27qsTVr0Mkc

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Health centre's latest statement on vaccinations

Llangollen Health Centre has this morning (Tuesday) put out a statement on its vaccination programme, which says: 

"We have been made aware of an issue with the automatic appointment system used by the Local Vaccination Centre at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre.  

"Patients who received their first dose vaccine at Plas Madoc on Thursday 29th April may have received a letter over the weekend inviting them to another appointment later this week.  Please ignore this letter, it is incorrect.

"Second doses will be administered 10-12 weeks after the first dose and you will be contacted about your second dose appointment in due course.

"You do not need to take any further action.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

Entertainer Shea is to make his TV acting debut

 

* Shea Ferron is making his TV acting debut.

Talented teenage entertainer Shea Ferron, who has rapidly proved himself as an impressive singer, has now turned his hand to TV acting.

Shea has been rapidly building up a useful portfolio of acting and singing appearances in the area for a number of years.

He has joined the cast of numerous shows, with Llangollen Operatic Society, its junior section the Young ‘Uns, and the Collen Players music hall group, winning a number of amateur stage awards into the bargain.

There have also been numerous solo performances in St Collen’s Church and his own church in Ruabon.

But Shea has really came into his own during the pandemic when by singing his way through a series of self-arranged open-air gigs to raise thousands of pounds for good causes.

Now he’s delighted about landing his first paid acting job but because of the nature of the business he’s been sworn to secrecy about the details.

All he could reveal on his social media page was: “Confirmed for a TV series opportunity filming in North Wales.”

He added: “It was my first acting job having joined JZee Leeming Model and Casting Agency back in March 2020.

“It was a supporting actor role in an upcoming TV series that I think is airing later this year.

“I can’t give too much detail away as I would get into trouble.”

Roadworks alert for Queen Street

 


Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:

 

Queen Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire


06 May — 10 May

 

Delays possible - Some carriageway incursion

 

Works location: O/S 2 WALTON HOUSE

 

Works description: ISOLATE GAS SUPPLY FOR SAFETY 1M PUBLIC

 

Responsibility for works: Wales & West Utilities Ltd

 

Current status: Planned work about to start

 

Works reference: XY254008000163913

 

 


Monday, May 3, 2021

Time to cast your vote in two elections this Thursday

Instead of casting their votes in the town hall as usual, Llangollen electors are being asked to use ballot boxes set up in the International Pavilion when they make their choice in this Thursday's two elections.

The change has come about due to the pandemic, with the pavilion being judged to provide more space for the necessary social distancing.

As another anti-Covid measure voters are also being encouraged to bring along their own pen or pencil to make their marks on the ballot papers for the Senedd and the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner.

The polling station will be open from 7am-10pm.

There are seven candidates lining up to contest the Clwyd South Senedd seat which has been held by Welsh Labour's Ken Skates since 2011. His majority has been 13% in the last two Senedd elections.

The full list of candidates is:

Jeanette Stefani Bassford-Barton, UKIP

Leena Farhat, Lib Dems

Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales

Jonathon Andrew Harrington, Abolish The Welsh Assembly Party

Barbara Hughes, Conservatives

Mandy Jones, Reform UK

Ken Skates, Labour

The remaining 20 Senedd Members for North Wales are made up from the five larger Welsh Senedd voting regions which elect four MSs each in a proportional vote system – taking into account the number of constituencies already won in the region.

Police and Crime Commissioner election

The election for the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner will also be held this Thursday.

Here is the list of declared candidates in the election, in alphabetical order by surname:

  • Pat Astbury - Conservative
  • Andy Dunbobbin - Labour
  • Ann Griffith - Plaid Cymru
  • Lisa Wilkins - Liberal Democrat
  • Mark Young - Independent

Among the COVID-19 measures set to be in place at polling stations will be:

  • Separate entrances and exits where possible
  • At some polling stations, a door manager will be in attendance to ensure that social distancing can be maintained at all times
  • Altered layouts to allow for social distancing when waiting to vote and when completing a ballot paper, but still ensuring electors can cast their vote in secret
  • Polling station staff wearing PPE
  • Voters encouraged to bring their own pen or pencil
  • Polling booths regularly sanitised.
  • In addition, voters are asked to wear a face covering and ensure that only two voters enter a polling station at a time, while maintaining a safe distance throughout their visit.

Roadworks planned for Market Street

 


Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:

 

Market Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire


05 May — 11 May

 

Delays unlikely - No carriageway incursion

 

Works location: New Column, Junction With Castle Street...

 

Works description: Installation of new electricity supply to street furniture including the excavation and reinstatement

 

Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council

 

Current status: Advanced planning

 

Works reference: QR30100037663

 


Saturday, May 1, 2021

Family of eisteddfod journalist raise £8,000 for NHS

* With Kevin’s wife Sally and eldest son Andy Hughes are ICU senior sisters Jayne Galante, left, and Joanne Richards. Picture by Mandy Jones Photography.

The family of a former journalist who covered the Llangollen Eisteddfod and died of Covid-19 have presented a cheque for £8,000 to the hospital which cared for him in his final days.

While in intensive care at Wrexham Maelor Hospital Kevin Hughes, 63, from Gwernymynydd, near Mold, who was also a Flintshire councillor, pleaded passionately with people to stick to the rules to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

But the father-of-three, a former police officer and weekly newspaper editor, died on January 8.

Son Andy – often accompanied by brothers Chris and Steve – raised £7,767 for the unit by walking 5k a day until the funeral.

Andy and his mum, Kevin’s wife, Sally, visited the hospital to hand of the cheque to staff.

He said: “We’re hoping that not many more families will have to go through what we have had to.

“I messaged my dad on December 15 to say that as he was on the mend I was going to do a 5k walk every day to raise money for the hospital until he was fit enough to walk with me.

“Sadly, that never happened but I carried on walking with my brothers until after our dad’s funeral on January 22 – it was to reward the fantastic team at the ICU at the Maelor Hospital.

“We simply can’t thank them enough for the support they gave him. They’ve been fantastic and tried every last thing.”

The cheque was presented to ICU Senior Sisters Jayne Galante and Joanne Richards and Jayne said: “Kevin was very passionate about Covid and was interviewed on TV while he was with us.

“He very much wanted to keep people safe and the need for them to obey the Government guidelines and stay at home.

“It’s a very cruel disease. You think people are improving and suddenly they deteriorate very quickly.

“It has now reduced a lot compared to earlier in the year. It’s calmer on the ward now but still very intense.”

Kevin and Sally were married for over 40 years and had seven grandchildren and she said: “This is part of what Kevin would have wanted us to do.

“The staff at the Maelor Hospital did such a wonderful job and every time I spoke to Kevin he would talk about the fantastic job they were doing.”

Andy intends to carry on fund-raising in memory of his dad who had a remarkable career as police officer, including as a police diver, and after leaving Cheshire Constabulary he worked as head diver at the Blue Planet aquarium at Ellesmere Port.

He then tried his hand at journalism and quickly rose to be editor of the Flintshire Chronicle and then worked as a freelance for Public Relations company Ceidiog Communication and stood as a Flintshire councillor and won the Gwernymynydd and Nercwys Ward.

While with Ceidiog Communication he covered Llangollen Eisteddfod for news outlets across the world.

He was a keen football fan, for his native Chester and latterly as a season ticket holder at Premier League Aston Villa.

The family’s fund-raising efforts are due to continue with the three brothers planning a long-distance walk from Mold to Aston Villa’s Villa Park ground in Birmingham and back.

Andy, who is stand for his father’s seat on Flintshire County Council, added: “We have had messages of support from all over the world, including Hawaii, the USA and Holland and a lovely personal letter from Dean Smith, the Aston Villa manager whose own father died from Covid.

“Dad’s season ticket was close to the dugout so Dean Smith must have heard from him quite often over the last couple of seasons.”