Rhos Male Voice Choir made a guest appearance from Llangollen Wharf on Good Morning Britain this morning.
All wearing their stylish tuxedos by the waterside, the singers and their conductor were featured a couple of times during the course of the breakfast show alongside presenter Andy Peters as he introduced the station's prize competition.
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The following local roadworks have been notified by one.network:
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A campaign aimed at reducing the risk of motorcycle-related deaths and serious injuries on the roads is 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.”
Enterprising young entertainer Shea Ferron has arranged the last in a series of virtual concerts to raise money for good causes.
And the one he has chosen to benefit from his final
Stage to Sofa show is Hafal, the Welsh
mental health charity.
At just 18, Shea has
been rapidly building up a 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 by singing his way through a series of self-arranged open-air gigs to
raise thousands of pounds for good causes.
His finale concert, at Llangollen Town Hall on
Saturday, June 26, will be a hybrid affair with a small, invited live audience
and people also able to watch online on a link still being arranged.
Shea said: “There’s been five
months of planning involved working closely with ORB Sound and Lighting, who
are involved with the tech side of the concert, and also working closely with Llangollen Town Council and the
Town Hall team to make sure we keep within the current Covid-19 guidelines.
“The reason for the concert is that we wanted to finish the series on a high, where we can all get together and perform in the same room as each other rather than over a screen.
“All of the performers in the concert have been affected hugely by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially those with a strong link to the arts sector. Two of them had to be flown home from international tour productions.”
Performing in the concert are many of the people who were a part of Shea’s virtual concert series, either last year or this year, plus a few new faces.
From the concert series he will be joined by Celyn Orton-Jones, Louise Cielecki Cornelia, Andy Snowden as compère, and star of Blood Brothers UK Daniel Taylor.
Shea added: “Joining us just for the concert is local singing star Amy Grace plus my friend and fellow John’s Boys choir member Sam Snowden.
“Throughout the series, I’ve been raising money for various charities who have been hit hard by the pandemic, raising over £2,500 for them.
“In deciding the charity for the finale, I couldn’t make up my mind which I should support until reading a fact about mental health during the pandemic, and this was that the suicide rate within the UK is the highest it has ever been in over two decades due to the affects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In my opinion, the real pandemic that has gone on over these past 12 months is the one that people have suffered personally and mentally. That is why we are raising money for Hafal, a Welsh mental health charity.
“I would particularly like to thank all the local businesses who have supported us along the way in the production of the concert.”
Shea says he is still working on providing a link to watch his finale concert online and llanblogger hopes to publish this soon.
* He is asking people to support Hafal by visiting: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hafalconcert
The stream will begin at 17:55 with the show starting at 18:00, fantastically streamed by ORB Sound and Lighting.
The total number of cases linked to clusters of Covid-19 infections in Denbighshire is now at 31, according to the county council.
An Incident
Management Team (IMT) is currently in operation to manage the situation and
comprises of Denbighshire County Council, Public Health Wales and Betsi
Cadwaladr University Health Board.
The clusters
are being identified in a number of settings and venues and the team is working with
schools, businesses and sports clubs.
Cases include
transmission within households and positive cases include adults and those
under 18.
There are
currently a total of 402 pupils self-isolating from Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Denbigh High School and St Brigid’s.
Not all cases
have been confirmed as the Delta variant, but as the strain is becoming the
dominant one in the UK, positive tests are being treated as the Delta variant.
Members of the
public, businesses and sports clubs are being asked to remain cautious and to
follow Welsh Government guidelines.
Chair of the
IMT, Nicola Stubbins, said: “We are continuing to work on identifying cases
linked to these clusters through our Test Trace Protect teams.
“Now the Delta
variant is present in Denbighshire, we are asking everyone to remain vigilant
against the spread of Covid-19.
“This includes
not attending gatherings that contravene Welsh Government guidelines, to
practice social distancing and those who have been asked to, must self-isolate
for the full period.
“We are
reminding businesses they must enforce guidelines and ensure social distancing
as well as rigorous track and trace procedures.
“Businesses
found to be breaching these regulations can be served with an Improvement
Notice, a Closure Notice and/or a Fixed Penalty Notice from the Council while
those found not self-isolating can also face a Fixed Penalty Notice.
“Anyone who
develops Covid-19 symptoms should book a PCR test at a test centre immediately
and following a positive result, should self-isolate and share all relevant
information with Test Trace Protect advisors.
“We are also
reminding those eligible and not showing symptoms to undertake regular lateral
flow tests at home, which are free and can be ordered online for home delivery.
“We know this
has been a difficult time and we would like to thank all our communities in
Denbighshire for their co-operation and their efforts to follow the
guidelines.”
You can now go
for a PCR Covid-19 test if you have a wider range of symptoms which include
flu-like symptoms, not caused by a known condition, muscle ache or pain,
excessive tiredness, persistent headache, runny nose or blocked nose,
persistent sneezing, sore throat and/or hoarseness, shortness of breath or
wheezing and generally feeling unwell.
An additional
mobile testing unit is operating at Caledfryn, Denbigh, while testing centres
are also operating in Rhyl, Quay Street Car Park and Llangollen, Market Street
Car Park. Booking is required at these sites.
HWB Dinbych is
operating a Covid Support Hub offering collection of free lateral flow tests.
Book a PCR
test at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
order a lateral flow test at www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
You can book a
PCR test by telephone on 119 between 7am and 11pm (calls are free).
You can pick
up free lateral flow tests from HWB Dinbych, Smithfield Road, Denbigh, LL16 3RG
from Tuesdays 8.30am - 1pm; Wednesdays 4pm - 6pm; Thursdays 8.30am - 1pm and
Fridays 8.30am - 1pm.
You can also pick up free lateral flow tests from Rhyl, Quay Street Carpark LL18 1NS, between 8am and 1pm, seven days a week.
The First Minister (pictured) has confirmed a delay of at least four weeks to any major easing of Covid rules in Wales due to the spread of the Delta variant, ITV Wales is reporting.
The story says that the Delta variant of the virus - previously known as the Indian variant - has been confirmed as the dominant strain in Wales.
It adds that Mark Drakeford is due to announce the pause at a press conference today (Friday) on a day when he had hoped to have lifted some of the restrictions on mixing indoors for people not in extended households or “bubbles.”
Ahead of the announcement, Mr Drakeford wrote on Twitter: "Cases of the Delta variant are spreading across Wales. In the space a few weeks, cases have been confirmed in all parts of the country.
"We have reviewed all the evidence and will pause changes to the rules for 4 weeks."
These changes won’t now happen until at least July 19.
However, some minor changes will come into force on Monday. They include:
A relaxation on the limit of people allowed to attend an indoor wedding or civil partnership reception or a funeral wake, currently capped at 30. It’s not clear what the new limit will be but the Welsh government says it will depend on the size of the venue and a risk assessment.
Gig-goers and comedy fans will be able to go to “grassroots” music and comedy venues on the same basis as people going to pubs and restaurants.
Primary school children in the same school contact group or bubble will be able to stay overnight in a residential outdoor education centre.
Pilot events in theatre, sport and other sectors will also continue throughout June and July.
The number of people who can attend a wedding will increase under the minor changes of restrictions.
More than four out of five new Covid cases in Wales are the Delta variant and two-thirds of these are not linked to travel or contact with another case, suggesting community spread.
St Collen’s has a series of public meetings planned for next month where people can discuss plans for the church’s future.
Last October vicar, Father Lee Taylor, unveiled an ambitious scheme to
upgrade the centuries-old place of worship with the aim of making it a hub for a
wider range of religious and social use.
During a Zoom meeting he gave full details of the Community Vision
proposals, which includes:
* The removal of pews at the front of the nave to allow a raised
platform stage to be built for worship and performance
events
* The provision of a folding kitchen to provide refreshments at
cafe-style social gatherings
* Repositioning of the font to a more practical
location
* The installation of modern LED lights in the roof to highlight its
historic beauty
* Fitting glass doors at entrances to allow the heavy oak front door to
be left open to make the building feel more welcoming
* A new chapel for private worship where the current vestry is sited
* Replacing the traditional pipe organ with a digital version
This week, on social media, he quoted Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, who said: “Church buildings should never be silent mausoleums, but always vibrant centres of service at the heart of their local communities.”
And Father Lee added: “St Collen’s has for almost fifteen centuries been a place of worship for the people of Llangollen and beyond. The church has been cared for by succeeding generations who have seen fit to make some significant alterations to the building as its purpose has developed in a changing culture.
“The challenge of re-ordering the church is to ensure that the church is able to reinforce its role as a focal point in the community. This means providing a building which is sufficiently flexible which the wider community can utilise for community gatherings, concerts, school performances and the like.
“Our re-ordering project began with a community consultation process
last year with an online presentation on zoom and with the distribution of
questionnaires. This process is ongoing.
“We are holding further community consultations in church on the following days.
Wednesday 14th July at 6.30pm
Sunday 18th July at 12.15pm
Refreshments provided.
“This event is open to all. Refreshments will be provided. If you intend to come along please RSVP: 01978 861768, or email: stcollens@gmail.com”
In his October public consultation Father Lee said the call to change was more urgent than it had ever been, in the face of dwindling Sunday morning congregations across the whole of the Church in Wales, the lack of younger people joining and fewer priests being available to serve communities.
And he stressed: “The fact is that we must adapt or die. In 10 or 20 years if we don’t do something there will be no parish church. It will close.”
