UK Government Minister visits Llangollen Railway

* Simon Baynes and Amanda Milling speak to 

volunteers at the station.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes welcomed the Conservative Party Chairman and UK Government Minister, Amanda Milling, on a socially distanced visit to Llangollen Railway following its reopening earlier this month.

Mrs Milling’s visit came as part of her Levelling Up Tour during which she is visiting areas which are part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda to provide jobs and opportunities across the whole of the UK. 

Llangollen Railway is part of an area bid for Levelling Up funding to help create opportunity and economic prosperity in Clwyd South.

Mr Baynes and Mrs Milling met with volunteers on the platform and took a train from Llangollen to Berwyn Station and back again on which the driver was John Joyce and the guard was Matt Carty.

They also met with Paul Reynolds (Operations Manager), Bob Creasey (Secretary to the Board), Phil Freeth (Finance Director), Mike Williams, Tom Taylor (Advisor to the Board). 

Overall, there are 600 active volunteers helping the Llangollen Railway including a fast-growing youth group. 

Mrs Milling said: “It was brilliant to visit Llangollen Railway as part of my Levelling Up tour of the United Kingdom.

“It was great to hear about the work that the volunteers do for the railway and the tourists that enjoy visiting. 

“Levelling up our country is a key mission of this Conservative government to help improve communities across the country. 

“I wish Simon and the team at Llangollen the best of luck with their area levelling up bid which I know would help create opportunity and economic prosperity in the area.” 

Simon Baynes said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome Amanda Milling MP to Llangollen and to showcase the amazing work of our volunteers in bringing the railway back into action after so many months. 

"It was a pleasure to meet again with everyone involved on the platform and to make a special journey between Llangollen and Berwyn and back with the Conservative Party Chairman.

“It was also a very valuable opportunity for me to stress the benefits of UK Government investment for our communities in Clwyd South which would benefit massively following the Covid-19 pandemic and would help unlock the potential of our young people by bringing in new jobs and opportunities. 

"I will continue to make the case for our area to receive Levelling Up funding, and I look forward to working with UK Government Ministers to advance our case over the coming months.”

Audi's luxury hybrid has some serious tech

Audi A8 plug-in hybrid drive by Steve Rogers

It is packed with the sort of wizard technology you would expect to find in a jet fighter with a computer system to match,  and thanks to an electric motor Audi's luxury A8 is good to go until 2035.

Hybrid cars have been given a five year lease of life after new petrol and diesel engined cars are confined to history in 2030.... unless the Government of the day has to do an embarrassing U-turn because we are not ready to switch to electric motoring.

Let's not worry about that, back to the here and now the German giant's flagship has been given a new lease of life thanks to electric power that makes it cleaner, quieter and quicker.

Helping out the three litre V6 petrol is an electric motor that racks up around 110bhp bringing the tally to a whopping 443bhp. But the key number is 500 and that is the Newton metres of torque blasting out when the accelerator is plunged although to get this cruise missile performance switch to sport mode because in standard drive the eight speed tiptronic gearbox is a tad slow to respond.

Is this a car for tearing away from the traffic lights? Of course not, the A8 will spend most of its time cruising cities and motorways with nothing more than the whisper of wind to disturb the passengers who will more than likely be chauffeured.

This is the sort of car seen depositing A listers at movie premiers, one down from a Rolls-Royce or Bentley at less than half the price. Sumptuous leather interior, thick pile carpets, gadgets galore, and the smoothest of rides thanks to air suspension on both axles. This car will even glide over a speed bump.

The silent running comes into play with the battery powered electric motor which is good for about 29 miles and can be driven at up to 84mph, but the hybrid really comes into its own in towns and cities where it is keeping the air clean and getting the most miles out of the batteries.

Audi has been pushing the boundaries on technology since A8 was introduced in 2003 and this fourth generation is another tour de force. The driver's digital cockpit has become a regular feature, interchangeable with fantastic high definition Google mapping. The main change has come in the centre console, a bone of contention with many, and I am at the front of the queue.

The rotary controller, and efficient and safe way of selecting the various functions, has been replaced by touch screens which are not difficulty to master but still drawer eyes away from the road.

I tried voice control but my Welsh accent was too much for the young lady who failed to pick up a post code or tune me into Radio 2 or 5 Live. Somehow my instruction brought up Radio Wales.

What I did like was the delicate click and vibration of the touch sensitive switches, the selection of colours for the mood lighting and the powered doors which open and close at the slightest touch on the handles.

The serious technology is centred around the car's safety features which virtually allow the car to drive itself by keeping it within its lane and a set distance to the vehicle in front, braking and accelerating according to the speed selected.

Audi has been in a decade's long battle for supremacy with Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series and, frankly, all three are brilliant cars, but for me the Audi just has the edge on interior finish. And then I was brought down to earth with a bump. Having spent many miles on roughish coastal roads an annoying creek developed in the trim around the sunroof. Shock, gasp. Even the mighty can falter.

It never ceases to amaze me that the big three charge a heap of money for their luxury cars but can still find room for extras. My test car was £91k but still had six grands worth of extras but that is small change if you can afford that for a car.

Fast facts

A8 60 TFSI e quattro

£91,550

3-litre petrol + electric motor 443bhp

0-62mph 4.9secs; 155mph

128.4mpg with electric assistance

36mpg petrol only

52g/km. VED £25

Insurance group 29

Boot: 390 litres

County's cabinet gives go-ahead to 2020 traffic scheme

 

* An artist's impression of how the completed scheme will look.

Denbighshire County Council's powerful cabinet has given the go-ahead to the £1.7 million plan to re-shape Llangollen town centre's road system.

Its unanimous approval subject to a number of important amendments at this morning’s webcast meeting was greeted as a “historic day” for the town by both local county councillor Graham Timms and cabinet chair, Cllr Hugh Evans, who went on to describe Llangollen as “the jewel in the crown” of Denbighshire.  

The 2020 scheme, as it was originally known, means the removal of on-street parking from Castle Street and from the Abbey Road/Castle Street junction to enable the adjacent pavements to be widened and reduce parking-related congestion on Castle Street. 

Other proposals include introducing a number of pedestrian dropped kerbs along Castle Street and to reduce traffic speeds by raising the road surface at some side road junctions as well as providing loading bays for businesses on Castle Street, together with disabled parking spaces near to Castle Street. 

It is also proposed to make Market Street one-way in a westerly direction between Castle Street and East Street.

The Castle Street improvement is part of a phased-approach to improve parking and to improve walking and cycling routes in the town. 

A recent three-week public consultation exercise resulted in a total of 507 questionnaire responses being received by the council. 

The number of people who agreed with the various proposals generally ranged from between 60% and 68%.

The number of people who disagreed with the various proposals generally varied from between 25% and 36.

A total of 64% respondents said the project is generally a good idea, with some of those saying the project could be improved further.

A total of 36% of respondents said that the project isn’t generally a good idea.

As a result of the consultation a list of amendments was made to the scheme which are:

1. Change the two proposed loading bays for Castle Street to general loading bays. This is proposed in response to concerns raised by business owners about them not being able to use their own vehicles to unload goods.  

2. Consider placing time limit on Castle Street loading bay from 0930 until 6pm.

3. Change the proposed loading bay for Market Street to a general loading bay.

4. Inset proposed Castle Street loading bays (this means that the existing pavements won’t be widened where they are adjacent to the proposed loading bays).

5. Withdraw the proposal to close Short Street.

6. Consider amendments to East Street/Parade Street 90 degree bend Consider scope to improve the existing “pinch-point” issues that have been reported.

7. Consider and, if possible, provide additional short stay parking on Market Street one way section. One-way restriction may provide sufficient width to provide 2 no. on-street parking spaces.

8. Undertake traffic assessment and consider options for re-routing of HGV through traffic.

A further significant amendment came at the cabinet meeting when members agreed to a suggestion from Cllr Tony Thomas that the pavement outside the town hall be further recessed to allow the loading bay earmarked for this spot to become a free, short-stay parking area for residents and businesses.

In doing this, Cllr Jones, lead member for waste, transport and the environment, assured that the “town hall tree” nearby would be treated with “tender, loving care”.

It was also agreed to explore to possibility of providing between 100 and 150 parking spaces on land east of Llangollen Health Centre.

Recommending the scheme’s approval Cllr Jones said that during the consultation period he had walked the streets of the town centre and received a number of positive comments about the proposals.

He added: “This is a big, important project and I really want to see it happen. It has the support of the area’s MP and Senedd Member and we hope to deliver it next year.”

Mike Jones, the traffic officer in charge of delivering the scheme, outlined the issues it is meant to solve, including traffic congestion and the difficulties faced by pedestrians in crossing Castle Street, particularly in the busy spring and summer periods.

The scheme, he said, would “create a much more friendly pedestrian environment” and provide loading bays for businesses in the area.

Traffic regulation orders for the scheme will go out next month with work starting in September. With a six to seven month construction period, it should be completed by March of next year, he explained.

Cllr Jones added: “We’ve worked with residents and we’ve listened to businesses and, as a result, have put compromises in the scheme. However, I realise not everyone is happy about it.”

He said that as this was an on-going project, phase two would look at a weight restriction for HGVs and extra parking close to the health centre.

Local county councillor Melvyn Mile, who was observing the meeting, said the consultation had shown two-thirds to one-third of people questioned in favour of the scheme in general.

He added: “It would be a tragedy if this £1.7 million could not be spent on Llangollen. It’s a long-standing complaint that the town doesn’t get any investment from Denbighshire, so this is very welcome.”

The other local county councillor, Graham Timms, chair of the 2020 working group, said: “It was a locally-led initiative to tackle long-standing traffic issues.

“We had to recognise the conflicting needs of specific groups but it will be the biggest improvement in Llangollen in generations if this is approved and a historic moment.”

A number of cabinet members expressed their support for the scheme.

And the chair, Cllr Hugh Evans, said: “We went out of our way to engage and consult as widely as we could on this scheme.

“This level of investment is a historic day. Llangollen is the jewel in the crown of Denbighshire and a lovely place to visit but we need to make it better.”

Cabinet members voted unanimously to approve the scheme.

Later Llangollen town councillor Stuart Davies, who watched the cabinet webcast, contacted llanblogger to say: “I welcome a number of concessions made, including the loading bay outside the town hall being used for parking, the multi-use of other loading bays on Castle Street and the re-opening of Short Street.

“I also welcome the commitment to look at providing extra parking on land east of the health centre.”   

After the meeting, County Cllor Timms sent the following statement to llanblogger:

"Llangollen 2020 was initially a locally led initiative to tackle the longstanding problem of how a small market town designed in the days of the horse and cart can adapt to modern day demands of the active, and the not so active traveller.

 Cllr Graham Timms' further statement

"After the 2017 election as elected members we made it our priority to work with the community to seriously tackle this problem, working with the town council, the chamber of trade, Denbighshire County Council and Welsh Government to search for solutions. The Llangollen 2020 group was set up and terms of reference were agreed between partners.

"Over the last 4 years there has been an emphasis on encouraging everyone to get involved in searching for solutions and agreeing a way forward. The three major consultations on the scheme have identified areas where there is a broad agreement and the final scheme before you today includes these areas, but also recognises the conflicting needs of specific groups. As Mike has demonstrated, the county has responded to the concerns of everyone who participated.

"We had no budget and so we're delighted in 2011 when £500,000 of a new Welsh Government Grant was agreed by the Denbighshire cabinet to be allocated towards what is now a £1.75m project. If agreed today this will be the biggest investment in Llangollen for generations and the quality of the materials will also ensure that its effect is felt for generations to come. It is a historic opportunity, demonstrating how an active community driven scheme, funded by DCC and Welsh Government Grants can help to solve problems and create a better place to live work and visit.

"Llangollen's problems will not be entirely solved by this scheme and the report recognises the need to continue to work with the community to find solutions to parking as the next priority. Thankfully, that is likely to cost much less, but will be time consuming to find an adequate solution.

"I'd like to thank all those who have been involved in getting the scheme to this stage and finally I'd like to thank Robyn Lovelock who has been instrumental in driving this project from the start and whose dedication energy and ability has inspired us all.

"I would urge you as cabinet members to agree this proposal to transform Llangollen into a place that we can all be proud of."

llanblogger reviews new novel by Wrexham author

Book review by llanblogger

British journalist Jack Telford was involved in the Spanish Civil War right up to his neck.

But even greater adventures awaited him when he went on to immerse himself in World War Two.

His support for the losing Republican side made him a marked man when the sad Spanish conflict ended and it was only by the skin of his teeth that he managed to escape the turmoil which followed Franco’s victory.

Telford’s fictional odyssey through a battle-scarred Africa and Europe are told by Wrexham author David Ebsworth in his epic new novel, A Betrayal of Heroes.

We first meet Telford in Ebsworth’s opening novel featuring him, Until the Curtain Falls, which is set in a Spain torn apart by civil conflict in the late 1930s – a subject which the author has taken to his heart and become an acknowledged authority on.

In this new offering, the third in the series which runs to a mammoth 750 pages, we catch up with Telford as he becomes caught up with Nazi spies in Casablanca and then fights alongside former Spanish Republicans recruited into the army of Free France all the way from the Libyan desert to the liberation of Paris.

His credentials as a correspondent for the old Reynolds News - which actually existed - give Telford access to some of the Second World War’s hottest spots and a cavalcade of real famous people whose stories Ebsworth skilfully weaves into the narrative.

In his spying guise, for instance, he links up with the film star Leslie Howard, whose death in plane crash en route from Spain to the UK in 1943 remains a tantalising mystery to this day and, as a war reporter, he crosses paths with the likes of Charles De Gaulle, US general George Patton and even Ernest Hemingway.

Apart from its fast-paced action and absorbing plot, what impresses most about this book is Ebsworth’s minute attention to detail.

If he writes about a character lighting up a cigar, he has to describe in detail its brand and the colour of the tin it came from. And if someone boards a plane it must be identified right down to the type and the sound its engines make as they get ready for take-off.

Telford’s incredible wartime journey affords him a number of near-death experiences but will our hero survive to find himself at the centre of some fresh adventure? We shall have to see.

A Betrayal of Heroes is available on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/David-Ebsworth/e/B007C7I0XS

Firefighters called out to Berwyn, says Leader

Leaderlive is reporting this morning that firefighters have been called out to a Llangollen home following reports of a blaze.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed just before 8am on Monday that crews were on their way to a property opposite the Chainbridge Hotel in Berwyn following reports of a house fire.

* For the story, see: https://www.facebook.com/477565668939623/posts/4751345214894959/

'Tell me if you've been hit by pension injustice', says Skates

Member of the Senedd Ken Skates wants women in his constituency who have been affected by state pension age increases to be awarded compensation by the UK Government. 

The Clwyd South MS said the Women Against State Pension Injustice (Waspi) campaign have been vindicated after a watchdog’s investigation found there were failings in the UK Government’s communication of the changes.  

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should have told the women – who maintain they did not know the retirement age was rising until it was too late to prepare – more than two years earlier than it did. 

Mr Skates said: “This has been a long-running campaign which my colleague Susan Elan Jones worked extremely hard on during her time as MP, and this is a big finding. Nearly four million women have been affected by the state pension age changes, including many in Clwyd South and across North Wales.” 

Women born in the 1950s have long said the lack of information around the decision to increase their retirement age from 60 to 65 resulted in financial and emotional distress, with research in 2005 finding that only 43% knew their pension age was changing. The state pension age for both men and women has now increased to 66. 

Mr Skates added: “The Ombudsman has now said what the campaigners have said all along. Maladministration has been established and these women should be compensated. I would expect all MPs across North Wales to make the same case to the UK Government so they can finally get justice for what they’ve been put through.” 

Former Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones presented a petition to Parliament on behalf of Waspi campaigners in her consistency. Although no longer a Member of Parliament, she remains a strong supporter of the campaign. 

She said: “This is a major breakthrough. There is still a long road ahead for these women to get the justice they deserve, but this backs up everything the campaigners have said and finally acknowledges that the DWP were in the wrong. 

“This has had a huge impact on so many women who were given no time to make proper plans for their retirement. I hope this is the beginning of the end of their tireless campaign.” 

The next stage of the Ombudsman’s investigation will consider the impact of the DWP’s failings, and could recommend affected women receive compensation from the Government. 

 

Roadworks alert for Regent Street

 

One.network has sent out the following local roadworks alert:

Regent Street 25 July — 25 July   Delays likely - Traffic control (two-way signals)   Works description: DESILT OF SEWER LINE FOLLOWING REPORTS OF CUSTOMER FACILITIES AFFECTED BY BLOCKAGES. LINE SURVEY CON...   Works location: REGENT STREET OUTSIDE NO 28...   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Welsh Water.   Responsibility for works: Welsh Water   Current status: Planned work about to start   Works reference: PE12595625434/02