Skates welcomes funding for Llangollen Railway

* Ken Skates MS, left, meets Mark Drakeford on a visit to town.

Member of the Senedd Ken Skates has thanked the Welsh Government for helping get Llangollen Railway back on track.  

The comments came after a recent visit to the popular tourist attraction by Deputy Minister Dawn Bowden and the news that further major funding from the Welsh Government had been confirmed.  

Mr Skates, MS for Clwyd South, said: “Llangollen Railway is of huge importance locally and attracts visitors from far and wide. It has had unparalleled support from the Welsh Labour Government over the years and I’m delighted and proud that they have once again stepped in with crucial funding. 

“The Trust was given a grant of £147,860 last year and I know there was a lot of clamour locally for even more funding when the railway ran into problems earlier this year.” 

Mr Skates added: “Prior to the Senedd elections in May, while visiting Llangollen, First Minister Mark Drakeford said the Welsh Government would work with local people to help get the railway back up and running if re-elected, so I had every confidence that would be borne out. I would like to thank the First Minister and the Deputy Minister Dawn Bowden for delivering for Llangollen.”  

Shortly after the election, Mr Skates says he made formal representations to the Welsh Government calling for more funding for Llangollen Railway. 

Last month, it was announced a further £143,290 grant had been rubber-stamped to help with running services and restarting operations – taking the financial package to more than £291,000 in the last 12 months alone.  

In the Deputy Minister’s response to Mr Skates, she said: “Thank you for your letter of May 24 regarding support for the Llangollen Railway. Like you, I recognise the important role of the Llangollen Railway as a key tourist attraction and as a precious piece of regional heritage. I was lucky enough to visit the railway last month when I visited north Wales.  

“Last year the Llangollen Railway Trust received a grant of £147,860 from the first round of the Cultural Recovery Fund to support its operations. 

"In the months following the sad announcement that the PLC arm had been placed into administration, officials in Cadw and Visit Wales have maintained contact with the Trustees, receiving updates regarding the progress of their plans to retake full control of the railway and restart operations.  

“On the advice of my officials, the Trustees submitted a request to Welsh Government for support from the second round of the Cultural Recovery Fund. I am pleased to say that having received confirmation from the Trust regarding their progress towards restructuring and restarting operations, we were recently able to issue a grant offer to Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd of £143,290.  

“This money will help the Trust to restart and operate trains during the summer and to help them get themselves on a sound financial footing to manage through the winter. I commend the Board of Trustees for continuing to work so hard to stabilise the organisation and wish them luck with their efforts to restart operations and secure the future of the railway.”

Police make arrest for public order offence in town

Local police have highlighted how they are maintaining public order in Llangollen.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Rich Evans says in a message put out earlier today (Friday) on the new Community Alert network: "We will continue to act robustly against people who engage in disorderly and abusive behaviour in our towns. 

"Last evening a female was arrested for a Public Order offence in Llangollen for being abusive to one of our Police Community Support Officers."

North Wales Community Alert is a free messaging service for people who live, work and visit North Wales.

Registration is completely free, quick and simple. 

North Wales Community Alert also gives you an opportunity to provide feedback to your local neighbourhood police team on the issues that matter most to you.

* For more information and to register for the North Wales Community Alert

New Kia Sorento PHEV punches above its weight

Kia Sorento PHEV drive by Steve Rogers

Meet the Kia Sorento, a big SUV with an even bigger story to tell.

It has been around for 18 years often trying to overcome SUV badge snobbery but version four has smashed it with more style, more quality, more engines, more technology, more space, more everything. Oh, and more money with the entry plug-in hybrid a salty £45, 655 while the range topper is an eye popping £54,000 give or take a few hundred quid.

But is it a bargain for the big bucks?

Built on a new platform Sorento is spacious and can even rub shoulders with SUV royalty like the Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90. It has seven seats, not many of those around, and yes, it is a genuine seven seater with the third row able to house a couple of adults.

Even though it is four wheel drive the floor is fairly flat and not compromised by the usual transmission hump so there is no problem fitting three chunky adults across the middle row. Sorento is a little wider than the previous model, and there is a smidgen more head room. With the third row folded the boot is huge, big enough for four large suitcases, apparently, so there is obvious appeal for big families. Drop all the seats, using levers in the side walls and two people could sleep in it, it is that deep and wide.

And third row passengers are well catered for with heating controls and a USB port in each side wall. In fact there are two more cleverly built in to the backs of the front seats and another three more up front.

Entry level 2 does not get on board navigation but you can use an app from an Android Auto or Apple Carplay mobile to get directions on to the car's touchscreen. The only drawback, and it's a silly one, is that the phone, and therefore navigation directions, cannot be paired on the move. I know we are hell bent on safety but why is it necessary to stop a passenger performing the operation.

Apart from navigation and keyless entry the PHEV entry Sorento has just about everything you need and a bit more which is good for those stretching to the top of the budget.

Quality has been improved with upgraded finishes while the only areas still covered in hard plastic are the boot walls although it is easier to clean so maybe it is not such a bad idea.

Dashboard layout is a conventional affair with a clear digital driver's display and an eight inch touchscreen for audio, phone and driver aids, but good old fashioned switches for the heating controls. I am an old fella so this is my kind of dashboard although Sorento does not have the wow factor of the futuristic Peugeot 5008, but I did like the rotary gear selector.

 The sharpness of the reversing camera tells you the graphics could be better and probably are another grade up where the screen is 10.25 inches.

Performance from the turbo charged 1.6 petrol is strong and gets a hefty boost in horse power and torque from the electric motor. A 50-70mph dash takes 5.7 seconds which is impressive for such a big car.

Electric range is 35 miles, I managed a 26 mile cross country round trip and still had electric miles left so not that far off the mark. A full charge from my Podpoint wallbox took three and a half hours.

Anyone wanting to haul a caravan or horsebox is going to be disappointed with the PHEVs paltry 1500kg towing limit but unlike some key rivals Sorento still has a diesel which can pull up to 2500kg. It is also £4k cheaper than the plug-in.

Which car do you choose? Space is the key and how much you need for your family. Both the Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008 are much cheaper, offer seven seats and are better to drive along twisting roads but neither can match the Sorento's living room space or offer a plug-in hybrid.

Toyota Rav4 and Honda CR-V plug-ins are similarly priced but also fall short of the Kia's space package.

Kia has put down a marker with Sorento which punches above its weight and is even a plausible alternative to more expensive big guns like Discovery or Volvo XC 90. It doesn't have the ultimate quality and finish of the premium SUVs but is not that far away any more.

Fast facts

Sorento 2 PHEV AWD

£46,655

1.6 litre 6sp auto; 261bhp

0-60mph 8.4secs; 119mph

176mpg electric combined

41mpg petrol only

Electric range 35 miles

38g/km. VED zero

Boot 809 litres

Insurance group 33

Railway cancels steam trains for the weekend

Llangollen Railway has made a last minute cancellation of its steam train services for this weekend.

In an announcement last night operations manager Paul Reynolds said: "The loco will not be running over the weekend as its documentation is incomplete and therefore it cannot run."

The railway has explained that scheduled steam services will be taken over by diesel multiple units.  

Steam was due to start running again from today (Friday) until Sunday.

 

MP congratulates Paul Edwards on his 971-mile charity walk

* Paul Edwards and Simon Baynes MP.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes met with Paul Edwards at the Cross Foxes in Penycae as he celebrated the completion of his sponsored walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End in aid of Hope House Hospice.

During the course of his walk, Mr Edwards completed on average 25 miles a day dressed as the Marvel character Deadpool in honour of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's takeover of Wrexham AFC.

He had prepared for the solo and unsupported 971-mile hike with a gruelling 24-week training schedule. 

And his last epic trek in 2019 from Scotland to Wales, took him to the three peaks of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden, before arriving home in Penycae. 

Mr Edwards, who has been fundraising for various different charities for over 20 years, set a target of raising £10,000 from his walk for Hope House, but he has spectacularly exceeded this figure, raising an amazing £14,000 so far. 

Donations can still be made to Paul’s Just Giving page on: www.justgiving/fundraising/paul-edwards1000mileshike.

Paul Edwards said: “I have had some incredible experiences on this challenge, but throughout the journey, the one thing that will forever stay in my memory is the kindness, generosity and support of the British people. 

"From the Northernmost tip of the country to the southernmost, I had such a fantastic response from people I met. 

"Whether it was to ask me into their homes for a cup of coffee, stopping their cars to offer me a bottle of water and something to eat, stopping to chat about what I was doing or just beeping the horns and waving as they drove by, the people of Britain are amazing and this is reflected in the wonderful amount of money raised so far.”

Simon Baynes MP said: “Having completed many events and challenges for various charities in the past, this was the biggest by far for Paul, who pushed himself to the limit to achieve a fantastic result for Hope House Hospice. 

"I would like to join everyone else who has praised Paul for his selfless charity work – which he also self-funds so that every penny raised goes to the hospice. He is a local hero in Penycae and I know that his family, friends and neighbours will all be tremendously proud of what he has achieved. Many congratulations, Paul!”

Famous Berwyn station building gets a £5k facelift

* Above and below: the work on Berwyn station building in progress.

Pictures by George Jones.

With the re-opening of Llangollen Railway, work is being carried out on what of the line's most famous landmarks.   

Scaffolding has been erected around the station house at Berwyn which dates from 1865.

A mix of volunteers and a contractor have been tackling the exterior of the mock Tudor building.

With repairs to the roof flashings, efforts are concentrated on the timberwork to prepare it for painting whilst it has been necessary to replace some of the outer layers of timber due to weather damage.

Phil Coles, deputy chair of Llangollen Railway Trust, said: "The building restoration project is costing upwards of £5,000 plus the input from volunteer labour and we hope the work will be completed by the end of August. 

"The building will then be revealed in all its black and white glory as befits Berwyn which has previously been judged as in the top ten stations in Britain for its dramatic location above the River Dee Gorge."

For the moment the station is the terminus of the interim railcar service from Llangollen and passengers arriving by train are discovering the delights of the location as viewed from the historic chain bridge and route to the Horseshoe Falls.

Denbighshire congratulates pupils on A/AS Level results 2021

Denbighshire County Council is congratulating pupils receiving their A/AS Level results.

Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, the Council’s Lead Member for Education, Children's Services and Public Engagement, said: “On behalf of the Council I would like to congratulate all Year 12 and 13 learners on their results in this difficult year.

“The hard work and dedication pupils have shown over the last year has been amazing to see and they have been supported in every way by our schools, their staff and parents.

“Seeing how our schools and communities have pulled together during the coronavirus pandemic has been fantastic and despite disruptions pupils have continued to learn and achieve throughout.

“Reaching this stage has truly been a wonderful team effort, but the pupils themselves have really gone above and beyond.

“We would like to wish all our young people the very best for the future.”

* No results have been received from Ysgol Dinas Bran.

Headteacher Mark Hatch told llanblogger: "Unfortunately this year it has been a strange situation. We haven't had a 'results day'. Confirmation of results was sent to students via email. We aren't publishing school results this year due to the situation."

Education Minister Jeremy Miles has praised the achievements of students all over Wales as 2021 A, AS, VQ and Skills Challenge Certificates results are published.

The total number of A level entries in Wales this year was 35,867, an increase of 14.5% relative to 2020, reversing the decreasing A level entries since the summer of 2015, and resulting in an extra 4,500 A levels being awarded to Welsh learners this year. Results for Wales show that 99.1% of learners achieved A* - E grades, up from 97.6% in 2019, with an increase at A* with 21.3% of candidates achieving this grade. This year’s assessment and qualification process have been different to previous years as examinations for summer 2021 were cancelled in response to the pandemic. A new system was designed and delivered by schools and colleges and put trust in them to draw together a range of assessment evidence on which to determine a learner’s grade.  Jeremy Miles said: “I hope everyone who received their grades today feels immensely proud of their remarkable achievement. “This year has been like no other and you’ve had to make many sacrifices. You have had to deal with so much disruption to your studies over the past 18 months, but have shown tremendous resilience and determination to continue your learning. You have also played an incredibly important role in keeping your classmates, teachers and communities safe. “While your experiences and the way in which you have been assessed have been different, the value of these qualifications is not. You can can be sure that your grades reflect your hard work throughout this year, and you fully deserve the qualifications you receive. “Our school and college staff have also been tremendous, working incredibly hard and under a lot of pressure to deliver and mark learners’ assessments. “The most important thing this year is that learners are able to progress to the next stage of their education, training or their work careers.   “Best of luck to you all in whatever your future holds.”