Campaigners raise almost half of money needed to save Pump Field

* Action group members and supporters on Pump Meadow yesterday.

In just a couple of days the action group aiming to prevent a popular open space being sold for development have used crowdfunding to raise almost half of the £30,000 they reckon is needed to buy it themselves ahead of its auctioning off tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. 

Pump Field is nearly five acres of meadow, nicknamed “buttercup meadow” by many due to it’s summertime flowers. 

It is an open space used by many locals and in COVID restrictions especially it provided a perfect outdoor meeting place close to the town but away from more crowded areas. In winter it’s a popular place for families to go sledging. 

An action group named Llangollen Green Spaces formed to spearhead fundraising and buy the land to secure it for the community into the future. 

The group’s vision is to “safeguard green spaces in and around Llangollen for public access and community use and to improve biodiversity”. 

Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon more than 20 people turned up at the field to plan the campaign. 

Group spokesperson Sarah Marshall said: "We have now raised nearly half the amount needed on Crowdfunder in only a couple days, so that’s thanks to people of Llangollen.

"We we also have some reasonably substantial pledges outside of the Crowdfunder as some people are happier to do that. 

"Among those who have made pledges are the local MP Simon Baynes and Senedd Member Ken Skates."

She added: "Our aims are to protect Pump Field from property development, secure it for public use and enhance the area for biodiversity and food production.

"The Green Paw project have already pledged £50,000 (the auction starting price) for this land, any funds raised will be additional to help improve our chances. 

"Green Paw will put up a maximum bid up to whatever money has been pledged on this Crowdfunder (and private pledges) at the auction start time.

"If we are not successful at auction 100% of the money will be fully refunded. In the event of us winning the bid at auction, any additional funds will be put into a pot for the social and ecological development of the land as outlined below.

"People are asked to contact info@greenpawproject.org directly if they would like to discuss donating via a pledge that's only enacted if the bid is successful. 

“We don’t have much time to secure this field for the town, as bidding closes at 3pm tomorrow. We have tried contacting the owner for more time and we set up crowd-funding for a collective bid in order to try and prevent it being developed, as so much of the land around the town recently has. 

"Local people need outdoor places to exercise, play and relax, and we really don’t have many open spaces like this within walking distance. We are also applying to register the paths across the field as public rights of way. Anyone who may be able to help is welcome to make contact." 

Green Paw Project spokesperson Ste Chesters said: “We would love to work with the community in Llangollen to secure a future for this land that keeps it accessible and showcases a regenerative approach to land management."

As of this afternoon (Monday) a total of £13,435 had been pledged, with Simon Baynes down for £50 and Ken Skates £40. An anonymous donor pledged £2,000 while a number of people have signed for £1,000 apiece.   

* The link to the crowdfunding website is:  https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/protectpumpfield

Mega prize attracts world’s best young singers to Wales

* 2019 winner Erin Rossington.

Twenty-four of the world’s best young singers will be vying for a prestigious international prize at this summer's Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Competitors from as far afield as China, America, Spain, Latvia and Estonia will be battling for the title of Pendine International Voice of the Future at the festival.

The contest will be one of the highlights during the 75^th anniversary event which get underway on Thursday, July 7.

The popular festival had to be cancelled in 2020 for the only time since its inauguration in 1947 due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

In 2021 it took on a virtual format with performances streamed online but this year the music and dance extravaganza is back in the town where “Wales welcomes the world”.

Organisers were “blown away” by the exceptional standard of entries in the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, sponsored by the Pendine Park care group via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT) which supports arts and community activities.

The near-record 38 entrants have been whittled down to 24 singers who will have to navigate two premliminary rounds and a semi-final before the three finalists compete on the famous International Pavilion stage on Saturday, July 9.

Competitors are required to perform a contrasting programme of up to seven minutes in length for their preliminary round and up to 10 minutes for the final.

The winner will be presented with the Pendine Trophy, a solid silver salver, and a cheque for £3,000 as well as having the opportunity to perform in concerts at the Eisteddfod and other venues. Meanwhile, the runner up will receive £1,500.

Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE said: "The ethos of the Eisteddfod chimes perfectly with the values of my wife, Gill, and I at Pendine Park in nurturing young talent.

“We firmly believe in the vital role played by music and arts in social care and as part of our enrichment programme for people with dementia.

“The Pendine Trophy, which is solid Edwardian silver bearing a Chester hallmark, was kindly donated by the late Tony Kaye of Kaye’s Jewellers. It’s a stunning and beautiful trophy.

“It’s wonderful that, after the nightmare of the past two years, this fantastic festival is back with competitors returning to Llangollen for the first time since 2019.

He added: “Llangollen Eisteddfod was founded as a beacon of hope in the aftermath of the Second World War.

“The message about the importance of peace and harmony is as relevant today as it's ever been, especially with the war that’s being waged by Russia against Ukraine.”

The festival’s executive producer, Camilla King, said: “The standard of the competitors this year is absolutely phenomenal. The choice is so difficult for the adjudicators as the singers are all so extraordinarily accomplished.

“I used to be a casting manager with English National Opera so I have had lots of experience of sitting in on vocal auditions over the years and I can categorically say we have some truly fine entrants among our 2022 competitors. A number of them genuinely are the stars of years to come.”

Soprano Erin Rossington, 25, was triumphant in 2019 and she said winning the title was a huge boost for her fledgling singing career.

Erin, originally from Llanfairtalhaiarn, near Abergele, is now in her third year of studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

She said: “Winning the Pendine Voice of the Future competition has gone a long way towards helping me to achieve my dream of becoming a professional opera singer.

“The prize money enabled me financially to take that important step of going to live in London and work my way through music school.

Entries have now closed for all the Eisteddfod competitions and organisers are delighted that the numbers are more than expected given the difficulties faced by performing artists over the last two years.

Performers are expected from up to 25 different countries, with about 30 overseas groups and 23 overseas soloists, 31 UK groups and 45 UK soloists.

Camilla King added: “When you consider all that has happened with the pandemic, the cost of living and economic crises, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, travel limitations in various parts of the world, it is remarkable to think that our competitor numbers in all categories are so high.

“We are in for some great music. In fact, we have high hopes of 2022 being one of our best ever eisteddfods with the prospect of some truly memorable performances to come.”

* For more information about the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 2022 visit: https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Bus service is back to highlight wonders of Dee Valley

* The Picturesque Bus stops off at the Horseshoe Pass.

 The Dee Valley Picturesque bus service is running again this year to provide access to some of the key destinations in this beautiful and historic landscape. 

The service is a circular route running every Saturday from May until October 2022, and links Llangollen and the surrounding villages to popular local attractions including Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wenffrwd Nature Reserve, Horseshoe Falls, Valle Crucis Abbey, Plas Newydd Historic House and the Horseshoe Pass.

The service will enable people to visit these key locations without the need of a car and reduce the need for parking spaces, making it easier for those without their own vehicle to access these places, and helping to reduce congestion at some of the busiest sites in the Dee Valley.  

Service users can consider parking in some of the bigger car parks such as at Wenffrwd and hopping on the bus for a visit to some of the more crowded locations or for a longer linear walk. 

A great option would be to park at the main Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Queen Street car park, Cefn Mawr, take the bus to Horseshoe Falls and walk back along the canal. 

The service will also provide both visitors and local residents with the opportunity to explore the wider area. 

The bus offers hop on/ hop off facility with a 1Bws ticket price allowing unlimited travel on the service through the day making it ideal for getting off to visit a site and then back on the bus later.

The service has been made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, and delivered in partnership by Denbighshire County Council and the Our Picturesque Landscape project, a landscape partnership scheme which is working to conserve and improve access to the inspiring landscapes of the Dee Valley and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.

* For the full timetable and ticket prices for the Picturesque Bus service please see Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB website, Denbighshire bus timetable webpage, or pick up a leaflet from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.

https://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/projects/the-picturesque-bus/

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/parking-roads-and-travel/public-transport/bus-timetables/bus-timetables.aspx

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/parking-roads-and-travel/public-transport/1bws.aspx

Residents rally to preserve Pump Meadow

Residents of Llangollen are concerned about the sale by auction of meadow land at the northern edge of town. 

Pump Field is nearly five acres of beautiful meadow, nicknamed “buttercup meadow” by many due to it’s flowers in summertime. 

It is an open space used by many locals and in COVID restrictions especially it provided a perfect outdoor meeting place close to the town but away from more crowded areas. In winter it’s a popular place for families to go sledging. 

An action group named Llangollen Green Spaces has been formed to prioritise an effort to fundraise and buy the land to secure it for the community into the future. 

The group’s vision is to “safeguard green spaces in and around Llangollen for public access and community use and to improve biodiversity”. 

There will be a “Mid-May Midday” gathering on the field tomorrow (Sunday 15^th May) on the last weekend that current access arrangements apply before the land sale. 

The action group is encouraging people to show their support by bringing family and friends, with picnics, to the field from 12pm.

Their spokesperson Sarah Marshall said: “We don’t have much time to secure this field for the town, as bidding closes at 3pm on May 17^th. We have tried contacting the owner for more time and we have set up crowd-funding for a collective bid in order to try and prevent it being developed, as so much of the land around the town recently has. 

"Local people need outdoor places to exercise, play and relax, and we really don’t have many open spaces like this within walking distance. We are also applying to register the paths across the field as public rights of way. Anyone who may be able to help is welcome to make contact."

Ms Marshall said the charity Green Paw Project is working in partnership with Llangollen Green Spaces to buy Pump Field and develop it as a community asset. 

Their spokesperson Ste Chesters said: “We would love to work with the community in Llangollen to secure a future for this land that keeps it accessible and showcases a regenerative approach to land management."

* Link to the crowdfunding website is:  https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/protectpumpfield

 

llanblogger takes a short break

llanblogger is taking a short break and will be back in about a week's time.

Big charity event makes urgent appeal for cake

* Challenge organisers are looking for bara brith and lots of other cakes.

Organisers of the 4th Llangollen Round Challenge, which takes place later this month in aid of Cancer Research, have put out an urgent appeal - please bake a cake for us!

They say: "We desperately need cake of all sorts, but particularly flat-bakes - flapjack, bara brith, banana bread, parkin, etc - to feed the 500 walkers on the challenge on May 28/29.

"The walkers get a small piece of cake at each of five checkpoints in the hills - that's  2,500 pieces of cake - and cake is also needed in the restaurant which they  and their supporters visit at the end of the walk.  

"Any cake you bake will mean that we don't have to spend money that would otherwise have gone to Cancer Research UK, so we will be extremely grateful for anything you can offer.  

"Please could you let us know as soon as possible (tel. 07905 330788 or email smithdinbren@gmail.com) what you are going to make so we can work out what we still need.

"Cakes can be brought to our campervan in East Street long-stay car park - look out for the flag - between 10am and 3pm on Thursday May 26, or we can collect them if that is difficult

"In advance, thank you so very much for your help."

Work planned for week ahead on 2020 project

Work planned for week starting May 9 on the town's 2022 project is:

• Install guardrails during the day along Market Street and Mill Street
• From Monday to Friday there will be night time (6pm to midnight) closures for the surfacing and bridge jointing works