Railway praises its 'incredible' volunteers - and calls for more

* Diesel locomotive driver. 

Llangollen Railway is marking Volunteers’ Week by saying a big thank you to its "incredible" team of hardworking volunteers.

It is also making a plea for new recruits to support and help them.

The 7.5-mile heritage railway, soon to be extended back to 10 miles when its new station at Corwen opens in the near future, is reliant on volunteer support at all levels of the operation, from board to ticket office. 

The railway also has a small team of paid staff, who could not be employed without the support of volunteers. 

LR Trust Manager Tom Taylor said: “As someone who has supported the railway as both a member of paid staff and a volunteer, my board colleagues and I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported the railway. 

* Guard.

"We have had an extremely challenging couple of years, with the railway very nearly closing completely in March 2021 when the PLC operating company collapsed. 

"The way our volunteers pulled together and got behind our new board to work to rescue the railway was truly humbling. 

"It’s amazing what can be done when there is a passion and determination to see something you care about so much keep going. We have achieved things that many said would be impossible." 

Ian Bibby, Volunteer Officer for the Railway, said: “June 1-7 is Volunteers’ Week. Whether you like working with people, gardening, practical work or something challenging and technical we are sure we can find you something. 

"Getting stuck in, having fun and then standing back to admire what you have achieved is very much what volunteering is all about at the Llangollen Railway. 

* Travelling ticket inspector.

"We are keen to encourage new volunteers to consider joining us. You don’t need to be qualified or experienced in anything beyond having a bit of spare time to give us and some enthusiasm to try something different. We provide full training for all roles. Anyone interested in getting involved can make-contact with us via our website or telephone."

Maureen Theobald, LR HR Director, added: “The railway currently has lots of volunteering opportunities. We have a very urgent need to recruit guards, travelling ticket inspectors (TTI), Llangollen Station staff (shop, booking office and platform staff and café), permanent way (track work) and the Motive Power Depot, supporting maintenance and repair of our steam and diesel locomotives.

"We are also looking for skilled volunteers with a background in carpentry, woodwork, upholstering and mechanical fitting work to support our Carriage and Wagon and Heritage Railcar departments."

* Track maintenance.

* Building team.

Getting involved as a volunteer is a straightforward process, which starts with joining the Llangollen Railway Trust, so you can be covered by our insurance. 

You can download a membership application form from the railway's website by going to ‘support us’ page. Payment is by BACS or cheque. 

A volunteering form will be with your membership card and you can then have a friendly chat with Volunteering Officer, Ian Bibby. 

A full induction and training will be provided for any role you choose to undertake and there is also a chance to undertake “taster”days in various departments, so you can see if a role is for you or not.

Moira's appeal to find veterans of first ever Eisteddfod

* Moira and her memories – Moira Humphreys with some of the many cuttings she has from a lifetime’s involvement with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

* The Coedpoeth Choir which competed in 1947 – and went on to win at the National Eisteddfod in Colwyn Bay that year. 

* Zulu competitors who stayed with Moira Humphreys in Coedpoeth in 1977.

A music loving 92-year-old great-grandmother is spearheading an appeal to find veterans of the first ever Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 1947.

Retired teacher Moira Humphreys was a member of the Coedpoeth Youth Choir who took to the stage at the inaugural festival which was established to promote peace in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Organisers are planning to present Moira and surviving fellow competitors from the historic first eisteddfod with commemorative medals to mark the 75^th anniversary of the event.

The popular festival which helped launch the careers of opera superstars Luciano Pavarotti and Sir Bryn Terfel had to be cancelled in 2020 for the only time since its inauguration 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”.

Preparations are well underway for this year’s festival which starts on Thursday, July 7, and culminates with Llanfest on Sunday, July 10, when the eisteddfod are joining forces with the Llangollen Fringe Festival.

During the four-day event there will be a host of new attractions and activities on the revamped outdoor site, including music, dance, talks, comedy, food, drink, shopping, workshops and pop-up entertainment.

In the evenings there will be concerts featuring the singing duo of Aled Jones and Russell Watson and Anoushka Shankar, the British-Indian-American sitar player, producer, film composer and activist who is a half-sister to singer Norah Jones.

The competitions come to a crescendo on the Saturday night with Choir of the World and the contest for the Pendine International Voice of the Future featuring the finest young singers from around the world.

News that the eisteddfod is returning in a physical form this year was music to the ears of Moira Humphreys, from Coedpoeth, near Wrexham, who has vivid memories of the very first one.

She was just a teenager then but over the following seven decades she continued to attend and joined the eisteddfod’s army of volunteers, working with the hospitality team to find accommodation locally for overseas competitors, and more recently she helped greet visitors at the reception area.

According to Moira, she has some “amazing’ memories of good times” at the eisteddfod and has seen many changes since that first occasion when she sang with the Coedpoeth Youth Choir, which was placed third in the choral competition.

Moira who has two grown up daughters, Helen and Mari, several grandchildren and a great grandchild, said: “It would be nice to know there are veterans like me still out there. It is a such gracious idea to recognise them in this anniversary year.”

She is proud to have known the early instigators of the festival including the chairman of Coedpoeth Youth Choir, Harold Tudor, who came up with the idea to hold an international eisteddfod.

“The first festival,” she said, “was held in 1947 but in the couple of years leading up to that there was a lot of hard work put in, fund-raising locally and logistical planning, all of which helped to make it the success it has become today.”

Performers from seven overseas countries braved the journey to Llangollen for the inaugural festival, with about 27 choirs from Wales, England, and Scotland. Decades later more than 400,000 competitors from 140 nations have performed on the world famous stage, while icons of classical and popular music have headlined the varied concert programme. They include Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jehudi Menuhin, Margot Fonteyn, Elaine Paige and Michael Ball – not to mention Sir Bryn Terfel and Luciano Pavarotti who both competed on the famous pavilion stage as young singers.

Moira has a large collection of memorabilia including past programmes and newspaper cuttings which she often looks at to refresh her memory of past eisteddfods.

She was overjoyed to have seen the late opera icon Pavarotti walking round the eisteddfod field as if it was a home from home when he returned as a superstar in 1995.

Camilla King, the eisteddfod’s executive producer, said : We are hugely grateful to Moira for helping in our bid to track down people who competed at the very first festival in 1947.

“Clearly, their numbers will have dwindled over the years but, as we are celebrating such a momentous milestone, we would like to celebrate the important part they played in creating history and generating new hope at a time when the world was still reeling.

“We feel it is important to honour these peace pioneers who helped lay the foundations for this international treasure.

“One thing that has been steadfast is the ethos of harmony and friendship which was at the heart of the very first eisteddfod, with the aim of promoting peace and healing the wounds of World War II.

“Our philosophy is as important now as ever given the invasion of Ukraine and other troubling issues affecting the world today.

“That’s why we are thrilled to be able to welcome international competitors back to Llangollen so we can bring people together in a spirit of friendship and harmony in every sense of the word.”

* If you know of anybody who competed at the first Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 1947 please contact Ceidiog Hughes by emailing ceidiog@ceidiog.com or ringing 07958 497592.

Funding fair to be held at Town Hall on June 30

Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) in conjunction with Llangollen Town Council is holding a Funding Fair on Thursday June 30, from 11am – 2pm, at Llangollen Town Hall.

People are invited to come along and find out more about the different grants available in the local area and opportunities to discuss these grants with the funders. 

This event will be hosted as a hybrid event with some funders being there in person for you to chat with and other funders will be attending the session via 30 minute Zoom presentations in which you will be able to book on to imminently via our Eventbrite page. 

If you are an organisation or local community group who would like to promote your current or future grants at the event, please get in touch to book a space at: office@dvsc.co.uk or phone 01824 702 441.

* For more information please contact DVSC on office@dvsc.co.uk or call 01824 702441  

Eisteddfod launches award for youngsters who make a difference

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is calling on young people to enter its award scheme which celebrates young people who are making a real difference in their community and beyond.

The Young Peacemakers' Award is designed to recognise children and young people who have contributed to a greater understanding of peace, climate justice and equality in their school, youth group, local community or in the wider world. 

There are also creative categories and organisers are hoping that young people will be inspired to express their ideas about how the world can be a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable place post-COVID19 - through words, art or digital media.

The scheme is being organised by The Welsh Centre for International Affairs (WCIA), Size of Wales and the Council for Wales Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) in partnership with the Eisteddfod.

The awards are open to all young people in Wales between the ages five and 25 and the competition is open for entries now. The closing date for applications is June 10.

There are seven categories that individuals or groups can enter including, Young Peace Activist of the year, Young Peace Artist of the Year, Young Climate Champion of the Year and Young international Peacemaker of the Year.

Details of how to enter can be found here: http://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/get-involved/young-peacemakers-awards-2022/

The finalists will be announced at a Young Peacemakers Awards Ceremony at the Eisteddfod festival on Children's Day, July 7, where young people will receive a certificate and an award. 

Camilla King, executive producer of the Llangollen Eisteddfod said: "We encourage children and young people (between 5 & 25 years old) to get creative and send us their entries - creative and critical writing, artwork, performance, film, presentations on action for change. 

"Don't miss the opportunity to be part of these exciting and prestigious Awards.  Entries can include work and projects already completed at home, in the classroom, youth groups or Sunday schools - as long as young people are happy for this to happen."

This year (7-10 July 2022), after a two year hiatus the festival opens with two of the classical world's vocal powerhouses, Aled Jones and Russell Watson performing together.  In a line-up that celebrates the best traditional and contemporary music from around the world, 2022 highlights include Grammy Award winner Anoushka Shankar with Manu Delago and the Britten Sinfonia whilst on Sunday 10^th, the ever popular Llanfest will feature British indie three-piece, Amber Run, UK Blues Artist of the Year Elles Bailey and Welsh/Bajan singer Kizzy Crawford.

* For more information about the festival and to buy tickets please visit www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk/whats-on/ 

Latest column from Citizens Advice

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is: 

Q: I recently applied for a job at a local pub which offered National Minimum Wage. I did a short interview and at the end the manager asked me for some documents and also how old I was. After telling her I was 25 she told me she would be in touch, but it would be unlikely I’d get the job because they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay me the required wage. She said she would prefer to hire someone younger. Is this legal?

A: Nobody should be asking you how old you are in a job interview. Being 25, you’re entitled to the National Living Wage. On the Citizens Advice website there are full details of the wages people are entitled to by law. But these rules shouldn’t mean employers avoid hiring people because of how old they are. That’s known as ‘direct age discrimination’ in the Equality Act 2010. You’re also protected by the National Minimum Wage Act 1998, which says employers can’t not hire you (and they can’t fire you) because your age means you’re entitled to a higher rate. 

We have a lot of information on our website about what to do if you’re being treated unfairly when applying for a job. If you’ve been discriminated against, there are steps you can take to either get compensation or convince the person to give you a job. 

Make a note of what happened as soon as you can - noting down exactly what you were asked and any other remarks the interviewer made. This will be useful as evidence later. 

Next, you should write a letter of complaint to the employer. Keep a copy of this letter for your own records. There’s advice on the Citizens Advice website on what this letter should include and you can also speak to an adviser at your local Citizens Advice to get help writing it. 

If the letter doesn’t get an outcome you’re happy with, you could take the employer to an employment tribunal. You’ll need as much evidence of discrimination as possible. Evidence should include the job advert, the job description, your notes about what was said at the interview and any contact you’ve had with the employer since - like your complaint letter. 

Remember that you only have three months minus one day from the date that the ‘discriminatory act’ (in this case, the comments in your interview) happened to start tribunal proceedings. You do this by contacting the government organisation Acas and telling them that you intend to bring a claim. 

* Nobody should have to worry about being discriminated against when job hunting. For more advice on your rights when searching for work, visit citizensadvice.org.uk/work or call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133.

Test train makes first run into new Corwen station

* The Class 47 diesel locomotive shortly after arrival at Corwen station. Picture by Iain Ross.

Llangollen Railway has announced that a test train successfully ran to the new Corwen Central station last night (Saturday) to gauge clearances to platforms and other structures following completion of track work. 

The train consisted of a rake of empty passenger coaches, running with special permission under an engineering possession. 

It was hauled by historic Class 47 diesel locomotive No 1566, which has been at work in North Wales for over 40 years. 

The train was crewed by expert volunteers Mark Smales, Iain Ross and Mike Williams, who between them have given over 70 years of voluntary service at Llangollen. 

Richard Dixon-Gough, Corwen Station Project Manager, said: “Seeing the test passenger train arrive at Corwen was a real delight for our dedicated team of volunteers, who have worked tirelessly to build our new station from scratch, all largely funded by donations from supporters, well-wishers and grant aid from the Welsh Government. 

"It was a perfect late-spring evening and the train looked superb in our new station under a clear blue sky. We’ve got a bit more work to do before we can run public trains. 

"We’ve the station building and canopy to complete and then the whole project will require final sign off from the Office of Road and Rail. But we’re getting close and this test train took us a step closer.

"Corwen station will be open to the public over the Jubilee weekend to see what we’ve been up to and one of our works trains will also be on static display for people to take a look at."

Tom Taylor, LR Trust Manager, said: “What a way to kick off a week where we will see the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and Volunteers’ Week begin. 

"Our new station at Corwen is looking superb and this successful test train demonstrates the power of volunteering. Our railway is a vital part of the local economy and our volunteers also help sustain local employment, both on our railway and in the wider tourist industry. 

"We can’t wait to return services to Corwen and offer our passengers the full 10 mile ride through the Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty again. Running between these two bustling riverside towns will help us take the Llangollen Railway forward into the future."

Corwen resident Owen Reynolds- Rees, whose house looks over the new station, said: “I was sat in my living room, looked up and was amazed to see the train pootling gently into Corwen Station, so dashed upstairs to get some photos. It was a lovely thing to see, especially on such a beautiful evening.”

Steam and diesel trains will also offer a range of services between Llangollen and Carrog over the Jubilee Weekend between June 3 and 5, with stations specially decorated. Visit www.llangollen-railway.co.uk for more details and tickets.

Town council plans special events for Jubilee weekend

Special events next weekend to mark the Queen's platinum jubilee have have been organised on behalf of Llangollen Town Council by ex-councillors and council staff.  

Saturday June 4 will see a street market being staged in Market Street from about 10.30am. 

Organisers say this will be an opportunity for local community groups, charities, crafters and producers to market themselves and sell their products. 

They add: "We are hoping to create a buzz and an exciting market atmosphere. 

"On Market Street, during the afternoon, there will also be some entertainment with Llangollen Silver Band and Chris Burton performing. We’ve also got a Punch and Judy show."

During Saturday afternoon a stage will be set up in Centenary Square to present a programme of live entertainment, which includes: 

* 12noon - Alfie Thomas

* 1.15pm - Leonie-Anne Kirkby

* 2.30pm - Shea Ferron

* 3.45 - Melodic Mondays 

On Sunday June 5 the Town Council is hosting a Queen's Jubilee Vintage Tea Party and Dance from 2-6pm in the Town Hall.

This is billed as an afternoon of 1950s vintage film and dancing with three local dance teachers. Tea is served at 3.30pm and entry to the event is free.