Ysgol Bryn Collen children have fun celebating jubilee

Ysgol Bryn Collen held a jubilee party on the last week of school.

All the children had a ‘street party’ afternoon tea outside and enjoyed music and bouncy castles.

Couple's romantic marriage proposal on Llangollen Railway platform

The first day of the Queen's platinum jubilee celebration weekend turned into a royally romantic occasion at Llangollen Railway yesterday.

Because Josh Taylor-Smith chose a visit to the heritage attraction yesterday as the perfect time and place to pop the question to his wife-to-be Becky Cook.

A railway spokesperson said of the marriage proposal on the station platform: "They intend to get married at the railway and will begin planning their big day with our team this coming week." 

Last meeting for Llangollen 2020 group

* The 2020 team, from left, Graham Timms, Donna Hughes of Cadwyn Clwyd, Melvyn Mile, Austin Cheminais and Robyn Lovelock.

As the £1.75 million scheme is completed and the road works and temporary traffic lights in the centre of the town disappear the Llangollen 2020 group met together for the last time in Castle Street. 

A group spokesperson said: "The ambitious project was just an idea back in 2017 and it took four years to draw up the plans and find funding from the Welsh Government and Denbighshire County Council. We are immensely proud that the community have been involved throughout that time and have been consulted at every stage. 

"Whilst the work on Castle Street has finished there are still two other projects that the Llangollen 2020 group have been actively involved in that will be built over the next two years. 

"Firstly the A5 Castle Street junction and the junction at Hall Street and Hill Street will be remodelled in the coming months. Secondly the Four Great Highways Project by the bridge will be part of a multi-million pound investment in the Dee Valley which will happen over the next two years."

The spokesperson added: "We would like to thank the huge number of people who have made this project possible. Denbighshire officers and the contractors have been tremendous. 

"We’d also like to express our heartfelt thanks all the great people who live in Llangollen for their support and for being so understanding over the last few months during the construction phase. 

"It has been good to work closely with so many people who have actively participated in the consultations sharing their ideas  about what is now officially Denbighshire’s busiest town centre street. 

"All four members of the team decided to step down from local politics at the recent elections. Although we won’t be involved in local politics any longer we will still have a huge interest in the town and how it develops in the next few years." 

No-frills SUV that's strangely appealing

Honda HR-V drive by Steve Rogers

The debate started as soon as the HR-V rolled on to the drive.

David, my Honda-loving neighbour, had seen photographs and did not like the new look so was eager to see the car up close. Compared to his three year old HR-V the third generation model is a radical shift in design.

It is a no frills, smooth sided SUV lacking any wow factor yet strangely appealing. It looks great from the back, its coupe style tailgate set off with a smart full width light bar and the high nosed front is interesting with a pronounced body coloured grille.

The shape is a nod to the first HR-V in 1998, itself radical, neither ugly nor attractive but still one to turn heads. Strangely that model did not last going into hibernation for seven years before returning with a more conventional design.

Back to the here and now and we have a self charging hybrid HR-V that has grown in all directions providing practical family motoring. Flip the tailgate and drop the back seats and you have an enormous area of space.

A lot of thought has gone into the model with some clever solutions to free up space. The hybrid’s auxiliary 12v battery has been moved to the engine bay and the fuel tank to under the front seats which allows the back seat cushions to drop deep into the floor creating a completely flat load area. And, of course, there are the so called magic back seats which lift up cinema style so take a walk through the car!

It is a brilliant idea, perfect for carrying tall plants or a medium sized bicycle and must be patented because no other manufacturer has copied it.

Yet this HR-V flatters to deceive when it comes to space. It is roomy with the seats down but with the seats in place the 304 litre boot capacity is a lot less than many of its competitors. May be Honda decided to sacrifice some boot space for rear legroom which is generous and better than many rivals. That said the middle seat is ridiculously narrow. Strange when everything else is so well thought out.

If David was still pondering the shape he was knocked out by the HR-Vs cabin. It is a simple, uncluttered attractive layout with high quality trim everywhere you look.

As expected there are plenty of high tech bits and bobs, mainly housed in a centrally mounted nine inch touchscreen. There is in car wifi, Android auto, wireless Apple CarPlay and you can run mobile phone aps through the car. To my delight the heating controls are manual and separate from the screen.

Something else Honda is pleased with is the air diffusion system through neat little L shaped vents. Instead of a blast of air in the face with the blower at full pelt air is directed around the cabin and is really effective.

This HR-V is hybrid only the 1.5 litre petrol engine boosted by an electric motor and boy is it efficient. Over nearly 400 miles of mixed driving we never dropped below 58mpg and at week’s end finished on 59.3mpg.

The majority of electric driving is mainly around town or at low speeds but cuts in whenever directed by the computer so don’t be surprised to see the EV light come on doing 50-60mph on the open road. Regenerative braking returns energy to the batteries and has incremental levels via steering wheel paddles. If only all self chargers had the paddle function.

Acceleration is punchy and feels quicker than the official time but slamming the throttle to the floor brings up the only real negative. The engine is instantly noisy and because of the CVT gearbox holds on to the din until lift off. If it was a manual gearbox you would change gear.

I took David for a spin and it was not long before he commented on the improved ride and more comfortable front seat. This HR-Vs revised suspension set up is better able to cushion against poor surfaces and while it not the sharpest handling in the class it is well behaved through twists and turns with minimal body roll and should satisfy any driver.

Honda has priced HR-V to compete with Toyota C-HR its main rival. It starts around £28,000 and is very well equipped from entry level with Advance Style topping out at £33,835. An optional sports package adds £2,250 but is it worth bothering for a family SUV?

HR-V sits in a pool of high flying rivals and apart from a noisy engine under flat out acceleration excels in most areas so make sure it is on your list. As for David, he is still thinking about it.

Fast Facts

HR-V Advance Style

£33,835  - £36,910 tested

1.5 litre petrol hybrid 129bhp

0-62 10.7secs; 106mph

67.3mpg combined

96g/km. 1st tax £135

Boot 304-1274 litres

Insurance group 31

Llangollen Round raises over £85,000 to fight cancer

* Challengers wend their way along the Round's 35-mile route. 

Organisers have thanked all those involved with last weekend's 4th Llangollen Round Challenge.

In a statement they say: "A huge thank you to all those who baked cakes and to all those who helped in any way with the challenge.  

"Almost 500 walkers from all over the country took part, and we even had two who travelled from Poland.

"The current total raised for Cancer Research UK is £85,000 and there's more to come.

"Since we had approximately 85 helpers - well, you can all consider you personally raised £1,000 for Cancer Research UK last weekend!

"Well done - and thank you so very much. More news later ..."

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.