Line-up so far for Llangollen Fringe's 25th anniversary year

* Ebony Steel Band are among the acts appearing at the 25th Fringe Festival.

Llangollen Fringe  Festival will this year celebrate its 25^th  anniversary with a bumper edition from July 22-30 which organisers say promises to be the biggest so far

Headlining acts announced include: ROGER ENO – a renowned composer, pianist and pioneer of ‘ambient music’.

He has recorded and released many albums of his work, including ‘Rattle That Lock’, with DAVID GILMOUR (PINK FLOYD), the acclaimed ‘APOLLO’ in 1983 a collaboration with his brother BRIAN ENO as well as 2020’s ‘Mixing Colours’, the duo’s striking collaboration, released in 2020. 

For the Fringe Festival, Eno will perform music from these works and his most recent solo album ‘The Turning Year’

Joining him at the festival are THE TURBANS, with members from Turkey, Bulgaria, Israel, Iran, Greece and England who bind together music from ‘manywhere’ and whom BBC 6 Music’s MARK RADCLIFFE described as “really a force of nature”.

Also appearing are rocking supergroup WARMDUSCHER, who bring together members of bands such as: FAT WHITE FAMILY and INSECURE MANY and have been selling out venues across the UK and Europe with their incendiary live show. 

Rounding off the week  are the genre-bending and supercharged Scottish trad trio TALISK on Friday July 29and London’s EBONY STEEL BAND on Saturday 30, the legendary Steel Drum ensemble perform their much-loved album PAN MACHINE, an interpretation of the classic KRAFTWERK album ‘Man Machine’ in its entirety, which includes seminal hits such as ‘The Model’ and ‘The Robots”

There is also a welcome return for stand-up comedy – with ‘THE CHASE’ star PAUL SINHA headlining the opening night of the festival, as well as new venues being incorporated into the official festival line up with Gales Wine Bar, The Bridge End Hotel and the Three Eagles Restaurant hosting live events throughout the week.

Organisers say more events to celebrate the 25^th year are still to be added.

Tickets for all headline shows are on sale now, as well as festival passes. Priced at just £75 the festival pass allows access to all of the main events across the nine days so is great value for money.

* Festival tickets and dates and times for all concerts and events are available from www.llangollenfringe.co.uk or by calling the Fringe box office:  0800 1455 779

Cheers! Railway's real ale trains are back after three-year break

Fans of brilliant beer are looking forward to the return of the Llangollen Railway’s popular Real Ale Trains this weekend after a three-year absence. 

The pandemic and last year’s financial troubles have prevented such an event from taking place since autumn 2019. 

The Welsh Phoenix /Ffenics Cymraeg will be running all day on Saturday June 11, with three3 daytime trips and two in the evening, leaving Llangollen at 6 and 8pm.

The bar will be based in an historic British Railways former travelling cinema carriage, which was restored and converted into a bar back in 2014. 

Visitors can enjoy a pint of draft craft ale or a glass of wine whilst enjoying the breathtaking scenery of the Dee Valley. 

* The railway's function coach will host the real ale trains.

The bar will be stocked with four local beers from Porthmadog-based Purple Moose and Stonehouse Brewery from Oswestry. 

The train will be hauled by a 1959-built Class 26 diesel locomotive No 5310. 

Volunteer organisers Iain Ross and Terry Pickthall can both usually be found at work on different parts of the railway, with Iain a steam and diesel locomotive driver and fitter. 

Terry is also a diesel locomotive driver and acts as the railway’s press officer. 

He said: “Iain and I thought it was high-time we helped resurrect our very successful Real Ale Trains and are looking forward to serving people a pint or two. 

"We managed our 1960’s weekend real ale festivals for many years with great success, but have not run a bar on a moving train before. 

"We’re both getting some practice in at pouring beer into a gently swaying pint glass, as we all know spillage of fine ale is a heinous crime."

Iain said: “We’ve all worked very hard through some very tough times to get the railway back on its feet and can now start to try and bring back some of the great events that we all took for granted, like our Real Ale Train and Classic Transport Weekend, which will take place on July 2 and 3." 

Tickets for the trains are available from the railway’s website and ideally need to be purchased in advance for the evening trains or from Llangollen station booking office during the day, which will be open on Saturday 11^th between 10am and 3pm.

Evening tickets cost £25, which includes two return trips on the train, a commemorative Llangollen Railway pint glass and a pint of draft beer of your choice (or glass of wine).  A full day ticket is available for £40.

Town Hall tea dance brings jubilee celebrations to a lively conclusion

* Julie Thomas's zumba group in action on the dance floor. 

* Dancers present a lively jive.

* A sequence dance in full flow.

Llangollen's official two-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations were brought to a fitting end with a tea dance held in the Town Hall this afternoon (Sunday).

Brilliantly organised by town hall facilities officer Charlie Jones, the free event saw a series of colourful and lively demonstration routines performed by three local dance groups.

A team of volunteers served a delicious afternoon tea consisting of sandwiches, cakes and scones with jam and cream on tables set with china teacups and saucers, white cloths and proper napkins evocative of the 1950s when the Queen came to the throne.

* People chat over afternoon tea at the meticulously laid out tables.

Llangollen celebrates Queen's Platinum Jubilee in style

* Market Street was closed to traffic to allow stalls and entertainment.

Llangollen has been celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in style today (Saturday).

The first of a two-day package of special events saw Market Street closed to traffic to allow an open-air market to be held with a variety of charity and community stalls.

Organised by Town Council staff and a group of former councillors, this attracted a large number of visitors to see performers including singer Chris Burton and Llangollen Silver Band while youngsters enjoyed a Punch and Judy show.

A second live entertainment programme saw a variety of acts take the stage set up in Centenary Square, with acts including Alfie Thomas, Leonie-Anne Kirkby, the Melodic Mondays and Shea Ferron who also compered.

Throughout the morning the Town Hall was the setting for a Jubilee Market run by members of Llangollen Inner Wheel.

This included plenty of stalls and home-made refreshments.

At 11am St Collen's marked the jubilee with a special Service of Thanksgiving led by Father Lee Taylor.

The Jubilee celebration continues tomorrow (Sunday) with a 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.   

* Due to the adverse weather forecast it has been decided to use the fallback plan for the Churches Together Openair Service tomorrow Sunday June 5th. The joint service to celebrate Pentecost as well as the Jubilee will now be held at 11am in the Methodist Church in Princess St. All are very welcome to attend. There will be activities for children and refreshments will be served afterwards.

* Town crier Austin Cheminais teaches youngsters how to bellow out a good 'Oyez!' 

* Llangollen Inner Wheel hosted a busy jubilee fair in the Town Hall (above and below).

* Father Lee Taylor with the choir during the St Collen's thanksgiving service.

* Llangollen branch chairman Phil Stroud carries the Royal British Legion standard during the church service.

 * Alfie Thomas takes the stage in Centenary Square.

* Leonie-Anne Kirby sings in the square.

* The Melodic Mndays. 

* Shea Ferron entertains on the stage in the square. 

* Chris Burton plays and sings in Market Street. 

* Llangollen Silver Band were popular with the crowd in Market Street.

* Youngsters enjoy the Punch and Judy show in Market Street.

 * Some of the stalls lining a bustling Market Street.

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."