List of latest local roadworks

Latest local roadworks notified by Denbighshire County Council are:

JUNCTION OF CASTLE STREET TO JUNCTION OF BERWYN STREET, MARKET STREET MARKET STREET 22/08/2022 24/08/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN.

 JUNCTION OF CASTLE STREET TO JUNCTION OF BERWYN STREET, MARKET STREET MARKET STREET 30/08/2022 02/09/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN.

 JUNCTION REGENT STREET TO JUNCTION OF BERWYN STREET, HALL STREET HALL STREET 22/08/2022 24/08/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN.

JUNCTION OF CHAPEL STREET TO JUNCTION OF BERWYN STREET, HALL STREET HALL STREET 30/08/2022 02/09/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN.

A539 JUNCTION OF CASTLE STREET TO ADJACENT WESTOE, ABBEY ROAD ABBEY ROAD 15/08/2022 19/08/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights.

JUNCTION OF DINBREN ROAD TO JUNCTION OF MILL STREET, WHARF HILL WHARF HILL 15/08/2022 19/08/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights.

A539 JUNCTION OF CASTLE STREET TO OPPOSITE JUNCTION OF BISHOPS WALK MILL STREET 15/08/2022 19/08/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN  LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights.

Group to showcase underused natural asset at counties show

* Sheep ready for shearing at Pentredwr.

A community group is to showcase a special project to make better use of a valuable natural asset at this year’s Flint and Denbigh Show. 

Pentredwr and District Community Association applied for Lottery funding for the Hwb project which is now half way through its two-year life. 

The association has numerous community aims centred around rural isolation and depravation and one aspect members are looking at is local Welsh Mountain grade fleece, an underused, undervalued and sustainable, fibre. 

* Wool sacks in storage on the farm.

And to help raise public awareness of this natural fibre, they are showcasing some alternative uses for hill grade fleece at the show, accompanied by Gill Britten of Gwlângollen. 

A spokesperson said: “Hwb Pentredŵr is a project delivered jointly by Pentredŵr and District Community Association and Glwângollen. 

“We are working towards securing community prosperity by developing rural skills and enterprise, addressing rural isolation, supporting digital inclusion and access to services thereby strengthening the community. 

“Sheep production is central to farming in the valley and surrounding area, and shearing is essential to ensure the wellbeing and health of our local flocks. 

“Exploring the wider uses of locally produced Welsh Mountain fleece is a key element of the work we are doing. 

“In total, there are almost 120 different grades of wool in Britain.  Within each style of wool, fleeces are graded by quality with judgements made across a range of characteristics.  

“Our Welsh Mountain sheep must survive in sometimes harsh conditions on the hills, so the wool tends to be much coarser than many other grades of fleece. Consequently, due to its coarser nature, hill grade fleece is generally used in the manufacture of carpets.” 

The spokesperson added: “Our local wool is a totally natural, durable, sustainable, biodegradable fibre which is remarkably deemed as next to worthless in the current market. 

“Prices per kilo for wool have been steadily falling for many years whereas years ago the annual wool cheque would have covered rental for a farm, today, hill grade fleece in our area achieves on average 13p a kilo, meaning a whole fleece is worth only 26-30p. 

“Each sheep costs at least £1 to shear. Shearing is a very skilled job and extremely hard work. In addition, many man hours are required to gather and sort the sheep during the shearing season. 

“HwbPentredŵr and Gwlângollen, with the support of a group of local farmers, are driving forward ideas which may eventually lead to development of a small local wool processing plant, thereby giving this brilliant fibre the respect and recognition it so deserves.” 

Representatives from Hwb Pentredŵr and Gwlângollen will be manning two separate stands at the Flint and Denbigh Show on Thursday August 18, showcasing Welsh Mountain Fleece, some stages of its preparation and also ideas of possible alternative uses. 

They are inviting visitors to call and see them on stand K39. Gill from Gwlângollen will be in the Farmers Union of Wales tent. 

There are numerous, varied events and workshops going on at Pentredŵr. For further details of these follow Hwb Pentredŵr, Pentredŵr and District Community Association and Gwlângollen Facebook pages. 

Hwb Pentredŵr is also on Instagram. Websites: hwb.Pentredwr.co.uk; Pentredwr.co.uk and gwlangollen.wixsite.com

Emergency services search ends in sad discovery

The Leader is reporting this morning (Sunday) that the body of a man has been recovered following a 'concern for safety' incident yesterday (August 13). 

The story say that North Wales Police confirmed they, alongside other emergency services were dealing with a safety incident in Pontcysyllte during the afternoon. 

* For the full story, see: https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/20642369.wrexham-body-found-incident-river-pontcysyllte/

Llan firefighters stop blaze within feet of heatherland

* Above and below: Firefighters at the scene of yesterday's blaze.

Llangollen firefighters have revealed how they put out a forest blaze within feet of heatherland at Nantyr yesterday afternoon.

On their Facebook page, the fire station says: "16:20 32M1 called out to a fire in the open in Nantyr.

"It travelled up a hard standing track up into the forest. The high pressure lance was used to extinguish the deep seated fire.

"The fire was 20 foot away from the start of the Berwyn range which stretches 52,000 acres of heather and gorse from Llangollen to Bala.

"What 3 Words came into its own again and helped locate the fire which was spotted by a hiker.

"Thanks to his quick thinking and the use of the app, this potentially stopped this fire creeping into the start of the 52,000 acres."

In July 2018 firefighters from Llangollen and across North Wales spent days tackling a massive fire which ripped through many acres of heather and gorse on the moorlands near Llantysilio and the Horseshoe Pass.

Police 'hopeful' of catching those responsible for town's grafitti

Police say they are hopeful of catching those responsible for the graffiti which has appeared in parts of Llangollen.

In a message on the North Wales Police Community Alerts system earlier this week, officer Geraint Jones said the Dee Valley Neighbourhood Policing (NPT) was appealing for information following an increase in graffiti around Llangollen town and by Riverside Park. 

He added that a distinct signature that was appearing on the grafitti was the word 'bizz'.

In a new message on the NPT, PCSO 3684 Peter Jones says: "We are currently aware of some graffiti that has appeared in Llangollen.

"We want to reassure you that an investigation into the matter is well underway, we are hopeful that the offenders will be identified and dealt with.

"If you have any information about the incidents please contact 101 or speak to your local Police Community Support Officer."

Live music with a difference at venue near Llangollen

This Saturday evening Black Park Chapel – just down the road from Llangollen – is hosting something different for those who enjoy live music.

It’s a performance by acclaimed professional jazz musicians Faith Brackenbury and Toni Bianco.

Their touring project, entitled Visio Improvisus, is an exploration of the music of St. Hildegard von Bingen, fusing it with their contemporary jazz and improvisation backgrounds.

Layers of violin/viola lines and drones create a base to ethereal Latin vocal monophonic scores, accompanied by rolling drums and percussion.

This tour is promoting their double album of the music, Wayward Mystic, and is aiming to encourage communities to re-engage with live music performance after these years of social isolation and loneliness. 

Bridget Drukker of Black Park said: “I went to the Anoushka Shankar concert at the Llangollen Eisteddfod - incredible, full house and standing ovation. One of the best concerts that I have ever been to.

“Faith Brackenbury is influenced by Anoushka's father, the famous Ravi Shankar, and I think some of those who went to the Eisteddfod would enjoy this on Saturday.”

* Tickets are available on the door or from: www.ticketsource.co.uk/visio-improvisus/visio-improvisus-improvisations-on-the-music-of-st-hildegard-von-bingen/e-pyvgod

Food firm offers cash aid to community groups

* Harlech Foodservice Managing Director David Cattrall. Picture by Rick Matthews.

Community groups and local clubs across North Wales are being urged to bid for a slice of a new £5,000 charity fund.

Leading food wholesaler Harlech Foodservice, which has bases in Criccieth in Gwynedd and Chester, has launched a community foundation as part of the company’s 50^th anniversary celebrations.

The family firm was founded in 1972 as a holiday season supplier to pubs, hotels and campsites in North West Wales and has grown into a £30 million turnover business serving Wales, the North West and West Midlands.

Now Managing Director David Cattrall is inviting community groups, projects, associations and locally based charities to pitch for some cash.

He said: “We have grown from small beginnings into a major North Wales company with bases in Criccieth and Chester and we couldn’t have done that without the support of our loyal customers across the region.

“They have helped us grow into a business employing over 200 staff which supplies not just the tourism and hospitality industry but also schools, colleges, hospitals and care homes so we want to celebrate the success we’ve had by putting something back into the communities which have supported us

“We are asking local groups across North Wales who benefit the community in some way to come forward and pitch for funding which could provide them with some vital cash for something really important to them.

“It could be a mini bus fund for a local dance troupe or maybe some gardening equipment for a primary school, a new pool table for a youth club or art and craft equipment for a pensioners’ group which prevents older people feeling isolated and lonely.

“We are open to suggestions and the main criteria is that people need to show us how they are fundraising and how much they are aiming to raise.

“We are looking to give a helping hand to projects right across the region so we want to hear from the people involved and we’ll be looking to hand over up to £1,000 to the chosen deserving causes.”

Harlech Foodservices has a track record of helping out in the communities it serves and stepped up in the pandemic to make donations to food banks across Wales and into Cheshire and Shropshire.

When their delivery lorries were unable to carry stock to their usual customers they were diverted to charities from Conwy to Newport in Gwent and from their own doorstep in Pwllheli to Northwich and Telford across the English border.

Now as business reaches a peak in the busy holiday season they are looking to hear from deserving causes who can bid for a share of the £5,000 charity by sending a brief description of their organisation, what they are raising money for and what they are looking to achieve along with daytime contact details including a phone number. Bid descriptions should be sent to sales@harlech.lls.com

The business founded by Colin and Gill Foskett above a shop in Harlech in 1972 now delivers up to 5,000 product lines to cafés, restaurants, pubs and public sector customers across North and Mid-Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and the North West from its modern bases in Criccieth and Chester.

Colin and Gill’s sons and daughter are still on the board and the third generation of the Foskett family are now among a workforce which has grown steadily as the business has expanded to include NHS Wales, care homes and schools, colleges and universities.

For more on Harlech Foodservices go to https://www.harlech.co.uk/