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Monday, August 22, 2022

First details of town's 2022 Christmas Festival revealed


* Sion Corn will be star guest at this year's "bigger and better" Christmas Festival. 

The group of volunteers who organise the Llangollen Christmas Festival have had their first planning meeting for this year’s event.

The 2022 festival will take place on the Saturday, November 26 and they say the plan is to make it bigger and better than ever.

Things kick off with a grand parade through town at 1pm followed by an afternoon of family fun and entertainment.

There will also be plenty of festive atmosphere for people to soak up, they promise.

The group's Austin Cheminais said: "Come and chat to Sion Corn and take a picture as we’re not charging to see him this year. Visit the the craft stalls and do some Christmas shopping and try the tasty treats available from local producers.


* The town centre gets lit up during a previous festival. 

"You can also enjoy the fairground rides, marvel at the Christmas lights and our firework display, practice your circus skills, enjoy a Punch and Judy show, and visit the stages in the Town Square and Market Street throughout the afternoon for some outstanding music and entertainment.

"Of course, there will also be the chance to do your Christmas shopping in Llangollen’s wonderful selection of local shops and stores.

"Keep your eye on social media for more information."

* If you are interested in helping the festival team, contact Chem at chemshouts@gmail.com

Sunday, August 21, 2022

St Collen's singers feature in BBC programme

 

* Members of the congregation singing for the TV cameras. 


* Father Lee explains the background to his Hymns and Pimms sessions.

* Above and below: St Collen singers take part in the televised session.




Scenes shot at St Collen's Church for a BBC TV programme hit the screen earlier this afternoon.

A film crew was recently at the church to record sequences for a BBC's Songs of Praise programme entitled "Sacred Walks on the Wales Coast Path," hosted by Aled Jones.

The scenes filmed in Llangollen centred around the regular Hymns & Pimms musical sessions which priest-in-charge Father Lee Taylor began hosting online during the 2020 lockdown and went on to become popular across the UK and abroad. 

Members of the congregation were shown singing a number of favourite hymns and the old favourite I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside. 

While Father Lee explained the background to Hymns and Pimms and number of church members told how important it had become for them as a morale booster in the depths of the pandemic.

Later the congregation were shown enjoying glasses of Pimms outside the church.


Three local roadworks alerts

 

Latest local roadworks alerts from one.network are:

 

Berwyn Street, Denbighshire


22 August - 24 August

 

Roadworks, Delays likely

 

Traffic management: Traffic control (multi-way signals)

 

Description: MJ QUINN ARE TO UNDERTAKE TEST ROD AND ROPE, CLEAR OF POSSIBLE DUCT BLOCKAGES IN VERGE/CARRIAGEWAY. ...

 

Works location: JUNCTION OF CHAPEL STREET, TO JUNCTION OF BERWYN ROAD, BERWYN STREET...

 

Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.

 

Responsibility for works: Openreach

 

Current status: Planned work about to start

 

Works reference: BC005MQ1W00BDUK1WC9L005V



 

Hall Street, Denbighshire


22 August - 24 August

 

Roadworks, Delays possible

 

Traffic management: Traffic control (multi-way signals)

 

Description: MJ QUINN ARE TO UNDERTAKE TEST ROD AND ROPE, CLEAR OF POSSIBLE DUCT BLOCKAGES IN VERGE/CARRIAGEWAY....

 

Works location: JUNCTION REGENT STREET TO JUNCTION OF BERWYN STREET, HALL STREET...

 

Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.

 

Responsibility for works: Openreach

 

Current status: Advanced planning

 

Works reference: BC005MQ1W00BDUK2WC9L005V


 

Market Street, Denbighshire


22 August - 24 August

 

Roadworks, Delays possible

 

Traffic management: Traffic control (multi-way signals)

 

Description: MJ QUINN ARE TO UNDERTAKE TEST ROD AND ROPE, CLEAR OF POSSIBLE DUCT BLOCKAGES IN VERGE/CARRIAGEWAY....

 

Works location: JUNCTION OF CASTLE STREET TO JUNCTION OF BERWYN STREET, MARKET STREET...

 

Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.

 

Responsibility for works: Openreach

 

Current status: Advanced planning

 

Works reference: BC005MQ1W000BDUKWC9L005V



 


Saturday, August 20, 2022

St Collen's features in Songs of Praise TV show tomorrow

 


* A member of the film crew outside the church.

Scenes shot at St Collen's Church for a BBC programme will hit the screen tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.

A film crew were recently at the church to shoot sequences for the BBC's Songs of Praise programme centred around the regular Hymns & Pimms musical sessions which vicar Father Lee Taylor began hosting during the 2020 lockdown.

Members of the congregation were shown singing a number of favourite hymns ending with the well-known Calon Lan in the original Welsh.

Later it was time for glasses of Pimms to be served outside in the church grounds. 

The sequence will be shown on Songs of Praise tomorrow at 1.15pm in an episode entitled "Sacred Walks on the Wales Coast Path."

Friday, August 19, 2022

Llangollen Round Challenge raises record sum for Cancer Research UK

* From left: Nadine Isaacs from Cancer Research UK, challenge organiser Judy Smith, Simon Baynes MP and organisers Jason Morley and Sandra Woodhall. 

Cancer Research UK has received its largest single North Wales donation of the year so far after collecting  a cheque for £100,723 from organisers of this year's record-breaking Llangollen Round Challenge.

The total means the fourth challenge, held over the last weekend in May, raised a record amount for the charity.

The often gruelling 35-mile run/walk through the beautiful yet tough terrain of the hills surrounding the town saw a record 500-plus participants who either walked or ran around it.

The event, which operates thanks to a small army of volunteer helpers, can be completed in either one or two days and also saw another record set for the route being completed in the fastest time.

Since being launched in 2012 by members of the Llangollen Ramblers group and based roughly on the Alpine Walk Tour of Mont Blanc, the amount raised for Cancer Research UK by the challenge has climbed steadily from £33,000 to the latest total which will be further boosted by government returns on charity donations.

The 2022 challenge attracted over 500 entries from across the UK and abroad and saw 238 walkers or runners finishing it in a single day with another 189 completing it in two. 

A fresh record was set when the first person back at the event's Llangollen Leisure Centre base was certified to have covered the whole 35 miles in just seven hours.

The fastest woman completed it in just seven hours and 34 minutes. 

The two oldest people to complete the course were aged 90 and 87.

As usual 80 volunteers manned checkpoints along the route where those taking part were served with water supplied free by local businesses and cakes presented by home bakers in the area.

More helpers were back at base checking in participants and handing out their times.   

Nadine Isaacs, relationship manager (North Wales) at Cancer Research UK, said: "Forty years ago the cancer survival rate was one in four. Today it is two in four but Cancer Research UK's mission is to reduce this further to three in four.

"Without the support we receive from fundraisers such as you we could not continue with our research."  

Helping challenge organisers hand over the big cheque to Nadine in Riverside Park this morning (Friday) was Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes who congratulated them on what he called their "fantastic achievement".

BBC star calls in at Llangollen Railway


* Gethin Jones takes a selfie with railcar driver Dewi Davies.

Visitors to Llangollen Railway had the chance to do so some celeb spotting earlier this week.

On Tuesday the heritage attraction welcomed the production company STV Studios which had chosen it as one of the locations in the Dee Valley for a future episode of Celebrity Antiques Roadtrip. 

The popular programme, which attracted nearly 14 million viewers in 2019 from across the BBC and other Freeview channels, sees two teams of antiques experts and celebrity guests visit various antique shops on a mission to buy items to then sell at auction. 

Each team also stops off to film a sequence about a local industry, person or event which is historically unique and significant to the area they are visiting. 

Llangollen Railway says it was delighted to be chosen at the historic location and be given the chance to explain the role it has played in the past, present and future of the Dee Valley.

One of the visiting celebrities was former Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones who now regularly fronts the BBC magazine show Morning Live. 

He took a selfie of himself with driver Dewi Davies in the cab of the diesel railcar in use on passenger train services.

The railway says it will keep people posted about when the finished episode will be broadcast. 

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Story of A Level success at Ysgol Dinas Bran


* Above and below: Students celebrate their A Level successes.






There were scenes of joy and relief at Ysgol DinasBrân today as A Level students celebrated their exam results.

A school spokesperson said that for all students this has been an extremely difficult year given the previous two years. 

For students in Year 13, the pressure has been "immense" with A -Levels being decided on external examinations of which students have had no prior experience.

Staff and students had worked tremendously hard. Results were "excellent" with early indications that nearly all have achieved their first choice place for university.

"We are extremely proud of the students and their achievements and would like to highlight some fantastic achievements," said the spokesperson.

* Zoe Adams achieved 4 A* grades and will now be studying Biomedical sciences at Oxford University.

* Luke Reardon 3A* and 1A and will now be taking a gap year before accepting his place to do Medicine in Cardiff University.

* Adam Wolsey 3A* and 1A will be taking a year out and looking to apply to University next year

* Jaimee Evans 3A* and will now be studying Chemistry in Imperial College London

* James Reardon A* and 2 A grades and will now be studying History and Politics in the University of Birmingham

* James Norman 4 A grades and will now be studying Media Studies and Creative Writing in Bangor University

* Sara Davies 3 A grades and will now be studying International Relations/Economic & Social History at University of Glasgow

* Carys Edwards 3 A grades will now be studying Physiotherapy in University of Central Lancashire

* Lowri Ellis 3 A grades will now be studying Geography at Bangor University.