Ysgol Dinas Brân students receive 'fantastic' GCSE results

* Above and below: Students celebrate their GCSE results.

Students at Ysgol Dinas Brân have today received their GCSE results after what staff describe as "an extremely difficult time" for all of the students taking external exams for the first time. 

A school spokesperson said: "We are extremely proud of all of the students who have all found it tough, but it is fantastic to see the hard work has paid off. 

"We are pleased with the results, with nearly 25% of the grades being A*/A. A good number of students received all A*/A, and we are incredibly proud of so many students who achieved their target grades or higher.

"I would like to thank all the staff and parents for their great support for the students. Well done everyone." ​

* Denbighshire County Council has congratulated pupils receiving their GCSE results.

Councillor Gill German, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children and Family Services, said: “On behalf of the Council I would like to congratulate all pupils that have received their GCSE results. 

“This last year has presented significant challenges for learners and they have made a tremendous effort to achieve their results, they have worked very hard to get here and have overcome a lot of obstacles. 

“There has been some fantastic partnership working to ensure students achieved the best results possible and pupils have received support from their families and schools. I would like to thank all those who have supported our hard-working students during this last year. 

“The council would like to wish all learners the very best in their next steps.”

Spooky kids wanted for theatre group's new show

A Llangollen theatre group is on the lookout for spooky kids to appear in its next production. 

Fresh from its success with Little Shop of Horrors last spring, Llangollen Operatic’s junior section, the Young ‘Uns, is returning to the world of the crazy supernatural to stage The Addams Family musical from February 16-18 next year. 

Preparations for the production are already underway and producer Pamela Williams has put out the call for budding young actors to fill a number of key roles. 

She said: “Basically we need boys. We are going to hold open auditions for the male roles of Gomez, Fester, Pugsley, Mal and Lucas. 

“They’re all superb parts and audition practice will be on Monday, September 5, from 6-8pm at the Operatic Studio off Castle Street. The idea is to go over songs, characters and dialogue. 

“The actual auditions will be in the same place the following Saturday, September 10, from 10am-12noon, and these are just for boys aged up to and including 18 years." 

The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. 

The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. 

Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, is all grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows. 

She's fallen in love with a sweet young man from a respectable family. With his cherished Morticia in the dark will Gomez manage to keep his daughter’s secret until the two families meet for a fateful dinner with hilarious consequences? 

* For further details, email: info@llangollen-operatic.co.uk 

MS backs campaign to reverse 20mph speed limits

Sam Rowlands, MS for North Wales, is backing a campaign to try and reverse plans to introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit in towns across Wales. 

Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government in the Welsh Parliament, was responding to an email from a South Wales man who has started a petition against the move. 

Mr Rowlands, who recently supported campaigners in Buckley fighting against this introduction, said it was about time Welsh Government started listening to local people. 

He said: “It really is quite alarming to see the Welsh Government riding roughshod over people’s views and not taking any of their concerns into account. 

“In the email I received it stated that over 50% responding to the consultation on the 20mph limit last year were not in favour of the proposal yet Welsh Government ignored this and rejected the result. 

“I feel so sorry for the people of Buckley who are having to cope with this 20mph limit and next year many more of our towns will suffer the same fate. 

“I do support letting councils put 20mph speed limits outside schools, hospitals and other areas where evidence shows it’s a benefit, but not a blanket 20mph speed limit across urban roads in Wales. 

“Monmouthshire County Council in South Wales have already said they plan to reverse the 20mp to 30mph on some roads which is a clear indication that the proposal is flawed. 

“It is about time Welsh Government started listening to local people instead of making undemocratic decisions. Meanwhile I urge all authorities to take the same stance as Monmouth council and listen to the locals and make the decisions which affect their residents.”

The new default speed limit to 20mph, which is due to be implemented in September 2023,  will affect 30mph roads with street lights fewer 200 yards apart but this can be overturned by local authorities.

Pentredwr group's success at counties show

 

* Rhys and Siân Hughes with Cath Jones and Gill Britten at the Flint and Denbigh Show.

A community group showcasing their special project to make better use of a valuable natural asset landed a top prize at the recent 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. 

To help raise public awareness of this natural fibre and accompanied by Gill Britten of Gwlângollen, they took a stand to explain some alternative uses for hill grade fleece at the show.

And they were delighted to win one of the first prizes for their efforts.

Project co-ordinator Sian Hughes said: "We won one of the stall categories. 

"We were thrilled with this recognition, but even more so by the genuine interest from everyone who visited out stand. 

"The pure disbelief people expressed at the poor value which is placed on such a versatile and natural fibre was overwhelming.  

"We are determined to drive forward our mission to get Welsh Mountain wool the recognition it so deserves."

She added: "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 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." 

Representatives from Hwb Pentredŵr and Gwlângollen manned two separate stands at show.

* 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

Affordable small SUV with a touch of pizzaz

Volkswagen T-Cross drive by Steve Rogers

Volkswagen was slow out of the blocks when the SUV race started but has made up for it. 

Now it has a garage full of all shapes and sizes. Shapes might be stretching it as all are similar, apart from size, and on the subject of size let’s have a look at the smallest.

T-Cross is based on the Polo but as an SUV is a bit bigger and more practical with a boot a handbag larger than a Golf which is impressive. And the ride height has been jacked up more than most of its rivals making it easy to slide in and out, so perfect for us older folk or anyone with mobility problems.

Then we have the sliding back seats, rare in a car this size, which produces an extra 70 litres of luggage space which is not to be sneezed at, but only leaves enough legroom for young children or adults with very short legs.

The small SUV sector is bursting at the seams so the stakes are high given the quality of the opposition, think of Ford Puma, Renault Captur, Seat Arona, Toyota Yaris Cross, I could go on and on but this T-Cross is giving rather a good account of itself.

Germanic styling is often criticised for being too conservative and while T-Cross hasn’t the flare of a Captur or Yaris Cross it is not without merit and there are even splashes of pizzaz. Pick the right model and the inside is positively blazing with striking coloured inserts along the dashboard, steering wheel and gearstick housing.

Volkswagen trades on its reputation for quality rather than value for money but has thrown in a reasonably priced entry S model although the spec sheet looks a bit too spartan so I would go for this SE which has more kit and there are options packages.

My big gripe with SE is that it has no parking sensors let alone a rear camera and if ever a car needed a bit of help for parking this is it because rear vision is compromised by a thick rear pillar. Fitting both as extras costs a hefty £785. Ouch!

A navigation, streaming and internet package is another £920 and while efficient and easy to use you can get away without it because the car has smartphone connectivity so mobile phone apps can be linked to the touchscreen which is perfect for Google maps and, my favourite, Waze mapping.

Driving T-Cross is a joy. Finding the best driving position is easy with plenty of steering wheel movement and the seatback can be adjusted with a wheel rather than a lever so you can be spot on.

The steering is light but nicely weighted giving the driver a good feel for what’s going on with the front drive wheels. The suspension does a good job of cushioning poor road surfaces and the three-cylinder petrol engine is perky enough with ample overtaking acceleration. It should also be good for mid fifties to the gallon.

T-Cross might be small but is still a good, practical family car with room in the back for leggy teens and quick slot in connections for child seats. It is not too badly off for cubby space either while the door bins are huge.

Build quality is solid, typically Volkswagen, yet the hard plastic along the dashboard and door cappings is not what we normally get from a VW. Smacks of saving the pennies.

My top small SUV is still a Toyota Yaris Cross but T-Cross has been a pleasant surprise and makes my top five coming in at number four behind the Ford Puma which is great to drive and the Skoda Kamiq.

Fast facts

T-Cross SE

£22,905 (£25,825 tested)

1-litre petrol; 108bhp

0-62mph 10.8secs; 117mph

49.6mpg combined

130g/km. 1st tax £190

Insurance group 9

Boot: 385-1281 litres

Wrexham Maelor to get new outpatients building

Patients of Wrexham Maelor Hospital will benefit from a new dedicated outpatients building thanks to the purchase of Plas Gororau, based at Wrexham Technology Park. 

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has bought the building, with funding support from the Welsh Government, to move outpatient services and expand the Emergency Department and clinical areas within the main hospital site. 

Some outpatient services that are currently in the main hospital will move into the Ty Derbyn building, which is within the hospital grounds, and services currently located in Ty Derbyn, that do not need an acute base, will be moved into Plas Gororau. 

Plas Gororau is a 44,186 sq ft building on the technology park with 212 car parking spaces, and is only a six-minute walk from the hospital’s main entrance.  

Services being moved into Plas Gororau include mental health outpatients, orthopaedic therapy clinics, prehabilitation, sexual health outpatients, clinical research facility and Maelor Academic Unit Of Medical & Surgical Sciences.  

Plas Gororau is expected to open early 2023, and services will be moved in different phases with mental health outpatients moving first. Once mental health outpatients has moved into Plas Gororau, part of the main outpatients area, which is currently adjacent to the Emergency Department, will relocate to the vacated mental health area allowing for the Emergency Department to expand to support winter pressures. 

A Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) will be established in the vacant area near the Emergency Department. This will be delivered jointly with the Urgent Primary Care Centres (UPCC). The MIU will treat injuries that are not critical or life threatening, helping to relieve pressure on the Maelor Hospital’s Emergency Department, while complementing the service provided by the UPCC. 

Hazel Davies, Acute Site Director of Wrexham Maelor Hospital, said: “This is very exciting work which will greatly benefit our patients and the local community. Plas Gororau will be much easier for people attending the services that will be based there, as they will no longer need to come into the main hospital. Not least of which the building has its own dedicated parking for both patients and staff. 

“The reorganisation of some our services and departments will help with the pathways for our patients and relieve pressures across the hospital. This also gives us more space in the main hospital to expand our Emergency Department into the former Main Outpatient area it will help relieve the pressures during peaks times on the department as we evolve our strategy to deliver an Urgent Care Centre on site, co located with traditional Emergency Care.” 

Additionally, the hospital is also constructing a purpose-built vaccination centre for North East Wales within Plas Gororau. 

As the plans continue to be developed the Health Board will communicate any further updates with patients and the community. 

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said: “It is fantastic that Welsh Government has been able to provide funding to help Wrexham Maelor expand their services. The new outpatients building will be a huge benefit to patients and the community by positively impacting the experience of patients, reduce waiting times for those waiting for appointments, free up Emergency Department capacity and help relieve pressures on the hospital. I look forward to visiting the new site when it is open.” 

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