Another chance to hear about area's new Rotary club

* Some of the new Vale of Llangollen Rotary team.

The area's new Rotary club is offering another chance for potential members to hear what it has to offer the town and valley communities.

It has an information evening planned for Monday October 24 at Liberty Tavern in Market Street, Llangollen, starting at 7.15.

The event is open to those that could not make the first launch meeting earlier this month where the club picked up nine new members.

Vale of Llangollen Rotary is a new and modern-style of Rotary designed to fit with family and work life. 

Membership lead for the new club, Mike Lade said: “Our style of club is very relaxed with no expensive meals to pay for each week that is focused on three things, having fun in each other’s company, carrying out our project in the community and raising funds to redistribute to organisations in our area and beyond.

"Our members come from all backgrounds and ages. Our aim is to reflect the community and be fully diverse so anyone of good character is welcome to contact us to find out more about the club and what it has to offer. 

"Presently we are 50/50 with men to women which is a great place to be in our equal world."

Club president John Clifford said: “We are looking for people over 18, that includes couples, from all backgrounds and experiences to build the team of like-minded people to work together to help communities. Why not find out what we can offer? A warm welcome awaits.”

The Vale of Llangollen meet at 7.15 for 7.30pm at the Liberty Traven and Wine Bar, 20 Market Street, Llangollen LL20 8PS on October 24, or any Monday evening.

* More information is available on Facebook @valeofllangollenrotary, contacting Mike on 07803 038858, via email at valeofllangollenrotary@gmail.com or through the website www.valeofllangollenrotary.com

Town clerk apologises for incorrect council meeting dates

Llangollen's Town Clerk has apologised for any confusion caused by the incorrect postings of meeting dates earlier this due to "an administrative error".

Gareth Thomas says a number of meetings have also had to be rearranged due to the recent national period of mourning and therefore a revised schedule of meetings for the Town Council is detailed below:

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS 202219/23 MUNICIPAL YEAR20
27 September 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
11 October 2022	Cittaslow Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
18 October 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
25 October 2022	Asset Management Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
15 November 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
22 November 2022	Human Resources Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
20 December 2022	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
17 January 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
24 January 2023	Asset Management Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
31 January 2023	Cittaslow Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
07 February 2023	Human Resources Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
21 February 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
21 March 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
18 April 2023	Town Council	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
25April 2023	Asset Management Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
02 May 2023	Cittaslow Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
09 May 2023	Human Resources Committee	6.00 pm	Chamber (hybrid)
Schedule excludes Task and Finish Groups and Extraordinary Meetings.

 

MP welcomes two-year energy bill cap

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes (pictured) has welcomed news of a two-year energy bill cap, meaning energy bills for a typical household will be capped at £2,500 per year for two years. 

Mr Baynes has praised the recent announcement by the Prime Minister, Liz Truss MP, which will help families in Clwyd South and across the United Kingdom. 

Businesses, charities and public sector organisations will be offered equivalent support for a six-month period, which will be reviewed every three months going forward. 

A new Government fund will also be created to support residents not covered by the cap, including those who use heating oil, as well as residents who have communal heating schemes. 

Previously implemented cost of living measures will also remain, ensuring that every household will receive £400 off their energy bills, and a £650 cost of living payment will be made to every household on means-tested benefits. 

In addition, a £300 pensioner cost of living payment will be given to every pensioner household in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment.

Simon Baynes MP said: “I welcome the announcement by the Prime Minister about the energy bill cap, which I know will be welcomed by so many in Clwyd South as energy prices have been of great concern to my constituents and families across the United Kingdom. 

"This will see energy bills capped at £2,500 per year for two years from 1^st October 2022, whilst businesses, charities and public sector organisations offered similar support for a six-month period, which will be reviewed every three months."

Vicarage Road: emergency closure

According to Denbighshire County Council, Vicarage Road, Llangollen, has been closed to facilitate urgent works to rebuild a fire hydrant chamber by Hafren Dyfrdwy.

Railway's Heritage Railcar Gala coming soon

Llangollen Railway's Heritage Railcar gala will take place in over the weekend of October 8 and 9.

A railway spokesperson said: "Our railcar group really have been amazing this year, working well over 100 operating days, an awesome achievement for an all-volunteer team operating trains in some cases older than 60 years. 

"They are celebrating their achievements this year with this nice event that includes a Saturday evening 'landcruise' trip to Carrog and back, complete with a hotpot supper. 

"Provided the weather is on-side, the event is a great way to see the evening autumnal splendour of the valley."

The spokesperson added: "Our Ride the Rocket firework train tickets for November 5 sold out in record time but we also have decided to cancel our Halloween train on the previous weekend to try and reduce the pressure on our small teams of volunteers who deliver special events.

"Santa special tickets also continue to sell well and the Austerity steam locomotive is also proving popular. It is due to be in steam on both September 24 and 25 and then October 1 and 2."

New Rotary Cub collects unused bras for a good cause

* Llangollen Co-op's Emma Lloyd, Naomi Hughes and Mandy Hughes with the Bra Bank.

* The Nisa team of Ceri Rowland and David Gough.

The new Vale of Llangollen Rotary Club has taken on the task of collecting old and unwanted bras as one of its environmental and international projects.

It also supports one of the UK Breast Cancer charities.

At the Co-Op and Nisa (Stans) in Llangollen, you will find the pink Against Breast Cancer Bra Banks bin where the bras can be deposited.

The club says it doesn't matter what condition the bra is in but they still want it to be laundered.

This initiative also keeps valuable textiles out of landfill, helps support Against Breast Cancer and helps families in Africa.

When you drop a bra in one of our Bra Banks, ill-fitting or unloved bras will be whisked away to start a new life on the other side of the world.

Here they are used to help small businesses for African women to support their families by selling the bras in the markets in places such as Togo, Ghana and Kenya. 

A club spokesperson said: "Bras are impossibly expensive to make and buy in places like Africa. One of the unexpected gains of the initiative is that now these bras are affordable in town markets, more women are wearing bras and sexual assault has gone down.

"Many of the bras are resalable as they are. Some are taken apart by the African women and remade as cottage industries. The ones that are not reusable in any way are broken down and recycled as cotton waste and metal. Everyone is a winner."

Against Breast Cancer have teamed up with a UK recycling company who help small businesses in Africa.

The recycling company are donating £700 to cancer research for every tonne of bras collected, that's only 9,000 bras.

Vale of Llangollen Rotary is ready to welcome individuals and couples of 18-plus from the local community who want to be “people of action”. 

Members normally meet face-to-face at Liberty Tavern in Market Street, Llangollen on Monday evenings at 7.30pm. Alternatively, people can join the meeting via a Zoom connection.

* For more information on what Rotary has to offer contact Mike Lade on 07803 038858, valeofllangollenrotary@gmail.com or see www.valeofllangollenrotary.com

Railway used to film scenes for ground-breaking Welsh opera

* One of the railway's loco crew, Matthew Davies, took this picture on Tuesday night of filming taking place on the station.     

Llangollen Railway is being used to film scenes for the first ever Welsh-speaking opera to be screened on British TV.

Over the past couple of days S4C and Channel 4 have been filming for the period-themed Un Nos Ola Leuad (One Moonlit Night) which is based on a novel by Caradog Prichard.

Set at the end of World War One, it touches on the themes of poverty and mental health. 

It is based on the author’s childhood experiences of taking his mother to the local asylum from where she was never to return and continues to be powerfully relevant today.

The score will be composed by Gareth Glyn and performed by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and the cast is a combination of established Welsh opera stars and new, up-and-coming talent.

A spokesman for the heritage railway said: "We are delighted that the Llangollen Railway has been chosen for such a significant milestone in Welsh literature, art and music. 

"Filming has taken place at several locations around the railway, including the iconic Llangollen station, and involved our visiting steam locomotive No 68067, which will be staying with us until the end of the year and working public trains over the next two weekends."

It is understood that a production base has been set up at the nearby Eisteddfod field where, yesterday, actors could be seen near the pavilion in period costume and a large number of vehicles, including a large trailer, were parked.

* More information about the opera can be found at: https://nation.cymru/culture/s4c-and-channel-4-commission-first-ever-welsh-language-opera-to-be-broadcast-on-uk-tv/