NatWest to close Castle Street cashpoint next month

* The cashpoint in Castle Street set to be closed.

Operators NatWest have confirmed to Clwyd South MS Ken Skates that they are decommissioning their cashpoint in Castle Street.  

They say the move comes after they failed to reach agreement with the landlord of the property in which is its located.  

Mr Skates says he is "extremely disappointed" and will be making further representations to the company. 

An official statement sent to Mr Skates said: "We have retained an ATM in Llangollen since the closure of the NatWest branch in 2015. 

"With the lease up for renewal, we entered into negotiations with the landlord but unfortunately were unable to reach an agreement, and as such, a decision was recently made to remove the ATM, with the new space created being utilised by the existing building tenant, Trespass. 

“Before making our decision, we undertook a review of the area’s free cash access. With the Barclays ATM on Castle Street, the ATM at Co-op on Regent Street, as well as the Post Office on Berwyn Road, we felt the community still had good free access to cash, even with our ATM being removed. 

“The NatWest mobile bank also visits the community on Fridays between 11.30am-12.30pm in the Market Street Car Park where customers can withdraw cash, pay in cash, as well speak to our team about their banking. 

“The ATM will remain in use until around 13 November, before the decommissioning starts. 

“I appreciate however that some of your constituents may find this disappointing.”

Twenty Club to stage classic Vicar of Dibley show

* From left: Mrs Cropley (Heather Wolffson), Alice Tinker (Bev Maier) and Frank Pickle (Arwel Jarvis).

The Twenty Club drama group  of Llangollen are well into their rehearsals for the iconic Vicar of Dibley play, having performed a different selection of episodes some years ago. 

This much-awaited second series includes Dibley on Air and the Second Coming, in which the Dibley nativity play with a difference goes all rather wrong. 

According to director Chrissie Ashworth, the cast are enthusiastic and hard working and aiming to provide lots of laughs and good humour on the way.  

She said set building is going on apace and the club is applying its usual attention to detail to ensure that everything is spot-on and in keeping with late 1990s/2000 period in which the show is set. 

"Everybody loved the warm-hearted, vivacious vicar and her unworldly yet lovable verger," explained Chrissie, "and the actors are really stepping up to the mark, making sure that they are as close to the original characters as possible. 

"Who can help but have a soft spot for the likes of Jim (no no no no), the unkempt sex-starved farmer Owen, the precise boring Frank who harbours a wistful secret, mad Mrs Cropley with her offerings of unusual combinations in her bakes, the lovable simplistic Hugo with his overbearing father David complemented by Geraldine Grainger the Vicar and her adorable verger Alice Tinker.

"They are all her just waiting to entertain you, so do make a note in your diary and come along.  A good time with non stop laughter guaranteed."

The Vicar of Dibley will be staged at Llangollen Town Hall from Wednesday November 16t Saturday November 19 at 7.30pm with a matinee on the Saturday at 2.30 pm.

Stage play is by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter adapted from the original TV series by Richard Curtiss and Paul Mayhew-Archer with kind permission of Tiger Aspect Productions. 

* Tickets  - £12 and £10 concessions - are available online at: ticketsource.co.uk/llangollentwentyclub or from Courtyard Books, Llangollen Oggie Shop or Jenni in Market Street. Tickets also available from cast and crew members, and at the door, subject to availability. 

New Rotary club collects first unwanted bras for recycling

* Llangollen Co-op's Mandy Hughes with the bras collected there.

* David Gough and the bra collection at Llangollen Nisa store.

The new Vale of Llangollen Rotary has collected its first unloved, ill-fitting unwanted bras from the Co-Op and the Nisa (Stans) supermarkets in town.

Both stores have been hosting pink Against Breast Cancer Bra Bank bins near the doors where the underwear can be deposited. 

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

The initiative aims to keep these valuable textiles out of landfill, helps support the Against Breast Cancer charity in the UK and also families in Africa.

The collected bras will go to a recycling company in the UK to get sorted and baled to start a new life in Africa such as Togo, Ghana and Kenya.

Here the bales are bought by the African women to support small businesses for the women to help their families by selling them on local markets.

Rotary says new bras are impossibly expensive to make and buy in places like Africa. 

One of the unexpected gains of the initiative, now that these bras are affordable in town markets, is that more women are now 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 the sorting process in the UK are broken down and recycled as cotton waste and metal. 

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, 

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

A spokesperson said: "We normally meet face-to-face, at the Liberty Tavern, 20 Market Street, Llangollen on Monday evenings at 7.30pm and meet in the bar. Alternatively, people can join the meeting from wherever they are via our Zoom account connection."

* The club has another introductory meeting at Liberty Tavern tonight (Monday) starting at 7.30pm.

Guest Eiri Jones will make a presentation on the importance of soil, and how healthy soil is part of the solution to the challenges we face as a global community. And how we as conscious human beings can be part of the solution. 

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

Latest Citizens Advice column

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is: 

Q: The cost of things just keeps going up. The food shop doesn’t stretch as far and my bills just keep getting higher. I’ve made cutbacks and, at the moment, I’m just about managing but I’m really worried about how I’ll cope as it starts getting colder. What should I do? 

A: You’re not alone in struggling with rising costs, but it’s important to know there is support available. 

If you’re finding it hard to stay on top of bills, make sure you know what money you’ve got coming in and out each month. Citizens Advice has an online budgeting tool that can help with this. 

It’s also worth finding out if you’re eligible for any benefits or support with your energy and living costs. On the Citizens Advice website there’s a benefits calculator, advice on how to reduce living costs and information on other ways to increase your income. 

The good news is there is help with rising energy bills. From October 1 2022, there’s a limit on gas and electricity prices for most households - this is called the Energy Price Guarantee and will be in place for two years. 

From October you’ll also get £400 off your electricity bill. This is called the Energy Bills Support Scheme. 

You don’t need to do anything to get the money and you won’t have to pay it back. The money will be paid in six instalments, you’ll get £66 in October and November followed by £67 in December, January, February and March. 

You should automatically receive the energy discount if you pay by direct debit, standard credit or payment card. 

If you have a prepayment meter that isn’t a smart meter, you’ll get the discount via vouchers or as an automatic credit when you top up at your usual top-up point. Your supplier will let you know how they will issue it. 

If you have a smart prepayment meter, the credit should be automatically added to your meter.

If you can’t pay your bills, speak to your energy supplier as they have a responsibility to help you come up with a solution. 

Remember, if you need personalised support, contact your local Citizens Advice or call our Adviceline on 0800 144 8848.

Local MP again backs Sunak in Tory leadership race

* The Tweet by Simon Baynes yesterday.

Clwyd South Conservative MP Simon Baynes says he is once again backing Rishi Sunak in the latest Tory leadership race, as he did in the last contest back in July.

In a Tweet on his own page yesterday Mr Baynes said: "I am backing @RishiSunak in the leadership election: he has the energy, experience and compassion to be an outstanding Prime Minister."

He also supported the former Chancellor in the last summer's leadership campaign and explained on his Facebook page at the time: "I have decided to back Rishi Sunak as I think he is the best placed in terms of ability and experience to be Prime Minister." 

BBC News reports this morning (Sunday) that Rishi Sunak is well ahead of his rivals in the contest to be the next PM, with at least 129 Tory MPs now backing him.

The BBC’s tally of public declarations of support currently has 55 MPs for Boris Johnson and 23 for Penny Mordaunt - candidates need 100 by Monday.

MP praises success of town's country market

* Simon Baynes MP with (from left to right) Marjorie Crosbie (Chairperson), John Weedon, Marian Williams (Market Manager) and Joan Sneyd (Secretary).

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes recently visited Llangollen Country Market at the Memorial Hall in Bridge Street and praised its success. 

He met with Marjorie Crosbie (Chairperson), Marian Williams (Market Manager), Joan Sneyd (Secretary) and many other stall holders and people who were enjoying the market. 

The market currently takes place on the last Friday of the month from 9.45am-12.45pm and offers seasonal fruit and vegetables, local goods, art, crafts, cakes and much more. The next one is due to be held on Friday October 28.

Mr Baynes said: “It was great to visit the Llangollen Country Market and I would like to extend my thanks to Secretary, Joan Sneyd, for inviting me. 

"It was fantastic to see the success of the market, meet with stall holders and see the variety of stalls that the market has to offer. 

"Everything sold there is home made so it provides a great outlet for people's craft, growing and culinary skills.  This is also a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together and I would strongly recommend a visit."

Steve highlights his three of the best new cars

* No. 1 - MG4 EV. 

* No. 2 - Lexus NX450H+ F Sport Takumi.

* No. 3 - Genesis GV60 EV.

Steve Rogers samples three 'brilliant' new cars

It is rare for me to award top honours to a car company two years running but it has happened.

This was the annual event run by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders when motoring journos get the chance to compare like for like from a variety of car companies. Last year my drive of the day went to the MG HS plug-in hybrid and the Chinese-owned company has done it again, with a car that is even better.

The MG4 EV is a brilliant budget busting electric car, and with a cost of living crisis and fuel prices through the roof it could not have picked a better time to arrive.

Check this out. A family hatchback the size of a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf with eye popping styling for a fiver under £26,000. An electric VW ID3 or Kia Niro EV will set you back an extra 10 grand. The trim quality right through the MG does not measure up to its well known rivals but it is plenty good enough and there were no creaks or rattles on the car I drove.

The entry SE goes with a 51kWh battery that is good for 218 miles, move up to 64kWh SE Long Range and it stretches to 281 miles. At £28,495 this is still bargain of the century territory. A fast charge from a public 150kW post will top the car up to 80 per cent power in 35 minutes.

Performance is on a par with the rest of the leccy pack with sixty coming up in brisk 7.5 seconds and although my drive was brief there were no complaints on the handling, comfort and steering front.

Equipment level from entry level is more than adequate with climate control, all round electric windows, automatic LED headlights, rear parking sensors, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections.

Even the all singing and dancing top of the range Trophy at £31,495 is a steal and will provide such luxuries as wireless mobile charging, 360 degree parking camera and powered seats.

I cannot think of any other electric car that comes close to the MG4 for value for money with few sacrifices and should be a shoe in for European Car of the Year.

Second slot goes to the new Lexus NX450H+ F Sport Takumi plug in hybrid, a hugely sophisticated car drawing on the decades of experience of parent company Toyota. What they don’t know about hybrid power is not worth knowing.

Power comes from a 305bhp 2.5 litre petrol with 43 miles of electric driving available and emissions between 20-26g/km.

It has a beautifully crafted cabin, is brilliant to drive but you will need to find £62,450.

Completing my top three is the Genesis GV60 EV. Launching a luxury brand in Europe, even if it does have the might of Hyundai footing the bill, is a huge challenge but the fledgling company is building a strong range.

Two things grabbed my attention: Phenomenal acceleration - FOUR seconds to reach 62mph,  50-75mph 2.5secs, from two electric motors with a total output of 480bhp, and a range of 289 miles.

Wow factor interior styling backed up by high quality materials and trim which it should be with the Fun model costing £71,445 (more than two MG4s).