Latest Citizens Advice column

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is: 

Q: Last year I fell for a scam when I was doing my Christmas shopping. The scam was clever. I thought I was getting a good deal but didn't realise I was being scammed until it was too late. How can I avoid the same thing happening again this year? 

A: Scammers’ tactics become more sophisticated every year, making scams tricky to recognise, but there are things you can look out for. 

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. For example, tickets to an event that are much cheaper than they’re being sold elsewhere, or a holiday that’s a lot less than you’d expect to pay. 

Be wary of people contacting you out of the blue on social media sites or via text and email offering an item for sale or deal on something. 

Do your research. If you’re buying from a website you haven’t used before, spend a few minutes researching it. A good place to start is finding a website’s terms and conditions. You should also look up the company’s address, this can normally be found in the website’s ‘contact us’ section and should have a street name, not just a post office box. If it’s a registered UK company you can check its details on the Companies House website. 

Check to see what people have said about the company. It’s worth looking at different review websites to see other people’s feedback – don’t rely on reviews the company has put on its own website. 

Scammers will often ask you to pay in an unusual way, or very quickly. For example, you’re asked to send money through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union or pay via vouchers. 

Remember never give away your personal information like a password or PIN and never click on or download anything you don't trust. 

To find out about scams across the country, you can sign up to the Trading Standards email alert on their website. 

If you've been scammed, there are organisations you should report the scam to.  

If you’ve transferred money in the last 24 hours, speak to your bank and the police. You should also contact the police if the scammer is in your area or you feel unsafe. You can also report the scam to Citizens Advice and Action Fraud. 

Don't feel embarrassed about reporting a scam – scammers are clever and it can happen to anyone. 

Reporting a scam helps track down and stop scammers, helping to prevent it from happening to others too. 

Audi A4 brings a touch of class to the estate

Audi A4 Avant drive by Steve Rogers

There was a time when the go to car for hauling luggage, furniture, anything really, was an estate.

Go back 30 odd years and the car of choice was a Volvo 850, the ‘box on wheels’, which counted for half the UK’s estate market, but come the new millennium the ‘boxes’ turned into stylish machines with names like Sportwagon, Touring, Avant and Shooting brake.

Leading the way was Alfa Romeo with the 156 Sportwagon, so sleek it looked better than the beautiful saloon. That said it was not at all practical and very much style over substance.

Now you feel sorry for sales people trying to shift an estate because everyone wants to buy an SUV, yet an estate is much nicer to drive and there are some cracking examples on the market.

If an estate with a posh badge still takes your fancy then head for an Audi showroom and seek out an Avant. A6 is the big boy, A4 a little more compact and there is an abundance of models although the emphasis on sporty has dwindled. Audi is putting the lion’s share of its efforts into electric models.

Not that the German marque has completely turned its back on performance. You can still get the RS badge and a reminder of the power crazed days when Audi battled for bragging rights with BMW. In the game of speed every fraction of a second counts and the four rings nearly always edged it.

Now the focus is on heavyweight horse power from smaller engines and this A4 Avant is a case in point. Normally I would favour diesel - Audi will still supply a diesel model - but with the spiralling cost gap over petrol, along with a general reluctance, the 2-litre petrol is a sensible and rewarding alternative.

Performance is on the money with a sprint to sixty taking around seven seconds but, more significantly, so is economy. Who would have thought 50mpg was achievable from a 200bhp motor? Well I got 51mpg on a round trip and averaged 46mpg over a week’s driving.

As an estate A4 fairs well on space against its premium rivals although none can match the incredible Skoda Superb which comes from the same family and is easier on the bank account.

Avant has a low sill, wide aperture with the powered tailgate open, minimal wheel arch intrusion, flat load area, reversible boot floor (handy for muddy boots or a wet dog) and an excellent retractable boot cover. That pretty much covers everything you want from a load lugger.

How many times over the last four decades have I written ‘no one can trim a premium car like Audi’, and nothing has changed. The cabin is dripping in quality, has superb build quality with every detail meticulously executed.

Audi’s mantra Vorsprung durch Technik (keeping ahead through technology) lives on particularly with the multi media interface, that’s the bag of tricks that controls navigation, Bluetooth, phone app connections, you name it, it does it.

The updated system is touchscreen, a sophisticated piece of kit with lightening response and ultra sharp graphics, you can even use a finger to scribble a navigation postcode, but I still believe ditching the rotary controller a backward step. Why not have both, like BMW and Mazda?

Audi would probably suggest using voice control for radio and navigation commands which, I admit, is very efficient. At least the separate climate control functions are neatly laid out with tactile switches.

It is hardly a surprise that A4 is a comfortable place for driver and passengers even if those in the back are a bit tight on legroom, something that has never been adequately sorted. There is barely any wind or road noise and ride comfort is now spot on.

This is the Sport edition with a choice of drive modes but don’t get too excited as there is little benefit switching to the sport setting. If sharper handling is your bag then go for S Line or an RS model.

As a premium brand you pay premium prices for A4, but once on the road you get the satisfaction that it is worth it.

Fast facts

A4 Avant Sport 40 TFSI

£40,840

2-litre 200bhp; 7sp S tronic

0-62mph 7.3secs; 130mph

43mpg combined

148g/km. 1st tax £230

Boot: 495-1495 litres

Insurance group 27

  

Sion Corn checks his route to town's Christmas Festival

* Sion Corn at Lapland Station - or Carrog as it's usually known. Picture by Richard Walliker.

Sion Corn looked a little confused when he turned up on Llangollen Railway as part of his task to work out the best route to the town's Christmas festival in just a few weeks' time.

Because when he stopped off at Carrog he found the signboard showing 'Lapland' which is of course his legendary home near the North Pole. 

But it was soon explained to him by railway volunteers that Lapland is traditionally re-created at Carrog for when their Santa Special trains come rolling through at Christmas-time.

The town's Christmas festival is making a welcome return on Saturday November 26 after a three-year break due to the pandemic.

A spokesperson said: "We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible to mark the start of the town’s seasonal preparations. 

"There will be a Grand Parade starting from the Pavilion ground at 1pm and proceeding to the Town Hall for the official opening where Sion Corn - the Welsh Father Christmas - will stay for the afternoon to meet and greet as many of his friends as wish to do so at the start of his busiest part of the year.

"There will be lots to do for children old and young and a wide range of seasonal treats and activities.

"At the end of the afternoon there will be the usual firework display at which time the town's Christmas lights will also be switched on.

"Sion Corn will once again be dressed in his traditional green as he makes his preparations and is already planning his visit. 

"After three years he has lots to do as he decides how to make the journey as rapidly as possible."

Dementia Friends information session to be held at Town Hall

 

Llangollen Round's Judy Smith is Inner Wheel guest speaker

* Inner Wheel members present a cheque for Cancer Research

to Judy Smith of Llangollen Round.

Last Wednesday evening Llangollen Inner Wheel were pleased to have as their guest speaker Judy Smith of Llangollen Round. 

She told members how she got her first ideas of setting up the round when she had damaged her foot and was unable to walk. 

With the help of her husband and her friend, Sandra Woodall, she got the first event off the ground.

This initial idea has grown from the first year raising a few hundred pounds for Cancer Research and being supported by local enthusiasts to this year raising more than £100,000 attracting participants from all over the country.

The planning and running of the event is supported by many local companies and more then 100 volunteers, who man checkpoints, make cakes and help with catering etc.

Members were pleased to make a donation to Cancer Research

Primary schools' plan to make their roundabout safer

* The roundabout in front of the two schools. Picture from Google.

Llangollen’s two primary schools have been in touch with parents to tell them about plans to make the roundabout in front of their buildings safer to negotiate from next Monday.

A letter sent out by the children’s school councils at Ysgol Bryn Collen and Ysgol Y Gwernant outlines the plan to restrict use of the roundabout to 30 minutes in the mornings and 45 minutes in the afternoons for dropping off and picking up children, with only certain vehicles allowed to park and wait.

The letter also explains that the schools are working with the county’s traffic team to create a special area on the roundabout to help keep children, parents and carers safe as they head to and from lessons.

The letter says the school council has been working with head teachers and governors at both schools to find a way to make the roundabout “safer at drop off and pick up times”.

Areas which have been discussed, say the children, are the number of cars parking in the wrong places, especially on triple yellow lines; the number of people parking in taxi bays; how people can travel more safely to the schools and how to “try to fix the problem before there is a serious accident”.

“We have also seen that many parents and carers feel the same way that we do, and agree that something needs to be done. So we need your help,” they add.  

The councils advise therefore that from Monday November 7 “no-one will be allowed to park and get out, or park and wait on the roundabout at all. The only vehicles allowed to park and wait will be taxis, minibuses, coaches and blue badge holders”.

Drop and go times, they say, will be between 8.30 and 9am in the mornings and 2.45 and 3.30pm in the afternoons.

The letter to parents adds: “We are working with the traffic team in Denbighshire to help us to allow children and parents/carers who work, bike or scoot to school to travel safely into school.

“We would like a special area on the roundabout to keep them safe. To do this we need to get help from Highways and the planning team. We will let you know when we get more information on this.

“We hope you agree that these very small changes will make a huge difference and that with your help, you can make drop off and pick up times a safer place for both schools. If you would like to talk about these changes with your school, please contact your school directly.”

County launches Free After Three seasonal parking scheme

* Market Street is one of Llangollen's car parks where it will be Free After Three in the run-up to Christmas. 

Denbighshire County Council will once again be running the ‘Free After Three’ parking scheme in the run-up to Christmas.  

Between November 21 and December 31, council-run town centre car parks - including four in Llangollen - will be free to use across Denbighshire every day from 3pm to encourage more people to use their local high street for shopping.

The Free After Three initiative will be available in the following car parks: 

1. Corwen - Green Lane
2. Denbigh - Barkers Well Lane (multi-storey), Factory Ward, Crown Lane, Post Office Lane and Vale Street
3. Llangollen - Market Street, East Street, Hall Street and Mill Street
4. Prestatyn - Lower High Street, Kings Avenue and Railway Station
5. Rhuddlan - Parliament Street
6. Rhyl – Central (underground), Morley Road, Sky Tower, West Kinmel Street, Town Hall, Railway Station
7. Ruthin - Market Street, Park Road, Crispin Yard, Troed Y Rhiw, Rhos Street, St Peters Square and Dog Lane
8. St Asaph - Bowling Green

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said: “Free after 3 has proved popular in previous years because it is a great scheme that enables residents to support their local communities. 

“We hope that everyone supports our local high streets and back our businesses, especially in the run-up to Christmas and take full advantage of the benefits of the scheme by using the county’s town centre car parks free of charge.”