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Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Sion Corn snapped on his way to Christmas Festival

* Narrow boat: OK if the canal doesn't freeze over.


* Tuk tuk: Think Rudolf may be faster.

Sion Corn has been spotted by local photographers on a number of occasions over the past couple of days trying out different ways of getting to Llangollen in time for the big Christmas Festival on Saturday November 26. 

Bronwen and Mayuri  have caught sight of him at the Horseshoe Falls, attempting to board a tuk tuk and a canal narrow boat. 

We’re not sure which one he settled on in the end but he guarantees he’ll be there to help people enjoy all the festival fun in just over a week’s time.

The popular festival makes a welcome return the Saturday after next 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." 

Roadworks planned for Berwyn Street

Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:

 

Berwyn Street, Denbighshire


24 November - 30 November

 

Roadworks, Delays unlikely

 

Traffic management: No carriageway incursion

 

Description: SUPPLY TO FEED CABINET FOR CARPARK EV CHARGER - EXCAVATE MAINS BREECH JOINTBAY AND 7M TRACK IN FOOT...

 

Works location: Outside Bronallt

 

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 SP Energy Networks.

 

Responsibility for works: SP Energy Networks

 

Current status: Planned work about to start

 

Works reference: GY0022101135295

 

 



Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Llangollen Railway features on TV's Antiques Road Trip

* Railway chairman Phil Coles, centre, with Gethin Jones and Irita Marriott after their trip to Carrog. Picture by Llangollen Railway.

Llangollen Railway will be featuring on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip this evening (Tuesday).

The heritage attraction will be spotlighted on the show which will be broadcast on BBC2 at 8pm. 

The programme sees celebrities and antiques experts set off on a road trip around the UK searching for treasures and competing to make the most money at auction.

On this episode, presenter Gethin Jones and TV doctor Xand Van Tulleken battle to hunt out the finest antique treasures as they cruise across the Welsh border in a couple of classic American motors, guided by experts Irita Marriott and Serhat Ahmet.

Xand and Serhat discover their shared love of ceramics and set out to find the perfect piece to take to auction, while Irita hopes Gethin’s command of the Welsh language will give them an advantage. And there are mind games in the battle of the porcelain pigs. 

Taking a break from shopping, Gethin and Irita take a train ride on Llangollen Railway to Carrog to learn about Wales’s railway history.

Meanwhile, the other pair head to Chester to discover the impact the Romans had on Britain’s pottery production, and amateur potter Xand tries his hand at throwing a pot just like an ancient Roman.

Joint effort sees Christmas Tree located in town square


* The SG Estates team lift the tree into place in Centenary Square.


* The final touches is put to the tree's position.

A house building firm came to the rescue when volunteers were having trouble hoisting a Christmas tree in the town square yesterday morning (Monday).

SG Estates, which is working on the new homes development at Maes Helyg, sent out a team equipped with a heavy lifting machine when they were asked for urgent assistance with the heavy fir which is now firmly fixed in Centenary Square in time for the town’s Christmas Festival on Saturday.  

John Palmer, who one of the volunteers involved, said: “The call recently went out on social media for a tree to be located in the square.

“This was spotted by Bethan Mascarenhas who runs the Old Vicarage care home. She decided to donate a tree from land near her home just outside Llangollen and it was then up to a group of us to pick it up and bring it into town.

“I joined about half a dozen others others from the Tidy Town Team and although we managed to get it into the square it was so heavy that we didn’t have a chance of lifting it into place using just muscle power.

“I knew we needed a machine to help us, so I nipped around to the SG Estates works compound and just asked if they could help.”

He added: “They didn’t hesitate and sent round some guys with a heavy lifting machine straight away.

“Back in the square they just picked up the tree and hoisted it into place. They really came to our rescue when we needed them most. There’s no way we could have done it without them.

“It’s great that the tree is now in place in time for the Christmas Festival on Saturday and the switch-on of the town’s lights just after it goes dark.

“It was a real joint effort and I’d like to thank everyone involved.”   

Isuzu's upmarket pick-up has real class



Isuzu D-Max drive by Steve Rogers

Who cares about pick-ups apart from farmers and traders?

Why would anyone, other than a farmer or a tradesman, want to be transported in a truck with a noisy engine and a ride like a bucking bronco?

Think again. The pick-up market has gone upmarket and is no longer just for scrambling across boggy fields or hauling building rubble. The young and the middle aged, or life stylers as the industry calls them, are spending £40,000 even £50,000 on jazzed up 4x4s to take them on their adventures.

The pick up is not as comfortable as an SUV but with a double cab and hard top for the load area you want for nothing sharing all the luxury trappings of a plush sports utility.

The market has had a bumpy ride over the last couple of years with key players pulling out, unwilling to pay fines for failing to meet the Government’s emissions regulations. For the four left that means a bigger slice of the pick-up cake which is music to the ears of smaller companies like Isuzu. Its reputation is built on rugged, go anywhere, do any job off roaders, but it saw how the market was moving and expanded the D-Max range to broaden its appeal.

It is still a way behind leaders Ford and Toyota on popularity but expects to have doubled sales by 2025 to 10,000 a year. The surge in demand is being fuelled by the top end V-Cross lifestyle model which is the best selling D-Max.

Not that Isuzu has forgotten about its bread and butter market. The Utility range is for farmers and tradesmen and compared with the V-Cross has been stripped down although not to the bare bones. It is competitively priced at £25,792 for a single cab two wheel drive with the all wheel drive coming in at £28,192.

Since its launch in 2012 the Utility has been the bedrock of the range and has proved its worth winning a string of 4x4 awards.

It comes with a strong CV capable of towing 3.5 tonnes and carrying 1.120 tonnes helped along by a capable 1.9 litre turbo diesel although it is down on power compared with its main rivals. I didn’t get to tow that sort of weight, or fill the load area, but it felt capable. The engine note is agricultural, but that is par for the course with a four cylinder engine in a pick-up.

Running costs are key when the vehicle becomes a business proposition and here D-Max is strong. My eyebrows raised when I noticed the second trip computer had recorded 40mpg for the last 2734 miles. Granted, the miles would have been covered by motoring writers not farmers towing horse boxes and the like but that is impressive and during my week’s motoring D-Max never dropped below 36mpg easily beating the official figure.

Isuzu has not been tempted to go with a bigger, more powerful engine option like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux and that is what keeps it keenly priced, particularly if the flashy V-Cross model is on the shopping list.

Base model or not the Utility comes with an impressive list of standard kit that includes all round electric windows, auto dipping headlights and automatic wipers, cruise control and a reasonable amount of driver safety features including an emergency call button.

There is no reversing camera but cross traffic alert warns of approaching traffic when pulling out of a parking space.

The only irritation is the radio which is old fashioned by today’s standards and proved a real handful to fathom. It’s DAB but the signal comes in from a roof aerial from the bygone days and is weak, often dropping out and with a limited station reach. It redeemed itself with a CD player, I can’t remember the last time I saw one in a car.

Even though the bread and butter end of the market is down 40 per cent - farmers and tradesmen are hanging on to their 4x4s longer as they battle rising costs - demand for D-Max is outstripping supply with fleet sales up 50 per cent.

Isuzu bosses take the view that when the market recovers there will not be so many pick ups around to share the spoils. Unfortunately Ford, Toyota and Ssangyong will have the same thought.

Fast facts

D-Max Utility cab

£29,992

1.9 litre diesel 6sp manual; 162bhp

0-62mph 12.7secs; 112mph

33.6mpg combined

Emissions: 220g/km

Towing: 3.5 tonne

Payload 1.120kg

Insurance group 50

 




Monday, November 21, 2022

Christmas quiz for Cancer Research UK ready to begin

 


For the 16th year Llangollen Round will be producing a Christmas quiz on behalf of Cancer Research UK. 

Spokesperson Judith Smith said: "Once again it should be fun for all the family and you could even consider including it in Christmas cards to friends.  

"From Saturday November 26 copies, for £1, will be obtainable from the Tourist Information Centre in Castle Street.  

"Thank you for your support and good luck!"

Latest local roadworks alerts

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

Heol y Farchnad / Market Street MARKET STREET 26/11/2022 26/11/2022 Digwyddiad ar y Priffordd/ Event on the Highway LLANGOLLEN TOWN COUN LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall street Llangollen HALL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Atal Parcio / Parking Suspension Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall street Llangollen HALL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Atal Parcio / Parking Suspension Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Chapel Street CHAPEL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Un Ffordd/ One Way

OPPOSITE 3 HILL STREET HILL STREET 21/10/2022 21/10/2023 Gwaith ar Dwll Archwilio/ Man Hole Works MJ QUINN (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

JUNCTION OF A5T FROM AREA BOUNDARY TO QUEEN STREET, MAESMAWR ROAD MAESMAWR ROAD 21/11/2022 23/11/2022 Torri Coed / Tree Cutting MJ QUINN (CALUM) LLANGOLLEN

Wrth / Nr Winton ABBEY ROAD 24/11/2022 01/12/2022 Gwaith Trydanol / Electrical Works O'CONNOR UTILITIES (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A542 Bryn Dethol Road BRYN DETHOL ROAD FROM A5 TO MAESMAWR ROAD 28/11/2022 02/12/2022 Gwaith Draenio / Drainage Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Wrth / Nr THE GLEN, A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD 24/11/2022 28/11/2022 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN (CALUM) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights.