Tidy Town Team enjoys Christmas party

* Members of the Tidy Town Team enjoy their Christmas dinner at the golf club. 

Members of Llangollen Tidy Town Team, in which volunteers perform a range of outdoor work to benefit the community, celebrated another successful year at their Christmas party held in the Vale of Llangollen Golf Club.

The team's founder and leader David Davies told them that over the past year they had notched up the equivalent of 500 hours of work on projects ranging from litter picks in beauty spots such the Panorama to arranging for the Christmas tree to be erected in Centenary Square.

Since the team was set up in 2006 it had performed a total of 8,500 hours of work on behalf of the community, he added.

"If we value the 8,500 hours even at minimum wage (+employers NI and pension costs) I calculate contribution already over £100K."   

Councillor grits pavements himself because county will do 'zilch' he says

* Cllr Felton's Facebook post shows him gritting the pavement on the bridge.

A town councillor has taken to gritting pavements on the bridge himself after claiming the county council is doing "zilch" about how slippery they become when it freezes.

Scott Felton posted on Facebook this morning: "Just to be clear folks, absolutely nothing has so far happened to deal with the slippery conditions now being experienced as a result of the loony decisions to use that type of paving stone and other materials on Castle Street.

"The main issue seems to be the more exposed area of the street across the bridge. I'm led to believe DCC is fully aware of the issues but as residents can see, ziltch has happened.

"So, as a private individual but also as a town councillor, I have taken matters into my own hands and gritted the downstream pavement across the bridge from the Bridge End to Bridge Street."

He adds: "If peeps are concerned about the icy/slippery conditions, they should consider using this one pavement to cross the river. If I had the time, I'd have gritted both pavements.

"I know lots of people have taken to walking in the road preferring to battle the traffic rather than chance the icy pavement, but if you can avoid this please do so."

Llanblogger has asked Denbighshire County Council for a response. 

Plas Newydd to stage festive family fun day

Plas Newydd is hosting a festive day of family fun this Sunday (December 11) from 1-5pm.

The schedule will include:

• Illuminated grounds – As darkness falls, the switch-on of the illuminated gardens.
• Winter market – A selection of local crafters and small business stalls (don’t forget your cash!)
• Wave to Father Christmas as he makes a visit
• Christmas carols with Lleisiau’r Afon Choir.
• Festive family trail – Little ones can explore the grounds and hunt for clues on the garden trail.
• Wishing tree – Write your Christmas wish to hang on the tree and visit the Llangollen Food Share drop-off point.
• Christmas wreath and wooden reindeer workshop – Book a place on a traditional festive workshop (pre-booked via Eventbrite soon).
• Mulled wine and mince pies from the new shepherd’s hut.
• North Pole Postbox – Write and send your letter to Santa Claus.
• Kids craft station – Make your own Christmas decorations and eco-friendly reindeer food to sprinkle in your garden.
• See the stars – View the magical dark skies with telescopes and astronomy binoculars.

Organisers say that for the full illuminated effect, the grounds will be disabled parking only. They ask visitors to make use of the parking in town or to walk/cycle to the event. 

Welsh Farms to receive share of £62.5m payment scheme

* Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths.

Welsh farms will receive a share of £62.5 million as Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2022 full or balance payments are made tomorrow (Friday 9 December).

Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said payments are being made to over 14,400 farm businesses across Wales, which is 90% of claimants.

This is in addition to the £161m BPS advance payments made to 97% of claimants in October. This was the second year Rural Payments Wales (RPW) made automatic BPS advance payments in October following simplification of the BPS requirements.

Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths said: “I am pleased we are yet again making an impressive number of BPS payments to farms throughout Wales at the beginning of the payment window.

“We are living in challenging economic times and these payments provide some financial certainty to farm businesses.

“I want to thank both the sector and RPW who have once again worked closely to deliver the excellent number of BPS payments.

“The work continues to ensure remaining outstanding BPS 2022 claims are processed as soon as possible. I expect all but the most complex cases to be completed by the end of June 2023.”

Voting begins in church's Christmas tree festival

 

Railway's Santa Specials sold out - but try the Mince Pie trains

* George Jones took this picture showing the crowd getting off the first Santa Special as it returned from Lapland (Carrog) last Saturday.

Llangollen Railway’s Santa Special season has kicked off in fine style. 

Running throughout December weekends, including on Christmas Eve, all services are now completely sold out. 

As a result of the railway's annual appeal for new volunteers healthy numbers have come forward to staff the Santa Specials and make them a success. 

Trains are running to six fully-loaded coaches and are using a steam and diesel locomotive at either end of the train, which takes visitors to Lapland  - usually known as Carrog - whilst Santa visits every passenger with gifts for children during the journey. 

A small Christmas market also awaits visitors on Llangollen station.

All the railway’s stations have been festively decorated with lights and trees, with visitors commenting on how atmospheric the railway feels at this time of year, especially when the lights are wreathed in steam whilst their train waits in the station.   

For those looking for a trip out for some much-needed fresh air and Dee Valley scenery after Christmas indulgence, the railway's Mince Pie Specials will be running on 27th, 28th and 29th of December, with trains departing Llangollen at 11:00, 12:50 and 13:10. There will be no trains on the 30th.

* Tickets can be booked online via the railway's website at https://llangollen-railway.co.uk or purchased on the day. 

Adults will receive a mince pie and festive tipple, with children enjoying a sweet treat and drink.

Latest Citizens Advice column

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is:

Q: This time of year is always so expensive, with presents to buy and heating bills going up. I’ve seen offers for ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ when I’m doing online shopping. It seems like a good way to spread the cost of some of the things I need to get for my family but how can I make sure I don’t get into debt? 

A: With everything getting more expensive, this is a really difficult time for a lot of people, so it’s  sensible to be thinking about how you can manage. There are lots of things you can do to try and stay in control of your money. 

Before you start spending, work out exactly what money you have coming in and going out each month. Be realistic about what you need for essentials like food and travel. Take a look at the budgeting tool on the Citizens Advice website. This can help you set a budget you can stick to. 

You’ll also be able to find tips on how to reduce your regular living costs, which might be helpful if you’re struggling to keep within your budget. 

While it can be tempting to split payments with schemes like Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), you’ll need a plan to pay the money back. If you're using something like that repeatedly, you might be managing for now, but it could also be a sign that it's unaffordable in the long run. Keep a record of how much you owe in total. 

Always make sure you understand what you’re signing up for, how you’ll make the repayments and what will happen if you can’t pay on time. It’s important to check the returns process for both the retailer and credit provider. Paying through BNPL may also affect the cost of postage returns if you’ve ordered online. The riskiest thing about it is that you’re not guaranteed to be protected if something goes wrong. For example, you can’t go to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you have a complaint. 

If you find yourself turning to credit cards, your overdraft, or store cards for your spending, keep track of what you owe. You should prioritise paying your rent or mortgage, plus energy bills and Council Tax first, because not paying these has the most serious consequences. On the Citizens Advice website, you can find information on what bills to prioritise and how to manage debts. There’s also information on the support available for paying these and other bills. 

If, like many during this crisis, you find you can't afford to reduce your debts after paying your priority bills and essentials, seek advice as soon as possible. If you need specific support or don’t feel able to manage your situation alone, call our debt helpline: 0800 240 4420.