Headliners announced for this year's Fringe Festival

* Henge are one of the headliners at this year's Fringe.

* DJ Mr Scruff. Picture: Jake Warrington is also appearing.

The 26th Llangollen Fringe Festival takes place from July 7-15 and will feature a wide range of shows featuring comedy, music, dance, workshops and more.

Headlining acts announced include extra-terrestrial prog rock band Henge, who have been delighting audiences for the past seven years. 

Joining them is one of the most sought after rock groups Half Man Half Biscuit, described as, "Witty and dry, sardonic yet never cynical, melodically infectious yet edgy."

Producer, cartoonist and cross-genre selector Mr Scruff will also be joining the bill.  

His DJ sets can range from deep soul/funk/reggae/afro/jazz/latin/hip-hop to harder edged electro/house/new wave/techno/electronic, often all in the same night.

Paul Keddie, chairperson of the Llangollen Fringe, said: “It’s always a hugely exciting moment when the first set of Fringe shows are announced, and this year, it feels more important than ever to celebrate."

* Tickets for these headline shows are on sale now, as well as festival passes. Priced at just £70 the pass allows access to all of the main events across the nine days. 

Festival tickets and dates and times for all concerts and events are available from www.llangollenfringe.co.uk or by calling the Fringe box office: 0800 1455 779.

New hourly T8 bus service begins

Transport for Wales and Denbighshire County Council have announced a new hourly TrawsCymru T8 bus service between Corwen, Ruthin, Mold and Chester.

Starting earlier this week, the new T8 bus will offer more frequent and faster services, improving connectivity in the region and enabling passengers to travel without changing buses.

Transport for Wales is investing in public transport throughout Wales and the Borders and the TrawsCymru network is expanding and becoming more connected.

As part of these improvements, the new T8 will connect at Corwen with the T10 (Corwen - Betws y Coed - Bangor) and with more journeys on the T3 (Wrexham - Corwen - Bala - Dolgellau - Barmouth), creating a travelling interchange for customers.

The new bus service will be operated by M&H Coaches. The new TrawsCymru app and website provide customers with the ability to purchase mobile tickets, get up-to-date information, track services and the opportunity to see carbon savings from using public transport.

New timetables are available on Traveline and the TrawsCymru website.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with a responsibility for transport, Lee Waters said: “An hourly bus service will make a real difference to bus users in the area and will help to encourage more people to use public transport to get about. This is part of the Welsh Government’s investment in north Wales and future developments are being looked at by our North Wales Transport Commission led by Lord Burns.”

Lee Robinson, Development Director Mid, North and Rural Wales said: "The T8 is the latest in a number of improvements to regional bus services across Wales. TfW is committed to improving accessibility and connectivity for Wales’ country towns that are not on the rail network and we look forward to all the benefits the new T8 will bring."

Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Barry Mellor, said: "The T8 represents a remarkable opportunity to improve the travel opportunities for residents in south Denbighshire. In future, they will benefit not just from an increase in frequency but improved through-services and connections. It will also allow those travelling from England to access leisure and visitor opportunities in Wales."

Wales walking book launched at Plas Newydd

* Howard Sutcliffe of the AONB, author Julie Brominicks, and Sian from Courtyard Books, Llangollen

A new walking book exploring Wales was recently launched at Plas Newydd, Llangollen.

Author Julie Brominicks, of Machynlleth, travelled to Llangollen to treat visitors to Plas Newydd with snippets of her new adventure filled book, ‘The Edge of Cymru’.

Having left her job as a teacher, in the course of a year Julie Brominicks walked around the edge of Wales via the Wales Coastal Path and Offas Dyke path.

As an English incomer and a Welsh learner with a long association with the country, she was interested in what Wales meant, and how she did, or didn’t, fit.

Julie, who is also a regular contributor to BBC Countryfile Magazine, said: “The book is a travel narrative, detailing encounters with the people, landscape and wildlife I met. At the same time, it traces a journey back through time, from Devolution to Evolution, because I was feeling uneasy about being an English incomer, and wanted to find out more about Cymru's language, culture, natural and social history.”

Howard Sutcliffe, Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB Officer and Ranger Service Manager, said: “I loved the day, it is the first time we have promoted an author and somewhat of a learning curve, we will definitely do it again for Welsh Authors who explore and celebrate our landscape. Especially pleasing was a couple of the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley who travelled all the way from Liverpool to the launch!”

Cllr Win-Mullen James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “The AONB were delighted to host the launch of book which was held at Plas Newydd Historic House & Gardens, Llangollen. Julie provided some very interesting background information before signing copies of the book for attendees.”

Visitors to Loggerheads Country Park Visitor Centre or Courtyard Books in Llangollen can purchase a copy of ‘The Edge of Cymru’.

Ethan takes final role before bidding farewell to Young 'Uns

* Ethan Le Cheminant, in his final role as Gomez Addams, with Heledd Edwards who plays Morticia. Below: Ethan without make-up.

* Another atmospheric scene from the Addams Family.

One of the stars of Llangollen Operatic junior section’s smash-hit shows of the past few years will take his final bow after playing a lead role in their new musical.

For the Young ‘Uns Ethan Le Cheminant has been Danny in Grease, Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz and Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, where he jointly won the best performer award with Celyn Orton-Jones for Audrey.

He’s now packing away his costumes for the final time as he leaves the group to study maths at university.

But not before he takes on his final leading role as Gomez Addams in their production of the Addams Family, which runs at Llangollen Town Hall from February 16-18 with a matinee at 2pm on the Saturday and all other performances at 7.30pm.    

Ethan said: “Young ‘Uns to me has been a place where I've learnt how to express myself creatively and have the confidence to then go and show that to everyone.

“It’s been a place where I've made many what I hope are going to be lifelong friends and been able to do shows and performances that I didn't know I was capable of.

“My favourite part of Young ‘Uns is always show weeks, all the excitement and hard work coming together for us to put out there to everyone, and the bitter-sweet ending of when it’s all over.

“Being able to go out and perform with some of my closest friends has been amazing and the most enjoyable part.”

He added: “Highlight was the Friday night show of Little Shop of Horrors. Most things that could've gone wrong did go wrong, a chair that should've stayed still moving, the plant pot not being stuck in place, the gun not going off straight away, all manner of chaos and yet somehow we still put on in my opinion an amazing show.

“I’m going to miss the people in Young ‘Uns the most - my fellow cast members I've gone all through my teenage years acting with.

“I’m going to miss my directors, Jo and Robin, who put in countless hours with me over the years perfecting parts and have been there as a pillar to go to whenever I needed support either with the show or just in general terms.

“I'll miss our Musical Director, Julian, who again has put in countless hours going over songs with me and bringing me along as a musician, and also being someone to nerd out to about music that I'd heard, someone I could talk to about the thing I’m most passionate about.

“And I'll miss our Producer, Pam, who has essentially been my stage mum since all the way back when I did Grease in 2019. She’s been there and has supported me the whole way through my Young ‘Uns journey, just like all of our production crew have.”

Producer Pam Williams said: “We will miss him incredibly but wish him well in everything he does.” 

The Addams Family will have a live nine-piece band and a cast of 27 including 10 principals ranging in age from nine to 18.

Co-artistic directors are Robin Crowley and Jo Lloyd, Producer is Pamela Williams, Assistant Producer Dee Smith and Musical Director Julian Cattley.

The cast is: Ethan Le Cheminant (Gomez Addams), Heledd Edwards (Morticia Addams), Katie Clark (Wednesday Addams), Ethan Roberts (Uncle Fester), Dylan Harrison (Pugsley Addams), Sam Gonzalez Jones (Lurch), Gracie Broadhurst (Grandma Addams), Leri Roberts (Alice Beineke), Will Robinson (Mal Beineke) and Freya Mortimer (Lucas Beineke).

Pam Williams said rehearsals are going really well with everyone putting in 100% to ensure that this very difficult and complex show is another hit.

She added: “The musical numbers are not well known but as soon as you hear them you fall in love with them and can't get them out of your head.

"The fact that there's a series called Wednesday, about the Addams' daughter, running now on Netflix makes our show very current."

* Tickets for the Addams Family, which are selling quickly, are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollenoperaticsociety and also from Jades, Oggies and the Tourist Information Centre at £12 and £10.

Town Council to host area's first Death Cafe

Tea, cake and ... death will be on the agenda for a meeting at Llangollen Town Hall later this month.

Charlie Jones, facilities officer for the Town Council, has come up with the idea of hosting a free-to-enter Death Cafe there on the afternoon of January 31.

A Death Cafe is a scheduled non-profit get-together for the purpose of talking about death over food and drink, usually tea and cake.

The aim of these non-profit groups is to educate and help others become more familiar with the end of life.

The idea originates with the Swiss sociologist and anthropologist Dr Bernard Crettaz, who organised the first "café mortel" in 2004.

Jon Underwood, a UK web developer, was inspired by Crettaz's work and developed the Death Cafe model in 2011.

There are currently almost 3,000 Death Cafes listed in United Kingdom and over 15,000 in countries across the world.

Charlie Jones said: "The Death Cafe has become an international movement and they help people to talk more easily about death.

"The Death Cafe is not a bereavement session just a place to have a chat over tea and cake.

"We hope people will consider coming along."

The Llangollen Death Cafe will be held at the Town Hall between 4.30 and 6.30pm on Tuesday January 31.

* For more details, email: facilities@llangollentowncouncil.gov.uk

Crane lifts roof frames for new Corwen station into place

 

* Nearly there ... the frame is guided onto the station roof.

* Steady now ... the frame about to be fixed in place.

* The 51-metre crane towers above the Corwen car park.

* This the superb aerial drone shot was captured by LR volunteer Richard Walliker, a qualified drone pilot with full permission to be onsite, and Wayne Ronnenback, Corwen Stationmaster.

* The Railway Trust team anxiously watches the process from the ground.

Another vital stop along the route to opening the new Corwen Station for Llangollen Railway’s trains was reached this morning (Tuesday) as the first of the huge metal frames to support the roof was lifted carefully into place by a towering crane.

At a total cost of around £1.25m, volunteers at the heritage railway have spent the last eight years working on extending the line through the Dee Valley from Llangollen to its final terminus in Corwen.

The new station, which has been under construction for the past year or so, is now heading for completion in time for when the entire line opens to the public in what is expected by railway bosses to be the second quarter of this year.

Richard Abbott, health and safety director for the Trust which has run the railway since it emerged from liquidation and the Covid lockdowns last year, said: “The pillars and subframe of the station are already in place and today our specialist contractors, Plant & Robinson Construction Ltd, began the job of adding the roof canopy frames.

“The 26 frames, each weighing just under one ton, will be delivered to the site by our suppliers based just outside Wrexham and lifted into place by a 51-metre-high crane we have hired for the job.

“Before being lifted into position each of the frames is being assembled from their 11 component parts by the contractors’ team and the whole job should take the next few days to complete.

“The next phase of the work is to fit the roof cladding.”

Railway chairman Phil Coles, who was watching the process along with fellow Trust members, said: “This is another important step in the extension of the line to Corwen, which has now been going on for eight years.

“The canopy has been paid for by the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, administered by Denbighshire County Council, while the Welsh Government paid for the new station platform. The rest of the money has come from donations to the Trust over a number of years.

“So far we have spent just over £1m and the total cost of extending the line here from Corwen East is expected to be £1.25m.

“What has been done so far is a marvellous achievement and lots of the work has been handled by our volunteers who have an average age of 67, with some of them in their late seventies.    

“We are hopeful that the line to Corwen will finally be open to the public by the second quarter of this year.”       

Leaking roof crisis at museum leads to salvage operation

* Tidy Town Team volunteers move boxes of exhibits from the museum to the old courthouse across Parade Street.

Volunteers from Llangollen Tidy Town team moved into to prevent priceless artefacts at the town’s museum being damaged by rainwater pouring in from a defective roof.  

The dozen-strong group carefully moved dozens of items, including some 4,000-year-old Bronze Age bones and a Bible dating back two centuries, to a safe temporary home in a storage area at the old courthouse just across Parade Street on Monday morning.

The salvage operation was necessary because the vaulted roof in the 50-year-old circular museum building is now in such a dire state of repair that worried trustees say completely replacing it has become the only option.

But to secure grant aid for the work they are first aiming to acquire the building from its present owners, Denbighshire County Council, from whom they have been renting the former Llangollen Library for the past 20 or so years   

Museum trustee David Crane said: “We’ve been having major problems with the roof for some time but things have recently become much worse due to all the heavy rain.

“Water has been building up on the roof and then pouring in through one of the skylights which surround the roof.

“A roofing expert who looked at it for us said the roof was like a swimming pool and would cost more to keep on repairing than having the whole thing replaced.

“Another problem with the way the place is designed is that the drains from the roof run inside the building rather than on the outside.”

He added: “We have had to look at a number of options, including moving out of this building. But finding somewhere else to go and then moving our entire collection would not be easy.

“We have therefore come up with a plan to buy the building from the county council and at the same time apply for grant aid to cover the cost of renewing the roof.

“We estimate that the purchase and roof renewal would cost in the region of £130,000-£150,000 in total.

“We are hopeful of being able to get external funding but if we aren’t successful the only thing left would be to close the museum, which means the town would lose a very valuable asset.”

The Tidy Town Team, led by David Davies, formed a human chain to move a large number of boxes containing valuable exhibits from two storerooms on the museum’s upper floor,  which are most at risk of water damage, just across the road to the old courthouse.     

Another museum trustee Suzanne Evans said, so far, none of these artefacts, including Bronze Age bones found in the hills near Llangollen, a 200-year-old family Bible and a rare map of properties on the Chirk Castle estate, had been damaged in any way but were being moved before the rainwater reached them.

Trustees say that, despite their ongoing battle with the roof, the museum, which is one of the largest independent and accredited ones of its type in the county, would hopefully be opening again to the public following its Christmas break early in February.       

Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards, who helped the Tidy Town Team with the salvage operation, said: "Llangollen Museum is a major asset to the town of Llangollen, providing an invaluable service to our community. 

"It was heartening yesterday to see the community come together to help the museum temporarily relocate their collections in order to safeguard them for the future. 

"I wholeheartedly support their efforts to establish a safe space for the future of our town museum."