Young film-makers of Ysgol Y Gwernant take a bow

* The film-making team from Ysgol Y Gwernant are presented with the framed poster by Cllr Win Mullen-Davies (far left).

Llangollen Town Hall took on the appearance of Hollywood on Tuesday evening when a group of young film-makers from Ysgol Y Gwernant made their glittering debut at a Night on the Red Carpet.

Under the guidance of experts, a group of talented pupils from the Year 6 class recently made a short film entitled 'A Time Travel Adventure: Discovering Castell Dinas Brân’s Camera Obscura, 1869 - 1910' which tells the fascinating tale of how Llangollen's ancient castle developed into a popular tourist area during the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

The team worked hard to research, film and act in the movie that was made in collaboration with the Your Picturesque Landscape team of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It has both English and Welsh language versions.

Howard Sutcliffe, lead officer of the AONB, said that ever since it was set up 10 years ago it had been their ambition to have a project like this and it was great that it had now gone ahead.

He added that the Ysgol Y Gwernant team had done an "absolutely fantastic job" on every aspect of the film.

Councillor Win Mullen-James, Denbighshire County Council cabinet member for the AONB, said the film showed what a talented group of people Llangollen has.

And she presented the whole group with a framed poster depicting highlights of the AONB - one of six, copies of which are available in Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.

The evening also saw the launch of the AONB's own short film, "An Animated History of the Dee Valley" which tells the story of our picturesque landscape by sweeping across the valley, depicting the changes to the landscape and historic features through the centuries.

* A briefing from a man from the past is one scene from the film.

* A black and white sequence shows how the film dips back into Victorian times.

  * Pupils of the present-day discover details of Castell Dinas Bran's rich past.

* A top-hatted character helps tell the tale.

* A bearded Llangollen resident knows a thing or two about the castle.

* ... and so does this local workman from a different time.

* Edwardian children at play near the castle in another scene from the film.

Latest Citizens Advice column

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is:

Q: I’ve been offered, and accepted a new job. The new company wants me to start as soon as possible but we’re really short-staffed where I am now and I don’t know how soon I’ll be allowed to leave. How should I bring all this up with my boss?  

A: Congratulations on your new role! It can feel awkward telling your employer you’re moving on but there are set processes in place. The time between telling your employer you’ve found a new position and you actually leaving is known as your notice period. 

 

If you’ve been in your current job for less than one month, you won’t have to give any notice period (unless your contract says otherwise). If it’s more than a month though, you have to give at least one week’s notice. Check what your contract says to find out how much notice you’ll be expected to give. 

 

If you don’t have a contract, and your employer has no written record of you agreeing to a notice period but you have been employed for more than a month you have to give at least one week’s notice. 

 

Although it may be tempting to hand in your resignation as soon as possible, it’s worth waiting until your new employer has confirmed your new employment, for example by signing your contract or by giving you a start date.

 

 It’s then best to give your resignation in writing (email is fine), so that you have a record of the date you told your employer. You can find guidance on how to do this on the Citizens Advice website, where we have a page on handing in your notice. 

Fixed-term contracts are a bit different, as you won’t need to give notice if you intend to leave on the last day of your contract. Leaving before the end of a fixed-term contract usually means giving at least one week’s notice, but again check your contract to see if this is different. 

Don’t forget about your holiday days during your notice period. If you have any unused annual leave, speak to your employer about either taking these during the notice period or being paid back for them in your final paycheck. 

Finally, sometimes people can change their mind about moving jobs or find their circumstances alter. If this happens to you, you should speak to your current employer to see what your options are and if you can stay in your current role.

Everyone’s situation is different, but if you face any challenges with an existing or potential employer, contact Citizens Advice for advice: 0800 144 8848 or visit our website pages about what to do when you’re leaving a job.

Ysgol Bryn Collen to be closed next Tuesday due to industrial action

Denbighshire County Council has sent out a notification that Ysgol Bryn Collen (Primary) in Llangollen will be closed next Tuesday February 14 due to industrial action by education staff.

Dinas Bran students get taste of world of work

Ysgol Dinas Bran students got a realistic taste of the future world of work recently.

Last Friday all of the school's Year 11s undertook a mock interview with a local employer.

The school says its aim is to raise career aspirations and introduce pupils to employers who can inspire, inform and motivate them.

Over 20 employers gave up their time to participate, including Airbus Careers, SP Energy Networks, Royal Navy Recruitment, A N Richards, Kronospan, Openreach The Open University, Excel Recruitment and Careers Wales.

On its Facebook page the school says: "The day was a complete success. Thank you to all of the employers who took part and to all of our students who were a credit to themselves and the school.

"We are all very proud of them and their impeccable behaviour."

Last-ditch case made for vital A483 improvements

Labour representatives have made a final-hour plea to the Welsh Government not to ditch crucial junction improvements on the A483.

Ahead of an imminent decision over road improvements across Wales, Clwyd South MS Ken Skates has met the Minister responsible for transport, Lee Waters, to press for ‘vital’ work to go ahead.

“The Welsh Government paused work on improvements to the A483 in order to consider them in the context of the climate emergency,” said Mr Skates.

“I’ve consistently argued that the improvements are vital in reducing emissions, safeguarding pedestrian safety on nearby roads and in ensuring buses can operate reliably.

“I have met the Deputy Minister again this week to call on him and Welsh Government to do what is right for the people of Wrexham County Borough and for the environment. It is vital that junction improvements along the A483 are progressed.”

He added: “This decision will impact on the lives of people living in local villages, towns and the city of Wrexham for years to come – a green light for the improvements is essential.”

It is hoped that the go-ahead for improvements at junctions 3-6 on the A483 would open the door for further work to improve junction 1 at Ruabon – and the Halton roundabout.

Cllr Frank Hemmings, who represents Chirk North, said: “I have written to the Minister in the past regarding the A483 improvements. This road is the heartbeat of North East Wales, linking to Mid Wales and the North West of England. We are seeing long delays between Ruabon and Halton on a daily basis, with traffic queueing for some distance either way and creating even more pollution.”

Cefn Mawr councillor Derek Wright said: “I fully support Ken on demanding urgent improvements to the A483. It’s simply unable to cope with the volume of traffic now using it. When you look at the money spent on the junction of the A483-A5 just south of Oswestry, why do we have to put up with the daily congestion in both directions all the way to the Post House roundabout south of Chester?”

Cllr Gary Brown (Brymbo) added: "These improvements – especially for junction 4 – are long overdue, and remain key to unlocking the potential for sustainable growth in our communities to the west of the city centre. It’s vital that the Welsh Government plays its part in directing investment for a better future here in North Wales.”

Cllr Dana Davies, who represents Ruabon, is leader of the Wrexham Labour Group. She said: “Ken has argued all along that these improvements should go ahead, and we are 100% supportive.

“Improving junction 5 is extremely important to the delivery of the Wrexham Gateway project. Given the UK Government’s refusal to support the bid, any infrastructure improvements which can be delivered by the Welsh Government become even more vital.”

Cllr Davies added: “Not only would this project significantly enhance junctions 3-6 and alleviate the near-gridlock we see at peak times, it could then lead to work to improve junction 1 at Ruabon and the Halton roundabout. It’s crucial for our area and we are praying our pleas will be listened to.”

Llan Ramblers enjoy morning hike around Erddig

Llangollen Ramblers enjoyed the sunshine on a morning hike around Erddig last week.

* If you're interested in joining them  - and they say you'd be very welcome - contact Judy Smith on smithdinbren@gmail.com

Lexus could be hybrid for you - if you can afford it

Lexus NX 450+ drive by Steve Rogers

Car sales for the last year show we are starting to warm to hybrid and all electric power.

There is more choice and there are a few electric cars for under £30,000, still a lot of money, but it is progress. People tell me owning an electric car is appealing but are still anxious about charging away from home and that is a genuine concern

Who knows whether we will be ready for the switch over in 2030 but if I was changing cars now I would be looking at hybrid or, better still, plug-in hybrid and the car attracting the attention of those with enough money in the bank is the new Lexus NX 450+.

This is the first plug-in hybrid from Lexus and has left the motoring world asking why it has taken so long when parent company Toyota has more experience of alternative power than any other car company. Mitsubishi came up with a plug-in hybrid SUV eight years ago.

It’s here now and as far as electric range goes it is a world beater. With a light foot on the accelerator the NX has a range of up to 43 miles on the open road and could rise to more than 50 trundling around town. That is better than anyone, and the car self charges when the electric juice has run out. Another first.

NX quickly became the company’s best seller after its launch in 2014 but was always behind rivals like Audi Q5 and BMW X3 when it came to driving dynamics and technology. Well watch out boys because the new model is a belter and a half. The hybrid side is one thing but Lexus has gone to town on everything, vastly improving driving pleasure while the tech upgrade outguns its rivals.

The centre piece is a 14 inch touchscreen with clear graphics and razor sharp response. Cloud navigation gives live traffic updates and is the way to go given the challenge of navigation apps on smart phones.

The number of buttons has been reduced from 78 to 45 but there are still nice tactile switches for controlling the heating or changing the radio volume. The bit I needed more time to master are the touch sensitive buttons on the steering wheel. Hover over the switch and a graphic for a particular function appears in the head up display but is so fiddly to operate I gave up.

For pure ease try the voice control which is excellent for choosing a radio station, changing the heating, selecting a navigation destination or asking for a window to be opened.

One word describes the cabin - fabulous. You are spoilt rotten in every way, even the doors release electronically but pushing a button instead of pulling a lever actually takes a little time to master.

Volvo has been my benchmark for the most comfortable seats but the NX matches the Swede here and on the safety front. The Lexus cabin feels like a fortress with so many safety features detecting potential accidents, and with sensors and cameras surrounding the car you should never be at risk of scraping any part of the body.

They have even managed to sort out lane assist which I always turn off. It is now less sensitive and will not tug the car back when moving to overtake or driving close to a verge.

NX 450 is a powerful all wheel drive five door SUV with ridiculously high economy because of its electric range but when depleted do not expect to achieve more than high thirties on petrol power.

Ok the NX 450+ is out of reach of the majority but for those who can pay this sort of money it is good value against its premium rivals and with its low emissions an absolute tax steal for the company driver.

Fast Facts

NX 450+ Takumi

£62,050

2.5 litre petrol; 305bhp

0-62mph 6.3secs; 124mph

256-313mpg combined

26g/km. 1st tax £155

Insurance group 41

Boot 545-1436 litres