Railway highlights its volunteering opportunities

* Repairing  a 60-year old Class 26 locomotive’s traction motors (above) to dressing up as elves to help Santa for Christmas (below) are some of the volunteering opportunities on offer. 

Llangollen Railway will be launching new volunteer recruitment activities throughout this year.

It will also be hosting an inaugural open day on Saturday February 25 with the aim of showcasing volunteer opportunities across all areas of the railway.

A railway spokesperson said: "We have ambitious plans for 2023, with our brand new station in Corwen opening, a busy schedule of trains to run, a lot of improvement work scheduled on our track and infrastructure, teas, sandwiches and delicious cakes to make and serve, gardens to plant and tidy, stations to paint and popular special events like our Classic Transport weekend to run. 

"We also welcome people who would be interested in supporting the Business, Governance and Board management side of the railway. It’s a challenging but amazing time for us.

The spokesperson added: "Whatever you’re interested in doing, if you can spare any time, we will be taking you up on it.

"Of course, we welcome people with prior experience, transferable skills or specialist technical knowledge, but that is not vital. Enthusiasm, interest and commitment are far more important. 

"No prior knowledge, experience or skills are necessary for getting involved as a volunteer – in fact we actively encourage people to try something new or different from their day job – that’s what volunteering is all about. Whatever you may choose to have a go at, full training is provided, whether you’re looking after our passengers as they arrive or helping to rebuild a 90 year old steam locomotive.

"There really is something for everyone in the volunteering experience – be it front-of-house, back-of-house, somewhere in-between or a bit of everything.

"Many volunteers get involved in several different things - you’re not expected to stick to one job. You may see someone dressed as an elf at Christmas who is then getting stuck in to repairing the track. Whatever you want to try your hand at the only real requirement is to be safe and trained to do it - and be willing to get stuck in."

The railway says places are limited so potential volunteers are being encouraged to register as soon as possible by emailing vlo@llangollen-railway.co.uk or telephoning 01978 860979 during office hours.

Report on incident involving pedestrian in Queen Street this morning

The Denbighshire Free Press online has reported on an incident involving a pedestrian in Llangollen this morning (Monday).

* For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/23317829.incident-involving-pedestrian-lorry-llangollen/

Local appeal for supplies for Turkey earthquake zone continues

* The lorry carrying supplies for Turkey leaves Llangollen on Saturday.

As one convoy of vital supplies leaves Llangollen bound for the earthquake zone of Turkey, a fresh appeal for donations for the victims of the disaster is underway in the town.

Well-known local community champion Cat Meade says she and the Llangollen Support Group are now working with UareUK - United to Assist Refugees UK (Refugees North Wales and Overseas) and can therefore take further clothes donations.

Particularly needed are those for children, men and women, including socks, underwear and also toiletries.

Donations can be dropped at Wingetts in Castle Street, Llangollen until February 27, says Cat.

On Saturday Huseyin Duyar, manager of the Deeside Cafe in Castle Street, drove to Manchester with a truckload of clothing for Turkey. From there it was to be transferred to a larger lorry which would take it on to the devastated quake zone in Kahramanmaras, south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border.     

Huseyin is originally from the city of Diyarbakir which is only about half an hour’s drive from the epicentre of quake. 

Tens of thousands of people are thought to have been killed and thousands others injured in the disaster which has left many people homeless and in dire need of assistance of all kinds. 

Donations for his appeal came flooding in from the local community and even from as far away as Holyhead. 

Next Sunday Huseyin and three friends will be flying out to Turkey from Manchester Airport taking more supplies with them, paying for excess baggage.  

They will remain in the country for about five days, staying with friends, and are ready to help distribute the supplies to the affected areas if asked to do so. 

St David's Market planned for March 4

 

On Saturday March 4 the Inner Wheel Club of Llangollen in collaboration with Tenovus and the Town Hall are holding a fair to celebrate St David's Day. 

Exhibition in town explores being homeless

An exhibition on being homeless is being staged at Llangollen's Dory Gallery in Regent Street until March 19.

It combines images from The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre’s photographic archives and photographic artist, Tony Mallon’s project, Homeless. 

This moved beyond the human presence to explore and examine the spaces and experience of living in homeless hostels in Merseyside. 

Homeless was exhibited in 2015 as part of LOOK/15, Liverpool’s international photography festival at the Unseen Photo Festival, Amsterdam. 

The project was supported using public funding by Arts Council England and The National Lottery. 

This is the second time this work has been displayed together, the other being at The Salvation Army’s William Booth College, London in 2018.

Dory Gallery opening times are 10am - 4pm Saturday and Sunday only. The gallery will be closed on February 25 and 26. 

Latest local roadworks notified by county council

Latest local roadworks notified by Denbighshire County Council are:

O/S TOWER FARM COTTAGE TOWER ROAD 14/02/2023 16/02/2023 Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

OUTSIDE NUMBER 2, QUINTA BIRCH HILL 20/02/2023 22/02/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

A539 MILL STREET 27/02/2023 01/03/2023 NMWTRA Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights 21:00 - 06:00

A539 Outside 5 CHURCH STREET 20/02/2023 22/02/2023 Gwaith Trydanol / Electrical Works QUARTZELEC (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

OUTSIDE 6 GREENFIELD 27/02/2023 27/02/2023 Adferiad/ Reinstatement O'CONNOR UTILITIES (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Nr GLASFRYN ABBEY ROAD 20/02/2023 22/02/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY LLANGOLLEN

From Dee Cottage to Bishop's Walk MILL STREET 03/03/2023 05/03/2023 Torri Coed / Tree Cutting SHIFT TRAFFIC EVENTS LTD. LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

A539 Hall Street Llangollen HALL STREET 09/01/2023 17/02/2023 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT Parking Suspension Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Chapel Street CHAPEL STREET 09/01/2023 17/02/2023 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT Un Ffordd/ One Way

MILL ST CAR PARK MILL STREET 24/02/2023 24/02/2023 Gwaith Carthffosiaeth/ Sewer Works MORRISON UTILITY Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

Former Llangollen Railway Footpath A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD 23/02/2023 23/02/2023 Torri Coed / Tree Cutting KTL CONTRACTING LTD LLANGOLLEN

A539 Wrth / Nr Haulwen ABBEY ROAD 02/03/2023 02/03/2023 Gwaith Carthffosiaeth/ Sewer Works ALUN GRIFFITHS LLANGOLLEN

Christmas Fair group hands over £2,000 in raffle proceeds

* The £1,000 is presented to the air ambulance. From left: Paul Cakebridge (pilot), Simon Cartwright (critical care practitioner), John Palmer and Austin Cheminais of the Christmas Festival, Oliver Ayleson (critical care practitioner) and Ian Parry (festival).

* John Palmer and Austin Cheminais, left and right, hand over the £1,000 cheque to Llangollen Foodshare's Steph Mitchell, Sian Jones and Gill Robinson.

Representatives of the Llangollen Christmas Festival Group have been sharing the proceeds of the raffle that runs alongside the big seasonal event. 

The group says there was a great response to the latest raffle and stresses thanks should go to the hardworking volunteers who managed to sell an amazing 3,000 tickets.

This has enabled the group to donate £1,000 to Wales Air Ambulance and £1,000 to Llangollen Food Share. The remaining £1,000 will help fund this year’s festival.

Austin Cheminais, who chairs the Christmas Festival, expressed the groups thanks to all the local businesses in and around Llangollen who donated prizes for the raffle, which included a light aircraft flight from the Air Ambulance base at Welshpool Airport. 

He said: "The 2022 Christmas Festival was the best yet and we managed to make it a completely free event. 

"Its success was due to the support we had from the community and the generous donations from anonymous donors. 

"Thanks go to the businesses and shops around Llangollen, the groups and individuals who joined the parade, our local schools, the groups that performed for us on the day and to Sunbelt Rentals, who provided the traffic management without charge. 

"The hardworking team who put the Christmas Festival together have already had their first meeting of the year to start to plan this year’s event which will take place on Saturday November 25. We hope to make it even bigger this year."

* If you would like to get involved in helping to organise the event or are able to support us financially please contact Chem at chemshouts@gmail.com