Alfie Boe 'can't wait' to headline the Eisteddfod

* Alfie Boe will headline at this year's Eisteddfod.

Superstar tenor Alfie Boe says he "can't wait" to return to North Wales as he gets set to headline Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod this summer.

The renowned English singer and actor will open the event alongside Britain's Got Talent semi-finalists Welsh of the West End at a glitzy evening concert on Tuesday, July 4.

Alfie, who has appeared at the cultural festival on several occasions, said fans will be treated to "fantastic bloody music" with a hand-picked programme created just for Llangollen.

Supported by Welsh of the West End - which is made up of some of Wales' own home-grown talent - Alfie said fans are in for a great night.

Speaking about his return to the town, he said: "Performing in Llangollen is very exciting because it's a real buzz.

"There's a great musical atmosphere - everybody's there from around the world celebrating music and culture and it's a wonderful thing to be a part of.

"The last few times I've been, I've loved every minute.

"And when you get to play the main stage and you have a day of your own, it's even better, I can't wait."

Alfie, who has collaborated with many choirs during his career said he's looking forward to teaming up with Welsh of the West End -  the musical theatre super-group and Britain's Got Talent semi-finalists.

Commenting on what fans can expect, Alfie said: "Fantastic bloody music -  a good concert, lots of fun and laughter.

"My aim is to deliver a good show with lots of different music.

"It's always nice to try new songs out with a festival crowd."

Alfie, who is gearing up for his UK tour this September, said he has lots in the pipeline for his loyal fans including a book and a new album.

"I just want to keep coming up with ideas, keep working and doing the best I can. I'm trying my hand at some original songs too so I'll be drip-feeding them to the public."

Welsh of the West End star Steffan Hughes from Llangwyfan near Denbigh, who has been a Youth Ambassador for Llangollen Eisteddfod and also presented the S4C coverage of the festival in 2019, said appearing at the festival with Alfie is a real "full circle moment" having competed in the event for many years growing up.

He said: "The Llangollen International Eisteddfod holds a dear place in my heart. A truly unique festival, that I had the privilege of representing as a youth ambassador in my teens. 

"I spent many years competing on that wonderful stage and enjoyed the most varied and high-quality concerts there too. I’m so excited to be bringing Welsh of the West End to Llangollen. 

"We represented Wales on an international stage through our appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, but there’s truly no place like home - and as a Denbighshire boy myself, I’m thrilled to be singing on home turf. We'll be performing some of our favourite songs from the world of musical theatre and film."

Steffan added: "Sharing the stage with the wonderful Alfie Boe is the icing on the cake. We were a guest act on his UK tour with Michael Ball last year, so we're very excited to be reuniting with him once more." 

Fellow members, Jade Davies from Denbigh, sister of Love Island winner Amber Davies, and Mared Wiliams from Llannefydd, who alongside Steffan, all went to Ysgol Glan Clwyd in St Asaph said they are also excited for the event.

Jade, who has performed in shows such as Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera said: "It's a dream come true to share the stage with Alfie Boe - someone who I really admire. It'll be a joy to perform on that iconic Llangollen stage."

Mared, who is a previous winner of the Musical Theatre International Voice of the Future at Llangollen said: "I'm thrilled to be singing at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod again. Having grown up competing and visiting the Eisteddfod, it's a lovely feeling to be coming back to perform with professional musical theatre experience behind me."

The Eisteddfod will be back for its 76th year this summer - the first full length festival to be held since before the coronavirus pandemic.

And this year, the Parade of Nations will be back for the first time since 2019.

Llangollen Eisteddfod executive producer Camilla King said: "There was a lot of excitement last year when we came back for the first time since 2019 but people then were still cautious about covid and travel, whereas this year, everyone's ready to be back out there celebrating.

"People can expect to see a lot of the things that the festival has developed a reputation for - fantastic world renowned artists, competitions which showcase performers from around the world, exciting live finals like Choir of the World, Dance Champions and Voice of the Future - where you'll see some of the top choirs, dance groups and operatic soloists.

"There'll also be spectacular international concerts which bring lots of different performers together including The White Flower which sees massed forces of Welsh, Bosnian and Ukrainian performers. We’re also delighted that the 2022 Pendine International Voice of the Future winner, Emyr Lloyd Jones, will be joining us on stage as a soloist for this concert.

On the Eisteddfod line-up will be well known jazz performer and conductor, Guy Barker with his Big Band on Friday 7 July, collaborating with top soloists such as Tommy Blaize, lead singer on Strictly Come Dancing, and soul and jazz musicians, Clare Teal, Giacomo Smith and Vanessa Haynes performing a one-off set.

"It's going to be a real summer's evening party - if you're into jazz and you like that punchy big band Sinatra sound, this is the night out for you," Camilla said.

Commenting about Alfie Boe's return to Llangollen, Camilla added: "It's a few years since Alfie has been to the Eisteddfod but he's a real favourite with our audience. 

"It's also a brilliant showcase for Welsh of the West End - really talented young Welsh musical theatre stars.”

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod runs between July 4 and 9, and features a combination of competition and performance with choirs competing for the coveted Choir of the World title and the Pavarotti Trophy. 

Each year around 4,000 participants take to the stage with around 25,000 visitors attending.

There will also be lots of entertainment on the outside site including workshops, talks, international showcases, outdoor theatre performances and circus skills.

The Eisteddfod will also crown the 2023 dance champions with the Lucille Armstrong Trophy, in addition to the Pendine International Voice of the Future event.

Tickets are available online at www.llangollen.net or on 01978 862001.

A5 roadworks causing long delays

* Traffic queueing on the A5 this afternoon.

llanblogger has received reports this afternoon about traffic congestion on the A5 heading out of town towards Wrexham.

It is understood this has been caused by temporary lights just before the Tyn Y Wern in connection with resurfacing work on the carriageway.

Around 1.15pm a queue of traffic could be seen stretching back from the lights to the fire station car park.

One llanblogger reader warned: "It's chaos on the A5 going towards Wrexham. There are roadworks with lights which do not seem to be working properly.

"I went through on green and met the traffic coming in the opposite direction." 

MG3: No wonder car but not bad for the price

MG 3 drive by Steve Rogers

A friend asked for advice on buying a new car for not too much money.

His son is heading towards giant size so something like a little Kia Picanto or Hyundai i10 would not fit the bill. 

I pointed him towards the MG 3 mainly because I have just been driving it and think it is outstanding value for money. It’s in a battle with the Dacia Sandero for the cheapest car of its size, losing out by £25, but the MG has a seven-year warranty.

This is not the famed MG marque of old. That renowned British car maker was allowed to smoulder and die until it rose phoenix like from the ashes thanks to a Chinese conglomerate which bought the name and did what the Chinese do best, churn out inexpensive goods.

Let’s not kid ourselves that the price tag makes this a wonder car. There is some good and some not so good bits, the not so good taking up more space than not so good on a Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo which are among the more expensive rivals.

Here we have a five door, five seat hatchback that falls into the supermini bracket like Fiesta and Polo etc. There are just two models, Excite and Exclusive, and one engine option, a 1.5 litre petrol. It does not look that quick on paper and is not that quick when driven although it gets to sixty quicker than a Dacia Sandero and does not sound stressed at motorway speed.

The downside is economy. Trying very hard on a 30 mile round trip I managed 44mpg but think yourself lucky if your weekly average reaches 40mpg which is some way adrift of most rivals. Would a six speed option rather than the standard five speed gearbox improve matters?

Another area that could be improved is the ride. I could tell it was twitchy before I reached the end of my cul-de-sac. My advice to the suspension experts is to take a ride in a Citroen C3 and copy it. That said no one can match the C3 for comfort so let’s not be too hard on this little fella. I have driven other MGs where the ride is more than acceptable.

With a budget price tag it is easy to expect an interior like a low rent bedsit. Well prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Yes there is a lot of scratchy black plastic but everything is well screwed together, and there are a few screwheads on show if you want to check!

There is nothing complicated about the layout with a central eight inch touchscreen and clear, separate switches for radio and heating, and even though this is a car for a low budget it does not feel drab. They have made an effort to jazz things up with a stylish bubble design on the door cards while the silver tartan dashboard inlay adds a nice touch of class.

Five adults will fit into the car as long as those in the back are not too tall but they will not be troubled by a lack of headroom.

Boot space does not come close to best in class and the 23cm drop to the boot floor will make lifting heavier items a strain. A two level floor, found on most cars, would be an inexpensive fix.

Equipment level on the Excite covers the basics with all round electric windows, air conditioning, DAB radio with Apple CarPlay, and parking sensors as the standouts. Going for Exclusive adds on board navigation, rear parking camera, cruise control and sports seats.

What is missing on both models is a telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel which has to make do with tilt only. It will stop drivers with shorter legs finding the ideal driving position because you have to sit too close to the steering wheel.

Something else that might put off potential customers is the three star Euro NCAP rating when the majority have five, although it is one more than Sandero. It is not something that bothers me as modern day cars are all pretty robust, but lower rated cars do not have the necessary safety aids to qualify.

So there we have it. A car that is hard to beat on price, particularly if you go for Excite which would be my choice. Who needs basic cruise control, or navigation when someone in the family will have a smart phone? But I would miss a reversing camera.

Fast facts

MG 3 Exclusive Nav

£16,040 (starts £13,820)

1.5 litre petrol; 104bhp

0-60mph 10.4secs; 108mph

43.3mpg combined

147g/km. 1st VED £255

Boot: 285-1262 litres

Town council looking for three new members

Llangollen Town Council has issued the following official notice of its intention to fill the vacancies it has for three councillors by co-option:

Gary makes good progress on his 500-mile charity trek

* Pilgrim's progress: Gary Fletcher sets out on the famous Camino De Santiago Pilgrim Trail.  

Despite the heat and his blistered feet a Llangollen man says he is making good progress on his solo 500-mile charity walk to raise at least £10,000 for a local hospital’s specialist children’s unit. 

Gary Fletcher, 44, is trekking through France and Spain along the famous Camino De Santiago Pilgrim Trail.  

He reckons it will take him between six and eight weeks, dependent on the weather or any injuries he might sustain along the way. 

Gary, who recently sold his development site next to White Waters Hotel and is looking for another property in or around the town, spent weeks training for his foot-slogging marathon by climbing local hills and mountains and sweating it out in daily gym sessions. 

* He's had to tape up his badly blistered feet.

He also mounted an intensive publicity and social media campaign to gain the sponsorship from local businesses that he needs before he can set off on the challenge in aid of the pioneering Movement Centre at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen.  

Before leaving he said: “I have wanted to do something to help children in our country for some time. With the centre I have found the perfect charity to support as it relies solely on donations and private fundraising to continue its work supporting children of all ages with mobility issues.” 

His regular posts on Facebook detail how he set off aboard the Eurostar from London bound for Paris on May 6.

A couple of days later he was in at the start of the walk in a town named St Jean de Port in the French Pyrenees trying to get used to the heat and acquiring the first stamp in his official Camino passport.

Soon afterwards he recorded how he was en route to Pamplona city in Spain – with his goal of Santiago De Compostela still 790 kms distant.

Not long afterwards Gary was reporting on some painful blisters on the toes of both feet for which he had bought some special padded socks.

He also revealed how much he was sweating due to the heat and the coat he was having to wear because of rain along the trail.

 * You can sponsor Gary at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/500-mile-walk-along-the-camino-santiago-trail 

Roadworks planned for parts of town this week

Local councillors have been notified of roadworks which will affect parts of the town centre from tomorrow, for two days.

They have been told these will be taking place from May 15-17 mainly under 'stop go' boards just narrowing the road slightly in some cases.

Most of the work is correcting the kerb tabs and termination markings that were installed in the Llangollen 2020 project.

There is also some additional lining to go along with the new signs that were installed when A.Parry construction were last in town.

On Tuesday 16^th the contractor will be installing some anti-skid patches that were due to be put in on Bridge St and Oak St as part of Llan2020. 

This will require the closure of these roads for up to two hours. They will be done one at a time and will be done when traffic is at its least busy to cause as little disruption as possible.

The work is detailed in the latest bulletin from one.network:

Castle Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 15 May - 17 May   Roadworks, Delays likely   Traffic management: Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)   Works location: Castle St, Llangollen...   Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council    Chapel Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 15 May - 17 May   Roadworks, Delays possible   Traffic management: Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)   Works location: Chapel St, Llangollen...   Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council    Market Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 15 May - 17 May   Roadworks, Delays possible   Traffic management: Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)   Works location: Market St, Llangollen...   Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council   Oak Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 15 May - 17 May   Roadworks, Delays unlikely   Traffic management: Some carriageway incursion   Description: 15/05/23/Philip Billington/Road lining/stopgo...   Works location: Oak St Llangollen   Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council

A483 closed after crash this afternoon

The Leader is reporting that the A483 has been closed in both directions following a crash this afternoon (Saturday). 

Traffic Wales have confirmed there has been a road traffic collision near Halton roundabout in the northbound carriageway.

The collision involved a motorcyclist, the Welsh Ambulance confirmed. 

Emergency services are at the scene, with the A483 and A5 closed in both directions. 

* For the full story, see: A483 in Wrexham closed in both directions after crash | The Leader (leaderlive.co.uk)