New Corwen station welcomes its first steam train

* The 1943-built Austerity tank loco was the first steam train to arrive at the new Corwen station. All pictures by Terry Pickthall.

Llangollen & Corwen Railway’s new £1.25m Corwen station saw its first steam-hauled test train yesterday (Monday).

This was to test the water tower and run-round line that will be used for all services from Saturday June 3.

The train was hauled by a 1943-built Austerity tank locomotive No 68067 and was driven by Harry Barber, who was been a volunteer at the railway for over 30 years, and fireman Phil Morrey. 

Dedicated volunteers are putting the final touches to the new station before it is officially handed over to the railway's operations department for a grand opening weekend, starting on June 1 for LR members. 

* A test for the station's new water tower. 

June 2 will see a special ceremony where Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, chairman of both Network Rail and the Heritage Railway Association, will formally open the station, which has taken six years to build. 

Members of the public will be able to ride trains into the new station over the weekend of Saturday June 3 and 4. 

The two days will feature a busy hourly train service using steam, diesel and railcars and a large model railway layout of Corwen as it was in the 1950’s on display in Corwen’s Canolfan Ni village hall. A vintage fire engine will also be on display at Llangollen station. 

Phil Coles, chairman of Llangollen Railway Trust, said: “Seeing our station open on June 2 will be a very special day. 

"It is the realisation of the vision of our founders 50 years ago to reopen the railway between Llangollen and Corwen. 

* The stairway up to the platform at the new Corwen station.

"It’s been quite a journey, but we have finally made it. We’ve seen such incredible commitment from dedicated volunteers and supporters; from those who have laid the bricks and tracks to those who helped secure government Levelling-Up funding for our station canopy, including our local MP Simon Baynes. 

"I am proud to have been part of the team that has put a station back on the map in Corwen after Dr Beeching closed the original nearly 60 years ago."

* More information and advanced tickets for the opening weekend can be found by visiting https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/. 

Tower Road closed for urgent water leak repair

Denbighshire County Council says that Tower Road, Llangollen, has been closed to facilitate urgent works to repair a leaking water main by Hafren Dyfrdwy.

 

Charity trekker Gary battles on despite the blisters

* Gary plots his progress on a map of the Camino Trail.

Painfully blistered feet continued to trouble Llangollen's Gary Fletcher during the second week of 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. 

Early last week the blisters became so painful that he had to stop for a while to allow them to heal in the Spanish town of Estelle.

He mentions this on the Facebook page on which he is reporting his progress.

His sister Michaela comments on his post, sympathising with his pain and telling him to "keep rockin' on!"

Eventually back on the trail he had a stopover in the town of Hormilla, just outside Najera, towards the end of the week.

He mentions having a "nice clean room for 30 euros" in the local hotel and how the heat was increasing as he marched deeper into Spain.    

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 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.

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

Latest local county council roadworks alerts

 

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

A542 OPPOSITE 3 HILL STREET HILL STREET 30/05/2023 30/05/2023 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

carriageway MAESMAWR ROAD 30/05/2023 02/06/2023 Cynnal y Lon Gerbydau/ Carrigeway Maintenance AARON MACDONALD (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Wrth / Nr FRONDEG ABBEY ROAD 06/06/2023 07/06/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

Tu Allan i Ysgol Dinas Bran / Outisde Ysgol Dinas Bran DINBREN ROAD 31/05/2023 02/06/2023 Torri Coed / Tree Cutting SHIFT TRAFFIC (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Wrth / Nr DALMORE ABBEY ROAD 22/05/2023 24/05/2023 Gwaith BT/ BT Works MJ QUINN (DCC) LLANGOLLEN

A539 Abbey Road ABBEY ROAD 19/06/2023 30/09/2023 Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC WORKS UNIT (PETER PAR LLANGOLLEN No traffic management to be on site 01/07/23 - 12/07/23 due to International Eistedfodd Confoi 10 mya/10 mph Convoy

County council calls for more hosts for Ukrainian families

Denbighshire County Council are supporting Welsh Government in looking for more hosts, so that Ukrainian families have a safe place to call home. 

As a host, you’ll get a £500 a month thank you payment from Welsh Government, as well as other free support and training. 

The council has worked closely with Welsh Government to welcome families and individuals to Denbighshire and officers from the Council have been ensuring that these families feel welcome. 

Most Ukrainians in Wales will now have spent some time here, following the full scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, and many will either be in education or employment. Most Families have started to settle into Welsh life, making contributions to our communities. 

Councillor Rhys Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “We are so thankful to all of the hosts so far who have opened up their homes throughout the county, ensuring that these families have a safe and welcoming place to stay. 

"With the support of local communities and public authorities, the Welsh nation has declared itself a nation of sanctuary for both refugees and asylum seekers.

"We are now asking for more people to do the same, if they can. Teams at the council are on hand to help and answer any queries if you are also looking to become a host yourself."

Housing Justice Cymru offer a helpline for hosts and runs online sessions for those considering hosting to offer them more information on what’s involved, and whether this is right for them. There’s no obligation to apply following the session. 

* To apply to become a host visit: gov.wales/offerhome.

Rotary gets busy building bee and bug hotels

* Rotary members installing the seeded area and bug hotels.

Vale of Llangollen Rotary and its associated community team have installed the first bee garden and bug houses in the gardens of Tan-y-Garth Hall, a retreat near Lllanollen.

1st Enable Ltd at Chester sponsored the project which is the first installation under the Rotary International programme, Operation Pollination and recognises the importance of a pollinator habitat both restored and maintained on public and private lands. 

Through collaboration and outreach, an interconnected mosaic of these habitats will be interspersed between public and private land with the aim of increasing populations of species throughout the area.

Pollinators play a vital role in flower and plant reproduction: 80% to 90% of all plants depend on them to reproduce.  

A Rotary spokesperson said: "As pollinator advocates, we recognise the need to help reverse the unintended consequences of human activities in urban, suburban, and rural landscapes and help to establish a mosaic of vibrate pollinator habitats throughout the Vale of Llangollen.

"If you have a small area of ground in Llangollen or your village in the area that you think would benefit from a bee garden please get in touch."

The Vale of Llangollen Rotary and Vale of Llangollen Community Team is ready to welcome individuals and couples of 18+ from the local community who want to be people of action.  

They normally meet face-to-face, at Liberty Tavern, 20 Market Street, Llangollen on Monday evenings at 7.30pm.

* For more information contact Mike Lade on 07803 038858, valeofllangollenrotary@gmail.com or see www.valeofllangollenrotary

Vehicle fire breaks out on main road into Llan

* Picture: Sarah Mann from Facebook.

A vehicle fire blocked a main road near Llangollen earlier today, according to a story in the Leader.

* For the full story, see: https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23531295.vehicle-fire-blocks-main-road-near-llangollen/