* At Drosi Bikes CIC (from left) Julie Masters Clwydian Range Tourism Group (CRTG), Beth and Robin Drosi Bikes, Carol Smith CRTG, Mark Isherwood MS.
Politicians
have been visiting local attractions as part of Wales Tourism Week.
Mark
Isherwood, Welsh Conservative Senedd Member for North Wales, visited Beth Ward
and Robin Hughes and Drosi Bikes CIC in Parade Street, Llangollen, explaining
how a love of cycling coupled with a concern for the environment was the
driving force behind the company, which since May 2021 has been on a mission to
encourage accessible cycling and reduce carbon footprints.
As well as hiring bikes for the day
or half day, the team at Drosi Bikes take in repairs, restore donated bikes for
sale, and offer e-bike conversions.
As a community
interest company, the team supports a number of programmes to upskill and
educate volunteers of all abilities.
Mr Isherwood commended the company
on the valuable service that it provides to the local community, which he said goes
hand in hand with its sustainable approach to tourism and its contribution to
the visitor economy.
* At The Dory Gallery (from left) Mark Isherwood MS, Julie Masters CRTG, Suzanne Matheison, of The gallery.
Mr Isherwood also visited The Dory
Gallery in Regent Street, Llangollen, where the owner Suzanne Matheison
explained how the gallery, opened in June 2021, had come about.
An independent art gallery located
in the former National School for the Poor, The Dory specialises in
contemporary and abstract art, particularly the work of the late abstract
artist Dory after whom the gallery is named, in an informal setting.
Individual
local artists and art groups are also championed, with regular displays of
their work in various media being staged in a series of bright exhibition
spaces.
Mr Isherwood said he was pleased to
hear that the gallery is popular with visitors to Llangollen as well as local
residents, and said that the wide range of visitor experiences available in the
town, of which The Dory Gallery is one, provides growing support for the local
economy.
He added: “It was a delight
to visit these excellent tourism businesses which are a real asset to North
Wales. I thank them, and the members of the Clwydian Range Tourism Group, for
welcoming me and wish them continued success with their ventures.”
* Ken Skates MS with Caravan and Motorhome Club director of sites and accommodation, Anthony Davies (second left) and site managers Becky and Simon Allen at Lady Margaret’s Park Campsite, Chirk.
* Tourism can continue to drive the local economy in a corner of
north-east Wales which has ‘so much to offer’, says Clwyd South Labour Senedd
Member Ken Skates.
Mr Skates,
a former Welsh Government tourism minister, said his constituency is ‘brimming
with potential’, and believes it will continue to keep local employment figures
above the UK average.
“Tourism is
– and always will be – a key sector for Clwyd South and it’s a crucial driver
of the local and regional economy,” said Mr Skates. “Our area has so much to
offer and it’s a constituency I’m hugely proud to represent.
“We have two
beautiful valleys, the Dee and Ceiriog. The latter was where the Battle of
Crogen took place in 1165, which saw King Henry II’s army forced to retreat by
brave Welsh soldiers. And we have the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Horseshoe Pass.
“Then
there’s the 200-year-old Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the first transnational UNESCO
World Heritage Site, which stretches for 11 miles through some of the most
important industrial heritage anywhere in the world.Llangollen is home to the
world famous International Musical Eisteddfod and the recently-restored railway
line to Corwen, and Rhosllanerchrugog is home to the iconic Stiwt theatre which
remains a prominent venue for Welsh language arts.”
The famous Llangollen-Corwen
line has been gradually restored in recent years, with support from the Welsh
Government, and volunteers will officially reopen Corwen Station next month.
“The team
has done an incredible job, and it’s taken years of blood, sweat and tears from
the volunteers,” said Mr Skates. “It’s been a real labour of love, and it’s
amazing to see this jewel in the Dee Valley’s crown brought back to its former
glory.”
Mr Skates
visited several other businesses and attractions to mark Wales Tourism Week
(May 15-21), including Chirk Castle – one of the two National Trust sites in
his constituency – and the nearby Lady Margaret's Park Club Campsite. During
First Minister’s Questions, the Clwyd South MS also highlighted the importance
of the tourism industry to the region.
He said: “The
constituency is also home to Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, which I visited ahead of
the family race day on Saturday (May 20) and is a major local attraction. It
was an excellent opportunity to meet the new general manager Paddy Chesters and
chief executive Louise Stewart and hear about their plans to further improve
the racecourse’s offering.”
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