llanblogger takes a short break

llanblogger is taking a short break and will be back in a few days time.

Romantic couple tie the knot at Llangollen Railway

A couple who got engaged on a platform at Llangollen Railway last year returned there on Saturday for their wedding. 

The first day of the Queen's platinum jubilee celebration weekend in 2022 turned into a royally romantic occasion when Josh Taylor-Smith chose a visit to the heritage attraction as the perfect time and place to pop the question to Becky Cook.

And there was a romantic conclusion to the story when the couple returned to the railway over the weekend to steam ahead with the wedding ceremony which they had been carefully planning with the help of railway officials for 12 months. 

* The marriage proposal a year ago.

Severely blistered feet end Llan man's 500 charity trek

 

* Gary Fletcher about to board the boat out of Spain.

Severely blistered feet have finally forced a Llangollen man to put an end to his 500-mile charity walk to raise money £10,000 for a local hospital’s specialist children’s unit. 

Gary Fletcher, 44, set off on his lone trek through France and Spain along the famous Camino De Santiago Pilgrim Trail on May 6.  

His target was to raise at least £10,000 for the pioneering Movement Centre at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen.  

He reckoned it would take him between six and eight weeks to complete the walk, dependent on the weather or any injuries he might sustain along the way. 

But those injuries came quite soon along the route when blisters he developed on both feet became so painful that he had to stop for a few days to allow them to heal in the Spanish town of Estelle.

He was eventually forced to seek hospital treatment.

Gary has been issuing regular updates on his challenge through his Facebook page.

And just before the weekend he revealed that he’d finally called a halt to the walk.

He posted: “So after a few days of contemplating and using steroid cream on my feet, the infection hasn’t got any better but got worse due to sweat in my boots I guess, feels like a really bad bee sting at the moment.

“I decided (as much as I hate hospitals) to go to the hospital today and was given antibiotics and told not to wear closed shoes and keep them open to the air as much as possible.

“This along with other things has brought me to the end of walking, as much as it’s disappointing being 192 miles from the end it’s brought me to a crossroads of what to do.

“My thinking is now to stop and pick up from here sometime in the future and enjoy as a new adventure rather than going via bus/train etc and it not being a new experience and new sights via the walk next time.

“My family were also meeting me in Santiago de Compostela but it’s crazy how long it takes to fly there, most flights are via Ireland and can take a day and a half for some reason. So with this, I am thinking of hiring a car and driving all the way across Spain over a few days and catching a ferry for another couple of days to meet my family possibly in Tenerife.

“It’s kind of hard to figure out the best plan, continuing would mean me sitting still for a week or more until this infection has gone and I’m feeling it’s already getting to my state of mind just hanging around. I hate to give up, I hate to not at least get to the finish point, but the above is the best plan I can come up with so that I can finish on a clear run next time.

“I also feel guilty for the sponsors to the charity as I don’t feel I’ve given this my all now.”

A couple of days later Gary posted: “So after making the decision it was a mad dash to hire a car and drive across Spain to catch a ferry. Just made it by driving all day yesterday and up at 5:30 to do another 190miles.  We’re just preparing to set sail now. 33 hours via Grand Canaria and I’ll be in Tenerife for a few weeks. Hopefully the sea water will sort my feet out.”

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.

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.” 

Llan actor Dyfed nominated for two top awards

            * Dyfed Thomas as Eurwyn in the comedy series Rybish. 

Llangollen-based actor Dyfed Thomas has been nominated for two top honours in this year's Celtic Film and Media Awards.

In the Best Comedy section he is acknowledged for his role as Eurwyn in S4C's Rybish, a Welsh language comedy series set in a recycling centre which aired last year.  

He is also nominated in the Best Drama Series category for playing Ivor Toupe in Rough Cut, which is currently showing on Netflix.

The festival this year takes place in Duneglo, Ireland, June 4 to the 6.

Dyfed Thomas, a native of Rhos, lives just outside Llangollen with his wife, former Benny Hill actress Julie Kirk. 

An actor with more than 45 years’ experience, he has focused on work behind the camera in recent years, mainly adapting novels into movie scripts.

He sold some scripts to Bollywood and in the past few years has spent a lot of his time in India.

Roadworks planned for Hill Street

Latest local roadworks alerts from one.network are:

Hill Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 30 May - 30 May   Delays likely - Road closure   Name: Hill Street, Llangollen   Location: Hill Street   Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks   Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Planned       Hill Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 30 May - 30 May   Delays likely - Diversion route   Name: Diversion   Location: Hill Street   Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks   Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Planned

 

Roadworks

Hill Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 30 May - 30 May   Roadworks, Delays likely   Traffic management: Road closure   Description: MJ QUINN TO CARRY OUT THE FOLLOWING:: RENEW JOINT BOX FRAME AND COVER FOOTWAY...   Works location: OPPOSITE 3 HILL STREET...   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.   Responsibility for works: Openreach   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: BC006MQONSAWN0POWDTC831C

MP praises volunteers' work on new Corwen station

* Simon Baynes MP with the team at Corwen Station.

* Corwen Station signage.

* The new steel canopy at the station.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes visited Corwen Station on the Llangollen Steam Railway to meet the dedicated team of volunteers who have been working tirelessly on its construction, ahead of the station’s upcoming official reopening on June 2.

During his visit, Mr Baynes expressed his gratitude to the volunteers who have contributed their time, effort and resources to the building of the brand-new Corwen Station over the last decade. 

Their hard work had completed a beautiful station that would soon provide an enhanced experience for both residents and visitors alike.

The impressive steel canopy, with a cost of £190,000, was made possible through the Clwyd South UK Levelling Up Fund grant of £13.3 million, which Simon Baynes MP played a crucial role in securing as local MP. 

Phil Coles, Chairman of the Llangollen Railway Trust, said: “Seeing our station open on June 2 will be a very special day, the realisation of a 50-year dream by our founders to reopen the railway between Llangollen and Corwen. 

"It’s been quite a journey, but we have made it. We’ve seen such incredible commitment from dedicated volunteers and supporters; from those who have laid the bricks to those who have worked to help secure government funding like Simon. I’m proud to have been part of the team that has put a station back on the map in Corwen.”

Speaking about the visit, Mr Baynes MP said: “It was a great pleasure to be able to meet the volunteers who have put so much time and effort into rebuilding of Corwen Station and to express not only my gratitude but also that of the wider community for their heroic work.

“Once reopened, this will provide a great boost to the Llangollen & Corwen Railway and the local area.”

Council seeks views on new power to raise tax on empty and second homes

Denbighshire County Council is urging residents and interested parties to have their say on a proposal to increase the premium charge for Council Tax on long-term empty and second homes. 

Since April 2017 Welsh Government legislation has allowed local authorities to charge up to a 100% premium for these properties. Denbighshire County Council currently charges a 50% premium on these properties.  

Recent changes in Welsh Government legislation give local authorities in Wales the powers to further increase the Council Tax premium on these properties up to 300%.  

Denbighshire County Council has reviewed these powers and has put forward a proposal to increase the premium on long term empty and second homes to 100% from April 2024, then 150% from April 2025. 

They also propose that long term empty properties that have been unoccupied and unfurnished for five years or more pay a higher premium at 50% more than the standard premium i.e., 150% from April 2024 and 200% from April 2025.

A long-term empty home is one which is unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for a continuous period of at least one year. 

A second home is a substantially furnished property, which is not a person’s sole or main residence.  

The Welsh Government introduced these powers to help councils encourage homeowners not to unnecessarily leave their properties empty and unoccupied for long periods of time.

Councillor Gwyneth Ellis, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: “The Welsh Government introduced these additional powers to help Councils to encourage homeowners to bring long term empty and second homes back into use for the benefit of the local community and economy. 

"This initiative will assist us in our ambitions to develop the local economy and create vibrant communities. We are encouraging people interested in this matter to share their views."

* You can have your say on Denbighshire County Council’s proposal by completing a short online survey on https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/project/717 or computer access and Denbighshire Libraries and One Stop Shops

The consultation runs from today (Friday May 26) until Wednesday June 21 and the findings will be reported to a meeting of the full council later in 2023.