Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council is hosting a Volunteer Recruitment Fair at Llangollen Town Hall on Wednesday September 20, from 10am-1pm.
Over 20 organisations looking for volunteers will have stalls with information on all the opportunities currently available.
* For further details, email: office@dvsc.co.uk
Fire brigade crews were in action this evening (Wednesday) when an electrical blaze broke out in an inspection hatch on one of the main roads into Llangollen.
Two crews from the town's station were at the scene within minutes after the fire erupted in the hatch, near to the bus stop on Mill Street (A539) just across the road from the Bridge End pub.
It is believed the blaze was proceeded by a large explosion which was heard across town around 7.20pm and appears to have blown the heavy metal cover off the hatch.
As firefighters tackled the outbreak using dry foam extinguishers police directed traffic around the area.
A team from the power company was also at the scene.
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* Power company SP Energy Networks has put out a power cut warning for the area.
It says: "There is a power cut in the LL20 postcode area of Llangollen. Restoration is taking longer than expected because of the extent of the repairs required and our team are now working to get your electricity supply back on as quickly and as safely as possible by 2.00AM.
"The latest updates can be found on our website www.spenergynetworks.co.uk.
"We will update this message if this information changes. If you require any further help or support, please call us on 105. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience."
The warning adds that postcodes affected are: LL208EB, LL208NU, LL208NY, LL208PN, LL208RJ, LL208RQ, LL208RY, LL208RZ, LL208SA, LL208SD, LL208SE, LL208SG, LL208SH, LL208SN, LL208SW, LL208TA, LL208TF, LL208TH, LL208UE
Reference Number: INCD-2085980-i
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A Llangollen man is helping to pioneer a national £1.5m campaign to help Welsh cancer patients prepare for their treatment.
Former county councillor and town mayor Stuart
Davies (pictured) has been appointed as a patient and public involvement representative for
Cardiff University’s new I-Prehab prehabiltation scheme.
The university’s School of
Healthcare Sciences, which is running the project, says prehabilitation
helps people prepare for cancer treatment through helping them to eat well, be
in the best possible physical condition and supporting mental health and
emotional resilience.
This, it claims, can lead to
fewer treatment complications and better recovery.
The
funding from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health and Social
Care Delivery Research fund, will enable work to produce and evaluate a toolkit
called I-Prehab.
This will support cancer
workers to raise awareness and encourage participation in prehab services for
cancer patients.
The researchers aim to work
with patients, carers, cancer workers, and cancer service managers to develop
the I-Prehab toolkit to overcome access barriers and provide tools to support
adherence, particularly for those from socially deprived and ethnic minority
communities.
Cardiff’s
Professor Jane Hopkinson said: “Patients and the public will play a key role in
this work. Patient and public contributors will be involved throughout the
research including data analysis, design of methods, patient facing documents,
impact plan and effective sharing of information.
“By working with our partner organisations, we aim to make I-Prehab available across Wales and the UK in the future.”
Of his involvement in the
project Stuart Davies said: “After being diagnosed with aggressive prostate
cancer 14 years ago and being chucked in at the deep end of treatment with
little preparation, I realise that a concerted effort to promote prehab, driven
by a concerted study, can help people on their journey to get better.
“Better understanding of the
data driven by better research can deliver better outcomes.”
He added: “My job is to make sure that we in North Wales make our voice heard so that our views are taken in to account.
“As a former Denbighshire county councillor I have contacted the council and their top team officers who have promised to engage with us on this.
“Members of the public who wish to have their views known can contact me on my email address skipperstu15@gmail.com”
A few of Llangollen Ramblers reached the summit of Penycloddiau on their last Offa's Dyke walk.
The next walk, on August 31, includes Moel Famau.
And, according to organiser Judy Smith, there's still time to join in.
She said: "We'll be pleased to see you."
* For more information, email Judy on smithdinbren@gmail.com.
* The bagged-up traffic lights at the A5/Castle Street junction.
Transport officials have explained what is to happen with Llangollen's now-famous "bagged" traffic lights at the junction of the A5 and Castle Street.
The signals have been covered by an orange sack on the Regent Street side since a programme of improvements was carried out by the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent (NMWTRA) at the start of this year.
Drivers and pedestrians have complained about the confusion this has caused.
Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards has been working on the case and has now received an update from NMWTRA.
She has been told: "As part of the review process that was initiated after the ‘bagging’ of the signal head, our designers have been reviewing the operation of the signals and tabling additional measures which the Welsh Government could consider in order to maintain safety at the junction and also assist with reducing congestion.
"This process is now almost complete and a final set of design measures will hopefully be signed off in the coming weeks.
"The main proposal within the design package will be the permanent removal of the signal head which is currently ‘bagged’.
"In addition to this, a site trial of additional detection equipment will take place this week. It is hoped that this trial will determine whether above ground detection, as opposed to the conventional ‘loops’ which are located in the road surface, would benefit vehicular movements through the site.
"Once our designers have the full results from the site trial, we will be in a position to be able to complete the design and procure an installation contractor to implement the proposed changes."
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A Llangollen man and his son are planning to each do a triathlon in memory of the their wife and mother who died from the effects of dementia earlier this year.
John Palmer and his son Nic, who lives in Glyndyfrdwy, are looking for sponsors for their tough double challenge early next month.
In their joint gofundme page, which is already attracting steady support, Nic says: "Mum died earlier this year after succumbing to the long terms effects of dementia.
"This despicable condition robbed her of her love for life and us of a wife, mum and nain.
"As a family, we have always enjoyed spending lots of time outdoors and finding adventures.
"Dad and I decided to take on a challenge in mum's memory and have signed up to each do a triathlon to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK in the hope that one day this awful condition can be eradicated."
Nic goes on: "On September 3rd, Dad will be doing a sprint triathlon at Ellesmere and I will be doing the Bala Standard Triathlon at Bala Lake on the same day.
"Thank you in advance for your contribution and we are training hard to do Mum proud."
Nic is going to be doing an Olympic triathlon which consists of a I.5 km swim followed by a 40 km bike ride and a 10 km run.
John, in deference to his age, is taking on a speed triathlon which is a 7.5 km in Ellesmere lake followed by a 25 km bike ride and a 5 km run.
He said: "In march of this year my wife Lyn and Nic’s mother died from dementia.
"While she died peacefully holding my hand she was first diagnosed in 2013.
"More and more people and their families are living with dementia. We want to raise money for Alzheimers Research to help find a way of finding a cure for the disease.
"Training is going pretty well. Most of the swimming has been in a pool but more recently we have been swimming in Lyn Tegid, which came as a bit of a shock - wetsuits essential.
"Cycling has given me a sore bum. How the Tour de France guys do it day after day amazes me.
"I run quite regularly anyway so that is not so much of a problem but of course that remains to be seen on the day. I'm sure the dog will be glad when it’s over."
Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity.
It funds world-class pioneering scientists to find preventions, treatments and a cure for dementia.
Nissan X-Trail drive by Steve Rogers
This is the new face of X-Trail. Not quite a wow
moment but a big step forward on what has gone before.
Some would say it’s about time Nissan gave its largest
SUV a bit of TLC. It was a trailblazer when it first appeared on our roads 22
years ago, a bruising 4x4 that was not afraid to get its tyres muddy on the
most challenging of surfaces.
Then Nissan had a lightbulb moment and came up with a
new style of car, a smaller SUV that drove like a family hatchback. Enter
Qashqai and we all know what happened next.
The dust has settled on that chapter and Nissan’s
focus is very much on the new electric age. Remember it got in early with the
Leaf and is pushing hard with Ariya, the latest electric model.
And that is where this new X-Trail comes in. As well
as picking up some styling cues from its very elegant sister, the big SUV
shares a lot of electric technology but still has a petrol engine. By the way,
there is no diesel option.
Topping the range is e-4ORCE. In case you don’t get it
straightaway, that is Nissan’s novel name for electric four wheel drive. How
does it work? There are two electric motors, one on each axle, powered by
batteries which are charged by a 3-cylinder 1.5 litre engine.
Acceleration is swift, similar to an electric car, but
because there is a powerful turbo charged engine emissions are still pretty
high at 152g/km.
Regenerative braking is on hand with the e-pedal the
most aggressive, bringing the car to a virtual stop. It slows to a creep but
why the car cannot came to a dead stop, like a Volvo, is a missed opportunity.
Once you get the hang of it the car can be slowed
sufficiently without using the brake pedal, harnessing power for the batteries
and saving on brake wear, so a few tweaks will make this a fully beneficial
system.
Apart from an electrical spark what else has happened
to X-Trail? Quite a lot, in fact it is new from the ground up, sitting on a
bang up to date Qashqai platform and eye catching design, particularly head on
where the stylists have gone to town on the swooping grille and headlights.
The new chassis has done good things for handling
which has come on leaps and bounds with a big reduction in body roll, in fact
it has almost been eliminated, and a more comfortable ride from the new
suspension.
Inside is a tale of two X-Trails. It is a five model
range but the first two are sort of the poor relations and do not get all the
high tech so it might be worth starting at N-Connecta which has a central
12.3in touchscreen and the excellent digital binnacle with its plethora of easy
to find information. A driver’s head-up display is a bonus and is one of the
best I have come across.
My Tekna model is another step up the ladder and has
quality fixtures and fittings and is knocking on the door of the premium boys
but the improvements do not match Mazda’s new CX-60 which is also better on
economy.
X-Trail is a big car and everything in it is big. The
door bins are big and take a two litre bottle although the cup holders in the
centre console are too big and need the pop out inner holders found on many
rivals
This is a roomy five seater with a good sized boot,
but not class leading. The rear seat slides fore and aft but is mainly to gain
access to the optional third row. I wanted to stow the boot cover under the
floor but it is pretty crammed down there so no luck with that.
Tekna is just one off the top rung and is packed with
equipment and all the toys we love, and
has just about every safety aid available.
X-Trail has been living in the show of Qashqai for
well over a decade but has come in from the cold with this substantial update.
It won’t be first choice for a lot of buyers because there is a lot of good
opposition to contend with but now stands a much better chance.
Fast facts
X-Trail Tekna e-Power, e-4ORCE
£46.075 (range starts £32,890)
1.5 litre turbo; 211bhp
0-62mph 7.2secs; 111mph
42.2mpg combined
152g/km. 1st tax £635
Boot: 485-1298 litres
Towing capacity 1650kg
Insurance group 31
