Three local TV stars stage hit Town Hall fundraiser

 

* Chris Sims and Shea Ferron join forces on Light Up by Snow Patrol.

* Singing policeman Karl Joseph.

* Chris Sims tells all about The Piano.

 * Shea Ferron with one of his big West End musicals numbers.

Three-plus-three plus 100 equals one thousand. Or at least they do when talented Llangollen people sprinkle some stardust on the equation.

The magical arithmetic here means that last night at the Town Hall three local TV heroes spent three marvellous hours giving their services free to entertain a sell-out audience of over 100 to raise a marvellous £1,000 or more to ensure this year’s Llangollen Christmas Festival is another big hit and in turn raises thousands for local charitable causes.

Shea Ferron, who made it to the finals of ITV's Britain's Got Talent as part of the Johns' Boys choir appeared along with well-known local musician Chris Sims, who was featured in Channel 4's The Piano, and "singing policeman" Karl Joseph who hit national prominence on ITV's Star Struck.

The sum of success for got even better for the Llangollen Superstars concert when Orb Sound and Lighting and a host of volunteers, headed by Christmas Festival chair Chem Cheminais. manning the hall threw in their efforts free of charge.

Chris Sims provided the melodic prelude to the proceedings with a sing-along version of Monkees’ hit Daydream Believer, following up with Beatles biggie Lady Madonna.

He showcased his keyboard versatility even further with favourites from the likes of Duke Ellington, Bill Joel – pounding out for the first time ever in public his Piano Man – and also threw in some of his own compositions a couple of which really deserve to become hits in their own right.

Chris rounded things off in fine style by encouraging the audience to jump to their feet and dance along with Status Quo’s Rockin’ All Over the World – a version of which he had played on The Piano.

In the gaps between his numbers he gave us some fascinating behind-the-scenes tales of his couple of days in front of the TV cameras.

There were similar inside stories from PCSO Karl Joseph when he took his turn on the Town Hall beat, opening with a foot-tapping Let Me Entertain You from Robbie Williams and continuing with Coming the Air Tonight from Phil Collins.

Switching styles he steered us out West with his take on country number Wagon Wheel before paying homage to his favourite band Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

By this time he had ‘em dancing in the rather limited aisles, ramming home Footloose, I’m a Believer from the Monkees, Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol and a big soulful Angels by Robbie Williams.

Hotfoot from another gig out on the coast, Shea Ferron bounded on stage to deliver a powerful Tougher than the Rest by Springsteen then It’s Hard to Speak My Heart from the musical Parade.

He stuck with the West End theme with a well-acted-out You’ll Be Back from Hamilton, a moving Bring Him Home from Les Mis – the same one for you which he had memorably joined Alfie Boe on stage at this year’s Eisteddfod – and a soaring Defying Gravity from Wicked.

Shea gave us his own personal memories of singing to telly glory with his choir before demonstrating how easily he can move around the songbook with Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel and the thumping Show Me the Way to Amarillo by Tony Christie.

To wind up he was joined on stage by Chris Sims to finale with Light Up by Snow Patrol.

All this added up to a stonking evening of home-grown entertainment the like of which we should see more.      

Interest in Manics and Suede at Pavilion "goes through the roof"

Yesterday's announcement of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod's dual headlining of the Manic Street Preachers and Suede went viral across the world, say festival bosses.  

And, you read it here first on Llanblogger.  

Trustees have reported that website traffic "went through the roof".

The festival says it will announce another "sensational" headline act on Wednesday morning as they work towards their aim of ensuring it not just survives but thrives. 

On BBC Radio Wales yesterday (Friday) Nicky Wire from the Manic Street Preachers, who appeared at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in 2017, was teaching Brett Anderson about the meaning of the word Eisteddfod with Eleri Sion.  

They also appeared on Good Morning Britain on ITV and the story of the new partnership and the promise of bringing more international headliners to Llangollen was shared thousands of times across social media.   

Communication's professional David Hennigan, one of the new Board Trustees, spoke of his delight and promised much more to come.  

He said: "Yesterday's announcement surpassed our expectations, not just in terms of positive media but in people signing up for pre-sales.  

"We are blown away by the positive reaction we have received from across the UK but importantly for us - residents across Llangollen and Denbighshire.  

"Our next big announcement is on Wednesday when we will announce a gig by a worldwide sensation. 

"Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is literally reaching for the stars in order to promote how wonderful our town is.   

"Our peace festival has been a mainstay of Llangollen since 1947 and now we are confident that it will continue to promote the tenets of peace, and internationalism for another generation.  

"Our core offering will remain the same - with our competitions, our international guests, our peace parade, our traditional Eisteddfod concerts and more but in bringing in Cuffe and Taylor, we are ensuring that the Llangollen Eisteddfod doesn't just survive but thrives."

Former Barclays bank goes on the market

The former Barclays Bank in Castle Street is on the market with offers over £125,000.

A post on the property website Prime Location gives a full description of the imposing building next to Centenary Square which closed in July.

A agent's description says: "The property comprise a three storey building of brick construction under a pitched slate roof. Internally the building provides a former banking hall, leading back to office, safe, kitchen and w/c facilities. 

"There is further storage in the basement. The upper floors are residential flats and have been sold off on long leases.

"The property has been measured in accordance with the RICS Code of Measuring Practice as follows. 

"Tenure: Freehold, the first  and second floor flats have been sold off on 125 year long leases at a Peppercorn rent."

At the time its closure as a bank was announced Barclays said in a statement: “Our customers’ behaviour has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority now choosing online banking. 

“This is reflected at Llangollen branch, and as we adapt, we are finding new ways to support our customers by maintaining our community presence with options for customers who still require in-person support.

“In Llangollen we plan to open a Barclays Local – a pop-up cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face-to-face for banking support, as they would in a branch and without the need to travel. We are currently working with the local community to identify a suitable location and will announce details once confirmed.”

Later in its response, the company says: “We will be proactively engaging with local businesses and the wider community to discuss the alternative ways customers will be able to undertake their banking locally.

“We will be offering virtual ‘tea and teach’ sessions for customers wishing to explore digital banking and other alternatives to branch based banking.”

* For more information about this property, go to: https://bacommercial.com/property/9-castle-street-llangollen-denbighshire/or call BA Commercial on 01244 725457 

Electrifying North Wales line will be “once-in-a-generation boost”

 

* Rail campaigners: Ashley Rogers (right) with Adam Williams, Sean Taylor and Jim Jones. Picture Mandy Jones. 

Business leaders have hailed news that the North Wales main line is to be electrified as a “once-in-a-generation boost” for the region. 

According to the North Wales Business Council, the electrified line would help provide faster, cleaner and more frequent train services. 

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. 

During his speech it was confirmed that the HS2 leg between Birmingham and Manchester was going to be scrapped after the costs spiralled and that the £36 billion saved from cancelling that section, would now all be used on other projects across UK. The move received an angry reception from local political and business leaders in Manchester.   

One of these alternative projects listed in the Prime Ministers’ speech was the electrification of the North Wales Mainline, which is believed to cost in the region of £1bn. 

Clare Budden, Chair of the North Wales Business Council, said: “The axing of the HS2 leg to Manchester is not good news for such a pivotal piece of UK transport investment.

“However, we have been calling for many years for the full electrification of the North Wales Mainline and to finally have commitment for this is a real positive and making the best out of a bad situation.

“This is a much-needed, once-in-a-generation investment in our railway infrastructure, supporting Net Zero and hopefully improved services for businesses,  residents and visitors alike. 

“This is a big deal but we need certainty it will be delivered in full and by when.” 

Ashley Rogers, CEO of the Business Council said: “We welcome the news of this investment as an existing major ask for our region.

“With the exception of funding for the Wrexham to Bidston line, we presume that a lot of the already identified investment priorities in rail we have been campaigning for like improving line speeds and improving Chester station, would happen as part of this full electrification project.” 

“We do have to be cautious however, as the devil is in the detail. It would be good to have confirmation of when funding will start to flow and in which years will we see spades in the ground.

“Essential development funding for example is needed immediately to move the project forward. Our connectivity into Manchester and Liverpool is also vital, so those areas also need support for funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail.” 

The news was also welcomed by Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism.

He said: “Transport connectivity is incredibly important in terms of tourism and the flow of visitors in and out of North Wales, especially this link between London and Holyhead.

“News about electrification of the North Wales line is long overdue because this is a vitally important strategic route and tourism is central to the economic recovery here in North Wales. 

“Let’s not lose the focus on today though. In recent years, there has been a serious decline in the quality of the train service linking North Wales and London and at one point the number of direct trains was slashed to just three a day. 

“While things have improved, it’s still a poor imitation of the service we had before the pandemic.”

Manic Street Preachers and Suede to headline special Eisteddfod show

* Manic Street Preachers.

Manic Street Preachers and Suede are to headline a very special show in North Wales next summer.

The double headlining show will see the indie music legends head to Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on Friday June 28 for the first date in their UK and Ireland tour. 

It marks a triumphant return for the Manic Street Preachers to Llangollen after they last headlined at the festival in 2017. 

Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday October 13 from llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

* Suede.

Manic Street Preachers are one of the most influential and iconic rock bands to have come out of Wales. They have gone on to release 14 studio albums and have headlined countless festivals including Glastonbury, T in the Park, V Festival and Reading & Leeds. They have won eleven NME Awards, eight Q Awards and four BRIT Awards and were also nominated for the Mercury Prize and the MTV Europe Music Awards.   

Manics are currently working on their 15^th studio album, the follow up to ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ which entered the UK charts at No. 1 on its release in September 2021.  They last performed in the UK this summer when they made critically acclaimed performances at Isle of Wight and Glastonbury festivals. 

The news of the tour meets huge demand surrounding the success of Suede’s ninth studio album Autofiction, and their entirely sold-out UK headline tour earlier this year. Debuting at #2 in the UK Albums Chart, the release marked Suede’s highest charting LP since 1999’s Head Music. The new album has been received as a career peak by fans and critics alike. 

2023 has seen the release of Suede30 – timely reminder of how the band’s debut album had such a powerful and transformative effect on British music from the outset. Suede’s eponymous debut shot to #1 in the UK Album Charts upon its release selling over 100,000 copies in its first week, winning the prestigious Mercury Music Prize and becoming the fastest-selling debut album ever in the UK at that time. 

Suede and the Manic Street Preachers’ Llangollen show is part of a UK and Ireland tour that follows a sold out 2022 US tour that saw both bands greeted with a fantastic reception. 

The headlining show is presented in a new partnership between Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor. 

Cuffe and Taylor, one of the UK’s top live music, theatre and event promoters, are partnering with the International Eisteddfod to promote a series of live concerts in conjunction with the world-famous peace festival. 

Cuffe and Taylor co-founder Peter Taylor said: “We have presented countless shows in Wales over the years so it is great to be forming a new and very exciting relationship with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod team. 

“We will be working together to bring global stars and look forward to working alongside everyone in Llangollen helping secure the future of this historic event. 

“I am delighted our first announcement is that we are bringing the Manic Street Preachers and Suede to Llangollen and we will be revealing even more big name artists very soon.” 

Cuffe and Taylor present breath-taking tours, festivals and shows across the UK filling football stadiums, arenas, theatres and major historical sites working with a roster of artists ranging from Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Britney Spears and Stereophonics to Sir Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Sam Fender, The Strokes and Kylie. 

Chair of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Sarah Ecob said: “We are so pleased to be working with Cuffe and Taylor, who have an outstanding reputation in the industry.  By working in partnership with them, we have ensured that our peace festival set up in 1947 not only survives, but thrives.  We are so excited to welcome back the Manic Street Preachers and can’t wait to make more announcements over the coming days and weeks.” 

* For more information and to purchase tickets go to llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

News of cut in library hours sparks local concern

* Llangollen library in Castle Street could have its hours reduced.

News that the county council is planning to reduce the opening hours of libraries across Denbighshire - including Llangollen - has caused local concern.

Earlier this week llanblogger reported that as part of its response to upcoming financial pressures, the county council had asked its services to identify and propose potential savings.

The council says it will have a funding deficit during the coming financial year and, like local authorities across Wales, will need to find significant savings to ensure it can continue to deliver its essential services.

Officers are therefore proposing a specific reduction to its Library/One Stop Shop Service to help meet this funding gap. 

The proposal put forward is a 50% reduction in opening hours across Denbighshire’s Library Service.

All Libraries will remain partially open so that services can continue to be available for residents, albeit at a reduced rate. Also included are proposals to reduce other elements of the service, such as the Home Library Service.

The proposal aims to ensure that access to a library is available geographically across the county each weekday. 

Therefore, libraries which are fairly close together, namely Ruthin and Denbigh, Llangollen and Corwen, St Asaph and Rhuddlan, and Prestatyn and Rhyl, will complement each other’s service by ensuring one is open for at least part of each day.

The proposal is currently out to consultation until Monday, October 30 and members of the public are being invited to have their say either through the council’s consultation portal, County Conversation, at https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/project/755, or they can submit hard copy responses in any council-run library in Denbighshire.

In Llangollen there has been a chorus of concern about the proposal on local Facebook pages.

One post says: "What a shame that they are thinking of closing the Library on a Saturday when quite possibly the only day some people will get to the visit it due to working or other commitments, especially taking children there, a lot of children spend more time on their screens then looking at books, a Library gives them this for free!"

Another says: "It is shocking that they are proposing reduced hours that will mean local children can’t access a library in term time and anyone who works 9-5 in the week can’t access the library at all! An important warm central community space where people can access books and computers becomes inaccessible for many of the people in the town."

A related post says: "Typical DCC chosen times that most people including children can't use will end up closing next as nobody will be using it."

A further post reads: "I thought most libraries were opening up allowing the elderly and vulnerable to have a warm place to sit instead of using their heating at home - or maybe that was just last year as they seem to be doing the opposite and just as the colder weather will be arriving!"  

Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards said: "I encourage people to have their say on this issue by completing the consultation document online or at the local library.

"Residents can also email me direct at Karen.Edwards@denbighshire.gov.uk, or ring me on my council phone number of 07795 652188. My next advice surgery is on October 25, from 2-4.30pm, at the town council office."

Speaking to the Daily Post, the county council's Independent group leader Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts said the proposals will hit the most vulnerable if they go ahead. 

"I'm perplexed how this library cut has come after a series of budget meetings," he said.

"I'm surprised that the Labour/Plaid coalition have issued a consultation without engaging with all members. Libraries are key services for vulnerable people, students, children and people in education.

"We just feel, as a group of independent councillors, we've not been given the data that's why they’ve arrived at this decision. I can't even tell you who uses the library right now because we haven't been privy to that information.

"This decision to take it to consultation without engaging with councillors is just a total new way of working. Libraries are used for well-being.

"People who haven't got bank accounts use it for paying bills and council tax and rent, and also, over the summer, children take part in book campaigns and engage. Obviously people can keep warm, but it's also about the services on offer at the library.

"It isn't just about books. It's about computer access, being able to photocopy documents, and some students rely on the library for access to a computer for their education." He added: "It is ironic that they've launched this consultation during national Libraries Week."

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Roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

OPPOSITE 3 HILL STREET HILL STREET 21/10/2022 21/10/2023 Gwaith ar Dwll Archwilio/ Man Hole Works MJ QUINN (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Heol y Farchnad / Market Street MARKET STREET 14/10/2023 15/10/2023 Gwyl Fwyd Llangollen / Llangollen Food Festival LLANGOLLEN FOOD FESTIVAL LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

O/S BUILDING KNOWN AS HOLLYTOPS FRON BACHE 11/10/2023 13/10/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DANIEL) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Ponsonby Arms, Mill Street, Llangollen MILL STREET 16/10/2023 18/10/2023 I reoli traffig ar llwybr amgen / To control traffic on an alternative route

A539 Ponsonby Arms, Mill Street, Llangollen MILL STREET 30/10/2023 31/10/2023 Goleuadau traffig i reoli traffig trwy man cul ar llwybr amgen / Traffic signals to control traffic through pinch point on diversion route NMWTRA (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

LLANGOLLEN ROAD 09/10/2023 09/10/2023 Gwaith Draenio / Drainage Works DCC HIGHWAYS

A539 O/S BUILDING KNOWN AS CYFLYMEN BROOK STREET 30/10/2023 01/11/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DANIEL) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Entire Length TREM YR YSGOL 10/10/2023 10/10/2023 School Streets Closure- 08:00 - 09:00 & 14:30 - 15:30 DCC ROAD SAFETY LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure 08:00 - 09:00hrs & 14:30

TREVOR HALL LODGE' A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD 05/10/2023 06/10/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights