Decision time looms for libraries and One Stop Shop hours cut plan

* Llangollen Library in Castle Street.

Denbighshire County Council’s consultation about the reduction in hours to the library and One Stop Shop service closed at the end of October.

The consultation generated a record-breaking 4,600 responses, which equates to nearly 5% of Denbighshire’s population.  

A paper with recommendations for the next steps will go to Cabinet for a decision on December 19. 

The consultation proposed a 50% reduction in hours to Denbighshire’s Library and One Stop Shop Service. 

This proposal meant that all eight council run libraries, including Llangollen, would remain open to deliver services to residents, albeit for fewer hours. 

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage said: “We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to participate in this consultation. 

"The large response rate demonstrates the strong feelings about this proposal and Officers will now take time to consider everyone’s feedback before it is given full consideration at Cabinet’s December meeting. 

“As a council, we are saddened that we have to consider reducing frontline services, but this is the harsh reality of the current economic climate.  

"While this proposal is unpopular, it would ensure that the service continues in all Denbighshire Libraries/One Stop Shops which gives us hope that we can return to a full service in a more favourable economic climate.”

Last month, Denbighshire County Council warned that it faces significant budgetary pressures due to rising costs and demand for services. 

Despite an expected increase in funding of £5.6m (3%) by Welsh Government, this still leaves a funding gap of £20.4m. 

The council, like local authorities in Wales, must find significant savings and Cabinet has asked services across the authority to put forward proposals for consideration.

Eisteddfod invites male voice choirs to follow in Pavarotti's footsteps

* Luciano Pavarotti at the Eisteddfod in 1995.

In 1955 Luciano Pavarotti was a 19-year-old teacher when he came to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod as part of Chorus Rossini, from Modena, Italy.  

His choir left as the overall winning choir and Pavarotti went home determined to make music his career.  

Now the festival is searching for a male voice choir to follow in the famous footsteps of Pavarotti and Chorus Rossini.  

Male Voice Choirs are invited to join competitors from all over the globe at the 2024 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. 

They have the opportunity to celebrate in a unique combination of competition and international peace and friendship at one of the world’s most inspirational cultural festivals. 

The closing date to apply for all of the group competitions, including the Male Voice Choir competition, is Thursday November 30.

Dave Danford, Lead Programmer & Production Manager at the festival, said: “It’s still incredible to think that one of the most successful opera singers of all time was inspired to pursue a career in music by a visit to Llangollen in 1955.  

"Like hundreds of thousands of others, he experienced the magic of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.  

"We are giving male voice choirs from around the world the chance to follow in Pavarotti’s footsteps. By entering, they will be in with a chance of competing for the Pavarotti Trophy, awarded annually to the winners of our Choir of the World competition.”

Pavarotti said many times that he wanted to return to Llangollen one day, and eventually made a triumphant return with his father in 1995 to headline at that year’s festival, marking the 40th anniversary of his first visit to north Wales. 

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has entered a new partnership with Cuffe & Taylor, part of Live Nation. 

Together, they have promised a magical concert programme for the core Eisteddfod week from July 2 – 7 2024.  

Details will be announced at 9am on Monday December 4.  

Acts already announced for next summer include Manic Street Preachers, Suede, Jess Glynne, disco king Nile Rodgers & Chic, Paloma Faith and Kaiser Chiefs.  

Railway shortlisted for top tourism award

Llangollen Railway has been shortlisted for “Attraction of the Year” at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards.

Winners will be announced next Thursday November 23. 

In announcing the achievement on social media, the railway, which it's way back from administration and through lockdown closure two years ago, said: "With our fabulous new station at Corwen now open and a nearly sold-out Santa Special season still to look forward to, we’ve had a very successful 2023. This award is the icing on the cake! 

"Our staff and volunteers have shown phenomenal dedication to turn the railway around from the brink of extinction and take it back to being one of North Wales most successful tourist attractions - in just two and a half years."

"Wish us all luck in the final stages of judging and keep your fingers crossed for us next Thursday night."

Health watchdog volunteer Stuart Davies wants to hear from you

* Stuart Davies wants to hear from you on health matters. 

Former Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies has become a volunteer for health watchdog body Llais Cymru North Wales.

Llais aims to make sure people's views and experiences are used by decision-makers to plan and deliver better health and social care services.  

When things go wrong it has independent and trained complaints advocates who can support people to make complaints.

Stuart Davies said: "Over the next month myself and other volunteers want to know what experiences  - good or bad - people in North Wales are having in relation to two specific services. 

"With cataracts we'd like to know people's experiences on waiting times for surgery, access to ophthalmic services, what impact is this having on people's lives, such as ability to drive, work, care for others, are people finding that they are having to try and access treatment from outside of North Wales and if so are they having to pay for this treatment?

"On the Covid and flu vaccination programme we want to hear about your experience them -  how is it being rolled out in your GP practice, how easy is it to find out information about the availability of vaccines in your local area, have you heard feedback from others in your family or community about their experiences? Please do let us know.

"We would like our volunteers to share with us anything that they are experiencing, hearing or reading about in relation to health and social care services in their community. 

"We would also like our volunteers to help us to recruit volunteers to Llais North Wales. 

"We want to work with you to learn how we can do this successfully and we recognise that this will take time. 

"In the meantime we ask our volunteers to help us with this vital priority over the coming months. Whilst we do not have the national training programme just yet, there is plenty we can do and have done in terms of local training, mentoring and buddying up."

* If you have any experiences in North Wales you wish to share OR become a volunteer, then Llais can be contacted directly on northwalesyourvoice@llaiscymru.org

Stuart Davies can be contacted by email on llaisvolunteer@gmail.com

The Llais website is at: https://www.llaiswales.org/

New stage company premieres its talents with Town Hall shows

* Cast members in rehearsals for A Night at the Musicals.

A new, young performing arts company makes its debut at Llangollen Town Hall with a gallop through a host of well-known musicals this weekend.

Wrexham-based To the Stage Productions is putting on its show, A Night at the Musicals, tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday at 7pm.  

It's a journey through some all-time favourite shows and features songs from Matilda, SIX, Wicked and more. 

A spokesperson for the company said: "For our first production we've chosen to do a musical showcase to show the range of talents the children and teenagers, whose ages range from seven to 18, have. 

"We'll take the audience on a magical journey with lots of singing and dancing."

* The link for the tickets is: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/to-the-stage-productions/a-night-at-the-musicals/e-xrpbqv

Denbighshire's ‘Free After Three’ parking scheme returns

* Llangollen's Market Street is one of the council car parks that will be Free after Three in the run-up to the festive season.

Denbighshire County Council will once again be running the ‘Free After Three’ parking scheme in the run up to Christmas.

Between November 20 and December 31, council-run town centre car parks will be free to use across the county every day from 3pm to encourage more people to use their local high street for shopping in the run-up to Christmas and New Year.

The Free After Three initiative will be available in the following car parks:

1. Corwen - Green Lane
2. Denbigh – Barkers Well Lane, Crown Lane, Factory Ward, Post Office Lane and Vale Street
3. Llangollen - East Street, Hall Street, Market Street and Mill Street
4. Prestatyn – Kings Avenue, Lower High Street Railway Station
5. Rhuddlan - Parliament Street
6. Rhyl – Central, Morley Road, West Kinmel Street, Sky Tower, Town Hall, Railway Station; Library (disabled bays only),
7. Ruthin - Market Street, Crispin Yard, Dog Lane, Park Road, Rhos Street, St Peters Square and Troed Y Rhiw
8. St Asaph - Bowling Green

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said: “Free after Three has proved popular in previous years because it is a great scheme that enables residents to support their local communities.

“We hope that everyone supports our local high streets and back our businesses, especially in the run-up to Christmas and take full advantage of the benefits of the scheme by using the county’s town centre car parks free of charge.”

Big treasure hunt features in Llangollen Christmas Festival

Keen-eye youngsters coming along to Llangollen Christmas Festival later this month are being invited to join the big treasure hunt.

After the success of last year's Strange Items Treasure Hunt in which festival organisers asked competitors to find all the odd things in 14 shop windows around town, this year they're being challenged to find various Gingerbread Folk who will be in the windows of 20 shops and businesses.

Entry forms will be available on festival day from the Town Hall lobby, and there'll be small prizes for those competitors who locate most of the gingerbread figures and bring back their forms for checking.

The back of each entry form shows the search area and an example gingerbread figure (Sion Corn) to give them an idea what they're looking for. On the front they'll find a list of all the figures ranging from a Mermaid to a Superhero (via a Granny and a Town Crier) in the total of 20 secret locations for the kids to discover. 

This year's festival is on Saturday November 25 and features:

* Free parking

* Market from 10am

* Parade at 1pm

* Sion Corn's Grotto

* Market stalls, crafts and street food

* Balloon sculpture and face painting

* Grand raffle

* Live bands, choirs and circus performers

* Fairground rides

* Punch and Judy 

* Bouncy play

* Christmas lights switch-on

* Fireworks display sponsored by The Wild Pheasant, Llangollen