Action-packed Christmas festival warms up a chilly winter day

* Joan Fell, 99, the most senior resident of the Old Vicarage care home switches on the Christmas lights assisted by Lee Todd, president of Vale of Llangollen Rotary.

* A massive fireworks display came as the grand finale to the Christmas Festival.

The weather stayed bright but chilly for the opening stages of the annual Llangollen Christmas Festival.

Stalls along Market did a brisk early trade while crowds gathered around Centenary Square to watch a full programme of entertainment, including the Silver Band singing groups.

At 1pm the event officially kicked off with the big parade which started from the Eisteddfod field and went along Castle Street and Oak Street to the Town Hall where Mayor Cllr Paul Kiddie and town crier Austin "Chem" Cheminais were waiting to warmly welcome Sion Corn to his grotto upstairs, which was later thronged by youngsters and their parents clamouring to have an audience with the grand old man.

The Madrigals singing group performed carols from the gallery of the Museum in Parade Street while, back in the square, a huge crowd gathered to hear the choir from Ysgol Y Gwernant do their own kind of carolling.

As darkness fell attention again focused on the square where the town's Christmas lights were officially switched on by Joan Fell, 99, most senior resident of the Old Vicarage care home, assisted by Lee Todd, president of Vale of Llangollen Rotary.

As has become traditional, the whole action-packed day was brought to a fitting close with a firework display watched by the delighted crowd. 

* Scout scooter riders take parade in the festival parade early in the afternoon.  

* Sion Corn waves to the crowds lining the bridge.

 

* Town crier Chem rings his bell to announce the parade is coming through.

* One of the many tractors which took part.

* A gleaming vintage car carried the Mayor and Mayoress. 

* Hope House children's hospices had a strong presence. 

* A decorated dog is led along the bridge.

* Drosi Bikes' contingent comes cycling through.

* Another vintage car - a Bullnose Morris - delights onlookers. 

* Volunteers from Llangollen Railway stride out.

* The Grinch at the wheel of his special vehicle.

* Llangollen Operatic members show off costumes they'll be wearing at this evening's Frozen singalong at the Town Hall. 

* Puttering along in a tuk-tuk.

* A game of hoopla on the hoof.

* Another elaborately-costumed character in the parade.

* A bit of stilt walking.

* A duo of lovely little ponies.

* Sion Corn is welcomed to the Town Hall by town crier Chem, left, and the Mayor, Cllr Paul Keddie.

* Llangollen Pantomime Group sing in the square.

* Llangollen Silver Band present their seasonal programme.

* Ysgol Clywedog's street band bang away. 

* Madrigals sing carols from the Museum gallery.

 * A huge crowd watches Ysgol Y Gwernant sing in the square.

* Chris Burton rounds off the day's entertainment by singing in the square.

* Market Street stalls were open early.

* John Palmer, one of the hard-working festival organisers, takes a break with his bike.

* A magic roundabout in Market Street.

* The Snowman, who will appear in a special Eisteddfod Christmas show at the Pavilion on December 23, meets young fans in Market Street.

* The Eisteddfod floral committee's stall in Market Street overflows with some great seasonal greenery.

Town to get lit up by illuminated tractor run

* Last year's tractor run goes through the town centre.

Vale of Llangollen Rotary and the Llangollen Young Farmers Club are gearing up for the second annual Llangollen Illuminated Tractor Run on December 3. 

Building on the success of last year's event, organisers say this year's event will be even more spectacular, featuring an extended route and a convoy of brightly lit tractors.

Starting at 5 pm from The Pavilion in Llangollen, the tractors will embark on a picturesque journey through Llangollen, Trevor, Acrefair, Plas Madoc, Ruabon, Rhosllanerchrugog, Rhostyllen, Bersham, Wrexham, Morrison's car park (for a 45-minute stop), Bersham, Minera, Bwlchgwyn, Llandegla, Horseshoe Pass, and finishing back at Llangollen.

The route is carefully curated to spread the festive cheer across the region.

Before the spectacle begins, from 4 pm to 5 pm, all tractors will be on display at The Pavilion, offering the public the chance to get up close and personal. 

Father Christmas himself will be present for photo opportunities and chats with the little ones.

The grand old man in red will then join the tractors on their journey, adding an extra dash of magic to the evening.

This year the event aims to raise funds for three worthy causes - The Teenage Cancer Trust, Nightingale Hope Hospice, and a community defibrillator. 

Volunteers, identifiable by their high-visibility vests and badges, will line the route with collection buckets, offering everyone who comes the opportunity to contribute to these good causes.

To make donations even more accessible, the organizing committee has set up an online fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/TractorRun2023.

For those planning to attend, the Llangollen Illuminated Tractor Run's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LlangollenIlluminatedTractorRun) will provide a live tractor tracker link on the day, showing spectators the tractors' progress along the route, so they won’t miss the convoy of tractors.

Last year's event drew hundreds of spectators who not only enjoyed the spectacle but also contributed to the cause. 

The organizing team has worked tirelessly throughout the year to make this year's run bigger and better, even placing informational posters with QR codes along the new route for easy mobile donations.

* The 40th tractor has just registered for Llangollen's Illuminated Run.

The tractor is from Rea Valley Tractors Ltd Denbigh Depot whose staff have signed up for seven separate tractor runs around the area of which Llangollen will be their first.

Event director Aled Morris said everyone was delighted to pass the unofficial target of 40 with the run now well on its way to its maximum 50 entries.

MP calls in on Llangollen business marking its 20th anniversary

* David Pinel, left, and Simon Baynes MP at IT Pro-Support in Llangollen.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes visited IT-Pro Support in Llangollen to meet owner David Pinel and learn about the business as they celebrate their 20^th year in operation. 

IT-Pro Support, located in the Malthouse Business Centre, provide IT support and maintenance to 80 clients across North Wales, Cheshire, and Shropshire, including businesses in Wrexham, Chirk, Mold, Queensferry, Oswestry and Ellesmere. 

Since 2003, when the business opened in the then new Malthouse Business Centre, IT-Pro Support has grown to include eight full time staff members. 

They now offer a range of services to clients, including managed security and a 24/7 hotline for client-queries, hosting for client websites, backup and recovery services and expertise in Microsoft 365.

 

During his visit, Mr Baynes and David Pinel discussed the services they offer to businesses and their plans for the future. 

These include their marketing strategy and use of social media, along with software development. Additionally, they discussed measures to improve broadband speed locally. 

Speaking after the visit, David Pinel said: “As one of the founders and owners of IT-Pro Support, I am thrilled to reach 20 years in business. This milestone is a testament to the unwavering dedication and expertise of our talented team. We believe that our care and support make a significant difference in our client’s businesses, and this accomplishment underscores our commitment to innovation and customer care.

"I extend my sincere gratitude to our hardworking team for their relentless efforts and to our valued clients and partners for their trust and collaboration. This achievement is not just ours; it reflects the collective passion and commitment that defines IT-Pro.”

Mr Baynes said: “IT-Pro Support are a fantastic local business whose work enables many other companies and businesses in North Wales and Shropshire to thrive and grow thanks to their excellent IT support.

"It was a pleasure to meet David Pinel and to learn about how IT-Pro Support have grown in the last 20 years and of their plans for continued expansion as high-quality IT-services become an ever more valued part of a business’s daily running.”

One-way system put in place on Hall Street

 

A one-way system has been put in place on Hall Street, Llangollen by Hafren Dyfrdwy, to facilitate urgent water works.

Railway and two others from Llan scoop top tourism awards

* From left, Jonathan Seldon of the sponsors, Tom Taylor, General Manager of Llangollen Railway, Phil Coles, Chairman, and Oliver Seldon. Pictures by Jane Widdowson.

Volunteers at Llangollen Railway have been hailed as tourism heroes after coming back from the brink of collapse.

The heritage attraction was  among the big winners at the prestigious Go North Wales Tourism Awards last night (Thursday).

On the night two other Llangollen businesses were also in the honours - Bearded Men Adventures and Riversdale House B&B.

The glittering annual event organised by North Wales Tourism celebrates the dedication, skill and achievements of the region’s tourism and hospitality industry.

This year the ceremony at Venue Cymru in Llandudno was hosted by ITV Wales journalist Carole Green and the headline sponsor once again was Harlech Foodservice which supplies many of the region’s hotels, guest houses and restaurants.

Llangollen Railway was named Go Attraction of the Year after staging a remarkable comeback.

The railway is now back on track after mounting debts caused by Covid disruptions forced its operating arm into receivership.

It steamed forward thanks to the dedication of the volunteers of the Llangollen Railways Trust who took over the railway’s operation.

Earlier this year the organisation achieved a long-held ambition to open the new £1.25 million station in Corwen, enabling passenger-carrying trains to return to the Denbighshire town first time in four years.

Llangollen Railway Chair Phil Coles said: “It’s been a lot of very hard work over two and a half years with an awful lot of input from visitors and staff.

“Very many people have gone over and above in their dedication to the railway and this award is the icing on the cake for us after going bust in the pandemic.”

Tom Taylor, General Manager, added: “We had to work with the rest of the tourism industry just to survive but we have taken the railway out to Corwen now and we’re already making a big difference to the town there.

“We’re looking towards National Park status now and we need to be a really polished product.

“We need to stabilise, recover and build for the future and the staff have been key to that and this award is for them.”

At the same ceremony the Go Marketing and Media Recognition Award 2023 sponsored by  Heart North and Mid Wales was won by Bearded Men Adventures of Llangollen.

Go B&B/Inn and Guest House of the Year 2023 sponsored by  Aber Falls Distillery was won by Riversdale House, Llangollen.

* Carole Green, from ITV Wales, who hosted the awards ceremony.

Jim Jones, the Chief Executive of North Wales Tourism, said: “We are grateful to Harlech Foodservice and all our other sponsors for stepping up to the plate to support the Go North Wales Tourism Awards.

“Tonight is an opportunity to celebrate the best of best in the tourism and hospitality sector.

“The sheer volume and quality of entries this year has underlined why North Wales is a truly world class destination.

“I would like to congratulate all the winners but I would also like to stress that all the nominees are playing a vital role in championing what we have to offer visitors from home and abroad. They do an exceptional job in putting North Wales on the map.

“The priority now is to try to get back up to where we were in 2019 and to increase the spend of the visitors who come here by raising the quality of what we are doing.”

David Cattrall, the Managing Director of Harlech Foodservice, said: “We are delighted to once again be the headline sponsor of this wonderful awards ceremony and it’s very much a vote of confidence in the tourism and hospitality sector which has endured such a difficult time in recent years.

“This is our opportunity to give something back and celebrate the achievements of our core customers.

“That’s also why we have launched our new Trust Our Prices campaign with over 300 popular lines having their prices cut and frozen until January 1.

“The fundamental reasons why North Wales is such an attractive place to visit are still there and will continue to be in demand in future.

“We have amazing scenery and world class facilities so I am sure the sector will go from strength to strength.

“That means that the tourism and hospitality sector can play a big role in leading the economic recovery in North Wales.”

Winners at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards 

Go Large Hotel of the Year 2023 sponsored by Castell Howell Foods Ltd and won by Rossett Hall Hotel, Wrexham 

Go Small Hotel of the Year 2023 sponsored by Carbon Zero Renewables and won by Plas Dinas Country House Hotel, Bontnewydd 

Go Self Catering of the Year 2023 sponsored by  Pario Leisure Group and won by

The Rocks at Plas Curig, Capel Curig, Betws y Coed 

Go Glamping, Camping, Caravanning and Holiday Park of the Year sponsored by  GreenWood Family Park and won by Tan y Bryn Glamping & Touring, Llandudno Junction

Go Attraction of the Year 2023 sponsored by SF Parks and won by Llangollen Railway

Go Experience of the Year 2023 sponsored by Snowdonia Hospitality & Leisure Ltd and won by Go Below Underground Adventures 

Go Best Event of the Year 2023 sponsored by Penderyn Distillery, Llandudno, and won by Always Aim High Events, Llangefni 

Go Eating Out Experience of the Year 2023 sponsored by Office Equipment Systems Ltd and won by The Lemon Tree, Wrexham 

Go Tourism Supplier of the Year 2023 sponsored by Booking.com and won by Parisella’s Ice Cream, Conwy 

Go Young Person in Tourism & Hospitality Award 2023 sponsored by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and won by  Megan Harris, Abergele Golf Club 

Go Skills Enhancement in Tourism & Hospitality Award 2023 sponsored by Wales Ambassador Scheme and won by  Rhian Jones, Conwy Tour Guide 

Go New Tourism Business of the Year 2023 sponsored by  Thornley Leisure Parks and won by Tree Tops and Train Tracks, Mold 

Go Cruise North Wales sponsored by Cruise Wales and won by Wales Best Guides 

Go Pet Friendly Award 2023 sponsored by  Holidaycottages.co.uk Travel Chapter and won by Rivercatcher, Corwen 

Go Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Award 2023 sponsored by Development Bank of Wales and won by Llandudno Bay Hotel 

Go Resilience and Innovation Award 2023 sponsored by  Plas Dinas Country House Hotel and won by Go Below Underground Adventures 

Go North Wales Service to Tourism Award 2023 sponsored by  Tir Prince Leisure Group Llandudno Pier Trading and won by Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay 

 

Former Dinas Bran student nominated for top music industry award

* Eluned Ashwood has worked with a wide range of celebrities and is now in the running for an industry award.

A young stage technician who went to school in Llangollen and went on to work with stars such as Ed Sheeran and Lionel Ritchie has been nominated for a prestigious industry award.

Eluned Ashwood, 28, grew up in Trevor and went to school in Garth and Ysgol Dinas Bran.

Her first live sound experience was on a week’s work experience from school with Wigwam Sound Crew during the Llangollen Eisteddfod and she continued to do this as a volunteer for the next few years.

Eluned did sound and backstage work for productions by Llangollen Operatic Society and its Young ‘Uns’ junior section and also gained more experience during the Focus Wales festival in Wrexham.

After initially considering a career in science, she switched to doing a Live Sound course in Manchester.

Since then her career has blossomed, starting with a Lionel Ritchie tour she has gone on to work with celebs as diverse as Anton du Beke and Ed Sheeran, Pete Tong, and done orchestras and festivals including Isle of Wight and the Capital FM Summertime Ball.

* The 2023 Eurovision in Liverpool is one of the events for which she has been nominated.

Eluned has also worked behind the scenes at events in venues such as Buckingham Palace and Wembley.

She has now been nominated in the stage technician category of the Women in Live Music Awards for her work on the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool and The National's UK/EU tour. The presentation evening is in London on December 12.

Eluned’s proud mum, Sally Ashwood, said: “Women working in the live music scene is still a minority, so she has done extremely well to reach the position she has in her career.

“Llangollen, considering it’s a small town, has nurtured many successful techs in the creative industries and Eluned is one of them.”

* You can still vote for Eluned in the awards by going to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VF3JRF2

Scroll to category 29, Stage Technician, look down the list for her name and then check the box.

Entertainment programmes for tomorrow's Christmas Festival

This year's Llangollen Christmas Festival takes place tomorrow (Saturday).

It 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