Community Christmas Day lunch serves up over 70 Turkey meals

* Above and below: Diners enjoy the lunch served at the Community Hall.

* Community lunch organisers Mike and Val Connolly.

Llangollen Community Christmas Lunch saw a total of 72 turkey meals served up on the big day.

Of those prepared and served 63 were enjoyed in a specially-decorated St Collen's Community Hall and nine were delivered by volunteer drivers to people in their homes.   

Of the diners in the hall were 13 children, the youngest of whom was spending her first Christmas having been born just eight months ago.    

Organiser Mike Connolly said: "A terrific team of helpers worked right through from 11am to keep our guests looked after really well.     

"Among the many generous supporters of the lunch were Llangollen Town Council, St Collen’s Church, Llangollen’s men’s five-a-side football team, Liberty Tavern, S & G Bistro, Ruth Owen, Lynne Williams, Suzi Moore and others who called in on Christmas morning to deliver gifts and their good wishes.  

"My wife Val and myself want to express our particular thanks to Ian Wright, who with his grand-daughter Millie Davies, spent several hours on Christmas Eve setting up and dressing the tables, and to the stars of the kitchen who pulled all the food together. Our suited-n-booted chef was Scott very ably assisted by Jess Hart.    

"Thanks also to Elizabeth (Betty) Johnson and her late husband Peter for setting up this wonderful event and handing the baton over to Val and I some years ago."   

Old postcard found in New Zealand creates Eisteddfod mystery

 

* The girl in the postcard discovered in New Zealand.

A 1950s postcard found by a Llangollen man in a vintage shop 11,000 miles away in New Zealand has revived memories of the early days of the town’s International Musical Eisteddfod.

Darren Preston, who owns Books Llangollen in Castle Street, has been on holiday over there and spotted the postcard while browsing at the store in the town of Murchison on the country’s South Island. 

The sharp black and white image shows a young lady, in traditional Welsh costume of high hat and apron, posing for the camera on what looks like the original eisteddfod field with a row of tents in the background. 

* Film footage showing girls wearing similar badges.

And now Darren, who previously owned Maxine's cafe in the building below his current bookshop from 1991, would love to try and find out who she is.

He said “I got it from a shop named Dust & Rust. The guy there said it came in with some old postcards.

“The back of the photo could say ‘July 1951’ but it was written in 1952.

“It also looks like someone in Christchurch was going to do some research on it.”

Doing research of his own Darren has been looking at an online copy of a famous British Pathe News cine film showing the 1952 eisteddfod.

* Darren Preston who discovered the old postcard.

He believes that the badge being worn by the girl in the photo is the same as ones as those seen on the capes of three other girls in one of the sequences.   

Karen Price, an eisteddfod board trustee, has seen a copy of the picture Darren discovered and reckons a rare memento of the eisteddfod’s early days has come to light.

She said: “It’s a great find on the part of Darren and it’s incredible that someone from Llangollen has found it all the way over on the other side of the world.

* The Dust & Rust vintage shop in Murchison, New Zealand.

“It also shows the truly international reach the festival has had over so many years.

“Like Darren we’d be fascinated to discover who the young lady is and, if we can locate her, we’d be delighted to welcome her back to next year’s eisteddfod.”  

* If you have any idea on who the mystery girl might be, please call: 01978 862000.

Story highlights success of new Llangollen gym

Denbighshire Free Press is highlighting how a champion strongwoman is celebrating the overwhelming success of her new gym in Llangollen.

In 2021, Jemma 'Stubbs' Stubbington became the first Welsh woman to win the title of Britain’s Strongest Woman.

She has recently opened the new Stubbs Strength and Performance Centre at Mile End Mill on the outskirts of town.

* For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/23999958.new-llangollen-gym-going-strength-strength/?ref=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR2V3Q2N0dvj7Mcg3JxdnUd3HbV_0FSQC0itaxuz1AVOvpqHjQ3u_pjWagM

Merry Christmas to all our readers from llanblogger

Merry Christmas from llanblogger!

Roadworks alert for Brook Street

Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:

Brook Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 27 December - 27 December   Roadworks, Delays unlikely   Traffic management: Traffic control (give & take)   Description: Reinstatement Consequential Damage Job in Carriageway (10mm Bitmac (Tarmac) )   Works location: BROOK 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 Hafren Dyfrdwy.   Responsibility for works: Hafren Dyfrdwy   Current status: Planned work about to start   Works reference: ZU0028102/000013542063

Magical Snowman melts the hearts of large Pavilion audiences

* One of the packed houses for The Snowman Concerts.

There was packed houses, standing ovations and plenty of Christmas cheer at Llangollen Pavilion as the NEW Sinfonia orchestra, in partnership with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, staged their two sell-out Christmas concerts yesterday (Saturday).  

The shows, which underlined the Eisteddfod's message of peace and reconciliation, culminated with a showing of the iconic Christmas film The Snowman accompanied by the orchestra, won plaudits from a hugely appreciative audience already in the Christmas mood.   

Local choir NEW Voices, a local community ensemble led by conductor Robert Guy and a guesting Ukrainian refugee Polina Horelova, were augmented by outstanding soprano Kryststyna Makar. 

In a surprise twist NEW Sinfonia were conducted at one point by Santa himself - a very close friend of Llangollen town crier Austin "Chem" Cheminais - for Sleigh Ride.  

Both concerts were sold out weeks ago and raised money for Wrexham-based refugee charity UareUK and Llangollen Eisteddfod itself.   

* The Snowman film on the big screen at the Pavilion.

Earlier in the day UareUk also hosted a Breakfast with Santa event at the Pavilion for dozens of refugees who enjoyed watching the concerts' dress rehearsal.  

NEW Sinfonia also featured renowned percussionist and new artistic director of the Eisteddfod, Dave Danford.

Later, Robert Guy, co-founder and conductor of NEW Sinfonia, said: "It was amazing to bring over 1,000 people to Llangollen - just days before Christmas.  

"People came from across North Wales and the borders for our amazing family event.  

"It was another great opportunity to showcase our outstanding, professional orchestra together with our community choir who sang beautifully. It was also important to us that Polina and Kryststyna led us so well.  

"We also raised a lot of money for Wrexham-based charity UareUK, who organised a packed breakfast of refugees and their families who loved the experience. It was the first time I have ever had my baton snatched from me mid-performance but Santa got a huge cheer."

David Hennigan, a board trustee at the Eisteddfod, said: "Our partnership with NEW Sinfonia delivered such an amazing experience for families just 36 hours before Christmas day itself.  

"The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod was set up in 1947 to promote peace and reconciliation through song and these events delivered that ethos in spades.  

"We'd like to thank everyone for their support in making this happen including all the volunteers from the Llangollen Eisteddfod and NEW Sinfonia for helping us put these brilliant events together." 

NEW Sinfonia are now taking a well-earned rest after a sell-out Christmas Concert season but return for a New Year Gala Concert on Saturday, January 6 at St Giles' Church, Wrexham.

Free school meals to be served up to county's year 5 and 6 pupils

From January, the Universal Primary Free School Meals scheme is to be rolled out ahead of schedule to all year 5 and 6 pupils in Denbighshire, meaning every primary school pupil in Denbighshire can now have a free school meal. 

In December 2021, Welsh Government (WG) announced plans to offer free meals to all primary school pupils. Since September 2022, the Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) offer in Denbighshire has been successfully rolled out from Reception to Year 4. 

Following a further round of kitchen and dining refurbishments across the County, the UPFSM offer will be rolled out earlier than scheduled to Year 5 and 6 pupils from 8th January, 2024. 

From the start of the Spring term all primary pupils in Denbighshire schools will be asked on a daily basis whether or not they would like to access a school meal. They will be able to opt in or out without having to pre book and the meal will be provided free of charge. If pupils are already in receipt of free school meals and/or any other associated benefits, these will not be impacted. 

Councillor Gill German, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families said: “It is fantastic that with this funding, along with the dedication of our staff and support from local contractors, the Authority is able to rollout the Universal Primary Free School Meal offer earlier than originally scheduled for all pupils up to Year 6. 

"School meals are essential to a child’s learning and development and I am so very pleased that now every primary school pupil within Denbighshire will have the offer of a free school meal.” 

* Further information is available on the Denbighshire website www.denbighshire.gov.uk/education.