Local roadworks alerts for this week

Latest local roadworks update from one.network is:

Hall Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 05 February - 15 March   Delays likely - Diversion route   Name: Diversion   Location: Hall Street   Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks   Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Planned   Hall Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 05 February - 15 March   Delays likely - Road closure   Name: Hall Street, Llangollen   Location: Hall Street   Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks   Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Planned   Castle Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 06 February - 06 February   Roadworks, Delays likely   Traffic management: Traffic control (multi-way signals)   Description: NMWTRA traffic light modification   Works location: Castle Street, Llangollen   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 Denbighshire County Council.   Responsibility for works: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: QR007S000000000910   Hill Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 05 February - 15 March   Roadworks, Delays likely   Traffic management: Road closure   Description: REPLACE 205M OF OLD METALLIC GAS MAINS WITH NEW PLASTIC MAINS AND RENEW/TRANSFER APPROX. 26 SERVICE   Works location: JUNC HALL STREET - JUNC VICARAGE ROAD   Public facing description: Wales & West Utilities Ltd has not assigned a specific description to this Works. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Wales & West Utilities Ltd.   Responsibility for works: Wales & West Utilities   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: XY254003001625640

Busy Tidy Town Team clocks up 400 hours' work in 2023

 

* Members of Llangollen Tidy Town Team enjoy their annual Christmas dinner at the Sun Trevor last year. 

Llangollen Tidy Town Team clocked up over 400 hours of voluntary effort during 2023.

In the latest annual report of the organisation, which was founded in 2006, its co-ordinator David Davies gives a full run-down of the packed programme of work undertaken by its dedicated band of volunteers during the year. 

He reports: "Our meetings continue, at least once a month, with a mixture of 'regular' duties, winding down of a long-term project and adding some new tasks this year.

"To our regular maintenance duties in the town  square of litter picking, leaf sweeping and garden tidying we again added Christmas tree 'planting' and removal. Unfortunately, a number of the grasses planted on the bank area have died and a major replanting needs consideration.

"We finalised our main involvement in the St John’s Wood area project, in which we have participated during the past five years, with the planting of over twenty fruit trees. An annual keep-it-tidy maintenance visit is now on our schedule.

"Our assistance was in evidence at the very successful Garden Railway event and in traffic and lights management duties at the ever increasing popular Llangollen Christmas Festival."

* Some of the 21 sacks of rubbish collected recently by the Tidy Town Team in the area between the surgery and Wenffrwd Nature Reserve. Also retrieved were a lead pipe, a car wheel and bumper and a road sign stand.

He adds: "During the year we undertook a litter clear of the Aldi car park. Home Bargains were appreciative but Aldi were noticeable by their total lack of response and any effort to keep it tidy. 

"On call-out, we were pleased to assist the museum in relocating items to other storage following their unfortunate flooding. New funding recently announced now enables them to undertake the necessary substantial roof repairs.

"We met with enthusiasm the challenge that the Bowling Club at the RAFA provided us with substantially reducing the height of their hedge along the canal side. This required manual effort of a full team and 'treaders' to compress the contents of an overfull large skip.

"Finally, a big thank you for some funds donated from the Llangollen and District Gardening Club, following their sad closure, and from the Spar and Kenrick Motors during the year. This all helps keeping us working, clocking up over 400 hours of voluntary effort during this year, trying to keep Llangollen a Tidy Town to the benefit of residents and visitors."

Police incident closes section of A483

North Wales Police posted on Facebook around 7.40pm this evening (Saturday:

## A483 J1 RUABON SOUTH BOUND ##

Please be aware that the A483 J1 Ruabon South Bound will be temporarily closed for a short period of time whilst officers deal with an incident

Eisteddfod says it with flowers at their Daffodil Festival

* Members of the Floral Committee after their bulb planting event in October.

The celebrated floral committee of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod are branching out in 2024 with their very own Daffodil Flower Festival. 

The events will be hosted at St Collen’s Church in Llangollen from April 5-7 and will feature an Evening Choral Concert with Lleisiau’r Afon Ladies Choir, conducted by Leigh Mason, renowned local soloist Clare Harrison, accompanied by Owen Roberts and a musical theatre performance from Shea Ferron. 

There will also be a special Songs of Praise concert led by popular Llangollen vicar Father Lee Taylor. 

The festival will raise money for the Llangollen Eisteddfod’s charity, which helps to attract hundreds of people from across the world to its annual peace festival. 

The event will also feature daffodil wave and floral displays, with daffodils of all shapes, sizes and material crafted by the community including local schools. 

These will displayed in the church and in St Collen’s Community Hall, which will be hosting stalls, workshops, refreshments, and a raffle on Saturday, April 6. 

Michelle Davies, Chair of the Floral Committee of the Llangollen Eisteddfod, said: “Our daffodil is a recognisable symbol of Wales and a beloved fixture of our gardens and countryside so why not hold a festival in honour of our favourite flower? 

"We have been busy preparing for this for months and our team have already planted hundreds of bulbs in the grounds of our beautiful 6th Century church. 

"We have two wonderful concerts planned, all in celebration of the national flower of Wales. All of the money raised will go towards the Llangollen Eisteddfod charity to help us continue welcoming the World to Wales.” 

The tradition of decorating the main stage at the International Eisteddfod with flowers began at the first festival in 1947 when a few blooms were placed in jam jars to hide the tent poles that held up the stage’s awning. Over the past 76 years, the tradition – and the quantities of flowers – has grown, with the displays as iconic as the festival itself.

Father Lee Taylor, the vicar in charge of St Collen's Church, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the Llangollen Eisteddfod’s floral committee’s celebration of the daffodil. The Eisteddfod is synonymous with flowers. 

"Each year, our town welcomes competitors from around the world to perform on a stage splendidly decked out in flowers. As well as a symbol of Wales, the daffodil symbolises new beginnings, so we’re delighted to host Llangollen’s first ever festival dedicated to the daffodil.”

* Tickets at £10 are available from Dee Valley Produce, Oak Street (cash only) and online at www.llangollen.net where a small booking fee applies.

Saturday April 6 at 10-4pm

Stalls, Refreshments and Prize Raffle at the adjacent St Collen’s Community Hall, Llangollen. Free Entry. 

Sunday April 7 at 4pm

Songs of Praise Concert at St Collen’s Church, Llangollen. Free entry.

Tickets on sale here - https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/daffodil-festival/  *Use discount code LIVE24 to remove online booking fee.  Discount will be applied at check out. 

Police warn that Horseshoe Pass is closed

Message at around 6am this morning (Friday) on the North Wales Police Facebook page:

North Wales Police 

tonSedropsh01ht5ch9f615l46135mi612t0g94gltm000cal08128265057  · 

*****Road closed*****

- A542 Llangollen horseshoe pass due to a road traffic collision, please find alternative routes for the time being.

Schedule revealed for major Llangollen gas pipe works

The schedule for the rest of essential gas pipe works taking place in Llangollen has been announced.

Wales & West Utilities is currently working on a £400,000 investment project to upgrade gas pipes in the Bache Mill Road area of the town.

The work is said to be essential to keep the gas flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses, keeping people safe and warm for generations to come.

* Hill Street (5 February – 15 March)

* Butlers Hill (25 March – 12 April)

* Grange Road (15 April – 7 May)

* Oak Road (29 April – 14 May)

Eisteddfod’s 2024 Parade of Nations will be 'biggest for years'

* Town crier Chem will lead the Parade of Nations on July 3. Picture: xJM Photography.

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has announced that its celebrated Parade of Nations will be held in the town on Wednesday, July 3 at 4.30pm.  

Visitors can expect a colourful spectacle as groups from as far away as Burundi, Canada, China, Ghana, India, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, USA and Zimbabwe will be participating - alongside dozens of groups from the UK. 

The parade, one of the central parts of the core Llangollen Eisteddfod, comes less than 24 hours after Sir Tom Jones makes his long-awaited debut at the festival. 

It will be followed by a huge party on the Eisteddfod field, where visitors can get on the "ground for a pound"! 

Welsh folk heroes Calan then headline the Wales Welcomes the World concert in the Pavilion, also starring Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists Johns’ Boys Chorus and Royal Harpist Alis Huws, alongside the Llangollen International Orchestra. 

John Gambles, Vice-Chair of the festival said: “This year, our parade will be the biggest for years.  

"We’ve got some amazing international competitors from around the world coming to our town in July.  

* The colourful 2023 parade. Picture: xJM Photography.

"Our Parade of Nations is one of our most popular events and this will be followed by a huge celebration on a our field as we truly welcome the World to Wales.” 

The parade will be led by the Llangollen Silver Band and Llangollen Town Crier, Austin “Chem” Cheminais. 

In 2023, thousands of residents took to the streets, and this year there will be even more participants and colours. 

In 2024 the core Eisteddfod week is taking place between July 2-7, with concerts before and after featuring acts as diverse as Jess Glynne, Manic Street Preachers, Madness, and Paloma Faith. 

Dave Danford, Artistic Director of the festival, will be overseeing the event. He said: “This year, the profile of our festival has gone through the roof. Our partnership with Cuffe and Taylor means that this summer we are bringing some truly international artists to Llangollen, such as Bryan Adams, and Nile Rodgers & Chic. 

"Our core Eisteddfod week remains the central part of everything we are doing, which is why we’re bringing our parade forward, to be held on the day that we welcome the World to Wales.” 

* Crowds pack the town to see last year's parade. Picture: Megan McNutt.

Core Eisteddfod:

Tuesday 2 July 8pm

TOM JONES

Wednesday 5 July 8pm                           

WALES WELCOMES THE WORLD

Celebrating the rich tapestry of Welsh culture, featuring the soul-stirring melodies of folk band Calan, the elegance of Royal harpist Alis Huws, the powerful harmonious voices of John’s Boys Male Chorus, and the Llangollen International Orchestra.                   

Thursday 4 July 2024 8pm                        

DIRECT FROM THE WEST END

Featuring Kerry Ellis & John Owen-Jones.  Two of musical theatre’s leading lights take to the stage for an unmissable evening of Broadway and West End classics PLUS the final of our Voice of Musical Theatre.     

Friday 5 July                                   

GREGORY PORTER                  

Grammy award winning jazz sensation makes a welcome return to Llangollen.                           

Saturday 6 July                                      

CHOIR OF THE WORLD                 

An Eisteddfod highlight; the very best choirs, dance ensembles and operatic stars battle it out to become champions of champions.

Sunday 7 July                                          

KATHERINE JENKINS                              

Gala Concert to close the Core Eisteddfod with special guest, the mezzo-soprano performs operatic arias, popular songs, and musical theatre.