Homes in Llangollen are selling at a faster rate than almost everywhere else in North Wales, latest data shows.
Houses are taking just 101 days on average to sell in the town renowned for its scenic location on the River Dee within a World Heritage Site.
* For the full story in the Daily Post, see: Homes selling fastest in North Wales heritage town and slowest in seaside resort - North Wales Live (dailypost.co.uk)
For its latest fundraising event Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will host an international Gymanfa Ganu to celebrate St David’s Day.
The event, to be held on Sunday March 3 at 7.30pm at St Collen’s Church in Llangollen, will be led by the popular conductor Trystan Lewis, who will be accompanied on the organ by Owen Maelor Roberts, and will also feature the celebrated Derwent Harp School.
The event will also have St David’s Day messages from across the world, featuring groups who will be competing at this year’s Llangollen International Eisteddfod in July.
Elen Mair Roberts, a member of the Music and Staging committee, said: “We are delighted to have secured the services of Trystan Lewis. He is a very popular and highly experienced choral director, and we’re delighted that he will be leading our St David’s Day celebrations in Llangollen.
"Our Gymanfa Ganu will have an international
flavour, and we’ve already received St David’s Day messages from as far away as
Japan and India. This is just the latest addition to the Eisteddfod’s all-year
round events programme, and if you have never been to a Gymanfa Ganu you’re in
for a real treat.”
The Gymanfa Ganu is an integral part of the Welsh heritage. It is a unique feature of Welsh music - a festival of sacred hymns sung by the audience in four-part harmony under the direction of a choral conductor.
Conductor Trystan Lewis has been involved with choral music
for most of his life. He conducted Pantycelyn choir to two National Eisteddfod
wins whilst an undergraduate at the University of Wales at Aberystwyth, and has
conducted over 200 Gymanfas, including in Canada and the North American
Festival, as well as on television and radio.
* Tickets, priced £10, are now available from www.llangollen.net and from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.
After the success of the first Live at Llangollen Town Hall gig that played tribute to ABBA last month, on Saturday, psychedelic legends Pink Floyd received the tribute treatment.
Pinc Ffloyd, the Welsh tribute band, made a triumphant return to Llangollen in front of a packed audience.
The seven-piece outfit, who have not played in Llangollen since before the pandemic, started their two-set gig, the Welsh Pink Floyd Show, with Breath, from Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, before effortlessly running through more classics including Another Brick in the Wall, The Happiest Days of our lives, The Great Gig in the Sky and Shine on You Crazy Diamond.
The Town Hall is a perfect location for a production like this. The light show was tremendous and the sound by James Barber, who runs local company JB Sound, was immaculate.
The place was packed, with the seating area full as well. Many commented on what they called the brilliant back drop to the concert - a wall.
But this turned out to be a remarkable coincidence as the stage was actually being prepared for Llangollen Operatic Young 'Uns show Oliver! which takes place at the Town Hall from February 22-24.
There was a poignant moment close the end of the spellbinding event when the band dedicated their cover of Floyd's 1975 anthem, Wish You Were Here, to organiser Keith Pott's dad Les, who passed away recently at the age of 92 and was a major supporter of the Eisteddfod going back to its earliest days.
Keith, who organised the event to raise money for the Eisteddfod charity, said: "It was great to bring the Llangollen community together for another highly successful gig.
"Pinc Ffloyd were brilliant and surpassed our expectations. This was our latest event to raise money for our charity and we can't wait to bring the Original Merseybeats to Llangollen on March 15.
"This event was again run by our volunteers and I'd like to thank them for their help."
The next gig will be on Friday, March 15 when the Original Merseybeats come to town.
You can get tickets for that gig from the Llangollen Tourist Information Centre or from Live at Llangollen Friday 15 March The Merseybeats - Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (international-eisteddfod.co.uk) USE PROMO CODE 'LIVE24' to remove the booking fee to get tickets for £10.
* Simon Baynes MP at Ruabon station.
Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has welcomed an update from Network Rail on work to ensure Ruabon station is accessible for all users.
He says securing access for everyone to the station remains a key priority for him and he supports the efforts to secure funding via the UK government’s Access for All initiative.
Access for All was launched in 2006 to create an
obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to the platform. This
includes providing lifts or ramps, as well as associated works and
refurbishment along the route.
Mr Baynes and representatives of Wrexham County Borough Council attended the online briefing from Network Rail earlier this month where it was confirmed that a single option for the station has been identified.
This is to install new lifts behind the existing railway footbridge which will enable step-free access to and between both platforms.
An outline design will be completed by the end of next month and a prior approval application is being processed by Network's
Rail planning team.
Cllr David A Bithell, Deputy Leader of Wrexham County Borough Council with responsibility for Strategic Transport, said: "Ruabon station is extremely popular with local travellers and a key interchange for visitors to the World Heritage Site at Pontcysyllte.
"I am grateful to Network Rail for their continued support to ensure all travellers can access all areas of Ruabon station to make their journey as trouble free as possible."
Mr Baynes said: "At this moment in time passengers with heavy luggage, mobility problems or pushchairs and small children are unable to access the Chester platform making journeys longer and inconvenient.
"I welcome the progress made by Network Rail and look forward to working with them in the coming months as their plans progress.”
Following years of restoration by the Armoury Conservation Trust (ACT) the lock-up shop on the A5 - by the traffic lights at the junction with Castle Street - is ready for action.
Local carpenter Iain Ashcroft's craftsmanship has fulfilled the vision of architect Jamie Coath to restore the shop front to a design in keeping with its neighbours and its Victorian heritage.
The work was partially funded by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty's Sustainable Development Fund.
The shop is a usable space once more, and the Armoury Conservation Trust has announced that The Little Learning Company took occupancy from February 1 to coordinate their programme of heritage skills training across Llangollen and the surrounding areas.
The Little Learning Company has designed and delivered training on heritage crafts, including felting and canal folk-art, in locations such as Llangollen Railway and Pentredwr Community Centre.
They are expanding their capacity by training more tutors and expect to offer courses in additional heritage skills such as dry stone walling soon.
ACT Chairperson Sue Hargreaves said: "I am pleased the Lock Up Heritage Centre is able to host an organisation whose activities align with our aims of heritage, community and education.
"I am looking forward to working in partnership with The Little Learning Company, to get the shop back into purposeful use benefitting the local community, and to develop the profile and activities of the Lock Up Heritage Centre itself."
Little Learning Company Director Laura Davies said: "We are thrilled to be able to use The Lock Up as our heritage skills base in Llangollen, and we are looking forward to continuing to partner with the fantastic organisations and groups in and around Llangollen.
"Big thanks go to Gwlangollen for putting us in touch with the Armoury Conservation Trust and for helping us bring our heritage skills programme to life.
"Keep an eye on the shop window for details of our upcoming courses. If there is a particular heritage skill course you would like us to offer please contact Michelle@thelittlelearningcompany.co.uk"
* The project is funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, awarded by Denbighshire County Council.
* At the Air Ambulance station are Barbara Matthews, Jane Williams, Paul Cakebread, Austin Cheminais, Simon Cartwright, Ian Parry and John Palmer.
* Outside Llangollen Food Share are Ian Parry, Steph Mitchell, Austin Cheminais and Jane Williams.
* Trish Earlam, Austin Cheminais, Angela Fuller, Elizabeth Pybus, Ian Parry and Jane Williams at the After School Drop In.
Representatives
of the Llangollen Christmas Festival Group have been out and about sharing the
proceeds of the Christmas raffle that ran alongside the last big Christmas
event.
Thanks to an
amazing effort the festival team sold a record 4,000 tickets last year.
This has enabled
them to donate £1,500 to Wales Air Ambulance, £500 to Llangollen Food Share,
£350 to the Combined Churches After School Drop In, £350 to Llangollen Scouts,
£100 to Llangollen Brownies and they even managed to help Santa himself with a
£200 donation towards a new red and white seasonal suit.
The remaining
£1,000 will help fund this year’s Christmas Festival which will be held on November
30.
The festival team’s
Austin “Chem” Cheminais said: "Our thanks go to all the local businesses
in and around Llangollen who donated prizes for the raffle, which included a
light aircraft flight from the Air Ambulance base at Welshpool Airport.
“Whilst he was at Welshpool Air Ambulance station Santa took the opportunity to hand over a cheque for £250 which was raised during the Liberty Tavern Christmas quiz.”
