Cavern's resident Beatles band to play at Town Hall

* Beatles Complete on stage.

* An audience in the Netherlands goes wild for the band.

A Beatles tribute band which has a residency at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club is heading for Llangollen in a couple of months time. 

Beatles Complete, who play at the iconic venue on Thursdays and Saturdays, have just started to venture out into theatres and will take to the stage at the Town Hall on Friday May 10.

They are known as the only tribute band that are similar in age to The Beatles when they first had their big break and the show is receiving wide acclaim throughout the UK. 

They began in 2020 with Max as George and Joe as Paul after Joe spotted an ad to start the band while purchasing a Hofner violin bass at his local music store. A year later, George, who is ex-LIPA, and Tom joined as John and Ringo.

The foursome were aged just 14 to 18 when they took to the stage at 2021’s International Beatle Week to make their debut both at the festival and as a band.  

Beatles Complete have performed at International Beatle Week for the last three years and are playing at the Pier Head in Liverpool in front of an estimated 10,000 people. 

All are big Beatles fans who grew up with parents who were also Beatles fanatics. 

They say that a combination of songwriting, musicianship and performance, live and in the studio, are the reasons for their love of Fab Four.

Some sample comments from their audiences are:

"These young boys are amazzzing. Must be seen"

"Absolutely Amazing fantastic show"

"Very talented musicians and vocalists. Brought back lots of memories from when I saw The Beatles on 7th December 1964 at the Apollo!' 

* Tickets are available from www.beatlescomplete.com Look for Tour Dates to find Llangollen.

Funeral details for well-known former postman

A man from Llangollen who was a well-known postman in the area for over 45 years has passed away. 

Doug Price – affectionately known as “Doug the Post” – used to live in West Street. 

He had two sons and four grandchildren. 

One of his sons, also called Doug, said of him: “He was very keen on shooting with a shotgun and beating. He was also the proud captain of the Ponsonby Arms darts team, who won quite a few trophies in the Llangollen darts league, and on watching Llangollen Football Club.” 

The funeral will be at noon on Thursday March 21 at Wrexham Crematorium. 

Friday's Merseybeats fundraiser for Eisteddfod cancelled due to illness

* The Merseybeats playing at their spiritual home of The Cavern in Liverpool.

A gig by chart-topping Merseyside band The Merseybeats due to be staged at Llangollen Town Hall this Friday evening has been cancelled because of illness.

The band, who performed regularly at The Cavern in Liverpool and appeared there with the Beatles, were due to play in the latest fundraiser for the Llangollen Eisteddfod's own charity which helps to bring in overseas competitors.

But this afternoon (Tuesday) organisers said: "Unfortunately, due to illness, the Merseybeats event has now been cancelled.

"Full refunds will be issued to ticket holders. The Eisteddfod will automatically refund the ticket purchasers."      

County council looks at plan to shed all its public toilets

* Llangollen's public toilets in Mark Street.

Denbighshire County Council is considering a plan to dispose of all its public toilets in a bid to save around £200,000 a year in running costs. 

A report on the issue is due to be discussed by the council’s communities scrutiny committee this Thursday. 

A officers’ report says the council needs to make savings as it faces an “unprecedented” financial challenge and the closure proposal is part of a corporate process to pinpoint savings in the 2024/25 budget. It has already been discussed by councillors in budget workshops. 

The report says: “The provision of public conveniences (PCs) is a non-statutory duty. Many local authorities ceased providing this service many years ago. Some neighbouring authorities still provide this service in certain areas but have reduced it in recent years and/or are currently looking to reduce this provision.” 

Denbighshire currently has 20 PC sites across the county, including Llangollen. Some are free to use, and some have a facility to charge users. The report reveals that none of these sites break even financially. 

Because the council believes that the provision of PCs in local communities is important, it says it will be looking to transfer as many of them as possible to other groups or organisations, such as city, town and community councils, so that they continue to operate but at no cost to DCC. 

The council is currently in the process of transferring PCs in Corwen to the local town council, which it believes could become a model for other areas. Any PCs that it is unable to transfer to another owner could be closed. 

Another way of reducing the impact of the plan, says the report, is to expand the Community Toilet Grant scheme, under which the council pays local businesses £500 a year for allowing the public to use their toilet facilities free of charge. 

It is believed that some businesses would be receptive to this offer because it would increase their footfall and some people would probably feel obliged to buy something at the same time as using the loos, explains the report. 

The annual budget for providing PCs is £270,000 but costs such as decommissioning could reduce the saving to about £200,000. 

The report adds that a redundancy process for people working in the toilets would also need to be pursued.

MS urges people to have their say on Brook Street transport plan

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is urging people to have their say on plans for walking, wheeling, and cycling in and around Brook Street in Llangollen.

Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, said: “I am delighted to see that residents are being given the opportunity to share their views on what they think about the suggested ways of making every day journeys in and around Brook Street safer and easier. 

“Llangollen is an extremely popular tourist destination and as chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Tourism, I think it is really important that any work carried out enhances the town. 

“The active travel consultation is now open and I would urge people who live work or travel in this area to make sure they have their say.”

Denbighshire County Council is working with Sustrans to make walking, wheeling, and cycling for everyday journeys easier and safer in and around Brook Steet.

In March 2023, Denbighshire County Council alongside Sustrans asked the people who live, work, and travel on Brook Street to tell them which parts of Brook Street work well and which don’t.

The community response was that people were worried about vehicles travelling too fast, there were too many cars at school drop-off and pick-up times, roads were difficult to cross, and the footpaths were too narrow. As a result, Sustrans, working together with the local community, have found some ways to fix to these problems.

Sustrans, on behalf of the council, is now seeking feedback from the people that live, work, and travel on the selected streets who could benefit from the proposals, what they think about the plan for Brook Street that has been developed collaboratively.

Residents can find out more about the project and share their thoughts and feedback by going to Brook Street Active Travel Design.

An online survey is available until March 28 or you can attend an in-person workshop at: Workshop 1 at Ysgol Bryn Collen / Ysgol Gymraeg y Gwernant, on March 14 from 2.30-4pm or Workshop 2 at Llangollen Town Hall on March 14 from 6-8pm.

A paper version of the consultation can also be requested by contacting Sustrans Cymru via email: llangollen@sustrans.org.uk or by writing to Sustrans at Sustrans Cymru, One Canal Parade, Dumballs Road, CF10 5BF Cardiff.

Original Merseybeats to play at the town hall this Friday

* Tony Crane MBE and the original Merseybeats playing at their spiritual home of The Cavern in Liverpool where they performed with The Beatles.

Chart-topping Merseyside band The Merseybeats, who had a string of hits in the 1960s including I Love You, Yes I Do, Wishin’ and Hopin’ and Sorrow, will be performing at Llangollen Town Hall this Friday (March 15).   

The Merseybeats emerged from the Liverpool Mersey Beat scene in the early 1960s, performing at The Cavern Club along with the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and a host of other great Mersey Beat bands. 

In their heyday, The Merseybeats performed regularly at the Cavern and appeared there with the Beatles on more occasions than any other band.  

They will be supported at the Town Hall by popular local artist Luke Gallagher,  who has backed up 60s legends The Animals, amongst others. 

This is the latest Live at Llangollen Town Hall gig organised by the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for their charity.  

The charity helps pay for their international competitors, over 2,000 of whom are expected to head for Llangollen this summer to join the core Eisteddfod programme.

Barrie Roberts, from the festival. said: "With less than 100 days until we start welcoming the likes of Bryan Adams, Simple Minds and Nile Rodgers & Chic to Llangollen - it's great to be bringing another legendary band to town this Friday.  

"This is the latest event as we bring Llangollen together for another unforgettable night.  

"The Merseybeats had fans from The Beatles, Burt Bacharach to David Bowie, who charted with one of their songs.  

"People have been in touch to ask if we've really booked the original Merseybeats. The answer is yes.  

"Llangollen regularly welcomes tourists from across Merseyside and that's why we are so pleased to welcome the likes of Tony Crane MBE and the lads, for an evening of 60s nostalgia at its original and best."

* Tickets priced £10 are available from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre on Regent Street, Llangollen or from https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/live-march/ Please use promo code LIVE24 to remove the booking fee. Limited tickets will be available on the door.

Nightingale House Hospice receives tractor run funds

Members of Llangollen Rotary Club and Llangollen Young Farmers Club got together to present Nightingale House Hospice with a cheque for £2,100. 

This is the first of three donations to be made following last December’s successful tractor run. 

Hospice fundraising manager Sue Williams received the cheque from Llangollen Rotary President Lee Todd, Vice President John Clifford, Llangollen Young Farmers Chairman John Jones and members of Young Farmers and Rotary. 

Both clubs say they would like to thank all the tractor drivers, volunteers and local public for the amazing support the event received despite awful weather and for the generous donations enabling these charity presentations.

The event will be back this year on Sunday, December 1 so put the date on your calendar now.