Town Council warns of reduced services over next few months

Llangollen Town Council says it wishes to inform residents that the Town Council offices on Parade Street will be operating with reduced services over the next few months. 

A statement says: "This is due to the recent resignation of the Facilities Officer and the upcoming major surgery that the Town Clerk must undergo, which will result in an extended period of absence.

"In light of these unforeseen circumstances, the Town Council has taken steps to ensure that essential services continue. Members have arranged for minimal cover by securing the part-time services of the current Acton Community Council Clerk. Despite this arrangement, there will be an impact on the office's public opening times and general service provision."

The Town Mayor, Cllr Aled Morris, said: “The Town Council deeply regrets any inconvenience this may cause to residents. We want to assure the community that a comprehensive management plan is in place to maintain core services during this period of uncertainty. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we navigate these temporary adjustments.

"For any urgent matters, please continue to contact the Town Council via the email townclerk@llangollentowncouncil.gov.uk

"Thank you for your support."

Two royal harpists head for Llangollen in summer of string

* Alis Huws and Catrin Finch will be playing in Llangollen within six days of each other.

Two royal harpists will be heading to Llangollen to play in two festivals within days of each other.   

Alis Huws will be playing at the Llangollen Eisteddfod and Catrin Finch at the Llangollen Fringe. 

The two festivals are working together to promote the Denbighshire Town.

Alis Huws, current Royal Harpist to King Charles III, will be joining folk superstars Calan and Britain's Got Talent semi-finalists Johns’ Boys Chorus at the glittering Wales Welcomes the World concert on Wednesday July 3 as part of the 2024 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.  

Six days later, on Tuesday July 9, celebrated former Royal Harpist Catrin Finch will also be heading to the Welsh town to perform at Llangollen Town Hall as part of the Llangollen Fringe Festival along with the Irish violinist Aoife Ní Bhriain.

Alis Huws is a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician. Alongside her royal role she regularly gives recitals across the UK and internationally, having toured Japan, Europe, the US, Hong Kong and the Middle East.  

Last year Alis performed at His Majesty King Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey, and has just signed a record deal with Decca Classics.

Alis Huws said: "I’m so looking forward to performing at Llangollen in July, especially getting to join Calan and Johns’ Boys on the stage. It should be a fun evening."

Catrin Finch, the celebrated Welsh harpist, arranger and composer, performs in Llangollen six days after Alis.  

Catrin is an internationally acclaimed musician and composer, and like Alis is one of the most accomplished harpists of her generation. She was official harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004, and has been delighting audiences for over two decades.

Catrin has a reputation for collaborating with musicians from outside of the classical genre, such as the Dublin-born Aoife Ní Bhriain, who’s one of Ireland's foremost traditional fiddle players and a classical violinist of international repute. Their debut album, Double You, hit number one in the iTunes Classical Charts, and also topped the World Music Charts Europe in December 2023.   

Their show has been described as “spell-binding” and the duo say they can't wait to bring it to Llangollen Town Hall in July.

This year the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the Llangollen Fringe Festival are presenting their biggest festivals ever. 

Artistic director of the Llangollen Eisteddfod, Dave Danford, said: "To have one royal harpist in Llangollen is fantastic, but to have two in less than a week is amazing. Alis Huws has an amazing reputation, and is central to our ‘Wales Welcomes the World’ concert with folk superstars Calan and Britain's Got Talent semi-finalists Johns’ Boys Chorus on Wedneday July 3."

Llangollen Fringe chair Paul Keddie said: "Catrin Finch has been one of our most requested artists, and we're delighted to be bringing her to Llangollen this summer.   “Catrin is a Welsh icon and her album with Aoife Ní Bhriain is simply spellbinding. 

"This year, the Fringe is really pleased to be working in tandem with the Eisteddfod to bring a month of tremendous artists to the town, including two royal harpists."

Roadworks alert for Berwyn Street

Latest local roadworks alert from Causeway one.network is:

 

Berwyn Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire

13 June - 13 June

 

Roadworks, Delays likely

 

Traffic management: Traffic control (multi-way signals)

 

Description: Overnight patching works - Hogans. TM Amberon.

 

Works location: A5 Berwyn 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 NMWTRA/SWTRA.

 

Responsibility for works: NMWTRA/SWTRA

 

Current status: Planned work about to start

 

Works reference: PD50124163112851992

Church bells will ring out to celebrate peace petition exhibition

* The 1923 Peace Petitioners.

An exhibition will open this Thursday evening at Llangollen Museum about the Welsh Women's Peace Petition.  

An all-female band of bell-ringers is hoping to ring a quarter-peal - about 50 minutes continuous ringing - at St Collen's at 5.30pm the same evening to celebrate the exhibition, the petition and the work of the local volunteers who have carried out the research into local signatories and put the exhibition together.

In 1923, the horrors of WW1 having galvanised a generation against conflict, women of Wales organised an unprecedented campaign for world peace.

A total of 390,296 women signed a memorial petition through the Welsh League of Nations Union – said to have been seven miles long – calling for America to join and lead the new League of Nations and 2023 marked the centenary of the campaign. 

More stars added to Eisteddfod's Classical Gala Concert

* Côr CF1.

Two previous winners of flagship competitions at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod have been added to the line-up for the festival’s Classical Gala Concert on Sunday July 7.

Tenor Emyr Lloyd Jones and Côr CF1 will be sharing the stage with Katherine Jenkins, providing an evening of song to close the 2024 Core Eisteddfod Week.

Emyr Lloyd Jones won the Eisteddfod’s Pendine International Voice of the Future competition in July 2022 at the age of 25, and was dubbed “the new Bryn Terfel”.

Originally from North Wales, his performance at the Eisteddfod comes during the same month he performs the role of Don Riccardo in a run of Verdi’s Ernani at Buxton International Festival featuring the Orchestra of Opera North.

* Emyr Lloyd Jones.

Also returning to the Pavilion stage will be Côr CF1, who won the Eisteddfod’s Choir of the World competition in July 2022, one of a number of prizes they have won in recent years, including BBC Choir of the Year. 

The choir has performed in numerous high-profile events, ranging from the opening of Wales Millennium Centre in 2004, to performing with Take That and Lulu at the Principality Stadium in 2019.

Côr CF1’s conductor Eilir Owen Griffiths is no stranger to Llangollen, having served as the Eisteddfod’s Music Director from 2011 to 2017, a successful period for the festival which culminated in its 70th anniversary celebrations.

Dave Danford, Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “With Emyr Lloyd Jones and Côr CF1 added to the classical gala line-up, and with Johns’ Boys Male Chorus appearing on the Wednesday, we have three previous winners of our major competitions returning as evening concert artists. This speaks volumes of the high standard of our competitions, and demonstrates the future opportunities there are for the winners.”

“I’m also looking forward to welcoming Eilir Owen Griffiths back to Llangollen, as Côr CF1’s conductor. He offered me the opportunity to work on two concerts here for the first time in 2012, and we collaborated on a number of successful events during his tenure here. 

* Katherine Jenkins.

"He’s left a lasting legacy, having introduced competitions such as International Voice of the Future and International Voice of Musical Theatre, as well as producing some of the Eisteddfod’s most memorable concerts of the last decade.”

The classical gala concert on Sunday July 7 will be headlined by Katherine Jenkins, officially the world’s most successful classical singer, after she was crowned ‘The Biggest Selling Classical Artist of the Century’ by Classic FM. 

This concert is just one of a series of high-profile events in Llangollen this year, with Tom Jones, Calan, Alis Huws, Johns’ Boys Male Chorus, Kerry Ellis, John Owen-Jones, and Gregory Porter also performing during the Core Eisteddfod Week (which runs from July 2 – 7) and a host of other artists performing in the weeks either side, including Bryan Adams, Simple Minds, Paloma Faith, Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Jess Glynne, and Madness.

* Tickets for all these are available to buy online from LLANGOLLEN.NET. The venue is just an hour from Liverpool, and 90 minutes from Manchester.

Latest county council roadworks alerts

Latest local roadworks bulletin from Denbighshore Counyty Council is:

Wrth / Nr 10 BRIDGE STREET 04/06/2024 10/06/2024 Gwaith Trydanol / Electrical Works OCU GROUP LLANGOLLEN

A539 Castle Street, Llangollen CASTLE STREET 11/06/2024 13/06/2024 Overnight patching works - Hogans. TM Amberon. CORE HIGHWAYS CONWY (DCC) LLANGOLLEN

Full extent TOWER ROAD 18/06/2024 14/07/2024 System Unffordd ar gyfer Eisteddfod Gerddorol Ryngwladol Llangollen / One-way System to support Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod LIVE NATION (MUSIC) UK LT LLANGOLLEN

From St. John's Church to Castle Street ABBEY ROAD 03/07/2024 03/07/2024 Parêd Rhyngwladol y Cenhedloedd Llangollen / Llangollen International Parade of Nations LLANGOLLEN INTERNATIONAL LLANGOLLEN

A542 A539 - Ponsonby Arms, Mill Street, Llangollen MILL STREET 09/07/2024 10/07/2024 I reoli traffig ar llwybr amgen / To control traffic on an alternative route NMWTRA (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A539 A539, Ponsonby Arms, Mill Street, Llangollen MILL STREET 30/09/2024 01/10/2024 Manned TTL to assist with Trunk Road traffic flow whilst A483 is closed between J1 Ruabon and Halton Roundabout - Overnight from 20:00hrs and 06:00hrs LISA BILTON (DCC) LLANGOLLEN

A539 Hill Street, Pengwern, Llangollen, Denbighshire, LL20 8EU HILL STREET 07/07/2024 07/07/2024 Gwaith ar Dwll Archwilio/ Man Hole Works ALUN GRIFFITHS (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Special town hall auction planned to support Eisteddfod

* A guitar signed by the Manic Street Preachers at their last Llangollen Eisteddfod show in July 2017. They return on Friday June 28 with Indie Legends Suede.

A signed Manic Street Preachers guitar, a Leeds United shirt signed by four Wales international footballers, and tickets to see Tom Jones and Bryan Adams are just some of the 20-plus items up for grabs at a special charity auction to raise money for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.  

The auction, to be held at Llangollen Town Hall next Friday, June 14, comes just days before international superstar Bryan Adams takes to the stage at the world-famous festival. 

The night also features Côr DAW, a Welsh Choir with a difference. The singers entertain audiences with medleys featuring artists such as Queen, ABBA, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and Jersey Boys - all in Welsh!

Côr DAW stands for Dysgwyr Ardal Wrecsam - Wrexham area learners of Welsh - and was formed by Pam Evans-Hughes in 2011 to compete in the National Eisteddfod. 

Since then it has wowed audiences at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Chester Cathedral, Wales Millenium Centre, Focus Wales, and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

The evening which starts at 7.30pm, and alongside the auction and live entertainment there will also be a tombola. The evening will raise money for the Eisteddfod’s charity, which helps to bring people from around the world to the festival.

Ian Lebbon, Chair of the Eisteddfod’s Marketing Committee and auctioneer for the evening, said: “This is our second ever auction and we have some amazing lots, including a guitar signed by Manic Street Preachers when they last appeared in Llangollen in 2017, kindly donated by our former Chair Dr Rhys Davies, tickets to some of this summer’s biggest concerts, including Tom Jones and Bryan Adams, and much more.  

"All money raised will go towards our charity. We’re also looking forward to hearing the ladies from Côr DAW, who have made a huge name for themselves singing rock classics in Welsh. It’ll be a great night, and will a brilliant start to our biggest ever summer.”

* Tickets for the evening, priced at £5, are now on sale at Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.