Ysgol Dinas Bran is offering people attending tomorrow (Friday's) Manic Street Preachers and Suede concert being hosted by the Eisteddfod at the Pavilion, parking spaces for £10 each on the school's own car park, not its playing field. Follow the one-way system.
They say 100 spaces will be available from 4pm.
* Ysgol Carrog children leave the train at Llangollen station heading for the Eisteddfod’s Children’s Day in 2019.
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has teamed up with the town’s heritage railway to turn back time by more than 60 years for scores of eager schoolchildren.
On Tuesday July 2, the first day of this year’s Eisteddfod, 160 pupils from three schools in the Dee Valley will board a train to transport them in style between Corwen and Llangollen railway stations to enjoy Children’s Day which is traditionally held on the first day of the core festival.
And that’s something that’s not happened since the summer of 1963 when the last ‘Eisteddfod special’ left Corwen before the line was closed as part of the infamous Beeching rail cuts the following year.
Since then, dedicated railway volunteers have gradually re-opened the whole of the 10-mile-long line, with the final link being completed last summer when the new £1.25 million Corwen station was officially opened by Lord Hendy, chairman of Network Rail.
This has enabled a party of youngsters plus their teachers to travel into Llangollen station on Tuesday July 2 to enjoy a fun-packed day at the Eisteddfod along with their counterparts from schools across north Wales.
The three lucky Dee Valley schools involved in the time-shifting travel experience are Ysgol Bro Dyfyrdwy in Cynwyd, Ysgol Caer Drewyn in Corwen and Ysgol Carrog.
Ian Lebbon, chairman of the Eisteddfod’s marketing committee who has organised the special excursion, said: “Llangollen and Corwen Railway has agreed to run the special service for pupils to attend our children day instead of travelling by coach. Not only is this good for our environment but adds to the children’s excitement.
"The last children to use this exact route would have been pupils from Llangollen’s Ysgol Dinas Bran travelling from Corwen in 1963, which means it has taken over 60 years to return such a service.
"We did do our best to recreate the Eisteddfod special pre-pandemic in 2019 but that was before Corwen opened and we had to board the children at Carrog, the station further along the line. It’s quite possible that some of our 2024 travellers may have had grandparents who used the service daily in 1963."
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has teamed up with Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor for this year’s festival. Bryan Adams, Simple Minds and Paloma Faith are just some of the names who have already performed on the iconic stage at Llangollen Pavilion.
A spokesperson for Llangollen and Corwen Railway said: “The railway is very proud to be involved in the International Eisteddfod again after a long absence of running trains to bring schoolchildren and other guests to this historic and prestigious event.
"Our beautiful station at Llangollen has welcomed many visitors to the town since it first opened, some 162 years ago. We hope all those who travel with us over the next few weeks thoroughly enjoy their time at the Eisteddfod and take away extra special memories of travelling to the event by train.”
The Core Eisteddfod starts on Tuesday, July 2 – as thousands enjoy a Children’s Day Concert in the Pavilion and a variety of performances throughout the day, on the vibrant outside stages.
Tom Jones is will make his Llangollen debut that evening as the Eisteddfod embarks on its biggest and most ambitious festival yet.
Denbighshire County Council has addressed concerns raised by residents regarding its new waste and recycling collection service, according to a story in today's Denbighshire Free Press.
Popular lunchtime recitals are back again at St Collen’s Church this year, allowing visitors to get a glimpse of some of the choirs competing at this year's Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
The 'Recitals at 1pm' will feature choirs from The Philippines, Singapore, Poland, USA, Czech Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe.
The 6th century church is an iconic setting for the annual recitals that have attracted some of the best choirs from across the globe.
Choir of the World winners Kammerchor from Manila won the Pavarotti Trophy last year, and performed at St Collen's.
John Gambles, Vice-Chair of the festival, said: "We are delighted to be working again with Father Lee Taylor and the team at St Collen’s Church to host some of the world's most outstanding choirs.
"St Collen’s is an amazing place and the acoustics really suit our competitors. Many of our past competitors told us how much they enjoyed preforming in our church, and we look forward to welcoming everyone there during our Core Eisteddfod Week.
"The recitals are our way of giving back to the Llangollen Community, and to welcome people to our amazing historic church."
All of the performances are free, and will be held from 1pm - 2pm.
The timetable is subject to change, and a collection will be held every afternoon for the Llangollen Eisteddfod Bursary Fund.
Choirs performing at St Collen's during the Core Eisteddfod week are:
* Wednesday / Dydd Mercher 3 July: GC Ensemble, Philippines + Voice of Singapore Children’s Choir.
* Thursday / Dydd Iau 4 July: Choir Collegium Medicum UMK, Poland + Cantemus Camerata, USA.
* Friday / Dydd Gwener 5 July: Červánek + Jitřenka, Czech Republic.
* Saturday / Dydd Sadwrn 6 July: Soul Oasis Cultural Ambassadors, Trinidad + Tobago & Pathway Choir, Zimbabwe.
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Latest local roadworks alert from Causeway one.network is:
Vicarage Road, Llangollen, Denbighshire
25 June - 25 June
Roadworks, Delays unlikely
Traffic management: Some carriageway incursion
Description: WORKS TO COMPLETE INTERIM TO PERMANENT RE-INSTATEMENT
Works location: OPPOSITE DELFRYN
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 Scottish Power Renewable Energy.
Responsibility for works: Scottish Power Renewable Energy
Current status: Planned work about to start
Works reference: GY004522844RB
Llangollen's Four Great Highways scheme has run into one great problem that's going to delay its completion until next month.
People have been wondering why work on the project, funded by the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund, has been halted for weeks now.
But an update from the team in charge sent out yesterday (Monday) provides the answer - steel.
Sent to all local stakeholders, it says: "As you may be aware, the project was initially due to complete by the end of this week.
"Unfortunately, despite carrying out ground investigations prior to the works commencing, we have encountered unexpected ground conditions both in Lower Dee Mill Park and at the Wharf.
"This has resulted in a re-design of the foundations under the existing steps in the park, and a re-design of the foundations including the introduction of a steel sub-frame and concrete pile caps (a dense concrete pad that supports heavy structures in areas where the ground is soft) at the Wharf.
"The contractor is now waiting for the steel to be delivered for both areas, but this can only happen once it has been fabricated and has received the correct application of coatings before the material arrives on site. The delivery is now planned to take place next week.
"Due to this delay, the planned completion date for the project is now end August 2024. However, please be assured the contractor is working very hard to complete some aspects of the scheme sooner if and where possible. The signage and wayfinding aspect of the project will also be installed before the end of August 2024.
"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience and disruption this may cause."
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Llanblogger’s Phil Robinson has lodged an official complaint with Wales’s public services watchdog against Denbighshire County Council for the problems caused by the recent introduction of its new household waste recycling scheme.
And he has told the Public Services Ombudsman’s office in Cardiff, which investigates complaints and works to improve standards within public bodies, that he wants them to ensure that himself and the many other Denbighshire residents affected by these problems are provided with "the regular and efficient waste collection system which they pay for and deserve”.
In his online complaint form, submitted yesterday (Monday) morning, he says: “After much fanfare, the county council launched a new household recycling scheme, based on a Troliboc or a moveable stack of plastic boxes, rather than wheelie bins, on June 3.
“Since day one of the new system things have gone badly wrong, not just in my immediate area but also across the whole of the county.
“Many complaints have been aired on social media and verbally about irregular or totally missed collections of the Trolibocs, which include compartments for recyclable items such as paper, plastics and glass. Food waste must be left in a lidded orange bin and cardboard in a large blue plastic bag.
“This situation has been repeated throughout the county and residents are being told by the council on its social media that specified areas will receive the collection due to them on certain days. But in many cases, I understand, this information has been incorrect and collections continue to be missed.”
He adds: “We are also told that county councillors have been deluged with complaints about the situation and that staff from other departments of the council have been drafted in to help under-pressure refuse operatives.
“I complained directly about mine and my neighbours' missed collections directly to the council's chief executive, Graham Boase, last week but so far have received no response.
“This has become a major problem for residents of the county and one which shows no signs of being remedied. It smacks of maladministration of the worst kind.
“I therefore thought it was time to complain to the Ombudsman on behalf of myself and the many other people affected by this situation.”
And asked on the form what he would like to see the Ombudsman do to remedy the situation he answered: “To ensure that myself and the other Denbighshire residents affected by the problem are provided with the regular and efficient waste collection system which they pay for and deserve.”
The complaint has been officially logged complete with a reference number and llanblogger will keep readers posted of its progress.
* To make a complaint to the Ombudsman, go to: https://www.ombudsman.wales/
