Railway seeks forever homes for its feral cat colony

Over many years, the Carriage & Wagon workshops at Llangollen Railway have become home to a colony of feral cats. 

While their welfare has always been the railway's priority, with many humanely captured, neutered, and several re-homed, the colony has continued to grow to a point where the railway’s staff and volunteers say they can no longer care for them. 

As a result, the railway are now reaching-out to the local community for help in finding its cat colony forever homes. 

Tom Taylor, Trust Manager, said: Our workshop environment has provided welcome shelter to stray cats for many years. A small group of our volunteers have fed and looked after them, where they can.

"However, this is no longer conducive to meeting the ongoing needs of so many animals. Furthermore, their presence has created many challenges within our engineering areas, prompting us to seek a more suitable resolution and permanent living arrangement." 

To ensure the continued welfare of this feline colony, the railway is partnering with a local animal rescue charity, Candy & Tibby Trust (Charity No. 1203566). Together, they are committed to finding loving homes where the railway cats can thrive.

Tom added: "If you are interested in providing a forever home for one (or more) of our cats, we encourage you to reach out to Paul Conway at Candy & Tibby Trust on 07552 200556 or email candyandtibbytrustcatrescue@gmail.com. 

"Your support will make a significant difference in the lives of these cats, and we appreciate any help you can provide in spreading the word. Thank you for considering giving a loving home to a deserving railway cat. We are very grateful of Paul’s help and expertise."

Eisteddfod's peace award winner plans latest support trip to Ukraine

* Gary Fear on one of his previous humanitarian trips to Ukraine.

The man who won this year’s Rotary International Peace Award at Llangollen Eisteddfod for his humanitarian work in Ukraine is now gathering support for his ninth trip to the war-torn country.

Gary Fear, an estate agent based in south Cheshire, started raising funds for Ukraine a couple of years ago after hearing about how former soldier Jordan Gatley, who came from his home area, had been killed at the age of 24 after volunteering to fight in the war against Russia invaders.

He now spends around eight days at a time over there and in his eight trips so far he and his team of helpers have travelled 30,655 miles - including 14,292 miles flying, 14,988 driving and 1,375 miles by train - purchased around £75,000 of food, packed and delivered nearly 4,000 bags of food plus four generators ad bought and delivered around 23.4 tonnes of food.

 

Fundraising for the ninth trip on September 17 is already underway and Gary says he aims to reach a total of £87,000, giving the team £9,000 to spend on supplies. 

The Rotary International Peace Award, which is sponsored by Westminster Stone and recognises peace initiatives both in the UK and internationally, is presented each year during Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

John Clifford, of Rotary International, said: “Gary was very proud, honoured and humbled to receive the award when we met to present the award to him.

“I’m very happy to send him very best wishes from Rotary and hope that as many people as possible will support his latest trip to Ukraine.”

* Gary’s justgiving page is at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/gfukraine

Genesis G70: a competent car to turn heads

Genesis G70 drive by Steve Rogers

Meet the G70, a far different proposition to its big brother in the last car review.

The GV80 SUV is a dominant statement car with an exquisite cabin, while the G70 saloon is understated elegance. If looks alone sold cars this would be a bestseller.

Make no mistake, the G70 is a car that turns heads, and lots did. It looks great from nose to tail and the wafer thin twin split headlights are simply stunning. Job done then. Not quite, there is the little matter of the opposition….BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C Class, Jaguar XF, Audi A4 etc.

It is tough in the car premier league so can this Korean sports saloon mix it with the so-called big boys? The Genesis has a solid foundation built on the Kia Stinger platform so sharp handling should be a given. Let’s find out.

If the monstrous GV80 is at its best cruising the highways then the rear wheel drive G70 loves sweeping through tight bends. The steering is quick and precise and body control is pretty solid even before switching to sport mode that weights up the steering and stiffens the damping. Steering wheel paddle shifters for the eight speed automatic also add to the fun. That’s that box ticked.

The G70 would seem to have everything needed for the perfect sports saloon.  Well, nearly. What’s missing is a hot shot engine. The choice is 240bhp petrol or 197bhp diesel, driven here, pretty tepid against some of the mighty engines in the armoury of the opposition. It is a fair point but given the need for sensible driving and speed limits on our overcrowded roads how much power do we really need? A debate for another day perhaps.

It has been so long since I have driven a diesel I was surprised how noisy they are. This 2.2 litre is hardly agricultural but has that diesel clatter at low speeds. It is modestly quick off the mark with satisfying mid range pick up thanks to 440Nm of torque, and is good for mid to high forties on a run which is more frugal than the petrol.

The Genesis brand is the luxury arm of Hyundai and the G70 gets the same sumptuously finished cabin. Soft, high quality plastics and coverings, quilted leather seats are all there with motors powering just about everything. Unlike the spectacular GV80 the dashboard layout has a traditional look, a bit behind the times, but the driver’s seat is a comfortable and satisfying place to be.

The central 10.25 inch touchscreen is big enough for the car but does not have the excellent rotary control option for making selections. That said it reacts quickly and the driver can use voice control for changing radio stations or selecting navigation destinations so eyes stay on the road. Heating controls are set out in the centre console with chunky easy to reach switches.

That said, a couple of quite minor things irritated. The DAB radio lost signal too often, and the indicator stalk frequently failed to cancel. Odd when everything else runs like clockwork.

As expected most of the luxury we crave is there, high quality trim, powered, heated or air conditioned seats, impressive digital driver’s binnacle with head up display, and a vast bank of safety equipment including rear cross traffic alert. A novel and very useful feature is a digital camera view activated in either of the speedo or rev counter dials when the indicator is flicked for left or right turns.

G70 can seat five at a push, the transmission tunnel makes it a bit tight, so it is better suited as a four seater, provided the passengers are not lanky because rear legroom is poor and tall folk will struggle with headroom.

On the subject of space the boot is not the biggest in the pack and the opening is on the narrow side, but who wants to use a sports saloon as a load lugger? Get the estate for that.

Everyone seems to want an SUV these days but one thing is for sure: You get a lot more pleasure and fun driving a good saloon and this is one of them.

Is the G70 good enough to prize a BMW devotee from a 3 Series? Probably not but the same can be said for the other rivals mentioned. The Genesis engine options are limited with no hybrid or electric G70s, even so the saloon is sleek, competent, well equipped and well engineered and would happily sit on my drive.

Fast facts

G70 2.2 litre diesel

£40,080 (£49,150) tested

0-62mph 7.4secs; 143mph

44.4mpg combined

171g/km. 1st tax £335

Boot: 330 litres

Insurance group 31-39

Countryside skills sessions help Llangollen pupils

Pupils at Ysgol Dinas Bran recently rolled up their sleeves to learn countryside management skills. 

The youngsters were supported by Education Engagement Officers from Denbighshire County Council’s Llwybrau service to take part in outdoor education sessions run by Countryside Rangers around the south of the county. 

‘Denbighshire Education Project – Llwybrau team’, supports young people in Denbighshire to reduce their risk of disengagement from education and provides support to re-engage in education or to move into employment or training at the end of year 11. The service received funding from the UK Government. 

The Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes rangers have helped the pupils learn countryside management and other skills through sessions including: 

1. Bracken bashing on Dinas Bran
2. Balsams pulling at  Ty Mawr Country Park
3. Gardening at Corwen Community Garden
4. Craft activities at Plas Newydd Historic House and Garden with the Our Picturesque Landscape team
5. Drystone walling on Caer Drewyn Iron Age Hillfort
6. Litter picking along the Panorama

Cllr Diane King, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families, said: “I am delighted to see the great work that has been done with the Ysgol Dinas Bran pupils to not only support these youngsters to re-engage with their education, but also sparking a new-found interest for skills that they might not have developed through mainstream teaching.

“This is a fantastic example of partnership working from the Council’s Llwybrau service, whose experienced Education Engagement Officers have done a great job in utilising skills and resources from a variety of different organisations to support these pupils in re-engaging with their education and discovering new skills and hobbies that they might not have been aware of before.” 

Councillor Alan James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, added: “These sessions guided by our Countryside Rangers have really helped the pupils with building their confidence and learning new skills, and they have been rewarded with certificates to show their dedication towards volunteering on this project.”

St Collen's holds its annual summer fayre

St Collen's Church held its an annual summer fayre yesterday (Saturday).

Apart from the usual line-up of stalls and games, stonemason Tom Livingstone (pictured), who is currently working with the Genesis Project to sympathetically remodel the church, gave a demonstration of his skills which attracted a high degree of interest from visitors.

Also in connection with Genesis, which has gained major support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project's leader Sue Evans led a series of guided tours inside the church highlighting the ancient building's many historical features to visitors.

St Collen's summer fayre is today

 

New group formed to champion Llangollen's rich heritage

* A map of historic sites in the Llangollen area.

A new initiative has been launched in Llangollen aimed at making its rich history and wide range of heritage sites better known, loved and visited by local people and visitors. Here, Sue Hargreaves gives the details: 

"I am Sue Hargreaves, and have been working through ACT (Armoury Conservation Trust) for the last 12 years to restore The Lock-Up Heritage Centre in Victoria Square, opposite Watkin and Williams, recreating the Magistrates’ Courtroom and Town Hall, town jail and Police Station. 

"Now that at long last the restoration is done, ACT is eager for the building to resume its part in the everyday life of community – but how? What will be the best use for this heritage site in the here and now, 190 years since it was first built?

"ACT felt unable to answer these questions without knowing what was already happening at Llangollen’s other historic sites, so we started talking to other local heritage projects. When we discovered that no group currently exists to bring together Llangollen’s historic sites, we thought, what about creating a collaborative group to share ideas and information on local history and how our town’s heritage is being interpreted, accessed and sustained by various projects? Key heritage personnel across the town responded favourably to the idea.

"Historic Llangollen Hanesyddol (working title) was born on Friday 19 July, with ACT as 'mid-wife'. We welcomed representatives from Llangollen Railway, St Collen’s Church, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape (including Castell Dinas Bran and Offa’s Dyke Path), built heritage within the Conservation Area (including Llangollen Bridge and Scheduled Monuments), Llangollen Museum, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and Plas Newydd to attend its inaugural meeting at the Lock Up Heritage Centre.

“Historic Llangollen Hanesyddol is based upon the principles of networking, information sharing, and collaborative working between people representing Llangollen’s historic landscape and sites. Our town contains a unique and dynamic record of human activity, shaped by the aspirations, skills and endeavour of successive generations of people responding to the surroundings they have inherited. In recognition that this history belongs to us all, the group chose to name itself Our Historic Llangollen. After consultation on how this was best rendered in Welsh, the bi-lingual name of the group, Our Historic Llangollen Hanesyddol i bawb' will be confirmed at our next meeting.

"Its purpose is to raise the profile of heritage in the area to locals and visitors alike, to provide more opportunities for people to get involved in local history, and to help sites stay relevant and sustainable. The group's geographical scope was agreed as ranging along the Dee Valley from the Llantysilio Hill forts in the south west, and Pilar Eliseg in the north west, to Offa's Dyke Path at the Castell and Panorama in the north east, and Plas Newydd in the south east. It encompasses aspects of the World Heritage Site, Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, and Conservation Area and includes built, landscape, social and cultural heritage.

"The group will meet every two months to further information sharing and collaboration, which hopefully in due course will give rise to joint activities, such as promoting Welsh language and culture, developing marketing and interpretation, highlighting unprotected heritage, and storytelling. 

"Anyone interested in hearing more about "Our Historic Llangollen Hanesyddol i bawb", please contact armouryconservationtrust@gmail.com"