John Gambles becomes Eisteddfod's new chairman

* John Gambles (right) with Grant Calton, the Eisteddfod's new Vice-Chairman. 

John Gambles, a retired education officer and teacher, a volunteer with the festival since 1987, is the new Chairman of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. 

John, affectionately known throughout the town as ‘Mr Gambles’, as former deputy head at Ysgol Dinas Bran School in Llangollen, previously served as Vice-Chairman, chaired the board’s executive committee and held further roles within the organisation.

He said: “I am immensely proud to have become the new Chairman of the Eisteddfod.  Since 1947, the festival has played a leading role in promoting peace and internationalism through music and dance.  

"Every year we welcome the world to our beautiful part of North East Wales and to play a leading role in delivering the festival is an enormous privilege.  

"We are lucky to have over 600 active volunteers, many who work all year round to deliver our unique peace festival – people from all walks of life I count as friends.  

"Together, we deliver something truly special and precious to all of us. Sadly, many festivals are no longer in existence, victims of the pandemic and economic pressures, and we have found the last few years extremely challenging. 

* The new Chairman with Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, who is a strong supporter of the festival.

"As Chairman, I will work hard to help lead our strategy to become more resilient and self-sufficient and become less dependent upon on government grants by moving towards becoming an all-year-round organisation. 

"This will also help to strengthen the local economy and ensure that Llangollen, a town with a big voice, continues to play its part in modern Wales.”

John paid tribute to his predecessor Professor Chris Adams, who will remain on the board of the festival.  

He said: “Chris took over as Chairman at a time of great difficulty and navigated us through tough times.  His commitment to the legacy of the Llangollen Eisteddfod continues and he will play a key role in our heritage and peace offerings.  

"Our message of peace and internationalism is as relevant today as it was in 1947.  Our partnership with Cuffe and Taylor has been a significant step forward and has added an important new dimension to our festival. As the new Chairman, I will continue to support this partnership and also ensure that our core offering and message of peace continues.”

The new Vice-Chairman will be Llangollen resident Grant Calton, business founder and investor in the music, film and television industries in Europe and Australia. 

"Grant is a partner at Ironbridge Capital and a business mentor to the Princes’ Trust and Guild of Mercers.  

New members of the board elected are Fiona Brockway and Morgan Thomas.  

Former Chairman, former Llangollen GP Dr Rhys Davies who is also a previous Chairman, also makes a welcome return to the board.

Railway honours those who have served on Remembrance Sunday

Llangollen Railway is supporting both Llangollen and Corwen town’s Remembrance services this Sunday (November 10). 

It will not be running its usual 10am service as a mark of respect to those who have served their country and to allow our staff and volunteers to attend one of the services.

The 12:30 14:45 from Llangollen and 13:35 and 15:450 from Corwen will both run.

Veterans and serving military personnel can all travel free on the 12:30 Remembrance Train from Llangollen and 13:35 from Corwen.

 

Railway press officer Terry Pickthall said: “Everyone at the railway felt it was important that we show our respect, support and love for those who have served our country to uphold our hard-won freedom and democracy. 

"We have a number ex-service people amongst our staff and volunteers who have served with the British Army, Royal Navy and Air Force. 

"This includes our Trust Manager Tom Taylor, who served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and worked with Army helicopters all over the world, before retraining to work in the heritage and tourism management sector and ultimately taking on the massive job of leading the recovery of our railway."

Terry added “We look forward to welcoming current and former serving military people and their families to the railway after the memorial services and hope everyone enjoys a trip with us along the Dee Valley in all its autumnal splendour.

"Visitors are encouraged to get off the train at Berwyn and have a look at the tiles under the bridge that takes the footpath under the railway to the Chain Bridge. Here you can still just about see graffiti left by first World War servicemen before they headed to France and Belgium, some never to return." 

Tom Taylor said: “At Llangollen Railway, we have always recognized and valued the contributions of those who have served our country, both past and present. It has always been a privilege for us to participate in the Remembrance Service in Llangollen each year and more recently in Corwen. 

"This year we are honoured to operate our special Poppy Train, allowing us to pay tribute to the bravery of our service personnel, their families and friends. Through our special train, we also aim to raise valuable funds for the Royal British Legion, ensuring that their sacrifices are never forgotten.”

 

Nicholas Collins, a volunteer with the Glyndyfrdwy Station Team, who also recently got married on the Railway, said: “I joined the Army, starting off in the TA before transferring to the Regulars. I served on tours of Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia and the Falklands. 

"I was part of taskforce Cambri on the Kosovo/Macedonia border, serving alongside the Royal Tank Regiment and helping stop fighting between rebel forces. Our Railway has played an important part in various wars and remembering all the soldiers that travelled by train to war and never returned is important. The sacrifices they made by giving their lives is why we enjoy the freedom and peace we live in today."

 

* Advance booking is not required, the railway's café will be offering hot drinks and light refreshments and visitors will be encouraged to donate what they can to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

 

Community officer sought for Pengwern Community Hub

* Pengwern Community Hub.

South Denbighshire Community Partnership is aiming to appoint a Community Engagement & Development Officer vacancy with South Denbighshire Community Partnership.

The advertisement says: 

SDCP is seeking an Energetic and Enthusiastic person who is passionate about, and committed to, Community Development to join our award-winning team as a Community Engagement and Development Officer.

The post holder will primarily be based at the Pengwern Community Hub in Llangollen but will also engage in outreach work as required. Responsible to the Community Development Manager, in partnership with Denbighshire County Council Housing Department, for its day-to-day operation.

By engaging with the community, developing and implementing a programme of services and activities to improve the quality of life for local people and build stronger communities and contribute ideas for the improvement of the facilities, its future development and its long-term sustainability.

Ensuring that Pengwern hub is a warm welcoming centre that provides appropriate services that tackle social isolation, rural poverty and improve access to services.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £24,496.00-£26,845.00 per year

Hours: 35 hours Monday to Friday 9.00am – 4.30pm

•

(Although some flexibility will be required for evening and weekend events)

Education & Experience:

•

GCSE or equivalent (preferred)

•

A good general level of education with a minimum Level 2 qualification in a relevant subject (Community Development, Health & Social Care)

•

A minimum of 3 years’ experience working withing a community support role required.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the application form along with your C.V. please visit our website for all vacancy documents:

https://www.canolfan-ni.org/vacancies-at-sdcp

Application deadline: 20th November 2024 by email to Denise@sdcp.org

Shortlisted Candidates will be contacted by Tuesday 26th November

Interviews to be held on 5th December 2024

Expected start date: 6th January 2025

Clio benefits from a significant upgrade

Steve Rogers drives the new Renault Clio

Renault and a few others will be rubbing their hands in glee now that Ford has axed the Fiesta.

The supermini supreme has been a thorn in the side of its rivals for decades but now is the time for others to step forward and shine, and Renault is well placed having just updated Clio.

Clever advertising in the nineties put Clio in the limelight - remember the Pappa and Nicole ads - and it went on to become a firm favourite with the Brits racking up more than 1.1 million sales as well as holding the crown as France’s best selling car. So has Renault done enough to challenge for that top spot?

This upgrade is significant, not so much for the refreshed front and back, but for what has been done inside. Renault promised a quality boost and it has been true to its word raising the bar and at the same time doing its best for the environment.

You will not find a scrap of leather, instead surfaces are covered in grained coated fabric made of recycled polyethylene fibres. A bit of a mouthful but the end result is that it looks good.

The range is simple: three models, Evolution £18,095, Techno £19,195 and Esprit Alpine £20,595 at the top with a hybrid engine.

In days of old, entry level models were pretty lean on kit but times have changed and it certainly isn’t the case with the Evolution which is reviewed here. Standard spec is generous and includes automatic LED lights and rain sensing wipers, all round electric windows, smartphone links, auto air conditioning, navigation, rear parking sensors and keyless entry, very useful when hands are full of shopping.

The cabin looks to have been stripped out and started again with new everything. As well as coverings for the seats and trim the dashboard has a fresh design with a digital driver’s display and seven inch touchscreen. This looks after the multimedia stuff and navigation but thankfully not the heating which is controlled by three chunky knobs and couldn’t be easier.

As a small family car there is a decent amount of room. Rear legroom does not match the Honda Jazz, which beats everyone, but is more than adequate. Boot space is among the best in the class but throws up a small problem. The drop from the boot lip is a foot (30cm if you prefer) which makes life difficult when lifting heavy objects.

This could be cheaply resolved with a two level floor, just like the Kadjar SUV. How often do people use all the boot space anyway?

Driving Clio is a joy, it's comfortable, the steering is light, it barely leans through bends, and grip is excellent. Performance from the 3-cylinder engine is typical, it runs out of steam higher up the rev range but has good low and mid range pick up so no worries when overtaking.

The best economy will come from the hybrid Esprit Alpine but that is an extra £2,500 so if you can make do with around 50mpg I would be inclined to stick with Evolution or Techno models.

My only issue, and it is with Renault rather than Clio, is safety. The package for Evolution is good with emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and lane departure assist but misses out on blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert which comes in higher up the chain. The full safety package should be standard, just like Honda and Volvo.

I have a soft spot for Renault stretching back 60 years to my parents rear-engined R8. The family total stands at 25, my contribution is 10 and would probably have been more had I not had company cars for 30 odd years, only one of which was a Renault which I bought when the contract was up.

So Clio is neck and neck with the MG3 as my best small car of the year. Got a bit of thinking to do!

Fast facts

Clio Evolution TCe 90

£18,095

999cc petrol 3-cylinder, 90bhp

6sp manual

0-62mph 12.2secs; 112mph

54.3mpg combined

118g/km. 1st tax £210

Insurance group 10

Boot: 391-1069 litres

Latest what's on calendar for Pengwern Community Hub

The November 2024 what's on calendar for Pengwern Community Hub includes:

Latest local roadworks bulletin from the county council

Latest local roadworks bulletin from Denbighshire County Council is:

TYN DWR ROAD

18/11/2024

20/11/2024

Gwaith BT/ BT Works GT WILLIAMS

LLANGOLLEN

Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure 

A539, Ponsonby Arms, Mill Street, Llangollen

MILL STREET

11/11/2024

15/11/2024

Goleuadau traffig i reoli traffig y gwyriad / Traffic

signals to control diverted traffic

 

A539

A5t From Area Boundary To Queen Street Llangollen LL20 7PT

BRYN DETHOL ROAD FROM A5 TO MAESMAWR

ROAD

10/12/2024

10/12/2024

Gwaith BT/ BT Works SUNBELT RENTALS (DCC)

 

Outside 13

WEST STREET

13/11/2024

14/11/2024

Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC)

 

OUTSIDE NUMBER 4

OAK STREET

18/11/2024

20/11/2024

Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST UTILITIES

LLANGOLLEN

Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

 

Trem Yr Ysgol

PENGWERN

05/11/2024

05/11/2024

School Streets Trial / Treial Strydoedd Ysgolion CORE HIGHWAYS (SIGNS)

LLANGOLLEN

Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Author to speak about his historic novels at Llangollen Library

A Wrexham writer will be at Llangollen Library early next month to give a talk about his mystery novels.

David Ebsworth will be in town on Tuesday December 3, at 2pm, to give an insight into his Wrexham & Chester Victorian Mysteries. 

From the astonishing events of Wrexham's 1876 "Year of Wonder" to the equally "stranger than fiction" accounts of 1884, he will be chatting about the factual background of his novels Blood Among The Threads and Death Along The Dee.

His visit is part of a series of author events hosted by Denbighshire Libraries to help brighten up the cold winter days.

Million-selling author Simon McCleave will be at St Asaph Library on Friday November 22, 2pm. His series of books featuring DI Ruth Hunter started with the Snowdonia Killings, and other titles include the Denbigh Asylum Killings and the Llangollen Killings. He has more recently written a standalone thriller called the Last Night at Villa Lucia.

 

Welsh Language author Manon Steffan Ros will be visiting Denbigh Library on Monday November 18, 2pm. 

Manon has written over 23 books for adults and children in the Welsh language and has won the Wales Book of the Year for her adult fiction. 

She is the four-time winner at the Tir na n’Og Wales Children’s Book Awards and has also won Eisteddfod and National Theatre Wales awards for her script writing and the YOTO Carnegie 2023 medal for writing.

Prestatyn Library will welcome Kate Ellis on Wednesday November 20, 2pm. Kate has written 28 novels which follow DI Wesley Peterson, and five crime novels with a supernatural twist which feature another DI, Joe Plantagenet. 

Rhyl Library will host a double bill, with romantic novelist Trisha Ashley visiting with Juliet Greenwood on Thursday November 28, 2pm. Trisha has written over 27 novels, many of them Sunday Times bestsellers, and has also published short stories and poetry. In 2024, her latest novel The Wedding Dress Repair Shop won the RoNA Award for Popular Fiction.

 

Juliet Greenwood is the author of eight historical novels, published by Honno, the Welsh Women’s Press, Orion and Storm Publishing. Her first novel was a finalist for the People’s Book Prize, and her second was Waterstones Wales’ Book of the Month. More recently, her novel with Storm Publishing, The Last Train from Paris, based on her mother’s experiences in WW2, became a kindle bestseller in both the US and the UK.

 

A murder mystery evening based on ‘The Darkest Evening’ by Ann Cleeves will test the attendees of Rhuddlan Library on Thursday November 21, 7pm, hosted by the library team. In Ruthin, writer and broadcaster Myfanwy Alexander will stop by the Library, also on Thursday  November 21, 2pm to talk about her series of crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Daf Dafis, who is passionate about keeping the peace in his square mile but his life is always complicated.

 

Deborah Owen, Principal Librarian said: “We hope there’s something for everyone with these author visits. Whether you prefer crime, romance or historical fiction, I’d like to invite everyone to come and join us.

 

"Please contact your local library for more information on a specific author visit or to book a place.”

 

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture & Heritage said: “These visits are an opportunity for the people of Denbighshire to gain an insight into a number of popular authors, as well as their published topics. There are visits all across the county, which cover many different topics and themes for residents to enjoy.”

 

These events are supported by Denbighshire Leisure and partly funded by UK Government.