Date confirmed for Eisteddfod's 2025 Parade of Nations

* Performers from 30 countries took part in the 2024 parade.  

* Llangollen town crier Austin “Chem” Cheminais will be again be leading the parade in 2025.

Llangollen International Eisteddfod has announced its celebrated Parade of Nations will be held through the town on Wednesday July 9 at 4.30pm. 

Visitors can expect a colourful spectacle, as groups from across the world will be participating alongside dozens of groups from Wales and the rest of the UK.

Competitors that plan to come to Llangollen next year include choirs, dance groups, ensembles and soloists from across the globe.  

This includes performers from Argentina, Burundi, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Isle of Man, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, and Zimbabwe.

The parade, one of the central parts of the festival, will be followed by a huge party on the Eisteddfod field, where visitors can get on the ‘ground for a pound’.

The parade will be led by the Llangollen Silver Band and Llangollen town crier Austin “Chem” Cheminais.  

New in next year’s parade will be Community Rhythms and Roots Wales’ who will be bringing six groups representing diverse communities from across the country to perform in Llangollen. 

John Gambles, Chair of the festival, said: “As usual, our last parade was an amazing spectacle and full of colour. Over 8,000 people came out to welcome our international competitors.  

"We’ve got some amazing international competitors from around the world already confirmed for next year. Our Parade of Nations is one of our most popular events, and this will be followed by a huge celebration on our field, as welcome the world once again to Wales.”

Dave Danford, the Eisteddfod’s Artistic Director, who will be overseeing the event, said: “The profile of our festival grew considerably this year, and we’re pulling out all the stops to ensure 2025 is even bigger. 

"Our partnership with Cuffe and Taylor is continuing to enable us to bring some truly amazing artists to Llangollen, such as James, Olly Murs, The Script, Texas and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, all of whom have already announced shows here next summer as part of our Live At Llangollen Pavilion series. 

"However, the International Eisteddfod itself remains the central part of everything we do here, and we’re delighted to be welcoming so many international competitors and visitors next summer. It’s always great to see the Llangollen and the wider community come out to support our festival.”

Porters' Delicatessen is now officially Dementia Friendly

Porter's Delicatessen has been officially recognised as one of the first Dementia Friendly Organisations in Llangollen.

In order to achieve the award, the proprietors had to show the actions they are taking to meet the criteria by demonstrating that their staff are dementia aware, inclusive and supportive, that their processes are inclusive and supportive and that the shop is also easily accessible, inclusive and supportive.

The scheme was initiated and is managed by the North Wales Regional Partnership Board and Dementia North Wales.

The award for Porter's was presented to the proprietors, Emma and Ben, by Angela Williams, Chair of Llangollen Age and Dementia Friendly Llangollen, and the Secretary, John Palmer.

* If any other organisations would like to be recognised as Dementia Friendly. please contact John Palmer jp.llandem157@gmail.com for details.

Solution may have been found to keeping open town's public toilets

* A solution may have been found to keeping the Market Street toilets.

The town and county councils could work together to save Llangollen’s threatened public toilets.

Suggestions that the Market Street conveniences could close along with all the others across the county in a bid to dig Denbighshire out of a massive financial black hole have caused deep concern in the town since they were revealed by llanblogger a few months ago.

A public meeting was called to hammer out the issue back in the summer with many people voicing their fears about the damage any loss of the toilets would mean to Llangollen businesses relying heavily on the tourism trade and also to residents themselves.

Although the meeting was inconclusive local MP Becky Gittins and Senedd Member Ken Skates have revealed they have been working behind the scenes to secure an amicable solution to the problem.

It is known that the Town Council has also been looking closely at the financial situation to see if anything can be done.

Now a possible answer has come forward in the agenda for the town council meeting next Tuesday, November 19.

A budgetary report from town clerk Gareth Thomas, which will be considered by councillors, says: “In addition to the Town Council’s reserve requirements through continued working with the County Council to fulfil the Town Council and residents’ desires that the County Council continue to provide toilet facilities in Llangollen a solution has been proposed.”

Spelling it out, the report adds: “The county council have indicated that if they can convert the existing toilets on Market Street to cashless operation and variable summer and winter opening times then this will reduce cost which will allow for the continued provision of the service.

“However, to facilitate this capital works are required to the building and the county council is applying to the Brilliant Basics Fund which assists in the provision of small-scale tourism infrastructure improvements across Wales and is open to local authorities and national park authorities.

“Total grant available is £300,000 with a maximum intervention rate of 80%. There is no minimum grant amount.

“The estimated cost of the works to upgrade the toilet facilities to allow for cashless payment is in the region of £40,000.

“During discussions with the county council, it was clear that a joint application would be looked upon more favourably and therefore it is proposed that the town council would contribute to the match funding requirement to a maximum of 10% and provision has made in the asset specific reserve to facilitate such a contribution in 2025-26.”

Free After Three parking scheme to return this festive period

* Llangollen's Market Street car park.

Denbighshire County Council will once again be running its Free After Three parking scheme in the run-up to Christmas. 

Adding an additional two days to the scheme this year, council-run town centre car parks - including four in Llangollen - will be free to use county wide across Denbighshire every day from 3pm between November 18 and December 31. 

This scheme runs alongside the five free parking days issued to town and city councils each year.

 

Free After Three opens over 25 central town centre car parks for residents to use for free after 3pm. 

The council says the initiative makes the high streets more accessible during one of the busiest trading seasons.

 

Free After Three will be available in the following car parks:

 

Town/City	Car Park
Corwen	Green Lane
Denbigh	Barkers Well Lane
	Crown Lane
	Factory Ward
	Post Office Lane
	Vale Street
Llangollen	East Street
	Hall Street
	Market Street
	Mill Street
Prestatyn	Fern Avenue
	Kings Avenue
	Lower High Street
	Nant Hall Road
	Railway Station
Rhuddlan	Parliament Street
Rhyl	Library (Morfa Hall private car park, Rhyl, is not included in the initiative)
	Morley Road
	Railway Station
	Sky Tower
	Town Hall
	West Kinmel Street
Ruthin	Crispin Yard
	Dog Lane
	Market Street
	Park Road
	Rhos Street
	St Peters Square
	Troed Y Rhiw
St Asaph	Bowling Green

 

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said: “This initiative has proved popular every year we have put it on, as it enables residents to support their local communities, and access local shops at peak shopping hours after work or school.

 

"We hope that everyone supports our local high streets once again in the run up to this festive period, and hope that this initiative encourages more people to use their local high street for their festive shopping.”

 

 

New MG HS has too many annoying bongs - but is still a bargain

Steve Rogers drives the new MG HS

How does a car that looks this good have you tearing your hair out within a few minutes of taking to the road?

An intriguing opening to a road test if ever there was one, so what is the problem?

Basically you are bombarded with bongs, some useful, like the overspeed warning, but I don’t need a bong and message to ‘focus on my driving’ when I am, or take a break when I have only just started.

Have we come too far with technology? Maybe. The HS has a camera in the front A pillar to keep an eye on the driver. It is a safety feature but is way too sensitive and damned annoying. Check the mirrors or look to the centre console to change the heating or radio station at your peril. The warning bongs can be turned off by scrolling to the MG Pilot menu but this has to be done for every journey. If I owned the HS I would cover the camera with tape.

Back to the nitty gritty and the new HS. It deserves a wow because the transformation over the old model is massive. It is new from the ground up, a slightly bigger body with a longer wheelbase giving more cabin space, new engine, with a plug-in hybrid option, and a stylish, plush interior.

Yet this family sized SUV is still one of the bargains of the century with a starting price of £24,995, undercutting rivals like Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kugga and a lot more.

The original HS did well for MG but if that blended anonymously into a very big pack then the new model stands out with striking design following the trend for waver thin LED headlights and full width rear light bar.

Inside has been completely revamped and looks nothing like a bargain car. Fittings are decent quality and the whole thing has a feeling of opulence. MG has played copycat with the dashboard creating the now popular widescreen TV layout by merging two 12.3in screens. It looks spectacular.

Lengthening the wheelbase has created more space and that is no more evident than in the back where there is legroom galore along a flat floor, and the boot has gained some extra litres of storage. It is nowhere near class leading and could be improved if the rear seat was on runners like some rivals.

Once seated passengers can expect a comfortable ride, the HS is fairly softly sprung and does a good job of smothering the jolts from potholes and the like.

The cutting edge dashboard layout I was lauding earlier does have the odd foible. The infotainment is not as quick as some so you do find yourself dabbing for a response from the menus of which there are quite a number. The central screen layout is good with four functions displayed including navigation, radio and heating. There are quick keys for fast demisting, heating the rear window and returning to the main screen but what about these for a couple of oddments?

It took days to find the volume control for the radio which is in a swipe down menu, and the same applies for opening and closing the powered tailgate from inside the car. A common or garden switch would be more sensible as the ignition has to be on for it to work.

For a big car the 1.5 litre turbocharged engine is quite punchy but with only average economy. Over the week the HS managed 40.4mpg, higher than the official figure, although it did tip 50mpg on a couple of longer journeys.

The star of the range is undoubtedly the Trophy plug-in hybrid with its class leading range of 75 miles which for people who don’t do big miles is the equivalent of an electric car. But if you want to save nine grand then the petrol manual SE is tremendous value, very well equipped both for spec and safety but my choice would be the seven speed automatic Trophy which packs all you need and more.

* Last week I promised a decision on my car of the year. It was a close call between the MG3 and Renault Clio and the crown goes to the MG. The improvement over the previous model is massive and for style, economy and cost the package is unbeatable. A good year for MG then…

Fast facts

HS Trophy 7sp automatic

£28,995 (starts £24,995)

1.5 T-GDI; 166bhp

0-62mph 9.6secs; 121 mph

38.7mpg combined

173g/km. 1st VED £1,095

Boot: 507-1484 litres

Insurance group 27

'Allo 'Allo by Twenty Club is simply magnifique

* Oh yes, we can can-can, say the cast.

The plot and dialogue may be tres tres cheesy but the acting and staging of ‘Allo ‘Allo: the Camembert Caper by the Twenty Club at Llangollen Town Hall this week are simply ooh la la!

The popular drama group took their first crack at the stage version of the French resistance farce with 'Allo 'Allo: The Fallen Madonna to win widespread praise back in 2021.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) until Saturday - when there's also a matinee show - they're back for a second go. And it works every bit as well this time round.

Things are just as deliciously daft in the plotting and dialogue departments but the interpretation of the piece by a highly skilled cast is simply magnifique.

Based on the hugely popular TV comedy series, this version of 'Allo 'Allo continues the adventures of reluctant resistance hero and harassed café owner René Artois in German-occupied wartime France. 

And poor old Rene gets himself into the same kind of deep trouble as he always did on screen or stage.

Add a basketful of camembert cheeses, an amorous but corrupt undertaker, two waitresses vying for Rene's charms, ill thought out escape plans for the two British airmen, German presence everywhere and, well ..

The cast assembled under the masterful touch of director Chissie Ashworth - also back for a second stint with Rene - is little short of brilliant.

Rene himself is played with world-weary aplomb by Chris Williams, while his overbearing wife with a neat line in tuneless singing is Lizzie Clifford, who incidentally sings rather better in real life.

The duo of naughty waitresses at Cafe Rene, Yvette and Mimi, are brought cheekily to life by Jessica Fiddler and Niki Davies-Bottomley respectively and - listen carefully, as I will say zis only once - Helen Belton makes a superb resistance worker Michelle.

Aled Morris is splendidly befuddled as the bumbling resistance man Le Clerc while Sue Cheshire is Madam Fanny La Fan, the bed-ridden elderly lady whose presence sparks many a double entendre. Sue's real-life husband Bill Cheshire brings a classy French accent and nifty little beard to bear as the undertaker Monsieur Alphonse.

Dan Pedley, Neil Barrett and Edward Roscoe turn in a suitably braying set of upper-class, shot-down RAF types, Dan doing particularly well as Crabtree who is pretending to be the local gendarme manged Franglais and all.

Herr Flick, the ramrod-like but muddle-headed Gestapo officer, is always an 'Allo 'Allo favourite and is no exception in this piece where is portrayed in fine style by Kevin Williams. His flirty assistant Helga is equally well done by Bev Maier.

Steve Hughes, John Clifford, John Eve and Ian Wright produce some handy turns as the local German officers, General Klinkerhoffen, Colonel Von Strohm, Captain Geering and Lieutenant Gruber.

Jayne Belton keeps the ivories tinkling admirably in the cafe background as resident pianist Madame Croissant and Mike Connolly is a believable radio announcer.

The show is as splendidly produced as ever by Pamela Williams.

Performance dates are from Wednesday November 13 to Saturday November 16 at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2pm. Ticket prices are £14 and £12.

* Yvette and Rene in the cafe.

* Monsieur Alphonse with Rene.

* Double entendres fly around Madame Fanny La Fan.

* Michelle confers with Yvette, Edith and Milli.

* Helga dines with Herr Flick.

* Rene under pressure from Edith.

* Not-so-nasty Nazi officers.