New stoma support group's first meeting is next week

                     

A cancer survivor from Llangollen has started a self-support group to provide help and advice to people using a stoma.

And it has its first meeting next week.

Moira Gleed’s own journey towards being fitted with the medical device, which connects the bowel to the outside of the body with a small disposable bag, began last June when she was diagnosed with Stage III bowel cancer.

After major surgery at the Wrexham Maelor hospital she was fitted with a permanent stoma. This means that when the bowel moves, waste exits through the stoma bag which is stuck to the skin and has to be emptied at regular intervals.

Moira said: “I’d been ignoring the symptoms of the cancer for some time and the doctors told me it could have been coming on for seven to 10 years.

“I had the surgery last July and, so far, it looks to have been successful. Becoming a stoma user myself has made me determined to share my experience with others who find themselves in the same situation.”

She added: “The new group I have formed, which is called Back to Front for obvious reasons, aims to support each other with kindness along the journey each person with a stoma takes and will provide a safe and confidential ‘what gets said in this room stays in this room’ environment while offering an opportunity for fellow ostomates, which is what stoma users are known as, and their companions or carers to have a cuppa and talk about what’s on their minds and look at latest products from suppliers.

“The friendly and informal monthly meet-ups will have guest speakers on a variety of subjects on alternative months.

“The group will be open to all ostomates wishing to offer their support and experience to the group and to people who have recently had or are awaiting surgery and to their loved ones and carers.”

Moira said that group meetings will take place on the first Monday of every month. While there will be no charge for membership donations towards the hire of the hall, speakers and refreshments are welcomed.

The meeting place chosen is St Collen’s Community Hall, off Regent Street (A5) LL20 8HU. Meetings will run between 2 and 4pm and the first one takes place on Monday March 3.

The meeting room is at ground level with ramps and has easy access to the toilets. Parking, which is next to the hall, will be free for the duration of the meeting.

“We hope to see as many people as possible at our meetings, which are not just for Llangollen people but also those from surrounding areas, said Moira.

* For more information contact Moira Gleed, in confidence, on 07484 772772.   

Local roadworks update from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks update from Denbighshire County Council is:

Approximately 70 metres from end of track to Ty Canol Farm A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD 26/02/2025 26/02/2025 Tree Cutting

A539 O/S NUMBER 20 CASTLE STREET 07/04/2025 09/04/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A539 Llandyn Hall Farm Culvert TRACK TO LLANDYN HALL FROM A539 28/04/2025 23/05/2025 Gwaith ar Gylfat/ Culvert Works (DCC) Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall Street, Llangollen. HALL STREET 12/04/2025 17/04/2025 Gwaith Draenio / Drainage Works NMWTRA (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall St jct with A5 Berwyn St, Llangollen 27/01/2025 28/03/2025 Gwaith Ar Wal Gynnal/ Retaining Wall Works OBR CONSTRUCTION

Everyone invited to museum's official re-opening

Following major work to replace the roof Llangollen Museum says everyone is invited to its official re-opening starting at 6pm on Saturday March 8. 

Llangollen Silver Band will be playing and there will be wine (tea, coffee and soft drinks will also be available) and nibbles. 

6.30pm will see Dave Crane from the museum say a few words about the programme and thank everyone involved, before local MP Becky Gittins officially re-opens the building. 

Ms Gittins said: “I want to thank everyone for working so hard to re-open Llangollen Museum and I am excited that, as a result of this funding, it will continue to showcase the history of the area for locals and tourists alike. 

“Llangollen has a rich and fascinating past, which this museum helps bring to life. I look forward to seeing the new displays and learning more about the programme for the year ahead.”

People will then be able to mingle, have some more food and drink, and look at the new displays, including the re-opening gallery display of paintings and prints that are usually kept in the archive stores.

Dave Crane said: "There will be information about the programme, the work that has been done and what the museum will be doing over the rest of the year.

"We will also be showing Animated Dee Valley heritage video, produced by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB and the Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site, reminding us why keeping places like Llangollen Museum alive in our community is so important, so that future generations can uncover the heritage of Llangollen and the surrounding area.

"Our thanks to the Lottery Heritage Fund, the Community Ownership Fund, the Denbighshire Key Fund, the Clocaenog Wind Farm Fund and the Welsh Government Collection Management Capital Improvement programme for making all of the work possible." 

St Collen's knocks down a £1,100 bargain from its auction night

* Auctioneer Andrew Conde wields the gavel.

St Collen's church funds will benefit by over £1,100 from an evening featuring an auction of promises and entertainment held in the Community Hall yesterday (Friday) evening.

Almost £600 was raised from the auction itself, professionally run by Andrew Conde, which featured lots including a Wild Pheasant spar for two voucher, Llangollen Eisteddfod tickets, a £25 voucher for the market fish stall, tickets for the Twenty Club performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, a Llangollen Golf Club 4 Ball voucher, a Fouzi’s £20 voucher and Sunday lunch for two at The Hand Hotel.

They were all donated by local businesses and individual supporters of the church and were knocked down to considerably more than their guide prices. 

The evening also featured the serving of cheese and wine plus a raffle and other games. 

Entertainment included musical selections from local old time music hall performer Phil Robinson of the Collen Players and soloist Angharad Watts, both accompanied on the piano by Owen Roberts. 

The event was organised by church members, a large team of whom helped behind the scenes to make the evening a success.

* The audience waits for the next lot to come up during the auction.

* Angharad Watts performs her songs.

* Phil Robinson goes through his music hall routine.

County council issues advice following yellow weather warning

Denbighshire County Council has issued advice to residents and businesses following the yellow weather warning for high winds this weekend issued by the Met Office.

The warning says:

Between 06:00 (UTC) on Sun 23 Feb 2025 and 18:00 (UTC) on Sun 23 Feb 2025

 

Headline Strong winds may lead to some disruption on Sunday.

What to expect

• Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely
• Probably some bus and train services affected, with some journeys taking longer
• Some short term loss of power and other services is possible
• Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely

Denbighshire says:

DCC has resources on standby throughout the warning period to respond to any weather-related incidents should they arise.

Further updates will be provided if deemed necessary.

Please report any issues to our Customer Service Team between 8:30am – 5pm Monday to Friday, by:

1) email to customerservice@denbighshire.gov.uk

2) telephone 01824 706000

3) visit in person a One Stop Shop.

4) use an online web form, available on Denbighshire’s website:

www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/online-forms/online-forms.aspx

In the event of any emergency situation requiring an immediate response, contact should be made directly via the out of hours contact centre between 5pm – 8:30am including weekends on 0300 123 3068.

 

Old Vic residents help create positive change for older people

* Old Vicarage owner and manager Bethan Mascarenhas. Image: Ceidiog PR.

The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales visited Llangollen to meet with residents at the Old Vicarage Care Home and hear from them about the action she should take to deliver positive change for older people.

They told Rhian Bowen-Davies that the care and support provided there, which is focused on people’s individual needs rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach made them feel valued and safe, and that the wide range of activities on offer gave them something to look forward to every day, an important part of having a good quality of life.

The experiences, views and ideas shared by older people will be used to shape the Commissioner’s upcoming Strategy and Work Plan as well as her ongoing work to improve policy and practice.

The visit to Llangollen was part of a wider series of visits to meet with older people across Wales where the Commissioner and her team will be hearing directly from older people about the action they should deliver and the key issues they should focus on, with visits to every local authority in Wales planned in the weeks ahead.

As well as providing residential and respite care, the Old Vicarage also supports older people living with dementia, and its owner and manager Bethan Mascarenhas recently won a top award for her outstanding commitment to her work, having become one of the youngest care home owners in Wales shortly before the pandemic.

The Commissioner said: "It was great to be back in north Wales to meet with older people living in the Old Vicarage and learn more from them about the ways we can support care home residents to have the best possible quality of life.

“The Old Vicarage challenges expectations about what life in a care home can be like, and it was really positive to see how happy and safe the older people I spoke with felt living in the home.

“The experiences shared will help me develop my upcoming Strategy and Work Programme, which will have older people’s voices at its heart.”

Alongside travelling throughout Wales to speak directly with older people, the Commissioner is also inviting older people to share their experiences in writing by completing a short questionnaire.

She added: "I want to hear from as many older people as possible, from a wide range of different backgrounds and communities, so please do make your voice heard by completing my questionnaire if you can and help deliver positive change for older people.”

Sir Karl Jenkins to conduct Llangollen concert for UN's 80th anniversary

* Sir Karl Jenkins. Picture by Rhys Frampton.

Sir Karl Jenkins will be conducting a landmark concert at this year’s Llangollen International Eisteddfod to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. 

The concert, Uniting Nations: One World, will bring together voices from across the globe, including WorldChoir, London’s Covent Garden Chorus, and some of the Eisteddfod’s visiting international choirs.

The centrepiece of the evening will be a performance of Karl Jenkins’ masterpiece One World, a large-scale choral work for soloists, choir and orchestra, which heralds a vision of a peaceful and egalitarian planet that treats nature and ecological issues with respect and where human rights are universal. 

It reflects his passion for bringing people together through the universal power of music, promoting a message of peace and understanding across cultures.

A stellar line-up of soloists will include two previous winners of the Eisteddfod’s Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, both of whom have continued into flourishing professional careers, the Singaporean soprano Shimona Rose and the Welsh mezzo-soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies.

The first half of the concert will feature the world premiere of a new version of the Peace Child story, ahead of subsequent performances at the Ljubljana Festival in Slovenia, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on UN Day.

Dave Danford, Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Sir Karl Jenkins back to Llangollen this summer to conduct this special performance of One World. 

"This is a concert that encapsulates the very ethos of both our Eisteddfod and the United Nations, bringing people from different nations and cultures together in an optimistic celebration of unity.”

Llangollen International Eisteddfod takes place from July 8-13 2025 and features headline concerts from The Who legend Roger Daltrey, KT Tunstall, Il Divo and Bryn Terfel with Fisherman's Friends. Tickets are available from llangollen.net