Police witness appeal after road collision near Llangollen

North Wales Police Wrexham Rural has launched a witness Appeal following a Road Traffic Collision not far away from Llangollen.

On its Facebook page it says: "Officers are appealing for witnesses in relation to an Road Traffic Collision between a silver car and a cyclist.

"The incident occurred on SATURDAY the 3rd of MAY at 11:30am on Llangollen Road, just off the Ruabon Roundabout.

"The vehicle did not wait at the scene, and we are keen to speak with anyone who may have seen the collision, the vehicle involved, or has dashcam footage from the area at the time.

"If you have any information, please contact us on 101 quoting reference 25000366308.

"Your information could help our investigation."

Llangollen's VE Day 80th party goes with a swing

* A couple get into the swing of things on the dance floor.

A two-day programme of events for Llangollen's celebration of the 80^th anniversary of VE Day started with a swing yesterday (Monday). 

The Bank Holiday and this Thursday (May 8) will see community-based celebrations across the UK to celebrate the landmark anniversary of the day the war in Europe ended in 1945.   

In Llangollen the town council has arranged a full package of events to mark the occasion in style, all centred on the Town Hall and nearby Centenary Square. 

Yesterday at 9.30am the flag was raised in the square as town crier Chem proclaimed that the celebrations were officially underway. 

In the town hall scores of people turned up to enjoy a free VE Day party with performances by a wide range of local groups such as Llangollen Silver Band and The Melodics Choir, dancers Valentine and Karen Lyon and solo singers Charlie Jones and Phil Robinson. 

Throughout the day wartime archive video and photographs were shown on a big screen while schoolchildren from Bryn Collen and Y Gwernant were shown in a film singing a wartime era song. 

There were stands manned by local organisations such as Llangollen International Eisteddfod, Dementia and the local branch of the Royal British Legion.

Complimentary teas, coffees, and cakes were served throughout the day and the event closed with a powerful performance by North Wales Opera who are currently rehearsing in the town hall for their Opera Cavalleria Rusticana and Paglicci, and the group’s Eve Callahan sang a VE-Day song. 

The  day's events were filmed by a crew from GB News with a number of live sequences from Llangollen being screened nationally throughout the day. 

Celebrations continue on the evening of Thursday May 8 when church bells will ring out at 6.30 and the Royal British Legion will lead a short commemoration on the Town Square followed by the lighting up of the Town Hall in symbolic red, white and blue by the mayor. 

* The VE Day flag is raised in Centenary Square as town crier Chem reads the proclamation to start the day's events.  

* The Silver Band plays to start the Town Hall party.

* The Karen Lyon dance group take the floor.

* Town Mayor, Aled Morris, joins in the dance action.

* The Julie Thomas dance group go through their paces.

* The Melodics in fine voice.

* North Wales Opera Studio's Eve Callaghan takes the applause after her solo singing performance.

* The North Wales Opera Studio chorus sing a selection from their forthcoming production.

  * The GB News film crew capture the day's action.

Events to mark VE Day 80th anniversary begin this morning

A special two-day programme of events for Llangollen's celebration of the 80^th anniversary of VE Day begins this morning (Monday). 

Both today's Bank Holiday (May 5) and this Thursday (May 8) will see community-based celebrations across the UK to celebrate the landmark anniversary of VE Day.   

In Llangollen the town council has arranged a full package of events to mark the occasion in style, all centred on the Town Hall and nearby Centenary Square. 

This morning at 9.30am the flag will be raised in the square as town crier Chem proclaims that the festivities to be officially underway. 

In the town hall there will be a free event with performances by a wide range of local groups such as Llangollen Silver Band and The Melodics Choir, dancers Valentine and Karen Lyon and solo singers Charlie Jones and Phil Robinson. 

Throughout the day wartime archive video and photographs will be shown on a big screen while schoolchildren from Bryn Collen and Y Gwernant will make VE Day decorations to deck out the hall. 

There will be stands by local organisations such as Llangollen International Eisteddfod, Dementia Friends, Friends of Llangollen Health Centre, Llangollen Food Share and the local branch of the Royal British Legion for which donations will be accepted.

Complimentary teas, coffees, and cakes will be served throughout the day and the event will come to a close with a performance by North Wales Opera who are currently rehearsing in the town hall for their Opera Cavalleria Rusticana, and the group’s Eve Callahan will sing a VE-Day song.  

Celebrations continue on the evening of Thursday May 8 when church bells will ring out at 6.30 and the Royal British Legion will lead a short commemoration on the Town Square followed by the lighting up of the Town Hall in symbolic red, white and blue by the mayor. 

History tour showcases Llangollen's rich heritage

Scores of interested history buffs took advantage of Llangollen's first ever Tour Through Time featuring six of the town's historical sites yesterday (Saturday).

The Eisteddfod, the railway, the museum, the old lock up, Plas Newydd and St Collen's Church all took part in the event organised by the recently-formed Our historic Llangollen hanesyddol i bawb, which is a collective of many historic sites and landscapes, heritage experiences and activities in Llangollen and the surrounding Dee Valley. 

All for free and without the need to book, each of the sites laid on expert guided tours which brought their respective histories vividly to life.   

The day started at the Royal International Pavilion at 10.30am and gently wended its way through Llangollen to end at St Collen's at 3.30pm.   

Each site staged its own 45-minute event, with 15 minutes between to allow people to make their way to the next  attraction.  

* Archivist Barrie Potter presents the Eisteddfod's Peace and Music Across the Years at the Royal International Pavilion.

* A selection of vintage Eisteddfod programmes on show at the Pavilion.

* Long-time volunteer Bob Gwynne outlines the rich history of Llangollen Railway at the station presentation.

* A profile of Lt Colonel Charles John Tottenham, a key figure in the development of the railway who had a station built at Berwyn near his home.

* People gather round to hear from Sam Thomson about some of the artefacts held at the museum.

* Sue Hargreaves welcomes visitors to the Heritage Lock Up Centre.

* Kirsty Wild talks people through some of the police and crime related items on display at the Lock Up Centre.

* People gather for the talk about Plas Newydd and its most famous occupants, the Ladies of Llangollen.

* Sue Evans, manager of the St Collen's Genesis Project, introduces visitors to the wonders of the historic parish church. 

Llangollen juniors design town's summer fete flyer

* The winning design for the summer fete flyer.

Llangollen Summer Fete made a successful return in 2024 five years after closing down in 2019 due to the pandemic.

This year's event will return on Saturday June 7 and a competition to design the flyer was run with Year 6 pupils from local junior schools Ysgol Bryn Collen and Ysgol Gymraeg Y Gwernant.

The children, aged nine to 10 years old, submitted their entries and a winner has been chosen whose design will now go into print.

The panel of judges from the Summer Fete Committee had to do choose a single winner in stages. 

The flyer will be delivered to all houses in Llangollen as well as being posted to noticeboards in surrounding areas. 

All the other entries will also then be laminated and form The Treasure Hunt around the fete site on the day. 

For anyone wondering who the winner of the competition was, they should look out for the flyer coming through your door, says a spokesperson for the committee. 

They added: "This year we wanted to include and involve the young people of our town in the fete in a meaningful way and that's why we came up with this idea to run the competition. 

"The entries we received were so excellent that it was a really difficult process to choose a single winner because they were all so creative and clever - it was such a delight to see all the designs that we've decided the whole town must see them all and have the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the work of our junior designers too. 

"We'd really like to thank The Cornmill for sponsoring all the costs of the competition and The Treasure Hunt, as without their generosity we couldn't celebrate the work of our young people in this manner. We hope to see all the locals from the valley at the fete as this is for our community.

"The committee have also involved young people in other ways and we'll post more about that and the fete in the coming days and weeks in the lead-up to the big day." 

* Llangollen Summer Fete will take place on Saturday June 7, from 12noon-5pm at Plas Newydd Historic House and Gardens. There will be a lot more information about the fete on http://www.facebook.com/llangollensummerfete and http://www.instagram.com/llangollensummerfete . 

At the event, there will be a full entertainment schedule, food and drink, games, crafts and lots of local businesses selling their goods. 

Wellbeing walks set to launch across Denbighshire

The council’s Nature for Health Team are launching a series of weekly Wellbeing Walks in Llangollen designed to promote health, wellbeing, and community connection. 

They will take place across various locations in Denbighshire offering residents a chance to enjoy nature, improve their wellbeing, and meet like-minded individuals. 

Nature for Health is a collaborative project funded by the UK Government, that engages with individuals and communities to promote the role access to nature can play in improving health and wellbeing. 

The programme welcomes people of all abilities to get involved with conservation and healthy outdoor lifestyle activities on your doorstep. 

Starting Tuesday, May 6, these free inclusive walks will occur weekly on different days in various locations across the county. Each walk will last approximately 30 minutes and will cover level ground at a relaxed pace, making them accessible to all abilities. 

Whether you're looking to socialise, gain confidence, or boost your wellbeing, these walks provide a fantastic opportunity to do so, says the council. 

Details for the Wellbeing Walks:

When: Weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, beginning May 6 

Where: Llangollen, Rhyl, Loggerheads, Ruthin and Corwen

Duration: 30 minutes 

The Llangollen walks all start from the Health Centre car park, are led by Chloe, and are on Tuesdays May 6, 13, 20 and 27.

Charlotte Wheeler, Community Wellbeing Officer for Nature for Health said: "We’re thrilled to launch these weekly Wellbeing Walks, giving people across Denbighshire the chance to connect with nature, improve their wellbeing, and meet new friends. 

“Spending time outdoors has been proven to boost both mental and physical health, and these walks provide a simple yet meaningful way to deepen our connection with the natural world while embracing the benefits of fresh air, movement, and community."

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Transport and Environment, said: "The Nature for Health Programme is committed to promoting health and wellbeing by encouraging engagement with nature. Introducing weekly Wellbeing Walks is another fantastic way the team is helping Denbighshire residents lead healthier, happier lives—fostering a deeper connection with the natural world while encouraging outdoor activity and social interaction."

* For more information, please contact natureforhealth@denbighshire.gov.uk or join the team for one of the walks. Registration is required from the first walk and for regular participants. 

MP welcomes expansion of Domestic Abuse Orders

Clwyd East MP Becky Gittins has welcomed the expansion of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders. 

From this week, victims in North Wales - as well as their friends, families or support workers - can apply for Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPO) in the family court at Caernarfon, Prestatyn or Wrexham. 

Police can also apply on their behalf in the magistrates’ court for protection against abusers.

 

Domestic Abuse Protection Orders build on existing police powers, providing stronger protection for victims including forcing perpetrators to stick to strict exclusion zones wearing GPS tags and attending substance misuse or mental health interventions. 

 

Unlike current schemes, these orders cover all types of domestic abuse – including physical, controlling, or coercive behaviour, economic abuse and stalking – and can be issued by all courts. There will also be no maximum duration for these orders, compared to the 28-days current protection orders offer.

 

Becky Gittins said: “Having pushed for this pilot to be extended to North Wales, I am delighted that the Government has taken this step and made these protection orders available to victims across the region.

 

“It is imperative that victims know how to access these orders. If you’re experiencing abuse, contact your local family court, police, or your support worker today to help access a DAPO.

 

“These are practical measures which can make a real difference and are part of this Government’s commitment to make our communities safer, support victims, and halve violence against women and girls within a decade.”