* For the full story in Leader live, see:
Monday, August 4, 2025
Llangollen's Canoe Aqueduct Tours named UK's fourth best
Summer of Fun programme events or 2025
The programme of events for the 2025 Summer of Fun programme run by Denbighshire Housing and its partners is:
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Three lads heading for Thailand for charity give first update
* Bedding down for the first night under canvas.
* The lads' first meal of rump steak and rice goes in the bag.
To the cheers of an army of family and friends three lads from the area set off yesterday on a marathon bike to ride across the world to raise cash for the British Heart Foundation.
Friends Dyfan Hughes, 17, from Llangollen, Louis Dennis, 18,
from Garth, and James Thomas,18, from Wrexham aim to cycle the 10,000 miles to
Thailand in memory of Tony Edge, the father of a friend who died following a
heart attack six months ago.
The intrepid trio, calling themselves the Westheads,
pedalled away from Lllangollen Football Club's HQ at the very start of a
mammoth ride which they reckon will take them at least 18 months to
complete.
They have promised to keep everyone updated on their progress
and have just posted their first short film on Tik Tok.
They tell of how they cruised off along the Llangollen Canal
to make their first stop at Stans supermarket in St Martins where they used the
£30 voucher donated by their friend Alice Dipper, picking up some rump steak
and rice.
It was then back on the trail to get past Shrewsbury and reach their overnight
campsite just before dark, pitching their tent and cooking up the rump and rice
treat.
Llanblogger will be bringing you further updates from the lads as they come in.
* You can see their updates at: https://linktr.ee/westheads
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Terrific trio set off on their 10,000 cycle trip in aid of heart research
* The Westheads - Dyfan, Louis and James - about to set off on their epic bike ride Thailand.
To the cheers of an army of family and friends three lads from the area have set off on a marathon bike to ride across the world to raise cash for the British Heart Foundation.
Friends Dyfan Hughes, 17, from Llangollen, Louis Dennis, 18, from Garth, and James Thomas,18, from Wrexham aim to cycle the 10,000 miles to Thailand in memory of Tony Edge, the father of a friend who died following a heart attack six months ago.
The intrepid trio, calling themselves the Westheads, pedalled away from Lllangollen Football Club's HQ this morning (Saturday) at the very start of a mammoth ride which they reckon will take them at least 18 months to complete.
On hand to wish them bon voyage were around 50 relatives, Friends and well-wishers.
* ... and they're off from the football club field bound for Europe and then Asia.
According to Dyfan, their first overnight stop - under canvas - will be at Newport in Shropshire and then it's on across England to Harwich where they'll take the North Sea ferry to the Hook of Holland.
From there the plan is to cycle across Belgium and Germany with the aim of following the course of the Danube river down to Turkey, where in Instanbul they should be able to cross the mighty Bospherus ready to depart on the next leg of their adventure.
But they admit the trip will be something of a challenge as none of them has ever ridden a bike "further than the shop down the road".
In a joint statement they say: "We are three Welsh lads with a dream to travel the world.
"So we thought what better way than to cycle to Thailand? The only problem is none of us have ever really ridden a bike further than the shop down the road.
"The reason we are cycling to Thailand is because our good friend has been living out in Thailand for the past six months, shortly after his Dad sadly passed away from a heart attack, so we have decided to cycle to Thailand, raising money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of him.
* Time for a final good luck handshake with a friend in the crowd.
"Where does the go fund me money go? This will go to help cover basic costs of the trip - bikes, gears, visas, food, repairs. We are funding most of it ourselves, but with your help we can go further, safer, and share more along the way.
"We have a separate donation page for the British Heart Foundation and any donations will be much appreciated.
"Think of this as backing three idiots on a mission. We will be sharing every pedal, every flat tyre, every breakdown, on social media and using the platform we build to point people to BHF and encourage donations directly.
"Can they actually do it? There's only one way to find out. Follow along and if you could spare a few quid to help us keep pedalling we would be forever grateful."
* Here's a link to the Westheads' socials on which you can follow their epic journey and make a donation if you wish: https://linktr.ee/westheads
Accountant who volunteers at railway features on BBC radio
An accountant who volunteers as a steam engine 'fireman' in North Wales has had her life turned into a song for a new BBC Radio 2 series.
Joanne Ormesher, who volunteers on the Llangollen Railway, is one of five people whose real-life experiences are featuring in the BBC Radio 2 project 21st Century Folk.
* For the full story, see the Leader at: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/story-of-north-wales-accountant-turned-railway-fireman-told-in-song/ar-AA1JCwxJ
Friday, August 1, 2025
County braces for severe weather early next week
The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for an area which includes Denbighshire for early next week.
The Yellow wind warning covers a swathe of the northern half of the UK, from Northern Ireland, north Wales, northern England, and the whole of Scotland where the strongest winds are more likely to be recorded.
The warning will be in force from 6am on Monday 4 August until 6am on Tuesday 5 August 2025.
Denbighshire County Council says it 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, adds the council and it advises: "Report any issues to our Customer Service Team between 8:30am amd 5:00pm 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 5:00pm and 8:30am including weekends on 0300 123 3068."
Railway responds to 'upsetting' national paper article
Award-winning Llangollen Railway has officially responded to a national newspaper travel article that has upset its volunteers and which supporters have described as “shameful”.
Last Tuesday the Mirror ran a piece by senior audience writer
Chanelle Georgina which also appeared in a number of its sister papers in the
Reach group, including the Daily Post in North Wales.
The story was headlined: "I took a ride on one of the UK's most iconic steam trains - but I'd never do it again".
It began mildly enough by saying: “On group holidays, you often find yourself partaking in activities that wouldn't typically be your first choice. In my case, during the final day of my Welsh getaway, this involved boarding the Llangollen Railway – a heritage railway line.”
But then it went on: “The thrill of stepping onto an
authentic steam train with enclosed carriages, reminiscent of those featured in
the Harry Potter films, was initially exciting. However, for me, the magic
ended there.
“Aboard the train, many passengers (myself included) leaned
out of the pull-down windows to watch the steam train power forward, its plume
of smoke trailing into the sky.
“Before entering a tunnel, we were advised to close all
windows to prevent the black soot from infiltrating the carriages.
“While the journey was more enjoyable than a ride on the
London tube, it didn't feel too dissimilar, in my view, to a train trip from
London to the North.”
And as it ended: “To put it bluntly, I felt as though I had
just forked out £23.50 to sit on a commuter train to a rather uninspiring part
of town that only manages to stay afloat due to the unwitting tourists who find
themselves there.”
The writer also criticised Yums Yums, the popular café at
the Corwen end of the line where many train passengers from Llangollen enjoy a refreshment
break before making the return trip.
In its response, which follows one on Facebook earlier this
week, Llangollen Railway says: “We are rather disappointed by this story,
particularly at the lack of opportunity for either the Railway or local
business mentioned to respond before it was published.
“Many of our volunteers have found it pretty upsetting. Of
course folk are entitled to their opinions, but we do not feel that Ms
Georgina's article offers either a balanced view or a true reflection of
what the vast majority of visitors to the railway and area experience.
“We are surprised that the Daily Post would look to publish
and promote a story that appears to actively discourage people from visiting
both the railway and Dee Valley right in the middle of the summer
holidays, especially noting how much the local economy relies on tourism.
“Nevertheless, we know there's always an opportunity from
any form of publicity. We’d encourage folk to visit us this summer to
make up their own minds. Our reply to the article received 167 likes and
we would like to thank everyone who took the time to comment in support of
the railway. It was cheering to see how many folk love the Llangollen Railway
and totally disagreed with the article’s sentiment.
“Of course, there is always room for improvement in what we
do. Our volunteers and staff are working very hard to develop the
railway as it approaches its 50th anniversary of preservation in the 200th
year of passenger carrying railways. We are looking to improve our facilities,
seeking further grant to do so and strengthen our relationships with local
business and communities to build on our recent successes. This included
winning the Go North Wales Awards Attraction of the Year in 2023.
“We are running trains every Wednesday and Sunday all month
and the 2nd & 3rd of August sees our 1960's Weekend. (https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/1960s-weekend/).
We are running real ale (9th August & 20th September), afternoon tea
(all sold out) and fish and chip specials (6th & 7th September).
“Those with younger children can come and enjoy meeting the
Gruffalo at Corwen on 11th August (advanced booking essential). We then have
our 50th Birthday Weekend lined up for 12th-14th September.
“There really is something for everyone, even Ms Georgina,
who we have reached-out to and invited back as our guest. We’d like to set
the record straight and give her the chance to see the railway and our
area as so many others do. We might have our work cut out though!”
Yums Yums in Corwen, which consistently attracts many "excellent" reviews on Tripadvisor, preferred not to comment when offered
the chance to reply to the article by llanblogger.
Responding to the Daily Post version of the article on Facebook,
on Railway supporter posted: “I have been on there with 3 of my
grandchildren today. Usual great experience. I am sorry the Daily Post did
this. Shameful.”
Another posted: “What happened to balanced journalism?
In 2024 The Railway won the Heritage Railway Association's Infrastructure Award for its new Corwen station. In 2023 it was named Go Attraction of the Year in The Go North Wales Tourism Awards for its recovery from major financial problems.
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