How Ysgol Dinas Brân does sports day a little differently

* Aerial view of part of the field on Sports Day

Nestled up on a hill, sitting just beneath a medieval castle in Llangollen, Ysgol Dinas Brân’s Sports Day, which this year falls on the last day of term, is a little different than what is traditionally offered.

An assembly kicks off the day, with a presentation of the year’s achievements displayed on the Sports Hall wall, supported by a soundtrack provided by pupil-formed band, who impressively cover a number of Oasis’s greatest hits. The presentation also included teachers' stories of their sporting pasts, signifying the importance of sport throughout school.

Once the presentation is over, the sports day, which has also formerly been referred to as The Dinas Brân Olympics, commences.

* A pupil-formed band playing at presentation

Setting up the day is a big task, and starts early in the day, with the Head of Department for PE, Neil Garvey, and other staff arriving at 6am to prepare.

By 9am, set up in the middle of the school field are a number a 5-a side pitches, a mini golf course with multiple holes, and an inflatable obstacle course. 

Further along the field sits a massive inflatable dart board for foot darts, played with footballs in place of the more traditional darts, a tall climbing wall, and both football and rugby target practice, respectively. 

Also on offer is a Tug of War contest, canoeing on the nearby canal, Just Dance sessions, and more traditional events such as running races (100m, 400m) and shotput.

* Climbing Wall

An ice cream van and a snack stall are the menu of the day with teachers getting to choose the soundtrack to the events. Although an element of competitiveness will always be the case with some events, this day is ultimately set up to have fun and try new experiences.

Once on the field, some pupils rush to get all geared-up to scale the climbing wall, others grasp tightly onto their putters as they traverse the mini-golf section of the field. The variety on offer means that a whole host of hobbies and activities are represented on this sports day.

There are no leader boards, charts or placements for a vast majority of the activities on offer today, as participation is the aim for this sports day, with the idea being that the wide array of activities will help with pupil participation and engagement.

Year groups all take their turn throughout the day taking part in the numerous activities spread across two school fields, and part of Llangollen’s famous canal, as they run, climb, kick, putt, paddle and jump in the name of a tweaked and different sports day, which feels more of a celebration than a competition.

In the afternoon staff take their turn, with sack races set up where teachers hop head-to-head to reach the finish line first, with pupils cheering them on.

PE head Neil Garvey explained: “Our sports day is a little different than your traditional sports day. We changed our approach to it around 12 years ago to try and increase the number of pupils participating in the events.

"The previous Head of Department, Helen Davies, set this up, we sat down as a team to come up with ideas to help change the whole idea of a sports day to get more pupils involved. This was her idea, and is something that we have built on year on year. Each year we have added new events, and partnered up with local businesses in the area to get things such as a big inflatable obstacle course and the climbing wall.

"Since we made the tweaks, the number of pupils participating have gone through the roof. You can see on their faces, the pupils really enjoy this approach.”

Dinas Brân pupil Jimi said: “I think our sports day is actually the best you could ever have! You have all sorts of events like rock climbing and football, anything you’d want to do really.

"This year I’ve most enjoyed the climbing wall, as I’d never really done it before and some of the athletics.”

* A pupil tries foot darts

Maggie, another pupilsaid: “Ysgol Dinas Brân does an excellent sports day as it gives a chance to pupils who don’t usually do sports a chance to try new activities.

"I’ve really enjoyed the inflatable obstacle course with my friends and the races.”

The school's head Mark Hatch said: “The whole purpose of this format is for health and wellbeing, and getting out there. It’s an inclusive day which has everyone trying something new, being active and enjoying themselves.

"It’s all about getting the pupils out there, enjoying something different and giving them a whole new set of experiences, and to create a really fun day too.”

Advice to organisations on increasing their volunteer pools

Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) is hosting a Denbighshire Volunteer Involving Organisations Network (VIO) for Third Sector Organisations to meet in person and discuss their upcoming projects as well as to exchange ideas on raising the profile of volunteering.

The aim is for groups to find out more about the Volunteering MOT for their organisation and updates on the Volunteering Wales & TSSW Knowledge Hub. 

The network is open to all third sector organisations and community groups operating in Denbighshire and its aim is to focus mainly on:

· Increasing the pool of volunteers

· Promoting the involvement of volunteers within the third sector in Denbighshire

· Establishing good practice in relation to volunteer involvement in Denbighshire

· Providing practical support for volunteer involving organisations

· Sharing learning in relation to new developments within volunteering and related areas

· Sharing experience of policy and practice in relation to volunteering to develop and enhance existing practice

· Raising the profile of volunteering and the third sector among key stakeholders

* To book for the event to be held at the Naylor Leyland Centre in Ruthin from 10am-noon on Wednesday October 1, go to: bit.ly/DVSCVIONetworkOct2025

 

Isuzu has transformed its trusty D-Max with V-Cross

Isuzu D-Max V-Cross drive by Steve Rogers

The pick-up market has been on a rollercoaster ride with big names dropping out, some bouncing back, newcomers joining the fray, and all the while the Isuzu D-Max has taken its chance and piled on the sales. Last year was its best ever, shifting 6,600.

And it has worked hard for its success offering a variety of models to attract the adventure seekers but never losing sight of its core value as a fear nothing off roader.

The Japanese company has also played a clever tactical game, constantly updating and this year has seen a raft of improvements with changes to the body, the interior and its off-road capabilities.

Life has got tougher, however, with the Government bringing double cab pick-ups into line with cars taking away the generous tax break for company car drivers.

But what about this for a result. D-Max went head to head with the mighty Toyota Hi-lux reviewed last week and in the Rogers household came out a clear winner. I should say the toughest challenge faced by both pick-ups was hauling my caravan to and from a steep field, hardly taxing, so this comparison is based purely on road driving.

My wife set the tone declaring ‘nice light steering, I like it already’ and she had only driven off the drive. Her verdict that the ride was not as jittery as the Hilux was a surprise because the last time I drove a D-Max it didn’t take much to send you bobbling about in the seat.

But she was right, D-Max has been transformed. It is nowhere near as smooth as an SUV but the suspension improvements have settled the ride and any jolts caused by uneven surfaces have been well and truly tamed.

Isuzu’s recipe for success is to pack the D-Max with kit and answer the critics with a quality upgrade in the cabin. The old model looked a bit plasticy and dated but that has been sorted with a modern digital driver display with information selected from steering wheel buttons, and a larger, upgraded touchscreen. There is no onboard navigation but smart phones can be paired through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay with wireless charging on top models.

All models are well supplied but lifestylers who like their creature comforts will make for V-Cross. That packs a host of goodies like auto dipping LED headlights, all round electric windows, power adjustments for the driver’s seat, leather upholstery, reversing camera and keyless entry with walkaway locking the standout features.

There is also a new Steel edition which adds a lot of badge branding in the cabin and around the body with coloured wheel arch fender flare kit, side graphics, LED scruff plates and illuminated puddle lamps. It adds a hefty four grand to the bottom line, critically pushing it through the £40,000 barrier that brings additional costs.

For all this the feature that had us and two passengers shouting wow were the full beam headlights. LED headlights are bright, some say too bright, but the D-Max was off the scale throwing a massive square of white light, the likes of which we had never seen before. Later we realised the extra beam came from an LED strip across the roof!

D-Max has led the way in pick-up safety and was the first to get a five-star NCAP crash test rating in 2022 but it has not rested on its laurels adding more safety. It uses radar to

stop the car backing out of a parking space into the path of an approaching vehicle or pedestrian, or changing lanes if there is a vehicle coming up in the blind spot. Double cab models have eight airbags. That is just a sample of what is available.

For those who need to mix it with the rough stuff D-Max has just about everything you need with three drive modes, 2 high for people like me, four-wheel drive high, and four wheel drive low for when the going gets really tough, along with hill descent.

The area where D-Max could not match the Toyota is engine power. There is only one option, a 1.9 litre diesel. It does the job but has that guttural agricultural din and is some way off the Toyota’s refinement and huge torque advantage. Nevertheless it has the same towing and carrying capacity and was more economical recording an impressive 39mpg on a 150 drive through rural Wales and 24.4mpg with caravan in tow.

Isuzu has pitched its model range brilliantly with something for everyone. If you want it as a family vehicle you will feel at home quickly.

Fast facts

V-Cross Steel edition

£42,705 (starts £27,755 single cab)

1.9 litre TD; 162bhp. 6sp automatic

0-62mph 13secs; 112mph

30.7mpg combined

241g/km

Payload 1070kg

Towing: 3,500kg

Warranty: 5 years/125,000 miles

Neighbourhood Alert warn about unpaid parking charge scam

North Wales Police Neighbourhood Alert have sent out a warning about unpaid parking charge scam.

It says: "Our team has been made aware over recent days of more scam text messages notifying the recipient that they need to pay an unpaid parking charge.  

"The imposed deadline for payment adds an element of urgency and a suggestion that not paying in a timely manner may impact the recipient's credit rating or result in their licence being revoked may result in some recipients worrying or panicking causing them to click on the link in an attempt to resolve the situation. 

"Anyone who clicks on the link will be taken to a malicious fraudulent website that may try to install malware on your device and capture your payment card details.  Be careful about clinking on links within text messages or emails unless you are able to verify their validity. 

"A colleague who received one of these messages was even added into a group of several recipients, and some people within the group were replying to say that they would make the payment.  These messages may even be part of the scam and another social engineering trick to encourage victims to also pay. 

"Please take the time to speak to family and friends who you think may panic or worry if they receive a message like this and pre-warn then that it is a scam. If you get messages like this, report them to your provider by forwarding them to 7726."

Singer Russell Watson was spotted in Llangollen yesterday

* Russell on the rocks in Llangollen with his dog Axel on Sunday.

Singer Russell Watson was spotted in Llangollen yesterday (Sunday).

The star, who made his name through operatic numbers but has now developed into other styles, was pictured standing on the rocks in the dry river bed on a busy holiday afternoon.  

With him was his dog and his post reads: "Sunday vibes with my main man Axel, Couldn't ask for better company."

His Facebook feed shows that just a couple of days earlier the Irlam-born singer was on another river - one which looks like the Rhine or Moselle - aboard a cruise ship.

The Llangollen post had attracted over 100 Likes up to this morning and when shared locally someone suggested that it was a pity they'd missed him as they could have tried to sign him up for the special show being staged by Llangollen Operatic Society and other groups at the Town Hall on October 25 dedicated to their late choreographer Sarah Marshall.    

The star-studded event aims to raise money for two of Sarah's chosen charities, Nightingale House Hospice and Friends of the Earth.

Thailand marathon cyclists interviewed for BBC Wales

* The headline on the BBC Wales online story.

The three Llangollen area lads cycling to Thailand to visit their friend and raise money for heart research have hit the BBC Wales online headlines. 

Dyfan Hughes, 17, James Thomas, 18, and Louis Dennis, 18, had never ridden a bike further than the shop near their homes when they headed out a few weeks go on their 18-month quest to reach their destination in Asia.

They they aim to meet up with their friend Harrison who moved to Thailand six months ago after his dad died from a heart attack.

Speaking to the BBC reporter who called them late last week, James said they were then on day 21 of their adventure and were pedalling through Germany.

He said: "Yesterday I punctured my bike, actually, and none of us have had to fix that before, but we kind of came together and figured it out, and it was great.

"Everything's all right now with the bikes, we haven't had many difficulties with the bikes yet."

He said the three of them went on a four-week course where Drosi Bikes shop in Llangollen taught them "most stuff that'll happen to our bike and how to fix it, which helped a lot".

The trio said they were doing the journey to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and have gained 25,000 followers on Instagram and 87,700 followers on TikTok.

James added: "There's definitely a few countries we can't go through because of wars, because of some of their laws. It took like two or three months of planning.

"We had a time range where we had to leave because we didn't want it to be winter going through Europe.

"We planned it out so that we can get to Kazakhstan for April, because then the weather is not too cold."

In their own daily short film updates earlier last week they recorded reaching Cologne in Germany, staying at one of the Warm Showers B&Bs they're using along the route.

Next big milestone was Koblenz and a ferry across the Rhine river - and also a welcome dip in a local swimming in a bid to ward off the 30 degree heat hitting central Europe right now.  

* To see the lads' story on BBC online, go to: Llangollen teens start year-long cycle to Thailand - BBC News

* To follow their journey on their social media and make a donation if you wish: https://linktr.ee/westheads

Llangollen trail named as one of UK's best pub walks

A trail in Llangollen has been named one of the best pub walks in the UK by one of the world's leading outdoor experts.

* For the full story, see Leaderlive at: Llangollen trail named among the best pub walks in the UK | The Leader

ADVERTISEMENT