Thailand-bound trio stop for video chat with their old school

* The lads enjoy a Serbian family barbecue.

A couple of the Llangollen area lads cycling to Thailand stopped to give an online update to children at their old school as they headed across Serbia last week.

As part of a travelling theme a Ysgol Y Gwerant the pupils took part in a video call with the pair who updated them on their progress and answered some questions about what their mammoth trek has been like so far.

Known collectively as The Westheads, Dyfan Hughes, 17, James Thomas, 18, and Louis Dennis, 18, had never ridden a bike further than the shop near their homes when they set out on their 18-month quest to reach Asia.

Once there they aim to meet up with their friend Harrison who moved to Thailand six months ago after his dad died from a heart attack and to raise money for heart research. 

Day 51 off the journey saw the lads enjoying a barbecue with a local Serbian family before they were back in the saddles and heading for the capital city of Belgrade in the intense heat.

Once in the city there was a shopping trip which saw them purchase a surprise gift for James. It was a smart new pair of trainers to replace the flip-flops he had been wearing since his previous pair gave up the ghost along the way.

Day 56 saw the intrepid trio leaving Belgrade behind, only to run into more bike trouble for a couple of them, which they stopped to have fixed before pushing on.

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

Eisteddfod puts out call for UK-based international talent

* One of the buzzing outside stages at this year's Eisteddfod.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is inviting UK-based international artists to perform at its 2026 festival, which will take place from July 7–12.

Since its founding in 1947, the festival has welcomed thousands of musicians, singers, and dancers from every continent – from a young Luciano Pavarotti to grassroots ensembles bringing the sounds and rhythms of their homelands to the Welsh hills.

Organisers are now issuing a rallying call to international artists living in the UK.

 “Our mission has always been to bring the world to Wales and create a space where cultures connect through music and movement,” said Dave Danford, the Eisteddfod's artistic director. 

“In 2026, we’re particularly keen to showcase the incredible diversity of international artists living and working here in the UK. If you have something unique, fresh, and inspiring to share, we want to hear from you.”

The 2026 Eisteddfod promises a dazzling line-up, with performances across multiple stages. Audiences can expect everything from traditional folk and global dance to contemporary fusion, jazz, and experimental collaborations.

Who Should Apply?

The Eisteddfod is seeking applications from:

• Solo musicians and vocalists
• Choirs and vocal ensembles
• Dance groups of all styles
• Cross-cultural and experimental acts blending traditions

If your art form can move, excite, or inspire, the Eisteddfod wants to hear from you, adds Dave Danford.

How to Apply

Artists can apply by completing the official application form here: https://forms.gle/GN7uvyHtBR3AGef8A

Applications close on October 31 with successful applicants contacted before Christmas.

* For more information about the festival’s rich history and vibrant future, please visit Llangollen.net

Llangollen churches extend invitation to everyone

Llangollen churches have extended a welcome to people to come and join them.

Cytun - Churches Together in Llangollen - says: "All our churches are ready to welcome people from the town, especially newcomers and also visitors, to any of our services or activities, which are many and varied.

"To find out more about ways to be involved in our church community, contact us online."

Contact details are:

* St Collen's (Anglican) www.stcollenschurch.org.uk

* St Tysilio's Church - see website for St Collen's Church

* St John's Church - see website for St Collen's Church 

* Llangollen Methodist Church www.llangollenmethodist.org.uk

* Church of the Holy Cross (Roman Catholic) www.rcdwxm.org.uk/llangollen

* City Church, Brook Street www.citychurchllangollen.org.uk

* Glanrafon Evangelical Church www.llangollenevangelicalchurch.com/

* Seion Chapel (Welsh language) Welsh medium chapel

Update on £6.8m project to improve the River Dee

For World Rivers Day, which takes place today (Sunday), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has given details of the £6.8 million LIFE Dee River project.

From its headwaters in the uplands of Eryri (Snowdonia), the Dee descends via Llyn Tegid, the largest natural lake in Wales. 

After flowing through a broad valley to Corwen, it tumbles eastwards through the spectacular Vale of Llangollen, under the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage Site, before breaching the Welsh foothills near Bangor-on-Dee, and meandering northwards through the Cheshire plain to its tidal limit just below Chester.

The main uses of the Dee are farming, predominantly cattle and sheep grazing; water abstraction for water supply for 2.5m people, tourism including recreational angling, canoeing and navigation; and nature conservation.

The LIFE Dee River project aims to bring many benefits to the environment, most notably improving the numbers of salmon, lamprey and freshwater pearl mussels to help them become more sustainable in future.

So far the project, which is funded by the EU LIFE Programme with support from Welsh Government, has worked with farmers to install 26 miles (42 km) of fencing which has created thriving riverside corridors that have been planted with 20,000 trees.

It has also improved in-river habitat by introducing 3,090 tonnes of boulders and 5,330 tonnes of gravel, and removed or adapted 10 barriers to improve fish migration.

Action taken includes:

• Removing the constraints to fish migration and wider ecological connectivity

• Restoring or improving natural riverine physical processes, features and habitats in at least 55 km of river

• Improving agricultural and forestry land management practices to reduce the input of nutrients and sediment entering the SAC

• Initiating conservation management for the critically-endangered freshwater pearl mussel

• Establishing and building long-term positive relationships with key stakeholders during and beyond the life of the project

Progress to date:

• 15,000 trees planted alongside the river
• 730 metres of natural bank stabilisation
• 4,250 tonnes of gravel introduced into the river
• 36 kilometres of fencing erected to create riverside corridors
• 1,000 tonnes of boulders reintroduced into the river
• 7 barriers removed or adapted to help fish migration

NRW says: "The communities living along the River Dee will be at the heart of the project. We will work closely with local people to ensure they understand the biological, social and economic value of the habitats and species, the river and the SAC in terms of their historic and present-day importance.

"Our hope is that people will feel a greater sense of community ownership and responsibility for the Dee and ensure the project’s legacy continues for years to come. We will be encouraging people to get involved as much as possible by holding over 50 events during the project’s lifetime including river walks and talks, workshops, open days and a schools hatchery programme."

* To find out more about the project, go to: LIFE Dee River 

MS calls on people to support Llangollen Food Festival

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is calling on his constituents across the region to back next month's Llangollen Food Festival.

Mr Rowlands, Chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Tourism,  said: “Everybody knows I am a big supporter of promoting tourism in North Wales and I am always delighted to see the return of this extremely popular food festival which brings thousands of food lovers to the area.

 

“The highly successful Llangollen Food Festival returns to the area on October 11 and 12 with chef demonstrations, tastings and live music on the day.

 

“It is fantastic to see North Wales hosting this again as it is a great opportunity not only to bring communities together but it gives local producers a chance to show their wares to the public and visitors alike.

 

“As chair of the Welsh Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Tourism, I believe they are a great way to promote our towns as tourist destinations on North Wales and encourages more visitors who spend money to help the local economy.”

 

The Llangollen Food Festival, which also offer live music throughout days, is held across several venues in the town over the weekend of October 11 and 12 from 10-5pm and features over 80 stalls.

Venues include:

Gales Wine Bar

Town Hall

Silver Band Rooms

Market Street

Riverside Park

Llangollen Railway

And new for this year… Blas Cookery & Wine School

 

Pavarotti's 1995 Llangollen concert to be released on disc

Three decades after it was recorded one of the most iconic voices in music history returns to captivate audiences with the release by Mercury Studios of "Pavarotti: The Lost Concert – Live at Llangollen 1995" on November 21.

This remarkable and previously unreleased performance by the legendary Luciano Pavarotti, recorded at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 1995, will finally be available to fans on Blu-ray disc. 

Keeping a long-held promise, Luciano Pavarotti returned to Llangollen in 1995 to give a special gala concert at the International Musical Eisteddfod 40 years after winning a singing competition as part of a choir from his hometown of Modena that changed the course of his life in 1955.

This historic concert captures Pavarotti, at the height of his powers, performing with the BBC Philharmonic, soprano Atzuko Kawahara and Corale Rossini, offering a rare glimpse into an unforgettable evening of music, passion, and artistry.

This year marks what would have been the maestro's 90th birthday on October 12 and to honour this milestone, Decca Records is spearheading PAVAROTTI 90, a worldwide tribute celebrating the tenor's unmatched contribution to classical music, his international appeal, and his legacy of bringing opera to the masses.

They will release this concert in full, alongside two never-before heard tracks from 1955 – the earliest known recordings of his voice aged just 19.

Decca will release, on the same day, the audio component of The Lost Concert: Live from Llangollen 1995. The recording has been mastered with the latest technology and comes with a 100-page collector's book filled with essays, photographs, and archive material. 

It also includes two original 1955 recordings of the Corale Rossini, Bonjour mon coeur and In Nomine Jesu, believed to be the earliest surviving audio featuring Pavarotti's voice, as well as a rare interview where he recalls his first visit to Wales.

Speaking about the significance of the event, Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti's widow, who visited this year's Eisteddfod, said: "It was the beginning of everything. Luciano often said that without Llangollen, there would have been no career."

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