Mark's shoestring garden reaps awards hat-trick

* Award-winning gardener Mark Jones. Picture by Mandy Jones 

A gardener has scooped a hat-trick of awards after transforming his once-neglected courtyard into a stunning Italian-inspired haven – on a shoestring budget.

Mark Jones, 42, who works as deputy head gardener at the Pendine Park care organisation, spent six years creating the Mediterranean-style retreat at his Pontcysyllte home, using reclaimed materials, bargain finds and even free plants.

The dad-of-one, helped throughout by his daughter Lilly, 11, was crowned the overall winner of the Llangollen Rural Communities Best Kept Garden Awards, also taking home titles for Best Containers and Best Courtyard Garden.

* The Mediterranean-style garden which landed him the awards. 

Mark, who joined Pendine Park four years ago after working in factories, says turning his lifelong passion into a career has been a “dream come true”.

He now oversees a team caring for the outdoor spaces across Pendine Park’s nine care homes and is studying for an NVQ to further his skills.

Mark said: “To make gardening my career is amazing. I love being creative and can picture how I want something to look and can find a way to make it happen.

“I didn’t see how I could make it my job and ended up working in various factory roles, but I built up my skills and knowledge which improved my confidence and I started looking for gardening work and I have never looked back. I am very lucky to do my hobby for a job.

“Being outdoors makes me happy and it is what I have always loved doing. Growing up I remember my dad didn’t enjoy gardening but I was always digging around in soil and my love for gardening work grew from there.

“Working at Pendine is very rewarding, especially when you see residents enjoying the outdoor spaces we have created.

* Mark's award certificates from Llangollen Rural Community Council.

“Being outdoors in nice surroundings is one of the best things for your mental health and I feel very proud to be responsible for keeping their outdoor spaces nice and tidy.”

Mark’s wife Naomi entered him into the competition for the garden he describes as his “pride and joy”.

He said: “ I was completely shocked to win. I didn’t even know my wife had entered the competition for me so I really wasn’t expecting it. I was absolutely lost for words when they said my name.”

Mark’s inspiration for his Tuscan style garden came trips to visit family in Italy which led to hours and hours of web-based research to make his vision a reality.

The six-year labour of love saw Mark trawl the internet on the hunt for bargains and free items.

He said: “It should have cost thousands to do but I have managed to get it all done for just a few pounds except the shed and the table and chairs. The plants are all from cuttings so they have all been free.

“My daughter Lilly has been a huge help. She was only little when I bought the house so she has learned so much with me doing various jobs. Now she helps out with things like pruning and cutting and she loves it as much as I do.

Sarah Edwards, Pendine’s artist-in-residence, said: “Mark is a wonderful gardener and we are all so proud of him for winning these awards.

“He is a very humble man so it is lovely he has got this recognition for his talents. We are so fortunate to have Mark and our team of gardeners on board here at Pendine. Their work makes a huge difference to our wellbeing and helps to enrich the lives of our residents through having access to green spaces and nature.

“The outdoor spaces in our care homes mean so much to residents, family and staff, and they bring a lot of joy for us all. All of the homes are surrounded by gorgeous gardens which is a big part of what we do to improve the quality of life for our residents and staff alike.

“As well as ensuring the arts are part of everyday life, creating a beautiful environment is a golden thread that runs through everything we do at Pendine.”

Stage groups come up with something marvellous for Sarah

* A lively Abba routine was the fitting end to a marvellous night of entertainment.

Many of the people she helped put on a show came together to celebrate the life and talent of Sarah Marshall in fine style at the Town Hall last night (Saturday).

Performers from Llangollen Operatic Society, their junior section the Young 'Uns and Llangollen Pantomime Group, ably assisted by the Julie Thomas dancers, presented a lavish programme of entertainment marking how well Sarah choreographed a cavalcade of their productions in the years before her untimely death exactly 12 months ago.

And the resulting concert, "Something for Sarah" was rewarded with a full-house audience who lapped up every minute of the the programme of song and dance, which included brief tastes of their previous musicals and pantos plus a fun quiz and a prize raffle which brought the house down.

Providing the first-rate musical accompaniment was the Elen Mair Roberts band. 

The night also raised funds for two of the charities closest to Sarah's heart - Nightingale House Hospice, whose care she received in her final days, and Friends of the Earth.  

As one of the evening's comperes Chrissie Ashworth said: "Sarah worked tirelessly, weaving her magic into everything she did, the results of which were bright, inspired and managed to make the least confident look confident and polished, such was her talent."

The show was stylishly produced by Tracey Kempster-Jones. 

* The opening numbers from the Operatic ladies.

* The show was in memory of Sarah Marshall.

* More Operatic Society magic.

*An all-action zumba sequence from Julie's Thomas's group.

* Recreated scenes from the Young 'Uns smash-hit version of Oliver (above and below).

 

* Part of compere Robin Crowley's nautical presentation.  

* In the Navy with a Village People routine from the Operatic and the Panto Group.

* Echoes of a past panto, Old King Cole.

* Compere Chrissie Ashworth.

* Nightingale House trustee Chris Burgoyne explains the work of the hospice.

* More from the Operatic ladies.

* Julie Thomas, up on stage, teaches some line dance steps to willing audience members.

* Masterminding the stand-up quiz from the stage.

Why did A5 temporary lights stay long after work ended?

* The traffic build-up on Regent Street on Friday afternoon.

Llangollen people are asking why they have had to put up with traffic congestion caused by roadworks with no work taking place.

Gas works at the junction of Regent Street, Hill Street and Chapel Street began on October 6  - except they didn't as, despite barriers being erected and lights being switched on, no ground appeared to have been broken on the blocked-off pavement or carriageway until a few days later.

Three trenches were eventually dug in the road. But these were filled in and the road surface restored by last Thursday.

Although the works were due to continue until Saturday, there was a hope that they might be removed on Friday, before the usual weekend traffic build-up began.

But they remained firmly in place causing queues backing up well past Birch Hill by mid-afternoon. And it was virtually the same story in the opposite direction.

* Unnecessary congestion on Regent Street on Friday.

It is understood that the lights will now be removed later today (Saturday), with the usual lights at the Castle Street junction being restored.

People are now asking why this situation was allowed to occur on a key trunk route with all its attendant pollution and frustration for local drivers and through-traffic alike.

Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards described the situation as "unacceptable" and said she was raising the matter with Denbighshire officers.

* A perfectly clear road the other side of the traffic lights as queues formed at either end.

Denbighshire appoints new chief executive

* New chief executive Helen White

Denbighshire County Council has today (Friday, 24 October) announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive.

Helen White, who joins Denbighshire from Taff Housing Association, has been appointed to the role.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council said: “This is an excellent appointment for Denbighshire and I would like to congratulate and welcome Helen to this new role on behalf of our staff, elected members and residents throughout the county.

“The selection process has been very rigorous and we had a number of strong contenders in the running who all performed to an extremely high standard.

“As a top performing council in Wales which was praised as ‘well-run’ in its Panel Performance Assessment at the end of 2024, Denbighshire has a strong senior team in place and we are now looking forward to working with our.new Chief Executive to.lead this.team and to continue that success into the.future."

A Welsh speaker who was raised in Henllan, Helen has been Chief Executive Officer with Taff Housing since 2019.  Having started her career in housing and community development, Helen has over 20 years’ experience working across the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Following her appointment, Helen said, "I'm honoured to be taking on the role of Chief Executive. I know it is a challenging time for so many in our communities, I am looking forward to working alongside dedicated colleagues to help make a positive impact in the county I was born and raised in.

"I want to thank the Leader of the Council and all of the other Elected Members for putting their faith in me as a new Chief Executive."

Tom Grennan heads for Live at Llangollen show next summer

* Tom Grennan will appear at Llangollen Pavilion on Sunday July 5.

Multi-platinum-selling artist Tom Grennan will bring his electrifying live show to Llangollen next summer as part of a run of headline dates. 

The chart-topping BRIT and Ivor Novello-nominated star will head to TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Sunday July 5.

 

Friends of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod can access pre-sale tickets from 10 am on Tuesday October 28 via llangollen.net and tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday October 31. 

Today's announcement follows a period of immense success for Tom Grennan who celebrated landing his third consecutive UK No. 1 album in August with the release of Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn't Want To Be. His unstoppable ascent has seen him sell more than 120,000 tickets in the last 12 months including his recent sold-out Grennan '25 arena tour.

Grennan burst onto the music scene in 2016 as the guest vocalist on the Chase & Status track All Goes Wrong, before stepping into the spotlight with his gold-certified debut album Lighting Matches, in 2018. Since then, he’s delivered a string of fan favourites, including Little Bit of Love, By Your Side, Lionheart, Found What I’ve Been Looking For, Let’s Go Home Together (with Ella Henderson), and How Does It Feel.

His breakthrough came in 2021 with Evering Road — a UK Number One album packed with platinum hits and Top 10 singles – which he followed up with 2023’s chart-topping What Ifs & Maybes.

With more than 1.5 million album sales, 2.5 billion streams, an MTV Award for Best UK Act, and a sold-out 25,000-capacity headline show at Gunnersbury Park, Grennan’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. Last year, his festive single It Can’t Be Christmas became a seasonal hit, reaching Number 3 in the UK charts.

 

Tom Grennan joins Billy Ocean, Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics and David Gray among the first headline announcements for TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion 2026, which is presented as part of an ongoing partnership with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor.

 

Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Dave Danford said: “Our line-up for next summer just keeps getting better and better! We’re so excited to welcome Tom Grennan to the iconic Llangollen Pavilion as part of his tour. There’s nowhere quite like Llangollen surrounded by mountains, music, and magic - this is going to be an unforgettable night! Tickets will fly for this one!”

 

* For more information go to llangollen.net 

 

 

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Twenty Club ready to go over the top with Blackadder

* A scene in the dugout from Blackadder Goes Forth. All pictures by Helen Belton assisted by AI.

Llangollen Twenty Club's are getting ready to go over the top with their production of Blackadder Goes Forth.

Spanning World War 1 and life in the trenches, the play to be staged at Llangollen Town Hall from Wednesday - Saturday November 12/15 with a matinee, incudes episodes encapsulating the valiant efforts Blackadder makes to get himself away from the front line and out of danger.

His dry wit and cynical outlook on the various situations he finds himself in are to be brought ably to life by an enthusiastic and talented cast.

With the stark reality of what WW1 was all about, the final episode is set to be a real tear jerker.

A spokesperson for the production said: "We've been fortunate enough to source a company that deals with authentic WW1 costumes, so we're very excited about that."

* Tickets are available at: www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollentwentyclub

* General Melchett.

* Captain Darling.

                                                 * Lord Flashheart.

Hospice fundraisers to sell Christmas cards outside Town Hall

* A previous year's Christmas card sale by the local Nightingale House group.

The Llangollen Nightingale House Fundraising Group will be outside the Town Hall on Tuesday October 28, from 10am until 1pm, with a large selection of Christmas cards. 

Said an organiser: "Please come and have a browse."