Welsh-language Christmas trains return to Llangollen Railway

* Sion Corn is ready to greet the Santa Specials on Llangollen Railway.  

Families are invited to climb aboard a magical festive journey this December as Llangollen Railway once again runs its popular Sion Corn - Tren Arbennig (Santa Special) services. 

Running on a beautifully restored heritage railcar, the trains will travel from Corwen to Llangollen on December 5, 12 and 19, with departures at 10.00am and 12.20pm.

 

Tickets are £12 per person, with each child ticket including a special gift from Sion Corn, who meets each child personally during the journey and spreads festive cheer in the heated comfort of our cosy carriages.

 

Sion Corn is a cherished part of Welsh Christmas folklore. Meaning Chimney John, Sion Corn is the Welsh counterpart to Santa Claus - a friendly, story-telling figure who brings warmth and community spirit to the season. Llangollen Railway’s special trains celebrate this unique Welsh heritage, helping families experience the magic of Christmas in their own language.

 

The service is perfect for group trips, home-educated children, and younger families, as it runs during term time and offers a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere with a strong Welsh flavour.

 

Bookings can be made directly through the Llangollen Railway office by calling 01978 860979 (Mon–Fri, 9.30am–4.30pm) or emailing info@llangollen-railway.co.uk

 

Ian Lebbon, Director of the Llangollen Railway Trust, said: “Marking this Welsh language Christmas tradition is so important to us at Llangollen Railway. The Sion Corn trains bring communities together to celebrate the season in a way that’s uniquely Welsh – full of warmth, community, and pride in our heritage. We’re delighted to offer this magical experience once again and look forward to welcoming everyone aboard.”

 

* For more information, visit www.llangollen-railway.co.uk

Forthcoming community events in Llangollen area

The following events and activities are happening in the Pengwern Community and Llangollen area in November and December:

Details of Llangollen's Remembrance commemorations

* Last year's Remembrance Sunday service in Centenary Square. 

Llangollen Town Council will hold the annual Remembrance Sunday Service on November 9 on Centenary Square. 

As usual the parade will muster on Market Street at 10.30am. The Service of Remembrance will start at 10.55 am at the War Memorial.

At 10.45am on Armistice Day, Tuesday November 11, there will be a short Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial organised by the Llangollen Branch of the Royal British Legion.

Volunteer fair planned for railway this week

 

* To book, go to: DVSC Llangollen Volunteer Fair - Stall Holders Tickets, Sat 8 Nov 2025 at 11:30 | Eventbrite

Fund aims to boost Denbighshire voluntary organisations

Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) has relaunched its Key Fund which aims to increase the sustainability and resilience of third sector organisations across the county.

The initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which supports the government’s five national missions, including empowering local communities, kickstarting economic growth, and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.

Supported by Denbighshire County Council, this year’s Key Fund has seen strong demand, with 99 applications submitted from a diverse range of organisations and community groups across the county.

Following a rigorous assessment process, 45 applicants were successful, securing vital funding to strengthen their operations. In total, DVSC’s 2025 Key Fund has awarded £212,114 in Capital grants and a further £633,906 in Revenue grants.

These grants are designed to help ensure the resilience and long-term sustainability of Denbighshire’s third sector organisations, many of which deliver essential services to local people.

The Key Fund is a central part of DVSC’s wider work under the UKSPF programme, which runs until 31 March 2026. Alongside grant funding, DVSC is delivering a broad package of support including:

• Free training sessions, masterclasses, and workshops
• A GROW support programme to strengthen governance and strategic planning
• An exciting mentoring programme, matching senior professionals from the corporate and public sectors with third sector groups seeking targeted support

Tom Barham, Chief Officer of the Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) said: “We are delighted to relaunch the Key Fund and to see such strong interest from organisations across Denbighshire. The funding and support available through this programme will help strengthen the resilience of our third sector, enabling groups to grow, adapt, and continue providing vital services for our communities.”

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation, said: “It’s fantastic that so many third sector organisations who deliver such vital services to the County can be supported through the relaunch of the Key Fund as well as other services that the DVSC provide. This is a great example of the strong partnership working that exists between the Council and the voluntary sector, through DVSC”.

The Key Fund represents DVSC’s commitment to empowering local organisations, building stronger communities, and ensuring that the third sector in Denbighshire is equipped to thrive in the years ahead.

Plan for flats at the Royal approved by county councillors

* A plan for the creation of eight apartments at The Royal Hotel has been approved.

An application to extend and alter part of the Grade II Listed Royal Hotel to create eight self-contained flats, including parking, was approved by the county planning committee at its meeting this morning (Wednesday).

The scheme, put forward by Mat Jones of Mavi Royal Ltd, retains the frontage of the building onto Bridge Street, and creates a contemporary extension to the rear.

Recommending that it should be granted an officer’s report says: “The proposal has been designed to complement the physical features of the building that justify its listing and contribute to its historic significance.

“The proposals involve the demolition of some historic fabric to facilitate the alterations and extensions, however, these are from the later additions.

“The Heritage Impact Assessment sets out how works have been carefully designed to protect the integrity of the building whilst carrying out necessary works in carefully selected locations.

“It is considered that the proposal has been designed to complement the intrinsic architectural or historic interest of the building as well as its setting within the Conservation Area and in proximity to other important listed/scheduled features such as the Bridge.

“It is proposed that all works to the historic fabric are to be done under watching brief so that any historic fabric can be examined, understood and recorded.

“The extent to which the proposed works would bring substantial community benefits for example, by contributing to the area’s economy or the enhancement of its local environment.”

The Royal closed in 2019 and in 2022 the site was granted planning permission for the renovation of the existing hotel, 15 apartments on the current application site plus spa facilities.

The latest planning submission advised the committee that the original £4.7 million project has escalated to over £6.4 million due to rising construction and energy costs, interest rate increases, and fundamental shifts in the hospitality sector since 2020.

In response, the applicant has revised the scheme — based on market testing, financial modelling, and lender requirements — to ensure it remains “viable, fundable, and deliverable”.

Speaking in support of the application, Mat Jones told the committee that the Royal, which he described as “a large and significant building,”  had fallen into disrepair, adding that the proposed apartments were “not a compromise” and would make the restoration of the hotel viable.

He stressed: “Without it the Royal will fall into further disrepair.”

Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards, who is a member of the planning committee, said: “I agree with what the applicant has said. I welcome the investment and propose that it is granted subject to conditions.”

The plan was approved by members as was an associated application for Listed Building Consent for the scheme.

Mazda6e - good car but shame about its daunting touchscreen

Mazda6e launch drive by Steve Rogers

This is a big moment for Mazda because at last the Japanese company has produced a serious electric car… with a little help from the Chinese.

Mazda gave us the low range electric MX30 as far back as 2021 but since then seems to have been trading water concentrating on super efficient petrol and diesel hybrids while rivals have been churning out electric models like no tomorrow.

If the MX30 is a cute short journey runaround then there can be no doubt the Maz6e is a full blown five door hatchback to get the company’s electric programme up and running in earnest, and we were assured there are more in the pipeline.

But what of the connection to China? Mazda has a long standing partnership with Changan, hardly a familiar name here but a big player with the wherewithal to build electric cars. The 6e bears a striking resemblance to the company’s Deepal SL03 but let’s park that.

Whatever its origins the new model looks for all the world the next generation Mazda6. Like its predecessor it is stunning from nose to tail. The frontal design is spectacular with the traditional grille flanked each side by a fluttering display of daylight running lights. During charging the DRLs light up gradually until the job is done.

Along the side there are pop out door handles, frameless windows and a coupe roofline topped with a retractable spoiler that’s deployed automatically at 56mph.

We were driving Swiss registered left hand drive models as a taster because the car will not reach our shores until next summer. In Europe it is selling for 45,000 euros which on the current exchange rate would drop it below the magic £40k mark but we will have to wait and see.

The rear wheel drive 6e comes with either a 68.8kWh or 80kWh battery which throws up a strange anomaly. The lithium lower powered unit is the more powerful (258bhp) and charges to 80 per cent in 22 minutes while the larger nickel battery (245bhp) takes 47 minutes to reach the same level of charge for a gain of 46 miles.

It is all down to the lithium-ion unit’s ability to take a 165kW charge against 90kW for the nickel unit. The ranges are 299 and 345 miles respectively.

It is inside the car where things get really interesting - Chinese technology meets Japanese craftsmanship. My first thought was the similarity with the Chinese BYD Seal, my car of the year in 2023, huge central touchscreen, no switches.

But the ambience of the interior is classic Mazda mirroring the sumptuous CX-60 and CX-80. It is a lovely, soothing place to be… until you have to take on the touchscreen.

A teenager, young city slicker or anyone who lives with a smartphone glued to their ear will have this sussed in no time. Think of everything you can do with a smartphone then triple it, or even quadruple it!

I had a 10 minute personal tutorial before taking a two hour drive and tried to take in the countless themes and menus but failed miserably. In the end I resorted to voice control to change the radio station, it will do just about anything provided you use the right terminology. The saving grace was the permanent display at the base of the screen for heating controls. Short cut keys can be used to customise the screen and to a limited extent through buttons on the steering wheel. It was all too much for me but I suppose in time I could get the hang of most of it.

The driver display is typically Chinese, a smaller rectangular screen which is overcrowded with bits of information, although the large head up display, which Mazda has championed for years, is excellent.

By the time the car reaches the UK some changes are likely to be made and I hope it involves the ride which is very unlike Mazda. We have become used to sporty yet settled; this car’s ride is too fidgety so some fine tuning is needed to satisfy us Brits.

Like all electric cars performance is brisk but does not light up the acceleration charts.

So what do we think? From the outside a car with an elegant silhouette, a beautifully crafted interior, reasonably roomy with a good sized boot and a useful storage box under the bonnet.

It can take on the Chinese invaders but it will not be an easy ride.

Fast facts

Mazda 6e Takumi Plus

£40-£45,000 (estimate)

Battery: 80kWh; 245bhp

Range: 345 miles

Max charge: 90kW

0-62mph 7.6secs; 109mph

Emissions: zero

Boot: 466-1074 litres

Trunk: 72 litres