Former First Minister Mark Drakeford visits Ysgol Dinas Brân

Former Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford was a guest at Ysgol Dinas Brân last Friday for an inspiring discussion on the importance of the Welsh language.

Sixth Form pupils studying Welsh Second Language A level, along with enthusiastic learners from Years 10 and 11, took part in a Q&A session, asking thoughtful, insightful questions and engaging confidently throughout.

Calum in Year 13 not only organised the event but also led the session with maturity and professionalism, according to a post on the school's Facebook page.

The message from Mr Drakeford, now Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, was clear and powerful: “Use your Welsh."

Mr Drakeford also presented the school with the Cymraeg Campus Bronze Award following the success of the Criw Cymraeg, who helped the school achieve the award this week.

What's on at Pengwern Hub

 

Latest news from Llangollen Museum

As of the middle of January 2026, all of our grants for saving and improving the Museum have ended.

The final work included our fantastic new entrance doors (many thanks to Ben Black for making the doors and to James from Worthy Signs Ltd. in Conwy for the frosted window logos), re-varnished/painted windows and doors (thanks here to Glenn Found) and our new website going live (thanks go to Mark Anderson, Thomas Crane Associates and Claire from the Museum).

January 15th saw the first session of our newly founded Young Archaeologists Club being well attended. Eleven budding young archaeologists came along and thoroughly enjoyed their “Introduction to Archaeology”. 

Sessions will be held at Llangollen Museum from 6-8pm on Thursday evenings and we are still accepting application forms for new members. Please email cdv.yac@gmail.com for more information or if you want to come along. 

You can visit the Clwyd and Dee Valley Young Archaeologist’s Club at https://www.yac-uk.org/clubs/clwyd-and-dee-valley. The next meeting is on 12th February and we will be building a model Iron Age roundhouse. For details of the themes for upcoming meetings please look at our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/share/14TB2VbYbL6/.

Llangollen Museum will be closed from Friday 23rd to Friday 30th January inclusive, for our annual spring clean. We will re-open on Saturday 31st January. When we open, our new item of the month display will show a selection of documents that we recently acquired at an auction. The documents cover a whole range of subjects, from road tolls to council tenancy agreements and works. 

A new display will feature items on loan from Pentre Hall, Bronygarth, together with a history of the Hall. Some items in the new display (e.g. a hazel wood wand) have been displayed before, but there will be many items that have not previously been displayed. Come along to the Museum and see all of these fascinating items.

Our popular talks programme continues, although there will be no talk in January or February. The first talk will be on Sunday 22nd March. Cathy Cox from Tasmania will give a talk entitled "A Different Kind of Valour - Remembering Australian Heroines of the First and Second World War". 

On Wednesday April 29th, Dr Jack Hunter’s presentation will be "Re-Thinking Haunted and Paranormal Objects". Wednesday 27th May will see Andy Harrop-Smith talking about "The Folklore of Birds". On 10th June, we will have Dr Jenny Day examining the poetry of Gutun Owain and other Welsh poets (see below) and on 24th June, Gill Smith will continue looking at churches in North Wales, with a presentation entitled “Hidden Histories and Folklore of North Wales Churches Pt II”.

On 29th July Sam Thomson will give a talk entitled "Everest 1924 - The First Summit?" Talks and dates can be subject to change, so keep an eye on our social media for announcements. All talks start at 7:00pm at the Museum. Tickets are £3 at the door with refreshments provided. Do get the dates in your diaries - we hope to see you there!

On our Facebook page, we are running a series of regular posts on historical excavations at Valle Crucis Abbey. From the earliest clearances by Wynne and Dungannon, to geophysical surveys in 2001, and then excavations at Pandy and Eliseg’s Pillar in 2008 and 2012, the posts will summarise what work was done and what has been found. Go to our Facebook page to discover more details about what the different finds can tell us about the history of the Abbey and its immediate surroundings.

The next exhibition in the Janet Wakefield Gallery at the Museum will be by Grace Hughes, and is entitled 'My Little Welsh Home - Landscape and Nature in North Wales'. Grace is a local artist from Carrog and paints landscapes inspired by the beauty of the local area. The exhibition will run from the end of January until the beginning of March. There is an open evening at the Museum for Grace's exhibition, on Thursday 5th February at 7pm, so do come along.

In March we have Emma Petruzelli's exhibition, showcasing her photographs from Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Sites and entitled "The mysticism of Stonehenge and Avebury". It will run from 2nd to 30th March.

Do keep an eye on our Facebook page for the April and May exhibitions. However, in June and July, we have an exciting blend of art and history, with an exhibition, entitled ‘Poetry and Commemoration at Valle Crucis Abbey’ / ‘Cerdd a Chof yn Abaty Glyn-y-Groes’, created by a research project on the scholar and poet Gutun Owain (gutunowain.cymru). 

Drawing together new artwork and interpretative material, it will portray aspects of medieval art and culture from the Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis. As well as the magnificent and distinctive burial monuments surviving at the abbey, the exhibition will present the literature produced or performed there, including chronicles, genealogies and a variety of elegies and praise poems. 

The poetry, composed by Gutun Owain and others, provides particularly evocative impressions of life at the abbey, from the generous feasts the poets enjoyed, to their appreciation of the heavenly voices of the choir in the abbey church.

The ‘Gutun Owain and the scholarly culture of north-east Wales in the later Middle Ages’ research project is funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and is being carried out by a team of researchers, Dr Jenny Day, Dr Gruffudd Antur and Dr Martin Crampin, at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth, and in partnership with CADW and the National Eisteddfod. 

The exhibition is being developed in collaboration with Llangollen Museum and complements our existing displays on Valle Crucis and CADW’s own interpretative materials for the abbey ruins, which are in their care.

For all of the latest information about what is happening at the Museum, do keep an eye on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/Llangollen-Museum-100057657969751/.

Finally, as with many voluntary organisations, we desperately need more volunteers, especially to cover the weekends. If you want to be more involved with the history of the area, and become a volunteer at the Museum, please contact our manager Gill Smith at gilliansmith2@hotmail.co.uk or on 07516 023524.

Train ticket allows half-term visitors to sample Dee Valley delights

* A train leaves picturesque Berwyn station for Llangollen.

Llangollen and Corwen Railway has announced the launch of the Berwyn Explorer during February half term that invites visitors to discover some of the Dee Valley’s most scenic walks and landmarks by train, starting from Llangollen Railway Station.

The Berwyn Explorer will operate five return services from Llangollen on Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Wednesday 18 and Saturday 21 February, offering families, walkers and visitors the chance to combine affordable heritage rail travel with fresh air, exploration, and adventure during the school holidays.

Berwyn Railway Station is also said to be one of the most romantic places to celebrate Valentine’s Day, with the period tea rooms a beautiful setting for a romantic afternoon.

Designed to offer flexibility and freedom, the Berwyn Explorer is ideal for those who prefer a gentle ramble, a scenic pause by the river, or a leisurely pint by the Chain Bridge. 

It is particularly suited to families with younger children, walkers, history lovers and visitors looking for a shorter yet deeply satisfying taste of heritage railway travel. The service will be operated by one of the railway’s treasured vintage diesel railcar’s, which offer a nostalgic, comfy and warm travelling experience. The railcars also have excellent views from their large windows, including at the end of the carriages, where it is possible to see the driver at work.

The initiative encourages visitors to travel by rail and step straight into the landscape, providing easy access to a network of countryside walks, riverside paths and iconic local attractions, including the world-famous Chain Bridge, Llangollen Canal, Horseshoe Falls and Llantysilio Church, with its famous display of snowdrops, which will be in bloom when the services run. 

By combining a train journey with the great outdoors, the Berwyn Explorer offers a relaxed and sustainable way to experience this beautiful part of North Wales. Berwyn Station is restored to its mid-1920s Great Western Railway appearance, with heating provided by roaring coal fires in the waiting room and tea room.

Adding to the appeal, Berwyn Railway Station was ranked as the most beautiful railway station in the UK in 2025, recognition that reflects both its historic character and its exceptional setting within the Dee Valley landscape. The railway also offers the idyllic Berwyn Stationmaster’s house as a holiday let. More details can be found at: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1349885700423975837

The railway says tickets are deliberately priced to be accessible and family friendly, making the Berwyn Explorer the perfect affordable half-term day out.

Ticket Prices:

Adults (16+): £10.00

Children (3–15): £5.00

Infants (under 3): Free

Dogs: £3

Kayaks: £3

The ticket allows passengers to travel on any of the day’s 5 services, providing a self-paced experience with the freedom to return from Berwyn on a later train of their choosing.

What’s Included:

 

•         Return travel between Llangollen and Berwyn.

•         Freedom to explore local footpaths, landmarks and scenery at your own pace.

•         Easy access to nearby attractions including the Chain Bridge, Horseshoe Falls, Llangollen Canal and Llantysilio Church.

•         A perfect short break for walkers, sightseers and families.

•         The opportunity to enjoy refreshments in the railway’s period tearoom or at the Chainbridge Hotel across the river.

Berwyn Station is ideally placed for walkers of all abilities, with routes ranging from gentle and level river and canal-side strolls to more challenging countryside walks, making it a natural gateway to the Dee Valley and the famous Dee Valley Way path.

Peter Dickinson, Station Master at Berwyn Railway Station, said: “The Berwyn Explorer is about opening up the landscape around us and making it easy for people to enjoy it, especially during the school holidays. Berwyn Station is a fantastic starting point for some truly special walks, including routes to the Horseshoe Falls, and travelling by train adds to the sense of adventure. Being recognised as the most beautiful station in the UK only reinforces what a special place this. Our beautifully restored station is an attraction in itself; from its open coal fire to its wonderful little tearoom, which will be open on Berwyn Explorer days.”

The initiative forms part of the railway’s wider ambition to encourage visitors to explore beyond the railway’s destination towns, supporting rural communities and promoting sustainable travel and outdoor wellbeing.

Looking ahead, the Berwyn Explorer also represents an important step towards the railway’s longer-term plans to introduce a sustainable shuttle connection between Berwyn Station and Horseshoe Falls from 2028, helping to reduce car dependency while improving access to some of the Dee Valley’s most popular attractions.

The launch of the Berwyn Explorer comes as the railway prepares for one of its flagship events, their annual Branch Line Gala, taking place from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 April 2026. The three-day gala will feature intensive steam and diesel services, visiting locomotives, brake van rides, shed tours and family-friendly attractions across the line.

* Full details of the Berwyn Explorer are available at: www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/berwyn-explorer

* Full details of the Branch Line Gala are available at: https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/branchline-gala/

Another vehicle heads out to Ukraine with love from Llangollen

Members of a Llangollen church have sent out another vehicle to the Ukrainian battle zone.

Just weeks after a team including their Minister returned from the war-torn country after handing over a Honda CR-V for ferrying battle-weary troops to and from the front line, the congregation at City Church in Penllyn have supplied a Nissan X-Trail 4x4 which will be used for carrying medics to fighting hot-spots. 

The £1,500 cost of buying the Nissan and fitting it with winter tyres comes from the £5,000 pot raised by the church to support Ukraine's war to expel the invading Russians from their country.

Danny Fairbourn, who sourced both vehicles for City Church, said: "It's currently -20C in Ukraine so the tyres are very necessary. 

"The 2000-mile drive out there began yesterday (Sunday) with a volunteer named Kyle from Middlesborough at the wheel.

"He be filling up with aid in Luton, then crossing the Channel from Dover. From there he'll be heading for lviv then on to Dnipro." 

Danny, from Llangollen, personally paid for around 20 trips to Ukraine, mainly arranging the purchase, conversion and delivery of frontline ambulances and other vital vehicles to the army.

Through the Mission Ukraine organisation, he has since assembled the crucial components for more than 30 further trips, including those financed by City Church.   

The previous vehicle sent to Ukraine with love from Llangollen just before Christmas was taken out by Pastor Brian Smith, along with experienced Ukraine travellers Paata Samsonidze, the husband of Anna, the lady who runs the Oak Street cafe named after her, and Mark Birkhill from Corwen, an old hand at ferrying supplies to the battle area.

THURSDAY UPDATE ...

The Nissan X-Trail with Kyle at the wheel has now arrived safely in Ukraine.

* The next major local effort for Ukraine will be a fundraiser in St Collen's Community Hall at 6.30pm on February 6. 

Latest local roadworks alerts from county council

Latest local roadworks notified by Denbighshire County Council are: 

A542 ABBEY ROAD, 13/04/2026 - 30/04/2026, Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC HIGHWAYS, Confoi 10 mya/10 mph Convoy

A542 OUTSIDE NUMBER 9 CASTLE STREET, 01/02/2026, Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST (DCC)

LLANGOLLEN PAVILION CAR PARK ENTRANCE - ADJ NO. 9 ABBEY ROAD, 28/02/2026 - 20/03/2026, Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST UTILITIES, Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A542 Carriageway HORSESHOE PASS, 24/03/2026 - 02/04/2026, Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC HIGHWAYS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

A542 ON JUNC WITH TRACK FROM BRYN DETHOL ROAD TO TY UCHA BRYN DETHOL ROAD FROM A5 TO MAESMAWR ROAD, 09/02/2026 - 11/02/2026, Gwaith Dwr / Water Works SEVERN TRENT WATER (DCC), Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

OAK STREET, 22/02/2026 and 01/03/2026, Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC HIGHWAYS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

AT JUNCTION OF BROOK STREET, PENGWERN, 24/02/2026 - 30/04/2026, Gwaith Teithio Llesol / Active Travel Works PRONIN LIMITED

Latest Denbighshire Citizens Advice column

Q: I'm worried about losing power due to stormy weather. I keep imagining being stuck in the cold, struggling to feed the kids, with no way of contacting people. What should I do if this happens, and is there anything I can do to prepare?

A: Power cuts can be unexpected and worrying, especially if your power doesn’t come back on quickly. So it’s good to know who to report an outage to and what you can do to prepare.

If you lose electricity due to stormy weather, or another unexpected cause, your electricity  network operator is responsible for fixing it. They provide the wires to your home, and they’re different from your electricity supplier, which is the company that sends your bills. To report an outage, call 105 - a free line that puts you through to your electricity network operator.  

In most cases, it’s your electricity that will go off in a storm, but it can seem like your gas is disrupted because you usually need electricity to start up a gas boiler. Gas pipes tend to be underground, safe from storm damage, unlike pylons and overhead cables. That said, if you smell gas or your carbon monoxide detector is beeping, turn off the boiler, go outside, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. 

If you’re on a heat network, also known as district heating, your supplier should contact you or your landlord about an outage. Citizens Advice can provide specialist heat network advice if you’re without power and haven’t heard from anyone.

You might be entitled to compensation if a power cut isn’t fixed within 24 hours, so check the charity’s website to see how much you could get. It’s also worth noting that some power cuts are planned, and you should be told in advance if there’s going to be one in your area.

After an unexpected outage, your power might not come back on straight away. So, here’s a checklist of things you can do to prepare for the worst:

• Check you’ll be able to keep warm. There’s a high chance you won’t have any central heating without power, so make sure you have access to blankets and extra layers. If you’d feel safer, you might want to plan to stay with friends or family, or check if your local council has any public places you could use to stay warm.
• Check you’ll have a way to contact people. It’s important to stay in touch with people during a power cut, if you can. Charge all devices like mobile phones and tablets using battery power banks, and if you don’t have anything like this, write down important phone numbers and keep them safe - an analogue phone line might still work during a power cut.
• Have food at home which you can easily eat. Ideally, stock food with a long use-by date, like tinned fish, beans and soups. If you’re not able to boil water to make baby formula, you should use pre-mixed formula. 
• Check if you can sign up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). This can give you extra support during a power cut, like regular updates and a special number to ring if you need extra support. You might be able to sign up if you’re disabled, pregnant or have young children. See the full list of eligibility criteria and how to sign up on the PSR website.

* For more information and advice about power cuts, visit the Citizens Advice website.