MP gives her blessing to Llangollen's Town of Culture bid

* Clwyd East MP Becky Gittins visits the station during her guided tour of Llangollen's cultural assets.

Just days before Llangollen makes the first official move in its bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028, the area's MP has pledged her "strong support" for the move. 

This follows her specially-arranged visit to the town on Monday when Becky Gittins and her team were given a guided tour of Llangollen's many cultural highlights by llanblogger's Phil Robinson, who is playing a key role in promoting the bid.

The afternoon-long tour took in the Pavilion, the railway, the museum, Dory Gallery and the town hall as the parts each of these landmarks plays was explained to the MP in detail by the people in charge, including Town Clerk Gareth Thomas at the town hall.

In her letter of support sent to Llangollen Town Council, which is spearheading the bid, the MP for Clwyd East says:

"Dear Councillors, I am writing to offer my strong support for Llangollen’s bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028. 

"I was delighted to visit Llangollen this week to discuss the bid with you in more detail, and it was clear from those conversations just how much passion, ambition and community backing sits behind this application. 

"There is a real sense of shared purpose and pride in what Llangollen can offer. Llangollen has a unique cultural identity, with a rich heritage and an international reputation that far exceeds its size. 

"From the world-famous International Musical Eisteddfod to its vibrant local arts and community activity, culture is woven into the fabric of the town. 

"What stood out most during my visit, however, was the strength of local involvement – with residents, volunteers and organisations all playing their part in shaping and sustaining that cultural life. 

"This bid is not just about celebrating what already exists, but about building on those strong foundations to create new opportunities, widen participation and ensure that culture is accessible to all parts of the community. I was particularly encouraged by the focus on bringing people together and ensuring that the benefits of this opportunity are felt right across the town. 

"I have every confidence that Llangollen has both the vision and the capability to deliver a successful and impactful programme as UK Town of Culture. I will continue to support the town as this bid progresses." 

With best wishes, Becky Gittins MP

At a packed public meeting in the Town Hall last month it was unanimously decided that Llangollen should go ahead with a bid to win the coveted title and land prize money of up to £3 million.

The Town Council, which is spearheading the process, then approved the submission of an official expression of interest in the competition, which is being run by the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for towns in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

A number of meetings have been held at which representatives of the town's businesses, attractions and residents have assisted in the preparation of the expression of interest, and the last of these will be held this evening (Thursday).

It will be known whether Llangollen has reached the shortlist for the competition before the end of spring. Finalists and the winning town will be announced in early 2027. The delivery year will be 2028.

Hope House supporters raise £20,000 at Llangollen Canal Walk

Hope House Children’s Hospices is celebrating the success of last Sunday's Llangollen Canal Walk where hundreds of supporters came together to raise a massive £20,000. 

The popular 10-mile route saw walkers head out from Trevor Basin over the  Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and along the scenic canal path to The Poachers pub in Chirk, before returning for a well-earned medal. 

This year’s event was sponsored by DMR Plumbing & Heating, whose team also joined the walk.  

Vicky Bradbeer, fundraiser at Hope House Children’s Hospices, said: “This wonderful event always brings our community together, and seeing hundreds of people out enjoying the fresh air while supporting local children has been amazing.  

“We are so grateful to everyone who walked, donated and helped raise such an incredible amount this year which will help local children with life-threatening conditions to live their best life. There’s still more money coming in from donations and sponsorships too so the total will keep rising every day – which is just amazing.  

“Our heartfelt thanks also go to DMR Plumbing & Heating for their sponsorship, and to our event partners Roche, Trederwen Springs and Caffi Wylfa for their invaluable support.”  

Rosie-Jane Quayle from DMR Plumbing & Heating, said: “Supporting a charity like Hope House Children’s Hospices means a great deal to us. We believe in putting people first, and we’re proud to play a part in helping create moments of comfort and support for families that need it most.” 

It costs £10 million a year for Hope House Children’s Hospices to support children and families that need it the most with 80% of the funding coming from the public though fundraising and events like the Llangollen Canal Walk.  

* See how you can get involved in the charity’s future events at www.hopehouse.org.uk/events 

Plea to move parked vehicles holding up work on Youth Centre

* The Youth Centre car park where unauthorised vehicles have held up some of the improvement work.

Denbighshire Youth Service has made a plea for people to move their vehicles from the car park on Llangollen Youth Centre.

The service is currently carrying out external improvement works at the building in Willow Street.

But this morning (Wednesday) they put out an urgent post on their Facebook page to say this is being hampered by unauthorised people using the car park and asking them to move their vehicles.

Under the heading "Important," the post says: "We are undergoing external improvement works at Llangollen Youth Centre (Willow Street, Llangollen LL20 8HH).

"We are currently unable to proceed with some works due to how some cars have been parked in the area and ask that these vehicles are removed as soon as possible please.

"Again, if you could please not park in the Youth Centre car park or in the immediate vicinity that prohibits the work taking place. Thank you."

The service was put out a similar message on social media earlier this month, which said: "The Youth Club car park is private property and not for public use. While we understand it has been used regularly by residents, we now require the space to be clear.

"Work has begun on site, and we require the car park to be clear of vehicles as soon as possible to allow contractors full access.

"Thank you for your understanding and for helping us improve this community space."

Footplate experiences announced for railway's Branch Line Gala

Llangollen and Corwen Railway has announced a limited programme of exclusive footplate experiences as part of its highly anticipated Branch Line Gala, taking place from Friday-Sunday, April 10-12.

They will give visitors a rare opportunity to travel in the cab of a working heritage locomotive, alongside the driver and fireman, offering a unique behind the scenes insight into the operation of steam traction on a traditional rural branch line.

 

Footplate passes will be available on two of the railway’s headline locomotives for the gala weekend, resident pannier tank No. 7754 and heavy freight locomotive No. 3802, with a mixture of full-length and shorter runs operating across the three days.

 

Full-length runs covering extended sections of the line will be priced at £130, with shorter half-length experiences available from £65, allowing enthusiasts and visitors alike to experience the sights, sounds and atmosphere of steam operation from the footplate itself. A special intermediate-length run between Carrog and Llangollen will also be offered on the Sunday.

 

The railway says the experiences form part of its commitment to providing immersive and memorable heritage railway events, giving visitors the chance to connect directly with the skills and traditions that define Britain’s railway history.

* Heavy freight locomotive no. 3802.

 

Iain Ross, Organiser of the Branch Line Gala, said: “Footplate experiences are one of the most exciting and authentic ways to experience a heritage railway. They offer a completely different perspective on the operation of these historic locomotives and allow participants to appreciate the teamwork, concentration and skill required to run a busy branch line service.

 

“With an intensive gala timetable, visiting locomotives and a strong Great Western theme, the 2026 Branch Line Gala is already shaping up to be one of our most ambitious events in recent years. Adding a programme of footplate rides allows us to offer something truly special for enthusiasts and visitors who want to get even closer to the action.”

 

The Branch Line Gala will feature an intensive timetable of steam and diesel services across the full length of the line between Llangollen and Corwen, alongside freight demonstrations, brake van rides, shed tours, live music and a wide range of catering and refreshment options at stations along the route.

 

Footplate experience places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

 

* Further details and advance booking information for Footplate Passes on the Branch Line Gala are available here - https://llan.hops.org.uk/tickets/branchline-gala/footplate2026

Methodist church is collecting Easter eggs for Ukraine

Llangollen Methodist Church is collecting Easter eggs to send off to children living with the conflict in Ukraine.

Teams4U, the Christian charity based in Wrexham, is going to use its network of contacts in the war-torn country to deliver a little bit of joy to the youngsters and Llangollen Methodist Church is collecting eggs to take to the warehouse. 

A spokesperson for the church said: "You can donate by giving eggs - the 90 gram size is preferred for ease of packing - to any member of the church or by dropping them off over the next two weekends.

"Sunday's 11am service is a Palm Sunday service, and at 6pm there is a special Taize service. 

"Good Friday sees an 11am service followed by a Walk of Witness to Centenary Square. Members from all Churches will be joining together for some Easter songs and readings and to give out Hot Cross Buns and mini eggs to passers-by.  All are welcome to join in.

"There will be a celebration of Easter at 11am in the Methodist Church on Sunday April 5 and then, on Easter Monday, the Memorial Hall is open for Easter craft activities and seasonal refreshments. So there are lots of opportunities to donate your Easter Eggs!"

April's events and activities at Pengwern Community Hub

Here are events and activities going on at Pengwern Community Hub during April:

Latest offering from unsung 4x4 hero

Toyota Land Cruiser drive by Steve Rogers

When it comes to off road legends Jeep and Land Rover are first in line. Fair enough, they’ve been around the longest but we need to add another to the roll of honour.

The Land Cruiser is a bit of an unsung hero yet it has quite a history not to mention enough sales to cover the whole of Wales.

It was born all but 75 years ago in August 1951 as the Toyota BJ and quickly made a name for itself by becoming the first vehicle to climb to the 6th station on Mount Fuji. A lofty 7,874ft along the Yoshida Trail, a favourite with trekkers.

The BJ became Land Cruiser three years later and has clocked up 11.3 million sales in 170 countries. Watch anything on the tele from Africa and the Middle East and you are guaranteed to see Land Cruisers churning up the dust.

And so the story goes on with a spanking new model, this one sitting on a new platform that has a body-on-frame set up for the first time aimed at increasing rigidity and improving the ride and handling on and off the road.

As for the new body design it looks as if it has been carved out of granite. It's all sharp edges without a curve in sight. It caused quite a stir at my local recycling centre, loads (all men) wanted a look and said it looked great but no one could put a name to it.

See what I mean about Land Cruiser being an anonymous unsung hero.

At almost five metres long and standing at 1.935m it is an intimidating monster and looks as if it is ready to turn into a Transformers super hero. The running boards and handles on each door frame are needed just to haul yourself into the seats.

Something you don’t have to worry about are potholes, the 20 inch wheels crash through them as if they weren't there yet the ride is still on the jiggly side in spite of the new platform, but then what can we expect from a car that can do amazing things when tackling the most treacherous offroad conditions?

The Land Cruiser uses the same four-cylinder turbo diesel as the Hilux pick up. It is robust but agricultural and someone paying more than £80 grand might expect something a little more refined but we have to accept where the majority of sales come from and drivers on rough tracks in the Middle East are not too fussed with such niceties. They want something that won’t break down.

In spite of its whopping 500Nm of torque this is no flyer even with a new 48v hybrid battery that supplies 12kW of power and is good for an extra 65Nm or torque at start off. Hauling its three tonne body weight means acceleration is ponderous but it can pull three and a half tonne which is probably more important.

All that reflects on the economy which is around average. My best result was 29mpg but most of the time I was hovering between 26-27mpg, thankfully an 80 litre tank ensures more than 400 miles between fills.

I doubt the Land Cruiser will spend much time off road in the hands of UK buyers and that lofty price tag doesn’t sound quite so intimidating when you go through the spec sheet which goes on forever. You are left wanting for nothing whether it is driver and

passenger safety aids or those luxuries like heated and ventilated seats front and back, yet don’t expect Range Rover style luxury. In many ways the car’s cabin is dated, I counted 36 switches, not counting those on the steering wheel, which for me is a joy. You can play them like a piano without the stress of dabbing at a touchscreen, although it has one of those as well.

What I liked about the Land Cruiser is that it doesn’t carry the snob reputation of its posher rivals. Lots will look on this as the king of the castle as far as luxury off roaders go and who can argue with that.

Favourite feature: The ice cold cool box between the front seats.

Fast facts

Land Cruiser Invincible

£82,845

2.8 litre diesel; 204bhp

8 speed automatic

0-62mph 12.3secs; 105mph

26.4mpg combined

282g/km. 1st VED £5,690

Insurance group 49

Boot: 742-2000 litres