Young Denbighshire musicians invited to bid for £2,000 prize

 

* Pianist Rufus Edwards, winner of the 2025 Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition. 

Young musicians from Denbighshire are being urged to bid for a £2,000 prize at a top festival.

Royal composer Paul Mealor is backing the prestigious Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition and telling talented youngsters not to miss out on a “glorious opportunity”.

The competition returns for a third time at the North Wales International Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral.

The winner will receive a £2,000 cash prize, a silver trophy and a shot at performing on a world-class stage. There is a second prize of £1,000 and the two runners up will each receive £500.

Prof Mealor, the festival’s Artistic Director, said the contest offers a rare platform for under-21s to perform, gain expert feedback and be broadcast live on BBC Radio Cymru.

It’s been made possible by support from the owners of the Pendine Park care organisation, Mario Kreft MBE and his wife Gill, via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which they set up to support community and arts activities.

As part of their 40^th anniversary celebrations, Pendine has also announced they will continue to back the competition for the next five years.

Prof Mealor said: "The Pendine Young Musician of Wales is a unique opportunity for young musicians born or living in Wales to showcase their talents at the North Wales International Music Festival and perform in one of the greatest acoustics in Wales, St Asaph Cathedral and at Tŷ Pawb in Wrexham.

"The competition is open to all musicians who were born or who are living in Wales or who are Welsh nationals studying abroad.

"We are a fully inclusive competition and positively welcome applications from musicians with apparent and non-apparent disabilities."

Mario Kreft MBE of the Pendine Arts and Community Trust said: "The past two competitions have been truly memorable and we are delighted to be part of this exciting competition.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for a young musician to perform in the cathedral at St Asaph. It has a fantastic atmosphere and the most wonderful acoustics.

“The knowledgeable and appreciative audience who enjoy the concerts at the North Wales International Music Festival will simply add to the occasion and I am looking forward to the Grand Final very much indeed.

“Supporting this wonderful competition chimes perfectly with our ethos at Pendine where intergenerational activities and the arts provide a golden thread running through daily life at all our care homes.”

According to Prof Mealor, entries for the competition are now open and the closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday July 31, 2026.

"All musicians must be under the age of 21 on January 1, 2026 to be eligible to compete but there is no minimum age for entry," he said.

He said the idea for the competition came from young performers who have taken part in festival concerts in recent years.

"They realised there was no competition like it and little opportunity for them to perform individually in the cathedral which has the best acoustics for a solo performer.

"I suggested the competition and spoke with Mario Kreft and he loved the idea and came straight onboard. The competition has been staged during the past two festivals and produced some wonderful performances and very worthy winners.

"The first winner was harpist Heledd Wynn Newton from Cardiff who returned last year to perform at the festival. The 2025 winner was pianist Rufus Edwards from Bersham and he has a very bright future ahead of him," he said.

The competition this year will be staged in two sections with entrants asked to submit a video or audio clip of their performance for consideration by the judges.

"The performance can be no longer than five minutes in duration. It may be a performance of a single piece or a movement of a larger work or a short programme of no more than 5 minutes in duration.

“The judges will select four performers and invite them to participate in the live Grand Finale on Wednesday, September 16," Prof Mealor added.

Paul Mealor, who was born in St Asaph and raised in Connah's Quay, took over as Artistic Director of the North Wales International Music Festival from the acclaimed mezzo soprano, Ann Atkinson, in 2024.

He first came to prominence in 2011 when one of his compositions, Ubi Caritas, featured at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

His compositions featured in three of the four national services of thanksgiving for the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

The following year he was commissioned to create a brand new piece for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The work, "Coronation Kyrie" was sung by Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel – the first time that the Welsh language was sung at a Coronation. He was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 2024 New Year Honours.

William Mathias, who was Professor of Music at Bangor University, founded the festival at St Asaph Cathedral in 1972 and directed it until his death, aged 57, in 1992. 

As a student Paul Mealor studied with William Mathias and cites him as being the person who inspired his career in music and particularly his love of large scale choral compositions.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition is asked to upload a video or audio clip of a five- minute performance – along with their application form and proof of age document – via the Festival’s website at https://nwimf.com.

* The North Wales International Music Festival 2026 will be held from September 10-19 at St Asaph Cathedral. Tickets go on sale from Wednesday, June 24.

I'm surprisingly underwhelmed by new Mazda CX-5

Mazda CX-5 launch drive by Steve Rogers

It’s a brave move to launch a new model these days with neither self-charging nor plug-in hybrid options but you can rely on Mazda to do their own thing.

The company has been rebelling for decades whether with rotary power or, more recently, big petrol and diesel engines when all around were downsizing and dumping diesel.

It is content to stick with the combustion engine and has dropped a 2.5 litre petrol into the new CX-5 replacing the more powerful 2-litre. So what’s going on?

I could be flippant and say answers on a postcard but better to let Mazda’s UK boss Jeremy Thomson explain.

In a nutshell Thomson says the company still has faith in the combustion engine and ‘remains committed to giving customers real choices’.

Mazda has been lagging behind the pack on electric models and seems to be adopting a ‘what’s the rush’ approach yet the next two models will be the electric Mazda 6e, which has just won the world design award, and at the end of the year the CX-6e SUV.

We are now into the third generation of CX-5 since its launch in 2012 and it has consistently been the company’s best selling car not just in the UK but around the world which goes a long way to explaining why Mazda has resisted making too many changes to its biggest success story.

There is some minor reshaping with the main concentration on making it bigger - 115mm longer, 30mm taller, 15mm wider and with 61 litres more luggage space than the old model, and smartphone style connectivity using Google.

So a big step forward then? Not so sure about that, more a sideways move from what I can see. It is cheaper than the outgoing model, which is good, but has lost some key features that gave it the edge over a shedful of rivals.

It is no surprise Mazda has adopted the Chinese minimalist approach to cabin design, we have seen it in the upcoming electric Mazda6e, so those neatly laid out switches for heating and other everyday features have gone replaced by a much larger touchscreen, 12.9in or 15.6in on the top Homura model.

This becomes the command centre so we are lamenting the loss of the rotary controller that allowed drivers to pay attention to the road rather than dabbing at a touchscreen. There are quick keys ranged across the base but that is no substitute for what was an excellent, safe set up.

Equally disappointing, not to mention surprising is what has happened in the cabin. At first glance it looks luxurious with quality coverings along the dashboard but what’s happened to the soft touch padding? Everything is bone hard while the door cappings are now cheaper looking plastic. Someone trading up to the new model could fairly say Mazda has dialled back on quality.

The move to a larger mild hybrid 2.5 litre engine goes against the grain when the majority are downsizing with turbo charged petrol self charging and plug-in hybrids.

This is a mild hybrid with a 24V starter generator and cylinder deactivation to help economy but loses 24bhp to the 2-litre and doesn't gain any performance apart from a little extra mid range torque. Without a self charging hybrid option exhaust emissions are fairly high and economy is some way off self-charging or plug-in hybrid rivals. Acceleration through a six-speed automatic gearbox is adequate rather than sparkling, and the engine becomes harsh as it pushes up the rev range. You notice it more because they have done a good job suppressing road and wind noise.

Mazda showed with CX-5 that SUVs don’t have to be dull and came about as close as you can get to hatchback dynamics. This time round the suspension has been softened a touch to make it more comfortable and if it has lost a little of its sporting edge it is still better than most demonstrating agility on miles of demanding Scottish roads. This is still a rewarding car to drive with or without all wheel drive.

CX-5 is a desirable SUV but I came away surprisingly underwhelmed. I prefer switches for everyday controls and these have gone, even the volume control knob. The rotary controller is history, quality has dipped and the single engine option has not moved the car forward in performance or economy yet its handsome body, spacious cabin, huge boot and competitive price still make it a strong contender for larger families.

Fast facts

CX-5 5-dr SUV

£31,550-£40,950

Range: Pure, Centre, Exclusive, Homura

2.5 litre petrol mild hybrid; 139bhp

0-62mph 10.5secs; 116mph

40.4mpg combined

159g/km. 1st VED £1,465

Boot: 583-2019 litres

Towing: 2,000kg

Local MP makes post-election statement

Clwyd East Labour MP Becky Gittins has just posted a statement on her Facebook page about the results of last week's Senedd elections, shown below, congratulating the winners and commiserating with the losers. However, in it she makes no mention of the current controversy surrounding the future of Orime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. 

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are: 

BEECHLANDS, FRON BACHE,  15/06/2026 - 17/06/2026, Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure.

Carriageway, COED AFON, 22/06/2026 - 26/06/2026, Clytio/ Patching (DCC), Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

JUNCTION OF CASTLE STREET, 18/05/2026 - 22/05/2026, Gwaith BT/ BT Works RNR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

A539, APPROX 108M FROM YEW TREE COTTAGE, TYN DWR ROAD, LLANGOLLEN, 15/06/2026, Adnewyddu Polyn / Renew Pole GT WILLIAMS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Carriageway, A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD, until 15/05/2026, Clytio/ Patching DCC HIGHWAYS, Confoi 10 mya/10 mph Convoy

A539, 67M EAST TO BRYNIAU BACH GERAINT, 19/05/2026 - 20/05/2026, Adnewyddu Polyn / Renew Pole GT WILLIAMS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

JUNCTION REGENT STREET, HILLSTREET, 15/05/2026 - 22/05/2026, Gwaith BT/ BT Works RNR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Wharf Hill / Castle Street/ Mill Street, 24/06/2026 - 12/07/2026, Goleuadau traffig i reoli traffig yr Eisteddfod / Traffic signals to manage Eisteddfod traffic

UTSIDE LYNWOOD ON PENYCOED ROAD, 27/05/2026 - 28/05/2026, Adnewyddu Polyn / Renew Pole GT WILLIAMS, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Full extent TOWER ROAD, 24/06/2026 - 12/07/2026, System Unffordd ar gyfer Eisteddfod Gerddorol Ryngwladol Llangollen / One-way System to support Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Un Ffordd/ One Way

OUTSIDE SOAR COTTAGE, SUN BANK until 13/05/2026, Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY, Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Westheads run into more problems on their way to Thailand

* The Westheads with students at the school in Uzbekistan where they were invited to talk about their trip. 

There has been another big problem for the three Llangollen area lads cycling to Thailand to raise money for heart research.

After recovering from a nasty bout of food poisoning, the trio climbed back in the saddle to continue their long trip towards China.

But as they tried to cross the border from Tajikistan into Uzbekistan they were told that their e-visas hadn't come through meaning they wouldn't be allowed into the country.

They decided there was nothing for it but to cycle and hitchhike their ay back to the other side of Tajikistan, to the point where they had originally entered days before, and get into Uzbekistan that way.

On their daily video diaries they described the experience as a "nightmare" but battled on anyhow.

It was during this re-routing exercise that they had one of their best experiences so far - being invited to go along to a school in one of the towns they went through and speak to the students about their odyssey. After addressing the class they were invited for a meal and to join in a five-a-side football match.

They are currently making their way along a new route to China which means first tackling a gruelling ride from Tashkent to Kashgar through another country - this time Kyrgyzstan, the fourth most mountainous country in the world and 250 kms of pure climbing. 

Dyfan Hughes, 18, from Llangollen, Louis Dennis, 19, from Garth, and James Thomas,19, from Wrexham - known as the Westheads - are making their 1,000 journey in aid of the British Heart Foundation in memory of Tony Edge, the father of their friend Harrison who died following a heart attack in 2024.

So far they've raised more than £27,000 of their £50,000 charity target since leaving Llangollen last year.

* llanblogger is recording their adventures along the way. To follow the journey on their social media and make a donation if you wish, go to: https://linktr.ee/westheads

Llangollen summer fete unveils thrilling new feature for 2026

Organisers of Llangollen Summer Fete have unveiled a new feature for this year’s event taking place on Saturday June 6, from 12.30-5pm, at Plas Newydd. 

The Adventure Zone, sponsored by local outdoor activity specialists TNR Outdoors, aims to give visitors of all ages the chance to test their nerve and skill with a range of thrilling activities, including a climbing wall, axe throwing and archery.

Alongside the new zone the fete will also debut the Adventure Challenge, a fun, inclusive competition designed to bring out your competitive spirit.

Inspired by a Top Gear-style leader-board format, participants will compete across three categories - fastest climb, highest archery score and best axe throwing accuracy.

The competition is open to everyone attending the fete and meeting the entry requirements, full details of which will be explained on the day by the supervising TNR Outdoors team.

Final leaderboard standings will be announced in the days following the fete via the TNR Outdoors website and will also be accessible through the fete's social media pages.

To help participants sharpen their skills ahead of the big day, TNR Outdoors are offering a locals discount on their activities. You can book at http://www.tnroutdoors.co.uk and use the local code on the competition header above.

A spokesperson for the fete organisers said: "Our committee would like to extend sincere thanks to TNR Outdoors for their generosity, support, and for making the Adventure Zone possible.

"We warmly welcome visitors from Llangollen, the surrounding valley, and beyond to come along and enjoy an afternoon of fun, excitement, and community spirit.

"Whether you're competing for the top spot or cheering from the sidelines, the 2026 fete is set to be an unforgettable day."

* For more information about the day go to:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HMtrxrdux/

www.instagram.com/llangollensummerfete

Event details at a glance

• Event: Llangollen Summer Fete 2026
• Date: Saturday June 6
• Time: 12:30pm – 5:00pm
• Location: Plas Newydd, Llangollen
• Parking: Limited on-site parking available for disabled badge holders

Plant sale outside the town hall today in aid of a good cause

* A plant sale is being held outside Llangollen Town Hall today (Monday) in aid of the Mayor's charity fund, which is raising money to give local young people the chance to do things they would usually not be able to afford to do. Helping out on the stall is Olivia who says the sale will go on until all the plants are sold. They are doing more plant sales tomorrow and would be grateful for plant pot donations.