The going's good in Kyrgyzstan so China here we come!

* The lads get into local costume in Kyrgyzstan as they head towards China.

The three Llangollen area lads cycling to Thailand in a good cause reckon they're now just days away from crossing the border into China.

And they are currently storming through what should be their final country on the way there - Kyrgyzstan, where the going is good despite a bout of bike trouble.

This week they were heading towards the town of Osh through some panoramic mountain views and encountering "some amazing nature and lovely people shouting hello."

With some unfamiliar-looking food on offer they admitted they were worried about another episode of food poisoning but everything turned out fine.  

There was also some reflection by the lads that while people back home have all the facilities at their disposal there were whole families over there living quite happily in one big yurt.

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 

Water watchdogs say cause of Dee pollution was found and repaired

* One of a series pictures taken by llanblogger’s source showing the dirty foam collecting on rocks in the river.

The source of pollution of the River Dee in Llangollen has been identified and repaired, according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Earlier this month llanblogger published a special report featuring claims that some form of pollutant was coming from upstream of the Horseshoe Falls, dirty foam was collecting in eddies of water and on rocks and a number of kayakers had become sick with serious gastro-intestinal problems. 

llanblogger's trustworthy source on the river said they personally knew of over 20 cases but that there had been an increase noted following the Dee Fest kayak festival over the weekend of April 25-26.

Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, which are jointly responsible for the Dee, both said their expert teams would be working to find out what was causing the problem.

Now, both organisations report that an answer has been found.

Philip Barrett, Senior Officer, Denbighshire Environment Team at NRW, said: “The source of the pollution on the River Dee, first reported to us on 27 April, has been identified. 

"The misconnection issue has been raised with Denbighshire County Council, and a separate operator has carried out repair works to a damaged section of a wastewater inspection chamber.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation and our investigation remains ongoing. We will take any appropriate enforcement action. 

"Thank you to everyone who reported this to our incident line – your reports help us respond quickly. If you spot any further issues, please report them to us 24/7 using our online form, or call our incident line on 0300 065 3000.”

And a spokesperson for Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water said: "We are continuing to work with NRW and the local council to investigate misconnections into a culvert in Llangollen.

"Misconnections are when a private wastewater pipe is connected to the incorrect surface water drainage network, usually unknowingly.

"This can result in wastewater going directly into streams and rivers. You can learn more on how to spot misconnections on our website.  

"During our investigations we identified a damaged manhole that could have leaked into the culvert.

"This has now been repaired and we have carried out a clean-up on the area where the culvert enters the Dee."

New museum exhibition features artwork and medieval poetry

The opening of an exhibition combining new artwork and medieval poetry will take place at Llangollen Museum on Wednesday June 10.     

In the company of Jenny Day, Martin Crampin, Gruffudd Antur and Eurig Salisbury, it has been created by the ‘Gutun Owain, Border poet and Renaissance man’ project (gutunowain.cymru) in collaboration with the museum.

The project, at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, investigates the wide-ranging interests and networks of Gutun Owain in the context of the flourishing literary and scholarly culture in north-east Wales on the eve of the Renaissance in Wales.

Llangollen Museum, 10 June 2026. Doors open at 6.30pm, talks begin at 7.00pm. Light refreshments will be provided (light buffet and wine/juice/tea/coffee).

This is a free event, but numbers are limited. To register, contact: canolfan@cymru.ac.uk.

A museum spokesperson said: "We thank CADW for their support of the project and for providing access to Valle Crucis and the monumental sculptures there, and we thank the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for funding the project."

The exhibition will be on display in Llangollen Museum for the whole of June and July 2026.

Rescuers deal with medical emergency near Castell Dinas Bran summit

* The team brings the man requiring medical assistance down from the summit of Castell Dinas Bran. Picture: NEWSAR

A multi-agency rescue operation was launched on Sunday afternoon after a man required medical assistance near the summit of Castell Dinas Bran in Llangollen.

North East Wales Search and Rescue were alerted to the incident by North Wales Police, initiating a rapid response to the historic site.

* For the full story in North Wales Live, go to: https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/doctors-rescuers-join-forces-assist-34007716

Leri lands top piano honour at Urdd Eisteddfod

Ysgol Dinas Bran student Leri Roberts won the Year 10 and Under19 Piano Solo award at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in Anglesey over the weekend.

Playing piano is not her only accomplishment as she is also a rising star of Llangollen Operatic Society's junior section, Young 'Uns, taking a lead role in their recent production of The Little Mermaid.

Rising stars join Tom Grennan at Llangollen

* Fiona Lee.

Fresh off the back of a sold-out UK tour, Scottish breakout sensation Brooke Combe will bring her signature soul-infused sound to Llangollen this summer, when she joins Tom Grennan as special guest for his huge headline show, alongside rising Yorkshire artist Fiona-Lee, who will open the show. 

The fast-rising artists will take to the stage on Sunday July 5 as part of TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion, delivering a powerful showcase of two of the UK’s most exciting new voices, setting the tone for a standout summer evening at the iconic Welsh venue.

 

Final tickets are available at ticketmaster.co.uk   

 

Brooke Combe has quickly established herself as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging artists, fusing classic soul influences with contemporary indie and deeply personal songwriting. Since her breakout in 2023, she has played to sold-out crowds across the UK and supported major names including Lionel Richie, Paolo Nutini, Blossoms, Miles Kane and The Coral, as well as Tom Grennan himself. She has also appeared on major US television shows including The Kelly Clarkson Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

* Brooke Coombe.

 

Her debut album Dancing at the Edge of the World, alongside recent release How Can I Tell You? (To Love Me More), showcases a timeless yet modern sound defined by rich, soulful arrangements and standout vocals. Earlier project Black Is The New Gold was shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year Award, underlining her status as a rising force in UK music.

 

Opening the night will be rising Yorkshire artist Fiona-Lee, whose acclaimed new EP Every Woman showcases her raw, emotionally charged songwriting and soaring guitar-driven sound. Earning praise from Rolling Stone UK, The Observer, The Independent, Dork and Clash, alongside strong support from BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 1, Fiona-Lee is rapidly emerging as one of the UK’s most exciting new voices, fresh from completing her debut UK headline tour.

 

Tom 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. 

* Tom Grennan.

 

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’s headline show is part of an incredible summer lineup for TK Maxx presents Live At Llangollen Pavilion, which also features Bowling For Soup and Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Rick Astley, Billy Ocean, Deacon Blue, David Gray and Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics.

 

For more information head to llangollen.net

 

FOLLOW TOM GRENNAN  
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE  

 

FOLLOW BROOKE COMBE

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK  

 

FOLLOW FIONA-LEE

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Anti-social behaviour makes town 'feel like Wild West' storms councillor

* The rubbish-strewn appearance of the bridge at 7pm last night.

Bouts of bank holiday anti-social behaviour made Llangollen town centre feel like the Wild West, says a furious local county councillor.

Karen Edwards claims businesses and visitors were subjected to "completely unacceptable scenes" and that she contacted police to request immediate assistance.

Yesterday evening as crowds subsided after a day of high temperatures, one disgusted resident and business person contacted llanblogger to complain about rubbish left strewn across the bridge from where youngsters were jumping down into the river and "going to get killed," they feared.

In a hard-hitting statement issued shortly afterwards County Councillor Edwards said: "I am extremely concerned and deeply frustrated by the serious anti-social behaviour witnessed in Llangollen over the weekend. 

"Residents, local businesses and visitors were subjected to completely unacceptable scenes in what should be a safe and welcoming town.

"I contacted North Wales Police directly to request immediate assistance and made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that the lack of any visible police presence in Llangollen was totally unacceptable. 

"At times, the situation felt like the Wild West, with residents and businesses left feeling unsupported and vulnerable."

She continued: "This behaviour was entirely predictable given that Llangollen has been subjected to similar anti-social behaviour on numerous occasions before, particularly during periods of hot weather and high visitor numbers. 

"Despite this, there was simply no visible police presence to reassure residents, businesses or visitors.

"Llangollen is a busy and vibrant town which attracts large numbers of visitors, particularly during warm weekends, and our community deserves to see a consistent and reassuring police presence on our streets. People must feel safe in their own town centre, and businesses should not be left to deal with disorder and intimidation alone.

"I have urged the police to review the events of the weekend urgently and to ensure that adequate resources are allocated to Llangollen going forward. 

"Our community cannot continue to be left completely defenceless and without proper visible policing to avoid incidents like this occurring in the first place. We pay for policing through our council tax and expect to receive the service we pay for.

"I will continue pressing for stronger action and greater police visibility to protect residents, businesses and visitors alike."

* llanblogger has requested an official response from North Wales Police.