Road closures planned in January to allow work for Openreach

 

* The area affected by the order.

County cabinet approves toilets plan as public consultation begins

* Denbighshire's cabinet agreed the local toilets strategy this morning.

Denbighshire’s Cabinet has approved a move to put the council’s local toilets strategy out to public consultation starting tomorrow (Wednesday).

In line with the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 the council has prepared this strategy to outline how it intends to try to meet the public toilet requirements of the county.  

While there’s no legal requirement for any local authority to provide public conveniences, this strategy identifies how the local authority will work towards meeting the need within each community in Denbighshire.  

This could be through direct provision or working with private businesses to make facilities available to the public. 

Denbighshire is facing a period of heavy budget pressures and is looking at alternative ways of providing some services such as public conveniences. 

This has put a question mark over toilets such as the ones in Market Street, Llangollen – uncertainty which has led to a high level of public concern in the town. 

At this morning’s cabinet meeting Paul Jackson, the council’s head of highways and environment services, stressed that no decision had yet been made on the fate of toilets across the county, which would come later in 2025, he said. 

He said the public consultation would be “as full and wide as possible,” last for about two months and aim to engage with as many businesses as possible. 

The council currently offers businesses £500 a year to allow members of the public to use their own toilets where local loos aren’t available. But it is known that take-up of this scheme has been poor. 

County Councillor Rhys Thomas said he believed only one business across the entire county, in Llangollen, had signed up for it and asked whether offering more than £500 might stimulate demand. 

Paul Jackson suggested it would be better to use the results of the consultation to assess interest from businesses before considering the finances. 

Councillor Emrys Wynne said that a few years ago he had been told by a business in Llangollen who had been operating the scheme that the £250 then being paid by the council didn’t cover all the costs such as regular cleaning of their toilets. 

The cabinet was told that all town councils across the county had been consulted on the possibility of cooperating with Denbighshire in running the toilets. While some had been “very welcoming and supportive” others had said “point blank” they wouldn’t be prepared to do so.    

The draft toilets strategy and public consultation on it was unanimously approved.

* Llangollen councillors last month agreed a plan to work together with the county in a bid to save the Market Street toilets, jointly seeking a grant of around £40,000 to upgrade the building and introduce cashless payments. 

Councillors agreed to take £4,000 from their reserves to make the 10% contribution towards the facelift bill. 

Llangollen heads list of best festive walks

Outdoor experts at Millets have revealed their top family walks in Wales, looking at walks that are accessible, family-friendly, and involve a visit to the pub.

And in first place is the Llangollen Circular, a 14.5km circular walk in the area of around Castell Dinas Bran.

* For the full story, see Nation Cymru at: Welsh family-friendly walks: Best festive walks with pub at the end revealed 

The K’s and Tom A. Smith to support James at Llangollen 2025

* The K's will support James at Llangollen 2025. 

Rising indie rock sensations The K’s and singer-songwriter Tom A. Smith will support legendary band James as they headline Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Sunday June 29.

Tickets are on sale now from llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk 

2024 has been a breakthrough year for The K’s - comprised of Jamie Boyle (vocals and guitar), Ryan Breslin (guitar and keyboard), Dexter Baker (bass) and Nathan Peers (drums). 

Their debut album I Wonder If The World Knows? climbed to Number 3 on the UK Official Album Chart, while their breakout single Sarajevo has amassed more than eight million streams. 

Hits like Got a Feeling, Glass Towns, Hometown, Aurora and Chancer have solidified their place as rising stars in the indie rock world.

The K’s capped off their phenomenal year by winning Breakthrough Act of the Year at the inaugural Northern Music Awards, followed by a hugely successful sold-out headline UK tour.

* James will headline at the Pavilion on Sunday June 29.

Opening the night will be rising star Tom A. Smith, an electrifying young talent from Sunderland who has rapidly climbed the ranks of the UK music scene. 

Renowned for his distinctive blend of alternative rock and indie-pop influences, Tom has performed at iconic festivals like Glastonbury and supported music legends such as Sir Elton John, Sam Fender and Catfish & The Bottlemen.

James are a British indie rock band from Manchester, fronted by the iconic Tim Booth. With more than 25 million records sold worldwide and 18 studio albums under their belt, the band is one of the UK's most enduring musical success stories, and they continue to captivate audiences around the world.

Earlier this year James achieved a major milestone, securing their first-ever UK Number 1 album with Yummy. Fans in Llangollen can look forward to an unforgettable night, filled with timeless anthems such as Sit Down, Born of Frustration, She’s A Star and Come Home.

The announcement is the latest reveal for summer 2025 which will also see The Human League,Rag’n’BoneMan, OllyMurs, Texas, TheScript and UB40featuring Ali Campbell headline the iconic Welsh venue. 

The headline concerts are presented in a partnership between Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor and Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod Dave Danford said: “We’re really excited to be adding The K’s and Tom A. Smith to the line-up for next summer. The K’s are a band with a big future, and the songs from their recent debut album will sound amazing in the pavilion. Tom A. Smith has such incredible talent and energy, we’re thrilled to welcome such an exciting emerging artist to Llangollen.”

* For more information and to purchase tickets go to llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk 

 CONNECT WITH JAMES

WEBSITE |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE |X | SPOTIFY

CONNECT WITH THE K'S

WEBSITE |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |YOUTUBE |X | SPOTIFY

CONNECT WITH TOM A. SMITH

WEBSITE |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |YOUTUBE |X | SPOTIFY

 

Inner Wheel's festive tea party raises funds for good causes

* The Llangollen Panto team sing at the Community Hall.

* Gethin Davies leads the Christmas songs.

* Rosemary Burgon on stage.

* Phil Robinson performs a music hall song.

The Inner Wheel of Llangollen staged its annual Christmas fundraising event at a new venue yesterday afternoon (Sunday).

For many years the club has hosted the Christmas Cheer event at the Town Hall. 

This year, they decided to hold their Festive Tea Party at St Collen’s Community Hall.

There was a Christmas afternoon tea with all the traditional fare, including sandwiches, sausage rolls, mince pies and Christmas cake. 

Entertainment was provided by Llangollen's Rosemary Burgon, who earlier in the weekend had sung with the New Sinfonia orchestra in their Snowman concert at St Giles' Church in Wrexham, and local music hall artist, Philip Robinson.

Also appearing were over 40 members of the Llangollen Pantomime Group who gave a taste of their forthcoming production of Beauty and the Beast to be staged at Llangollen Town Hall from Thursday-Sunday, January 16-19 next year. 

The  event ended with the usual carol singing, led by Gethin Davies.

All proceeds from the afternoon will provide funds for a range of Inner Wheel charities. 

St Collen's carol service to be broadcast by BBC radio

Echoes of last night's Carols by Candlelight service at St Collen's will be heard across Wales on Christmas Eve.

A team from BBC Radio Wales were in the church to record the seasonal event for broadcast at 11.30pm on December 24 as part of the station's Celebration series of programmes.

Earlier in the day people connected with the Genesis Project to re-order the historic place of worship and the Collen Players, who appear in regular music hall and variety shows in the Community Hall, were interviewed by the BBC about how these reflect St Collen's community involvement. These interviews will be aired at 7am on Christmas morning. 

The well attended evening service, conducted by Father Lee Taylor and which saw members of the congregation each bearing candles in a beautifully low-lit church, included a programme of well-known hymns, readings and prayer on a Christmas theme. 

Later mince pies and mulled wine were served in the Community Hall. 

Tribute to Keith Hall whose funeral is on December 17

* Keith Hall who died on November 25, aged 89.

The family of Keith Edwin Hall say they would like to thank the community for their kind messages of condolence and much appreciated support following the loss of their much-loved father, and beloved husband of their mother, Jean.

An obituary report submitted by the family says:

"Keith moved to Llangollen in 1984 with his wife, Jean, and family, to take up the post of Manager at the former National Westminster Bank in Castle Street, and never looked back. 

"This came after a career that saw several moves from the North-East downwards towards the Midlands and onto Wrexham. 

"The beautiful valley of Llangollen became the place where Keith and Jean lovingly came to call ‘home’ after decades of upheaval. With beautiful countryside to walk, hills to climb and an array of friendly clubs and societies to attend, life here in the friendly and welcoming community was lively, interesting and engaging … and too precious to leave.

"‘Leave Llangollen? You’ve got to be joking!’ was Keith’s response to proposals from the bank’s Head Office for him to relocate to South Wales. Instead, Keith opted for an early and very active retirement. He worked tirelessly on a 25-year landscaping project, building huge, terraced dry stone walls, a pond, waterfall, wildflower areas and a garage, as well as renovating the house.

"At the same time, Keith and Jean were immersed in the community into which they had been so warmly welcomed, and into voluntary work and fundraising for the locality and beyond. The cornerstone and starting point of this were the combined clubs of Rotary and Inner Wheel. Over the decades, both Keith and Jean took on roles as President and Vice President (for Rotary and Inner Wheel respectively), also as Treasurer (Keith) and Secretary (Jean). Both were noted for their strong work ethic and commitment.

"In 1990, after two years of preparation, Keith led theY Bont Newydd (The Newbridge) charity walk project, under the Rotary Presidency and Vice-presidency of Bob Hicks and Gethin Davies, with Mike Law overseeing publicity. Recorded in the press at the time, as being one of the most successful fund-raising events to be held in North Wales, the initial target had been to raise £10,000 for the local community and charities. 

"However, with over 20,000 (£1) tickets sold, and with additional fundraising, this ‘once-in-a -lifetime’ opportunity to walk (rather than drive) over the newly opened bridge raised £35,000.It was reportedly run by Keith ‘like a military operation and conducted with the utmost skill and efficiency.’

"Regular events in which Keith played a leading role included the annual ‘Horse Race’ fund-raising evenings at the Town Hall (using hired films of horse races); and the Garden Fete at Plas Newydd (Rotary and Inner Wheel) for which Keith always took on the role as Treasurer, alongside Barbara Parry-Jones. 

"Then there were pensioner trips to Llandudno to be organised, and the Rotary-initiated ‘Dial-a-Ride’ taxi service run by its members for the community, which Keith very much enjoyed being a part of. Everything was done in the best of spirits and with much camaraderie.

"The Rotary motto of ‘Service before self’ was one that Keith and his volunteering friends lived by and the community benefitted much from it. A favourite of Keith and Jean’s was when local Rotarians hosted mature overseas students from Manchester University for one weekend a year as a cultural exchange, sharing visits to local landmarks such as Chirk Castle and enjoying an evening of song and performance. Like many others in the town, Jean and Keith loved to welcome different students each year to their home.

"A highlight in the annual calendar for Keith was preparing for the twice-yearly Twenty Club plays, where he was Treasurer and set builder, while Jean worked on props, prompting and publicity over the years.

Left to right: Llangollen Twenty Club members Malcolm Potter, Keith Hall, Dennis Jones, Chrissie Ashworth, Trevor Davies and Delwyn Roberts.

"As Chair, Sian Glynne-Jones, said: 'Keith, Delwyn and the team would build the set. They loved a challenge and especially a set that involved any intricate items such as stairs, moving rats, pop-up gravestones, shadow puppets or the fog machine (which would always produce fog  - prematurely - as it warmed up before it was needed. A Director once said that she loved how if she asked for a change … it was just done, never had to ask twice.

"'The camaraderie was second to none in their group. They all worked well together and had fun doing so, despite all the hard work. They were a great bunch of people to work with.'

"Possibly the greatest distractions to Keith’s ongoing garden projects, however, was an invitation from the International Eisteddfod Chairman, Gethin Davies, to join the team:

"As Gethin said: 'Keith was persuaded to take on the role of the Competitors’ Liaison Officer for one year and enjoyed it so much that he held the post for 13 years. He carried out this sensitive work brilliantly and gave a great service to all competitors.'

"The long but rewarding days in communication with overseas competitors and the UK Home Office to arrange visas for individuals, choirs and dance groups were initially pre-internet and email. With the arrival of the internet, Keith was quick to embrace and utilise the new technology.  Like everything he did in life, Keith gave the role his all, enjoying the opportunity to work with a team, update systems, and meet folk from all walks of life and different parts of the world. With many of the competitors returning year after year, seeing their return was something Keith would very much look forward to.

"Away from volunteering, Keith was a keen hiker – something he took up in his youth as a scout in the local Yorkshire Dales, Moors and far beyond. In 2012, aged 77, Keith and his similarly aged friend, Stan Roberts, competed in the first Llangollen Round. Over the two days, Keith and Stan completed the arduous 33-mile hike that took in every summit around the Vale of Llangollen – crossing the line together in16 hours. 

"This challenging hike was devised and established by the Llangollen Cancer Research team, under the leadership of Sandra Woodall (Chair) and Keith’s wife, Jean (Secretary). It went on to become a regular fund-raising event, taking place every three years, being based around a book about the walk written by local author, Judy Smith. To date the walk has raised over £250,000 for Cancer Research.

"Outside of their community work and keeping up with friends and family, Keith and Jean loved to travel and were fortunate to travel around Europe, the far East, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, where their son, Jonathan and family live.

"Keith will be much missed by his friends, three children and partners, and six grandchildren who survive him – and especially by his beloved wife, Jean, to whom he was devoted beyond measure."

Keith Edwin Hall, former Bank Manager, International Eisteddfod Executive, Rotarian and King's Scout was born on 5 March 1935. He died from cancer, passing away peacefully at Nightingale House Hospice on 25 November 2024, aged 89, surrounded by his family.

The family would like to thank the exceptional District Nurses; Dr Tanner and the Llangollen GP/Health Centre team; the Palliative Care Team and Nightingale House Hospice for their care and support during Keith’s illness.

Written by Keith’s daughter, Nicola

Details for Keith’s funeral:

DATE: Tuesday 17 December 2024

TIME: 1.45 pm

VENUE: St Collen’s Church, Llangollen.

Family flowers only. Any donations in memory of Keith, if desired, may be made to Nightingale House Hospice, Wrexham: www.justgiving.com/page/keith-hall-nightingale-hospice