Download free Dee Valley educational resources

A pack of free education resources are now available to download from the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley website. 

These cross curricular resources can support schools in learning about the history of the Dee Valley from inside and outside of the classroom.

The resources have been produced by the ‘Our Picturesque Landscape’ project, which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund between 2018 and 2024.

Over six years the project delivered 28 school projects, and engaged over 2,400 pupils with the heritage and environment of this very special place.

The educational resources have been developed by working alongside artists, writers and historians, as well as teachers and pupils from the school sessions delivered by the project team over the years.

The resources are linked to the Curriculum for Wales framework and are most suitable for ages 7-11 years but many can be easily adapted for other age groups. The activities will enable young people to discover the heritage of the landscape and stories of the influential characters and events which have shaped the area over the last 400 years.

Supporting teachers to confidently lead outdoor learning sessions and opportunities to discover the Dee Valley in a plethora of ways including through the medium of dance, art, creative writing, natural history, science and physical education.

There are engaging films, virtual reality, a board game to learn about an underappreciated habitat that is rarer than rainforest and a new Top Trumps game to discover the people that have shaped the area in the past and present.

Teachers can now visit the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley website to discover and explore these exciting resources for themselves.

Sallyanne Hall, Our Picturesque Landscape Community Engagement Officer, said: “We presented the resources to some Dee Valley schools directly and the teachers were excited to use the learning bundles to enhance their lessons, especially outside the classroom. We hope that teachers further afield will find them useful too.”

Councillor Alan James, Denbighshire Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “These resources are fantastic for helping pupils learn about the rich history that the Dee Valley has to offer and for keeping the stories of the area alive for generations to come.” 

* For the download, go to: https://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/learning-packs/

Junior footballers hit peak success in their Everest Challenge

* A group of intrepid walkers take on the Everest Challenge.

Making a total of over 200 walks and runs helped teams from Llangollen Youth FC achieve their Everest Challenge yesterday (Sunday).

The young players from Under 11s upwards aimed to "conquer" the world's highest mountain in aid of Nightingale House Hospice and their own funds. 

Although they weren't actually travelling to the Himalayas to do it their aim was to ascend and descend the equivalent height of Everest at 8,849 metres above sea level.

They achieved this by walking to the top of Castell Dinas Brân from their base at Tower Field – an elevation change of approximately 210m – meaning that each team needed to make a collective total of 43 trips up to the castle. 

In the end, a total of 207 ascents were made.

* More walkers stride out along the route to Castell Dinas Bran.

The club's Under 7’s and Under 9’s teams joined in on the day with a sponsored walk up to the castle.

Half of sponsorship money received will go to Nightingale House while the rest will go towards the long list of expenses involved with running a grassroots football club.

A spokesperson for the challenge said: "Each player did their fair share with no complaints or quitters. It was great to see so many players working as a team, wearing their kit with pride and cheering each other on.

"The final total of what has been raised will be announced soon. The GoFundme page will be left open for any further donations. We appreciate every single one.

"A few thankyou's, to all the volunteers who walked with the players, marshalled, registered and served refreshments and food, we could not have done it without you. Also, Llangollen Town Football Club for allowing us to use their clubhouse and field."

* To sponsor the challenge, go to Gofundme at: Fundraiser by Gareth Jones : Raising money for Nightingale House and Llangollen Youth FC

Two-step verification could help protect against online fraudsters

North Wales Community Alert has revealed that data shows there was a rise in social media and email account hacking reported in 2024.

A total of 35,434 reports were made to Action Fraud, compared to 22,530 reports made in 2023, with nearly £1 million lost to hackers last year.

The most common motives for social media hacking were either investment fraud, ticket fraud or theft of the targeted account for extortion.

To protect your accounts you need to -

✅ Enable 2-Step Verification on each online account you have – this adds an extra layer of security to your accounts and will help prove your identity when logging in and stop fraudsters from stealing or accessing your valuable information. It can be turned on in a matter of minutes – time well spent to keep the fraudsters out.

✅ Secure your social media and email accounts by ensuring each password is strong and uses three random words. Remember to never share your passwords with anyone else.

* Find out more about how to take these steps here – https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home

Special spring event at St Collen's Community Hall

 

Air ambulance lands in town centre this morning

* The air ambulance waits on the youth centre field.

The Welsh Air Ambulance landed in the centre of Llangollen around 10.30am today (Sunday).

The bright red aircraft was seen hovering above the A5 before landing - as it usually does - on the youth centre field.

Three paramedics carrying full emergency packs then left the helicopter and walked down Willow Hill and onto Regent Street where they went inside a property nearby which had a road ambulance already parked outside. This was later joined by a police car.

The paramedic trio then left just a few minutes later to return to the waiting helicopter which flew off just before 11am.  

* The air ambulance flies off just before 11am.

One-time royal train loco stars at railway's gala event

* The historic Small Prairie 5532 back in its heyday.

The highly anticipated Llangollen Railway Branch Line Gala will take place from Friday-Sunday April 11-13 offering visitors a rare chance to see the historic Small Prairie 5532, which once hauled the train carrying Kind George VI, up close.

For the first time in over two decades, the locomotive is being moved from its restoration bay and placed on public display at Llangollen Motive Power Depot. 

This marks a significant milestone in its restoration, providing a unique opportunity for railway enthusiasts and the general public to witness the progress first-hand.

Built at Swindon Works in June 1928, Small Prairie 5532 was initially based at Reading before being allocated to Stourbridge Junction, serving across the West Midlands. 

Over its working life, it was stationed at Worcester, Evesham, and several other key locations across the Great Western Railway (GWR) network, including Aberbeeg, Pontypool, Oswestry, Bristol Bath Road, Swindon, Westbury, and Laira. 

One of its most notable moments came in 1941, when 5532 hauled the Royal Train carrying King George VI from Monmouth Troy to Ross-on-Wye during the Second World War, highlighting its historical significance.

Withdrawn from service in 1962, 5532 was sent to Woodham Brothers Scrapyard in Barry, where it remained for two decades before being rescued. 

Restoration began in the 1990s, with the locomotive's frames moved to Llangollen Railway’s new engine shed in 1997. Since then, dedicated volunteers have worked on key components. 

Much of the chassis, bunker, and cab work is completed, while the boiler restoration, now underway at Tyseley Locomotive Works, represents the final major hurdle.

Peter Robson, 5532 Chairman of Trustees and Treasurer, said: "This is a significant moment for us, as it’s the first time in over 20 years that the locomotive has been moved on its rolling chassis. I personally contributed to the restoration when I helped rivet the bare frames all those years ago. It’s incredibly rewarding to see this historic engine on display, and I’m thrilled that visitors will have the chance to see it up close."

With renewed volunteer support since late 2023, progress has accelerated, and the team is eager to push forward with the final restoration phase. The final push to steam is within reach, but the team needs further support to complete the project.

Paul Bailey, Trustee and Head Fundraiser, said: "We’re displaying 5532 to raise awareness of the project. The locomotive is now close to completion after more than 30 years of restoration. We aim to have the boiler returned from Tyseley by Christmas and hope to see 5532 fully assembled by late 2026 - funds permitting. We still need to raise £32,000 to make this happen and bring 5532 back to steam for the first time in preservation."

The team is calling on railway enthusiasts and history lovers to donate and help complete the restoration. Every contribution brings this historic engine closer to steaming through the Dee Valley once again.

* For more information on 5532 or for information on how to donate to the 5532 restoration project, visit: www.5532.co.uk

For more information on the Llangollen Railway Branch Line Gala, visit: https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/branchline-gala/ 

Branch Line Gala events are summarised below:

•                     Visiting locos 6880 “Betton Grange” & Class 14 D9525.

•                     Pannier tank 7754, GWR 2-8-0 3802 and Kitson 0-6-0 "Austin 1"

•                     5532 on static display outside the MPD at Llangollen for the first time since 1997

•                     Sunday 13^th to have a South Wales theme

•                     Brakevan rides

•                     Shed tours

•                     Footplate rides

•                     Express runs between Llangollen and Corwen

•                     Real ale bar at Llangollen

•                     Food and craft stalls

•                     Tearoom at Berwyn

•                     Tearoom & Porters bar and viewing deck at Glyndyfrdwy along with a new porter’s trolleys and sack barrow museum display

•                     Book stalls, picnic area & tuck shop at Corwen

•                     80072 society shop at Carrog

 

Latest local roadworks from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks from Denbighshire County Council is:

Hall St jct with A5 Berwyn St, Llangollen HALL STREET 27/01/2025 28/03/2025 Gwaith Ar Wal Gynnal/ Retaining Wall Works OBR CONSTRUCTION

O/S NUMBER 20 CASTLE STREET 07/04/2025 09/04/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A539 Llandyn Hall Farm Culvert TRACK TO LLANDYN HALL FROM A539 28/04/2025 23/05/2025 Gwaith ar Gylfat/ Culvert Works Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall Street, Llangollen. HALL STREET 12/04/2025 17/04/2025 Gwaith Draenio / Drainage Works NMWTRA Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hill Street, Pengwern, Llangollen, Denbighshire, LL20 8EU HILL STREET 12/03/2025 12/03/2025 Adferiad/ Reinstatement Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

28 MILL ST MILL STREET 10/04/2025 10/04/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY

OUTSIDE PROPERTY CALLED 'MAYTREE' FRON BACHE FRON BACHE 07/04/2025 09/04/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure