Llangollen submits official bid to become first UK Town of Culture.

Llangollen yesterday has now officially launched its bid to become the first ever UK Town of Culture.

After an exhaustive programme of public consultation, our Expression of Interest was submitted to the UK Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by Gareth Thomas, Town Clerk at Llangollen Town Council which is spearheading the bid.

In this new competition DCMS invited towns across the UK to enter the competition to showcase original storytelling, and empowering, accessible culture. 

All towns across Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been able to enter - whether small, medium or large. 

* The official emblem of the UK Town of Culture competition.

Inspired by the success of the flagship UK City of Culture - neighbouring Wrexham has made the longlist - which is a proven model for cultural placemaking, this competition aims to spotlight the cultural contribution of towns to the national story. 

The winning town will be awarded £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028 of around six months. The two finalists from their category will receive £250,000 each to deliver elements of their bid.

The UK Town of Culture competition aims to celebrate the significant contributions of towns to our national story. 

It focuses on building a more socially cohesive country where communities feel proud of their place and empowered to celebrate it. 

Next stage in the process now that the Expressions of Interest have gone into the department is for towns to be notified whether they have been included on the shortlist, which should happen this spring.

It's not known at this stage exactly which towns Llangollen will be competing against but it's understand a number in Wales are bidding including Abergavenny, Blaenavon, Monmouth, Pontypridd, Port Talbot & Afan Valley,  Machynlleth, Llandrindod Wells, Hay-on-Wye and Cwmbran.

Llangollen's bid includes neighbouring Llantysilio and Llangollen Rural.

In his submission of Llangollen's Expression of Interest by the March 31 deadline, the Town Clerk wrote to the Minister: "I am pleased to submit the attached Expression of Interest for the UK Town of Culture 2028 title on behalf of the community of Llangollen.

"This submission reflects the strength, heritage, and cultural ambition of our town, and we are proud to present it for your consideration. An exact Welsh translation of the document is also enclosed."

Confirming receipt of the submission, a competition official replied: "Thank you for your interest in the UK Town of Culture 2028.

"We can now confirm receipt of your Expression of Interest (EOI) and appreciate you taking the time to submit this. Once all EOIs have been assessed by our expert advisory panel, we will be back in touch to inform you of the outcome."

New Dot Cinema's Easter treat is free for children

New Dot Cinema, Llangollen's community cinema, is offering some family entertainment this Easter holiday. 

On Saturday, April 4 they will be showing the magical, How to Train Your Dragon, the live-action remake of the beloved animation. 

Children go free and adult tickets are £4. Doors open at 2.15pm and the film starts at 2.30pm. Refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the film, and children will receive a free drink and snack, thanks to a grant from the Welsh Churches Fund.

The cinema has also announced its Spring programme. On Friday, April 17, they will be screening The Choral, a feel-good, gentle comedy-drama set in Yorkshire during the First World War. 

Ralph Fiennes plays a choirmaster trying to bring together a motley collection of amateurs for the local music society's annual concert when most of the choir's male singers are fighting overseas. Written by Alan Bennett, it combines humour, tragedy and some stirring choral music. 

On Friday, May 22, to celebrate the 100th birthday of Sir David Attenborough, New Dot is showing his film Ocean, a stunning documentary that shows the spectacular habitats that lie under the sea and which we know so little about.

Sir David has called this film one of the most important of his long career saying: "After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea."

While Ocean makes clear the many challenges facing the world's oceans, Sir David ends on a note of hope that a healthier ocean ecosystem can emerge and he hopes that this film will help make that happen. 

* All films will be screened at Llangollen Town Hall and tickets for all New Dot's films can be purchased online from TicketSource or in person from Laura's Tea Room in Oak Street, Llangollen (cash only). 

Plan to combine new outdoor gym with dips in the Dee

* Gym equipment ready to be installed at the new outdoor gym in Riverside Park, which is still under construction.

Dateline: April 1

Following the installation of outdoor Gym equipment in Riverside Park, subject to regulatory approval and funding, wellbeing organisers are hoping to host a series of regular events for all ages in the area.

Spokesperson David Davies said: "The proposal is to link a gym session to a riverside sauna facility or quick dip in the Dee, gaining the health benefits of physical exercise heat generation with that of cold water cleansing.

"Sessions will initially be free and include a special weekly, early morning time for those over 75 years old.

"Initially, dress style will need to be suitable for both activities until changing cabins can be provided."

He added: "Research from Scandinavian countries shows many benefits from such an activity programme combination including improved health, social communication skills improvement and an increased happiness index."

* How about a refreshing dip in the Dee after a session at the nearby gym? 

Mazda CX-30 is a slick stick shifter and more

Mazda CX-30 drive by Steve Rogers

Something that really gets my car juices flowing is a slick gear change.

We are in an age when the manual gearbox is going out of fashion. Just about every car I drive is automatic but changing gears is proper driving isn’t it?

Accelerating hard through a six speed box, getting the revs and clutch balance right is great for an adrenalin rush. A good gearbox has to be a given and not every car manufacturer was up to scratch in the days when manuals were the norm. No naming and shaming today but there is one company that is always head and shoulders above the rest.

Mazda does a lot of things right and crafting the perfect gearbox is one of them. I have been driving their cars for more than 40 years and they were always geared up for a fun drive.

So there was a smile on my face when CX-30 turned up with a six speed manual to play with and it did not let me down, smooth as silk and an absolute joy. My wife wasn’t too pleased, she’s an automatic convert.

What are we to make of CX-30? It’s a car with a clash of identity, an SUV version of the Mazda3, a bit taller with bits of body armour around the wheel arches and sills to give it a masculine look, yet it doesn’t look like a boxy SUV. It is more rounded, the perfect shape for a crossover between the two styles and all the better for it. This is a good looking car.

It is also a car which can be driven without spending 10 minutes learning how to select functions from the endless menus on a huge touchscreen. That is a kind way of saying CX-30 is starting to feel its age compared to the ultra modern, switch free layouts in the current crop of cars from China although Mazda has gone down that route with the new electric 6.

At least this is still a stress free zone for the driver who is faced with three crystal clear dials backed up by an equally clear head up display while adjusting the heating controls with clearly marked switches.

There is a touchscreen, a modest 10.25 inches by today's Chinese standards, with options chosen using a rotary switch between the front seats, much safer than taking your eyes off the road dabbing a screen. Honestly, this is the easiest and safest modern system of any car I have driven.

The tech has been updated but there is a glitch in the system somewhere because the speed limit alert told me the limit in my 20mph village is 80mph!

Build and trim quality are impressive. Mazda set out to promote its cars into the premium league and has nailed it. Specification from entry Prime-Line is strong with a full pack of driver safety aids including my favourite rear emergency braking. Push the boat out for Takumi and the list includes adaptive LED lights, wireless charging, Bose sound system, surround camera, heated front seats and heated steering wheel.

Mazda prides itself on building cars with a sporting edge and CX30 handles like a good old hot hatch. The payoff is a firmer ride but you can’t have everything.

The biggest change to the model is a new engine, and a controversial one at that. The lacklustre 2-litre petrol was ditched for a 2.5 litre, a big leap when rivals are going for small turbocharged hybrid engines. This has solved the lack of grunt in the mid-range without compromising economy which is good for middle to high forties, or more than 50mpg on longer runs.

If this isn’t enough the 184bhp 2-litre Skyactiv X is quicker but you would have to be satisfied with the lower Exclusive spec to match the 2.5 litre Takumi price.

Would I have a CX-30 over a Maz3? Probably not, the hatch is two grand cheaper, looks even better and has a bit more cabin space.

Favourite feature. The manual gearbox, of course.

Fast Facts

CX-30 Takumi

£32,780 (starts £27,280)

2.5 litre petrol; 138bhp

0-62mph 9.7secs; 121mph

47.1mpg combined

135g/km. 1st VED £595

Boot: 422-1398 litres

Insurance group 17

Warranty: 6 years

Llangollen canal business goes up for sale at £695,000

The Llangollen Wharf canal business has gone up for although it's owners say it's business as usual. 

* For the full story in the Leader, go to: https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/25981331.iconic-llangollen-wharf-canal-business-placed-sale/

Llangollen churches welcome you to their Easter celebrations

* A previous Easter gathering by Cytun in Centenary Square.

At noon on Good Friday Cytun - Churches Together in Llangollen - has a Parade of Witness which starts from the Methodist Church, Riverside, and proceeds to Centenary Square where activities will take place.  

The churches in Llangollen say they welcome you to any of their Easter celebrations.

Details of these and other activities throughout the year can be found on their various websites, which are:

* St Collen's (Anglican) www.stcollenschurch.org.uk

* St Tysilio's Church - see website for St Collen's Church

* St John's Church - see website for St Collen's Church 

* Llangollen Methodist Church www.llangollenmethodist.org.uk

* Church of the Holy Cross (Roman Catholic) www.strichardgwynparish.co.uk

* City Church, Brook Street www.citychurchllangollen.org.uk

* Glanrafon Evangelical Church www.llangollenevangelicalchurch.com/

* Seion Chapel (Welsh language) Welsh medium chapel

Details of Easter services at RC churches in the area are:

Holy Thursday (April 2) Ruabon Shared Church 7pm; Good Friday (April 3) Ruabon 3pm; Easter Vigil, Saturday (April 4) Ruabon 8.30pm; Easter Sunday (April 5) Chirk, Mass 9am; Easter Sunday Llangollen, Mass 11am.

These times are for Easter only. For normal RC church timetables see: www.strichardgwynparish.co.uk

County council promises action on Llantysilio flooding problem

 

* Alex Hammond's picture of water coursing across the A542 carriageway after heavy rainfall.

Two years after it was first reported to them by a concerned local resident Denbighshire County Council (DCC) have told him they will take action to cure a flooding problem in Llantysilio.

Back in the winter of 2024 Alex Hammond got in touch with the council to tell them about flooding on the A542 Abbey Farm/Grange to Britannia Inn in periods of heavy rainfall.

But he claims that despite some work being carried out his enquiry was closed and the flooding continued.

Llanblogger took up the case last Friday morning and soon afterwards Mr Hammond was contacted by a senior council engineer telling him a potential solution would be undertaken as soon as possible.

Mr Hammond said when he contacted llanblogger: “I first raised this issue with the council in February 2024. DCC closed out my enquiry saying they would investigate but then did nothing. Here we are two years later and nothing has changed.

“I sent them photos of the situation before Christmas with water running down the road. They did some work and exposed drains that had been covered over and blocked some time before but still weren't clearing the water off the road.

“Then after Christmas I sent more video showing where the issues lay with the tarmac surface diverting water away from the drains. One of their team confirmed awareness of the issue and advised remedial work was needed in better weather.  

“Now they have closed the ticket because someone is going to take a look and advise next actions. This is exactly what happened two years ago and nothing more happened. DCC closed my first enquiry two years ago saying it would be investigated and nothing happened afterwards.

“This is how major incidents or accidents and fatalities are allowed to happen by those responsible for preventing them.” 

Shortly after llanblogger asked DCC for a response last Friday, a senior council engineer emailed Mr Hammond to say: “A colleague was inspecting the resurfacing works currently being undertaken on the Horseshoe Pass earlier this morning and I took the opportunity to ask him to investigate the issue of the surface water discharging across the carriageway whilst he was in the same location.

“He has confirmed a potential solution to the issue by proposing to construct a concrete channel in the nearside verge to direct the water into the gully lower down the road. I agree with the proposal and we shall now proceed to undertake the works as soon as possible.”

DCC has been contacted for an official comment.

A spokesperson for Denbighshire Council said: "Council officers responded directly to Mr Hammond regarding this matter on March 26. It was already agreed at this time to send an appropriate officer out to the site to assess the flooding issue and this visit occurred the day after.

"The Council will look to initiate work suggested by the officer to resolve this issue as soon as it can be scheduled in and further information on start dates will be communicated."

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