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Llangollen News

Llangollen to be the Capital of Comedy?

The four nights of stand up comedy at this years Llangollen Fringe could be the start of an annual ‘Festival of Comedy’ attracting some of the biggest names on the British Comedy scene to the small north Wales town.

Fringe organisers are awaiting the results of ticket sales before committing themselves to turning Llangollen into the capital of stand up but, with some 3 weeks to go it is looking extremely positive.

“We’ve more or less always had one night of stand up comedy during the festival and audiences have always been excellent. I know the adage is to leave the audience wanting more but in this case our audience has been demanding more so we’ve gone with four nights this time.

It seems obvious to us that the next stage would be to organise a full blown stand up comedy festival all in its own right later in the year, so the results of this years Fringe could have a real economic impact on Llangollen in more ways than one!” said Programming Director Roger Goodman.

This years mini festival kicks off on Sunday 20th July with the first ever all Welsh language night of mirth at the Fringe getting it all underway, headlined Tudur Owen, who will be leaving his alter ego, S4C’s very own PC Leslie Wynn, back at the station. He will be joined on the Fringe stage by Gethin Thomas and Daniel Glyn, who between them have written more than 300 comedy scripts for radio and television, including Radio Cwm Cwat, Y Rhaglen Wirion ‘Na, Hotel Eddie and Dyna Bechod.

Monday 21st sees Reginald D Hunter taking the night off from Have I Got News for You to bring his own special brand of humour to Llangollen. The American is known as ‘the coolest man in comedy’ who has that killer combination of great gags and intelligent material - in short, he’s the complete comic. At last years Edinburgh Fringe he sold out an amazing 27 consecutive nights!
He will be joined by Tudur Owen, proving he’s just as funny in English…..

The new Kenneth Williams or even Frankie Howard will be on stage on Tuesday 22nd, in the guise of Paul Foot. This award winning comic has more TV appearances to his name than you can shake a stick at, including being a regular reporter on the Out to Lunch Series 3 (BBC Radio 2), The Fallout, Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, The World Stands Up, Edinburgh and Beyond, Big Brother’s Big Mouth, Brain Candy and Comedy Nation.

He will be joined by one of the top comics in the UK today in Hal Cruttenden. The ex Eastender has already this year hosted a new series of 'The World Stands Up' for Paramount following appearances late last year on ‘Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive’ for BBC3 and ‘The Omid Djalili Show’ on BBC1, for which he also wrote many sketches. His other television credits include, ‘The 11 O’Clock Show’, ‘Brain Candy’, ‘Live at Jongleurs’, ‘The Comedy Store’ and ‘The World Stands Up’.

And last, but by no means least, the final evening sees another TV comic who has worked as a newspaper summarizer pundit type thing for BBC News 24 and as warm up for Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Shoot The Messenger - Alistair Barrie.

Also on the bill will be Canadian Glenn Wool, who has played comedy festivals all over the world, including the Edinburgh Fringe and the one and only Keith Donelly, who describes himself as a human theme park and perpetual motion machine!

The Fringe have also extended the comedy theme to The Hand Hotel, with the creation of the Fringe Comedy Club which runs for three nights from Thursday 24th July, with James Campbell himself being joined by Tom Adams, Pete Cain, Wendy Wason and Andrew O’Neill, guitarist Simon James and female duo Ember.

“We never really expected to get such a high calibre line up when we began working on this new idea in association with our new Director of Comedy James Campbell. Tickets have been sold all over the country for this one, which is a very good indication to us that a stand alone festival would be a great benefit to Llangollen,” said Roger.

Date Added: 8-7-2008

Historic WWI Bike at Inaugeral Motorbike Show

A vintage motorcycle, which is believed to have delivered the Kaisers letter of surrender to the Allies at the end of WWI, will be taking centre stage at the inaugural Llangollen Motorbike Show this coming weekend.

The 550cc Triumph Model H belongs to Froncysyllte based enthusiast Brad Jones and was built at the companies famous Coventry works in 1916, being one of 30,000 produced by the company for military use during WWI.

Braddan acquired the bike some 11 years ago and has always been fascinated by the provenance that came with it;

“I acquired the Triumph back in 1997 for £4,000, with the intention of using it on special occasions as it didn’t need any work doing to it at all really, which was my main reason for wanting it.

The bike had been in the same family since the early 1920’s, with the father of the person I bought it off being a Colonel in the British Army, who kept the bike when he left the forces.

It came with letters from previous riders of the machine in the London and Brighton areas, stating they believed this was the very bike that carried the letter of surrender from the Kaiser to the Allies in 1918 - I was stunned! Not only had I got the model I’d been after for some time but I’d also acquired a bit of world history, ’ said Brad.

The incident that lead to the outbreak of war occurred on June 28th 1914 when the heir to the Austrian throne, Crown Prince Ferdinand, was murdered by activists in Sarajevo.

Britain declared war on Germany on August 4th that year and WWI began in earnest.

The then Liberal Foreign Secretary, Edward Gray was moved to say: “The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”

By the end of hostilities a total 10 million were dead and over 20 million were injured on all sides combined.

The letter of surrender and notice of abdication was issued on 9th November 1918. The official Armistice was signed on 11th November 1918.

The letter also saw the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II take immediate effect, opening up the way for German dissatisfaction and the ultimate rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

The Model H replaced the earlier Model A in early 1915 and is considered by many to be the first ‘modern’ motorcycle. Its 4bhp engine and outstanding reliability made it the bike of choice for British despatch riders throughout the war, acquiring the nickname ‘The Trusty Triumph.’

BM 8369 will be joined at the show by a number of other bikes owned by the Jones family, including more Triumph models, Norton’s and Velocette’s.

“The Motorbike Show is to be a celebration of all things bikes, inclusive of exhibition stands from the main manufacturers, classic and vintage, modern, off-road, in fact, you name it and it’ll probably be here!’

We’ve got exhibition space, traders and a variety of bikes on display in the Pavilion itself, with even more outside on the field. There will be freestyle motocross and trials displays going on all weekend in the arena, along with a funfair for the big and little kids! The live music stage will also be up and running which will all be complimented by extensive catering and a bar.

Brad bringing this very important Triumph along is a real coup for the show, and I know interest in it will be extremely high. It will be taking centre stage in the Eisteddfod Pavilion, which is very apt really as they’ve both more than done their bit for world peace,” said organiser David Green of Xuberance Events.

Date Added: 31-7-2008

Oldest Caravan in the World at Motor Museum

What could well prove to be the oldest motorised caravan in the world is celebrating its 100th birthday from its current home, ironically in one of the top tourism destinations in the UK.

The small Motor Museum in Llangollen, North Wales, has housed the single berth, wooden construction for over 12 years, not really thinking it to be of any importance until recent research pointed out what a unique piece of the British leisure industry they have on display!

“The caravan has been kindly loaned to us by a gentleman from Bala and has been a part of the museum collection for over the past 12 years or so.

All we knew it was constructed from plans published in the motoring press in 1908 so we thought we’d do a bit of research for its 100th birthday - and that’s when we found out its true significance,” said Llangollen Museum owner Mr Gwilym Owen.

The first horse drawn ‘leisure’ caravan, The Wanderer, was designed by writer Dr W. Gordon-Stables and built by the Bristol Carriage Company in 1880. He used the vehicle as a mobile study from which to write his successful boys books and was probably influenced by the assorted ’caravans’ used by travelling salesmen and Gypsies earlier in the century.

One of his best selling books was a travel-log of a mammoth trip to Scotland in his horse drawn caravan, entitled “The Cruise of the Land Yacht Wanderer.” Many other ‘Gentleman Gypsies’ were inspired to follow this example, resulting in the formation of the Caravan Club in 1907, with Gordon Stables its first President.

Horse powered caravans were still very much in use up until just after WWI, with the motorised versions generally believed to have been introduced around 1915.

“This puts our caravan some 7 years earlier than the current histories believe, which makes it a very important piece of British motoring heritage. It just shows how sophisticated cars had become in a relatively short space of time, with manufacturers such as Rover, Daimler and of course Rolls Royce now in full swing,” said Gwilym.

The caravan itself was built by a Mr A. W. Haslam, an amateur artist from Heanor, Derbyshire and was used solely on his painting expeditions to beauty spots up and down the country.

Mr Haslam would be away for up to two months at a time but unfortunately went blind in 1940 but he was still taken for holidays in it by his family up until the time of his death in 1958, when aged 80.

The last known ‘trip’ for this amazing vehicle was in July 1960, from when it was stored in a barn by his granddaughter until 1988, when it was sold on to a local man who in turn sold it to the present owner.

“It’s had a little bit of modernisation over the years, such as new wheels and axle from a 1930’s Austin and a more modern hitch but everything else is basically the same as it was when constructed.

It’s very much like a garden shed on wheels and I can imagine it was very cosy in its day, especially if you tried to fit more than one person inside it. Still, everything has to start somewhere!”

Date Added: 8-8-2008

Queen of cakes will star in Llangollen

A celebrity baker who’s a favourite of Simon Cowell and Victoria Beckham will be the icing on the cake for one of the UK’s top food festivals.
It’s been confirmed Mich Turner will be officially opening the Llangollen Food Festival which starts on Saturday, October 18.
Mich’s confections have been the centrepiece of some of the world’s biggest parties.
Madonna’s wedding cake? Mich made that. Piers Brosnan’s? His too. Sir Paul McCartney? Check. David Beckham’s 30th birthday cake? Yup, that one as well.
Only the most foolhardy event planners neglect to keep her number on speed dial.
Mich – known as the Queen of Couture Cakes - will be sharing her secrets of succesful cake decorating at this year’s Llangollen Food Festival.
The news has delighted David Green, from Xuberance Events, who has taken the event over from the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd.
He said: “I am absolutely thrilled that somebody of Mich’s calibre will be starring at this year’s festival.”
The star pupil in her Home Economics A’ level class, Mich was invited to decorate her teacher’s wedding cake - despite having no previous experience.
But she jumped at the challenge, signed up for a four day cake decoration course and hasn’t looked back since.
“I really enjoyed it and when I had finished my degree in Food Technology I picked it up again when I graduated,” she says.
She quickly established her niche, providing stylish, statement cakes that put your average white iced fruit cake in the shade.
Sadly, confidentiality clauses forbid her from revealing whether Madonna wanted fruit or sponge or whether Becks had a passion for buttercream filling.
“It’s a fact that some of our best work goes unseen because of our confidentiality clauses,” she says.
“We did (former Hollyoaks actress) Davinia Taylor’s wedding cake. It was stunning but I can’t tell you why.”
As well as being able to keep a secret, Mich also has to be able to conjure up a tasty creation at the drop of a hat
“We had 48 hours notice for David Beckham’s 30th birthday cake. Not the sort of thing you want on a daily basis but it was a fantastic challenge to be able to turn that around in that time and fly it out to Madrid on the Monday.
“It was very ornate, very specific. It wasn’t a case of ‘this is what I can do for you’, rather ‘this is what I want…’”
She attributes the success of her business, the award winning Little Venice Cake Company to her designs.
“They’re really iconic, keen, classical, contemporary and breathtaking,” she says. “They are the ulitmate luxury experience in cakes.”
As well as baking cakes for the rich and famous - and those who want cakes like them – Mich has also penned Spectacular Cakes winner of the World Cookbook Awards’ Best Dessert Book.
Her CV positively glitters. In 2006 she was named Harpers Bazaar & CHANEL Entrepreneur of the Year and Gordon Ramsay calls her The Bentley of Cake makers.
No two weeks are the same, she says, although she and her team will usually bake and decorate cakes for around 30 weddings.
Do disasters ever happen in this award-winning, tightly run ship?
“Oh, yes,” she admits. “But it’s knowing how to turn them round. You can’t just ring people up in tears and say their cake has collapsed.
“Just this weekend one of our van drivers was too hard on the brakes and a four tier cake went over.
“We could only rescue two tiers so we pulled in a team to restack it, redid the two tiers and got it out after a call to the banqueting team to find out what time we had to get it there.
“It can be very challenging,” she says, with a laugh …
Her advice to those planning to make, bake and decorate their own wedding cake is “Buy my book!”
But for those whose finances are even tighter, she advises: “Keep it simple. Don’t challenge yourself. And give it lots of time. Much more than you think you need.”
That way, says Mich, you can have your cake and eat it on your big day.
Another star of the show will be an Anglesey businessman who is hoping to win a top award for Wales – with help from some rather slippery customers.
As a delicacy eels are usually associated with London's East End but now David McCreadie is aiming to impress celebrity chef Gary Rhodes.
The eels which are treated at the Derimon Smokery, at Dulas, are becoming a home-from-home treat for the growing number of Londoners living on Anglesey.
Now, there fame is spreading farther afield because David is among five regional finalists in the UK Food Heroes competition on UKTV, and the winners will be announced in November.
That means that visitors to the Llangollen Food Festival will have a chance to sample for themselves Derimon's latest popular product prior, it is hoped, to David collecting the award. Voting for the
shortlist was done by TV viewers.
He paid tribute to the importance of Llangollen Food Festival in providing a springboard for Derimon’s success since he founded the company with is partner, Chis Jones, in 2003.
David said: “The Llangollen festival is fantastic and it thoroughly deserves the growing reputation it has.
“The festival is a showcase for the world-class produce we have in North Wales. You’re flying the flag, that’s why you do it.”
David Green’s Xuberance company runs three other major events in the town – the Gardening Show, the Motorbike Show and Llangollen Hot Air Balloon festival

He said: “The Food Festival is one of the most popular events in the town’s calendar. It’s great for attracting visitors and for promoting local producers.
“It’s a real shop window for them and producers based in North Wales and the borders will remain a priority for me.
“This country has some fabulous food and drink and this area produces more than its fair share.
“It’s our job to showcase that whether it’s Uncle Peter’s Fudge from Llangollen or mussels from the Menai Straits.”
He is also keen to develop the Festival’s links with the town and this is welcomed by the likes of local delicatessen owner Derek Hughes of Porter’s of Llangollen.
He developed his on-line business into a shop on Market Street and has been at the Festival for the last two years and is convinced of its importance to the town.
He says: “It’s such a wonderful centrepiece for all things foodie.
“It’s got a great venue and is a tremendous attraction for people interested in fine food and drink.
“It has a good local flavour but there’s an international dimension to it as well which adds something extra and since I opened the shop last year a lot of people have called as a result of me exhibiting at the Food Festival.”

Date Added: 19-9-2008

£1million Refit of Historic Hotel Cements Commitment to Llangollen

One of North Wales’ most picturesque hotels has just completed a £1million refit to cater for the increased levels of business developed over the past 3 years.

The Chainbridge Hotel, on the outskirts of Llangollen, has seen visitor numbers increase by over 55% since it came into the ownership of the Llangollen Hotels Group, who also own the Wild Pheasant, Bryn Howel and Bodidris Hall Hotels within the region.

“The current investment levels are an indication of our commitment to the tourism product of Llangollen, which we believe can and will get even stronger over the next few years.

The product enables excellent visitor potential throughout the year, with established events, attractions, outdoor pursuits as well as the fascinating history and stunning scenery the town and greater Dee Valley has to offer. We’re here and here to stay,” said Stephanie Booth, Managing Director of the Llangollen Hotels Group.

The plans to take the Llangollen Steam Railway as far as Corwen are another factor in the long term decision making towards the hotel group, especially with the soon to be restored Berwyn Station an ideal dropping off point.

The Chainbridge Hotel itself has seen a programme of improvements which include the fitting of a new flat roof, a complete refurbishment of all 36 bedrooms, new carpeting throughout, the introduction of WiFi to name but a few.

“It’s virtually a new hotel, the nearest work we could have done without knocking it down and starting again, which was actually discussed! The most amazing thing about all the work is it has been done whilst still open and it didn’t affect our visitors at all.

The hotel is now up to the standards of quality we expect from all our properties but it doesn’t mean we’ll be standing still. There are always new ideas and developments and we’ll always be looking to introduce them at the nearest possible opportunity,” continued Stephanie.

“The current plans to restore the actual chain bridge itself should, when completed, create a whole new tourism product, linking the refurbished hotel with the Llangollen Railway and Canal, helping to generate further investment into the local economy.

It’s a long term dream shared by both ourselves and the local community but there’s a lot of water to flow under the bridge before that project reaches fruition,” continued Stephanie.

Date Added: 13-11-2008

Hotel Manager Hit’s the Right Note!

Llangollen’s musical reputation is to be enhanced even further following the appointment of a new General Manager at the prestigious Wild Pheasant Hotel.

Debbie Williams, who took up the post in May is a dab hand on the piano or guitar but it’s her career as a cornet player in one of the country’s top brass bands where she has made a name for herself, even performing in the Royal Albert Hall in the millennium year.

“I’ve always loved music from a very early age and it was no real surprise, considering I’m from the North West with its strong tradition in Brass Bands, that I ended up playing for Old Hall Brass Band in my hometown of Wigan.

It’s a real passion up there, just as male voice choirs are here in Wales, and I’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country with Old Hall but I suppose the highlight had to be coming 3rd in the National Championships in 2000, which meant performing in the Royal Albert Hall - an experience I’ll never forget,’ said Debbie.

This year she has been promoted to Principle Cornet Player, much to the delight of her personal coach Trevor Halliwell, who himself was the Champion Cornet Player of Great Britain in 1979.

“It’s a real honour. It means more responsibility during performances, including solos of course, but one I’m going to thoroughly enjoy,” said Debbie.

In between all her musical engagements Debbie has built up a very successful 21 year career in the hotel and hospitality industry, acquiring a very impressive number of qualifications in all areas of the business.

Previous ports of call include Camelot Theme Park’s own hotel, Park Hall, where she was Manager of the huge complexes two restaurants, Functions Manager at the 400 room Norbreck Hotel in Blackpool and General Manager of the highly prestigious Hotel Hogue do Pommerie on Guernsey.

But despite this, Debbie sees her appointment as General Manager of the Wild Pheasant as one of her most exciting challenges to date.

“Every manager likes to stamp their own style on a hotel and, even though the Wild Pheasant is an excellent hotel, I believe I can make it even better.

Many people come to stay in Llangollen for Llangollen but I’d like to make a stay at the Wild Pheasant an attraction in itself - the elements are all here, quality accommodation, a top restaurant as well as a Spa and hair salon.

Another major market waiting to be developed here is conferencing. Llangollen is uniquely blessed for this lucrative trade in not only having the hotel accommodation but the Royal International Pavilion as well. I’m sure a partnership approach with Denbighshire County Council would be very fruitful here.

It’s going to be a very busy time ahead and I just hope I’ll be able to make playing in the launch ceremony on the first day of the British Junior Golf Open at Hesketh Golf Club later this month - it’s going to be tight!!” said Debbie.

Date Added: 13-11-2008