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  • Llandudno High Street on a High

    One of the most unwelcome sights in these financial times of difficulty is the closing down of shops on our high street. All boarded up with no life left in them with only a few of the most popular left still standing. However, recent news has suggested there may be further reason to visit Llandudno after all.

    The Llandudno Victoria Centre has long been the hub for all ranges of shops and trades but there have been a couple of vacancies since the economic strife of recent years. That’s all set to change though as after the opening of two new stores and further additions to come, the future looks assured in the jewel of the crown of the Queen of Welsh Resorts.

    The two companies, Rectella and Code Cosmetics, have filled the vacant stores amidst the news of footfall improving for the whole centre; unfathomable in the darker days of the recession where it seemed like they were dropping everywhere.  The most publicised of these closures would have to be Jessop’s earlier in the year.

    Such news looks to gladly be a thing of the past now though as new stores continue to pop-up throughout the town. A patisserie and an artist’s gallery are amongst the additions touted for success with possibilities in Cwrt Roger Mostyn for an electronics business and a coffee wholesaler also in the pipeline.

    Trish Roberts of the new Rectalla store echoed these sentiments: “We were delighted at the way the store took off so well in Llandudno, and it is going from strength to strength. We have obviously filled a gap in the market, so it bodes well for a successful future here.”

    As Llandudno begins to prosper again, it looks as if this historic town may have come out of the other end of the recession for the better and people will surely continue to flock to its streets in even higher numbers.

  • Christmas Time in Llandudno

    This weekend’s super Llandudno Christmas Fayre brought with it the season to be jolly with great fun and excitement to be had for all. What other activities in Llandudno are there this Christmas time? The simple answer is many, many more.

    As ever, Venue Cymru located just along the promenade completely embraces the Yuletide feeling and has plenty to get kids and grown-ups excited alike.

    Panto is big on the billing throughout December with a wonderful array of performance of Sleeping Beauty available throughout the month. Stars of Coronation Street and Coach Trip are set to take to the stage over charming nights in winter but make sure you book ahead as tickets are being snapped up!

    Another event to not be missed is Noel, Noel: a showcase of beloved classical music that offers a fantastic break from the frantic high street.

    Want to shake off that wintry bite on your toes? Then get involved in the Zumba night being held by North Wales’ premier instructors in the field of dance.

    Moverz’n’Shakerz are two girls who love to get people into fitness and their event on the 6th of December is going to set the tone for an early New Year’s Resolution or two! There’s a brilliant fancy dress competition for you to get down to with the winner being treated maybe treated to one or two free drinks from the bar!

    A more classic dancing occasion awaits you at the Grand Christmas Ball on the 21st of December at Venue Cymru. After tucking in to some great Christmas food, you are invited to take to the dancefloor with a partner and wow your friends, an ideal time for you to all bond in the spirit of Noel.

    An altogether different time is to be had at the Antiques and Collector’s Fair in Llandudno this season. Set just after the last of the turkey has been gobbled up on the 28th, this will be a great event for all those with an eye for a bargain or two.

  • Llandudno Christmas Fayre 2013

    Llandudno Christmas FayreThere are few events which encapsulate the spirit of Christmas but the Llandudno Christmas Fayre is definitely one of them. This year, this grand occasion looks to be even grander than ever with much to see and do.

    After a stupendous 30,000 people attended last year’s event (10,000 more than the actual population of Llandudno itself!) the festivities seem to draw the crowds in from far and wide in the north and what’s not to love?

    The whole area really comes to life as artists and crafters share their work for your interest and there is so many different types for you to look at and inevitably buy! From jewellery to photography, you’re unlikely to want to leave long after the fayre ends on the 24th of November after starting on the 21st.

    If you’re after something a little stronger than sherry to accompany your Christmas meal, there are plenty of superb vendors who specialise in supplying only the best in local produce. Celtic tastes are high on the menu but top quality offerings from the Llangollen Brewery and Pieroth Wines are not to be ignored either.

    Feeling peckish? Then make your way over to one of the plentiful stalls which specialise in excellent foods throughout the event. From the gourmet efforts of Amuse Bouche to some sweets and treats for the kids, you’re sure to find a delight to fill that gap. Rustic, savoury or sweet; you name it and the Llandudno Christmas Fayre will provide.

    There will be plenty of live music and exhibitions for your enjoyment to with the RSPB returning to Llandudno after all their work at this year’s Extravaganza. Without doubt though, there’s only one man all the kids will want to see and Santa Claus in North Wales is always a special time for all with tickets to see him in his Alice in Wonderland themed grotto only £4!

    With this and so much more to look forward to, there’s only one place you should be this November in Llandudno to really get you in the mood for Christmas.

  • Llandudno Hospital Due For £1.9 Million Investment

    visit LlandudnoWhen you take a trip and visit Llandudno, you can never be too careful on your travels. You would have been in safe hands even before a recent announcement but after it, you can be completely assured.

    The figure being touted is an impressive £1.9 million which indicates how the health sector is on the up in North Wales despite it floundering elsewhere. Although functional, the Llandudno base is relatively small – something that campaigners were eager to have expanded.

    Their success has resulted in plenty of new additions to the hospital with the news emerging of better facilities and less of a dense feel to it as the plans to provide more space for patients and staff are put into place in January next year.

    As a thriving facility, Llandudno has over 17,000 admissions each year and is right up there with the busiest in the country for its type. The general idea is that the improvements will negate the need to put further pressure on district general departments such as the ones in Bangor and Bodelwyddan.

    Situated close to the town’s esteemed golf club, the hospital has offered some respite and care to locals over the past few years and is frequented by people suffering from minor injuries more than those who are in poorer health. With its expansion, the pressure on the main hospitals that deal with the more serious cases will be relieved.

    The chairman of the Llandudno Hospital Action Group had this to say on the subject:

    “This is long-awaited and much-needed and secures the future of the hospital. It has been all doom and gloom on the health front recently, so I’m delighted to have some good news.”

    Ms. Groom added: “Our group has never given up on Llandudno Hospital and never will. We have to keep health services in local communities.”

    With such a positive news story like this, it bears mentioning that the group tired constantly to achieve their cause and it just highlights what makes the people of Llandudno so special.

  • Llandudno Featured in Volkswagen Advert

    If you’re contemplating whether or not you should visit Llandudno, it could be worth considering that you’ll be following in the footsteps (or rather pawsteps) of some famous dogs.

    The German car company Volkswagen recently decided to shoot an advert in Llandudno that featured our furry friends whizzing about the beautiful resort town with so much of its fantastic scenery being highlighted throughout. During September, camera crews (as they so often do) came to the area to shoot the popular advertisement that has over 100,000 views already on YouTube.

    With the idea behind the advert being, “there a VW for everybody”, the pooches are seen driving along some of Llandudno’s most beloved sights. The Great Orme received welcome exposure and it’s little surprise considering its breathtaking scale and the gorgeous houses that are situated below it. The promenade also features heavily and it looks like the dogs enjoyed it as much as the people there!

    Just a short journey away from the illustrious town, the fun-loving pooches could also be seen veering along Marine Drive near Penrhyn Bay before they were seen gallivanting all the way down Gloddaeth Avenue in the wrong direction.

    With Volkswagen due to open an exciting array of showrooms in the town for 2014, Llandudno looks set to be one of the hubs for the superb new financial growth in the car manufacturing industry in Britain after its economic upturns. A spokesperson for VW said they were quite taken by North Wales before the advert was even shot there.

    “We chose North Wales because the scenery is stunning and so pretty, and because the dogs were all in this country. We thought using lots of different dogs was a charming and humorous way of getting across the fact that there’s a model of VW for everybody.”

    As the dogs have all driven away and the dust has settled, the residents of Llandudno can be proud of yet another big name drawing great attention towards the Queen of Welsh Resorts.

  • Cariad Ink Festival in Llandudno

    When you think of Llandudno with its gorgeous beaches, infamous ice creams and family Cariad Ink Festivalorientated days out, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there isn’t much of an alternative scene going on in this seaside town. This is exactly what the organisers of the Cariad Ink Festival are trying to change this November and December.

    If you look back on the Llandudno of years gone by, you’d seldom see anyone but a travelling sailor adorning some ink. Now though, there is a growing popularity and demand in modern culture for talented tattooists and this is something North Wales can proudly boast to have. Cariad Ink is set to highlight the best from the area and around the world.

    Already an established event after a smaller occasion in the earlier part of 2013, tattoo fans are set to descend on Venue Cymru in their hundreds. February’s edition was a partly-charitable affair with some proceedings going towards research for Motor Neuron Disease, a true reflection on the collective spirit found in the Queen of Welsh Resorts. With £1500 kindly donated to the cause, organisers are set to build on their success and make it a more family-friendly occasion this time round.

    Any tattooist worth their salt will be in attendance with so many booths being installed and snapped up by newcomers and old hands alike. There is talent from all over and they’re all on hand to tattoo either the avid or the new in one of the most relaxed atmospheres you can find.

    For just £15 on Saturday, you’ll find yourself immersed in a truly brilliant day of ink, music and food with plenty of mementos available from the vendors. Local musicians such as the up and coming Cherry Tree Walk are due to take to the stage and bring the house down. The band have found fame after relentless and dedicated touring and are the ones to watch when they headline Saturday night.

    Sunday brings with it a smaller-scale but don’t let that fool you – it will be just as brilliant as the previous day. For just £10, you can enjoy more live music as well as a thrilling performance from the North Wales Pole and Aerial Arts Academy before the overall winners of the tattoo competitions are announced.

    All children under 12 can enjoy the whole event for free over the 30th of November and 1st of December with weekend tickets coming in at a reduced £20.

    If you’re looking to uncover some true tattooing talent, after ink of your own or just want to find out more about the alternative community, this festival is the one for you.

    Save Me From the Robots by Cherry Tree Walk

    “tattoo gun” by www.flickr.com/photos/curmudgeony/

    License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB

  • Venue Cymru in Llandudno This November

    A little bit of everything waits for you this Bonfire season at the iconic Venue Cymru in Llandudno North Shore Beach FrontLlandudno – the first word in theatre, entertainment and fun in North Wales.

    Right at the start of the month, you and the family can come together to enjoy the Dancetastic Festival that is a fantastic event for all. Spread over the course of a few days, all age groups can boogie on down and enjoy workshops, story-telling and creative fun!

    On the 10th, sit back in awe as choral acts from across come together to compete in the North Wales Choral Festival with plenty of famous names on the billing. If you’re an avid fan or just an interested party, this is an unmissable weekend of brilliance for all.

    If you want to carry on the theatrics then you could do no better than an audience with the Vienna Festival Ballet as they deliver a haunting and beautiful rendition of Snow White. You may have seen the Disney film but nothing brings it to life quite like seeing the fairytale on-stage. The Russian State Ballet also bring their superb version of the Nutcracker to the Queen of Welsh Resorts on the 11th of November.

    On a music theme, you can partake of some amazing performances from celebrity names and beloved cover bands alike.  Jane McDonald of Loose Women is the big-hitter this November and is sure to bring her affable charm to the stage along with her belting voice to boot.

    Fancy some cinema in the best surroundings? Venue Cymru hosts plenty of films all month long with box-office smashes like Rush and Turbo looking likely to entertain after massive critical success.

    A warm, Christmassy feeling surrounds the venue come the end of November and if you want to be the first to know what’s on the agenda, make sure you come back this time next month!

  • Llandudno Set to Hit the High Notes

    One of music’s most beloved forms is coming to the seaside town of Llandudno this Llandudno Choral FestivalNovember, a festival that has been evolving over time and in its 25th anniversary for 2013. It can only be the North Wales Choral Festival, a fantastic weekend of music for the whole family.

    Participants range from the young and old in a variety of different competitions which include youth, male voice, ladies, mixed and barbershop. With a generous cash prize available to the winner, there is sure to be an electric array of fantastic choirs each determined to sing their hearts out. The funding is a sign of the dedication to the genre and to enhance the future prospects of local choirs and indeed the international acts who will be attending.

    Famous names in the industry are set to light up the town in November with the fantastic Sioned Terry the most recent acquisition to the already bulging line-up. As a mezzo-soprano, she’s enjoyed a great year in her career with performances all over the country and a promising record lined up for release. Slightly more from the left field is Wynne Evans, who most famously plays the tenor for GoCompare’s television adverts. Eager to separate himself from his character, Evans will be headlining the event on Saturday.

    Children aren’t typically known for their love of choirs (unless they are in them!) but help is at hand with workshops and talks available to entertain and educate them throughout the weekend. As part of the Schools Day, child choirs will be able to compete with the eventual goal of improving their skills and increasing their passion. The promise of a fine trophy to show off to their classmates will be quite the incentive!

    If you’re visiting the area then it’d be good to soak up the atmosphere of Llandudno during your stay. Walk along the North Shore and its fantastic pier, enjoy a Punch and Judy display by the beach or take a seat in one of the town’s famous cafes. Whatever you’re after, Llandudno can provide long after the festival is finished.

    There’s only one place to be this year to experience the best choirs and that’s at Venue Cymru from the 8th to 10th of November.


    Highlights of the 2011 show available from the official Choral Festival here.

    “Choir of the Day” by www.flickr.com/photos/pickton/

    License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB

  • The Arts in Llandudno

    Llandudno and the Orme

    The success of the very recent Llandudno Arts Weekend has shone quite the positive light on the local area and its growing influence on the arts. However, there has always been an artistic backbone to the community dating to its glory years and is something to explore when you visit Llandudno.

    As a place filled with inspirational people, it seems right to begin with the smallest. Alice Liddel was a young girl of about 10 native to Oxford who loved nothing more than coming to Llandudno with her family. She had struck up a friendship with the shy and introverted Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a close family friend who would regale her and her sisters with fantastical tales each more inventive than the next. On a fateful boating trip, Dodgson recounted a story that took Liddell so aback that she asked for a manuscript. Using Liddell as inspiration, he set about crafting something enjoyable for younger ages. It involved the adventures of a young called Alice falling down a rabbit-hole.

    Alice in WonderlandDodgson’s early draft was so well-received by all those who read it that it was recommended he take it to a professional publisher. With the title Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, instant approval followed with the book’s reception being overwhelming with it spawning a sequel.

    Everyone knows the rest of the story but not everyone knows the tale of a young girl who inspired genius and one who love Llandudno dearly. Wonderful Alice in Wonderland statues are situated all over town as testament to its effect on the author’s muse.

    LemmyAnother artistic name drawn to Llandudno is of musical roots. Hard rock legend Lemmy of the band Motorhead, iconic for those mutton chops and hard-hitting voice, enjoyed a stay in his earlier years. Working at the Hotpoint centre on the way to fame and fortune, Lemmy would often rehearse with a local band called The Sundowners to hone his talents and surprisingly, learnt how to ride a horse. He moved at the age of 17 but after 35 years away, he still holds Llandudno dear after returning to play at Venue Cymru to an ecstatic crowd.

    A name very popular in the world of art was Sylvia Leigh, an artist famed for her subversive style and subtle takes on modern life. Sleigh emigrated at an early age to the United States of America where in later life her work was acclaimed. One of her most prominent works is The Turkish Bath, a 1979 painting that shows men naked – a drastic change to having women as the only naked models. Her pieces promoted sexual equality and in her own words, “I liked to portray both man and woman as intelligent and thoughtful people with dignity and humanism that emphasized love and joy.”

    “Alice in Wonderland” by jackieleigh and “Mr. Lemmy Kilmister” by Edvil licenses available here.

  • Llandudno Arts Festival Weekend 2013

    The inaugural Llandudno Arts Festival is set to be a free micro festival that has been created by Marc Rees, captain of the illustrations Adain Avion project. The festival weekend takes place on the weekend of 20th, 21st 22nd September 2013.

    The very first Llandudno Arts Weekend (LLAWN01) will be setting out to celebrate Llandudno’s fascinating and colourful history, where attendees explore why exactly why the town was bestowed with the title Queen of Welsh resorts – and see Llandudno hotels in all their glory.

    The jam-packed weekend will re-introduce the old Victorian visitor favourite to the shoreline, with the Bathing Machine – which was an essential component to seaside etiquette in the 19th century.

    Llandudno promenade will become a playground for visitors of all ages, with a number of events, local & international artists along with mobile theatres and galleries to house a series of performances and installation that connect with the town’s history.

    There will be plenty of parallel activities and events that will bring the entire town of Llandudno to life, created in collaboration with the LLAWN01 key partners that include; MOSTYN, Helfa Gelf, Royal Cambrian Academy, Migrations, C.A.S.C, TAPE Community Music and Film, Conwy County Borough Council, Venue Cymru and many more.

    Llandudno is popular with visitors across the United Kingdom, thanks to the reputation is has held over a number of centuries. Perhaps most famously visited during the Victorian era, Llandudno loves to celebrate and embrace its rich heritage and culture with events like the LLAWN01.

    The festival is absolutely free for everyone and presents an exciting development for the event calendar, should this year get off to a fantastic start. If you are local, or happen to be visiting Llandudno during the 20th-22nd September, don’t miss this fantastic event, full of entertainment, history, culture, arts and music!