Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism: A Brief History and Work in Progress

2. Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism A brief historyand work in progress.. March 2015 DRAFT ONE

4. 18th May 1906 • LLANGOLLEN TRADERS' ASSOCIATION. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING, A special general meeting under the auspices of the newly-formed Llangollen and District Traders' Association was held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, on Tuesday night, • ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Mr. E. R. Parry (tailor), Mr. J. H. Davies (confectioner), Mr. J, W, Davies (plumber), Mr. A. J. Price (hairdresser), Mr T. Lloyd Jones (corn dealer), Mr. F. Little (grocer), Mr. Ivor Rowlands (confectioner), Mr. A. Avery (furniture dealer), Mr. W. P. Evans (grocer), Mr. E. D. Jones (chemist), Mr. E. Hughes (saddler), and Mr. J. S. Shaw (licensed victualler). Mr. T. J. Williams was unanimously elected secretary. • The rules were then considered seriatim, by the meeting. They provide, inter alia, that the district shall comprise the parishes of Llangollen, Chirk Glynceiriog, Llantysilio, Glyndyfrdwy and Carrog that traders occupying business premises or carrying on business shall be eligible for membership that the Association, shall be absolutely non-political and undenominational:.

5. (1) To take into consideration and discuss all matters connected withthe interests of the various traders of the above district; • (2) To bring the influence of the Association to bear in all matters affecting local trades-such as rates of carriage, hours of closing, public holidays, the bye-laws of local authorities, rates, taxes, and insurance trade sales and unfair competition; • (3) To assist members to recover monies due to them, and to avoid bad debts;

6. May 1906 • Llangollen& District Traders Association • Entertainment including Christmas Festival • Road signs • Golf Links • Railway Company • Swimming bath • Resort and Pleasure Ground • Llangollen Urban Council • National Association of Chamber of Trade

7. 1935 -1975 National Farmer's Union Llangollen Branch 1935 Chairman D Foulkes Jones 1975 Chairman D M Pierson 1946 – 1967 Llangollen Development Association " A voluntary organisation for Improving Local Amenities" (became the Civic Trust) Sponsored by the Urban District Council 1947 Llangollen Town Publicity Committee 1951 – 1978Llangollen Publicity Association 1954 Llangollen Chamber of Trade

8. 1947 Town Council Publicity Committee

9. At Christmas and New Year Seasonthere were many complaints from housewives about uncertaintyof shopping hours. Go down one day the butcher would be open andthe grocer closed. Another day, you could buy a box of tin tacks butnot a card of darning wool! But for Easter, the Chamber of Trade isdistributing printednotices on which shopkeepers can fill in theirdays and times of opening & closing. This should help, but will needmemorisingif there are many variations! At the recent meeting of the Executive Committee reference wasmade to the following matters of general interest: The time of delivery of parcel post which was said to be much behind scheduled hour;the need' for' stamp-vending machines to be available in the towncentre; the extremely slow delivery of goods carried by British Road Services'; the need to have the principal streets cleaned at an earlier hour during the holiday season; the provision of bi lingual signs for street names and other. public notices. In all these casesrepresentations to the appropriate authorities are being made by the Chamber.It was also resolved officially to support the Inland Waterways Association and the local committeein their effort to secure the preservation of the canal in its navigable condition. The colourful window plaques notifying membership of the Chamber are displayed in many shop windows and should help to recruit more traders for this useful movement. E.E.G 1954 Llangollen Chamber of Trade A General Meeting LLANGOLLE'N CHAMBER OF TRADE. of members WILL BE HELD AT MORRIS'S CAFE, CASTLE ST. LLANGOLLEN. ' on WEDNESDAY, MAY 26th, 1954 at 7.30' p.m. . All members are urged to' attend.

10. 1958 Llangollen Chamber of Trade At a meeting of the Executive Committee held an Monday evening under the Chairmanship of Mr. H. Glynnejones, it was decided to proceed with the organization of an exhibition of local industry during late September and a meeting with the industrial undertakings has been arranged for the 30th June. The meeting also approved a design for the welcome signs which the Chamber, in conjunction with the Urban District Council are to erect at the four approaches to the town. The design, which embodies the Dee Bridge, the river and Castell Dinas Bran was produced by Miss Una Dyer, member of the Committee, to whom the sincere thanks of the members were expressed. Many other topics of interest to traders were discussed, including the problem of the disposal trade refuse, and parking difficulties in the town as they affected traders. The meeting also decided to convey to the' president of the Chamber Mr. V, Clayton Russon the hearty congratulations upon the Knighthood conferred upon him in the recent honours list.

12. 1965 Llangollen Chamber of Trade Abolition of Retail Price Maintenance- Birth of supermarkets Reviewing the work of the past year at the Annual General Meeting of the Llangollen Chamber of Trade on January 21st -the chairman, Mr. H. Glynne Jones, said that the topic which had dominated their deliberations duringthe year had been the controversial question of the new Rating Valuations as they had affected business premises. Chambers of Trade throughout the country had expressed their apprehension at the new proposals and followingupon this the National Chamber of Trade, the Drapers Chamber of Trade and other similar organisations hadjointly submitted their representations to the Minister of Local Government, then Mr. Duncan Sandys, urging some review of the inequitable position. This sustained and concerted pressure had yielded a welcome admission that theproposals operated with undue harshness upon the trader. The strength of the case and the persistence withwhich it had been pursued had resulted in an announcement by the minister made in the House of Commons on the 10th December that a new Bill would be introduced to reduce the assessment of shops by 20% for the purpose of arriving at the rates to be paid. The original assessments made by the Valuer in the Valuation Lists still stand. Any member who thought that the original assessment was too high because it was in excess to current rental values and had intended to make formal objections to it should not now feel that he should abandon his appeal if he had a good case. He moved that the thanks of the Chamber should be sent to the National body for their efforts 'and this was unanimously agreed.

13. Llangollen Publicity Association 1968 / 69 Llangollen Publicity Association 1975

14. Llangollen Publicity Association 1978 Llangollen Publicity Association 1983

15. Llangollen & District Chamber of Trade 1982

16. 1951 – 1992 Llangollen Publicity Association 1968 Wrexham & N E Wales Publicity Group 1972 N E Wales Publicity Group 1992 – 2004 Llangollen Tourism Association Del Roberts-Jones 1997 Stuart Davies 1999 – 2002 Jeremy Knibbs 2002 – 2004 George Smith 2004 Judith Dodd 1997 – 2002 Wendy Davis  Coordinator 2002 Llangollen Business Association Peter Longlands, Martin Crumpton 2004 Llangollen Enterprise (merger of Tourism Association and Chamber of Trade) Judith Dodd 2004 – 2009 Llangollen Partnership Alan Found Stuart Davies

17. Llangollen Tourism Association 2002 Chair George Smith

18. LlangollenEnterprise 2004 • Publicity • Canoeing • Eurozone • Bunny Hop • French Market • Da Vinci Code Holy Grail • A5 Closure • Balloon Festival • Christmas Festival • Food Festival

19. 1982 Llangollen & District Chamber of Trade 1982 John Burnett 1985Clive Wilson 2000 Terry Woodford Peter Jones Ruth Jones Malcolm Sutclliffe 2008 Llangollen Chamber of Trade (formerly Llangollen Enterprise) Stephanie Booth 2009 Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism 2011 Nigel Davies 2011 John Palmer 2013 David Davies 1951 – 1992 Llangollen Publicity Association 1968 Wrexham & N E Wales Publicity Group 1972 N E Wales Publicity Group 1992 – 2004 Llangollen Tourism Association Del Roberts-Jones 1997 - 1999 Stuart Davies 1999 – 2002 Jeremy Knibbs 2002 – 2004 George Smith 2004 Judith Dodd 1997 – 2002 Wendy Davis  Coordinator 2002 Llangollen Business Association Peter Longlands, Martin Crumpton 2004 Llangollen Enterprise (merger of Tourism Association and Chamber of Trade) Judith Dodd 2004 – 2009 Llangollen Partnership Alan Found Stuart Davies

20. Llangollen Chamber of Trade 2003 Chair: Ruth Jones

21. Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism 2010 Chair: Stephanie Booth

22. LlangollenChamber of Trade & Tourism 2011 Chair:Nigel Davies 2011 Chair: John Palmer

23. 2013 Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism Chair: David Davies

24. "Chamber of Trade discusses its meeting with Sainsbury's" May 2014

25. Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism 2014 • Membership doubled to over 50 • Advertising / Promotion on the Website • Free Town maps • Membership window stickers • Range of Visiting speakers • Representation at local business / trade events •  Site visits • Street Banners • Monthly reports Llangollen News

28. Llangollen Chamber of Trade & Tourism 2015 • Networking with other businesses • Inclusion in the official town website: www.llangollen.org.uk • Preferential advertising • Free training opportunities • Advance notice of events • Coordinated town activities • Representing your views to help continue making Llangollen a successful town

29. With thanks to Peter JonesLlangollen Museum Sandra Baker Helen Charlton Stuart Davies Wendy Davies Judith Dodd Bob Jacques David Glyn Jones Gareth Jones Peter Jones Ruth Jones Ann Owen Ian Parry Margaret Pierce Jenkins Chris Smith George Smith Malcolm Sutcliffe Gareth Thomas Clive Wilson Terry Woodford Ruthin Archives

30. Research Newspapers Llangollen, Corwen and Bala Advertiser 1860 Llangollen Advertiser 1868 Llangollen Advertiser and North Wales Journal 1893 Llangollen Advertiser and Merionethshire 1917 Llangollen Chronicle and North Wales Advertiser 1921 Tuesday Review for Corwen and Llangollen Districts 1946 Llangollen Broadsheet 1967 The New Llangollen Broadsheet Llangollen and District1 1976 The Broadsheet 1983 Llangollen and District Courier 1997 Llangollen News 2003 Llan Blogger 2012 http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/home http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/

31. A brief historyand work in progress.. March 2015 DRAFT ONE