Blog

Continuing her series of articles exploring small businesses and entrepreneurs in Cardiff, this month Sarah-Jane samples the delights of local, independently run Bon Café on Fidlas Road, and finds a warm welcome from a café that prides itself on providing a quality service.  The last five years has seen a huge increase in coffee shop chains. They seem to be on every street within our city centre, and spreading to our local high streets. If you’re in the need of…

My Dear Chums, Here’s another little story of big business and the way it operates from the shadows.  Upon a recent visit to a large supermarket with the Sainted Mother-in-Law, she dropped a jar of honey which she had secreted in her coat (only kidding).  It conveniently failed to bounce.  She then looked for an assistant and explained what had happened.  She was advised that no instore cleaner would be available for many hours (this being late morning) because the…

Le Cordon Bleu the world-leading culinary school has announced that they will be launching the UK Scholarship Award this year. They will be travelling the country and hosting exclusive events in different regions. These events are a great opportunity to find out more about Le Cordon Bleu and the UK Scholarship Award, and also a way for potential entrants to experience a taster of life at the prestigious school, with exclusive culinary demonstrations from Le Cordon Bleu London’s renowned Master…

FANCY a night of rocking riffs from some of the greatest bands to ever have rocked the earth?Well, get ready to turn the amps up to 11 as The Classic Rock Show: A-Z of Rock thunders through St David’s Hall, Cardiff, next Thursday (16 February) at 7.30pm. Now in its seventh year, this foot-stomping and fist-pumping extravaganza celebrates the ‘Alphabet of Rock’ with soaring solos and killer chords! Relive some of the most memorable six-string sounds from AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Eagles,…

My Dear Chums, It’s Election Time again and I have a number of comments to make.  So let’s start with our recent Assembly Elections?  I should emphasise at this point that I have no particular political affiliation but I have a number of overseas clients and trying to explain to them the outcome of the Election made me look at what really happened in a more critical way. The turnout was 45% of those entitled to vote.  This meant that…

My Dearest Chums, Is it just me or is there more than a passing resemblance between Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood fame and our World no 1 rugby referee Nigel Owens? Talking of singers, what about Gloria Leicester Fan?  Very popular of late. Staying with showbiz, I read that the recently departed David Gest was in the UK to tour in his musical show “David Gest Is Not Dead, But Alive With Soul”.  I must confess to having…

My Dearest Chums, I am given to understand that a number of Senior Lawyers read this drivel every month (by which I mean the drivel wot I write rather than the eminently more readable stuff my fellow scribes put together for your delectation).  It is only to be hoped that no Senior Psychiatrists do the same or my days of freedom may well be over. Anyway, the law is an interesting area.  I have been embroiled in litigation of late…

I must confess to having dipped into and out of the recent Olympic Games coverage but from what I saw and have since seen with the Paralympics, I confess to being blown away by the dedication and talent of this special group of people.  However, not all of us share this view.  In a recent evening out with the current Mrs Nolan (who is in training for the Triathlon, or Cage Fighting or something), we repaired to the local hostelry,…

Once upon a time, the current Mrs Nolan and I decided to do some missionary work in Clevedon in the West Country.  This being the first Holiday Weekend after the schools broke up. Well true to form, the clever people who decide such matters thought it would be a good wheeze to close the old Severn Bridge thus transforming the new one into a modern ten-mile, traffic jam.  Congratulations.  Having been blessed with cat-like reflexes I did a quick recalculate…

One of the little-known stories to emerge from the recent consumer frenzy that was Christmas, was the plight of the bell-ringers of York Minster.  It seems that in late October last year the 30-strong bell ringing team was summoned at short notice and were abruptly told they were being sacked. The reasons for the move were given as health and safety and risk management.  600 years of chiming ceased.  The Governing body then tried to recruit replacements from local churches…