National Launch   Colin Jackson’s ‘Sanlam Go Dad Run 2015’ 5K for men and boys In aid of Prostate Cancer UK Father’s Day Bute Park, Cardiff, Sunday June 21st, 10.30am www.godadrun.co.uk Former World, European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion and Olympic silver medalist Colin Jackson was joined by many famous friends this evening at the Malmaison Hotel in Charterhouse Square, London when he launched his 3rd annual Sanlam Go Dad Run 5K’s for men and boys. This year the Cardiff…

Edwards Coaches, the largest independent coach operator in Wales and one of the largest in the UK, has secured a £2.2 million funding package from Santander Corporate & Commercial to assist with the purchase of ten new Mercedes coaches. In particular, the deal will allow Edwards Coaches to expand its fleet of holiday coaches, a key growth area for the business. The award-winning 5th generation family run business, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, currently operates a fleet of over 300 buses and…

Rooted in British fashion and design, Clothes Show Live has built a legacy over the decades for supporting the future generation of talent across the creative industry, and its 2015 Bright Young Things campaign is a celebration of just that. Forming part of the show’s established education programme, the annual Bright Young Things photoshoot brings together up-and-coming names from all areas of the industry, spanning photography, styling, modelling, hair styling, make-up artistry and design. Students and graduates who were discovered at the…

Julie-Ann Haines, customer director for Principality Building Society, has been appointed chair of CML Cymru, which represents mortgage lenders and promotes sustainable housing finance in Wales, from today (May 13). She will succeed Peter Hughes, managing director for Principality Commercial, who had been Cymru chair since 2009. Julie-Ann said upon her appointment: “I would like to thank Peter Hughes for his dedication as chair and providing a strong voice for the industry over the past seven years. I am excited to be the first female chair of CML Cymru and…

WELSH SUMMARY In April, footfall numbers in Wales were 3.6% lower than a year ago, down from the 1.7% fall in March 2015. The vacancy rate in Wales was 12.7%, a sharp decline from 15.5% in the previous quarter UK Summary Footfall in April was 0.8% lower than a year ago, down from the 0.2% rise in March. This is below the three-month average of -0.3%. Both High Streets and Shopping Centres reported a decline, falling 0.1% and 3.0% respectively….

   The Carpark King and “Strange Folk”                  Last month I briefly mentioned the finding and reburial of King Richard III.  It’s the kind of bloke I am, forever topical.  I then heard on the radio that the lady who found him in the car park in Leicester knew he was there all along, as she “was drawn to the letter K in Parking” which is how she determined where he was located. …

The Tale of the Ring and other Tall Stories       My fellow insomniacs, all of a sudden it’s time to compose another page of drivel.  Believe it or not it is “composed” so you can only imagine what it might be like if it was written “al fresco” so to speak.  Since we last met, it has come to my attention from differing global sources (Splott and Cyncoed primarily) that there is some question about whether my scribblings have…

            “What on earth is that noise?” I asked The Boss through a fog of sleep. Checking the bedside clock showed it to be three in the morning. “There it is again”, as a series of muffled thuds filtered into our bedroom. The Boss replied that it sounded like a basketball being bounced on the road outside our house. It is astonishing how quickly one can shift from sweet dreams to wide-awake. Fair leaping out of bed I bounded across…

Phantoms strike up the right chord! City Hall, Cardiff is set to be haunted by a trio of phantoms in a new musical celebration featuring two former-Phantoms: Welsh Phantom Mike Sterling; Nic Greenshields; and Kieran Brown, currently appearing in Phantom of The Opera, to support all-Wales charity Welsh Hearts. The 3 Phantoms will take to the stage at The City Hall in Cardiff, on Sunday 17th May at 7pm All of the artists have starred as the Phantom in the West End and…

Courses offer latest sustainability training for built environment professionals A major new training programme for professionals in the built environment sector in Wales has launched its full list of courses. Built Environment Sustainability Training (BEST) is offering flexible, fully subsidised training to develop knowledge and skills in the latest sustainability practices – particularly in construction, energy, waste, and water. The programme is supported by the European Social Fund, through the Welsh Government and offers fully subsidised courses to people who live or…