Youngsters urged to head to Newport and hunt down all the monsters
Children taking part have to find eight monsters hidden on shop fronts across the city centre.
The trail begins and ends at the Central Library in John Frost Square and includes shop fronts in the Kingsway Centre, Friars Walk, Upper Dock Street, Newport Arcade, Bridge Street, Commercial Street and Llanarth Street.
There are two ways to collect the monsters - on the Newport Now app or sheets can be collected from the library to be filled in with the locations of each monster.
After finding the monsters youngsters are given a free story book telling the story of how the monsters learn to be kind to each other.
These can be collected from the library (Tuesday-Saturday only).
The Newport Monster Trail, which runs until September 10, is the final Newport Now family fun project of the summer.
The others included a pop-up picnic park by the river, the urban beach in John Frost Square, and a giant chair trail along the riverfront and Friars Walk.
The beach is open until August 31. The picnic park and giant chair trail are open until September 10.
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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'I was forced onto streets after marriage split but now have unique job'
Invisible Cities offers tours run by people who have experienced homelessness. For dad-of-two Andy it's been life-changing – and his clients love it too. It's a city of famous landmarks, from the stunning Central Library to the neo-gothic Town Hall, Old Trafford to the Etihad, the Chinatown archway to the rising skyscrapers of 'Manc-hattan'. But even if you own an original 1989 bucket hat, Manchester tour guide Andy has something to show you. From tales about the city's quirky Tommy Ducks pub – where bras and knickers were once pinned to the ceiling, and glass-topped coffins were used as tables – or to hear what happened when celebrity medium Derek Acorah encountered spirits as lairy as the Gallagher brothers, Andy is your guide. Like all the tour guides who work for Invisible Cities in Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen, York, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Liverpool and have been affected by homelessness, Andy has a unique perspective of the city he lives in – shaped by his experience of living in a garage in Greater Manchester. Meanwhile Gordon Brown blasts the return of 'poverty of 60 years ago' as he makes one big demand. READ MORE: 'I lost my husband, now I've only got 12 months to live' "I had a group of nurses over from Massachusetts last week," Andy says, as he takes another tour through secret passageways and hidden cut-throughs. "I was able to show them the oldest and best pubs in Manchester and a bit about how people live. Hopefully they experienced something really different." Founded in 2016, Invisible Cities aims to "challenge perceptions of homelessness and provide meaningful opportunities for people to share their experiences and knowledge through unique walking tours". Over the last few weeks, the Oasis faithful have been led by fellow fan Nic, on a 'Wonderwalk' through the city that inspired anthems like Don't Look Back in Anger, visiting iconic spots such as the Free Trade Hall, Microdot, and Afflecks Palace. In Glasgow, tourists get to see the streets from the perspective of people like Brian – who spent 30 years battling addictions and homelessness before rebuilding his life. In Aberdeen, mum-of-three Michelle leads tourists into The Silver City's Shadows where people like her struggle to find a safe home. In York, Miles – a former banker who found his life turned upside down by addiction and homelessness – peels away the layers of local history. These are just some of 158 trained guides, covering tours from 'The Real Women of Edinburgh' to 'York's Railway Heritage' to a poetry and protest tour of Cardiff that ends at the feet of the founder of the NHS, Aneurin Bevan. Invisible Cities' founder, Zakia Moulaoui Guery, set up the project after experiencing something similar on a trip to Athens. "I wanted to bring homelessness out of the shadows," she says. "Our goal is simple: to replace stigma with understanding, and stereotypes with human connection." For Andy it's been life-changing. "It's given me purpose, a future, at a time when everything seemed to have gone," he says. Andy is happy to share his own story with the people he guides around the city too. In 2014, his marriage ended, forcing him to leave the social housing he'd shared for a decade with his ex-wife and two children. He'd been a full-time carer for his son who has cerebral palsy so hadn't been in paid employment for a while, making it even harder to start again. Deemed a low priority for council help – he was told he faced a wait of five years to be housed – he suddenly found himself homeless. "You don't think it can happen to you," he says, shaking his head, "Not at 47. 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South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Youngsters urged to head to Newport and hunt down all the monsters
The Newport Monster Trail, launched by Newport Now Business Improvement District, is part of its summer family fun projects in the city centre. Children taking part have to find eight monsters hidden on shop fronts across the city centre. The trail begins and ends at the Central Library in John Frost Square and includes shop fronts in the Kingsway Centre, Friars Walk, Upper Dock Street, Newport Arcade, Bridge Street, Commercial Street and Llanarth Street. There are two ways to collect the monsters - on the Newport Now app or sheets can be collected from the library to be filled in with the locations of each monster. After finding the monsters youngsters are given a free story book telling the story of how the monsters learn to be kind to each other. These can be collected from the library (Tuesday-Saturday only). The Newport Monster Trail, which runs until September 10, is the final Newport Now family fun project of the summer. The others included a pop-up picnic park by the river, the urban beach in John Frost Square, and a giant chair trail along the riverfront and Friars Walk. The beach is open until August 31. The picnic park and giant chair trail are open until September 10.
South Wales Argus
02-08-2025
- South Wales Argus
Urban Beach returns to Newport for 2025 for family fun
The month-long event, organised by Newport Now BID, sees John Frost Square transformed into a seaside extravaganza with a beach area, deck chairs, and buckets and spades all set up to entertain families throughout the holidays. Come rain or shine, the beach will be open daily throughout August from 9am to 5pm, with families being encouraged to come along and 'have fun in the sand'. (Image: Tom Ryan) 'Quiet hours' have also been designated in the first and last hours of every day so that the event is as inclusive as possible for children and families. The urban beach first took over the popular square last year, attracting nearly 9,500 children throughout August. Organisers will be hoping for similar success this summer as the beach returns. (Image: Tom Ryan) The event is all part of efforts led by the team behind Newport Now BID to drive people into the city over the summer in the hope to boost footfall for local businesses and services. Two of the 'Beach Buddies', who will be on hand throughout the month to ensure families have an enjoyable time, said that the beach's return had been met with positive feedback and 'lots of thank yous' from parents and children. Darcey and Oliver James were two of the children making the most of the beach on its opening day on Friday (August 1). With bucket and spade in hand, the siblings spent hours building what was almost a town of sandcastles – there were certainly plenty of smiles on faces. Darcey and Oliver James having fun (Image: Tom Ryan) Carys James, Darcey and Oliver's mother, said: 'It's really lovely to have this in Newport. My daughter Darcey has especially enjoyed it – and it's free.' Laura Rees was also at the beach with her family on Friday. She said: 'The beach is great, and it's nice to have something that's free and outdoors in Newport – especially for families who find getting to the seaside a faff. Laura Rees and her family (Image: Tom Ryan) 'We've been here for two hours, and it's really convenient – it's nice for the kids, and it's clean.' The beach joins a series of other family-friendly events in the city this summer. A giant chair trail along the riverfront and into the city centre will also run until September 10, and a monster trail – which will allow children to 'collect' monsters via the Newport Now app – will take place from August 11 to September 10. (Image: Tom Ryan) Kevin Ward, manager of Newport Now BID, said: 'We are really pleased to have secured funding from the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund via the council to bring even more summer fun to the city centre. 'Our Urban Beach was used by almost 9,500 children last year and we are sure that, combined with the other events, many families will be attracted into the city centre over the school holidays – increasing footfall and trading opportunities for the business we represent.' Cllr James Clarke, Newport City Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Business Growth, also welcomed the family events, including the beach's return. He said: 'We work closely with Newport Now on initiatives for the city centre and the summer programme is going to be a lot of fun for all the ages.'
