Latest news with #Cardiff-based
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
NSPCC Cymru Childline highlights night shift volunteers
In these quiet, dark hours, support is available thanks to the dedication of Childline volunteers like Naomi Lea and Isha Daboh, who give their time to help children and teenagers in need of someone to talk to. Childline, a free and confidential service for young people up to the age of 19, is staffed around the clock by trained counsellors, including volunteers who work through the night. Naomi Lea, who has volunteered at Childline since 2018, said: "Being able to be there for children and young people that need Childline at any time of day always feels like an immense privilege. "But it feels even more important at night, knowing this is when young people are feeling completely alone with nobody else to turn to or that this may be the first opportunity they have to reach out without anybody else knowing." Ms Lea has volunteered at the Cardiff and Prestatyn Childline bases and is part of the 'Twilight shift,' which runs from 11pm to 2.30am following a team briefing at 10.45pm. Isha Daboh, another Cardiff-based volunteer, said: "Since starting the Twilight shifts, it has been such a different yet rewarding experience of Childline. "I've had a lot more flexibility shift-wise given the late time, meaning it doesn't particularly interfere with my normal day and it continues to open up more time for me to dedicate to volunteering." Joanne Shipp, a Twilight Childline practitioner for NSPCC Cymru, said: "Twilight shifts can be varied with a lot of contacts, yet it is a rewarding time of day to support young people late at night when they need us the most and this is when we also need volunteers the most as well. "Our thanks go to Isha and Naomi for being champions and joining us on Twilight shifts, as well as all our volunteers who give up their time to help us to support children when they may have nowhere else to turn." NSPCC Cymru is currently recruiting Childline volunteers in Cardiff, Prestatyn, and across Wales through Childline's virtual base. To find out more about volunteering, visit the NSPCC website.
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill return to Doctor Who for docu-series
Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill return to Doctor Who for docu-series They will celebrate 20 years since Doctor Who's Cardiff-based revival by taking part in a special episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed Karen Gillan attends Marvel Studios "Thor: Love and Thunder" Los Angeles Premiere Doctor Who stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will return to look behind the scenes of the long-running science fiction show as part of a docu-series. They will celebrate 20 years since Doctor Who's Cardiff-based revival by taking part in a special episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed, a series that delves into the BBC show. Scottish actress Gillan and English actor Darvill portrayed Amy Pond and Rory Williams, who were the companions when The Crown and House Of The Dragon star Matt Smith was the 11th Doctor in the 2010s. Since leaving the show, Darvill has won an Olivier Award for his turn as Curly McLain in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Gillan has been in the blockbuster franchises Guardians Of The Galaxy and Jumanji. She played Amy as a policewoman kissagram who met the Doctor when she was a small child, and remained on the show for two series alongside Birmingham-born Darvill as her panicky husband. The hour-long episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will also see other iterations of the Doctor past and present – including Ncuti Gatwa, who currently plays the 15th Doctor, David Tennant, who has been the 10th and 14th Doctor, and Jodie Whittaker, who played the 13th Doctor – discuss the series. Also appearing will be people who are and have portrayed companions such as Varada Sethu, who is in the current series with Gatwa, Billie Piper and Mandip Gill, along with current and former showrunners Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall and Russell T Davies. Presenter Steffan Powell promises "secrets" from the show by talking with former production designer Edward Thomas and costume designer Ray Holman, as well as unpacking what Wales has brought to the programme since it was revived in 2005. Since the time-travelling series was brought back two decades ago, after being on pause since the 1990s, Christopher Eccleston played the ninth Doctor for one season, before Tennant took on the role and continued for a spell with Piper playing his companion, Rose Tyler. Article continues below Gatwa has played the Time Lord across two series since fellow Scottish actor Tennant bi-generated in 2023. His character is set to have a "high-stakes showdown" in his latest season's finale The Reality War on Saturday. The episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will land on Saturday June 7 at 6am on BBC iPlayer, and will air on BBC One Wales and BBC Three later that day.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
'Puncture, puncture, puncture': potholes cause bump in tyre business
Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired." Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired." Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired." Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired."
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill return to Doctor Who for docu-series
They will celebrate 20 years since Doctor Who's Cardiff-based revival by taking part in a special episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed, a series that delves into the BBC show. Scottish actress Gillan and English actor Darvill portrayed Amy Pond and Rory Williams, who were the companions when The Crown and House Of The Dragon star Matt Smith was the 11th Doctor in the 2010s. Doctor Who stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. (Ben Birchall/PA) Since leaving the show, Darvill has won an Olivier Award for his turn as Curly McLain in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Gillan has been in the blockbuster franchises Guardians Of The Galaxy and Jumanji. She played Amy as a policewoman kissagram who met the Doctor when she was a small child, and remained on the show for two series alongside Birmingham-born Darvill as her panicky husband. The hour-long episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will also see other iterations of the Doctor past and present – including Ncuti Gatwa, who currently plays the 15th Doctor, David Tennant, who has been the 10th and 14th Doctor, and Jodie Whittaker, who played the 13th Doctor – discuss the series. Also appearing will be people who are and have portrayed companions such as Varada Sethu, who is in the current series with Gatwa, Billie Piper and Mandip Gill, along with current and former showrunners Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall and Russell T Davies. Ncuti Gatwa (Ian West/PA) Presenter Steffan Powell promises 'secrets' from the show by talking with former production designer Edward Thomas and costume designer Ray Holman, as well as unpacking what Wales has brought to the programme since it was revived in 2005. Since the time-travelling series was brought back two decades ago, after being on pause since the 1990s, Christopher Eccleston played the ninth Doctor for one season, before Tennant took on the role and continued for a spell with Piper playing his companion, Rose Tyler. Gatwa has played the Time Lord across two series since fellow Scottish actor Tennant bi-generated in 2023. His character is set to have a 'high-stakes showdown' in his latest season's finale The Reality War on Saturday. The episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will land on Saturday June 7 at 6am on BBC iPlayer, and will air on BBC One Wales and BBC Three later that day.
Leader Live
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill return to Doctor Who for docu-series
They will celebrate 20 years since Doctor Who's Cardiff-based revival by taking part in a special episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed, a series that delves into the BBC show. Scottish actress Gillan and English actor Darvill portrayed Amy Pond and Rory Williams, who were the companions when The Crown and House Of The Dragon star Matt Smith was the 11th Doctor in the 2010s. Since leaving the show, Darvill has won an Olivier Award for his turn as Curly McLain in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Gillan has been in the blockbuster franchises Guardians Of The Galaxy and Jumanji. She played Amy as a policewoman kissagram who met the Doctor when she was a small child, and remained on the show for two series alongside Birmingham-born Darvill as her panicky husband. The hour-long episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will also see other iterations of the Doctor past and present – including Ncuti Gatwa, who currently plays the 15th Doctor, David Tennant, who has been the 10th and 14th Doctor, and Jodie Whittaker, who played the 13th Doctor – discuss the series. Also appearing will be people who are and have portrayed companions such as Varada Sethu, who is in the current series with Gatwa, Billie Piper and Mandip Gill, along with current and former showrunners Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall and Russell T Davies. Presenter Steffan Powell promises 'secrets' from the show by talking with former production designer Edward Thomas and costume designer Ray Holman, as well as unpacking what Wales has brought to the programme since it was revived in 2005. Since the time-travelling series was brought back two decades ago, after being on pause since the 1990s, Christopher Eccleston played the ninth Doctor for one season, before Tennant took on the role and continued for a spell with Piper playing his companion, Rose Tyler. Gatwa has played the Time Lord across two series since fellow Scottish actor Tennant bi-generated in 2023. His character is set to have a 'high-stakes showdown' in his latest season's finale The Reality War on Saturday. The episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will land on Saturday June 7 at 6am on BBC iPlayer, and will air on BBC One Wales and BBC Three later that day.
