Latest news with #GeoffCharles
Powys County Times
03-08-2025
- General
- Powys County Times
A step back in time to Powys life of the past in pictures
WELCOME to bygones. Sunday is a slower paced day and with that in mind we share a collection of pictures showcasing Powys life from the past. Here we will share pictures of past generations as many will never have seen before and shows Powys town's as vibrant places. Sadly the majority of people featured in these pictures have long since passed on but hopefully family and friends can spot a few familiar - if not somewhat younger - faces. Many of these pictures form part of the collection of former County Times photographer Geoff Charles. Derby draw at Llandrindod Wells and Llanfair United taste opening night defeat Llanymynech celebrate first ever Graham Edwards Memorial Trophy success Grocery spending at Tesco, Morrisons and more set to rise by £275, experts warn Feeding the swans in Llandrindod Wells lake in 1910. (Image: Public.)
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scotsman
The picturesque Scottish area named among UK's ‘happiest' locations for over-50s to live
Beautiful Scottish area named as a top spot for over 50s happiness in the UK Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The UK's happiest places for over-50s to live have been named in a new study – but only one location in Scotland has made the top 10. The research by equity release specialists Bower Home Finance, sourced from the Office for National Statistics and Foursquare, analysed 25 different factors affecting quality of life, including the number of medical centres, the number of community centres, and the availability of public gardens. Each area was scored out of 100. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Eden, in Cumbria, ranked first, largely due to the access older residents have to green spaces. The area, which scored 66.24 out of 100, offers 25.48 public gardens per 100,000 population, as well as 18.20 parks and 1.82 botanical gardens per 100,000. Also in Cumbria, Carlisle came second on the list, with a total satisfaction score of 63.75 out of 100, while South Lakeland completed the top three with 63.51. Westminster (62.34 out of 100) and Oxford (61.43 out of 100) completed the top five happiest locations. The only Scottish location to make the cut was the Highlands, which ranked sixth, scoring 60.99 out of 100. The region has plenty of green spaces. It also has 81 community pharmacies, and 40 public libraries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Highlands offers a high quality of life for over-50s. It has breathtaking scenery, a slower pace than the big cities, and a strong sense of community. It also boasts a low crime rate, excellent schools and a population who are among the healthiest in the UK. According to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the region aims to be age-friendly, with efforts to support older adults in maintaining independence and well-being. The Scottish Highlands is one of the best places in the UK for over-50s to live. | Katharine Hay At the other end of the scale, far outside the top 10, Portsmouth recorded the lowest satisfaction score at just 19.09 out of 100. Other areas with lower satisfaction scores included Nuneaton and Bedworth (26.12), Worthing (26.50), Hyndburn (28.64), and Conwy (29.79). Discussing the ranking, Geoff Charles, CEO of Bower Home Finance, said: 'This research challenges the assumption that city living with endless amenities automatically creates happier communities for over-50s. What we're seeing instead is that moderate-sized communities with good healthcare access and social spaces often provide the best quality of life. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Eden's position suggests that community connection and a balanced lifestyle matter more than having countless restaurants or theatres on your doorstep. Areas like South Lakeland and Wealden demonstrate that you don't need to choose between access to services and quality of life – many mid-sized communities offer both.' The 10 best places for over-50s, based on life satisfaction: 1: Eden - 66.24; 2: Carlisle - 63.75; 3: South Lakeland - 63.51; 4: Westminster - 62.34; 5: Oxford - 61.43; 6: Scottish Highlands - 60.99; 7: Mole Valley - 60.23; 8: Camden - 59.67; 9: Wealden - 59.38; 10: Shropshire - 59.27.
Powys County Times
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Newtown exhibition brings Powys past to life in photographs
An evolving exhibition beginning on the streets of Newtown before moving into the gallery and developing over the summer months has been launched. The exhibition is opening with a selection of images by Geoff Charles. Geoff Charles' contribution to Welsh photography is unique. His approach is characterised by both an innate talent and an empathy for his subjects. He worked as a photojournalist in Wales from the 1930s to the 1970s and was the photographer of record in Welsh-speaking Wales for most of that period. Today his archive is one of the treasures of The National Library of Wales. As part of the CELF development the gallery commissioned photographer Mohamed Hassan to take portraits of people in Newtown today. This process was documented in a short film by Ellie Orrell. The work provides an interesting document of the everyday lives of people in the town. As the exhibition develops it will also feature work from John Thomas (1838-1905), PB Abery (1876-1948), Don 'The Flash' Griffiths, and more. Oriel Davies director Steffan Jones-Hughes said: 'The title for the exhibition comes from a statement by the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who in 1849 wrote 'plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose' – the more things change, the more they stay the same. This statement suggests a passive approach, indicating that we either opt not to change, believing that our actions won't make a difference, or we embrace change, understanding that without it, nothing will ever improve. 'I thought that the concept of Everything Changes / Everything Stays The Same was worth exploring in the context of the gallery being shut for improvements, only to reopen and look exactly the same.' It is an exciting time for the gallery with its partnership with its National Contemporary Art Gallery for Wales collaboration promising to make Wales' national contemporary art collections more accessible. As part of the CELF partnership the gallery aims to bring works from the Davies Sisters Collections back to Newtown to allow us art lovers to celebrate the unique contribution two women from mid Wales made on the art world and explore how their legacy continues to influence future generations of artists. Oriel Davies was built originally in 1967 as the Davies Memorial Gallery designed by RIBA President Alex Gordon, with a bequest from Margaret Davies, one of the Davies Sisters of Gregynog. Margaret and Gwendoline collected art in the early to mid-20th Century. When the sisters' collections were given to the nation they raised the profile of the National Museum in Cardiff to an international level, including important works by Turner, Monet, Cezanne, and Renoir, alongside significant British modernist painters such as Vanessa Bell and Christopher Wood. Oriel Davies, was originally called Oriel 31 (named after the premises at 31, High Street, Welshpool) and was established in 1982, before moving to the Davies Memorial Gallery in 1985 and was renamed Oriel Davies Gallery in 2003. The gallery underwent two phases of redevelopment in 2002-2004 including the new cafe and reflective facias introduced by B3Burgess. Over the winter months work has been carried out and completed on a new roof system, with additional insulation that makes it more energy efficient. Steffan said: 'We've replaced some of the glazed units which had failed, we've increased security across the site, and we've installed new air handling systems. To most people, the gallery will look the same, but the work has been extensive and we hope to show more as the year progresses. 'The main change will be that we now have an established relationship for ongoing work with the National Library and The National Museum.' The gallery is interested in working with contemporary artists whose work connects with historical art, as could be seen in past National Gallery partnerships between 2021-2023 when historical pieces by Verrocchio, Rembrandt and Chardin were showcased.
