Latest news with #Knievel
Rhyl Journal
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
RIDE Cymru motorcycle challenge raises funds for NSPCC
The 2025 event again 'kick started' from the World famous heritage site Pontcysyllte Aqueduct providing the backdrop to a superb sunshine start of the annual five-day long distance motorcycle challenge. This year's charity event began in Trevor, Wrexham (Image: RIDE Cymru) All entrants who dress as the motorcycle stunt legend Evel Knievel lined across the Aqueduct to welcome the family of Evel Knievel who came across by narrowboat to officially start the event after flying over from the USA. The Fron Male Voice Choir sprang into voice as the Knievel family arrived in Trevor Basin. Welcoming the Knievel family on their first ever visit to Wales, and then singing the Cymru Knievel motorcyclists off on their now 14th annual charity event. The team in London (Image: RIDE Cymru) First undertaken in May 2012 as a 'one off' in the hope to simply raise £1,000 for a family member, the event has returned each year since to now total £295,000 for charities and good causes. This years event alone has now raised nearly £40,000 for children's charity NSPCC. The Fron Male Voice Choir sprang into voice as the Knievel family arrived in Trevor Basin (Image: RIDE Cymru) The event which is historically the 1,070 mile outer perimeter of Wales was amended this year to a swifter 750 mile 'A Road' perimeter. This enabled riders to then ride down to London once the loop of Wales had been completed back in Wrexham. Riders then joined the Knievel family at Wembley Stadium where the 50th anniversary of their late father jumping 13 London Merlin buses back in May 1975 was celebrated. The RIDE Cymru this year had 50 suited Cymru Knievel entrants to acknowledge the 50-years. One of these riders being Wales Rugby Union Ian Gough who has 64 caps for his country. RIDE Cymru Knievels returns again next year for 2026 when Chirk Castle will be the special Wrexham County location for the fun colorful start as riders return to the original gritty outer lanes of Wales. For further information on the event please email info@
Leader Live
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
RIDE Cymru motorcycle challenge raises funds for NSPCC
The 2025 event again 'kick started' from the county of Wrexham with the World famous heritage site Pontcysyllte Aqueduct providing the backdrop to a superb sunshine start of the annual five-day long distance motorcycle challenge. This year's charity event began in Trevor, Wrexham (Image: RIDE Cymru) All entrants who dress as the motorcycle stunt legend Evel Knievel lined across the Aqueduct to welcome the family of Evel Knievel who came across by narrowboat to officially start the event after flying over from the USA. The Fron Male Voice Choir sprang into voice as the Knievel family arrived in Trevor Basin. Welcoming the Knievel family on their first ever visit to Wales, and then singing the Cymru Knievel motorcyclists off on their now 14th annual charity event. The team in London (Image: RIDE Cymru) First undertaken in May 2012 as a 'one off' in the hope to simply raise £1,000 for a family member, the event has returned each year since to now total £295,000 for charities and good causes. This years event alone has now raised nearly £40,000 for children's charity NSPCC. The Fron Male Voice Choir sprang into voice as the Knievel family arrived in Trevor Basin (Image: RIDE Cymru) The event which is historically the 1,070 mile outer perimeter of Wales was amended this year to a swifter 750 mile 'A Road' perimeter. This enabled riders to then ride down to London once the loop of Wales had been completed back in Wrexham. Riders then joined the Knievel family at Wembley Stadium where the 50th anniversary of their late father jumping 13 London Merlin buses back in May 1975 was celebrated. MORE CHARITY NEWS The RIDE Cymru this year had 50 suited Cymru Knievel entrants to acknowledge the 50-years. One of these riders being Wales Rugby Union Ian Gough who has 64 caps for his country. RIDE Cymru Knievels returns again next year for 2026 when Chirk Castle will be the special Wrexham County location for the fun colorful start as riders return to the original gritty outer lanes of Wales. For further information on the event please email info@
The Advertiser
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
The origins of the gambling mecca of Las Vegas
The Great Depression wasn't that great for a lot of people, but it was pretty good for Las Vegas. People looked to go there for a spot of gambling to forget about their troubles and, maybe, even win big and turn their lives around. Add to that the offer of quickie legal divorces and people had some very appealing reasons to visit. Some of those visitors were New York mobsters, who knew a money-spinning opportunity when they saw one. They also brought along the stars of stage and screen to perform - because they liked to hobnob with the celebrities. Though, as this series points out, if those celebs were Black, then they had to stay in a local's house while visiting because they weren't allowed to stay in any of the Vegas hotels. There are two icons in this episode - motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel and Jackass frontman Johnny Knoxville. I lent more to the Knievel half of the show - maybe that's because I was a kid when he was doing his crazy thing of jumping motorcycles over as many buses as he could. Maybe it's because Knievel's story is so long in the past that it feels like the show is bringing something to light, as opposed to Knoxville's Jackass stuff, which is still in recent memory. There was plenty I realised I didn't know about Knievel, like how he started jumping things as a way to sell more motorbikes from his shop and even that his real name wasn't Evel - it was Robert. The title of this series is a reference to the small things that can happen to lead to a life unravelling. In this case it's mother Jess, who takes her sick baby daughter to the emergency department. When she gets there she is seen by Liz, a doctor who is also a friend from her mothers' group. Liz soon discovers all is not well with the baby, who has a head injury that Jess cannot convincingly explain. So the doctor faces the difficult decision to call in social services, who turn the mother's life upside down trying to work out what happened. It's based on the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughan. Not having read the book, I don't know how much of the storytelling and narrative in the series comes straight from the novel and how much has been added on. Some aspects of the series feel a bit cliched, such as the four mothers from the group who still remain friends. Rather conveniently, they all have different personality traits - stay at home mum, busy career woman, disorganised parent - which may benefit the storytelling but doesn't really make you believe these women would ever be friends. The use of flashbacks to tell parts of the story is a bit overdone; at times they just illustrate a point a character has just made and so feel repetitive. The same problem befalls the moments when the characters speak directly to the camera. These instances don't add much to our understanding of the story and could largely be scrapped. Still, it's worth watching for the acting. Diane Kruger is great in the role of Jess; she plays her with an aloofness and oddness that makes you wonder if, maybe, she did harm her baby, but still somehow leaves room to feel sympathy for her. Jo Joyner is also excellent as emergency doctor Liz, forced to take actions that may end up damaging her friend's life. The Great Depression wasn't that great for a lot of people, but it was pretty good for Las Vegas. People looked to go there for a spot of gambling to forget about their troubles and, maybe, even win big and turn their lives around. Add to that the offer of quickie legal divorces and people had some very appealing reasons to visit. Some of those visitors were New York mobsters, who knew a money-spinning opportunity when they saw one. They also brought along the stars of stage and screen to perform - because they liked to hobnob with the celebrities. Though, as this series points out, if those celebs were Black, then they had to stay in a local's house while visiting because they weren't allowed to stay in any of the Vegas hotels. There are two icons in this episode - motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel and Jackass frontman Johnny Knoxville. I lent more to the Knievel half of the show - maybe that's because I was a kid when he was doing his crazy thing of jumping motorcycles over as many buses as he could. Maybe it's because Knievel's story is so long in the past that it feels like the show is bringing something to light, as opposed to Knoxville's Jackass stuff, which is still in recent memory. There was plenty I realised I didn't know about Knievel, like how he started jumping things as a way to sell more motorbikes from his shop and even that his real name wasn't Evel - it was Robert. The title of this series is a reference to the small things that can happen to lead to a life unravelling. In this case it's mother Jess, who takes her sick baby daughter to the emergency department. When she gets there she is seen by Liz, a doctor who is also a friend from her mothers' group. Liz soon discovers all is not well with the baby, who has a head injury that Jess cannot convincingly explain. So the doctor faces the difficult decision to call in social services, who turn the mother's life upside down trying to work out what happened. It's based on the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughan. Not having read the book, I don't know how much of the storytelling and narrative in the series comes straight from the novel and how much has been added on. Some aspects of the series feel a bit cliched, such as the four mothers from the group who still remain friends. Rather conveniently, they all have different personality traits - stay at home mum, busy career woman, disorganised parent - which may benefit the storytelling but doesn't really make you believe these women would ever be friends. The use of flashbacks to tell parts of the story is a bit overdone; at times they just illustrate a point a character has just made and so feel repetitive. The same problem befalls the moments when the characters speak directly to the camera. These instances don't add much to our understanding of the story and could largely be scrapped. Still, it's worth watching for the acting. Diane Kruger is great in the role of Jess; she plays her with an aloofness and oddness that makes you wonder if, maybe, she did harm her baby, but still somehow leaves room to feel sympathy for her. Jo Joyner is also excellent as emergency doctor Liz, forced to take actions that may end up damaging her friend's life. The Great Depression wasn't that great for a lot of people, but it was pretty good for Las Vegas. People looked to go there for a spot of gambling to forget about their troubles and, maybe, even win big and turn their lives around. Add to that the offer of quickie legal divorces and people had some very appealing reasons to visit. Some of those visitors were New York mobsters, who knew a money-spinning opportunity when they saw one. They also brought along the stars of stage and screen to perform - because they liked to hobnob with the celebrities. Though, as this series points out, if those celebs were Black, then they had to stay in a local's house while visiting because they weren't allowed to stay in any of the Vegas hotels. There are two icons in this episode - motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel and Jackass frontman Johnny Knoxville. I lent more to the Knievel half of the show - maybe that's because I was a kid when he was doing his crazy thing of jumping motorcycles over as many buses as he could. Maybe it's because Knievel's story is so long in the past that it feels like the show is bringing something to light, as opposed to Knoxville's Jackass stuff, which is still in recent memory. There was plenty I realised I didn't know about Knievel, like how he started jumping things as a way to sell more motorbikes from his shop and even that his real name wasn't Evel - it was Robert. The title of this series is a reference to the small things that can happen to lead to a life unravelling. In this case it's mother Jess, who takes her sick baby daughter to the emergency department. When she gets there she is seen by Liz, a doctor who is also a friend from her mothers' group. Liz soon discovers all is not well with the baby, who has a head injury that Jess cannot convincingly explain. So the doctor faces the difficult decision to call in social services, who turn the mother's life upside down trying to work out what happened. It's based on the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughan. Not having read the book, I don't know how much of the storytelling and narrative in the series comes straight from the novel and how much has been added on. Some aspects of the series feel a bit cliched, such as the four mothers from the group who still remain friends. Rather conveniently, they all have different personality traits - stay at home mum, busy career woman, disorganised parent - which may benefit the storytelling but doesn't really make you believe these women would ever be friends. The use of flashbacks to tell parts of the story is a bit overdone; at times they just illustrate a point a character has just made and so feel repetitive. The same problem befalls the moments when the characters speak directly to the camera. These instances don't add much to our understanding of the story and could largely be scrapped. Still, it's worth watching for the acting. Diane Kruger is great in the role of Jess; she plays her with an aloofness and oddness that makes you wonder if, maybe, she did harm her baby, but still somehow leaves room to feel sympathy for her. Jo Joyner is also excellent as emergency doctor Liz, forced to take actions that may end up damaging her friend's life. The Great Depression wasn't that great for a lot of people, but it was pretty good for Las Vegas. People looked to go there for a spot of gambling to forget about their troubles and, maybe, even win big and turn their lives around. Add to that the offer of quickie legal divorces and people had some very appealing reasons to visit. Some of those visitors were New York mobsters, who knew a money-spinning opportunity when they saw one. They also brought along the stars of stage and screen to perform - because they liked to hobnob with the celebrities. Though, as this series points out, if those celebs were Black, then they had to stay in a local's house while visiting because they weren't allowed to stay in any of the Vegas hotels. There are two icons in this episode - motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel and Jackass frontman Johnny Knoxville. I lent more to the Knievel half of the show - maybe that's because I was a kid when he was doing his crazy thing of jumping motorcycles over as many buses as he could. Maybe it's because Knievel's story is so long in the past that it feels like the show is bringing something to light, as opposed to Knoxville's Jackass stuff, which is still in recent memory. There was plenty I realised I didn't know about Knievel, like how he started jumping things as a way to sell more motorbikes from his shop and even that his real name wasn't Evel - it was Robert. The title of this series is a reference to the small things that can happen to lead to a life unravelling. In this case it's mother Jess, who takes her sick baby daughter to the emergency department. When she gets there she is seen by Liz, a doctor who is also a friend from her mothers' group. Liz soon discovers all is not well with the baby, who has a head injury that Jess cannot convincingly explain. So the doctor faces the difficult decision to call in social services, who turn the mother's life upside down trying to work out what happened. It's based on the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughan. Not having read the book, I don't know how much of the storytelling and narrative in the series comes straight from the novel and how much has been added on. Some aspects of the series feel a bit cliched, such as the four mothers from the group who still remain friends. Rather conveniently, they all have different personality traits - stay at home mum, busy career woman, disorganised parent - which may benefit the storytelling but doesn't really make you believe these women would ever be friends. The use of flashbacks to tell parts of the story is a bit overdone; at times they just illustrate a point a character has just made and so feel repetitive. The same problem befalls the moments when the characters speak directly to the camera. These instances don't add much to our understanding of the story and could largely be scrapped. Still, it's worth watching for the acting. Diane Kruger is great in the role of Jess; she plays her with an aloofness and oddness that makes you wonder if, maybe, she did harm her baby, but still somehow leaves room to feel sympathy for her. Jo Joyner is also excellent as emergency doctor Liz, forced to take actions that may end up damaging her friend's life.
