Latest news with #NQ
South Wales Argus
19 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Newport man honoured by King had to sleep on A and E floor
60-year-old Darren Rice spent the night at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport. Darren is a well-known Newport figure and helps clean up the city's canals through his unique hobby of magnet fishing. In an emotional post on Facebook Darren wrote: 'I've had about five hours sleep on the floor at the medical assessment unit at the Royal Gwent the staff are over worked they don't deserve the situation.' Darren Rice 60 with wife Gillian Rice 63 at King Charles III's Garden Party (Image: NQ) Darren was admitted to the hospital on Monday (May 26) to receive treatment for an infected cut after a nail went through his foot. He wasn't able to receive treatment until Tuesday morning on May 27. Speaking of the experience Darren said: 'It's not fair on the nurses the amount of people they go above and beyond for is unreal it's the system. 'People are in there for ten to twelve hours just to get through the system.' Darren's infected cut at A and E in The Royal Hospital (Image: Darren Rice) The Royal Gwent has a minor injuries unit and more serious A&E cases are sent to the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran. A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: 'We're very sorry to hear of Mr Rice's experience – this is certainly not the standard of care we aim to provide to our patients. 'Due to high numbers of unwell patients and delays to the flow of patients throughout our hospitals, this unfortunately means that some patients may be offered a chair if there are no hospital beds available. 'This is not an acceptable level of care and we are doing everything we can to improve the flow of patients throughout our hospitals and decrease the delays for urgent and emergency care. 'The Emergency Department extension at The Grange University Hospital, due to be completed later this year, will increase the capacity of the clinical area and provide a new, larger waiting area to improve the comfort and experience of patients who visit. 'We have also recruited additional Emergency Department Doctors to help meet demand and reduce delays, which should, in turn, reduce pressure across the entire urgent care system. 'We wish Mr Rice a speedy recovery and would urge him to contact us directly to discuss any concerns he may have around our services.'
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
New Home Bargains store opens in Newport to huge crowds
The one-stop shop, which is a family favourite, invested around £6 million into the new store on Docks Way, which opened at 8am on Saturday. We were there a hundreds of people queued for hours to get into the store with the car park full. Even though the store had opened at 8am, by the time we arrived at around lunchtime, cars were backed out onto the main road in a queue to get into the car park - we even ended up waiting around 20 minutes for a space, and it was very much one in, one out in the car parking spaces. Once inside, it was almost like being in a sardine tin, with shoppers lining each the aisles offering everything from garden furniture, to Father's Day gifts to popular everyday cupboard fillers including biscuits, milk and cereal. (Image: NQ) Home Bargains very much feels like an expanded supermarket, with a variety of items on sale that you perhaps wouldn't expect to see in a supermarket, including bedding, candles, toiletries such as make-up, and even barbecues. One of the biggest selling points of the new store was the 'Garden World' section, set at the far side of the store in a greenhouse and giving a varied selection of plants and gardening equipment that could rival even Homebase or Webbs. The other major key selling point was the café, and given how busy the shop was, we didn't stop, but it was clear why the café was so popular on what was a very warm spring weekend. Most items were on the menu for less than £2, encouraging many to stop to refuel or refresh during their shop, something that many did given the length of the queues for the tills. The smell of freshly baked cakes and coffee could be smelt from halfway down the aisle approaching the café, with many people taking the opportunity to be encouraged to take a break. In fact the queues for the tills reached right down the shop aisles, with people filling their trolleys to the brim with all the 'special buys' and cheap home essentials on offer. Most people simply could not get up to the tills given the size of the queues and were simply forced to wait in their aisles to pay for their shopping - with queues reaching a minimum of at least half an aisle back on multiple occasions. We were inside for only around an hour, and it quickly became apparent that what seemed like all of Newport had turned out to visit the new store, as just as quickly as we left, another hoard of customers went inside, and the car park never seemed to empty. Image NQ (Image: NQ) The shop has the usual shopping choices of branded goods at affordable prices, but this store also has an in-store bakery, café, and garden centre. The bakery could rival Lidl, with offers of fresh bread, cookies, pastries and more on offer each day. (Image: NQ) The branch's new store manager, Luke Price, said: "I hope it will be at the heart of the community, a place for all to visit and have a great experience. "With a fresh new bakery, a fantastic garden centre offering everything you need, and a place to refresh in our café, it truly is a one-stop shop for all."
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
New rage room comes to Newport and we tried it out
'The Combat Zone' located in the Kingsway Centre offers a range of fun activities including airsoft, axe throwing, Nerf battles, and a rage room, and being an Argus staff member I headed straight to that rage room! Slots for the rage room were a total of 15 minutes each. We were then decked head to toe in red boiler suites and given leather gloves and protective facemasks. What happened next was absolute chaos. Weapons of destruction at Newport's new rage room (The Combat Zone) (Image: NQ) We were encouraged in a space of 15 minutes to break as many items as possible as fast as we could. Objects available to break ranged from glass bottles and tiles to household items like a flat screen TV, wooden cabinet, and even a washing machine (the flatscreen TV was our personal favourite). Staff at the rage room egged us on 'have you tried smashing it like that?' and 'remember that TV isn't your friend', which made us even more determined to embrace the chaos. A range of 'weapons' were available including metal and wooden baseball bats and hammers. Our Argus volunteer hitting a TV at Newport's new rage room (The Combat Zone) (Image: NQ) Alongside staff encouragement we were also given the option of connecting to the room's Bluetooth speakers. Rage room enthusiasts could pick whatever song they'd like to smash things to. We quite enjoyed cracking a few bottles against the wall to Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' The experience itself cost £50 and in our eyes was worth it. A grand opening took place on Saturday May 26. Newport locals and husband and wife duo Claire and Gary Taylor 44 and 47 are the masterminds behind 'The Combat Zone.' The Combat Zone owners Claire Taylor and Gary Taylor (Image: NQ) Speaking of their first day Claire said: 'We'll we were very nervous this morning but really happy now. 'It's been absolutely amazing we've had so many people coming in that hadn't booked and brilliant interest excellent feedback so a really good morning.' Gary said: 'For me it's got to be the rage room people are going bonkers for it, and to be fair there seems to be a lot of angry people out there." Claire added: 'Come down see what we are about it's something completely new for Newport something like Newport's never seen before.'
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
My review of Abba Voyage: what was the new setlist like?
So goes the beginning of the song that catapulted Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid to fame at the Brighton Dome all those years ago. It also sums up my reaction, to put it mildly, when I saw a man cutting a similar figure to one quarter of pop's greatest group walking my way. Although his hair was now grey, and he was wearing a more demure look compared to the glittery flared jumpsuit of his heyday, it was clear that I was in the presence of music royalty. Me with the back of Benny's head - a brush with stardom (Image: NQ) So how do you think I reacted when, just moments later, Anni-Frid also joined Benny? Only a big occasion could draw half of Abba together – and this turned out to be the third anniversary of Abba Voyage, the ground-breaking show which has arguably changed the future of music concerts forever. Ahead of the milestone show, which saw new tracks like The Name Of The Game, Super Trouper, Money, Money, Money and Take A Chance On Me added, a variety of industry figures enjoyed a tipple and canapes outside the arena at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Anna-Frid and Benny outside the arena (Image: Abba Voyage) While Benny and Anni-Frid were understandably the star attraction, the glitterati were also out to play. During my celeb-spotting I saw Matthew Horne of Gavin and Stacey fame, Richard Arnold off the morning telly sporting an Abba Voyage blazer, Denise Van Outen cutting a rug in a tent dance floor, and (arguably most tantalisingly of all) the back of Ian Beale's head. Suitably lubricated with some Champagne and canapes, I ventured inside to take my seat for the main event. Denise Van Outen and Richard Arnold (Image: Abba Voyage) By now the concept is well established: using cutting-edge motion capture technology and other technical wizardry I won't pretend to understand, the quartet have been turned into digital avatars who can move like they used to back in their heyday. The initial buzz saw diehard fans and the curious alike flock to the purpose-built stadium to size up the spectacle for themselves. But it turns out it was not a one and done novelty experience, having a longevity that has surprised even the founding members. The opening moments of the show (Image: Abba Voyage) 'When we first opened we never imagined that we'd still be in London three years on. We're very grateful that so many of you have joined us,' they said in a statement released after the event. 'Of course, the reason for us being able to sustain our concert for so long is because of our incredible audience.' They certainly showed up in force – a sea of bedazzled outfits, merch and feather boas in front of us in the dance floor area. As the lights went down and the abbatars rose up from 'under' the stage, the crowd erupted in applause and the show was underway. Money, Money, Money was a crowd pleaser (Image: Abba Voyage) I will say I totally understand the hype surrounding the projections themselves – from where they are positioned and the way they move, they do look totally realistic, right down to how Agnetha's dress sashayed during a rousing rendition of Money, Money, Money. The big screens are not quite as breathtakingly uncanny, the close-ups appearing more like high-quality video game characters than the 'real thing'. But the show plays on this with a knowing nod, leaning into rather than against the multimedia aspect. Some amazing lighting effects were deployed (Image: Abba Voyage) At one end of the spectrum, you had live singers and a band performing Does Your Mother Know; at the other, the abbatars danced behind archival performance footage of Waterloo, projected onto sheer fabric screens. There was even an animated film mythologising the band which played during intervals (while the headliners might not need to use the bathroom, the crowd certainly did). How strange it must be to see yourself presented like a god, I thought, as I glanced over to Benny and Anni-Frid in their VIP box. For most of the show the pair were inscrutable, Benny leaning over the railing watching intently with the focus of a director assessing the minutiae of this new incarnation of the show. Benny and Anni-Frid wave at the crowd after the show (Image: NQ) Seeing them, in the flesh, reacting to de-aged holograms of themselves was another fascinating metaphysical layer in the whole experience, and a privilege to boot. Anyway, back to the main event. Starting off with lesser known hits and pared back staging, with the abbatars taking centre stage, this set up a sense we were watching 'proper artists'. But soon enough, the stage exploded into technicolour with 'costume' changes galore. READ MORE: I tried Brighton's first seafood boil restaurant - and it was fishy heaven The abbatars even had some banter with the crowd – the only hint they weren't speaking live being the lack of reaction when the crowd laughed or cheered. Given Agnetha's historical prominence, it was nice to see Anni-Frid take centre stage during several numbers. Her 'speech' dedicating Fernando to her grandmother under starry skies was an emotional touch. The big guns went off, so to speak, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! being a personal favourite which got everyone on their feet. My unexpected favourite moment came from a gasp-worthy transition into Summer Night City, which saw the foursome wear their now-distinctive Abba Voyage spacesuits. The venue in all its glory (Image: NQ) Of the two new songs in Abba's repertoire, Don't Shut Me Down was superior – blending in seamlessly with their imperial back catalogue. Thank You For The Music hinted that the end of the night was drawing close – but there were still two of the band's biggest songs to play. Dancing Queen and The Winner Takes it All, the yin and yang that symbolises Abba's appeal, served as the perfect way to end the performance. In a normal show, the 'surprise' ending which sees contemporised abbatars take a bow would be enough to turn heads. But the gaze of the crowd by this stage was firmly on the real deals behind them, presented to the pair as a sea of phone lights and clapping hands. A sweet exchange saw Anni-Frid giggle nervously when Benny passed her a mic on the fly to give a speech. They mouthed something to each other, and in that moment, it felt the years melted away; you could see a bond forged through a history only the two of them (in that room, at least) could understand. She went with a classic message, thanking the crowd, before declaring 'I'm turning 80 this year', to rapturous applause. (Interestingly, the one time the pair raised their hands in applause themselves was when the live band took their bows.) Cut to the next day, and here I was - back again outside the stadium by Pudding Mill Lane tube station (a name the band were not a fan of, they revealed the night before). It was quiet, all signs of glitz and glamour gone along with the stars. In amongst all the excitement, I'd forgotten to take a photo of myself at the venue for this review. While I struggled to get a half-decent selfie, a lady wearing an Abba necklace and T-shirt came over and offered to take one for me – if I could also do the same for her in return, she said. We got chatting and it turned out she had visited the night before from Amsterdam – but still preserving the Irish lilt of her homeland. Even the slightest mention of what she thought of the show had her welling up with tears, such was the emotional impact. So don't take my word for it – it really does have to be seen to be believed. My room at The Gantry (Image: NQ) During my trip, I stayed at The Gantry Hotel, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Conveniently located opposite Stratford International tube station, a short ride away from Pudding Mill Lane, this is a great choice for an overnight stay to see the show. With a selection of restaurants, including the STK steakhouse on the rooftop of the building and Union Social for a more casual lunch and dinner, you've also got a nice meal covered too. The lunch menu ranges from small plates to a beef ragu and burger; I tried the former and found it to be meaty and satisfying. The Book of Hedonism lived up to its name (Image: NQ) Preceded by a Book of Hedonism - a caramel cocktail concoction made with a selection of scotch, whisky and rum and served in a smoking book-shaped box - it also had a touch of drama. The room, meanwhile, was well furnished and had fantastic views of Stratford; I'm a sucker for a floor to ceiling window. A comfy deluxe king bed also meant I could rest my weary head after a night to remember.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'We should be disgusted by our lack of action and stop arms sales to Israel'
Protesters gathered outside an MP's office this morning (May 30) to call for an end to UK arms sales to Israel. The group gathered outside Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi's office on St George's Road in Bolton town centre. This comes as more than 300 actors, musicians, activists and others used an open letter to call on the Prime Minister to 'take immediate action to end the UK's complicity in the horrors of Gaza'. Eileen Murphy, at the Bolton protest, said: "We're here to lobby MPs to stop arms sales to Israel as they are killing innocent children. Outside the MP's office (Image: NQ) "We're calling for MPs to attend an early day motion which calls for an end to the UK's complicity in Israel's actions." 'Free Palestine, boycott Israel' messages stamped on bank notes and handed out by newsagent A father's fear and heartbreak for his children in Palestine as conflict intensifies 'The images you see haunt you' Vigil held for children killed in Palestine Former Horwich Labour councillor Kevin McKeon also joined the protests. "Keir Starmer's government continue to sell arms to Israel," he said. "What's going on is horrendous and we should be disgusted by our lack of action as a country." Kevin McKeon outside the town hall steps (Image: NQ) Prime minister Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy have in recent weeks heightened pressure on Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to make aid more accessible to Gaza. The UK government also suspended trade talks with the Middle Eastern nation over its conduct in a war that has seen more than 50,000 Palestinian civilians die since Hamas' assault on October 7, 2023, killed 736 Israelis.
