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Bargoed’s Italian Secret
Behind the longstanding success of the Ricci’s Square Café in Bargoed town centre is a secret recipe for Italian ice cream which has been handed down for generations.The café, which is located on Hanbury Square, was first established in 1909 in Fleur de Lys by Luigi and Clotilde Ricci before moving to Bargoed in 1929. Ricci’s Square Café was subsequently run by the next generation brothers Giovanni and Aldo before being passed down to Giovanni‘s sons Andrew and Dominic who run the business today. The café has always served ice cream made in a single vanilla flavor to a recipe which is closely guarded family secret, Ricci’s also offer a range of home cooked meals. Dominic said: We are incredibly proud of the heritage of our business which has successful adapted to changes without losing its identity and of course we sell our famous ice cream made to our special recipe. Andrew said: Our coffee is brewed by Ferrari Espresso to our own unique roast which gives it a very distinctive flavour. I believe we serve the best coffee in the Rhymney Valley!
New Name Same Great Service
It’s all change for the team who run Superdrug in Bargoed town centre as it changes over to the parent companies other brand Savers.Over the last month the team lead by manager Steven Gravett has been hard at work transforming the retail unit on Royale Square into a brand new Savers store with a totally new shop fit out. As a brand, value retailer Savers sells a wide range of: pharmaceuticals, fragrance, household products and cosmetics including Rimmel and Maybelline. For manager Steven the considerable logistical challenge involved was something he took in his stride having served with the Armed Forces around the world before changing to a career in retail. Steven said: The team have done a great job and worked really hard. Since we have changed over to Savers we have seen a big increase in customers so its been very busy serving more people and stocking the displays with new product lines
Bargoed Cuts Back to the 1960’s
Bargoed town centre welcomes a new hair salon with a difference. Retro Hair Studio, situated next to the Hanbury Chapel Library, offers its customers a chance to step into the 1960’s and 70’s. Immediately you enter the salon you are immersed in a different world where everything is retro, from the 1960’s style telephone on the counter and the record player in the window, to the sound of the music that shaped a generation. Retro Hair Studio is owned by Jeff Vernon who has worked in hairdressing for over 32 years in a host of different places including Blackwood, Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Cardiff. Jeff said: I wanted to open a gent’s barbers and ladies hair salon that was a bit different. I love everything about the 1960’s and 70’s so when people visit Retro Hair Studio they will not only get a great hair cut but also experience a little piece of the nostalgia.
Time Please!
It’s time to welcome another new business to Bargoed town centre. The Square Royale pub/restaurant was officially opened this month by the mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Mrs Dianne Price.The new venue, which is run by Russell and Adele Sorrell, is situated in Royale Square in the heart of Bargoed. Russell who lives in Gilfach, has 25 years experience in the licensing trade, 17 years of those were with national pub chain J D Wetherspoon. The Square Royale offers a full range of food including: breakfasts, lunches and evening meals. The naming of the Square Royale was inspired by the renaming of Royale Square as part of the Bargoed regeneration scheme. The venue is also part of the Pubwatch scheme which is run by Gwent Police in partnership with the Council and local licensees. Russell said: We are delighted that after a lot of hard work The Square Royale is finally open. I know from my experience what it takes to run a successful family pub/restaurant so we have created a relaxed friendly atmosphere that everyone can enjoy. We are keen to promote our evenings of live music with local bands and will also be screening BT Sport. The Square Royale is run by Russell and Adele Sorrell.
New Welsh Language Book Shop Opens
A new book shop in Caerphilly town centre is helping young people discover the joy of reading books, particularly those written in the Welsh language. Llyfrau’r Enfys which translated means ‘Rainbow Books’ is located in Caerphilly Indoor Market, Pentrebane Street. The book shop is run by Vikki Alexander who having previously worked in event promotion has turned her love of the Welsh Language and books into a new business venture. The shop stocks a range of titles in both Welsh and English as well as some bilingual books. The books and other learning resources cater for all ages, with the large majority aimed at children. Each week Vikki has a story corner where she reads to children from her favourite book. In the future it’s hoped that the shop will begin to run homework clubs, mums clubs and Welsh language learners groups. Vikki said: As someone who has learned Welsh I am keen to share my love of the language with others. We have 11 Welsh Primary schools in the locality and I hope that the books and resource’s we have at Llyfrau’r Enfys will support children in their education and also help parents who want to learn the Welsh language
Goggle Box Stars Visit Bargoed
Stars of the hit TV show Gogglebox have opened a new hair and beauty salon in Bargoed town centre. Shirley and Dave who appear on the Channel 4 reality show and are also long standing customers, opened the new salon which has relocated to Hanbury Road from Gilfach Street. Powercut Hair Designers is run by sisters Teresa Mcloughlin and Sharon Carney who first opened a business in Bargoed in 1988. The new salon covers all aspects of ladies hair design including: cutting, colouring and perming as well as offering a gents barbers Carney & Co on the first floor. Sharon said: We would like to thank the businesses in Bargoed who have helped us move and wished us well. Bargoed is a community where all the shops support each other, which makes it a fantastic place to run a business. Teresa said: At Powercuts Hair Designers our customers are really important to us and as a family business we appreciate their loyalty and work hard to offer them great service.
Smart People Use Smart Money Cymru
You could be forgiven for thinking that Smart Money Cymru in Caerphilly town centre is a high street bank, but actually it’s a credit union with over 4,500 members who have junior, adult and corporate accounts. A Credit Union differs from a bank in that it is a financial cooperative, which means that it is owned and run by its members. Smart Money Cymru began life in 1989 as Penyrheol, Trecenydd and Energlyn Credit Union then changed to Caerphilly and District Credit Union in 2000, before adopting the Smart Money Cymru brand in 2010. The General Manager is Andrina Davies who originally started working for the credit union as a volunteer before successfully securing a job. Andrina was promoted to the role of General Manager in 2011. Andrina said: As a credit union Smart Money Cymru is open to anyone regardless of their status. The great thing about us is that as a financial cooperative we offer people a safe, secure and ethical way to save or borrow. The Smart Money Cyrmu interactive web site provides information on how to join and more details of how Smart Money Cymru works: www.smartmoneycymru.co.uk
Centre Manager Spreads His Wings
In 2011 Adam Oldham swapped his life as an aircraft engineer for the manager’s chair at The Market Place Shopping Centre in Blackwood. As Centre Manager Adam is employed by Living City, his role includes coordinating the maintenance program and liaising with the tenants, which include Peacocks, Dorothy Perkins and Iceland, as well as running the outdoor market. Photo seated Adam Oldham / standing Ron Thomas Adam is assisted by Ron Thomas who has worked at the centre for 15 years as the caretaker. The Market Places Shopping Centre is owned by Fairacre which is a commercial property company with over 20 years experience in both the UK and Germany. Adam said: I like meeting people and I really enjoy my work as every day is different. At The Market Place we are really keen to attract local independent retailers and are working with our letting agents EJ Hales to offer competitive packages for units of all sizes. A full list of all available properties in Blackwood town centre, including those in the Market Place Shopping Centre, can be found on the Property Directory.
High Street Sees a New Name
A new name has appeared in Blackwood town centre Bateman Opticians, which for the last 30 years was called Peter Hong Opticians and is situated on High Street near Pentwyn Road. The new owner of the business is Elliot Bateman, who was already working for the independent optician and is keen to build upon its long association with the town. In addition to providing a range of glasses, the optician also offers a contact lens service. Elliot said: Although the name has changed, our staff and values are the same and I am delighted that Peter Hong is also still involved. At Bateman Opticians we will continue to provide our customers with the modern, friendly, personal care that they have come to expect from us.