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Manic’s Star Chooses Blackwood High Street
When the Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield is in Blackwood and needs some new guitar strings he goes to see his friend Simon Fowler who runs Rusty’s Guitars & Retro Store. Previously, Simon and his wife Trish ran Must Have Music for over 12 years and now they have relocated to Emily’s Indoor Market situated above Wilko’s on Blackwood High Street. Rusty’s Guitars & Retro Store sells a wide range of guitars and accessories including strings, sheet music & amplifiers as well as diversifying into pre-owned computer games and film merchandise. Simon said: At Rusty’s Guitars & Retro Store our aim is to get people to ‘Rock ‘n’ Shop local’. When someone wants to buy a guitar from us we spend time making sure they choose the right one for them. Selling someone a guitar is the just the start of a long-term relationship with our customers as we help them enjoy their music.
Here Come the Girls
Working in retail has given four women in Caerphilly more than a just job; it has also provided them with the opportunity to make lifelong friends with the people they work with. Dawn Shaddick, Kerry Ball, Sandra Mills and Zorka Honeyball are all employed by Boots in its Caerphilly store which is located in Castle Court Shopping Centre. Dawn and Kerry have been with the health & beauty retailer for over 30 years, originally working for the company when it had a shop in Pentrebane Street. Whilst Sandra and Zorka have worked for Boots for 16 years joining when the retailer relocated to the new Castle Court Shopping Centre in 1995. Dawn said: Boots is an excellent company to work for and treat their staff really well, which is why we’ve all stayed so long. Working together the four of us have become really good friends and we take care of each other.
Success on the Menu for Family Fish & Chip Shop
When brothers Stephen and Paul Clarke took over a well established Fish & Chip shop in Caerphilly town centre in 2012, they knew they would have to prove to residents that the new business was just as good as the old one. After 4 years the bothers have established their own place in the hearts of local people and Clarkes Family Fish & Chip shop in Pentrebane Street is a thriving business. The café not only offers takeaway fish and chips, but also an inside dinning area as well as outside seating which is part of the town’s Café Quarter. Stephen said: When you take over a business you have to respect the tradition and history, but you also want to put your own stamp on it. Over the last few years as a family we have worked hard to maintain the existing trade but also attract new customers.
New Website Keeps Retailer in Pole Position
In 1974 John Walbyoff took the unusual step of taking over a garage which was situated at the heart of Bargoed town centre. Today, Fairview Trade Sales is still located on Cardiff Road and is run by John’s son Carl and his son Nicky. The showroom displays up to 15 cars with the business holding a stock of around 25 cars at any one time. Far from standing still, Fairview Trade Sales have just invested in a new website www.fairviewtradesales.co.uk which is designed to showcase their speciality for selling low mileage vehicles. Carl said: People trust us as a business which means that we get a lot of repeat custom. Fairview Trade Sales is a family business and I believe that still matters to customers when they decide to buy a car for us.
Caerphilly Entrepreneur Opens New Shop
A Caerphilly entrepreneur Peggy Parish has opened her latest shop in Caerphilly town centre. The new shop, located in Cardiff Road, is called 50+ Later Life Planning and specialises in providing funeral plans and advice for people who are over 50. The shop is the latest in a chain of 9 outlets across South Wales. Peggy started the business in 2011 initially working in local markets and shopping malls before opening the first shop in Cwmbran later that same year. Peggy said: I am a Caerphilly girl so this new shop is really special to me. At 50+ Later Life Planning we help families by providing a funeral plan which gives people peace of mind and helps their loved ones in the future.
Bees give pupils a buzz at Ynysddu Primary School
Pupils at Ynysddu Primary School have been given a sneak peek at a new bee keeping project based within their school grounds. Officially launching next month the project will provide pupils at Ynysddu and surrounding schools the opportunity to learn about the importance of pollinators and become bee keepers, learning all about the wonderful world of bees whilst doing so. Working with Lorne East from Sirhowy Valley Honeybee Company, a social enterprise based in Wylie, pupils will follow the lives of the bees throughout the year as they pollinate plants and make honey, all under the watch of their queen bee. Cllr. Derek Havard, Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning said: The new bee keeping project at Ynysddu Primary School is a great example of Caerphilly County Borough Council working in partnership to deliver environmental and ecological educational opportunities to pupils. I am sure that pupils will learn so much from their experiences, both about the importance of bees to our Eco-system and the need to respect nature and wildlife. Cllr. Ken James, Cabinet Member for Member for Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Sustainable Development said: This is a brilliant environmental project, supporting the protection of nature and wildlife is hugely important to Caerphilly County Borough Council and I’m pleased to see so many partner organisations coming together for the good of the environment. I am sure the pupils will have a brilliant time learning all about bees and why they’re so important. The project is funded by Keep Wales Tidy ‘All Wales Grant’ Scheme, CCBC Greener Caerphilly…
Bargoed’s Big Heart
The heart of the community is beating strong in Bargoed town centre thanks to the multi agency work taking place at St Gwladys Church Hall. The facility is now being used each week by a host of different groups including: Young at Hearts over 55’s group Toddler group Pop in & Play Parent Network Craft Group Communities First Women’s Peer Support WEA classes to develop life skills One part of the work at St Gwladys Church Hall that aims to make a difference to people lives is the CAP Debt Centre, which offers a free debt counselling service. For more information about this or to find out more about the range of groups that are meeting at the hall contact the office 01443 836600 or email Community Project Coordinator Miriam Page miriam@stgwladys.org Miriam said: I believe that St Gwladys’ is a safe place where the whole community is welcome to meet together to socialise and develop life skills.
Cwmcarn Forest recognised for top class TripAdvisor feedback!
Cwmcarn Forest has been awarded the 2016 Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor. Now in its sixth year, the award celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Certificate of Excellence recipients include attractions and tourist destinations located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience. The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality and quantity of reviews submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Cllr. Ken James, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Sustainable Development said: This is a much deserved award for Cwmcarn Forest. The staff all work hard to ensure that visitors receive great customer service, and I’m pleased to see that this has been recognised by the visitors themselves who leave positive feedback on TripAdvisor. Original Article
Successful Business Fits into Busy Town
Infinite Kitchens & Bathrooms see Blackwood town centre as the perfect fit for their growing business. The business was started by Mike Sharpe who began his working life installing kitchens and bathrooms for his fathers business in Abertillery. When his father retired, Mike decided to put his experience to good use and set up his own business called Infinite Kitchens & Bathrooms. The company has just celebrated the first anniversary of opening a showroom on Blackwood High Street. Mike said: From my experience fitting kitchens and bathrooms I understand how important the quality of the product is. That’s why at Infinite Kitchens & Bathrooms we source our range carefully so that we provide our customers with a quality kitchens and bathrooms at reasonable prices